That’s right, come along and follow me up & down the streets of New York City…

You are in for lots of fun and excitement. This post is jammed full of some of my very favorites in NYC. Including a lot of “design & tasty favorites” for sure. Why I was editing some of my pictures, I got to thinking about the City and some observations I made while I was there. The city is fascinating, every single time I go (I think it has been 11 times now?) I discover something new and amazing. Yet, there are some “discoveries” I find myself revisiting over and over and over again! I will share those with you in a few. For now, here are some observations/conclusions I came to this time: 

• subway tiles sure glisten in House Beautiful and  Interior Design Magazine, but that’s not quite the case in the NYC subway

(*image via flickr)

• young children seem more well-behaved and content in comparison to children in the South (they are pretty happy just being pushed in their strollers)
• women wear less make-up than in the South
• canned drinks are always served or purchased with a straw (I like this b/c I despise of putting my mouth on that dirty/dusty can)
• healthy (and super yummy) food is SO easily accessible
• 8:00pm dinner reservations are completely normal. Dinner at 6:00pm? Sorry we are still working! 
• brunch on the weekend is a must, a pretty good cure for people’s late nights
• talk! Engage in conversation, I promise you will meet some really cool people!
• The city is the ultimate test of a rock solid faith
• has the most unique venues for children
• has cobblestone lined streets, like Rome, in TriBeCa
• has really confusing check out system @ Whole Foods-Union Square; God Bless any non-english speaking visitors
• and look out for details in EVERYTHING…

I mean really, where else can you find a “Cupcake Truck?” 

Those are just some of many discoveries I made while I was on my weekend getaway. And maybe I was the most exhausted from simply being over-stimulated, not from all the walking? I do not know, but when I constantly see things that you LOVE, I cannot sketch, photograph, or even wrap my brain around things quick enough before I have already moved on to the next things. For instance, I enter the ABC Home Store and before I can stop drooling over how absolutely precious this circular, bow chandelier would be in a little girls room…

I was totally enamored by the racks of napkin rings I could use to create any table setting theme I wanted. 

And to make matters worse  I continued trekking up Sixth Avenue until I saw the flying banners…M&J Trimming. Talk about over stimulation. I have never, ever in my life seen some many beautiful ribbons, trims, buttons, appliques, you name it-they got it! 

I just could not leave empty handed. I tried to think forward to some projects I have coming up, and some things I might need. I ended up buying a yard of a handful of different trims & ribbons, simply for fun. [You can purchase online, but those pictures do not do the product justice. There is nothing like seeing and touching this stuff for real!]

I really wanted a few yards of some trim to coordinate with the fabric for curtains I had made for my room last fall. One problem-I didn’t have sample of the fabric. I took a gamble, and bought what I thought would coordinate anyway. Well lookie here…it is perfect. I was thrilled. 

and over an hour later…I made it out without a heart attack caused by excitement. Then a few blocks away, I got really excited for someone who was about to receive their new pillows from the delivery man. I have seen this fabric used many times, and it is just gorgeous. Lucky client… [I know this delivery man was curious as to why I'd decided to snap a picture of him working]

Next stop, Fishs Eddy. Needless to say, based on the sign below, I am pretty disappointed the TSA doesn’t allow knives in your carry-on. 

Later I discovered a piece of the Berlin Wall smack in the middle of Manhattan. I was also pretty excited to take a rest in a Bertoia Chair. 

and later on:

Love it! From a flower shop that I passed in the West Village on my to…

Chelsea Market where I ended standing at the window of Amy’s Bread completely smitten by these men and women hard a work making bread. I came to the conclusion that I might like a job here. It wasn’t like me trying to bake at home…they could of completely cared-less as to the fact that flour was literally flying! Oh and FYI for those who do not know: Chelsea Market is in the Meatpacking District, it is an urban food/shopping court. Also, one of the big tenants-the Food Network. The space was designed by the famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando. 

And my other BIG artsy adventure, a trip to the MoMA (Tim Burton collection currently on exhibit). 

every thing about the museum fascinated me. from the signage, 

to the high-chairs in the museum cafe, 

and even the amazing architectural thought behind the design. Sensational, you could visually see the circulation through the museum floors…it was like living art. 

the museum is home to endless pieces of modern work:

anything from an old suit,

to Starry Night, by Dutch post-impressionist, Vincent vanGogh

Last but not least, Redeemer Church. One word: WOW! I went to the Sunday night West Side service. It was sensational. Dr. Timothy Keller preached on the book of James. The series: The Gospel of God in Community – “A Community of Justice”. This weeks sermon isn’t up yet, but last weeks is here. It was really a bold message, but very engaging. He spoke of the Life of Breath (James Ch.4) and the Breath of Life (the Holy Spirit). He walked the congregation through the scripture, James 4:13-5:6. In a nutshell we must remember that Life is a gift of our gracious God, and we must abandon the American “Life Control Illusion” we fall into as fools (blind to reality) of this world. 

Okay, I am going to wrap post #1 up now. I have a few other dining experiences I want to share with you. But…it is late, and I am tired. The whole airport experience drains my energy, or maybe it is the fact that I am back to reality now. Who knows, but for now – Good Night!