Blue Sporty

I haven't been very sporty lately, but I've got my reasons... Sunday I at least tried to dress sporty, even if I was just watching my husband and daughters be sporty and play tennis. At least I was comfortable, and I guess somewhat fashionable, since this sporty style is in fashion, ha!

The good thing about this sporty fashion is, obviously, that you can wear the same outfit for sporting and anything else you may be doing (if not too sweaty after sports that is..which I wasn't since I didn't do any). After a quick change of shoes to my new white Converse sneakers, and I was ready for dinner. 

The Beauty of a Sunset

I am a sucker for sunsets and beaches. So I make efforts to enjoy both. And when you put those two together, well, that's my kind of perfect moment and a super happy place. This is my picture diary from one wonderful evening in the end of August, spent in good company, enjoying the beach and the sunset at Seacliff, Long Island.

By the way, these photos have not been enhanced or manipulated in any way. The sunset really was this amazing, and the sky blazing with beautiful colors. 

Black and White

Life has gone from 0 to 100 in a few days.

Quoting Milan Kundera: "There would seem to be nothing more obvious, more tangible and palpable than the present moment. And yet it eludes us completely." 

I need to remind myself to breathe and pause, pay attention to the important things, like the present moment. 

Here is an office outfit from the late August, when life was still on the slow lane. Now it's back to jackets and stockings.. 

White linen shirt (the brand escapes me now), black and white cotton skirt from New York and Company,
Tod's bag,  Ellen Tracy pumps

These Ellen Tracy pumps are my new favorites for the office

NYFW

Now that I work downtown I don't get to see any of the fashion week excitement. I used to love going to Bryant Park to eat lunch while the shows were still there and I worked close-by. Anyways, the tents are no longer there but at the Lincoln Center, and most of the important shows are done somewhere completely different, dispersed around town, even in Brooklyn, although you have to be a pretty big name, like Alexander Wang, to get the fashion crowds to come to Brooklyn. Of course the media is full of Fashion Week; show reviews and trend spotting. And there has been some interesting news this year...

Looks like the old runway show where models just walk by you is on its way out. (You know in fashion, one day you're in, and the next day you're out.) (I couldn't resist!) Now the fashion shows are events that offer experiences, such as the Opening Ceremony show at the Metropolitan Opera that was a play, written by the director Spike Jonze and actor Jonah Hill. Now that's a fashion show that I would have liked to see. And apparently, some fashion shows don't even include the clothes anymore, such as Gareth Pugh, who instead of clothes showed a modern dance piece. (Not sure how that works, but hey, I'm not a fashion professional...)

Anyway, the trend spotters are saying that next spring we will be wearing neutral colors (yes!), bright yellow (not me!), jail bird stripes (yes, I'll try that), gingham (maybe), and clothes that are soft and loose and have some volume (yes!). Another piece of good news is that the flat sandal is still a very strong trend for next spring and summer (yay!).

Thakoon

3.1 Phillip Lim

Michael Kors

13th Anniversary of 9/11

I can still remember that awful day 13 years ago, like it was yesterday. The beautiful crisp sunny weather, the confusion of the people on the subways and streets after the first plane had hit, and then that horrible loud rumble when the first tower collapsed. That day probably changed the course of my life, because it changed me as a person, and put into a very sharp focus the things that are important in life. I still get a weight on my chest when I think about what happened then, and it brings a lot of sadness with it, but it also reminds me to be thankful for my amazing life, and most of all the lovely people, family and friends, that I have sharing it with me.  

Ship Ahoy

Now that life has shifted to the fast lane again, it is nice to look at vacation pictures and try to capture a bit of that relaxed feeling. In between of browsing fashion stuff from the New York Fashion Week, I've been going back to the photos I took on our trip to Finland. Here's a collection of photos titled "Girls on Ship", taken on a cruise above Silja Serenade from Helsinki to Stockholm. Something I hadn't done since the mid-90's. My daughters loved it and there was lots of activity for the kids on the ship. I enjoyed watching the sea and the scenery, especially the beautiful archipelago outside of Stockholm. We will definitely do this again on a future vacation.

Macarons

Macarons are the new cupcakes!

In my house, macarons have been the big hit this summer. And we've seen them spreading everywhere. From the famous Laduree to the neighborhood mall. My daughter has been bugging me to try and bake our own. Macarons have a reputation for being very difficult to make, but I'm usually up for a challenge. However, we never got around to it since there was never any time. Until I got sick and everything came to a full stop for a few days. A complete full stop where I did not leave the house for two days. Hardly left the bed... But I did manage to make the macarons with daughter's help. Twice. Practice makes perfect. And they were not that hard to make after all.

First round

Second round

Recent Instagram

Here are my Instagram photos from the past month.

Spent a lovely afternoon on a friend's boat

Swimming with the fishies

Wild pants and my new bag

Playmates

Girl's best friend

Sick day reading

Favorite board game #qualitytimewithdaughters

This was called "Lick-a-Color". Now we know why. 

Now that I've sworn off shopping, I see the croc bags everywhere! 

A lovely afternoon with my favorite girls!

Got some nice and edible souvenirs from Finland!