December Delights List

December List by knhale // 1. Free People Hiker Heathered Highland Sock // 2. Anthropologie Hand-Crocheted Earband // 3. Starbucks Winter Bev // 4. Anthropologie Aquarella Infitity Scarf // 5. Yarn for Crochet Projects // 6. The North Face Women's Arctic Parka // 7. Michael Buble Christmas Album // 8. Aveda Comforting Tea // 9. Anthropologie Daisy Stitch Fingerless Glove // 10. Papyrus Christmas Cards // 11. Anthropologie Volupsa Crane Flower Candle // 12. UGG Classic Short Women's Chesnut Boot // 13. The Honest Company Hand Sanitizer Spray //

Wintery December.

It's officially Christmas season. There are no more cases of Christmas music violation or Christmas decoration violation because the season is officially official. Break out your sparkly lights, your tacky Santas and piney wreaths, because Christmastime is here! For me, this time of year means unearthing my unnattractive but oh-so-warm North Face Puffer Coat. Stepping outside to run errands can only mean one thing these days: icy wind burn. So I pile on the hefty socks, gloves (I was recently gifted a pair like these by this gem), scarf and headband, too. No point in stopping there. No matter what your opinion is about UGGS (my sister thinks they're ugly as sin), you can't deny their toasty comfort. And of course, while I'm out and about, I like to clutch onto a warm beverage as if it's my personal handwarmer. My favorite fancy Starbucks indulgence is a tall toffee-nut latte. Order it. You won't be disappointed. And don't forget the hand sanitizer, because, ew, everyone on the subway is sneezing. The crochet yarn and the Christmas cards await my attention when I get home; these are my favorite wintery projects. My bff often accuses me of being an old lady trapped in a 20-something body. I just chuckle because she's sort of right. But winter is for hibernating, right?

4/50 NYC Adventures: Highline Park

// Chelsea Grasslands //

Highline Park.

Now this is an ode to honest city majesty. A few years ago, a creepy old decrepit freight rail line was on the fast track to getting demolished (see what I did there? Oh train humor.) But a few righteous city folk got together and decided to donate the funds to recreate the railway into something beautiful. Thus, Highline Park was born. This is a park unlike any other; it is a wide green walkway raised above street level and spans about 14 streets running north to south along the Hudson River. With water views to the west and posh views of West Chelsea and the Meatpacking District to the east, The Highline is a refreshing tribute to modern city living.

Eats.

There is an area where the green path widens and there are local vendors selling all kinds of yummy, including the People's Pops (get the custard popsicle!), L'arte del Gelato (pistachio! PISTACHIO!) and I've also heard ridiculous raves about The Taco Truck. So your hunger really shouldn't be an issue on this grand stroll.

Shops.

There are actually some really awesome Highline-branded gear from gigantic designers who just happen to be local to the neighborhood, like this little gem from DVF and this classic crewneck from JCrew. It's also a convenient walk over from the last adventure we explored together, the Chelsea Market, so I always make sure to take make time for a quick stroll when I'm down there. This is the stuff that makes New York so much fun.

Arts.

The Highline is located in one of the most artistic areas of the city (a really strange thing to say, since the entire city is artistic), but West Chelsea is truly home to a great number of photographers, design, fine art and fashion studios. So it's no surprise that the Highline has its own amazing array of outdoor art from world-renowned artists.

// El Anatsui's Broken Bridge II / Pretty purpleness //

// Charles Hewitt's "Urban Rattle"//

Park in the Sky.

The last time I visited, I caught the park around sunset, and it was a magnificent time to photograph all the yellowing beauty. As Super-Nintendo-y-crazy as the idea of a "park in the sky" might be, the concept totally works. The Highline showcases such a savvy way to enjoy a bit of green space in this massive city.

Current Reads.

Images Via 1, 2, 3

A Little Comfort Reading.

Autumn is really, truly here. It's officially biting cold outside and my hands beg to wrap themselves around a steamy cup of green tea every time I leave the apartment. It's a grand time to cozy up with a home-spun blanket, a hot beverage and a delicious book. Right now I'm reading several delightful books that are less about traditional storytelling and more about a journey in photos. Humans of New York is brand new, released last week, and based on a blog of the same name. It was gifted to me by my dear friend Mary who is always on trend, especially when it comes to the literary world. It's a gorgeous and candid look at, quite literally, the humans of New York. It's mini stories, quotes and striking photography. Plain and simple. And pretty mesmerizing, too.

I've also been thumbing through Gwyneth Paltrow's latest cookbook, It's All Good, which is based on a pretty strict/healthy diet with the intention of creating clean recipes that are still tasty and satisfying. Every so often I feel rather guilty about the amount of butter or oil that I cook with, and I'm often trying to find ways to incorporate more vegetables into my cooking. This book does both. We shall see how the actual implementation goes...

