Our good friend Catherine sent us a round of pictures from her visit this weekend to Indian Ladder Farm in Altamont, NY that were too good not to share! It’s been so warm and beautiful in NYC for the past couple of weeks that it’s been easy to forget it’s actually fall. These pictures are the perfect reminder of the season. Thanks, Catherine!
(Image via here)
And Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And Im conquered in a car seat
Not a thing that I can do
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
But my heart keeps beating faster
And my feet cant keep still
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And the leaves fall one by one by one by one
Call the autumn time a fool
Yeah baby my tongue gets tied
Every every every time I try to speak
My tongue gets tied
Every time I try to speak
And my inside shakes just like a leaf on a tree
I think Ill go on by the river with my cherry cherry wine
I believe Ill go walking by the railroad with my cherry cherry wine
If I pass the rumbling station where the lonesome engine drivers pine
And wait a minute, yonder comes my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Yonder comes my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Six white horses and a carriage
Shes returning from the fair
Baby, baby, baby
And if Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And if Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And Im conquered in a car seat
And Im looking straight at you
Way up on, way up on, way up on….
The avenue of trees
Keep walking down
In the wind and the rain, darling
You keep walking down when the sun shone through the trees
Nobody, no, no, no, nobody stops me from loving you baby
So young and bold, fourteen years old
Baby, baby, baby…
In keeping with our sister theme, we wanted to introduce you to our new sister-in-law, Kelley! She has put together a three-part city guide to Los Angeles and it is fantastic. Without further adieu, here is Kelley:
Since moving to Los Angeles over a year ago, we have had a steady stream of visitors looking to escape the cold weather or just spend some time on the west coast. I love having people come visit, because it gives me a chance to show off our city and all the things that make it such an amazing place to live. One of my favorite aspects of this city is that each neighborhood is like a city unto itself. There’s so much to see and each day you can have a different experience, just depending on where you are in the city.
So, I decided to put together a city guide for you, highlighting a few of my favorite places in Los Angeles and offering you a chance to see some of the great places different neighborhood have to offer. This by no means is an exhaustive list, but it’s definitely a start.
THE WESTSIDE
We’ll start by working our way west to east, or as best I can. The Westside encompasses neighborhoods such as Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood and the Pacific Palisades and is traditionally what someone pictures when they think of Los Angeles. The beach is obviously the main attraction, but the Westside also has some amazing restaurants and lots of culture as well.
Breakfast: Café Gratitude
This is one of Farrell’s favorite spots in LA, and for good reason. As someone who drinks a smoothie for breakfast nearly every morning, Café Gratitude’s smoothies cannot be beat. I suggest ordering the “I am Strong” smoothie, but if you need to have your morning coffee, the “I am Luscious” provides the caffeine pick-me-up you’ll need to keep you energized.
Lunch: Holy Guacamole Tacos
This is one of my favorite taco spots in the city and I nearly always take guests here when they come to visit. I first ate here when I was a tourist in LA and Teddy and I made sure to hunt it down as soon as we moved (we ate here the day after we settled into our apartment). The fried fish tacos are perfectly fresh and crunchy. Though there’s not much seating, you can usually squeeze into a spot across the street at the coffee shop and eat your tacos in peace.
Dinner: Sunny Spot
The Sunny Spot offers an open to close happy hour that cannot be beat. May I suggest ordering the yucca fries and the heirloom tomato salad. However, if you’re looking for something a little larger, the half jerk chicken is the way to go.
Drinks: The Bar at Hotel Erwin
Sweeping views of the city and ocean provide the perfect setting for a sunset cocktail after a long day.
The Westside is teaming with activities for tourists and locals alike. Some landmarks, like Venice beach, are famous, some not as much. Below is a list of my favorite activities.
The Getty Center: Admission to this incredible museum is free (though parking is exorbitant). While the museum itself does have some incredible artwork, it’s more about the views and the tram ride up the side of the mountain.
