Holiday Fashion: Perfect Sweaters

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Looking for the perfect, comfy sweater you can wear during the holidays? Amidst a sea of knitwear decorated with reindeer, snowmen and ornaments’ shopping mavens and fashionistas, Liz Lange and Jane Wagman of Shopafrolic picked their favorite age appropriate sweaters for the season.


The Asymetrical Sweater - Alexander Wang, $350

Spice up your outfit for a sexy date night or night on the town with the girls in this asymmetrical piece. It’s versatile enough to wear with pants or a skirt!


The Cow Neck Sweater - Club Monaco, $160

Add some structure to your ensemble by wearing this cow-neck sweater. It’s perfect for cold winter nights that require chic lounge wear


The Oversized Wweater - Vince, $206

Try an oversized sweater to infuse a bit of masculine edge into your wardrobe. Paired with boots and skinny jeans, you’ll be stylish and comfy.


The Color-blocked Sweater - Madewell, $90

Express yourself in a bold coloblocking sweater. Colorblocking is still a huge trend and adds a bit of color among the dull winter colors.

For more tips from Liz Lange and Jane Wagman, visit www.Shopafrolic.com

Posted in: Fashion

App Review: Lola Panda I Spy & Math Train #vlog

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Recently I discovered the Lola Panda apps and LOVE them. These apps are both fun and educational, which isn't always easy to find in a preschool app. Besides, Lola Panda herself is a loveable character who encourages your child throughout the games


The latest Lola Panda app is I Spy with Lola ($.99) for the iPhone and iPad. The app takes children on an adventure around the world with Lola on an I Spy themed scavenger hunt. You child can start their journey at a favorite destination, collecting souvenirs and coins from each completed task and use to unlock additional exotic locations.


The app includes fun educational challenges for children (ages 3-8) as they practice object and word association, vocabulary, and shape recognition. With over 100 hidden objects to find and three levels of difficulty, I Spy with Lola provides endless entertainment while offering parents a tool to help encourage children to learn.

Check out my video review as my son and I played the game


The other Lola Panda app we reviewed was Lola’s Math Train ($1.99), is a children's (ages 3-6) math app with over 15 different basic math games that challenges kids. From addition/subtraction equations, solving puzzles, matching and identifying sequences, Lola’s Math Train helps even the youngest players prepare for school and is a great app to keep math skills fresh over the long winter breaks.


Now that my son is in preschool, learning the basics of math is important and app like Lola’s Math Train helps tremendously. I really like the simple way math problems are broken down to a level my son can work with. When he learns to solve the math problems, the app adjusts to another level to keep challenging him.

New to this app, BeiZ has added technology that allows the game to self adjust in difficulty depending on the success or needs of the child. As they do better, the questions get harder and if more practice is needed the game will remain at the level until it’s achieved. At the end of each game the results are shown in an overall rating scale to assess how the child has done which allows for parents to see the achievements of their kids within the game!

More info on the apps can be found on their site: http://www.lolapanda.com

Please Note: I received a code to down the apps for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

Posted in: Apps, Review

New Doc McStuffins Winter Themed Episode on Dec 7

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Get ready for a new winter-themed episode of "Doc McStuffins" on Friday, December 7 at 10:00 a.m., ET/PT on Disney Channel


Doc teaches Chilly and the rest of the toys about the importance of staying warm when playing outside in the snow and China Anne McClain, who performs the theme song for "Doc McStuffins" and stars on Disney Channel's hit series "A.N.T Farm," guest stars.

A "Doc McStuffins" character gallery and clips are currently available at http://www.DisneyJunior.com/Doc

Posted in: KidsShows

Holiday Fashion: Princess Vera Wang

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From cozy knits and graphic tees to peplum tops and party skirts to studded kicks and cross-body bags, the Princess Vera Wang Holiday 2012 collection, available exclusively at Kohl's, has a variety of perfect gifts for the fashionista in your life!


