{this is the diary of mrs. sara*}

Scenes from a weekend.

2012-01-30T10:22:00.003-05:00

It hardly felt like the last weekend of January this past weekend, but hey, we'll take it, right? We spent a good amount of time outdoors since we haven't been able to lately. We went to breakfast at a diner in the East Village Saturday morning and then played in Tompkins Square Park at the playground and watched the dogs play in the dog run. Sunday we had breakfast with the Knott family in Long Island City and took some pictures at 5 Pointz, the amazing graffiti building. We also booked our trip to Barbados! Hooray!

Sh*t Liz Lemon says.

2012-01-26T15:40:00.001-05:00

Ok, ok. I know that this is really getting quite played, but still. Liz Lemon? She's everyone's favorite so how can you make us stop now? Maybe after this we'll stop. Ok? So just watch you judgy judgers.

An office with a view.

2012-01-24T17:17:00.000-05:00

And oh, what a view it is.

Last week I got to work downtown at a client's office for a few days. While I was there, I kept staring, with an open mouth, out the windows at their incredible views of the harbor and of Brooklyn. Obviously I love my borough, but seeing it from the 22nd floor of a downtown building on the water, is just a nice change up. Here's a couple images I snapped from up high.

It snowed in Brooklyn.

2012-01-22T17:31:00.001-05:00

And we took Will sledding!

Since he was a baby last year for winter and the freak snowstorm that happened back in October was in the middle of our London > New York travel disaster, this was basically his first snow. So we celebrated by grabbing Clayton and Frances's sled and we hopped on over to the Dumbo sledding hill on Washington Street and made some memories! Or at least Mark and I did if Will doesn't remember. And in case he doesn't, here's a movie commemorating the event!

I don't want to live on the moon.

2012-01-21T07:38:00.000-05:00

This is one of my very favorite parts of Sesame Street. I feel lucky when I pick an episode that features this duet between Aaron Neville and Ernie.

Well, I'd like to visit the moon
On a rocket ship high in the air
Yes, I'd like to visit the moon
But I don't think I'd like to live there
Though I'd like to look down at the Earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I might like it for one afternoon
I don't want to live on the moon

I'd like to travel under the sea
I could meet all the fish everywhere
Yes, I'd travel under the sea
But I don't think I'd like to live there
I might stay for a day there if I had my wish
But there's not much to do when your friends are all fish
And an oyster and clam aren't real family
So I don't want to live in the sea

I'd like to visit the jungle, hear the lions roar
Go back in time and meet a dinosaur
There's so many strange places I'd like to be
But none of them permanently

So if I should visit the moon
Well, I'll dance on a moonbeam and then
I will make a wish on a star
And I'll wish I was home once again
Though I'd like to look down at the Earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I may go I'll be coming home soon
'Cause I don't want to live on the moon
No, I don't want to live on the moon

This is real.

2012-01-19T18:34:00.001-05:00

I mean, seriously. This is my life and the collective life of everyone that I know who lives in this God forsaken place. "Oh look, Mario Batali". "Cash only?" "Where is the TRAIN?!" "I don't really leave Brooklyn on the weekends". "Oh they're filming Law & Order". "I hate it here". "Aahh! Is that Pat Kiernan?"

A play room corner!

2012-01-17T16:15:00.000-05:00

Will is the luckiest kid in Brooklyn, at least in my opinion, because of the size of his play space and the amount of toys that fill said space. Yes, it's a corner of our living room, and yes, he still shares his bedroom with our home office, but hey, it's valuable real estate. Don't make me price it out for you. Take a look at the corner of our house and please do come over and share a car, truck, train, musical instrument, or ball with him, won't you? After the jump you can see where some of this good stuff is from. The key is hand-me-downs, people!

The main components of the space are from Ikea, like the Expedit shelves, the table and chair, and the play mat. The big yellow tub is from Target. There's Howdy the Bouncy Cow (one of my faves) and a couple of Friends with You toys that were hand-me-downs from friends. There's a million trains and trucks from Melissa & Doug. We've got a tribute to Deuce in this All-Mighty Boston Terrier plush. And even this colorful number from Ikea. The ride-on train is Leap Frog from our neighbor, who coincidentally just left a bag full of Matchbox cars on our doorstep yesterday! Score!

Scenes from a (cold) weekend.

2012-01-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Man! It was cold this weekend! I know we've been lucky that it's mid-January and just now getting cold, but yuck! When you have a kid and live in an apartment, you need outside time in a serious way and we were seriously lacking these past several days! It was horrible trying to give him a nap yesterday and putting him to bed last night because he was exhausted but hadn't really burned off all his little boy energy for the day, so he screamed and jumped and sang and stalled and stalled. Ack! We'll have to try something else for the rest of the winter - jumping classes, dance classes, swimming lessons, a membership to one of the children's museums... something must be done!

Anyway, we did get to see our friends for breakfast and Will and Ace got to hold hands and freeze to death at the playground for 15 minutes. We spent a lot of time getting cozy and watching Sesame Street too.

America's Our Sweetheart.

2012-01-16T21:28:00.008-05:00

Well, we have a new blog. It's called Picking Katherine Heigl's Nose. It all started because we watched Killers this weekend as part of BMN™. She's no America's Sweetheart, but she tries, doesn't she? Take a look and enjoy yourself.

Scenes from a weekend.

