Ready for a photo op?

I've been wanting to go to the Orchid Show at the Bronx Botanical Gardens for several weeks now. The photos and Instagrams that people have posted on line are great, and make it very tempting.  Today, I seized the opportunity, and took Jake for our weekly "Jake and Mommy Day". I felt it was a bit of a stretch to keep him interested in a flower show for too long, so I turned it into an adventure.

I reminded him that Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) was a photographer for The Daily Bugle, and we stopped to get a cheap (pink) digital camera from the drugstore for him to use on our "photography adventure". The little camera was perfect (except it's a piece of junk, and I can't get the photos off it). He was so proud of it, and it kept him interested for the entire day. I handed it to him at one point and asked if he wanted to play with it, and he said, "Mom, you don't play with it, it's not a toy!" I guess that message sunk in!

The show was designed by French botanist and artist Patrick Blanc. The orchids, displayed in different climates are turned into amazing vertical gardens throughout the Conservatory. I played with various settings on the camera, trying to create some artsy shots. The subject matter was inspiring. You can also visit the show for the Orchid Evenings (with signature cocktail). It would be a great date spot...(trés romantic!) How do you think my artsy shots came out?

My sidekick was a trooper (or maybe I'm the sidekick?)

After touring the Orchid Show, we made terrariums at the Children's Garden which was also really cool. Jake was getting a bit tired by that point, so I knew we had to make a quick get away. 

It's exhausting being a super hero w/ a dual identity. On the way back to the car though, he still kept wanting to take more photos. He's say, "Mom! Stop! Photo op!" Such fun!

If you happen to go for the Orchid Evenings event...please tell me how it was, and have a "signature cocktail" for me!

Halloween Countdown...

I feel like Halloween is actually a month and a half long holiday around here. September and October are my favorite months in Westchester... I'm no longer craving the beach, I'm energized by personal projects, the weather is still nice, AND there are many fun things to do in the area which we've been taking advantage of. Last Friday night was the second time we've been to see the jack-o-lantern extravaganza, BLAZE at Van Cortlandt Manor, one of the historic hudson homes. Talented carvers, and dedicated volunteers carve over 4,000 pumpkins, and illuminate them each night throughout the grounds. It takes them a few hours to light the pumpkins each night. Can you imagine? I think my carving limit might top out at about 5! It's truly amazing to see. Here are some shots from our fun night in the land of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Our own pumpkin decorating was far less ambitious, but really fun. We're going with glittery, disco pumpkins this year! I'll probably carve them next weekend so we can light them up for the kajillion trick-or-treaters we get each year, but I think Jake is still a little squeamish about scooping pumpkin goo.

(Note: these photos were taken on the very rare occasion that Jake wasn't wearing his Spiderman costume...these moments are few and far between these days, but he IS wearing his self-created baseball uniform!)

Bon Jour!

Several years ago, on a trip to Paris, I snapped a photo of this apartment near the Musée D'Orsay. I loved the elegant drapes in the window, and would love to see what the rest of the apartment looked like. If I lived in Paris, I think this apartment should be mine!

Have a good weekend!

A Less than Dazzling Dining Room

(image from Galbraith & Paul)

 (image from Galbraith & Paul)

Despite how well our dining room "works" for our lives at the moment, I have been obsessing (ever so slightly) about the ugliness of the room. I want it chic AND fun. SO, last weekend I took a wonderful mini trip to Philadelphia with a friend to check out the Galbraith & Paul sample sale. I've been wanting one of their great pendant lamps for above the table. It seems it might be the one thing that will be immune to food spills and craft projects.

Galbriath & Paul is a fabric design, and printing studio housed in a renovated textile mill in the Manayunk neighboorhood of Philadelphia. They produce upscale, hand block printed textiles which are used on pillows, lighting, and fabric yardage (unfortunately available to the trade only). We arrived early, so I was immediately able to snag a light in the correct size, but ultimately passed it on to another admirer because the color just wasn't right for me.

