So long, New York

We all did it up in style last night in honor of our last night in Manhattan. My husband came home with a paycheck's worth of Laduree macarons and champagne and then we had a moment of parenting weakness and let Emerson indulge in a toxic mix food coloring with sugar. Gross, I know. But damn if she didn't talk to those buttons the entire walk home. Her new best friends. It was pretty great.

We keep wondering if she'll remember any bit of this whirlwind adventure. Will she hold on to one or two images? They all feel so intense to me and I can't imagine how a single visual from this trip will slip into grey matter, but that is the way it works, right?

And if she keeps just one - which ONE will make it through the filter? Mary Poppins flying over the audience on Broadway? Playing Lion King in the park with my best friend's son? The cool breeze coming off the Staten Island Ferry as she gazed at the Lady Liberty? Or her prized red balloon that flew away as we all watched, stunned in the cobble stoned streets of DUMBO? I suppose it will be some small detail that I missed along the way. Something she observed, zoned out on and filed away for future conversation. I can't wait for that day when she busts out with her own "remember when" moment.

A natural playground

Children make the very best artists, in my opinion. Watching littles create a world of make-believe out of sticks and stones is pretty magical. We're crushing pretty hard on all things Central Park on this trip. This vast expanse of nature in the middle of the go-go city will never grow tired to me and my girl. It seems there is a new discovery just waiting to be had around each bend.

I'm pretty sure Emerson was conducting a symphony of imaginary musicians here. But all I could think of was how precariously close she came to falling in that pond on so many separate occasions. That's all.

P.S. I realize this place has turned into a bit of a travel blog but I'm sort of a one-track-mind, New York-all-the-time right now. Things will get back to normal next week. Whatever that means.

Weekend snap: balloons

Imagine the possibilities, the endless potential for adventure, inspiration, creating. Hook a dream to a balloon and see where it takes you. Happy Monday, friends.

Magic moments

Not gonna lie. New York has been a dream. Full of long walks through Central Park, coffee breaks in tiny cafes that look more like film sets and hours of wandering the streets imagining what life would really be like if we actually called this city home.

My husband really wants to move here. He's east coast to the core. I love a good adventure but the older I get the more attached I become to my California roots. I need my trees and my ocean - at my finger tips. Don't get me wrong, I get a serious charge from this city. It inspires me in countless unexpected ways and it's no surprise that artists of all sorts flock here through the generations. It's a living, breathing and constantly evolving canvas.

We're happy here. My girl is at peace here. The stimulation seems to do her all kinds of crazy good. I'm not at all sure what to do with that information.

See below my imaginary home in New York. We walk by it every morning and I'm obsessed. Pretty dreamy, huh? Wishing you all a lovely weekend. Hope you have some fun, fall adventures planned.

Taking Manhattan: toddler style

It looks like I may be iPhoning it in for the next few days. New York is a total whirlwind of crazy and there just isn't a spare moment to download and edit images. So just a quick update. If you follow me on Twitter you got my #WIE2011 spam. It was an amazing and inspiring two days. Lots of women doing crazy, brave stuff. I have tons to share, but I need to process and collect my thoughts. More on that soon, promise.

More importantly, Emerson is taking to city life like a pro. She wakes up each morning ready to start counting taxi cabs. I fear her work will never be done. She wants nothing to do with her stroller but is seriously fighting our strict hand-holding policy. Little independent city gal, she is.

She's already taken in a Broadway show ("Berry" Poppins - in her words) and sat quietly on my lap only to be distracted when she quite seriously shushed the restless girl sitting next to us. It was pretty great.

Yesterday, we visited Eloise's house and played tea party. Then we took a carriage ride through Central Park and damn if the leaves are not even yellow yet. It's the most lush I have ever seen the park. Every shade of leafy green hanging on like it's spring. So pretty.

In a few minutes we'll be off to our new favorite ritual. Breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup. I'd been wanted to  visit this place for years and wouldn't you know? It's two blocks from our apartment. Amazing food, perfect tea and fairy dust and wings for Emerson at the entrance. The place is a dream. Seriously, can you imagine the effect of fairy dust and glittery wings on a three year old? Socks. Officially. Knocked. Off. 

City food tour

A few weeks ago my girlfriends and I, armed with train tickets, cab fare and travel-size mimosas, attempted to eat (and drink) our way through 7x7 magazine's Big Eat San Francisco.  Ambitious? Um, yes. And maybe a little ill-timed considering we were all registered for a 10k run the following morning through the redwoods of Felton, but I digress. It was a 12-hour grand and glutinous affair.

