Because Honestly... THIS is New York in the Fall.

// My view from Belvedere Castle in Central Park. //

Central Park. In the Fall.

I don't mean to brag. I really don't. But I do mean to be shamelessly thankful. I AM SO THANKFUL TO BE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY. I can't say it enough. I can't stop thinking it. Every single day I wake up, so thankful to be living in this vibrant, pulsing metropolis. Even when I see the rats saunter around the subway tracks. They saunter. Because they have no reason to scurry. They own those tracks. And even when my lightyears-old radiator decides to wake me up in the middle of the night, hissing like the soundtrack from a horror movie. And even when I go on auditions and, you know, get rejected (don't cry for me, Argentina.)  I am still happy to be here. So over the moon. And why shouldn't I be? This place is a dreamers city. Full of bright-eyed crazies and cold-blooded cynics alike. What an effervescent kind of mess.

Even those of you who don't care for NYC at all have to admit - the fall foliage in Central Park this year can't compete with even the most picturesque of New England's Berkshires. This autumn has been outrageously gorgeous, and having previously pounded a lot of New England pavement, I can speak from experience when I say that this autumn has been utterly mesmerizing. The papery leaves continue to fall like confetti, swirling around and having a parade in the sky before finally landing and collecting in a decorative array all over the great yard. The temperatures are continuing to drop, but I just had to share these beauties with you before the winter wonderland overtakes my Instagram.

// Classic panorama. Stevie is so good at taking these. See midtown in the distance? //

// We are children. The end. //

// The sun is SO bright. I'll take it. //

From Glory to Glory.

I just love autumn. So tell me. What has fall been like in your neck of the woods - Dreamy? Dull? Comment below!

How to Combat Stress.

Sleep much? 

I took a moment to breathe this morning.

Whew.

Full disclosure. I've had insomnia since we moved to NYC. I just can't sleep. Lists keep running in my head like the opening, scrolling scene of Star Wars. Long long lists that appear to extend into the darkness of outer space... it's odd. "

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away....

I dreamed of moving to New York!" And now here we are. It's an odd exhilaration, because I've also been on an extreme high, thrilled to walk down the street to the drycleaners JUST BECAUSE I AM IN NEW YORK. I feel like I'm hopped up on coffee all day long (even though it's only half), yet my frenzied heart can't rest when the nighttime comes and the lights get turned off. Frantic, flooded with to-do's, drowning with feeling like I'm ever-so-late to the game. What game? I don't really know. Isn't that the lie we all believe when we're trying to do something new? I am attempting to juggle several things and it's keeping me awake. It's sort of silly. But not, because the bloodshot eyes are starting to make me look like I'm on something. I know I'm not the only person in the world to experience this. But I've got to get it under control. Because sleep is necessary to accomplishing all those to-do's!

So, I decided to set all my lists and to-do's aside and just reflect. Just for a hot minute. 60 seconds, that's all.

Ha. It hit me all at once. The bevy of beautiful people who are WONDERFUL and love me so vastly. The smiles of my loved ones blur together into a sloppy, gleeful image in my mind, and wow. I am so grateful. My thoughtful sister who sent me a powerful book on art in the mail last week and my dearest friend who sent me a delightful Anthropologie housewarming present in the mail this week. The flowers my Aunt sent. My mom, who has called me and encouraged me everyday. My cousins, my sisters, my Dad, my friends. They care. Sheesh I am so blessed. I am overwhelmed with the unfathomable, infectious, present-infused love. And I am so incredibly thankful for these genuine pillars of strength in my life. These people quite literally create a firm foundation; I believe I can be big and strong because they tell me I can.

Get Grateful.

So I just want to encourage you today. Stress, anxiety, tension; they're all natural responses to transition. And if you're experiencing transition, whether severe or thrilling or somewhere in between, you don't have to experience an on-going bought of the painful stress. Take a moment, allow yourself to focus on the beautiful gifts around you, the joy of your relationships, even the lovely colors of summer. Whatever it takes. For your mind to quiet, your face to relax, your eyes to finally close. Your gratitude breeds peace. And once you have that peace, it's yours to keep.

Try It.