2012-01-10T09:34:00.001-05:00

This weekend was full of GSD. What's GSD, you ask? Well it's an acronym for "getting shit done". It's my theme for 2012. If you think it needs to happen, then why wait? Let's go. Cross items off that list. Clean your room. Do the laundry. Etc. I'm real fun to be around, obviously. But seriously, we bought Will a table and chair for him to do his business on, we ran all sorts of errands in SoHo and we explored a new playground in Riverside Park. Here's some scenes from our adventures.

To be a fly on the wall...

2012-01-05T10:03:00.000-05:00

... of the karaoke booth. James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem, chef David Chang, and funniest funny guy Aziz Ansari were all flown to Tokyo by GQ Magazine to basically act a fool and have their every, hysterical and delicious move documented. I look forward to reading this article. The writer of the article sets the stage, building the anticipation. I read this while browsing Aziz's blog. He's one of my favorite. Treat yo self!

Jet lag is a funny thing. It plays tricks on the mind. For instance, right now I could swear that I’m crammed into a tiny karaoke room on an upper floor of a building somewhere in Tokyo. The narrow table is covered end to end with empty bottles of Asahi beer and Zima, jugs of whiskey and vodka, buckets of ice, huge clear-plastic bags of luridly colored Japanese candy. There are about ten of us in here, packed thigh to thigh on the U-shaped banquette, under a ceiling of peeling geometrically patterned wallpaper that seems to strobe in the fluorescent light. That’s not including the trio of waitresses in tiny fur-trimmed Mrs. Santa Claus dresses, peering in curiously from the door. All this is more or less plausible. The strange part is what we’re all staring at, to all appearances a surrealist pop-culture mash-up, bizarre even by the standards of a country known for bizarreness: the comedian and actor Aziz Ansari (of Parks and Recreation), the musician James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem), and the chef David Chang (of Momofuku), in suits, arm in arm, belting out A-Ha’s “Take On Me.”

Oh, Zooey D., I think you've won me over.

2012-01-04T09:10:00.001-05:00

I've had a love/~~hate~~dislike sort of relationship with Ms. Zooey ever since I saw her in Elf with Will Ferrell. She's charming, beautiful, a lovely singer, quirky, seems fun, and pretty darn funny. What's not to like, eh? Well, I guess my alpha-female h8r side came out with claws at full mast ready to slash at the first sign of a weakness. How could she be that pretty and that silly? Tell me universe! I was not sold on The New Girl, Zooey's sitcom on Fox, at the beginning. In fact, it took me several episodes to find a groove (to be fair, I think it took the show's writers several episodes to find their groove, well, and Stella, she found hers so no worries there). But now I can't stop giggling at the show and while I don't love it due to Ms. Z only, she adds something irreplaceable to the cast. I love her roommates. Schmidt is the best. B-E-S-T. In addition, I stumbled upon a blog called Hello Giggles and none other than ZD herself is a founder, contributor, and writer. It's where I saw her and Joseph Gordon-Levitt singing this adorable version of "What are you doing New Year's Eve?". Anyway, I think we're better together than we are apart, so welcome to my circle of friends and acceptance and admiration Zooey Deschanel, I've sort of always known you'd be here. Sooner or later.

A boy and his dad.

2012-01-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

I've become an expert at photographing Will and Mark. They're such a cute twosome that it's hard not to snap away when they're simply holding hands and walking together. Add to that the backdrop of New York City and there you go, it's like my # 1 hobby. Here's a few from the past few days that I've snapped up. Stay tuned, I'm sure there'll be more.

TwentyTwelve.

2012-01-01T15:44:00.003-05:00

Wishing you the happiest of new years. What I wish for myself in this year is lots of trips, adventures, laughs, and memories. I'd like to take special care to enjoy New York City because I fear that our time here is ending. I'd also like for Mark and I to get more time sans Will to be adults. I'll definitely add a few vacations on there and then it starts to sound like the best year ever. Here's hoping it is.

DJB Radio: Marathon by Tennis

2011-12-30T11:29:00.001-05:00

House lust.

2011-12-30T10:42:00.001-05:00

Oh my, oh my. Take a look at this Brooklyn Heights home makeover featured on Brownstoner. Where do I click "add to cart"? Can't I live in a place as wonderfully urban and spacious as this splendid townhouse? More photos are on the site.

Off to school!

2011-12-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

Here we go! Mark snapped this shot of Will and me this morning before we hit the road! Can you tell that someone's hair is getting longer and more out of control? Hint: it's not me, it's the short dude.

Holiday hangover.

2011-12-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

Every year when we return home from our holiday tour of the mid-Atlantic region, we take a few days to unwind, unpack, and un-everything. Here are some photos we took with our phones over our holiday journeys. As always, it was over in a flash. So many presents for our little guy and no room to put them. Take a look!

Real Cute Prints - Rifle Paper Co.

2011-12-28T10:24:00.002-05:00

I've always liked Rifle Paper Co.'s collection of stationary and the penmanship sure is swoon-worthy, but I bought my mom the 2012 fruit calendar for Christmas and so I went to the company's website to see what else I could lust after and found plenty. Especially this group of prints. Sometimes I wish I could redesign Will's room over and over and over. If I could start from scratch I imagine I'd pick either this set about the sun coming out tomorrow, or this cute little bug. Take a look for yourselves, so cute.

Sh*t Girls Say.

