Christmas Candles Going

Advent Calendar Present

Duckie tea strainer in action!

Grocery Shopping

Dad's Crowning Achievements

Oh extra holiday pounds here I come.

Almost Time

Lucy dog can't wait for the parade and dog show to start! Me either Lucy. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sad Story

On my train ride home tonight, I read the saddest story about Hurricane Sandy. It was about a town in Staten Island that had the highest concentration of deaths in the US. More than anything else I have read or seen (and I saw a lot of destruction the day after), this really communicated to me how terrifying the storm was and the loss some communities experienced. It is one thing to see a roller coaster in the middle of the ocean or a carousel in the middle of a river. Those are jaw-dropping sights, but they were not life threatening in and of themselves. But it was truly heartbreaking to read about a bed ridden man who was not evacuated by his family and a daughter who walk outside to get help evacuating her elderly mother but was never able to get back to her mother in the rising tide. Our weather will likely only get more extreme as global warming continues, so it is not incomprehensible that Sandy will not be a once in a lifetime event. I hope that we can hold onto this moment of loss and better prepare for the next time. I hope we learn from our mistakes. I hope next time that the most lost is physical possessions rather than the lives of loved ones. I know Sandy seems like yesterday's news, especially after a Presidential election, but if you have the time or money to donate, they are still needed.

PS: My little brother is giving up his Thanksgiving break to volunteer. I am so sad he will not be at Thanksgiving, but I am really proud of him! So claps for the little bro!

Lamp Light on the Fall Leaves

I had to stop on my walk home tonight to take in the sight of the lamp light on the few remaining fall leaves. The leaves are always beautiful, but at night they seem take on a whole new life. They shimmer in colors that are never there during the day.

Snow Storm

You guys, New York is only an asteroid away from being a disaster movie. First, the worst hurricane in 100 years. Now a snow storm. I've been out in L.A. for 3 years complaining about how much I missed seasons and east coast weather. I think some SoCal weather god is laughing at me right now, saying to himself: "how you like seasons now?!" O well. I'm still happy to be back! I think my kitty is not so sure about this though.

Passed the Bar!

My amazing parents just sent me these as a congratulations for passing the bar! What a wonderful surprise. Thanks Mom & Dad!

Post Sandy Commute

Since there's still no subway service from Brooklyn to Manhattan, I'm taking the ferry for the first time. The view is much better than on the F train!

Happy Halloween!

I've set up a temporary office on my window sill (since Manhattan is impossible to get to still) and given it a little holiday flair. It's also the perfect spot to observe how the kids are dressing for Halloween these days. Good news: the Ninja Turtles are still in style with the young'ins.

Hurricane Update

The power is still on, and the second bottle of wine just got opened. I don't want to jinx it, but I think I'm doing a pretty good job of surviving thus far.

Friday Flowers

My secretary got flowers from an admirer, but she didn't like the smell. That worked out in my favor because I love stargazer lillies!

Creepy Crawlies: Spider Pavilion at the NHM of LA

In case you find yourself in LA this time of year, I highly recommend the Spider Pavilion at the Natural History Museum! They have a few night hours, and those are the best. The I went last year. It's only $2 or $3 a person, and you get to see some awesome tarantulas, widows, and super scary scorpions! Those are all in safely sealed tanks, so don't worry. In the open air pavilion there are only safe spiders. Some of them (like the one in third picture) are flown all the way in from New Orleans! The whole experience is creepy in a wholesome sort of way and is a perfect mood setter for Halloween!

Sunday Night Accomplishments

Last weekend I went to the Carroll Gardens pumpkin festival with some friends. We may or may not have been the only people there without children under the age of 6, but who cares? I still got a pumpkin, and my friend Alex won a prize for guessing the correct number of candy corn in a jar! I finally got around to carving my little orange guy a week later. What do you think? Simple but classic, right?

New York Sunrise

Manhattan lights up as I wait for my bus. Off to Delaware for the night for my cousin's wedding. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon NYC.

Ghost Bar

Halloween decorations have started going up!

An Official Brooklynite (Brooklyner? Brooklynarean?)

