The Time I Accidentally Walked to Brooklyn (and Back)

Guys, thanks for all of your kind responses on my last post. It's nice to have all of you on my team! Sarah and I are running the Bronx 10 Miler on Sunday morning, so please cheer from us from your beds, which is where normal people (without children) are on Sunday mornings.

One of the new things that happened this summer is that I kept finding myself in Brooklyn. What's that about? Honestly, I am usually one of those obnoxious Manhattanites who complains about how far away Brooklyn is from everything. But that's mostly because usually I would go on the weekend, when subways are all wonky and it takes forever. But in the summer, when I have more time, I discovered that Brooklyn is not actually so far away! (I know, I know. No need to say anything. At least I admit to my obnoxiousness.)

And I discovered all of this partly when, purely by accident, I ended up walking from my apartment on the Upper West Side to Brooklyn one Sunday.

What??? You say. That's crazy! And yes, it was a little, mostly because I wasn't wearing sneakers, which meant my feet really hurt at the end of the day. My Naot are comfortable, but not that comfortable. But I did it!

Here is what happened. I made plans with my friend Samantha to walk across the Manhattan Bridge. However, I had a few other plans over the course of the day, each of which found me walking progressively further south, rather than getting on the subway, because I am cheap and don't have an unlimited ride Metrocard, which means that I sometimes do crazy things like walk to Brooklyn. By the time I reached the west 20s, it became clear that the easiest way to meet Samantha was to just keep walking. So I did. And then we walked across the bridge, and then decided to walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge. (Don't worry, then we went straight to the subway.) I didn't smell great by the end, honestly. But man, those bridges are gorgeous.

See?

And now, time to go back to work. The prospectus might be sort of almost ready to go to my committee! And also, today is a VERY big day. But I'm not telling why yet. Want to know more? Come back next time!

SBL2.0: Outdoor Shakespeare and an Off-Message Top

Growing up, one of my all time favorite musicals was Kiss Me, Kate. This was partly because my babysitter was in a production of it at his high school so we watched it every Saturday night, but also because Cole Porter is a musical genius and I love almost everything he touches.

I am being Shakespearean.

Then, in high school, 10 Things I Hate About You came out. If you don't know, the connection between Kiss Me, Kate and 10 Things I Hate About You is that they are both based on The Taming of the Shrew. I am also pretty sure I have read the play before, but after watching it, I am less sure about that fact...

Because man, is The Taming of the Shrew disturbing. Apart from the overt misogyny, which is really nothing new in Shakespeare, you basically are watching a father sell his daughter into a terrible marriage, and then watching the man who bought her abuse her until she behaves "properly." And this we call a comedy?

I am sorry to say, this is the first time I remember not liking a Shakespeare in the Park production. It's partly that the play is so disturbing, but I found the decision to make it a trailer trash version to also be difficult, as it felt like there were uncomfortable comments on class being made as well. (I.e., only poor people would treat their wives this way. Which is clearly untrue.) Something about it also felt amateur-ish to me, but that might have been partly because it was only the second day of the show so they were still ironing out the kinks. I don't know, the New York Times loved it but a lot of the comments on the review agreed with my group, so do with that what you will.

The experience was still fun, as Shakespeare in the Park always is, and it certainly generated more conversation and food for thought than usual. When going to Shakespeare in the Park, it is important to cover up, as the theater is right next to a lake and so the mosquitos can get bad. I decided to wear a lightweight tunic, though, because it was hot, and then realized when I looked at the pictures that I basically look pregnant. (I'm not, just to be clear.) Oops. Will I wear it again? Probably, because the flowers are so pretty. Will I get offered a seat on the bus? Not impossible. Sometimes that's how things go.

The whole gang, before the play started and we all became extremely disturbed:

If you want to see Taming of the Shrew, you have one more week, so go get in line now! Otherwise, Troilus and Cressida is coming next month.

What I'm wearing: random tunic via Macy's (similar here), LOFT jeans, Downeast Basics cami, Bare Traps sandals (similar here)

Introducing... SBL2.0!

I learned a lesson from the last blog post. If you say "Big News!" in the title, you will get a lot of traffic. Hyperbole= good, apparently. Lesson learned.

So... big news! It's Bucket List time! My fall/ winter bucket list, similar to my winter blogging, was not super successful. But now it's summer and so it's time for fun. We are calling this SBL2.0, which is not to be confused with the Society for Biblical Literature, which has the same acronym. If you look, you will see some favorites from last summer, as well as a host of new activities.

