{quoted} you are living your story

Pin It now!

I first saw these in Urban Outfitters and I'm not sure if it's someone's actual quote but I love them.  I especially love the second one since I've always wanted to be in my own reality show or have music playing in the background like a movie soundtrack.  I love that it puts into words the need to remember I'm living my life as we speak and to actually live in the moment (rather than just wish it, want it, or plan it).

{quoted} summertime

Pin It now!

12 in 2012

Pin It now! Can you believe it's 2012?  It always takes me a month or two for all of it to sink in.  By then though, I'm wishing for the warm spring and before you know it, it's the end of the summer.  Ok, I'm getting way ahead of myself.  This year is going to be wonderful my darlings.  The predicted apocalypse, an election year, summer Olympics, big birthdays and anniversaries, lots of babies and weddings on the way.  I love the way the new year brings hope and excitement.  It also brings expectations and big plans.  Can you hear another big all-year to-do list coming?  Here's mine, in no particular order...

1. Learn how to use my camera.  That means using the manual settings and not just pointing and shooting.  Quiz me in 6 months and hopefully I'll the difference between aperture and depth of field (or maybe the fact that they're not related at all).
2. Put together our wedding album, make one for my Mom and make a wedding film.  We still haven't watched our wedding video and even though it just home video, it'll be nice to put something together that comes somewhat close to this or this.
3. Be healthy.  This is for overall good health, but I also had specific goals - eat more fruit, swim at least ten laps like a champ and not be out of breath, get rid of this persistent shoulder, neck and jaw pain (all stemming from my bad posture at work).
4. Step it up at work.  Now that I'm not new in my new role, I need to push it up a level and instead of just getting work done, I want to initiate new projects and build stronger relationships with the business unit I support.  I want to be that go-to Compliance officer that they go to, not just the person testing and monitoring bad behavior.
5. Cook more, bake more, blog more, explore more.  For this blog, you'll start seeing more inspirational posts - design, food, party planning, quotes.  Last year it was all about original content.  I'm keeping that, but I also want to incorporate all the inspirational things I see and find and make it a scrapbook (for lack of a better word). 
6. Finish the apartment.  Ok, this will probably never happen since decorating, etc. is an ongoing process, but there are a few big projects that need to get done.  Finish the bedroom with a few art pieces. Paint the nook cut-out in the living room (with the same Cathedral Grey as the bedroom).  Last year was all about creating our living space.  This year, I want to live in it.  I saw a post today where Ivanka Trump said "I don't want to work on decorating my apartment.  I just want to enjoy it."  That's exactly how I feel right now.
7. Dress up more.  I've fallen in the trap of black pants and a different top/blouse/shirt for work again.  Time to step it up in the wardrobe department.  Dresses, suits and lots more accessories.
8. Be a New Yorker (which may mean sometimes acting like a non-New Yorker).  I watched Tony Bourdain's Layover episode on New York and he visited a few places that I've never been, but should have been places I've gone years ago.  Sad, sad Erica.  I consider myself a New Yorker, but I coming to think I don't really take advantage of what that means.  Right now, it means for me (which really means us) to experience the good, bad and ugly (and expensive and cheap), even the tourist traps - Empire State Building, St. Mark's Bookshop, 11 Madison Park (this might be a stretch), Ippudo, 9/11 Memorial, buying shoes at Barney's, Kin Shop, momofuku (all four of them), Meatpacking District, etc. etc.  I should give myself a little credit since all of last year, I photographed 52 weeks of the city so it's not like I'm sitting around being lazy or haven't been anywhere.  Oh, and in the same vein, explore Williamsburg (and more of Greenpoint, Red Hook, Bushwick, etc.).
9. Gaining a new perspective and letting go.  I'm not sure how it happened and I didn't realize it until recently when I wasn't feeling like myself.  I was boxing myself in - professionally, personally and mentally.  I've always cared too much about what other people thought which stopped me from moving forward with opinions and actions and made me second guess myself a lot.  I was resting too much of my feelings and actions on what I thought might be other people's reactions.  It's amazing that as an adult, I still hold on the chip on my shoulder that I had as a kid (a kid!) and the persona that I had decades ago.  Even after growing up, getting married, getting promoted, buying an apartment and living the life that we live, I still feel like a kid sometimes and trapped thinking I'll be judged for the things I say or do.  So after realizing that I put myself in a box again and that I really have to just snap out of it, it's time to move on from that chip.  
10. Volunteer
11. Take better care of my husband, family and friends...this means being thoughtful and un-selfish, making time for the people in my life, and remembering what it's all about.
12. Live every day to the fullest.  Ok, that's really cheesy, but it might be the end of the world soon according to the Mayans (or not) so we might as well figure out how to fill each day full.

What Would You Grab?

Pin It now! Last night we watched Leap Year and cutie Matthew Goode asked Amy Adams, "If your house was burning and you had 60 seconds, what would you grab?"  She doesn't give a straight answer, but he said he would grab his mother's Claddagh ring.  Totally sappy, but of course you want to fall in love with this guy rather than her fiance who grabbed his computer and cellphone.  So the question is...what would you grab?