2011-12-20T16:05:00.002-05:00

This may be the funniest thing I've come across lately. That's a bold statement, especially given that I just watched Bridesmaids for the first time, but seriously, this. is. funny. If you're a girl, (where my girls at?!) you are guaranteed to snicker audibly watching these videos and checking out the accompanying twitter feed.

Episode One

Episode Two

I made a book.

2011-12-16T09:18:00.002-05:00

The subject of this book is more than near and dear to my heart, it's Mr. Will! I pulled Mark's grandmother's name for Christmas this year and decided to put together a photo book of pictures of our little dude. I'm so pleased with the results that before I shipped it off to Connecticut, I took some pictures... of my picture book. I ordered it from Pinhole Press. They're running a good ship over there, take a peek! There's more after the read more button below.

Mini-presents.

2011-12-13T11:40:00.002-05:00

What a terrifically fantastic idea for a DIY garland for your tree this season. Unfortunately, I fancy a DIY but I'm more of a DI-Buy. Snort. Seriously, if I could pay like $10 for a strand of this I would but I don't have time for buying felt and string and eating boxes of raisins in order to wrap and string them. Who has the time? Always a trusty source for craftiness, thanks to Oh Happy Day.

For your ears.

2011-12-13T11:07:00.000-05:00

Right now I'm listening to these songs. I like them a lot. What are you listening to these days? I'm literally listening to these 4 songs on repeat in a playlist on Spotify, for the past 4 hours. Yes, it's true and it's taking everything inside my person to not belt out the lyrics that I now have completely memorized.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle

M83 - Steve McQueen

Gotye - Somebody I Used to Know

Sia - Breathe Me

Aww, baby Kanye.

2011-12-12T13:32:00.003-05:00

I was reading Buzzfeed's Best Memes of 2011 and ran across Baby Kanye. Memes hold a special place in my heart that I can always turn to when my brain is firing on half of its cylinders. I only need one eye open to enjoy or one cup of coffee. Oh, so simple and so lovely. Here's my favorite.

The beach is cold in December.

2011-12-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

At least the beach in Delaware was a bit chillier than we'd all preferred this past weekend. We spent a long weekend at Rehobeth Beach with our good friends the Smith family. New baby Isla was on full display and was a chubby, firey little lady who didn't cry much at night at all. Grady and Will became the best of buds and Grady taught Will all there is to know about having a car collection. I'm sure we're well on our way. We got to do a little exploring too as we took a walk to the beach just down our street, took a trip to Cape Henlopen State Park, and the ladies hit the outlets for some shopping. Here are some photos that I took with my iPhone and used Instagram to post.

Kid's parent-teacher conference.

2011-12-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

I went to daycare today for a parent-teacher conference. Yes, he's 20 months old but he's new to school and is learning so much and changing every day! They told me all sorts of stuff about how when he first started he didn't speak up in class but now he does! He tells them where the "apple" is and tries to sing along to the ABCs. He identifies shapes and is learning colors and we're supposed to practice at home! He eats his vegetables and knows his name and knows his friends' names and tells them when they're annoying. The best best BEST part about the entire experience is that this "conference" was held in his classroom during naptime to the sounds of 9 little ones snoozing away. So I snapped this.

Oh, Christmas tree!

2011-12-07T09:06:00.000-05:00

Well, there he is. Our very first family Christmas tree. In fact, it's the first Christmas tree I've ever had as an adult living outside of my parent's house. Will's first tree, our first tree in NYC, first, first, first. It's even the first time I've pulled out all of the Christmas decorations from their boxes. Mark's family has this great tradition where his grandmother bought each child a Christmas ornament each year until they were 21. Then, when each child gets married, their mother presents them with a large box filled with all their ornaments so that they can go start Christmas with their own families. Makes me realize I need some ornaments of my own! I'd say about 30% of them say "Mark" on them!

Colors! Toys!

2011-12-01T12:18:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned Ohdeedoh a bazillion (real number) times on my blog (maybe only like 12 times) and I'm doing it again today. I love a toy collection, and no, this doesn't mean a plastic, blinking lights, multi-colored nightmare of a toy collection, but a tastefully curated toy collection. What an amazing way to display trains and trucks?! And separating items out by color or type for photographs? Also a win. For Moms at least. Kids are just wondering: Can I throw this from somewhere up high? What kind of noise will it make when it crashes? Can I eat it? What does this taste like?

Images from Ohdeedoh by way of Joanna's Pinterest page.

Threadless + Baggu!

2011-11-30T11:38:00.000-05:00

This Baggu is so adorable. Leave it up to the loveable nerds (I mean that affectionately) at Threadless to make Baggu bags even more amazing. So cute. What a cute gift...

The subway with Will.

2011-11-30T10:15:00.001-05:00

Everyday I ride on the subway with Will. We go in and we come out*. Six subway stops, that's all. Sometimes it passes quickly, other times the commute drags on and on. Similarly, sometimes Will is in a great mood and other times, he's completely out of control. A friend of mine told me I was lucky I got to spend that time with him everyday and for a second I kind of agreed, but it seems more often than not, he's not the best subway traveler.

For example, he needs "snacks!" almost non-stop. He will basically scream unless he's being fed. I try goldfish, cereal bars, grapes, raisins, dried fruit, applesauce in squeeze packs, fruit purees in squeeze packs, cookies (bad idea) and pretty much anything. Basically, you need to be a machine that knows when he's finished with one bite and supply him quickly with another or he will scream and interrupt many unsuspecting subway rider's commute.