Princess Vera Wang shadow puppet graphic tee: $34
Princess Vera Wang faux-fur trim riding jacket: $84
Princess Vera Wang printed pleated skirt: $44



And just because you're on a budget doesn't mean you can't give the most fabulous and on-trend gifts this season! Princess Vera Wang has plenty of fun options for Under $50! The ruffle mini skirt, intarsia sweater, tote bags and the cameo jewelry are just a few options for the perfect gift for under $50.

To shop visit www.Kohls.com

Posted in: Fashion

Ology & Duane Reade Keep Families Healthy & Happy #DRHappyandhealthy #CBias #cbBigapple

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During this time of year, from Thanksgiving to New Year, my son and I enjoy spending time with family and friends. We love visiting and being visited. The holidays are a great time for that. But on the flip side, do you know what's not so great about these visits? Especially if your home is the one being visited? Running out of household items. Yup.


After Thanksgiving last week, I had to visit my local Duane Reade to stock back up on household supplies.


During our family visits some items go VERY quickly. Like toilet paper! Since I really want to avoid seeing this, it's probably a good idea to get some extras before the next round of visits.


So I quickly grabbed my phone and checked out the latest Duane Reade circular on their mobile site. Since I'm not always at home in front my computer, I like that I can see all their circulars online using my smartphone. I was able to check out their new in-store magazine “Happy and Healthy” and see the latest sales and offers.

I noticed the new Ology line of products, had some great sales but are also free of chemicals and child safe. There was a little blurb from a pediatrician about the allergies, autism and asthma connection to chemicals found in everyday common household products. Since many of the items I needed included toilet paper, paper towels and facial tissues, which are used by my son, I decided to shop this line as a safer alternative. Check out the circular in-store or online to read more of the information.


Once inside my local Duane Reade, I quickly found a hard copy of the online flyer and started my shopping.


I quickly found the products from the new Ology line and filled my basket. The packing on Ology is not only pretty but also very informative. The labels told you what the products does and why it's safe.


After getting the main items, I cruised the isles for a few other household items. Mainly snacks! Then I headed to checkout and used my Balance Rewards Card to save money on sale items and gain reward points.

To see photos of other Ology products I found (and my snacks), check out my Google + photo album: Ology and Duane Reade Keep Families Healthy and Happy #DRHappyandhealthy

Duane Reade "Text 2 Win" Sweepstakes

Enter to win the contest for a $6,000 + weekend getaway grand prize, or a weekly $100 Walgreens gift card by answering weekly questions only found in Happy & Healthy via text.

To learn more about Duane Reade visit - http://www.duanereade.com/
Like Duane Reade Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/duanereade
Follow Duane Reade on Twitter - https://twitter.com/duanereade
Watch Duane Reade videos on YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/user/duanereadetv?feature=results_main

Please Note: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ #CBias #SocialFabric. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

