9.11.

Ten years ago I watched the towers fall from my office on East 43rd Street. I had gotten to work a little early that morning and walked into the elevator with our Style Director. He told me someone had just flown a plane into one of the twin towers.

I remember how normal everything felt up until that moment. My typical morning subway ride, my short walk across Bryant Park into our building. And then suddenly everything was different.

We headed to an office we knew had a television. By the time we got upstairs the second tower had been hit. Our offices were on the 24th Floor and faced south, so we could see the Empire State Building out the window, and behind it, the twin towers. I remember looking at the television screen and seeing the smoke billowing out of the towers, and then looking out the window and seeing it in real life. It looked fake, like I was watching a movie.

I went to my desk to try and call my mom in California, I knew she would be worried even though I was more than 50 blocks away. While we were talking, I watched the first tower crumble and fall. I said "Mom, the tower... it's gone." And she said "No, no.. I'm watching the news right now and it's standing." "No mom, it's gone."

A co-worker and I climbed over my desk and opened the window so we could get onto the balcony that ran along our floor. She was crying. She kept asking, "My friend works on the 48th floor. Do you think he got out?" I remember trying to do the math in my head, the towers were 100 or so stories high, and I was thinking of how many people were on each floor, and how there was no way everyone could have gotten out before the collapse.

We were standing there watching the smoke when the second tower fell.

I was worried about my boyfriend, who worked ten blocks north of the towers. Cell phone service was spotty and I finally got in touch with him.. he was safe and walking north. We decided to meet at my old apartment in Hell's Kitchen where my roommate still lived, since there was no way to get to my new apartment in Brooklyn. I was finally able to get home near midnight, once a few of the subways lines were up and running. The streets were covered in ash and debris from the buildings.

I had been living in the city for over three years, but I became a New Yorker that day.

Three months later my boyfriend and I got engaged down by the water's edge in Brooklyn, staring at the skyline that was now forever different. A few years ago we left New York for California, with our two children in tow. This morning I watched my baby girl take some of her very first steps, and I thought about how much has changed in ten years.

I posted this photo back in 2008, when my blog was only a few weeks old and had about 15 readers (most of which were related to me). I hope you don't mind me showing it again, this was the view from my office window. You can see the twin towers standing behind the Empire State Building.

new year's eve

Once upon a time New Year's Eve was the most anticipated night of my social calendar. I was young and single and living in New York City and had friends who lived right in the heart of Times Square. Living on 43rd Street left you fighting with tourists all year long, but come December 31st, it was the best location in town.

Our friends held a party each year, with way too many people jammed into a way too small apartment. One million people come to Times Square each New Year's Eve, and it was always tricky fighting your way through the snow and the barricades and the crowds to get to the party (in heels, no less!). We found that carrying your invitation with you helped, so you could hold it up to a kind policeman and beg to be allowed to cross Broadway.

A little before midnight we'd all head up the stairs to the rooftop of the building, where the ball loomed bright and beautiful across the street, and count down the new year along with the huge crowd gathered below. It was loud, and crazy, and when the confetti exploded.. downright magical.

Photo from The New York Times via The Craft Dept.

back soon

JR and I are taking a little trip to New York this week. A few days to spend in the city we love.. which also happens to be the city where we fell in love. I'm excited to see New York in all its glory in the springtime, visit my favorite little shops, eat at some of the restaurants I've been missing, see Purl Soho's beautiful new shop in person, visit with some of our old friends, and most of all, spend some alone time with JR.

NOTE: My break here will have to be a little longer than I expected. JR and I had a great time in NYC, and since then have taken the kids camping, had my brother in town visiting with his family, took the kids to Disneyland for the first time and now I am flying away to a photo shoot. I have so many things I'd love to post, but life is just a little too busy right now and they will have to wait until I get back. Back soon!

image from here (if I remember correctly!)

one perfect day

One day in New York City without kids, stroller, husband, or busy agenda. What to do?

8:30 AM: Enjoy freshly made waffles and breakfast at the home of my good friends and their two sweet boys.

9:30 AM: Catch a ride to the subway station in Brooklyn. See a disoriented man fall onto the subway tracks, and be helped out by several kind New Yorkers, luckily before a train approaches (never in my 10 years in NYC did I ever see someone actually fall!)

Pop out of the subway at Canal and Broadway, start walking North. The weather just happens to be perfect, bright and sunny, but not too hot. I have to remind myself that NYC is only like this about one week out of the year.

10:00 AM: First stop: the MUJI store. I've been a fan of MUJI ever since I spent a semester abroad in London. Purchases: City in a Bag (drawstring bag full of NYC blocks, like little cabs and skyscrapers), colored pencil set, a perfect canvas tote bag, pencil sharpener.

10:45 AM: Walk up to Pearl River, a huge Chinese import store. Purchases: a small coin purse for Bee, a tin rocket for C, some pretty packages of rice candy.

11:15 AM: Continue up Broadway, almost walking right into the actor Aaron Eckhart, who I see near the corner of Spring Street. (Act nonchalant, because that's what New Yorkers do.) Stop in at Dean + Deluca to grab a raisin scone from Sarabeth's, just because I can.

11:30 AM: Walk up Sullivan Street so I can wave at Liesl, who's teaching a class at Purl Patchwork this morning. Peek through the window and see Liesl sitting at the sewing machine, right in the middle of explaining something to a big group of students. Decide against interrupting her.

Cross Houston and head towards the West Village, my favorite neighborhood in the whole city, to meet some of my oldest and dearest friends for brunch.

12:00 PM: Brunch at Tartine. We don't mind waiting for our table since there's lots to talk about and catch up on. Plus it's one of the prettiest blocks around.