You may have noticed that posting has been a bit sparse lately. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I came back from Paris, went apartment hunting in New York, flew back to LA, packed up my life and my cat, spent a week back at my parents' house, and then spent 2 weekends in a row moving stuff into my new apartment in Brooklyn. It sounds like a good excuse when I phrase it that way, but the truth is that I've had a lot of downtime over this period. And I could have been posting more. I just didn't feel up to it. The transition from west coast to east, student to lawyer, and dating to single left me feeling unmoored. Even though I have wanted to live in New York for years and years, I found it hard to get excited about starting over again. It wasn't that I felt particularly sad or depressed. It more felt like there was this huge mountain in front of me, and I wasn't making any progress climbing it. Usually on J Street, I try to post happy/fun things. And I guess since I didn't feel very happy/fun, even though I have been doing some cool things with friends and family, I just didn't know what to post.

But this weekend and today especially felt like a break in my bleh mood. I've been talking to friends and browsing the internet for things to do this fall, and the thought of all these possibilities made me truly excited to be in New York. Did you know there's only 2 more weekends of the free ferry to Governor's Island? And there's an art installation at the High Line until December of hidden Lilliputs? And the Brooklyn Book Festival is this weekend? And that Sleepy Hallow is a real place and its in New York and has awesome Halloween festivities?!?!

Plus, with the help of many great people (Mom, Dad, Erin, Brittany, Jamie), my apartment actually resembles a home after only a week. I'm still broke with no furniture, but now that I can see the layout, I've got all these great ideas about what to buy to maximize storage in my apartment. (This couch which folds into a bed and has storage under neath and this bed frame with 12 drawers are top on my list to buy once I finally start work.)

So I guess generally what I'm saying is that I'm feeling more positive about life. I am a long way from reaching the top of this mountain that I still see in front of me, but I kind of feel like I was able to look down and realize that I'd come a lot farther than I thought. Hopefully this will result in more blog posting as I regain my motivation and confidence.

PS: This amazing sidewalk fence can be found on the west side of Clinton street just south of Veranda Pl.

Trend Post: Chevron Stripes at Peter Som

Images from Style.com.

Do you follow the various fashion weeks? I love them, but they are a lot to keep up with! I've recently started saving my favorite looks from each season in well labeled folders so I can go back over time and see how both my tastes and individual designers have developed. One thing I am definitely saving from this year are all the Peter Som looks with chevron stripes. The individual pieces are very preppy, but I love the way they are styled! These looks are just the right amount of prim and proper without being too conservative for me.

Trend Post: Blue-Green for Fall

Image sources clockwise from top left: Brooklyn Blonde, Stockholm Streetstyle, Thomas Fleming Kelly tumblr, Fashion Hippie Loves, Stockholm Streetstyle.

Sometimes all those oranges and reds and browns seem too obvious, you know? Blues and greens seem like a nice, gentle segue out of summer dressing.

Paris: The Sainte-Chapelle and Saint-Pierre

Paris is a wealth of gorgeous churches, and the following 2 were probably my favorites. First, the Sainte-Chapelle:

The Sainte-Chapelle is right around the corner from the Notre Dame. And I guess, as a result of its proximity to the world's most famous church, the line to get in is significantly shorter, but the wow factor is absolutely no less. Sainte-Chapelle is overrun with stained glass. And if all the gorgeous colored light filtering into the cathedral was not enough, Sainte-Chapelle has also maintained its original painting. The whole effect is wonderful. You may even like it more than its famous neighbor! Next up is the Saint-Pierre de Montmarte:

If the Sainte-Chapelle is a little too flashy for you, look no further than the Saint-Pierre. It is also right around the corner from a much more famous neighbor, the Sacre-Coeur, and so it too is overlooked by many tourists. In fact, there's no line here despite the fact that the Saint-Pierre is one of the oldest churches in all of Paris. It's been around since the 12th Century, and it is supposedly the site where the Jesuits were founded. Personally, I loved this quiet, small respite tucked away behind a tree shaded courtyard. It was a welcomed break from overwhelming tourist trap surrounding the Sacre-Coeur. Plus, I never get tired of statutes of Saint Denis holding his own head!