i love my big sister...

happy birthday lisa! i wish i were in atlanta to give you a big hug, but luckily i will see you in 4 weeks! here is a short list of why i am so glad you were born...

1. you always put family first, and are always the rock whenever hard times hit.

2. you are one of the most honest people i have ever met, with unwavering morals, and you never fail to do the right thing, in any situation.

3. you took me to paris the summer before my senior year of high school, and were the perfect tour guide! we saw all the most amazing museums, thanks to your persistence, while i was fighting to go back to the hotel and take a nap!

4. you didn't even bat an eye or insist i change, when i showed up wearing 5 inch heels, a sequined dress, and a flapper headband to meet the president, at the white house christmas party.

5. when i was a baby, you used to play "the way we were" by barbara streisand and carry me around the room 'til i fell asleep.

6. thanks to you, not only have i seen mary chapin carpenter about 10 times in concert, but i have also met her, at a starbucks book signing you took me to when i was probably 11 years old.

7. you took me to see the greats in concert- cher, madonna, bette midler... now all we need to see is liza minnelli and barbara streisand to complete the gay iconic quintet. awesome.

8. you found me a replacement "claire", my beloved childhood baby doll that was destroyed by a friends dog. i still have claire 2.0 on my bed, much to my husband's chagrin.

9. you and i are the two family members who love to do impersonations. saturday night live, here we come...

10. you and i are also the two tallest family members. my favorite is when people ask mom and dad, "but how are lisa and ginny so tall?" hilarious.

11. your biggest weaknesses... baseball caps and t-shirts. your collection could put anyone to shame!

12. you introduced "my so-called life" to me. i remember when you taped the entire collection from MTV. i used to be glued to your t.v when i came to visit! we loved jordan catalano and "the way he leaned". and the boiler room episode and that buffalo tom song. best episode ever.

13. you taught me how to make a mean blueberry soy smoothie and a tasty corn salad, two things i always make when the weather gets warm.

14. you are one of the smartest, most hard working women i know. without a doubt.

15. you are such a good big sister. i love you so much.

even though we are 16 years apart, we couldn't be any closer. i am so glad you are my big sister, and i am so glad you were born! i hope you have a great birthday today and i can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

bottled up...

today i am grateful for...

an adventure to dead horse bay with sweet friends. chelsea rose cook and peter hale cooney III researched tide charts and even managed to wrangle up directions to the secretive bottle beach. chelsea designed a treasure map, pieced together by bits of cryptic, neverland-esque instructions, transmitted over the phone, by a mysterious woman.

after a near-apocalyptic ride on the 2 train, a fairly tame ride on the Q.35 bus, and a 3/4 mile hike to floyd bennett field beneath circling buzzards, we approached an unmarked, winding pathway flanked by cattails and creeping, thorny brambles. this pathway then lead to a three-tined fork in the field. still nary a sign or marking in site. scratching our heads we chose the middle path which crooked and bent so much we figured we were walking in circles.

we finally saw the first good sign. it should be dubbed, "heart marks the spot"!

after several more paces, matt released a cheer, and we knew we had arrived!

armed with rubber rainboots and work gloves, we set to diggin' and collectin'. we divided and totally conquered that little beach! i could hear little gasps and yips of excitement and wonderment from my pals at all points. discovering little treasures all about.

we unearthed so much milk glass, cobalt glass, brown apothecary bottles, handled jugs, coca- cola bottles, ponds cold cream bottles, tea cups, chunks of horse bone, and doll parts. such a treasure trove! we filled our satchels to the brim, and waddled away with heavy arms and numb fingers and noses.

now our kitchen table is littered with my new(old) loot and our bathroom smells like a drip castle. my tub, is dusted with a layer of sand, sea sludge, and unappetizing bottle innards. but hey, now i have vessels for any and every occasion. and a really lovely memory with good friends. hooray!

it's possible...

today the impossible project is set to release its new PX film! i have been stockpiling all sorts of different polaroid film(being the little hoarder that i am), and i can't wait to try this one out! are y'all as excited as i am? lucky josh goleman was selected to be one of the beta testers. he shot a gorgeous series of our friends emily marie cox and paul isabella, an equally talented(and attractive) duo. if y'all get to it first, save me some, ya hear?

"stolen roses"...

today i am grateful for...

last fangirl post, i swear!!! miss jamie jean freed, the coolest boss lady ever, wrangled up some passes to see this lovely flame-haired ingenue tonight. between lavender, gin-spiked lemonade and grace coddington sightings, it was an all-round perfect evening. karen wore a peachy, frothy floor-length dress trimmed with black lace. and this amazing feather headpiece that sort of resembled a "where the wild things are crown". her voice is so pure, and twangy and old-school. so good it'll bring tears to your eyes!

and one of my favorite citizens band mates, rachelle garniez sang back up and played the accordion. i see a nashville road trip in my near future. i'll drop ed off at billy reid to do the manly flannel thang, while i scour venus and mars for delicious, vintage party dresses. and maybe we'll meet up at the grand ole opry.

yeah. anyway. karen elson rocks my world.

the ghost who walks...

i mean, karen elson is perfection. when will this record release? sigh.

old sweet song...

well y'all, looks like georgia is calling us home. i've had a mighty fine time in new york, but these two georgia peaches are homeward bound. i've got five more weeks to play in the big apple before we board that midnight train. there are so many things i will miss about new york, but i am going to miss my friends the most of all. i love chelsea, pete, haylie, lauren, john, madeleine, kristi, savannah, neil, mary, emily and paul, mollie, bethany, amy, jamie, ulysses, to name a few. not to mention all the fun, wonderful, hilarious folks i've been lucky enough to meet while here. new york can be a tough city, but if you surround yourself with good, kind people, that really is all that matters.

i love what conan said on his last show, "if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen." it's true. i'm seeing it happen to all my friends, who are all so talented, so hardworking, and so genuinely, amazingly kind. if i've done anything right, it is kept good company. i am so proud of the people in my life, and i wish i could bring them all in my suitcase back to georgia with me. and i hope y'all will help me paint this town red for a few more weeks ; )

cherry-o...

today i am grateful for...

taking a detour from my spring cleaning to actually enjoy spring!! i dragged eddie out of our apartment for a little brooklyn botanic garden adventure. i must admit, i was a little too eager and still haven't adjusted to new york's spring schedule... meaning the garden was still a little sleepy, with flowers hiding beneath the soil.

but we sniffed out the blooms. daffodils and some cherry blossoms were sprinkled throughout the garden grounds.

oh the cherry blossoms, my favorite mid-atlantic treat! i can't wait for the explosion all over new york.

i had a dandy time just soaking up some sun and fresh air! and it was fun playing around with some cameras from my collection. i have yet to develop my pentax k1000, and i can't wait to see how they turn out. i love surprises! and i am loving these longer days and warmer air. yum.