by

Wander: Rainy (or any) Day New York Museum Guide

The other day while walking hand in hand with Soren through the Met I was overcome by how a rainy day at this incredible institution is just a regular aspect of growing up in New York. My favorite, Whitney, spiraling Guggenheim and MoMA are the indoor playgrounds here where we regularly roam and marvel.

But this city is filled with every type of collection – from dinosaurs to sex – so there’s plenty of off-beat or out of the way places worth a visit. My wish is to tour every museum, which would require me to do things like actually explore the Neue Galerie beyond just the cafe (in my defense: the cafe is totally charming).

But we’ve been making a dent in the long list of collections. And if visiting New York  the following museums might not be on your radar, but they should be. More experience than museum, The Tenement Museum walks you through the immigrant stories that shaped New York, and The Cloisters recreates medieval Europe in upper Manhattan.  Exhibit depending, The Brooklyn Museum, Asia Society Museum and Museum of the City of New York are all worth an afternoon stroll. 

 The Park Avenue Armory is transformed several times a year by large-scale or just plain ambitious installations like Ernesto Neto’s anthropodino. Shows aren’t up for long though, so don’t save something you want to see until later because it will be gone.

The tranquil Noguchi Musuem in Queens houses a retrospective of Isamu Noguchi’s work in a converted industrial building and garden across the street from where the sculptor worked for a chunk of his career.

Years later, others followed the pioneering Noguchi to Queens. Including the Fisher Landau Center for Art (pictured left) and MoMA  PS1 (pictured right). Emily Fisher Landau is a keen collector of contemporary art with pieces remarkable enough to deserve a 25,000 square foot museum in a former parachute factory.  MoMa PS1, featuring emerging artists and hosting funky summer dance parties, is a good adventure too.

And for those who want to amble beyond walls and outside of city limits, spend a day at the  Storm King Art Center where the landscape is transformed by hulking, undulating and all around magnificent sculptures.

0 comments
by

Create: Your Own Holiday

On Wednesday Todd declared, “Tomorrow is Lolo Day.” Lolo is Soren’s nickname for his much-loved nanny, Myrtle, a woman certainly deserving of a holiday. My heart kinda melted as Todd took it upon himself to make a card of appreciation, pick up a gift certificate to one of her favorite restaurants and create a sign to hang in the window for the entire day, Lolo Day.

Entrusting your child to another person is one of the many lessons in letting go that punctuate the story of parenthood. So there we were with a three-month-old for whom we barely had the operating instructions figured out, interviewing women, many mothers themselves, about caring for a child. What did we know? We went with Myrtle, a mother of two girls, who had worked for years in the neighborhood and knew her way around every sing-a-long and story time within a mile of the house.

I was so anxious that first day returning to work (how to fit in two morning feedings before leaving the house, what to wear, where to pump, is my sleep-shot brain up to this). Not to mention just walking away from a house and a baby that we were turning over to someone we’d only just met, even if she did come highly recommended. As a parent you agonize over any little disaster that could happen off your watch. I raced home that night to a sleeping baby, an immaculate house and dinner waiting for us. I wept with relief, and I’ve felt relieved ever since.

And grateful. We were incredibly fortunate to connect with Myrtle and her family. Over the past two years we have slowly learned what she and her husband sacrificed – including leaving their older daughter behind in their home country for a few years – while they established a more promising life for their family in New York. Myrtle came here and cared for other people’s children while she was separated from her own. And I was worried in those early weeks about leaving my son for eight hours a day. I can’t even imagine.

Myrtle was so surprised and touched by Lolo Day that it was fun for all of us. So appropriate your own holiday in honor of someone important in your life. It’s easy – a homemade sign and a plate of cookies is all it takes – but the impression is lasting.

zp8497586rq
by

Wander: Tradition

I first met my husband’s family over a Memorial Day weekend at the cottage that his great-grandfather built on a bright, clear interior lake in Michigan northeast of Traverse City. With the assistance of a handyman, Daniel J. Beeby, a Chicago Public School Superintendent, floated lumber across Lake Bellaire to his land in a thicket of pine and birch, and over the course of the summer of 1913 constructed, by hand, the house now known as Chez Nous.

