COUNTRY | FALL FOLIAGE

photos taken with iphone

we recently visited my brother in new jersey and we never really know what's in store for us, but it's likely to involve communing with nature. these snaps were taken along the ramapo river and one walk around the lake was good enough for me because i really wanted to go to the curtain shop :).

xo, cindy

LIFE | BE OPTIMISTIC

new york botanical garden

so far, this year has not been ours. in fact, to be frank, it's kicking our asses. first with charlie's passing, then a few months later i was in the emergency room with eye problems that are lingering, and in september scott was there followed by a three day, 14 hour, 10 minute stay in the hospital. he's better now, but it was really scary and coming home alone on those days, pure misery.

but, today's horoscope might be words to live by from here on out -

'you have a great future but for some reason you seem more concerned with your past at the moment. put yesterday and last year out of your mind completely. what's done is done and cannot be undone.'

ok, i'll try.

xo, cindy

ps most of my photos from the past month are on instagram and i'm not sure about posting some here, too. duplicative? mobile photography is definitely fun with its instantaneous results, but it is killing my blog, and i don't think i'm the only one.

TOWN | CENTRAL PARK

photos taken with iphone

this space has been quiet not because i was watching the olympics almost non-stop, or because we've been sprucing up our place a bit, or because of the heat, but rather because i didn't have any photos that weren't previously posted on instagram. no new photos = no blog post.

these pictures were taken in central park this weekend and that public pool looks so inviting, especially after a canoe ride. can't believe it's already mid-august. where did the summer go?

xo, cindy

ps the song home by phillip phillips was played a lot during the olympics and i love it. home is definitely where we've been a lot, lately.

COUNTRY | MONET'S GARDEN

the new york botanical garden has a lovely monet-inspired garden on display and the vibrant colors are wonderful. love that green, too. enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps looking forward to listening to the new album from missy higgins and the new band to me called nada surf. love the video for when i was young.

ART | LONGHOUSE RESERVE

spring gardens & contemporary art at longhouse reserve.


the house.


dale chihuly's cobalt reeds.



buckminster fuller and john kuhtik's fly's eye dome.


sol lewitt's irregular progression high #7.


bronze stacks by peter voulkos.


isamu noguchi's sunstone.


unsure of artist.


yoko ono's play it by trust.


sweet pool.

we recently spent a weekend in east hampton and visited longhouse reserve, which is the most wonderful public garden designed by jack lenor larsen. thoughtful and tranquil, the garden incorporates his impressive art collection in spaces that feel like rooms in a museum. we've been going to the hamptons for years and it was nice to find something new to see & share.

xo, cindy

COUNTRY | PINK TREE PEONIES

these pics were taken at the new york botanical garden the day after i went to the emergency room for the first time ever because i was suddenly seeing spots and lightening flashes out of the side of my left eye. the flashes seem to be gone, but not the spots. apparently, it's part of the aging process associated with nearsightedness, and i say a hearty ugh, although i'd rather say something that rhymes with yuck. enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

TOWN | CENTRAL PARK

over the past two months we've had one weekend of pure fun and it started by spending friday the 13th with jen on her birthday. it was a lucky day filled with beautiful sunny skies as we took a photo crawl through northern central park and the conservancy followed by a nice lunch. i'm looking forward to doing more fun things again as we finish packing up charlie's apartment and get ready to turn over the keys this week, which is bittersweet for sure.

xo, cindy

ps i've always thought twitter + instagram = blog killer and now that i've experienced both it kind of seems to be true. it's so easy to take a photo with a camera phone and then upload/tweet about it, but using my 'real' camera is still the best and finding a way to use both without being repetitive is the goal.

COUNTRY | TROPICS & DESERT

thank you for your loving comments and emails regarding our dear charlie. although this part of life is hard, we don't feel so alone knowing we have friends who cared about him and us. i just wanted to end the week with some photos taken earlier this year in the conservatory at the new york botanical garden, which always provides us with some peace & tranquility in this hectic city. enjoy your weekend.

xo, cindy

COUNTRY | GARDEN SNOW

just a few more photos from the one snowy weekend we've had so far this year taken at the new york botanical garden. to get to the bronx river waterfall, we could have either hiked through the snow-covered woods or walked along the snow-covered pavement. to be on the safe side, we took the pavement, which reminds me of adele. chasing pavements was the obvious choice, but then i heard this version of set fire to the rain recorded live at the royal albert hall and it is incredible. the strings. chills.

xo, cindy

garden | choo choo!

i hope you all had a lovely holiday! on christmas eve we visited the new york botanical garden train show with my brother and it never fails to delight. enjoy the rest of the week and i'll be back with one more post to close-out the year.

xo, cindy