Posted in: CBias, DReade, Health

CULTURAL MEDLEY, IT'S ALL ABOUT CHILD'S PLAY(c) By Polly Guerin

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There’s more than meets the eye in cultural venues this week; a chance to remember when child’s play was fun then ‘play well,’ and spend the lunch hour at the library. It’s the Best of New York, my friends, the very best of children's venues to entertain and stimulate your senses. Here’s the scoop!!!
CENTURY OF THE CHILD: Growing by Design, 1900-2000 invites you to learn how designers had fun creating toys, furniture, playgrounds and school architecture. The Museum of Modern Art’s ambitious survey of 20th-century design for children is the first large-scale overview of the modernist occupation with children and a growing movement to advance the well-being of children by ending child labor, reforming education and encouraging emotional development through creative play. Hundreds of works on view, from designs by Charles Rennie Mackintosh to elements from Pee-wee’s Playhouse include my favorite: American Modern Play Dishes replicating in miniature melamine play dishes by America’s Best Known designer Russel Wright, “It’s fun to serve your friends in real Russel Wright dishes…just like mother’s,” produced by the Ideal Toy Corp. Screenings include 400 Blows, Bicycle Thieves, The Virgin Suicides. Check schedule at MOMA 11 West 53rd St. Through Nov. 5, 2012. IMAGE: Minka Podhajska ( 1881-1930) (Czechoslovak, born Moravia (now Czech Republic).  Series of Personifications of Childhood Misdeeds, 1930. Painted wood, dimensions vary. Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague.
ORBIS PICTUS: Play Well,transforms the Czech Center gallery into a symbiotic playground of site-specific installations in which artists and children collaborate to create sound and motion and visual installation. Over the course of sixteen weeks adults and children alike will come together to stage happenings, both free form and through a series of events, workshops, and concerts that draw upon the instinctual play’s ability to spark imaginative growth and unite disparate individuals through non-verbal communication. Play Well, the gallery of the Czech Center New York will become an artistic workshop and sonic landscape, where through direct physical contact with the artworks participants will create a symphony of light and sound. At the Gallery of the Czech Center New York, Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd St. through October 17, 2012.
LUNCH HOUR at the New York Public Library “Everything is done differently in New York from anywhere else—but in eating the different is more striking than in any other branch of human economy,” said George Foster, New York in Slices, 1849. He was right on target, the clamor and chaos of lunch hour in New York has been a defining feature of the city for some 150 years. Of the three meals that mark the American day, lunch is the one that acquired its modern identity here on the street s of New York. Nowhere was he change more dramatic than right here in the city where employees were given a fixed time for their midday meal, often a half hour or less. Lunch Hour NYC looks back at more than a century of New York lunches, when the city’s early power brokers invents what was yet to be called ‘power lunch,’ local charities established a 3-cent school lunch, and visitors with guidebooks thronged Times Square to eat lunch at the Automat, a section is replicated in the exhibition. FREE Through February 17, 2013. For information call 917.ASK.NYPL (917.275.6975.
Ta Ta Darlings!!! Take time for child’s play to stimulate your creativity, these exhibits are worth seeing. Fan mail welcome www.pollytalk.com. Visit Polly’s Blogs at www.pollytalk.com and in the left-hand column click on the Blog that interests you from fashion to poetry and visionary men.

FASHIONISTAS' HOLIDAY IN NEW YORK (c) By Polly Guerin

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Fashionable New York opens the season with stylish reasons to view the Fashion Week collections and revisit “Ivy Style” or tap into new documentaries or magazines that make the art of fashion the reason New York is the Fashion Capital of the World. Only the Best of New York my friends. Here’s the Scoop!!!

FASHION ILLUSTRATION gets its due venue at the Brooklyn Public Library where the never-before-seen illustrations of ANTONIO LOPEZ and works by Richard Haines and Samantha Hahn are among the rare collections on view Monday through Thursdays, 9am-9pm, Friday and Saturday, 10am- 6pm. and Sunday 1-5 pm. The exhibit also includes a fashion film series, panel discussions and author talks throughout the fall. For aspiring illustrators there will be fashion illustrations classes. Check it out a brooklypubliclibary.org, Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn. 718.230.2100.
IVY STYLE celebrates one of the most enduring clothing styles of the 20th century at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. From its origins in the prestigious college campuses of America in the late 1910s to the many reinterpretations seen in contemporary fashion, the “Ivy” League Look” or “Ivy Style” has come to be viewed as a classic form of dressing. More than 60 ensembles, both historic and contemporary, will be on display. A more in-depth study of Ivy Style will be featured in the accompanying book also titled, Ivy Style. Opens September 14 to January 5, 2013. FREE and open to the public. Museum Hours Tuesday-Friday-noon-8pm, Saturday 10am-5pm. fitnyc.edu/museum. The museum’s annual fashion symposium takes place November 8 and 9, 2012, in conjunction with the exhibition.
DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL an entertaining new documentary is in preview right now about the legendary fashion editor, Diana Vreeland whose amazing eye on fashion fascinates us even today. Vreeland’s voice seemingly pervades the film (an actress actually narrates) with her early years in Paris, London and New York and of course, we see her pages from Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, which she transformed into a pop-culture venue. The film opens in limited release on Sept. 21 and will be shown at the Paris Theater on 58th Street, opposite the Plaza. Two other new documentaries came out during Fashion Week, Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s and Versailles 73, which will be shown for one week only at the IFC Center, beginning Sept. 7th.
CHRISTIAN DIOR’S famous name launches its own print magazine, DIOR, to be published twice a year, September and March in nine languages and a controlled circulation to its best customers and prospects. French and English versions will be released first, around September 10th. The print issue follows the February introduction of online editorial at Diormag.com. Meanwhile if you are in Paris during the holidays Printemps’ public façade, starting in November, features mechanical windows with dolls dressed in exact replicas of iconic Dior outfits, created by its couture ateliers.
TA TA Darlings!!! I’ll vicariously be off to Paris to catch the fashion buzz and enjoy the sights!!! Fan mail welcome at pollytalk.com. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com website, just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