(image from Galbraith & Paul)

For a moment, I had the thought of purchasing some of the yardage in the above fabric and making my own pendant light...but who am I kidding...do I really need a project of this magnitude? In my one spare hour a day? Probably not.

(image from Galbraith & Paul)

They had stacks and stacks of wonderful pillows for sale, which became quite overwhelming. The colors were not quite right for my living room, but there were many designers there putting together fabulous groupings of the pillows, so it was pretty tempting!

In one room they had two large tables filled with fabric remnants which was fun to sort through. It was all available by the pound, so I just grabbed some different things I liked and will someday turn them into something beautiful. Once I laid out all the fabric, I realized how predictable my color choices are! Aren't these fabrics great (see below)? I'll have to see what I can come up with!

Dreaming with the Dream Jam Band!

Francine Wheeler is a singer for The Dream Jam Band. She's the wife of a talented designer that I work with, and I'm so excited about the release of their new kid's album, Leave it in the Soup! They've been working on this album for awhile. I played this youtube link for Jake this morning, and he clapped along and swayed with the music...an excellent review from a 2-year-old!

To read more about Francine, and The Dream Jam Band, read this article about Francine featured in Parents Magazine! (She's famous!) The songs are lively and upbeat...I have to say that I liked the youtube video just as much as Jake did! Front row seats please!

Hello Again!

Through a stroke of good scheduling fortune, I've managed to spend a good portion of the summer on Cape Cod...which is the only place I really want to be when July hits. I've been scheduling posts in advance, and trying to keep up with my little blog in between gaps in my busy summer, working, and generally trying to keep up with life. After being robbed last year, I thought it was best not to announce my departures each time I went away.

We came home today, after a fantastic 10 days of playing with Jake and my family. Having spent my summers there as a child, it's such a blessing to begin to share it all with Jake and to see him discover it all for himself! And my good baby? He did not cry once on the five hour car ride home!

One fun highlight was that we splurged and bought bikes...and the best part? Mine has a child seat attached to the back! It's not the bike I posted about here...but it's pretty great! I'm looking forward to family bike rides this fall with Jake singing merrily on the back!

Two nights ago, Ricardo and I had a great date night at Mac's Shack in Wellfleet. Cute logo, don't you think? Has anyone else been having a tough time keeping up with their blogs this summer?

Happy baby on the go...

I love these Sticker Activity Totes from Peaceable Kingdom, and would have loved to play with them when I was little (ok, maybe I still would!) I would seriously consider getting one of these for Jake for our upcoming car trip to Cape Cod, but I purchased some stickers for him today, and he ate about half of them, so I may have to wait until he's a little older.

A friend of mine recently asked me how I keep him happy on our fairly frequent 4-5 hours drives to the Cape. My trick is to leave about an hour before nap time, give him a sippy cup of milk, and put on his favorite CD (which has recently been narrowed down to his favorite song!). Then, I hold my breath, and if I'm lucky, he'll take a two hour nap. After he wakes up, I periodically pass him new toys to play with. These work great:

(Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn: Storybook Rhymes)

(Fisher-Price See 'N Say Farmer Says)

Then, we tend to stop once to eat, pray for no traffic, listen to our song about 100 more times, and we're there!

Author/Artist Series: Eric Carle

I have a new appreciation for Eric Carle. I used to say to my sister that I didn't really see the appeal of his books. And she just said..."you'll see". And I do. Something magical has happened between Eric Carle and me these days. Suddenly, Jake can't get enough of his books...and neither can I. The lilting, repetitive nature of his text combined with the fun, funky shapes of his characters create a magical glow in Jake's face as he stares lovingly page after page (again and again).

In 2002, Eric Carle and his wife, Barbara started The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA. Their mission is to "inspire, especially in children and their families, an appreciation for and an understanding of the art of the picture book." The museum has three galleries of rotating exhibits, an art studio, an auditorium and library. I would love to take some of the art classes they offer...how fun! What a noble thing to do...start a museum so that your love of children and art can live on for future generations!