I kicked off this year's list with Shaina (and Noam!) by waiting in line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets, to see Taming of the Shrew. I'll write more about the show when I show you my outfit from that, but in the meantime, this is one of my favorite quintessentially New York experiences. We went the second day, which meant that we got there at 10 and still were very close to the front. When it comes to Shakespeare in the Park, the earlier in the run you go, the later you can get in line. Important lessons from Real New Yorkers.

We didn't plan so well so ended up chairless and towel-less. However, I had been smart enough to wear one of my favorite dresses, which looks like a dress but feels like a nightgown. Pajamas on the inside, proper outside clothing on the outside is the best.

The Line.

 It turned out fine in the end, when we improvised with one of Noam's baby blankets. Thanks Noam! He had a great time waiting, which he mostly spent playing with a package of wipes. Babies are weird. But he was a good sport, even though he didn't get tickets. (They used to give babies tickets, but now you have to be at least five. Bummer.)

As the line started moving, we were serenaded by this doo-wop group, which was actually really good. I would have even given them money if I hadn't forgotten my wallet at home. Oops! Good thing tickets were free.

I'm feeling good about this bucket list. It's only June 9th and I've already done 3 things, with two more (so far) scheduled for the next 10 days. Want to know which ones? Come back and keep reading! And let me know-- what's on your summer bucket list???

What I'm wearing: Downeast Basics dress (similar here), Downeast Basics camisole, b.o.c. sandals (similar here)

The International Edition: 6 Hours in Tel Aviv

Ok, so, when I brought the blog back, the goal was to blog twice a week. Clearly that's not going very well so far. So, we'll aim for once a week while I get back into the swing of things. Better a little than never, right?

When I was in Israel (admittedly, already a long time ago), I forgot to make plans in advance. Oops. It's because I was so excited to hang out with Gila, I didn't think about anything else. Also, it was so hot that it was sometimes difficult for me to motivate myself to go outside. (That's why there aren't more blog pictures from this trip. Tooooo much sweat.) But one morning, two days before I left, I realized I had nothing to do and Gila had to work all day. So... time for a spontaneous trip to Tel Aviv!

Everything is better on the beach.

Literally, when we left the house (for Tuesday coffee and AMAZING PANCAKES), I didn't know I was going. But then I decided to get on the train. I'm so impulsive guys!

Tel Aviv is hopping, but also pretty strange (is it a city? super fancy? full of slums? high rises? low rises? Yes to all of the above!) I don't know my way around there at all, unlike in Jerusalem, so I got lost more than once, but I persevered.

This is why I don't pose for pictures.

 Luckily, my friend Shayna has been living there for the past two years on a post doc, so she gave me excellent advice about where to go, and also met me for delicious frozen lemonade and a walk to the beach. My favorite place was the Carmel Shuk (see pics below!) mostly because it was so bustling and crazy. It's what the Shuk in Jerusalem used to be like, before it got super fancy and filled with expensive restaurants. I walked back and forth probably five times, just taking in the sites and occasionally dodging the vendors who tried to shove things in my mouth to get me to eat them.

I decided to finish off the day at the beach, which was beautiful. As you can see, I was not at all dressed for it, but really, as long as you can take off your sandals, you can always make it work. I might have been the only woman not in a bikini. I'm an individual through and through, even internationally. And I was extremely proud because I asked someone to take my picture in Hebrew and she didn't answer in English.

I started work this week. It's actually the best (I heart teaching), but there is a part of me that misses vacation. And Gila. And pancakes. Oh well.

Coming soon: the unveiling of the new Summer Bucket List (aka SBL2.0). Get psyched!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt (with pockets!), Jones New York top via TJ Maxx (similar here), Bare Traps sandals (similar here)

A Tisket, A Tasket....

A dress like a picnic basket! (Or blanket.)

I actually can't believe that this dress hasn't made it onto the blog until now, as it is one of my absolute favorites. I love the gingham and the bright green color. It came with a sash, but I swapped it out for a tan belt, which I think works much better. As you can see above, I am VERY excited.

These pictures were taken at my Uncle Joel's 60th birthday party. Poor Uncle Joel has a 9/11 birthday, but we celebrated the weekend before at the picnic grounds at Greenwich Beach. The weather was perfect and great fun was had by all.

Some highlights: the gorgeous views, hilarious speeches, and many, many cousins of all ages. 

Soooo many children...

Simon, bossing people around. As usual. 