FASHIONISTA'S HOLIDAY IN THE BIG APPLE (c) By Polly Guerin

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No wonder New York City is called the Fashion Capital of the World; from textiles to fashion and celebrity book signing there’s more than meets the eye in venues this week. Only in New York, my friends, the best of New York. Here’s the Scoop

THE WORLD OF D.D. AND LESLIE TILLET If you are waxing nostalgic and want to capture the glimpse of textile history The Museum of the City of New York honors the memory of the legendary textile designers, the Tillets. The D.D. stands for D.D. Doctorow who married Leslie Tillet and 60 years later, the lyrical but never-published pictures she took for a feature for Harper’s Bazaar bring the story of their collaboration to life. The Tillets moved to Manhattan in 1946, reaching a level of recognition all but unheard of in the fabric world. Their best known patterns are chrysanthemums busting like fireworks in a mélange of color. American sportswear designer, Claire McCardell included Tillet fabrics in her collections and celebrities like Jacqueline Kennedy had a favorite Tillet sundress. At MCNY Fifth Avenue between 103 and 104th Streets. (Image above: The Tillets)

MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD Here’s a lesson in fashion history. For its revival of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” the Roundabout Theater is costuming the musicians and the ushers as well as the cast of almost 30 in period costumes befitting the 1890s era—-63 hats, 33 wigs, 32 costumed house staff, 16 bustles, etc. etc. To bring the story to the stage, playwright and composer Rubert Holmes created a multiple-choice musical, whereby audience members at each performance vote for an ending which the actors then perform. Costume designer, William Ivey Long created the elaborate costumes which create a brand new way to appreciate historical fashion.

FASHION SYMPOSIUM Ivy Style will be FIT’s 12th fashion symposium, bring together diverse array of scholars, authors and designers to discuss, debate and celebrate the “Ivy League Look,” a distinctly American fashion genre that has been shaping the evolution of menswear for decades. Ivy Style has spread way beyond the university campuses where it began to become a major influence on many of today’s fashion designers including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Thom Browne. You’re in for a treat. Speakers will include Richard Press, grandson of J. Press; journalist G. Bruce Boyer; designer Jeffrey Banks, Claudio Del Vecchio, chairman and chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers and Patricia Meers, FIT deputy director of the exhibition. Held in the Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Auditorium, Marvin Feldman Center, second floor on Thursday and Friday, November 8 and 9th. Free to the FIT community and to students everywhere (with ID). To register call: 212.217.4585.

INCOMPARABLE: WOMEN OF STYLE By Rose Hartman This photographer/fashionista’s book is a photo gallery of the goddesses who populate modern glamour—-models, actresses, jet-setters, editors and celebrities, famous or obscure. Rose Hartman is a whirlwind on the New York fashion scene and I keep bumping into her at many a press opening. Earlier this year a retrospective of her work, Selections from the Rose Hartman Photography Archives, 1977-2011, was shown at the Gladys Marcus Library at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is a force and her uncanny lens is accompanied with texts by Anthony Haden-Guest and Alistair O’Neill with 132 color illustrations by the high priestess of fashion photography. Published by ACC Editions.