If you need to do an exercise to pull you out of a funk, unearth some of that pretty stationary that I know is sitting somewhere in a side drawer. Take a moment to think about 3 people who have really impacted your personal journey in the past year. It might be your mom, it might be your husband, it might even be a co-worker that you're not that close with, but has recognized your contributions and verbalized it. Whoever comes to mind, take 5 minutes and write it down. Tell them why they are wonderful to you. I promise that you will feel. So good. And now... look what you've done! Not only did you quiet your mind and find your peace, but now you're giving it away to others! Mmm win/win. Stamp it. Mail it.

Final Note.

In case you haven't heard it yet, you are enough. All the to-do's, the busyness, the job stress, the family tensions and the responsibility you feel toward all of it. Of course you have your reasons to be stressed. Of course you are justified in all your emotions. And there is probably so much that "needs" to be done today. However, you just need to know. You are. Enough. Just you. So give yourself a slice of grace today. Because seriously, you are enough.

Love to you today.

Tulips for My Sister

Oh Happy Saturday.

Tulips are my sister's favorite flower. She blushes when someone gives them to her, even when its my dad. God bless him, he does that often. But Rachel is more than just beautiful. She is suuuuper witty, has a serious sense of style, a sincere depth, a ridiculous attention to detail, and is pretty enough to put the fear of God in you. For real.

When I saw these tulips last weekend at the Boston Public Garden, I couldn't stop thinking of my mesmerizing sis and how much she would adore walking through this floral processional. I'm sending her a virtual bouquet today.

My dear sister Rachel is much like her favored flower. She is continuing to blossom this Spring into a striking, gracious and impressive young woman of conviction. Here's to her and her A+ semester.

Big. Bad. Bird.

In the words of my PERFECT nephew Ollie, this was one "Big bad bird." Ollie, you were so right.

The Setting.

When I went to visit my beautiful sister and her family in Florida a few weeks ago, I had the strangest encounter. Ollie and I went out on the dock at sunset. He just turned three years old and we have some really great conversations these days. My favorite includes, "I love you. I really really love you." Occasionally he will say it back to me. When I'm lucky.

But on this particular sunset, our bare feet padded down the wooden dock and we laid out on our tummies, laughing and talking and looking at the water. We discussed my nail polish color (Essie Tart Deco), the book I was reading (The Alchemist) and our recent encounters at Disney World. Like I said, he is the perfect little guy.

Then we noticed a bird. Far, far out in the water, outlined by the magnificent sunset, was a fiercely beautiful pelican, lazily floating along the water.

The Conversation.

"Look Ollie!" I pointed out. "Look at that big bird!"

"Pelican," he answered. He is just the smartest.

"Yes! You are so right, it is a pelican. Look, he's looking at us! Maybe he will swim closer to us."

Freakishly enough, the bird did start swimming towards us. At a kind of rapid pace. For the 90 seconds of its swim time, Ollie and I are pointing and wowing over the bird.

The Folly.

"Ollie, he must like us! Look at how fast he's swimming towards us! THIS IS SO COOL!" Ollie laughed and clapped with me. We were both such innocent younglings. We didn't know.

The bird swam right up to the dock. And what happened next... well, maybe I'll just show you.

Are you getting a bad feeling yet? For some reason, that bird looks semi-diabolical, right? Once it got up close, I had a very bad feeling. And then it moved closer. Remember, my sweet little nephew and I were laying ON OUR STOMACHS on the dock. So vulnerable to the terrors of Mother Nature. We fell silent. The bird was within 2 feet of us.

Suddenly I realized I should stop taking pictures with my iPhone. Something was just wrong. Then the bird did a very bad thing. It aggressively jutted its beak out toward us and fanned its wings out. It was a shocking interaction to have with an animal, but it was certainly a VERY clear sign that it didn't like us. This sudden movement of aggression scared the crap out of me. I grabbed the baby and leaped back up the dock, hollering, "STTTEEEEVVVVIIEEEEEE!!!!!"

Ollie was confused. I was confused. I shouted, "Bad bird! BAD BIRD!!!" The pelican just looked at me, unshaken by my cowering fear. He trailed alongside the dock, his eyes on me while he hovered in the water. Creep.