Sometimes he can be adorable and sweet. He'll find someone to play peek-a-boo with, for example. He'll wave and smile and be the super cute kid we all know and love. Most days when we get out of the train he waves to everyone he can and says "bye bye!" and people are usually enamored with him for it. But it's the time that he screams and cries and tries to get out of the stroller or off of my lap that I wish that it wasn't up to me to cart this kid in and out of Manhattan, to and from school.

*This also means that I am carrying him in his stroller down and up, and then down and up again. I'm getting an upper body workout and raising my heart rate so I do not have a gym membership. He's 30 lbs. I used to bench two 12 lb dumbbells. I'm maxing out!

Svpply me!

2011-11-29T10:49:00.000-05:00

I'm quite late to the game but I started using Svpply to track the stuff I want. I know, how ridiculous is this, right? But rather than saving links or setting reminders for yourself, it's a fun way to keep track of stuff you like. Also, you can follow your friends and see what they like... especially nice at this time of year when peeps be wonderin' what you want for presents! Start one for yourself today!

It was all a dream! I used to read Word Up magazine!

2011-11-29T09:04:00.002-05:00

These amazing posters feature some of the most beloved lines from hip hop songs that I'm actually familiar with. It's like a win-win. I love the idea of these up in a bedroom, even if it's a little cheesy because even taken out of context of the songs, they are amazing lines. Here are some of my favorites. These are just some of the addictive and tempting products offered on Fab.com, if you're not a member - sign up and join the temptation!

If I were Will's Secret Santa...

2011-11-23T13:24:00.005-05:00

... and I am, these are definitely the kinds of presents I'd be going after this holiday season.

1. Animals!
These amazing Schleich are always a favorite and the farm and zoo collections are perfect.

2. Trucks!
You can never go wrong with Plan Toys. All of them. Any of them.

3. Shoes!
How about these Muno/Yo Gabba Gabba Vans? Or these amazing Native boots?

4. Stripes!
Go with these Polarn o Pyret staples.

5. Books!
And obviously books, lots and lots of books. Look here!

FaceTime!

2011-11-23T12:02:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when your dad works late, he doesn't have to miss bath time! Here's Mark and Will having a little FaceTime chat last night. It was pretty funny - I pulled like 5 images of our time on with him. Sheesh, kids these days. What will they think of next?

Guess what? Babies and brunch no longer mix!

2011-11-22T09:18:00.000-05:00

We learned a harsh and sad lesson this weekend. Babies, wait, let me correct that, children and brunch don't mix. You see, I now have a child. A child who is no longer able to sit down and still and eat pieces of croissant and drink out of a straw and play with packets of sugar from the hours of 11 - 2. He will, however, scream and stand up in his high chair, and slap you, and try to bite your hands and open the sugar packets with his little teeth and pour sugar everywhere. He's quite capable at that. So, here's the deal, friends. We can go eat breakfast with you, say, at 9:00 am or we can go to a late lunch with you at like 4:00 pm. We can no longer stray anywhere close to nap time. It's just not worth it anymore.

That is all.

Pendleton mania!

2011-11-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

Just about every style or lifestyle blog these days has some sort of lust for all things Pendleton. I must admit, they have some pretty appealing striped blankets, but, they aren't soft at all and I'm a sucker for a soft blanket. I guess I should be more clear, I won't put a scratchy blanket anywhere near or on my person. That being said, I do enjoy the patterns and so I stumbled upon a way to sport it without being scratchy. An iPhone case! Yes? Perhaps. This one and others can be found at The Good Flock, which is online and, of course, in Portland.

Look Ma! I'm a paper doll!

2011-11-16T14:14:00.000-05:00

I just played hipster dress up and made myself. Sadly, all of my wardrobe staples are offered as standard choices for this hipster girl. Sigh. It's pretty accurate. Make one of yourself here!

Instagram on Instagrid.

2011-11-15T14:55:00.000-05:00

Now you can see multiple Instagram photographs at the same time! I've been wanting an app like this. There truly is an "app for that"! Here's a screen shot of what my Instagrid page looks like, see for yourself here!

School Rules!

2011-11-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

Oh my! Look at this amazingly designed and built kindergarten class located in Germany (of course). Nothing this cool would ever be located in America. Never. Anyway, how amazing would it be to go to school inside of a kitty cat? Although I'm quite partial to dogs, I'd make an exception because I'd take a kitty shaped building over a school shaped building any day!

Reposted from Ohdeedoh!

The (Mommy) Glow.

2011-11-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

Not that you don't already (sometimes) feel wonderful about being a Mom, but just in case you're having an off morning, take a look at this beautiful website called The Glow which spotlights relatively famous Moms with their kids in their own space. The photographs are gorgeous and really do make the women Glow.

Teepee!

2011-11-15T09:03:00.002-05:00

Sunday Will and I went to a birthday party for a little boy in our building. He was turning 3 and it was such a preview for what my life will be like in just a short amount of time. I loved seeing his bedroom with his big boy bed, all the toys he had in the house, and most of all, I loved his teepee. It sits in the corner of his room and it's amazing. Will loved it too but I had to convince him to get inside and then once inside he didn't want to leave. I can see why. It's a cozy little spot for just a little guy.