Maddie, in her cousin's hat

These are my cousins Paul and Stephanie's twin girls. They are adorable and also difficult to both hold at the same time. Stephanie is some sort of superhero. I cannot explain how she managed to come to Connecticut with four children and stay totally chill the whole time in any other way.

And, just to take it home, here is some MAJOR cuteness. Maddie hearts Leo.

What I'm wearing: old Boden dress (vaguely similar here), Franco Sarto sandals (similar here), LOFT belt (similar here), fedora bought at Santa Monica Pier (find on the NYC streets)

A Day in the Garden

So I was going to write a post about transitioning summer pieces for fall today... But then I woke up and checked the weather, and the current temperature was 37. Which I think we can all agree is really unacceptable for October 18. Thus, instead, I will hearken back to a happier time, when it was still warm out, and Shaina and I went to spend a lovely morning in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

[On one hand, these pictures were taken long enough ago that Shaina was still pregnant, and as of today, Baby Pickle is a month old. On the other hand, in my defense, he did arrive earlier than planned.]

The garden was really beautiful. It was full of late summer flowers, and the weather was absolutely perfect. For a garden outing,  I chose my chambray skirt with flowered embroidery around the bottom. Looking at the pictures, I might go with a colored shirt next time. You know, when it's warm again.

One of the coolest things in the garden was a smelling garden, where there were all sorts of flowers and herbs with strong smells. It was designed especially for the blind, under the assumption that, just because they can't see, it doesn't mean that they can't enjoy the gardens. Plus, there was a flower that smelled just like chocolate, which was pretty amazing.

Smell the flowers!

 I am always a sucker for a Japanese Garden. There's something about the greenery, water and wood that is especially evocative to me. The water was really green, which was pretty gross, but hey, you can't have everything, right?

Me, Shaina and Pickle, when he was still inside.

With my IDNYC, I joined the garden for free. (If you're a New York City resident and don't have one, I highly recommend it. It takes 10 minutes and you can join all sorts of amazing cultural institutions for free for a year, as long as you do it by 12/31/15.) I am hoping to go back some time this fall to see the leaves changing, and definitely in the winter, when I bet snow makes it even prettier.

And then, because we were in Brooklyn, we went to a kosher bakery to get some of my favorite kiddush cookies, which most people think are gross, but I love. Yum!
A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Oh, and I almost forgot! I'm on Instagram now. I'm not totally sure how I'm going to use it yet, but feel free to follow me @curlyhairglasses!

What I'm wearing: super old Boden skirt (vaguely similar here), Kosher Casual shirt, b.o.c. sandals

A Bucket List Two-for-One

Well, tomorrow is Labor Day. Summer is over. Sad. But we still have many blog posts to go before to blog has reached the end of summer.

This pictures were taken by my friend Sarah on the High Line during a beautiful sunset. Zing! Way to double up, team. (We won't mention that it was 90 degrees and thus very unpleasant out. See how the dress doesn't show sweat??)

I love this dress. Is it the same color as my skin? Yes, sort of. Does that mean it's probably not the most flattering thing I own? Probably. Do I wear it anyway? Yup! Because it's comfortable and just the right amount of modest and a really pretty pink floral texture. And you know what? I get dressed for me, so if I like it, then sometimes I can wear things the same color as my skin. So there. (Nice sunburn lines too, no?)

Beautiful sunset over the Hudson. 

One of the things I like about the High Line is the cool blend of the urban and the wild. (For those of you who don't know about the High Line and its history, you can read more about it here.) This was my first time visiting the northern extension, which is beautiful and also way less crowded than if you go further south.

Crowd Sourced Lego Building

The original train tracks from the rail yards.

Most of the High Line blocks the view of the river, so we hung out in the northern part until the sun mostly went down and then headed south. There's something for everyone-- legos, flowers, art (most of it modern, which is not so much my thing, but to each her own), food, music, yoga... The list goes on and on. It obviously has a really different feel than most other parks, which are purely nature-based, but I like the urban and wild combo a lot. It reminds me that Manhattan was not always a crazy city with tons of buildings, but rather, there used to be nature. Who knew?

This dress is from an online boutique called LulaRoe. They do pop-up boutiques, mostly in person, but also sometimes on Facebook. You can also order online, although I've found that their stock is limited. It's all made the USA and it's all modestly-oriented (think length and sleeves). Also, they make only a few of each piece in each print, so you're unlikely to show up and find someone wearing the same outfit. Fun for everyone.

What I'm wearing: Pink dress via LulaRoe (online boutique here, Facebook group here), Downeast Basics cami, Bare Traps sandals (similar here)