Diaphanous and Delicate Jellyfish

Mesmerizing, floating, and incredibly varied jellies swim at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Summer Weekend in the Chesapeake

Last weekend, I took a break with the family and went on a summer road trip to Virginia. We did some crabbing and fishing on their beautiful, green private inlet. We later enjoyed a big clambake with oysters grown on their property and the crabs we caught along with homegrown tomatoes and corn. This is a summer tradition a city girl could get used to!

Etsy Summer Sale - Starts Today!

Feeling Beachy - A Singular View With A Spectrum of Color

Magic Carpet Ride - Looking Back on Last Summer

Last August, a landmark birthday for my mom was the impetus for a big summer adventure. After a couple of years saying that someday we would take a hot air balloon trip, we finally did. It's a good thing the other two attempts didn't quite work out because we had an absolutely perfect day. Even the pilots hailed the weather as a ten out of ten for flying the friendly skies. Our balloon along with two others was laid out and blown up in a field in a rural part of northern New Jersey.

As we gently (and quickly) floated upward, those left behind became ever smaller. My dad followed us in the "chase vehicle" where he was able to get some photos. We cruised over farms and gorgeous homes in rural New Jersey. In one direction, we could see Philadelphia. In the other, the towering cluster of buildings indicated the New York skyline.

With precision controlling, we dipped into the cornfields and greenery where we could pick acorns from the treetops. The oblivious livestock went about their business, but the family guard dogs circled nervously, unsure what to do about our alien-looking floating form in this country setting. People sitting casually on their decks or talking on the phone waved vigorously. The kids at the summer camp stopped their activities to point and scream happily at us during our voyage.

At our altitude, the mid-August moon seemed more than full as we descended into the early twilight of a clear night. The pilot shouted down to some curious onlookers and we politely landed with consent in their front yard. The neighborhood kids gathered to watch the spectacle we created, and were recruited into helping deflate the colorful nylon beast.

An elegant champagne celebration awaited our arrival as the final touch on our glimpse from the sky. We sat at the table complete with cheese, fruit, and other victuals with our new ballooner friends, and enjoyed a slideshow starring ourselves with picturesque shots from the chase vehicle. We left the farmlands of New Jersey with a whole new perspective from above.

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Up, up, and away!

Back on the ground (some photos courtesy of Dad).

Happy Monday - Lobster Dog

This is Lola, my favorite pug, frolicking at Virginia Beach last week with her human and doggie pals. Out of four of our canine companions, she's the only one who loves to ham it up and pose for onlookers in her lobster costume. Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as Miss Lola.

Back to Brooklyn - Bushwick Pool Party

What could be better than soaking yourself in a very large kiddie pool on a blistering hot day in the midst of a never-ending heatwave in NYC? I helped celebrate a friend's birthday in her Bushwick courtyard. It was very girly with nailpolish, bubbles, margaritas (and other umbrella drinks), sandwiches, birthday cake, blow pop rings, top 40 hits playing on the radio, and....no boys!

All wall art by Sweet Toof.

Summer Solstice

Monet's Garden- Giverny, France (May 27, 2005)

This dreamy landscape repeatedly inspired one of the greatest and celebrated artists in recent history. 

Oozing the laziness of summer, I couldn't resist sharing. Happy summer solstice, everyone!

Happy Monday

Zoe, Montauk (August 21, 2010)

Jane's Bliss, Montauk (August 21, 2010)

What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Part 2) - The Shoe House

There was an old lady who lived in a shoe.....not so in Hallam, Pennsylvania. By mid-morning, we left Lancaster, PA and drove west on the Lincoln Highway. We were racing towards Braddock to make daylight, and came across the Haines Shoe House.

It was built in 1948 as a 5-story, larger-than-life advertisement, and was once rented to young newlywed couples.

Shoes, shoes, everywhere!

We went on a tour, and there are hundreds more on the inside too.

We love a good quirky roadside oddity. Here, we stopped for ice cream and a leg stretch as we headed further west. Stay tuned for the next leg of the tour!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Part 1) - Fallingwater

My cousin and I like to take unusual road trips. For the last weekend of summer, you won't find us lounging on a beach with an umbrella in our drinks, you'll find us in Pittsburgh. Yes, Pittsburgh. This excursion was prompted by an intriguing news story about the revitalization of an old rundown steel town in the "Rust Belt" called Braddock. While we were checking out Braddock, we worked in some other must-see sights.

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I'm going to start my summer vacation series of posts with the highlight. It was our very last stop before heading back on the road for the long drive back to New York - Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, Fallingwater, located in the lush woods of rural Pennsylvania.

 

The house is chock full of artwork by Tiffany, Picasso, and Diego Rivera with neutral coloring throughout. I captured the feeling straight from the era of the popular tv show, Mad Men. Using rock from the area, this feat of architectural engineering is truly in harmony with nature. Cantilevered platforms delicately straddle a waterfall, and evokes the feeling of an exquisite treehouse suspended high in the branches.

Every room extends an invitation to occupants to relax and settle in with a good book on the terrace or curled up by the fire. I can just imagine that the fall season would be spectacular here. While exploring this home, I couldn't help but wonder what it would take to move into a place like this.

The punchline: when it was built in the 1930s, the home cost the Kaufmann family approximately $155K. Today, the collection of artwork alone in this one of a kind dwelling is priceless.

A Walk Around the Neighborhood - Williamsburg

Street decorations brighten the skies in preparation for the street carnival in celebration of the feast day for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in July.

 

The four-story high giglio (meaning "lily" in Italian) is carried or "danced" through the neighborhood during the week by dozens of men as a towering processional and devotional item. This year marks the 123rd anniversary of this event.

Below, this little guy looks like he's ready to cruise off for a day at the beach. 

I encountered many textural and iconic visuals during this walk. This landmark church above is a landmark that can be seen towering above the trees, and was once featured on a Seinfeld episode long ago. I never thought it would be right in my own backyard!