Anniversary, vol 3.0

2011-11-09T15:55:00.006-05:00

Last year I compared pictures from our first anniversary and second, so why not throw this year's photos up against the wall? Literally. We posed against the white wall in our building's lobby on our way out to dinner last night to take a measure on how much we've aged in a year. Check the results below.

And last year's for good measure.

Amy Poehler and I are SOOOO alike!

2011-11-08T11:14:00.000-05:00

Maybe we actually ARE meant-to-be besties. Besides being hilarious, famous*, stars of sitcoms*, and married to successful, amazing men, we BOTH have ginger babies. Dashing ones at that. Take a looksie at Amy's cute kid. He and Will could throw down.

* I may have stretched the truth in some of these commonalities.

The key to marriage: stupid private jokes.

2011-11-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

On today's episode of How to Make Your Marriage Work we explore the stupid private joke. It's truly the staple to a good, long-lasting relationship. If you can joke with your partner, when the going gets tough, you'll most likely be able to pull yourself up out of the crappy situation that you're in. Let me give you an example, about 2 years ago Mark was ordering a bunch of stuff on drugstore.com and asked if we needed anything. I said Q-tips. So he added them to his cart and checked out when he was done. When we got the order we realized we got 2 jumbo packs of Q-tips. Two. Each jumbo pack includes 8 boxes of 625 each. This is 10,000 Q-tips. We'll not have to buy Q-tips again for a very, very long time.

So,where's the joke you ask? Each time I go to create a grocery list or a Target list I ask Mark if he needs anything. And just about every time he ends up sneakily asking for Q-tips. He'll be like, "ummm, oh gosh, you know what I think we're out of? .... Q-tips." And just about every time I fall for it. You'd think I'd be prepared. But I'm not, and I like it that way. Because stupid jokes are the glue that keeps us together.

Will tries the ABCs.

2011-11-02T08:55:00.002-04:00

Yep, all this after just one day at school. Education works!

Laughlins in London!

2011-11-01T11:33:00.000-04:00

We had such a brilliant trip to jolly old Englad this past week. We stayed with our friends Gui and Emily, walked around many of the most beautiful neighborhoods, explored various parks, and saw just a handful of the requisite touristy things. Exploring in this fashion is difficult with a toddler, but we all came back in one piece, despite the nasty weather that greeted us on Saturday evening. Take a look at the video I put together of the trip - pictures to come!

A boy and his dad.

2011-10-17T20:13:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a good day for BW and his Dad to get some quality time in. We went to breakfast at our usual diner then hopped the subway over to Battery Park City. We had park time at two really awesome parks - Washington Market Park and Teardrop Park. Lots of fun and climbing and running and sliding. Plus we got to walk over to the water to see the Hudson River and all the "boots" (boats) and "coppers" (helicopters). Such a fun day. I'm so glad I get to be the photographer in this family so I am able to capture all of these special moments.

Family photo shoot.

2011-10-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

No one ever said I don't plan ahead. As such, we've taken our pictures for the holiday card season. I could even order them now if I wanted to, but I will try my very best to wait and order until November. I'll definitely send them the weekend after Thanksgiving though. It's just the kind of girl I am. Anyway, our friend Jason took some shots of us in Dumbo this past weekend and I think we'll be able to cobble something together although shooting a toddler and two adults, all with varying attention spans and tendencies to make weird faces... let's just say it was an experience. Here are some of the funnier ones. I won't show you the real ones so that you'll be surprised when you open your mail this holiday season.

First they're sweet...

2011-10-05T10:56:00.002-04:00

I love the Sour Patch Kids commercials. This is pretty amazing.

New shoes! Whoo-whoo!

2011-10-04T11:35:00.000-04:00

As the rhyme goes, "new shoes whoo-whoo, old undies, p-u." Maybe I've written it before but it begs repeating, because every single time I have new shoes the rhyme plays in my head, but when I was in high school I had a theater arts teacher who would notice when each student was wearing a new pair of shoes. He would make you stand on a chair and the whole class had to say, in unison, "new shoes whoo-whoo, old undies, p-u". This really happened.

Anyway, I got a new pair of shoes and they're lovely. I've been looking for a pair similar to this for a while but the heel was never right or they were a little butch for my taste. They're also comfy because the brand is an off-shoot of Clarks. Hooray! A win-win-win!

I ♥ Tugs!

2011-10-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

I really love tugboats for those who don't know. I've often wrestled with the idea of a tribute tattoo, but I don't want to be mistaken for a dockworker. I totally blend down at the docks otherwise. Take a look at some of the pictures I've snapped of my favorite water vessels lately. So cute.

He speaks!

2011-09-26T17:55:00.002-04:00

Come listen to just some of the words that the little man is filling our days with. He's a total chatterbox and basically parrots everything we say these days. Yes, that means we need to tone up the foul mouths, for sure. Watch the little video I slapped together of some of his most frequent words.

California Love.

2011-09-23T18:40:00.001-04:00

Back in July we went to the wedding of Liz Lusby Budd and Harrison Budd. And it ruled. And we ate tacos. And went to the beach. And had fun with our friends. So I (finally) made a movie about it.

Happy Birthday Will! (6 months later!)