We girls were pretty solidly focused on enjoying some of the finest coffee, sweets, savories and drinks the city has to offer. The rough agenda:

Coffee and spiced chocolate donut at Four Barrel Coffee
Double pain au chocolat at Tartine
Salted caramel ice cream at Bi-rite
Fish tacos and margaritas at Tacolicious
*Unplanned rest stop for coffees and prosecco in North Beach (this is about the time when I started whining for a Tums and a nap and the girls pretty much compared my general temperament to that of a toddler and I totally agreed with that assessment)
Ice cream at Humphry Slocombe (the line was 45 deep so we gave up after 15 minutes)
Pizza at Little Star

I should mention that we also rolled with a three month old. Tui was such a trooper. Up for whatever, whenever. Maybe a little bummed she didn't get to gum any of the goodies, but other than that pretty happy to be included in the girls' day.

Every single thing we tasted was ah-mazing. Seriously, study the 2010 and 2011 lists before any future San Francisco trip. Each location was worth the wait and the advance planning. For now, I'm dying to get back to Tartine and eat my way through their entire menu. We tried both a savory and sweet croissant and ate them while standing outside. It was not a pretty scene but so, so very good.

Baby Tui took the sign very seriously.

Baby mine

Marisa's "At the Circus" limited addition print.

Emerson is in the throws of a full blown love affair/obsession with all things Dumbo. She also recently had her mind blown at the circus. Don't even get me started on magic of juggling. And now each night she asks me to sing the Dumbo song. You know, the one his mommy sings to him as she cries and cradles him in her trunk, through the bars of her prison car. Yah, she wants me to hold her like a baby and sing this gut wrenching song. She clearly has no sense of the scary depth that is my empathetic soul. Or maybe she does. It could be that she knows all too well how deeply I feel heartbreak and fear for her very own inevitable pain. How intensely I have imagined her life being free from that. And yet, she's drawn to it. The drama, it won't stop.

It's heartbreaking on a number of levels. You see, she's my only little. My baby mine. And watching her grow out of true babyhood has been hard - on both of us. She recently started asking for her baby toys. The ones she sees peeking from corners of photos. Where the focus is her chubby, toothlesness she sees a bouncy chair, a rattle, a playmat.

I tell her they are packed up or living with another little baby and she wants them back. She rejoices when we find a touch and feel board book in the trunk of my car. A cast off from years ago. Years that feel like days to me. Because the crushing exhaustion and anxiety of newborn days have returned in toddlerhood. She feels as delicate as ever to me at 3.5 as she did at .5. My porcelin doll who some how learned to walk and talk and make song requests from her bed. How did we get here?

Dumbo Baby Mine Baby mine, don't you cry Baby mine, dry your eyes Rest your head close to my heart Never to part, baby of mine Little one when you play Don't you mind what you say Let those eyes sparkle and shine Never a tear, baby of mine If they knew sweet little you They'd end up loving you too All those same people who scold you What they'd give just for The right to hold you From your head to your toes You're not much, goodness knows But you're so precious to me Cute as can be, baby of mine

P.S. Anyone else hitting up Target today? I'm hoping to pick up a few Missoni gems. Maybe a new dress for Emerson's big city debut? 

Weekend snap: flowers

Just a little snappy from the weekend. I'm thinking this might be a regular Monday feature. (That is, until I start making soup again. Soup Monday was fun, right?) If I follow through on this series I should have a little shot from New York. Because, (eeck!) that's we're the family will be for the next two weeks. Craziness around here preparing for city-living with a, um, spirited toddler. Any tips?

Flowers always make me feel better. California poppies growing wild out of the pavement or grand arrangements styled to perfection - it doesn't matter. And this weekend I needed the simple pleasure that fresh flowers so easily bring. Farmer's market flowers. They never disappoint.

Stained in my memory

I'm pretty sure I need some stained glass in my life. I had been regularly admiring a few pieces at my favorite antiques coop for more than a year. They were old and pricey but I used to visit them and imagine one hanging in my future dream of a home. On my most recent visit I saw that they were gone.

Now, I know I need one of my own. Does anyone make stained glass anymore? Could it be the next nostalgic revival design trend? I saw this piece in Felton last weekend while eating lunch at a roadside cafe. It sort of screams Northern California mid-70s. i.e. my childhood. I love it.

I have a great memory of making stained glass Christmas ornaments with my Grandfather. You know, the  kind you get from the craft store and bake in the oven. A little grey mouse. It's a treasure of a memory. The kind I'll surely now create with Emerson.