Finally, I've been reading/looking at the pretty house photos in the new Design*Sponge At Home book. Since moving into our new apartment in August, my husband and I have been trying to style our home in a carefree way that suits our busy lifestyle. It takes a lot of time to get your home just right, and I'm learning to accept that it will probably always be a work in progress. This book has helped me realize that I should embrace my own style quirks and showcase them in my home, instead of succumbing to the pressures of a manufactured decor template. It's been a fun journey, and certainly one that I want to share with you all soon.

What are you reading right now?

The Merrell Challenge Wrap-Up

The End.

It's been a good run (pun intended.) This Challenge ended last week, and I wanted to share my final thoughts and stats.

My Running Stats:

(via Mapmyrun)

Final Standing: 1333rd

Percentage: Top 3%

Average Mile/Minute: 9:15 min/mile (I shrunk my time in the past week!)

# of Runs Completed: 30

# of Days Left: 0

Obstacles.

There are always reasons not to run. Amazing, perfectly reasonable reasons. Am I right? I thought it would be NO BIG DEAL to run 30 times within 45 days. I really did. Ha. I didn't really factor in life. Over the course of 45 days, we had 4 different sets of visitors in town (which made me want to go to brunch, not run!) and I got sick (which took me out of commission for almost a week!) Those two things alone kind of threw off the discipline I thought I had been cultivating. Ultimately, I learned that my runs had to be faster in order to get everything done in a day. Thus, I increased my speed. Believe me, this whole running thing was NOT always convenient, and it certainly didn't just make time for itself.

Reflection.

I honestly can't believe I did it. I've never run so consecutively in my life. It's been really rewarding because I never really believed I was a runner. I think the incredible fall foliage and the high of running in Central Park everyday really helped the "wow" factor for me. There was always something new to look at, or someone new to look at. Occasionally I would run in the afternoon and catch some of the local schools around the time of their track practice (tons of schools use Central Park, and especially the Reservoir as an extension of their facilities. It's everyone's playground!)

One Memorable Moment.

One time I was running and I stopped for a second to change a song on my iPod, and this kid (he couldn't have been older than 8th grade), ran right by me with a few of his friends and yelled, "Stop for nothing! KEEP RUNNING!!!!" I was like, "Alright, alright!" That little Upper East Side kid kicked my butt. I tell you what, I never stop to change songs anymore. I feel like he will appear out of the bushes and scold me. Another time the track team was doing sprints and I might have tried to race them. But alas. I never won. Those teenagers are scrappy.

What's even stranger is that I still feel like a teenager, yet when I think about what I've done since high school, it's been quite a lot. It's weird how you can feel young and at the same time be aging. Living. And then aging some more. All the reason to keep running!

Now that I've done this, I think I want to continue running but diversify a bit. I want to increase my mileage and try to work on my endurance. I also want to start hitting the gym a bit more regularly to incorporate more weights and strength training. You can't keep running without hitting the weights (so says my Health Magazine.) It's a journey! Thanks for joining me.

If you want to learn more about the Merrel Mapmyrun Challenge, you can follow my journey here and here and get a peek at my gear here.

When Mom Comes to Town

My Mother.

She is an intricate creature. She literally comes in a room and sweeps it with giggling joy, spontaneous curiosity and a slam-dunk of wisdom. She does all of that. Within like 5 seconds of walking into a room. She's no ordinary mom, I'll tell you that. She has played surrogate to dozens of my friends over the years. She listens to their problems, she really looks in their eyes, and then asks simple questions that draw out the choice that is best. It's awesome brilliance. That woman. I've never met anyone like my mother. She is generous, too. Really really generous with everything she has to give. Her time, her empathy, her dollars. She will give anything away to help you be best your best YOU. She is genuinely concerned for others, whether it's a dear old friend, one of her daughters friends, a niece or a lady she just met at the nail salon. Her compassion for others is intoxicating, more than inspiring; it makes you realize you are in the presence of someone truly consumed by honest love. It's a dizzying, gracious experience. I grew up with it and I'm still left open-mouthed. All the time. She is impressive and yet doesn't take herself too seriously. She just laughs and moves on to the next.

// Yum yum yum yum //

So my mom came in town for my birthday. I can say with absolute certainty that she was my gift this year. She is so much fun, brings so much life, and I just really needed her this time around. You know when you just need your mom? Well, she was the most perfect remedy to a 6-week whirlwind experience of moving to a new city and doing things that are entirely uncomfortable. Finally, mom got here, and I could breathe in a sigh of relief. Did I mention that she is a LOT trendier than me? She showed up to my apartment in leather leggings. I died. And my oh my, she came ready to party. We shopped til we dropped. We exercised in the park, munched on every kind of famed New York goodness and toasted til we were silly. We covered some serious turf, traipsing all over Manhattan and seeing so many sights. Ah. I miss her already. I wept as her cab drove away. There is no one, seriously NO ONE, like my mom. Come back.