2011-09-23T18:21:00.002-04:00

Yes, I'm aware that I've made a movie about my son's birthday nearly 6 months after said event, but it's better late than never. If I explained that I was waiting to upgrade our Mac OS then get the iLife Update for iMovie you'd be all, uuuggghhhhh boring details! So I'll spare you and just say, he had a birthday, didn't like his cake, and was much smaller and chubbier back then. Enjoy!

Nacho Libre!

2011-09-23T14:27:00.000-04:00

Holy cow! This Nacho Libre costume for baby is unbelievable! I am so impressed and I'm laughing pretty damn hard too. Ohdeedoh is posting a series of homemade affordable costume options in preparation for the upcoming Halloween holiday.

All I want for Christmas...

2011-09-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

... is this Cambridge Satchel Company satchel. I'm filing this away for December. Let's revisit then, shall we?

New Baggu prints!

2011-09-21T09:31:00.000-04:00

Emily is at it again! Baggu has replenished their stocks and added some great new patterns. EVERYONE I know is getting one of these for Christmas. I gave one to Will's sitter for groceries and other goodies that she picks up throughout the day. I got my mom hooked on them too. I think they make excellent presents and they're super convenient to keep in your purse instead of picking up a bag at Target, Fairway, CVS, etc.

Chevron Mania!

2011-09-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like a zig and a zag? I'm a little too into the idea and reality of a chevron pattern. I want it on my sheets, on my shirt, and on my purse. Look at them! It's like they're my new stripes. But don't tell the stripes, their feelings will undoubtedly be quite hurt. Here's a few of the items I'm into.

1) Chevron bowl. 2) Chevron pillow. 3) Rainbow chevron tank. 4) Chevron rug.

Dream House.

2011-09-15T08:57:00.000-04:00

Mark shared this with me this morning. Ugh. Like I'm not already over apartment-style living. Seeing how beautiful this house is and its amazing simplicity makes me want to kiss NYC goodbye. Or at least put our relationship on pause.

Covet: Emersonmade

2011-09-07T16:44:00.000-04:00

You're my obsession... you're my obsession!

I've fallen for a new clothing designer and producer and her name is Emerson. Her label is Emersonmade and I W-A-N-T everything, literally. The price point is tricky because it's HIGH and while I understand that it's all very local and not a huge line, it makes it nearly impossible for me to ever own any of it.

Take a look for yourself. You'll sigh at the prices and foam for the fashion.

All photos are from the Emersonmade website. Go, NOW!

Mom + Son.

2011-09-06T16:48:00.002-04:00

From Carlsbad. Taken by the talented Emily.

I love you, Instagram.

2011-09-05T18:03:00.000-04:00

Instagram is by far my favorite app on my iPhone. Since purchasing said iPhone in July, I've been Instagramming the crap out of everything. Here's a few of my favorite shots.

Hurricanes, and road trips, and grandparents... oh my!

2011-09-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, I was gone. And yes, for a long time. But I'm back now. And you can rest easier.

In the meantime, here's a shot of Will and Baba watching ducks in a creek.

Green in the kitchen.

2011-08-24T11:25:00.000-04:00

Apparently the color green makes you want to eat. Or is it the other way around? Whatever the case may be, Apartment Therapy did a little color post today on the lovely color green and these two lovelies caught my eye. I do love green in a kitchen.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard.

2011-08-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, most times, I love my job. This morning I got to go on a bike ride all around the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which, is like seconds from my apartment. I got to take pictures of the site where the City is considering locating an Applied Sciences campus. Here are some of the pictures I took during my exploration.

Ahhh, just another day as an urban planner/student of this fair City.

Is Will model-worthy? You decide!

2011-08-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

I submitted a photo of Will to the Children's Place's next model search. Weird and Insane? Yes. But, after receiving three "he looks like the Gerber baby" comments alone yesterday, I decided, why not? I also heard a group of women pass by Mark and Will and say "Oh man, I'd take him, what a cutie". To be fair, they could've been talking about either my husband or my kid. I'll take my chances and consider myself complemented.

This is the photo I submitted. But really, how can you pick just one?

Vote for Will! Enter ID: 309658 Follow this link. PLACEkids Model Search

Before. And after.

2011-08-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

Here I am pre-tattoo.
Curious about the after? Click-ety click.

Ha!

2011-08-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

Keds!

2011-08-10T10:42:00.000-04:00

I saw a girl on the subway this morning wearing the most adorable sneakers with a wingtip design. I almost had to tap her on the shoulder to ask who made them but luckily the little tag clued me in. They were Keds! And I want them!

Little boy in a pool.

2011-08-10T10:31:00.002-04:00

This picture of Will in the baby pool in Granny's front yard is one of my favorites. Maybe it's because he looks so small and up close he is hardly so. He had a great time in this baby pool although I didn't bring swimmy diapers so when I picked him up he was about 5 lbs heavier with a very, very full diaper.

Muppet Mania!

2011-07-28T13:54:00.001-04:00

I saw a poster for the new Muppet movie and my sister reminded me of the following song. We used to sing this non-stop. NON-STOP!!! We are HUGE Muppet fans in the Hearn household. November the new movie comes out and I will be at the theater with Emily with popcorn and a smile. Until then, this song.

I must have this beach tent!

2011-07-27T10:50:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I need this. We're entering the end of the summer, beginning of the fall, and you know what that means? Mark will be itching to start surfing on the weekends. It's almost hurricane season which thrills and delights the East Coast surfers to no end. So, what if I bought one of these for me and the little dude to sit under while we watch the big one tear it up? Hmmm...

