Swing art installation

I'm a huge fan of interactive art exhibits (like the Grand Central secret and the New Museum playground), so my jaw dropped when I heard about the current Ann Hamilton show in Manhattan. Her installation features 42 swings, which, in turn, move an enormous billowy curtain. "When the swings are in action, the curtain, made of a lightweight silk twill, rises and dips, and the air is stirred, causing further billowing and fluttering," writes the New York Times, "Pigeons and an actress provide a soundtrack." Some people glide on the swings, some lie on the ground under the curtain and some sit on benches to take it all in. The show runs through January 6th at the Armory. I can't wait to take Toby!

(Photos by Philip Greenberg for the New York Times)

Read More

NYC Date Idea: Magic show

So. Alex and I are usually pretty skeptical, but last weekend our minds were blown...
Read More >

Read More

Bake sale photos

Thank you so much to everyone who helped support our Hurricane Sandy bake sale. Here are a few photos...
Read More >

Read More

Hurricane week: photos

How are you all doing? Is everyone OK after the hurricane? The photos of the aftermath have been shocking, and we've been thinking so much about everyone who was affected. How devastating for those who lost their homes, and this story was utterly heartbreaking. We feel so, so lucky to have gotten through the hurricane unscathed. Lower Manhattan still doesn't have power, so our apartment is pitch black, but we're safe and fine. Here are a few of our photos from this crazy week, if you'd like to see...
On Monday, the day the hurricane was heading our way, Toby and I went for a little morning walk around our neighborhood, along with his Thomas-the-Tank-Engine umbrella and a peanut butter sandwich. I wanted to give him a run-around before we got stuck inside for a couple days. His enthusiasm was contagious. Little kids can be so blissfully (and beautifully) unaware.
During our walk, most businesses were closed, except for the pizza place (hurray! of course we ordered a large) and the children's pharmacy, which has a train table. Party at 10am! As a special treat, Toby was allowed to have a purple lollipop, which basically made his whole life.
That afternoon, the rain started, and trees bent over almost halfway in the wind. We ran over to our neighbors' house, where they built a fire and made Negronis and pasta. Toby and their one-year-old daughter spent the afternoon running up and down their hallway and...that's pretty much it. They loved that hallway.
That night, we ran back across the rainy street to our house, and the power went out shortly afterward. We lit candles (including this pumpkin one, which is officially The Coziest Candle in Candle History) and Toby fell fast asleep with his adorable little tractor PJs sticking right up in the air.

The only real bummer was having to throw out everything in our fridge, as Toby was dismayed not to have his morning and bedtime milk. The next morning, I gave him a sippy cup filled with orange juice instead, and tried to make it sound exciting: "Toby! I have a special treat for you! Juice for breakfast! Just like at Meriwether's house!" But after smiling indulgently, he said, matter of factly, "Mat." (=Milk). I was like, "Well, we actually get to drink juice today!" His reply: "Mat." He would not be fooled.
Yesterday, Alex and I walked up to his office in midtown, which had power, so we could check emails, work and recharge our electronics. A whole conference room ended up being dedicated to displaced spouses.
We grabbed Chinese food after work, and everything felt almost normal. But the cab ride home was SPOOKY. As we drove below 31st Street, the city plunged into complete darkness (you can see the view from the taxi window, above). The buildings were towering gray shapes against the moonlight. Suddenly nervous, I asked Alex if we were crazy to go back home, but there were lots of people walking around with flashlights, and a general feel of camaraderie, so we forged ahead.
The French restaurant down our street was actually open! Glowing with flickering candles, the room looked really romantic, and couples were enjoying wine and sandwiches.
Meanwhile, we all agreed that the best decision was for Toby and his beloved babysitter Naudia to take a cab to her apartment in Brooklyn, which had power, so they could have a sleepover! He was so excited.
Naudia was SO sweet and bought a clown costume from a drugstore so they could go trick-or-treating. Toby was Mr. Clown, and she was Mrs. Clown. His friend was a dinosaur. I almost keeled over from the cuteness of her photos, and then almost burst into tears because I wanted to beam myself there so much. How delicious does he look? I can't wait to hear Toby's full recap of the night. We chatted quickly on the phone this morning, after he woke up, and he kept saying, "Silly! Fun!"

Really hope you are all doing OK and hanging in there! Here are a few more photos from the news...
And did you see this rainbow arched over the city after the hurricane? Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the storm. Here's a great list of ways to help. All our best wishes to you and your loved ones. xoxo

P.S. I'm bumping the challenge series to next week, thank you! xoxo

(Bottom news photos from The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Gothamist, MTA's flickr stream, Inga, Reuters/Lucas Jackson and Andjelicaaa's Instagram)

Read More

Trusty rain boots

For the past few days, everyone in Manhattan has been walking around in rain boots. My trusty pair, above, are these Loeffler Randall booties. The great thing about Loeffler Randall boots is that they look like cool shoes, not clunky rainboots, so you can wear them to work or dinner. And they're small enough to take on trips. I'd highly recommend them. xoxo
P.S. These tall boots are also super cute.

Read More

Downtown Manhattan

Last night, after the power went out, this was the view from our window in downtown Manhattan. Eerie! You can barely see the buildings against the sky. The other odd thing is that our neighborhood was silent. Normally our street is very busy, and we can always hear cars driving by, honking, people chatting—all the normal sounds of a big city. But last night, it felt like we were sleeping in the middle of the woods; totally silent. How are you guys doing today? Sending our thoughts to you and your loved ones. xoxo

Read More

Brooklyn apartment hunt

We've been thinking about moving to Brooklyn for a while, and...
Read More >

Read More

New York City house tour

My friend Abbey Nova, of the blog Design Scouting, lives in a jawdroppingly beautiful apartment on the Upper West Side with her husband and three-year-old son. Their inspiring place looks straight out of a magazine. Want to take a peek?
Read More >

Read More

Motherhood Mondays: Sculpture

Many people probably turned off their computers for Labor Day, but I can't help sharing a couple things! First up, isn't this sculpture gorgeous? The sculpture, called Survival of Serena, has been installed in downtown Manhattan for the summer. It portrays a swimmer taking a break, and passersby have been wowed by its hyper-realism—so much so that one day when it rained, people didn't know which drops were real.

But, to me, this sculpture looks strikingly similar to a woman having a home birth and laboring in a tub. (Like this photo of my friend Leigh!) The same athleticism, the same quiet concentration. It's sort of amazing that the artist didn't intend that!

(Photos by Jenna Fain and Andrea Swalec)

Read More

NYC Guide: 8 Favorite Activities for Toddlers

When I wrote my NYC guide last fall, we talked about 10 amazing things to do as a grown-up. But now I'd love to share our eight favorite kid activities (Toby approved!)...
Read More >

Read More

Humans of New York

The website Humans of New York has stolen my heart. Photographer Brandon Stanton takes portraits of people around the city, from firefighters to street musicians to goofy little kids. The photos are beautiful, but the captions really make them. Here are my 11 favorites, below...
Read More >

Read More

Subway reading

On her brilliant blog, photographer Ourit Ben-Haim takes photos of New Yorkers reading on the subway—everything from the Bible to Lolita to Star Wars. There's something vulnerable and intimate about these shots, don't you think? It feels like witnessing a private moment.

What are you reading this summer? I'd love to hear your recommendations... (I just started this book.)

P.S. This woman has a six-and-a-half-hour commute!

(Photos by Ourit Ben-Haim for her blog Underground New York Public Library. Via Shoko)

Read More