Weekend Wrap Up: Day Trippin' to Hudson

We lovingly refer to NYC as 'The Bubble'. Once you make a life for yourself in the Big Apple, it becomes hard to leave... and even harder when you don't have a mode of transportation to call your own. So when a friend calls you up and offers you a spot in their car for a weekend day trip to Hudson, New York, you'd be crazy to say 'no', right?

So off to Hudson we went with our friends Jason and Linda. Linda Draper is a very talented musician and was playing a show that night at The Spotty Dog. We spent the day exploring the city's many awesome antique stores. I swear... you can find ANYTHING in Hudson. A birdhouse the size of a mansion? Check. A chandelier as large as a Mini Cooper? Check. An Asian-inspired chest of drawers? Check. It's an interior designer's paradise.

But obviously the best part of the night was watching Linda work her magic on the mic. If you'd like a taste of Linda's musical stylings, here's the new video for her song 'Hollow'.



And of course you're all welcome to join us in person this Thursday, May 23rd at 7:30 pm at The Bitter End in NYC as we celebrate the release of her 7th album 'Edgewise'.

Photography - Shervin Lainez / Illustration - Dustin Lindblad 

And now, for some weekend photos...

We arrived to find an antique car show... guess we missed the memo on that one.

This lady could sing... and felt comfortable sporting head-to-toe leather - a winning combination.

A beautiful unnamed statue along the river - Joan of Arc, maybe?

Shopping at 3FortySeven - If I had $25K and a much larger residence, I might consider purchasing that chandelier.

Obviously, this Superman pogo stick was the best find of the day.

Outdoor eating - Mexican, Indian, Italian... whatever your little heart desires.

Getting set up for Linda's show - This awesome book store turns into a bar and performance space at night.

Big fan of the community vibe at The Spotty Dog.

Linda was joined by Kath Bloom and dare I say, they rocked out?

Walter was not amused to be left at home all day while we took a day trip.

It rained ALL day on Sunday, but that didn't stop us from checking out the 5th Avenue Street Fair...

...and indulging in brunch at Hunter's on Smith Street.

And of course, what's a weekend without a little Mad Men over dinner? Stay tuned for this week's recipe - Shrimp Curry with Vegetables!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Vacation Wrap-Up: Drumroll Please...

So, in case you missed it, I went to California last week for vacation. While it was a lovely trip in and of itself (hello, 70 degree weather), something very special happened that will make it one of the best trips EVER. On Sunday, Adam and I headed out early to drive down the Pacific Coast with my friend Marissa. We stopped in Santa Cruz (marveling at people fortunate enough to be wearing bathing suits in March), Carmel (enjoying a glass of wine on the 18th green of Pebble Beach) and finally Big Sur (taking in the beautiful sites of the Pacific coastline). 

After a few hours spent in the car choreographing a dance to TLC's 'No Scrubs' (and also making Adam very miserable), the three of us decided to stretch our legs on a hike leading out to a beautiful point overlooking the Pacific in Andrew Molera State Park. When we reached the cliff, Marissa (being the natural photographer that she is) suggested that we walk out to the edge for a picture. After taking in the beautiful landscape, I turned around to find Adam on one knee, asking me to be his wife!

He's crazy!!!!

And of course, I said 'yes'! Well, before I said that, I think I said something to the effect of 'Are you kidding me?'. But when he flashed the ring and it shimmered in the breathtaking California sunshine, I knew he hadn't obtained it from a vending machine. This must be real.

Earth to Lauren, you're being proposed to.

Then of course, I turn around to find Marissa capturing every second of it on camera... non-waterproof mascara and all.

I am a very lucky girl to be spending the rest of my life with my best friend Adam Rust. His love for me is unconditional... tried and true. He makes me laugh. He holds my hand. He forgives me. Sometimes he even lets me throw myself a good old-fashioned pity party. And for all that, I love him just as much in return and can't wait to share my life with him.

Moral of the story? When your boyfriend asks you to wear something nice for your hiking trip, you should probably take a hint and wear something nice (instead of a baseball tee, his old sweatshirt and your ancient Asic tigers).

...You just might be getting engaged.

 

And of course, they'd been planning it all along!

Leaving On A Jet Plane: Sunny California, Here I Come!

Image courtesy of mysweetprintsblog.blogspot.com

Hello, lovely readers! If the weather in NYC cooperates, I am headed to sunny San Francisco later today for some much needed R&R... and in honor of balance, I will be taking a week long hiatus from the blog. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend (and week), and I'll see you on the flip side with lots of California-inspired posts! I hear they're pretty healthy out there!

Farewell!

2012 Holiday Wrap-Up: From ATL to NYC!

I went MIA last week to spend some time with my family in Atlanta. Now that things are back to business as usual in NYC, I thought I'd share my holiday pics to try to make it up to you! I'll be back in action tomorrow with some helpful New Year's tips! Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve! See you in 2013!

Oh the joys of holiday travel!

Had some good quality time with this kid.

Tried to make him eat healthy with some quinoa 'oatmeal' for breakfast.

Celebrating mom's birthday with a pedicure date.

Heaven!

So much love it's sick.

An early morning run. The hills in GA get me every time.

Making some Christmas goodies!

Cale's new truck.

I'm not sure who's more excited about it... Cale or my mom?

A rainy day drive to North Carolina to fetch grandma for the holidays.

Gettin' all jazzed up for the Christmas Eve Service.

I give good presents. Just look at her face!

G'ma tearing into her gifts.

Did we just eat all that?!?

The beginnings of a food coma...

...food coma, part 2.

Spent some time looking through baby books. This little troll is me. Yikes!

And then there's Buddha, aka. Cale.

An afternoon workout with Johnny, who started his New Year's Resolutions a little early.

Back in NYC for Coldplay!

Very cool stage effects.

For the encore, they played from the stands... about 20 feet from me. L-O-V-E.

More stage pics.

What a way to wrap up 2012! Thanks Adam!