Stevie and my bro-in-law Brad appeared on the scene and I quickly (and loudly) explained the bird's bad behavior. Brad (a Florida native) just looked at the bird and said, "Get. Get!" Instead of getting, the pelican did the same thing to him! Jutted out his ugly, vile beak and extended his wings upward towards Brad. This bird messed with the WRONG PEOPLE. And by that I mean I totally acted like a panicked girl and screamed for man-help, and I gratefully received it. Dumb bird. I have MAN HELP. Top that.

"Whoa. I've never seen a bird do that here. Or anywhere, " said Brad. He and Stevie immediately went and grabbed a few small rocks. PETA don't freak out. This was a seriously deranged bird. They began tossing rocks in the water to spook him, and after several tries, the bird finally flew away. Ick, keyword: FINALLY.

Recovery.

I've been shaken up about this experience for weeks. Apparently aggressive pelicans exist. Usually because people feed them. We didn't have any food on the dock, but Brad said the bird might have been territorial. Geez.

Yesterday I Skyped with Ollie and he reminded me of the "big bad bird." I told him that he was such a big boy when that happened. And that I loved him. And he responded immediately, "I love you!" Pure joy to my heart. Almost made the harrowing, ominous "big bad bird" episode worth it. Almost.

Sometimes nature can be a real mother, you know what I mean?

Discovering Disney as an Adult

I begged them to leave me on Main Street.

Alas, I am no longer in Orlando, but in the bitter cold hands of the community of Cambridge. Far out of the reach of Cotton Candy, musical sound tracks and deliciously fun roller coasters. I am scheming about HOW I can get back to the magical land of The Magic Kingdom.

I had never been to Disney World before this trip. I am twenty-five years old. Let me tell you why it is totally worth doing Disney as an Adult:

1. The discovery is oh so magical.

You don't have to be a child to become totally enchanted by mystical characters, a princess castle and royal flags waving high in the winds. It is such a breathtaking entry. The music is happy. The ticket takers greet you by saying, "Have a magical day!" And you know what? They really mean it. You can tell.

2. You realize what a genius strange-o that Walt Disney truly was.

Let me tell you the truth: Walt Disney was a genius. A bonafide genius. If you knew a man who dreamed of bringing cartoons to life, building a princess castle in America and preserving his undead body in ice (okay that one might just be a widely distributed, but highly scandalous, rumor), you would probably think he were crazy. And Disney was dreaming this big seventy years ago! This guy was a true radical. Talk about wanting to change the world. He actually did it. And his legacy continues to bring hope and joy to millions of people every year. I mean, who does that?

3. You notice the immaculate attention-to-detail and you can appreciate it.

The shrubs are perfectly manicured. There is nary a piece of trash on the ground. Fresh flowers are planted each morning. The air smells like sweetly popped kettle corn. The ride workers are good-hearted people (unlike the scary folks you tend to encounter at carnivals) and they are wearing adorable pin-striped uniforms. Everything is PERFECT. It's like the park aims for something higher than excellence and whatever that standard is called, it is certainly achieved. As an adult, you can really appreciate the level of time, effort and attention to detail that is considered. I've never seen anything like it.

 // Prince Charming Regal Carrosel (I didn't misspell that, it's really "Carrosel!"//

 // Family Time // Bro Time // Walt Disney World Railroad // Reebok action //

// Sisters reunited! Isn't she just lovely? //

// More "Carrosel-ing" // Tomorrowland Speedway //

 // Dumbo the Flying Elephant //

// Doorway to Cinderella's Royal Castle // Gaston's Tavern //

// Aloha Isle Frozen Dole Pineapple Whip, by the graciously strong (and incredibly perfect!) suggestion of  Alyson - Thank you, friend! My favorite treat ever!! //

Experiencing Disney with friends, family, and (of course) my own Prince Charming, made the experience so fun and magical. Prancing through the newly-updated Fantasyland with my sweet 3-year old nephew Ollie was so special and memorable. Although his favorite part of the day was waiting for one of the rides (he got to play on a stationary truck while we wanted in line for Dumbo's flight), he held up for the entire 10-hour day without a nap! He was amazing. Because we all definitely wanted naps. My favorite part? Impossible to tell. I loved the Swiss Family Treehouse, the Pirates of the Carribbean, the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and of course, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I think I need to conduct a bit more market research before coming to such a strong conclusion. Fancy a trip down to Disney, anyone?

Tell me about your Disney experiences!