We had only been dating a few months, so introducing me to his parents, brother and grandmother was a risky move. Chancier still was that this place elicited his most exposed, relaxed, vulnerable and unguarded self. No more game face or peacock strut.

This was also the weekend that the family held a memorial for their deceased childhood pup which his grandmother requested I photograph. An odd thing to be tasked with, but how do you say no to grandma? The family stood, arms linked and sniffling, beneath the feathery pines trimming the shoreline eulogizing their cherished pet. I balanced precariously on the sloped beach trying to capture this event as unobtrusively as possible. All was cracked open for me to see, no holding back. It was here, over this weekend where I really started to fall in love.

Todd and I have been in each other’s orbit for 12 years now. There have been moves, a  break-up, funerals, weddings, more moves and new life. But this house remains, largely  as it has for five generations.

Sure, there have been dramatic changes in the family and on the lake itself, but so much remains comfortingly constant. The deep William Morris chair with imposing lion head arms has always been the coveted reading spot; the creaky porch glider continues to lull family members into mid-day slumber; the dining room table still supports heaviness and joy under which lesser pieces would have cracked; and family lore and rivalry continue to play out on the root tangled croquet course.

Just like his father, our son now builds castles on that crescent of sandy shore, he swings a croquet mallet, pulls book after dusty book from the sagging shelves and his height is charted each summer adding to the climbing hash marks on the wall of every grand and great grand kid before him.

And every summer I’m reminded that love is something into which you can just keep falling.

zp8497586rq
by

Gift: Back to School

The summer-trailing-off-school-ramping-up transition feels less like a calendar event and more like a micro-season. The sun is slowing after its August sprint, the breeze seems wistful and there is a faint trace of pencil dust and assignment-notebook newness in the air. Can you smell it?

We’re not on a school schedule at our house yet, but I feel its pull to get organized, sit up straighter, pay attention and re-stock supplies. As a list maker, that means notebooks. It’s always a thoughtful, useful gift.  So here’s a round up of interesting notebooks for the scribblers, doodlers and list makers in your life.

These trim, glam (and sometimes cheeky) Smythson Wafer Notebooks are a total splurge. As a happy recipient of two of these beauties, I can assure that they make an excellent gift.

Mix and match these perfectly pocket sized journals made by hand from Paper Jayne.

Forget decorating a Trapper Keeper––graduate to making your own notebook. This Japanese Shashiko inspired notebook is one of four DIY Embroidery Pocket Notebook designs from Curious Doodles.

This pretty letterpress spiral notebook from 1canoe2 Letterpress remind me of patterns for grade school friendship bracelets.

You can never have enough classic, versatile Moleskine notebooks. And they’re so reasonable you can pick one up in every bright new color. 

1
by

Gift: Host/Hostess

I’ve just contributed a guest post for Spliced, a blog by Appy Couple (a smart wedding planning app) covering host and hostess gift ideas for upcoming engagement parties and showers. While the audience for this piece was the newly engaged, the gift ideas aren’t wedding specific. So if you need a little host/hostess gifting inspiration, check out the round-up from classic finds to DIY ideas on their Pinterest board.

0 comments
by

Create: Berry Cheesecake Bars

Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are being sold in leaning towers at the farmers market right now. Here’s an easy recipe* I’ve been hooked on this summer that makes good use of fresh berries.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
12 ounces cream cheese (a mix of regular and reduced fat)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup 1% milk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 large eggs
1 cup fresh raspberries (more or less, as desired)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (more or less, as desired)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a food processor (or with an electric mixer) blend cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest just until smooth. Do not over-beat. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crumb crust. Scatter raspberries and blueberries on top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until touch to center feels slightly firm and set. Cool completely before cutting. Use foil to lift cheesecake out of pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into clean-looking bars (wiping blade clean with a paper towel between cuts). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Adapted slightly from Recipe Girl. 

zp8497586rq
by

Wander: Cuttyhunk, MA

The last two summers our family has loaded groceries, baby gear and adult beverages onto a chugging ferry bound for a small island off the coast of Cape Cod called Cuttyhunk. The absence of bars, fancy restaurants and flashy resorts makes this the ultimate getaway for blissfully unplugging from our otherwise over-wired and hyper-connected life. I know that I should probably hold this well-kept secret tight, but I did go ahead and write about it for The New York Times and Bon Appétit. Perhaps a few more curious travelers will explore the island, but the no-frills atmosphere certainly isn’t for everyone. Which is precisely the allure for locals, long-time visitors and even those starting new summer traditions like us.

