catching up

This was the view out of our living room window in the glorious apartment on the Upper West Side. I know it's not much, but we loved it. I am finally back home from a week of traveling (some in NYC, some in Cleveland), and I could not be happier to be sitting on my couch in my homey living room with my sweet dog at my side. But this apartment in New York also holds a special place in my heart as well. It was the perfect spot for my short retreat.I decided to skip off to Manhattan for two or three days to be inspired and simply take photos of the city I love. And I invited my pal Valerie who lives in Rochester, New York to join me. Much to my delight, she agreed!We had great walks through the city, arm-in-arm as we tried to keep each other warm. We had a delightful dinner at a delicious Italian joint, we ventured to the Top of the Rock to take in the city, and we stopped for coffee and tea and pastries at little spots all around the city. We bought souvenirs and even tried the cookies and cakes at the much publicized Milk Bar (highly overrated, in our opinions).Today is Valerie's birthday, and I thought it would be a good time to post some of the fun photos I took of her in our spots. Oh yeah, she also got her eyebrows threaded for $6. She is much braver than I, in that regard. And how about some internet shares of the day, eh? It's been awhile!+ We all take the same photos.+ How to turn around a bad day, from my dear friend Sarah.+ This design professor kills it with these graphics.