Ta Ta darlings: Looking forward to seeing you at the FIT Fashion Symposium. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

CULTURAL VENUES RESTORE THE BIG APPLE'S HEART (c) By Polly Guerin

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The rush of cultural venues restores the city on new ground with good reason to get out and enjoy the rich heritage that only New York City can offer in such abundance. Only in New York my friends, the best of New York. Here’s the scoop!

EDVARD MUNCH: The Scream, A haunting rendition of a hairless figure on a road under a yellow-orange sky, says it all about the reaction to Sandy. Here is an opportunity to see for yourself. The Scream has garnered worldwide attention for the stark portrayal of the human condition. The Museum of modern Art’s special six-month exhibition of Edvard Munch’s iconic ‘The Scream’ (1895) is among the most celebrated and recognized images in art history. The exhibition includes a small selection of works of the same period drawn primarily from the Museum’s collection. Of the four versions of the Scream that Munch created, this pastel of The Scream, is lent from a private collection and will on view at MoMA through April 2013, at 11 W. 53 St.

THE ROLLING STONES 50 years on Film: In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones, MoMA presents the first comprehensive retrospective which chronicles the band from the mid-1960s until today with documentaries, fiction features, concert films, music videos, experimental shorts, and archival footage, training the film careers of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood, as well as former band members, collectively as composers, performers, producers and actors. Over the past half century, The Rolling Stones have influenced music, cinema, and art, working with some of the most original directors of their generation. In The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater.

THE PURSUIT OF A VISION: Two Centuries of Collecting American at the American Antiquarian Society tells the story of the significant book, newspaper, and art collectors who helped develop and expand the Society’s collection, which is described as the greatest collection of early Americana in the world. On the second floor gallery, The Grolier Club present a groundbreaking examination of Italian-language publishing in pre-war America, ‘Strangers in a Strange lane’ showcases a wide range of literary works which entertained, educated and inflamed an Italian-language audience during a period of critical historical development. Free admission. The Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St.

THE RODIN PROJECT: The Russell Maliphant Company performs the U. S. debut of its celebrated founder’s latest work, The Rodin Project. First presented in Paris this past January, it is inspired by the “energy and twisting” of the 19th century master’s forms. The six dancer piece blends street and contemporary idioms and features a score by the Russian composer and cellist Alexander Zekke. Dec. 5 through 9 at the Joyce Theater, joyce.org. Sneak preview and discussion with the choreographer Dec. 3 at the Guggenheim Museum, guggenheim.org.

THE SALON, ART & DESIGN at the Park Avenue Armory Nov. 8 to 12th opens with a gala to benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls club, Wed. Nov. 7th. Special events in the Tiffany Room, Friday Nov. 9th and Saturday Nov. 10th include Real Estate and Interiors: How does design affect the value of your home? In addition, French Flair: Top designers talk about designing in the French Style and Elements of Contemporary Style deatures the next generation of Interior Designers. At Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave. at 67th St. Info: thesalonny.com.

Ta Ta darlings!!! It’s quite a relief to be back on board with my PollyTalk column. I trust you are all okay by now. Fan mail always welcome at pollytalk.com and my Blogs can be reached by clicking on the left-hand column links on pollytalk.com.

HOLIDAY EXHIBITIONS DAZZLE (c) By Polly Guerin

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The holiday spirit dazzles and delights the onlooker but nothing soothes the mind more than an art gallery exhibition to remind us that cultural pursuits far outshine the decorations. Here’s the scoop!!!