Every fight you've ever had with your significant other.

2011-07-27T10:32:00.002-04:00

Every Argument Every Couple Ever Has EVER. from Casey Donahue on Vimeo.

I love this. So much.

The Oregon Coast.

2011-07-26T16:03:00.001-04:00

Everyone in Portland says the word "coast" when they are talking about the "beach" and they do this because the only thing the "coast" has to do with the "beach" as we know it here on the East Coast is that they are both covered in sand. The sun isn't always shining on the Oregon coast and it's not... warm. Saturday was as warm as it usually gets with temperatures inland around 85 and on the coast it was most likely 75. The water was a eye popping 60. But I've never seen a more lush, green, blue, and beautiful place. We visited Cannon Beach and Oswald State Park, both about 90 miles from Portland proper.

The dissection of a donut.

2011-07-26T15:52:00.000-04:00

We all have a pretty solid understanding that Sara* likes all things donut, or at least I'm hoping that the message has been received. That being said, one of my first missions while in Portland this past weekend was to hit up Voodoo Doughnuts. I've seen it profiled on the Food Network and friends have also said it's a must-do on the Portland list. I have to say this, while I appreciate how creative and insane donuts have become, I will always order a classic glazed and a classic chocolate frosted no matter where I go. Those are hard to mess up but they are my hands down favorite. Sure, I'd like to have a bite of that crazy one with the bacon and the maple glaze, and sure, the fact that the one down there has captain crunch on it is funny, but I'm not going to order and enjoy the insane varieties of donuts that are out there in the world right now. You can go ahead and count this for NYC's Donut Plant too. I appreciate and applaud your use of creative ingredients but I'll just have a glazed, thank you very much.

This last shot is of Will and me trying to bite the "Old Dirty Bastard", a chocolate frosted raised donut with crushed Oreo cookies and peanut butter drizzled on top.

Daddy Bonding.

2011-07-17T16:15:00.000-04:00

Since Mark was home in Brooklyn for roughly 36 hours we tried to get him as much Will time as we possibly could. We ate burgers, sweet potato fries, went to the playground, and ate bagels, we ate pizza and walked to the pier in Greenpoint with JK, AK, and AKK. We even squeezed in time for a nap on Dad. Next up: Mom and Will fly to Portland for more west coast adventures! (hurry Thursday!)

A (gasp!) bathing suit recommendation.

2011-07-14T13:58:00.000-04:00

The horror, am I right? Well I found the most perfectest post-baby bathing suit.

This is it. Big endorsement here, people.

Painting the town red. Well, mostly yellow and blue and pink.

2011-07-14T13:41:00.001-04:00

This is super cool.

The childcare conundrum.

2011-07-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

As we know, I got myself a nanny. Ugh, that word. I usually say sitter so that I don't come off as pretentious because in my mind only rich people have nannies. There are pluses, like I don't have to take the kid anywhere in the morning, just have to worry about getting myself to work. I don't have to pack a bag or get food together or make sure he has enough diapers in his cubby hole. I get to go to work and be a career lady for 3 days a week and know that he's getting some one-on-one attention from a (relative) professional. It just so happens that this professional sitter-nanny of ours works within a vast network of other similar sitter-nanny types and so the kid gets to bounce around and get dirty with those kids on a daily basis. Which speaks to one of the most common cons to having a sitter, the lack of socialization that daycare usually has in spades. A friend of mine sends her little boy to daycare and she spoke about how she feels comforted by the fact that it's someone's job to work directly with her child but that person also has a boss, on-site, making sure that person is actually doing their job and doing it well. When you have a sitter-nanny person, you are the boss, and you are not there so you don't know how good of a job they are doing. You just know that if your child runs into their arms willingly or cries when they leave at night that they are apparently happy.

I recently finished Searching for Mary Poppins a book of short essays written by mostly women who are professional writers, many of them are a work-at-home type and so maybe not the most relatable for those of us who work outside the home. But the book acts as material of camaraderie that us working mothers who hire sitter-nannies to watch our children can use as a resource. Some of the essays made me nervous, some made me jealous, and some made me grateful. All helped to make me feel not alone in my decisions.

Hi Dad. How's Portland?

2011-07-13T18:37:00.000-04:00

Look at my ridiculous attempts to take some self-portraits to send to Mark to let him know his family misses him while he's away in Portland doing Nike things. Pretty funny. It's like he knows. He obviously does.

From above.

2011-07-13T18:19:00.000-04:00

Love this photo. Love this series.

Around the horn portraits.

2011-07-12T18:15:00.000-04:00

Here we are last Sunday. The Laughlin family.

So sleepy. So happy.

2011-07-12T14:59:00.001-04:00

Now THIS is something I cannot handle. Tooo much cute.

Will + sunglasses.

2011-07-07T11:43:00.002-04:00

Ridiculously shot by Iliana.

Even monkeys like iPods.

2011-07-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

Surf. Sand. Sun.

2011-07-05T14:54:00.001-04:00

Just some of what went on while we were beaching it in San Diego. These pictures are of palm trees in Encinitas and Mark surfing in Cardiff.

Congrats to the Budds!

2011-07-05T14:44:00.003-04:00

Liz and Harrison got married this past Saturday at the San Diego Botanical Garden in good ole' California. It was a gorgeous and super special event. I'm so glad we made the trip out west to celebrate. More pictures to come, obviously!