Do you have any personal experiences your working to recreate with your kids? Do you ever wonder what they will grow up to remember and cherish from their own formative years? Let's all share.

Backyard inspiration

Photo by E. Spencer Toy for Sunset.

File this under "why didn't I think of that?" How fun would a permanent Scrabble board be in your backyard? I love it. Do you have a favorite family-friendly board game? I'm a big fan of Scrabble, but I also love Uno (I know, card game) and Yahtzee.

Riding the rails

She ran all the way to the ticket counter. All the while, hollering "wait for me, wait for me!" as if she were late for the train. Emerson's enthusiasm for the old steam engine was contagious. Public transportation is totally her thing. She loved holding her ticket and sharing the trip through the redwoods with her trusted companion, Lion.

Checking this off my summer list was a magical moment. I still have a couple special dresses to wear and a rooftop telescope to find, but other than that the summer list is close to complete. Many special missions happily accomplished. I'm pretty sure I said this at the tail end of last summer, but there really is something to this effort of putting my goals "out there". It seems to amp up the accountability factor and sort of sets my intentions in motion. Good stuff, indeed.

Baking the last of summer

Melissa's foodie tweets have been taunting me all summer. She threw me over the edge last week with mention of a savory galette with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese. Goat cheese in any form makes me a little weak in the knees as evidenced here. Since I took her tweet as a personal challenge, I knew it was time to finally try my hands at Sherry's recipe.

Pastry dough makes me twitchy but this was easy and effortless. (And here is where I admit to previously getting all my pastry dough from the freezer section of Whole Foods).  My galette initiation included plums and blueberries and handmade pastry with some "help" from Emerson. It was divine with vanilla ice cream and I cannot wait to have my next slice with coffee for breakfast. Highly recommended.

I was also busy sewing and added two new toddler skirts to the shop. More to come soon. I'm playing with fabric dye and it is FUN. Can't wait to share with you guys.

The best of summer

I'm off to spend the day with my Kiwi crew before they head back to New Zealand tonight. Boo! It's bittersweet. We'll be lounging poolside with a gaggle of little girls. Eating and drinking and laughing to our hearts delight among 30 acres of oak trees. (I open the sun roof and windows each and every time I drive up this road for a visit.) It's reliably a pinch-yourself moment.

I'm wishing you all a fabulous long (in the States) weekend. Hope you either have a mad adventure planned or three days of blissful rest. Or, both.

P.S. Did you know we are offering free shipping on all items in our Closet Shop? And new items have been added. Do check it out.

Wise words

One of the many reasons I'm be happy to grow soft in Northern California. Among the surprisingly beautiful graffiti art found all over San Francisco's Mission district, there is also this. Word to your mother-in-law - NPR's Ira Glass is, apparently, in the house.


Which reminded me of this much-played out, but so wise commencement speech from Baz Luhrmann. These really are some well said words to live by. Do you agree? Wouldn't it be great if this were part of high school curriculum? I particularly love the bit about beauty magazines and worry. 


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Everybody`s Free To Wear Sunscreen
 - Baz Luhrmann 

Ladies & Gentlemen of the class of `99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Obviously enjoy the power & beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you`ll not understand the power & beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you`ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can`t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked..As you may expect you`re not as fat as you imagine. 


Don`t worry about the future; or worry. Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. 


Do one thing everyday that scares you 


Don`t be reckless with other people`s hearts, don`t put up with people who are reckless with yours. 


Don`t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you`re ahead, sometimes you`re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it`s only with yourself. 


Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed doing this, tell me how. 


Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. 


Don`t feel guilty if you don`t know what you want to do with your  Life.the most interesting people I know didn`t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most extremely interesting 40 year olds I know still don`t. 


Get plenty of calcium. 


Be kind to your knees, you`ll miss them when they`re gone. 


Maybe you`ll marry, maybe you won`t, maybe you`ll have children, maybe you won`t, maybe you`ll divorce at 40, maybe you`ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. What ever you do, don`t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either - your choices are half chance, so are everybody else`s. 


Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don`t be afraid of it, or what other people individually think of it, it`s the greatest instrument you`ll ever own.. 


For certain dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. 


Read the directions, even if you don`t follow them. 


Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. 


Get to know your parents, you never know when they`ll be gone for good. 


Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. 


Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you yearly get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. 

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; momentarily live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. 

Travel. 


Meanwhile accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will lie, you too will get old, and when you do you`ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. 


Respect your elders. 


Don`t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
 
Don`t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you`re 40, it will look 85. 


Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, magically painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it`s worth. 


But trust me on the sunscreen.