2011: Soft landings for our new walker on the lawn of the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club.

Hydrangea bloom in abundance all over the island.

A float in the Fourth of July parade. Locals festoon their golf carts in streamers or flags––there was even one trimmed in PBR cans––for the annual procession.

2012: Our two-year-old explorers.

Favorite leafy window for spying on boats.

0 comments
by

Create: That’s a Wrap

I’m alright at selecting gifts, but I fall short on the wrapping. I find it remarkable that someone would see a need for a ‘wrapping station’ (or an entire wrapping room!) in their home.

Perhaps I overlook the tied up with a bow bit because I grew up in a house where Santa  neatly displayed gifts beneath the tree, but, unless you consider an errant price tag decorative, rarely did shiny paper mask the contents. This never diminished the joy, and, as for the surprise, Santa probably knew that I had ferreted out nearly every hiding spot. So really, what was the point?

But, leave it to the Japanese to make me reconsider gift presentation. Furoshiki, the ancient art of wrapping parcels and gifts in decorative cloth, is so practical and thoughtful I couldn’t help but be wooed. Like the newborn present for Soren that arrived in a gift from a stork style bundle, or the stack of of birthday treasures that my sister-in-law nested within a robin’s egg blue scarf. So lovely.

And so easy too. Simply recycle a scarf or make use of scrap material and start wrapping:

1. Lay the cloth flat with the bottom corner pointing towards you (the opposite corner will be pointing away from you and two corners will be directed left and right).

2. Place the object at the bottom of cloth with the corner exposed. Pull the exposed bottom corner over the object.

3. Hold the partially wrapped object in the cloth securely and tightly roll the object in the cloth in an upward direction to reach the top corner.

4. Position the wrapped object so that the exposed top corner is underneath.

5. Pull the left and right corners to the center of the object and tie securely. If enough cloth is available, tie together in a bow knot.

For even fancier Furoshiki check out this step-by-step diagram.

0 comments
by

Wander: Off-Hours

Birthday lunch for my husband, who prefers a quieter scene.

Some of the best dining experiences I’ve had lately have been during the very unfashionable time slot of lunch. In a town where it can take six weeks to snag a coveted 8:00 reservation, my friend, Jane, tipped me off to the blow-out lunch as an option to the 10:30 p.m. dinner. It’s not a new idea, after all, this is how the Italians have dined for generations.

On our trip to London this year we booked a lunch reservation for the day we arrived at a place we had no chance of getting a table for dinner.  Nothing like wine upon landing to even out a time difference and distract from jet-lag wooziness. And when playing tour guide in town, we’ve found the giant lunch at an of-the-moment-spot is an excellent way to entertain guests––plus it frees up the evening for other adventures.

So, if you’ve been curious to try THE place that was just written up, but aren’t patient enough to wait months for dinner, book a table off hours.

0 comments
by

Ps&Qs: Moving Day

About 10 years ago I realized that there wasn’t enough pizza or beer in the world to properly thank friends for lugging my stuff from one apartment to the next. Moving is at best cathartic, but generally it’s chaotic and just not a mess that I want exposed. We moved recently and our wonderful friends and family of course asked how they could help. Aside from extra boxes (thank you Katie!) the answer was coffee.

I discovered this because of the kindness of Erin S. in Chicago on the day we packed up and left that city. Our home––the scene of so many warm, hilarious nights with friends–– was a depressing hollow shell, a daunting cross country drive threatened and stress levels were elevated. Erin showed up just in time with dark, caffeinated sustenance. Bless you.

Our most recent move was only a few blocks away, but still stressful. Our friend and neighbor, Sue, delivered coffee and hung around to offer a very pleasant (and necessary) distraction. It absolutely made our day.

I wish I had learned this secret to easing transitions and helping out on move day sooner. Call me when you move, I promise to bring the coffee.

1