"The point, gentlemen...is that they lived"

Is it wrong to love fairy tales? I can get completely lost in a story, especially fairy tales. One of my favorite films is The Count of Monte Cristo. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. I only mention this movie because it gives me cover for another favorite movie, which is the whole point of this blog post. It is called Ever After starring Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott (crush) and is the Cinderella story with a bit of creative license. It's by far my favorite contemporary version of the classic tale, which has, of course Greek origins. (Greece sure makes a lot of claims.) 


It is the last line of the story, which refers to the newly-married Prince and Danielle (Cinderella), that offers a high note which makes you think. The Prince and Danielle are commenting on their own fairy tale while looking into each other's eyes. It goes something like this, with thanks to script-o-rama:

And we, Princess, are supposed to live happily ever after.
    
                   
Says who?

                       
Do you know...I don't know.

    
(woman) My great-great-grandmother's
portrait hung in the university...

                  
... up until the revolution.

                     
By then, the truth of the romance...

                    
... had been reduced to a simple fairy tale.

                     
And while Cinderella and her Prince
did live happily ever after...
    
                   
... the point, gentlemen...

                  
... is that they lived.

And this is where I start boo hooing every time. I look around at everything I have...think about all the places I've been...consider all the friends and family who are so near and dear to me... gasp at this city of wonder in which I live, and yet I still feel it necessary to ask myself, "Am I really living?" I want to do more than just observe the beauty that surrounds me. I want to actively dig in, suck, chew, wrestle, discover, toil, absorb, and adore every moment of my life so deeply that I will have no regrets about how I used my time on this planet.


I don't need a fairy tale. But I do want someone to say about me, once my time has come and gone...


"She really lived."

A few of my favorite things...mostly things to eat apparently

Noma Bliss Art. I want to introduce you to a talented artist and wonderful lady in the form of Noma Bliss. Buy something she's painted. Seriously. You won't regret it. I have two of her pieces and we are planning a commission of the third as I write this. Her illustrations and art have appeared in the London Times, Harvard Business Journal, and other publications. She is a gem whose craft is grounded in her heart and not the marketplace. Whimsical, folksy, and deep all at the same time, I am really enjoying getting to know Noma. 


In general, my unsolicited advice is to get to know people whose work you love. It will make their work more special. Let's just say, if people were cakes, most of us barely get past the icing: what does the person do, where are they from, how many kids do they have, etc. Now, don't get me wrong. Icing rocks my socks. But after a while, you will find that you need a bit of cake to balance out all the one-sidedness of the icing. The cake itself will give you the texture of someone's personality...are they funny? Do they have a special talent? Easy to be around? Sometimes we get our fill of the cake and tend to push it away too soon. But I recommend that you always take one last bite to see what's in the middle. Sometimes you will come up dry and other times you will discover a custardy filling that oozes with goodness. That's the heart of a person. That's what they're made of. Keep eating people cake until you get to the part where you are smiling from your own heart when you think of them.


PUBLIC Restaurant. Went here with hubs last night even though I was sick, sick, sick with cold. The sitter had been booked in advance so we went with it. The last date we had was to Home Depot from where we returned with a mop. As thrilling as that was, I wanted to see if a real date could top it. And our meal at Public absolutely did just that. We happened upon this treasure while walking the streets of the city in search of a meal. I like to feel the neighborhood, see how many people are eating in a place, and get the vibe of things so walking around, I have found, is a much better option than just booking online. We were lucky enough to get the best table in the place--a table on the edge of the terrace. Just inside enough for the atmosphere. Just outside enough for the night air. Loved the Sunday Supper. Changes weekly. And be sure to visit the bathroom to pick up a cool little bar of soap they have on offer in a vintage, cover-less vending machine. (I love free stuff.)


The Greenmarket in Union Square. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Check out the Sheep's cheese from the vendor who calls his cheeses things like "derriere and hooligan". Can't remember his name...but will post it in comments next time I see him. Also buy an ounce of Wheatgrass juice at one f the stands for good measure. It's $3 an ounce but it makes you feel sooo good inside.


