jewels

last night, allison and i went to the new york city ballet performance of jewels. jewels is a ballet in three parts, choreographed by balanchine in the late-ish 60s. emeralds, rubies, diamonds. each set to different music. fauré, stravinsky, tschaikovsky. each having a completely different style and each absolutely stunning. i love, love, love this ballet. it has a wonderfully romantic history about it, too - balanchine was inspired by van cleef and arpels - and the (impossible) love between him and suzanne farrell (he created diamonds for her!) each jewel is represented so differently, the mood certainly changes with each. diamonds is by far my favorite. classic and grand. allison's favorite was rubies--sharp, lush and elegant. i saw one of my favorite dancers perform rubies during the opening night performance of the season, aurelie dupont. it was a dream.

every time the curtain is drawn up in the beginning of a performance, i feel an overwhelming rush of loveliness. there is so much involved in a ballet. there is so much to experience. so many directions to look and so many sounds to hear. the dancer's shoes moving across the stage during quieter moments, seeing the orchestra turning the pages of their music, the harp and the harpist, the opulent scenery, the divinely glittering costumes, the reactions and appreciation of the audience. be still my heart!

and then we all left the theater and scrambled out into a slushy and windy blizzard! it's easy to forget the outside world while attending a ballet. le sigh.

a musing

gloomy wednesday mornings make me dream of sunday strolls.

brunch

brunching on the weekends is, without a doubt, one of my favorite things to do. i would say many new yorkers feel the same. especially judging by the massive waiting times each restaurant has on the weekends starting around noon. i love being able to catch up with friends while eating a delicious meal and then having the rest of the day to enjoy. i love how a brunch usually starts around 2pm. i love slowly sipping a cup of coffee and i love eggs. i love the type of conversation you have over this meal. this weekend, i was lucky enough to brunch twice! saturday with emily and allison - and then sunday with emily, chris and mary. each meal followed by a lengthy stroll in the sunshine. it is so nice to be leisurely.

spring

i am patiently waiting for spring and the warm weather to return. as are my white shoes.

kindly, tough, electric

a few months ago, i read a 1948 edition of seventeen magazine. the issue had a special "new york" theme to it and focused entirely on the great city. they published a poem by a.p. herbert and i really liked it. the honest and true words he chose really resonated with me. i still think about the poem, especially the last few lines:

beautiful - friendly - crazy -
kindly - tough - electric -
galloping - glowing - monstrous -
magical - unbelievable -
new york!

                                                  a.p. herbert

sunshine, absence of

observation two

regarding: new east-facing windows.

 

when the sun is not out in the morning, i do not wake up early. today it snowed, the sky was gray and there was no sun to shine in my eyes while i was nestled in my bed. i woke up way past my alarm, missed the bus and arrived slightly late to work. very interesting, this new light and window direction. 

exploring

though i am only down the road from my old apartment, moving to a different neighborhood in manhattan is like moving to an entirely new city. the atmosphere completely changes from one neighborhood to the next and i think that is wonderful. though i've been to the lower east side many, many times - actually living here feels a bit different. i am exploring it with new eyes. with the day off from work, my friend brooke and i took a very leisurely stroll in my new neighborhood. it was a lovely afternoon with a lovely friend.  

linking

a pretty neighborhood crepe shop (whose name is also my initials)

brooke and books

sunshine

i have two bedroom windows in my new apartment that are facing east. the amount of sunlight in my room is incredible. especially compared to every other bedroom i have lived in. i have always been a late sleeper. one, two, three pm - if and whenever i am able to. since moving here, i haven't been able to sleep past eight am. even when i try and even when i am tired. i have the bright and beautiful sun in my eyes. even with curtains and blinds, the sun and the light are there. i may not get used to it for a while, but i can still appreciate the loveliness and enjoy those extra hours in my day. 

and

and it's starting to look (and feel) like home.

unpacking

i must say, unpacking (and organizing) myself into the new apartment feels rather refreshing.

carnation, revisited

i am having quite the affaire de coeur with carnations! i can not get enough of these beautiful flowers. we just moved into our new apartment, and i bought another bunch to put atop my dresser. i have heard it before that these are the "poor man's flower." and my friends have reiterated this as i have gone on and on about how much i adore them. but, i am simply baffled by this! who is to say that one flower, or anything grown in nature, is superior over the other? how could one put a price or weight on such a thing? shame on whoever has said this. i find such great beauty in their petite and scalloped petals, in their sweet fragrance. i gaze at them every time i pass by and am just delighted by their loveliness and grace.

sweet treats

valentine's day brings about the most delightful treats in bakeries. so many fancy and delectable little cakes. i love this time of year.

bon appétit!

astro

i found this astrodata fortune telling card while flipping through a book about elephants at my grandparent's house. i love the "chances for a pleasant surprise" and "opportunities for romance". it's all very dreamy and fun. if anyone has recently seen an astrodata machine, please let me know!

carnation

i picked up a few bunches of dainty carnations to put beside my bed. 

pink, peach and yellow. i love, love, love them and they make me smile when i see them in the morning.