Autumn in New York

Oh, friends. The last time I was here it was July. It was hot and muggy and there were fireworks, and now it's brisk and chilly and there are falling, colorful leaves. Sorry about that.

A friend mentioned to me once that there's a catalogue on the Internet, somewhere, of all the blog posts where the author apologizes for going quiet for a few days, weeks, whatever. And it's comical that so many of these exist, because on the one hand there's the early-Internet belief that still rings in our ears: "Who cares what you had for lunch?" In other words, you don't know the people you're writing for, so why apologize? And on the other hand, we all know that we come to enjoy the daily dose of levity, beauty, etc. that we get from our favorite bloggers. And so, not hearing from them for awhile feels a bit like having a phone call ignored.

All that to say, I just haven't had much to say lately. But for whatever reason, today I felt like telling you that I think the soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally is the perfect music to listen to during autumn. So, here I am, telling you that. Besides the fact that When Harry Met Sally is a great movie to watch in the fall (it's right up there with You've Got Mail), Harry Connick Jr.'s jazzy soundtrack is full of the type of melodies and older songs ("Don't Get Around Much Anymore") that sound just a little like...Christmas music. But, it isn't Christmas music, so it's totally appropriate to listen to in November. (And, as a bonus, there's an instrumental version of "Winter Wonderland" on it, but that's not your fault. You were just sitting there listening to a movie soundtrack and a Christmas song came on. It'd be rude to skip it.)

Do you (are you still out there?) have a favorite album for this time of year?

Patriotic Party Food

Did the month of July sneak up on you, too? Somehow June zoomed by and suddenly the 4th of July is tomorrow. Yikes! So, I thought I'd round up a few ideas in case you're on the hook to bring a dish to a BBQ. Or, perhaps you're hosting a BBQ that you only planned yesterday, and you're out of propane. No, just me? Sneaky, sneaky July 4.



A Hot Dog Bar - throw a bunch of hot dogs on the grill, and put out as many fixings as you can gather. Add a pickle bar if you're feeling fancy.

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Dry Rubbed Ribs - For a meat option with a bit more depth than a hot dog, these ribs look to-die-for.



Red, White & Blueberry Shortcake - I improvised this layered shortcake cake for a July 4th BBQ two years ago, and it was a total hit.



Strawberry Ice Cream Cake - Add blueberries or blackberries to this simple ice cream cake for some patriotic flair.



Mini Layer Cakes - Made in a tin can! Borrow Jordan's idea, but make it with white cake and vanilla frosting. Dye the frosting red & blue, or simply slip some red & blue berries in with the white frosting.



Triple Berry Pie - Simple & summery, just add some whipped cream for the requisite pop of white. 

Happy 4th!

Top image by Machiine

Magic

Is there anything more magical than fireflies on a summer night? Photographer Yume Cyan captured what looks like hundreds of them in this series of long exposure photos, taken in a forest in Japan. I pretty much want to live in these images.

Via MyModernMet

North America

Have you heard about the new nature documentary North America? I don't have cable so I hadn't heard a thing about it until my friend Kate introduced me to it last weekend (and we stayed up into the wee hours of the morning watching the first three episodes). It's similar to shows like Planet Earth but focuses on, as the title would suggest, just North America. The landscapes are gorgeous, but the footage they capture of the animals is insane.





From giant jellyfish to chipmunks fights to a one-eyed bobcat (yes, really), nature is totally mind blowing.

The Discovery Channel did not pay me to say any of this, but they should have for as much as I've been talking about this show lately.

(Several Weekends) Weekend in Pictures

Oops. Somehow, I let weeks go by without blogging. But I've had some fun weekends in the meantime, filled with ice cream and secret garden wandering, so I thought I'd smash them into one post and make an effort to not let weeks go by again. Because it's nearly officially summer, and there is plenty to talk about. Popsicles and weekends away and sunsets and rooftops, I hope.

Summer Getaways

Let's move on to summer, shall we? It unofficially starts this weekend (did Memorial Day sneak up on anyone else?) and while I'm more of a Spring gal for the most part, I get excited for summer getaways. I like them to be close-ish to home (so the relaxing can start a.s.a.p.) lazy but also full (like how summer days felt when you were nine), and with plenty of summer-y food (preferably cooked outside and enjoyed with a cold beer).



So when I ran across this New York Magazine slideshow of fantasy summer rentals, it got my wheels spinning. Some of these definitely sit in the "fantasy" category with their hefty price tags, but Airbnb is sure to have plenty of places to rent with just as much charm. But let's dream for a minute, ok?





I'm ready to pack a bag and hit the road. Do you have fun travel plans for the long weekend?

All photos via NY Mag, linked info here.

(A Rainy & Brief) Weekend in Pictures

A mostly rainy weekend, with a tiny pink birthday cake thrown in for good measure. Now, on to summer! Yes? Yes.

A Gift for Grads

Do you remember any of your graduation gifts? All I remember of my high school graduation was receiving two Sacagawea dollar coins taped into a card from a distant great aunt. While I'm sure I received plenty of thoughtful gifts (and I do remember a few checks slipped into cards!) that strange gift is pretty much all I remember. So I thought it might be fun to put together a few things that a new grad (especially a college grad) could use to make their new desk space special, and a gift that might be a tad more memorable than coins.





For this gift I picked up an oversized owl mug (for coffee or to hold pencils!), a pretty gold chevron notebook, a few rolls of washi tape, useful sticky notes, and classy gold paperclips. For a fun little touch, I covered a pack of pencils with washi tape (following this super-simple tutorial).



I actually put this gift together for my younger sister when she got a new job recently, so these ideas would work equally well as a gift for a college grad, or a care package for a friend with a new job.

(A Rainy & Relaxing) Weekend in Pictures

{a creepy abandoned platform}

{right before it poured}

{watching the rain with wren}

{striped awnings in williamsburg}

{derek webb show in williamsburg}

{sea mark}

{me & my mom circa 1985 - happy mother's day!}

It was a quiet and relaxing weekend, spent wrangling a wriggly Wren (who is a baby, not a bird), watching the rain, and enjoying some live music. Hope yours was wonderful!

(Home Again) Weekend in Pictures

{the bridge that leads to home}

{faux fog at the exploratorium}

{whatever happened to predictability? the milkman, the paper boy, evening tv...}

{heat wave, dolores park}

{giants country}

{beers at southern pacific brewing}

{flowers at the ferry plaza farmer's market}

{wanted to take them all home with me}

{headed to my hometown in the east bay}

{california poppy, growing wild on the sidewalk}

{on the main street of my hometown, benicia}

{a generous scoop of my favorite green tea ice cream}

{hills and the waterfront}

{the bear I grew up next to. yes, really}

{perfect san francisco skies through the open window}

{thanks, random graffiti}

This weekend (which I realize is now four days ago, but humor me) I confirmed what I've suspected for awhile: I have two homes. New York feels like home. When I'm gone too long, I get that sighing, happy feeling of relief when I'm back here. But Northern California, where I grew up, is still home, no matter how long I've been away. The site of the golden hills, sometimes covered in houses, sometimes rolling untouched towards the bay...they get me every time. So this weekend was near perfect in my book. A few days in San Francisco (during a rare, rare heat wave!) and then a couple in my hometown, both with friends who've known me nearly my whole life. It was wonderful.