The Santa Monica Pier: If you’re not too scared of Farris wheels, be sure to hop on this one. The views are truly incredible.
The Brentwood Country Mart: This quaint little shopping area is one of my favorites. Be sure to check out Sweet Rose Creamery for some of the best ice cream in the city.
The Venice Canals: You can rent a bike from someone on the beach and ride through the streets made famous by so many movies.
Playa del Rey Beach: This is my go –to beach in Los Angeles. Away from all the congestion of Venice and Santa Monica, Play del Rey offers a quite sanctuary next to Marina del Rey where you can watch the sail boats come in and out of the bay. The whole town feels like another city and reminds me of one of my favorite vacation spots, Anna Maria, FL.
F: What are you most proud of?
L: Sorry to start out sappy but I’m feeling really proud of you lately. It’s really cool to see you doing things you’ve worked so hard for. It’s inspiring and I’m proud of you.
F: What is your morning routine?
L: I just said all this nice stuff and now you’re trying to mess with me?! Most of my mornings begin with me sleeping later than I meant to. I get ready for work and head out of my building, where many mornings I greet the old Chinese lady that lives on the first floor of my building. She does stretching by the stair well. She doesn’t speak English so mostly we both only say ‘hi’ and ‘bye.’ Sometimes she makes known that she really likes my outfit; that’s awesome. Then I stop for coffee and head to the subway where I either read theSkimm or listen to music/podcast. When I get to work I make oatmeal with delicious accouterment to spice up my life.
F: What book are you currently reading or want to start reading?
L: I’ve read about half of Steinbeck’s Cannery Row about three times. It’s a short book so I don’t know why I can’t get through it. I was recently talking about this and since then have wanted to pick it back up.
F: What was the last thing you cooked and how was it?
L: I made a pretty good omelet type situation recently.
F: What is your favorite movie?
L: “The Royal Tenenbaums”
wherein the breeze feels fine
banjo songs and more red wine
in-betweens
sweat and freeze
ones and twos both pertain to you
let it last
it never does
one song ends
the next begins
The time in-between meditating and starting your day.
Illustration by Danielle Meder
As I’ve gotten older, and seen a few styles come and go and come back again, I try to focus my fashion choices less around trends and more around the things I know I always like to wear. A few tried and true styles I’m always attracted to are:
1) Wide trousers and long skirts
2) Long earrings
3) Clogs
4) Jumpsuits
(Image via here)
Is it just me or has the past week or so been filled with such intensity both in the news and on a more personal level? So many people I know (and so many more I don’t) are really going through some intense times and it makes my heart ache for them. I can so easily recall the feelings and experiences of some of the most sad, difficult and intense times in my own life. I’m not really a fan of the phrase ‘holding space’ but for better or worse, it’s what comes to mind when I think about what I can do in situations where there’s really nothing I can do. So to any of you who are reading this feeling you could use some support, know that I am thinking of you and wishing you comfort and healing.
Bits of our weekends in pictures:
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Lauren – New York, NY
Fall flowers at the deli
Late night, indoor bocce
I found this New Yorker article on Eileen Fisher fascinating on so many levels
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Farrell – Los Angeles, CA
Lots of naps
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Taco Night
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(Image via here)
The playlist that Timothy Goodman wrote about in his and Jessica Walsh’s 40 Days of Dating project has become the soundtrack to my week. After listening to this My Morning Jacket’s song somewhere around 200 times, then Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind” almost as many, I’ve moved on to the track below. What is it about finding a song you want to listen to again and again on repeat that feels both so satisfying and like you can never get enough?!
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My childhood happened mostly in the 90’s. My first concert ever was Janet Jackson and I felt pretty cool about this. Her song “Again” was my favorite song for years and years.
(Image via here)
Well you’re in your little room
and you’re working on something good
but if it’s really good
you’re gonna need a bigger room
and when you’re in the bigger room
you might not know what to do
you might have to think of
how you got started sitting in your little room
-The White Stripes “Little Room”
sisterdisco.com 