Tokyo 1955-1970: A New Avant-Garde is the first museum exhibition to focus on the city of Tokyo during the remarkable period from the mid-1950s through the 1960s, when the city transformed itself from the capital of a war-torn nation into an international center for arts, culture, and commerce. The exhibition encompasses many mediums—including painting, sculpture, photography, drawings, graphic designs, architecture, video and documentary film representing over 200 works by more than 60 artists and art collectives. In conjunction with the exhibition, MoMA presents a performance program that brings together four contemporary artists and artist groups, based in Japan and New York. The performance series takes place in January and February 2013, in various places around the museum. The Museum of Modern Art, through February 25, 2013, 11 W. 53rd St. Image: Yokoo Tadanori: Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, 1968 screenprint. The Museum of Modern Art, Gift of the Designer.
MATISSE: In Search of True Painting. Henri Matisse, one of the most acclaimed artists working in France, throughout his career questioned, repainted and reevaluated his work. Fascinated by the artistic process he once hired a photographer to document the evolution of his paintings and then conceived an exhibition that juxtaposed finished works with pictures of their earlier incarnations. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Matisse: In Search of True Painting exhibition presents this particular aspect of Matisse’s painting process by showcasing 49 vibrantly colored canvases as well as a selection of sculptures and works on paper from a series titled “Themes and Variations.” Dec. 4, 2012 through March 13, 2013. 1000 Fifth Ave.
FERDINAND HODLER: View to Infinity. The Neue Galerie presents the first major New York museum show to focus on the late work of Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918), the premier Swiss artist of the early twentieth century. The exhibition includes portrait paintings, majestic Swiss landscapes, incisive self-portraits, and the moving series of works chronicling the illness and early death of the artist’s lover, Valentine Gode-Darel. The artist’s landscapes have been described by one critic as “mystical celebrations of light and color.” Hodler attributed symbolic meaning to colors, "Blue is the color that, like the sky, like the sea, speak to me of all that is translucent and magnificent.” Through January 7, 2013. Neue Galerie New York at 1048 Fifth Avenue at 86th Street.
Polly’s Movie Pick of the Week: HYDE PARK on HUDSON. Bill Murray as Franklin D. Roosevelt and portrays the political life of the American Legend with charm and conviction. Roosevelt’s love affairs are another matter of interest; some exploits as never portrayed before.
Ta Ta Darlings!!! Hodler is worth the trip uptown and then, of course, there is the Café Sabarsky for afternoon tea. Fan mail welcome at pollytalk@verizon.net. Polly’s Blogs are best accessed at her website pollytalk.com. Just click on the link in the left-hand column for visonarymen, womendeterminedtosucceed, poetry or fashion.

that time we hiked timpanogos (a really big mountain)

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my try at impressionism (about 5:45am)
break time
happy hikers
the prettiest hike ever?
yes... that's the trail to the summit (or is it the trial?)
yep
the tooooop - 11,749 feet!emerald lake down belowboy on a big mountaincan you spot the mountain goats scaling the mountains? and the chipmunk? and the moose?
for a few years now, ben and i have been determined to hike mount timpanogos in utah - we've "tried" the last two summers we visited utah (it's best to hike it in the summer unless you want to hike in snow). but we couldn't find the time.
so this time. we decided we would take an extra day and devote it to mt timp. and it's a good thing we did reserve a whole day... because that's how long it took.

we got up at 3:45am on monday morning (and after some half-asleep negotiations with ben to get out of bed), we were on our way. driving up the mountain. parking nearish to the timpooneke trailhead.

let's fast forward.
when we finally made it back to the car after our 12 hour hike (what was expected to be around 7 hours)... ben said, "that was one of the hardest things i've ever done." i sort of burst into tears and said, "it was so hard!"
haaaa

i'd like to think the difficulty level was so high for us in particular because we live at sea level. the timpooneke trail starts at 7,000 feet elevation and the summit is nearly 12,000 feet elevation. 15 miles round trip.
yep.

the way up was hard and took long (we took a lot of good breaks). we even had some fellow hikers try to discourage us at about 6am - saying they had seen a "large animal" with "big eyes" when really all it was was a buck. come on people!
and the hike was just so pretty. evidence is above.

leading up the day of the hike, we kept saying to each other we'd try our best and if we didn't make it to the top top top, we would be ok. at least we'd make an effort.
but we were in the pretty plateau and saw the ridge and thought, we'll just do the ridge. and then once we were up there... it was like... ok we're almost to the summit. let's do this thing.

it was worth it. we made it. hell yeah.

and then somehow getting back down the mountain took almost as long as it did to get up. it sort of just kept going. we ran out of liquids (some "good samaritans" shared some of their water) but our legs were jello. and our entire bodies and souls, so tired.

it's all sort of a blur now, but we made it back. we ate our large fatty meal of cafe rio. we waddled around. we took an ice bath (oh yes, we did). and we're still pretty sore today (4 days later).

would i recommend the hike to you?
yes but only if...
you live at a high elevation (or are totally acclimatized to one). you bring lots and lots of water, snacks, gatorade, sunscreen, stamina. you bring a supportive companion. you love the mountains and hiking.

there will always be harlem.