New fruits. If you've never had a champagne mango, dump the regular old mango and get yourself a new friend. It's rich and creamy...like ice cream. Or chocolate. But it's fruit and you can eat all you want and no one will look at you like you're the glutton with spaghetti wrapped around his ankles in that movie SEVEN. Also try the Mangosteen. It looks like a clove of garlic once you cut through the perimeter of the hard outer shell, but it tastes like bananas with a smooth, lychee like texture. Just try it even if you think it looks like fish or eyeballs. Everything you ever wanted to know about a mangosteen, including something about being erect. Look, I didn't write it. 

Corn on the cob. I already love corn on the cob. Especially in summer. But you haven't tried corn until you've eaten it from Cafe Habana on Prince & Elizabeth in NYC. Grilled, with some kind of cheese and hot pepper on the outside, there's a reason an order of corn comes with two pieces. Truly, all the food here is amazing. Cuban decor all the way down to the seating, ceiling fans and beaded doorways. Great vibe. And there's takeaway if you can't get a seat. 


I just realized that most of today's post was about food. Maybe I will one day write about the joys of working out. But not today. 


Until next month...or so it seems. xo

Opening for Greta's Bakery in Ardmore, PA!

Come see us open for Greta's Bakery 

THIS THURSDAY AT 8 PM at MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore, PA!

Greta's Bakery is a national act so we are honored to be asked to open for them. Come out for a great night of music, wine, and food at THE BEST MUSIC VENUE in the Philly area: MilkBoy.

MilkBoy Coffee

2 East Lancaster Ave

Ardmore, PA 

Tickets are only $8 pre-sale or $10 at the door. $5 BYO.

Buy tickets here!

Paulette Dixon (left), Lynn Lovette (center) & Laurie Pfeiffer (right) 

will play Thursday's show!

Life's Five: NYC Learnin'

Living in NYC opens up all kinds of opportunities. Opportunities to meet people. Opportunities to eat anytime, anywhere. Opportunities to learn stuff. This post is dedicated to some of the "learnin'":

Learn. In NYC you will randomly run into folks you know because there are a million people walking around in the streets. So the odds are in your favor for chance meetings. The moral of this story is that one should shower more than one used to when one lived in the suburbs and was able to simply wave at friends from the comfort (and distance) of his or her car.

Learn. There is so much to do here that I have found no desire for shopping. I realize, to many of you, that sounds like heresy or blasphemy or a lie. After all, I'm in NYC and that is what one does in NYC. But honestly, I have no need for anything. The creative energy here overrides any of those pesky retail urges. And that's a good thing. (Just ask hubs.) (Alert: The following sentence is going to appear to contradict the preceding sentence, but there will be an explanation.) While in the art store today (I needed art supplies. This does not count as shopping. It was a planned trip. I spent under $20.), I met lovely people who were willing to teach me how to go about my art project. I dug that! Free advice from NYC art students who are dying to tell you all they know because they want you to know they are artists even though they are working in an art store instead of surviving off of their art. It's complicated, but somehow it's working in my favor, and I'm all about favor.

Learn. This place rocks the exercise gene. Yesterday, I took my girly kid to Central Park Zoo. We walked there. From Union Square. That's like a gazillion blocks. She's not even 4. She did not complain once. In the old days, she couldn't even make it from The Gap to Starbucks at Ye Olde King of Prussia Mall. I call that SERIOUS progress. And while we were walking, we learned all kinds of stuff about the city...like where to shop. IS THAT ALL YOU PEOPLE DO HERE?! Oh, I would like to offer the city of New York a little feedback. Please get rid of the 3 kajillion chestnut roasting stands. I got dizzy from the odor and nearly passed out. What?! Yes, I'm completely sure I got sick from the smell of rancid nuts. And no, it had nothing to do with walking 49 blocks in wedge boots.