1:30 PM: My friend Renee talks me into walking up to the Gagosian Gallery to see the Picasso exhibit, which closes this weekend. We wander up through the Chelsea Market, grabbing an applesauce donut from Amy's Bread (I used to live around the corner from their Hell's Kitchen location). The Picasso exhibit is worth the detour, a huge wonderful collection of paintings and etchings from his later years.

We walk over to the E train and take it north, to the 53rd Street and 5th avenue location so we can walk across the street to the MOMA.

3:00 PM: I haven't been to the MOMA since it's redesign, so I love walking through from floor to floor. Some of the paintings hanging there seem like old friends, and I'm so happy to see them once again. There's an interesting exhibit upstairs called Tangled Alphabets (on display through June 15th) featuring the works of Leon Ferrari and Mira Schendel. I love all the hand drawn type. Purchases: two small windup metal bugs for Bee and C from the museum gift shop.

5:15 PM: Walk down 5th Avenue to visit the Kinokuniya Japanese import store near Bryant Park. Wave to my old office as we walk by the Martha Stewart offices on 43rd Street. Purchases: new Japanese sewing book I haven't seen before, some beautifully packaged pastel crayons.

6:00 PM: Wander through Bryant Park (the most beautiful day!) admire the newly refinished NY Public Library and then hop on the F train to my old neighborhood in Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens. Meet up with my friend Sara who is getting a pedicure before we meet up with friends for dinner. Soon I am getting one too.

7:00 PM: Walk through my old neighborhood to the restaurant Alma, which has the most beautiful view of the city. By the time we sit down to eat (lucky us, we get the table with the best view) the sun is setting over the city, dinner is served, and I'm surrounded by my old friends.

10:00 PM: Drive back to Fort Green where I'm staying that evening by way of First Place, our old steet. Wave at my old apartment, where JR and I dated, were newlyweds, and formed our little family.

12:00 AM: Rest tired (but pretty!) feet. Fall into a sound sleep.

Things I wish I could have fit into my day: a stroll through Central Park, a visit to the paper stores down on 18th Street, some fabric shopping in the garment district, a walk down the Brooklyn promenade, and a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. But there are only so many hours in a day.

Note: I've put together a little Google Map of my day, with addresses and phone numbers for the stores and restaurants. You can easily swap out the Met for the MOMA, and then get to see some of Central Park as well.

i'm back

Such a whirlwind trip. I flew into New York Tuesday night, immediately drove up to a photo shoot upstate, spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday shooting and drove back into the city Friday night. I had Saturday to run around the city as quickly as I could and then flew home Sunday morning.

Do you want to know how to spend one perfect day in New York City? Stay tuned.

n.y.c.

Tomorrow I fly back to New York for the first time since we moved away over one year ago. I'll be in town for almost a week, but the majority of that will be spent out in the country working on a photo shoot with some of my very favorite people. I've got Saturday to run around the city and have already made arrangements to meet friends for both lunch and dinner before I fly out Sunday morning. Much too fast, but I can only be away from my little family for so long. I will be back to my regular program here next Monday.

These photos are from a series I took for my friend Emily of her father's plane, someday I will show you the whole series (but right now I've got some packing to do!).

where I'd like to be..

Hanging out with a magenta octopus and a few gnomes at Heather's book party, starting in just a few hours. Oh, I wish I still lived in Brooklyn and could just hop on the train and see so many of my favorite people.

I will have to toast Heather and John and Melanie from way out here in California. If you haven't checked out Heather's book Weekend Sewing,  I suggest you do so.. It's a lovely book, and I'm so happy to have been a part of this team.

I'll be posting some photos later this week from our Weekend Sewing photoshoots, and I'll be doing my first blog giveaway, a copy of Heather's book..  so stay tuned.

nyc #6

One last book for kids about New York City, and only because this one is perfect for Thanksgiving. Milly and the Macy's Parade by Shana Corey and illustrated by Brett Helquist (of Lemony Snicket fame).

"It was 1924, Milly's first year in America, and all over New York City people were hustling and bustling about getting ready for the holidays." Milly's dad works at Macy's and Milly loves to visit every day after school.

Her dad and his fellow workers miss the holiday traditions of their old countries... "Big brass instruments and caroling from house to house". Milly hates to see them so sad.

She comes up with a wonderful idea, a parade, with singing and strolling in the streets. "And that's how Milly and Mr. Macy started a new holiday tradition. It looked a little like the old country, and a little like America, and a little like something entirely new."

We'll be watching it in the morning... Happy Thanksgiving!

nyc #5

I'm a graphic designer, so I love letterforms.. especially the beautiful ones you see around the city on old store awnings, hand painted on brick walls, carefully pieced in subway tile, or 4 feet high in neon.

ABC NYC by Joanne Dugan is a new take on the classic alphabet book, as a mother walks the city with her children. Here are a few of my favorite spreads:

A is for Atlas. (from Rockefeller Center at East 50th Street)

L is for Lighthouse. (it lives under the George Washington Bridge)

Y is for Yarmulke. (This one might be my favorite!)

nyc #4

There are several NYC versions of the alphabet, I'm including two in my favorite New York City books for kids this week. The first is New York, New York! The Big Apple from A to Z by Laura Krauss Melmed and Frane Lessac.

I love the folk art inspired illustrations, and the A through Z format (great for preschoolers). A is for the American Museum of Natural History, B is for the Brooklyn Bridge, C is for Central Park, etc. Each page has a little poem and some fun facts.

E is for the Empire State Building (which is struck by lightning about 100 times a year!)

S is for the Statue of Liberty (did you know that the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi modeled the Statue of Liberty's face after his mother's?)

T is for Times Square.. this book makes me miss New York all over again!