I'll give you some food for thought (literally) while you ponder the question.  I made Smitten Kitchen's recipe for Chard and White Bean Stew for dinner.  It's perfect for a cold, snowy night like tonight - it's supposed to snow 8-12" overnight.  Yay for winter!  Seriously!  I usually hate the cold, but last winter while I was in London, I missed all the snow so I'm excited to have another snowstorm so early in the season.  Luckily I don't have a long commute or one that involves a bus or train, otherwise I'm sure I would hate another storm.  I have my snow boots and an extra pair of socks though - bring it on!

The New Year

Pin It now! 2011 is only a week old and it's been a whirlwind of a week.  We started the year with a week old pile of blizzard snow (and then trash).  It reached 50 degrees this past weekend, and snow is on the way again.  I got food poisoning (again!).  Then, hubby and I spent a nice quiet NYE at home and for the first time in years, we watched the ball drop on TV.  It was a perfectly quiet night.  Plus, there are floods and mudslides in California, tornadoes along the entire Mississippi River, and birds falling from the sky dead (Flash Forward-style).  I hope everyone has watched "The Day After Tomorrow" again just to prepare...

Anyway, a few more beautiful blizzard day pictures.  Loving the icicles.

The new year always inspires me to make big plans for the next twelve months.  I don't always follow through.  If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you've read I started a lot of projects (coffee, eating well, wedding planning, spending hiatus) and they've began really strong but ended really weak.  I wouldn't say I became lazy, just uninspired.  It's a new year though and like I said, it always inspires people for new beginnings and new projects.  So I'm not making any resolutions because they're always broken, but I'm making a list of things to do this year.  What's the difference - I love lists and I find it so satisfying to accomplish something and cross it off the list.  It's motivation for me to move forward with where I am right now and help me make myself better.  This includes myself in a partnership that has evolved into something beyond what I could have ever imagined (in a good way of course!). 

The big items on the list...

• I just started a new position at work last October.  I still feel like a newbie.  I plateaued at my old position which was one of the reasons I transitioned into my new role.  However, I was good at what I did and I knew it inside and out.  Today, I'm not there yet.  So my to-do for work this year is to work really hard.  Build relationships.  Learn and read as much as I can.  I won't bore you the boring details on what I'll do day-to-day to get there.  (I have a dry erase board on my wall for that!)  I will keep you updated every few months to let you know how I'm doing.
• Become fluent in Cantonese.  This has been on my list for the last few years.  This is the year.  Seriously.  I tried last year.  I signed up at Baruch twice but the class was cancelled due to low attendance.  I even got Em and Cyndi to sign up but the class was still cancelled.  This year, I'm doing Wossing.  First class starts in a couple of weeks.  I understand the language so I know it's in there some where, but for some reason when I try to speak, I sound like a baby.  Hopefully by the summer, I'll have the basics and will be able to get over my embarrassment so I can speak with my parents without stumbling over every word. 
• Be a good wife to my husband.  This is a biggie.  There isn't anything specific I feel like I/we need to address.  I want to put it on my list  though so I can remember that maintaining a relationship takes just as much work as anything else.  I don't want to take our day-to-day for granted, which can be easy to do. 
• 52 Week Photo Project.  I read somewhere that a few photographers were going to do a 365 Project where they would take a photo every day in 2011.  It's a fabulous idea but a little ambitious for me.  I'm doing a 52 week project instead where I'll have a meaningful/inspiring/NYC-centric photo every week for the entire year.  I'm excited for this one!  It gives me a chance to explore more.  It might give this blog a little more structure too (maybe). 

With his project and just for this blog generally, I want to move towards more original content.  I remember why I first started this blog (wedding planning) and how it's evolved (life in NYC, then inspirationn from others).  I want to go back to having it as a chronicle of our lives in NYC.  So watch out for more and hopefully better!

Copycat

Pin It now! when building my inspiration boards (ok, the two i've created), i've been trying to put them together without copying others.

i have to just copy and paste this one from 100 layer cake. it's gorgeous! i love the figs and the romantic fall colors.

You Inspire Me #2: July 4th Weddings

Pin It now!

{once wed, bridalinquirer, alannahrose.com.au, stumpsprom, heidelberg cakes, jasmine bridal}

You Inspire Me #2 - Aqua & Red Wedding

Pin It now! if i could do it all over again, i would use aqua and red as my color combo. i absolutely LOVE the colors together, especially for a summer wedding. it's so refreshing and modern.

{michelemwaite photography, sugarcups, martha stewart, two brides, michelle brusegaard on etsy, green wedding shoes, valentino}

You Inspire Me #1 - Vintage Wedding

Pin It now! i love how romantic vintage weddings can me.

{vintagedress.co.uk, stephanie williams, zazzle, source, ring blog

sakura photography, once wed}

btw, this is my very first inspiration board. i'm not sure what took me so long. i'm on it though, and there's more to come!