Did you know that The Very Hungry Caterpillar turns 40 this year...and Eric Carle is turning 80? In honor of these birthdays, there is an exhibit called "80/40: Celebrating the Birthdays of Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar" running through August 30 at the Eric Carle Museum. The exhibit chronicles Eric Carle's life and career. If you'd like to send "Best Wishes" to Eric Carle, click here to download the Birthday Wish template and follow the instructions! Click here to see Eric Carle talk about his Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love him!

Happy Birthday Eric Carle, and thanks for all the happiness you're bringing us!

P.S. The shop sells this neat Eric Carle fabric...what could we make out of it?

Creative Financing Challenge!

This could be you!

I think the economy has gotten all of us down in many different ways. I won't complain...but it has gotten me thinking. There are the usual cutbacks we can all make... pack a lunch, re-use, stop with the lattes, etc. BUT, what are some ways we can alter our lives to save more, yet still have a bit of adventure, a little bit of luxury? If you have any creative ideas outside the ordinary that you've done to save money...please let me know this week through e-mail, or by commenting, and I'll post the ideas on Friday so that we can all benefit from the suggestions! Let's start cutting back, and STILL have fun!

Here is the story of one of the most amazing things I did to save money AND have an adventure...
Four years ago, I decided I really REALLY wanted to go to Monaco and explore the surrounding area. I had been there on a quick trip a few years prior, and it whetted my appetite. These are the things I knew I wanted:
1. To go for more than a week.
2. To rent a car and drive around and explore neighboring towns
3. To stay IN Monaco
4. Have a friend or two to join me on this adventure.

I started calling hotels, and discovered that they were incredibly expensive and/or booked. So, I got creative. I had heard of home exchange services, and had had some friends who had a very positive experience with exchanges. I was living in a one bedroom apartment on the upper westside of Manhattan at the time...a very desirable area for travelers. With some trepidation, I decided to list my apartment on a home exchange service called HomeLink and see what would happen. I checked apartments available in Monaco, and miraculously found a man who was willing to exchange his second apartment in Monaco for 10 days, for my (much more humble) abode for four. After several exchanges through e-mail, and a couple reference checks, I felt confident that this would be ok.

I persuaded my friend Ruth to come. It was NOT a financially "good" time for her, but with much convincing and promises of an unforgettable experience, she agreed. When we arrived in Monaco to our beautiful apartment OVERLOOKING MONACO HARBOR WITH A BALCONY, I could NOT believe our good fortune! It was truly amazing. Our main splurge was on a convertible car which we had a blast in. We drove to surrounding towns (Eze, St. Paul de Vence, Antibes, and Grasse), hide-away beaches on the Cote d'Azure, wined, dined and had an amazing time. (Oh! Did I mention I had enough frequent flier miles for almost free airfare?) One of the nicest benefits of this exchange, is that I've become friends with the family whose apartment I exchanged...their son attended our wedding!

I used the Homelink exchange service again last year when I was in the process of selling my apartment. My tenant had moved out, and it was vacant, but furnished for 6 weeks. "Why not" I said. "WHY????", my husband said! "Let's just see what happens!" I replied.

Sure enough, we now have the opportunity to travel to this (see below) amazing apartment on the ocean in Puerta Vallarta sometime when we can imagine traveling that far with Jake!

So, take the challenge, and let's see collectively, and creatively we can come up with!

P.S. for those of your who are (rightfully) nervous about swapping your own home...this exchange works well with people who have second homes that are vacant much of the year. The first time I swapped my apartment, I was single, and didn't have everything I owned in my apartment, so it involved moving a few of my more personal items. The second time I swapped the apartment, it was vacant except for furniture, and if something happened to it, I didn't care all that much! I know many people who have had very positive exchange experiences...you can check references, and don't do anything unless your comfortable with it!