Learn. There are loads of restaurants in NYC. Some are not good. We tried a vegetarian spot in Chelsea recently. Like the meat-eating, cow hater that I am, I got the veggie burger because I wanted to see how closely it compared to the real thing. That hideous slab of soy paste didn't taste a thing like the real thing. Sidebar: Apparently, you're not supposed to mention MEAT in those places. I tried shouting "BEET" repeatedly in the direction of the staff, but they were on to me. So, anyway, I learned that some people are awfully serious about their vegetables. While hubs was glad he didn't wear his leather jacket that day, I wildly waved my alligator gloves in the air upon our exit.

Learn. Scaffolding in NYC is a necessary evil, but it is just so ugly. Why don't they wrap twinkle lights around it? Or how about letting David Blaine do some tricks on it? Or put the Solid Gold dancers up there to shake it after hours. I'm on the topic of scaffold because there is some right across from our apartment. There is never anybody on that scaffolding. And with no dancers or magicians or twinkle lights, it's just downright rude to be there at all. I did learn there are permits of expiry on scaffold here and it appears that the permit for our offending structure expires on April 1st. That had better not be a joke 'cause I'm no fool. Although...I'll take scaffolding over burnt nuts any day. Ooh, and let's add some bloody MEAT to 'em while we're at it.

Oops. I meant beets.

Love Is An Action

We tried a new church on Sunday and enjoyed the message from Pastor Brian Moll at Forefront, which meets in a theatre in Gramercy. Brian began his four-part series called "Falling (and Staying) in Love." The bottom line of the sermon was to make "love" a verb....to love one another, just like Jesus said to do....to put the other person before yourself...to make the other person a priority. 

Sounds easy. But is this what we do? I contend that we are we mostly a vain, selfish people. I know I can be. I don't think we mean for it to be this way. I believe it's a natural reaction. An act of self-defense, self-preservation, or self-promotion. Whatever the reason, it's not attractive. Yet, it is very difficult to let go of the ugly little "self." 

I feel disappointed that "me, me, me" is our most comfortable stance when life is about so much more than "me" or "you". It's about "us" as couples, families, teams, nations. If you stop and think about when you feel happiest in life, it's probably when you're doing something for someone else. Isn't it a joy to bring joy to the lives of others? Then why do we suck so bad at love?

If you'd like to view the message by Brian Moll, it's right here. Maybe, like me, you will start to think about how you can change things up in your relationships. Could there be hope for successful marriages, close families, and dare I say it...peace on earth?

Be good. Be blessed.

Welcome to NYC

As a tribute to the upcoming holiday of LOVE, this is just going to be a post of loves: things I've seen or done or people I've run into or general things that have made me happy since the move to NYC.

LOVE.
Jenna Torres 

Singer/songwriter. Amazing wonder woman, talented writer, beautiful spirit. Introduction by the one and only Scot Sax. So pleased we will be working together, Jenna! Find out more about Jenna here. 

LOVE.
Pipsqueak Chapeau 
I grabbed one of these alpaca wool kitty cat hats in light pink for my little girl from this designer in Brooklyn. This little hat turns heads. Lots of beautifully-knitted clothing and accessories for both kids and adults.


LOVE.
Eclipse NYC 

My new friend, Simon, from Eclipse NYC measured, ordered, and installed shades within one week for my large and largely unprivate bedroom windows. Nice guy, great work, and very affordable. Get in touch if you need privacy or just want a bit of drama. 

LOVE.
Auer's Moving & Rigging
These dudes are studs. If you want to hoist something through your window, book 'em. A team arrived yesterday to bring the piano into the new apartment. Perfect execution. Not a scratch. And super nice to boot.

LOVE.
Doma Cafe & Gallery
In the West Village on Perry Street. Great vibes. Check it out.




LOVE.
Gramercy Park Hotel
Speaking of drama...after a night out or if you just need a wee little break during the day, stop in and have a seat in the lobby of this celeb-chic hotel. The piped-in aromatherapy, grand fireplace, and people-watching opps make it a worthwhile, "take a load off" kind of place. You never know who you might run into...Julia, Uma, or in my case, "weird, bipolar lady" nodding off on the opposite end of the couch. Just another typical day in NYC.

Life's Five: Entry 20

We are moving! More to come soon...