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i'm not sure what it is. i mean, i have some theories.
but for some reason, people i find myself around seem to either be afraid of harlem, seem to think it's awful and undeserving of praise, and/or think harlem is its own borough or in the bronx.
(for those who don't know new york city is made of 5 boroughs: the bronx, brooklyn, manhattan, staten island, queens. manhattan - where the harlem neighborhood is - is often referred to as "the city" or new york city, even though the other 4 boroughs are equally a part of the actual city. it's confusing. but it works.)

the reasons i bring this up is...
i think harlem is great and albeit rough around the edges - a really beautiful, diverse, safe and historical neighborhood to live in. we live in a beautiful brownstone, that is among many other brownstone rowhouses - some of the most beautiful the city has to offer.

and so when i tell people i live in harlem, i am immediately judged. for the worst. why is that?

is it because these people have never been to harlem? or the last time they were in harlem, it wasn't so safe? or what?

someone at work was complaining they "had" to go to harlem for a dinner. really? a close friend in a slight lapse in brainpower assumed harlem was in the bronx. another set of friends thought harlem was its own borough.

harlem: is a manhattan powerhouse. and i know that the initial reason ben and i moved to this neighborhood was because it's "affordable" and we have way more space than we would anywhere else in manhattan. but now...it's more to us. and it's grown on us. and people say hi when you walk down the street. and say, "have a blessed day."

this really great chef, with a restaurant in harlem (yum), said it just right in his book yes, chef:
"Harlem may not be high-tech, but it's an interactive experience. People speak to each other on the street in Harlem."
occasionally people say not-so-nice things...but that's life.

and maybe, just maybe we won't always live in this neighborhood but there is a good chance we might. i thrive on character, on the underdog, on the under-appreciated and interesting. 

the same chef also said,
"...when a lot of the Manhattan maps you can buy cut off at the top of Central Park---literally don't even bother to show Harlem---you know there is a disconnect."

so, chin up little harlem. someday people will stop judging you because you are different - they will know you are what makes manhattan diverse and what makes new york city strong :)


Chant another song of Harlem.
Not about the wrong of Harlem.
But the worthy throng of Harlem.
Proud that they belong to Harlem.
They, the overblamed in Harlem.
Need not be ashamed of Harlem.
All is not ill-famed in Harlem.
The devil, too, is tamed in Harlem.
-anonymous, circa 1925

our tiny thanksgiving

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this year for thanksgiving, we decided it would be better to stay in nyc - utah is much too far for a weekend like this one. i must admit, when i left work late on wednesday, i saw all the people lining up to get on their crowded trains to go up north and i didn't feel jealous. i was going home to my apartment, to be with my favorite person.

i am thankful for my best friend/husband/buddy. i am thankful for food and that i am blessed enough to have it in my home, everyday. i am thankful for abilities and talents that i sometimes take for granted. i am thankful for relationships - even though they are sometimes such a struggle.

so for thanksgiving we cooked a bunch of food together - just us. which we both loved but maybe would have opted out of doing the dishes if we could have. so many people we talked to seemed concerned we were spending the holiday alone, just us - but frankly, i didn't want it any other way this year.
we made pumpkin cheesecake (highest priority), stuffing, mashed potatoes, a small pomegranate and orange salad and a turkey (with gravy). i must say, i was going to be ok without a turkey but ben insisted. and did a really great job making it happen. best turkey we've ever had. and i'm not just making that up because ben is such a cool guy.

we'll be eating leftovers for a couple of weeks.