Texts from my husband.

2011-06-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

I got this at 9:09 AM today.

Just had a wild 2-man marching band all around the house.

My day is complete.

Will's space.

2011-06-24T15:58:00.001-04:00

I am the type of person that when bored, I will reliably clean, reorganize, hammer a hole in the wall, and move furniture. I remember that when Mark used to go out of town he'd come home and find everything changed and be like, "what's your problem?" Because Will's room is a shared space with our "home office" I feel like I'm not really able to move things around all that often. Plus it's a tiny room anyway. I did manage to buy a few new prints from this place and I hung some hooks for his hats & hoodies. I've also tried to keep the bookcase a place for lots of changes and tweaks. Here's an updated look at Will's space.

He's even managed to take up some space in our "living" area. I guess that's what happens when you live in a cozy 2-bedroom apartment. Yes, he's not wearing pants.

Photo Booth Antics.

2011-06-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

Noa's wedding was fun, yes, we've been through this. It's not every day I'm out and about in the evening hours without my chubby redheaded friend so it was a LOT of fun. OK? Beyond the usual wedding highlights, which were many, there was the addition of a photobooth. There were also props. You know where this goes, don't you?

Father's Day 2011.

2011-06-20T07:22:00.001-04:00

Sunday was a day all about Mark. When Will and I woke up I gave Will Mark's card and he handed it to him. Inside was a book of stickers, all of Mr. Will, Mark, and me. Also, Will drew on the card. Then we sent Mark off to have a massage in the afternoon while Will and I napped. For dinner we went to Dumont Burger and walked around Williamsburg and headed over to the water for the sunset. It was a great Sunday and it seemed to last forever. Happy Father's Day to all the dads in the world!

More pictures of our fun Sunday Father's Day after the jump!

Congratulations Noa + Warren!

2011-06-19T17:57:00.000-04:00

Noa's wedding was super fun. The band played a great mix of motown, pop, hip-hop and alternative jams in a total upbeat, partytime sort of way. The food, drinks, and ambiance were a total hit, right on the mark. Here's a picture of most of the girls with the beautiful bride. Hooray!

Inspired: Faux Draper.

2011-06-19T17:54:00.000-04:00

We went to a wedding at the New York Athletic Club, a true gem of old school New York. We kept giggling because Don Draper is a member there in this past season of Mad Men and everything we did while we were there felt glamorous in that old fashioned way. I took a picture of Mark in the lobby channeling his best Don.

Lollipop Guild.

2011-06-15T11:17:00.000-04:00

A friend recently said that a picture of Will reminded her of the Lollipop Guild from The Wizard of Oz and that Will resembled the "tough guy" little person. I was curious so I've decided to do a side-by-side comparison for everyone's amusement. The results are pretty funny.

Droid App: Vignette

2011-06-14T14:57:00.002-04:00

I'm really into my Android App, Vignette. iPhone users seem to get all the cool stuff, which is why I plan to join their ranks soon enough, but in an effort to find something suitable as a competitor to Hipstamatic and the other cool picture apps, I found Vignette for Android. There are numerous options for filters and shapes. I like the old school square polaroid look, myself. Here are a few I've taken over the past several months. I recently downloaded the Picasa App too so that I could sync my web albums with this phone album so when it's time to say peace out! to my Droid I can still have access to these awesome pics.

Bad Movie Night™: Drive Angry (2011)

2011-06-14T14:52:00.000-04:00

He's oh so angry,
Cults, hell, and Nicolas Cage,
I think he's from hell.

Drive Angry was this past weekend's BMN selection and oh boy was it a doozie. We started off by having a discussion on whether Cage's character had escaped from prison or hell. We were getting tripped up on a recently viewed Ghost Rider, where he rides a motorcycle, is from hell, bursts into flames, etc... alas, this was an altogether different movie where he drives muscle cars, is from hell, gets shot in the face, etc. You can see how we were confused. Anyway, Cage is pissed because his estranged daughter was killed and her baby was kidnapped by this cult leader who's into the idea of hell on Earth, he drives a Winnebago and has field parties where only ladies with decent bodies get naked, you fat chicks keep your clothes on, you hear? A fake Southern accent is the perfect accompaniment to this character's penchant for crushed velvet and the color crimson (get it, hell?). Cage enlists some hot chick to be his sidekick in asskicking and grandchild rearing. I really think she got the shit end of the stick, so to speak. All and all, terrible (and awesome). Mark summed it up perfectly when reflecting a day later, "I think I need to see a good movie... and SOON".

This brew's for you, Dad.

2011-06-14T13:26:00.000-04:00

How funny are these cartoon dad-inspired beer cans?

DJB Radio: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Heart in Your Heartbreak

2011-06-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

Brooklyn Backyards.

2011-06-13T14:57:00.000-04:00

I went poking around last Friday afternoon in Brooklyn Heights and peeked through fences to get a glimpse at some backyards in Brooklyn. I think I'll start a series for these types of photos. Some people actually do have yards! They didn't have to move to the suburbs to get them! (They do, however, most likely have to be millionaires!) They're just like us!

Polaroid love.

2011-06-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

How adorable are these tiny polaroid magnets? Just add this to the list of crafty adorable thingies that I'll never attempt to do myself. Sigh.