Decisions, decisions

Every day in New York, we tried to eat somewhere delicious and there is no shortage of great places to eat in this city, the tough part was choosing which one to go to that day. This was at The Meatball Shop which really hit the spot after walking all day and I loved the restaurant decor.

Here are some other places we really enjoyed on our trip, most of them were recommended to us by Gabe and May, our go-to food advisers!

The Standard Grill
Miss Lily's
Five Leaves
SMORGASBURG!
the lobster roll at The Plaza's Food Hall

Infrastructure Jealousy

The last time we visited New York, The High Line was just in its proposal phase and we saw a lot of pretty renderings of it.

It was really great to see it in person this visit and Jin loved it so much, we went back twice (also mommy and baby were melting from the heat the first time we went so we didn't make it to the end). I hope the next time we go to New York, the High Line will be even bigger! This was Jin's favourite part of the trip, he wishes something like this could happen in Toronto (maybe one day).

cat watching

I wonder how that orange cat got a nib for a tail.

Mojo is probably wondering how to escape to the outside world....

A boy can dream.

lots of lavendar

On one of our trips to the country, we visited a small lavender farm close to Cobourg.

They grow different varieties of lavender. Some are a greyish purple, and others are a deep deep purple. Each variety smell different too.

This adorable cottage sat on the farm property, I love it's shape. It looks like it came out of a fairy tale story.

Some of their lavendar is infused into ice cream and cheese. They were preparing for a festival for the following weekend, so ice cream and cheese was not available for us to try. I would have loved to taste it, especially the ice cream!

Maybe we can go back next year.

yours to discover

We drove out to the country a few times this summer to discover that Ontario is really beautiful.

I am sure my parents took us on road trips similar to these when my brother and I were little, but I didn’t appreciate it then.

There is so much more to discover, I am happy it is not too far away.

moo moo

They were just as curious about me, as I was about them.

Lately, I have been imagining life on a farm

It is a good sort of busy around here, but I hope to lounge like these cows soon.

they make me laugh

Mea, giving me her evil eye, which I love.
Mojo was helping me unpack.

pictures of these two always make me laugh.

let me take your picture

Next sunday, I will be participating in The Workroom's Yardsale Trunk Show! There will be vendors selling their crafty handmade goods, and also amazing rummage goods too! This is going to be the biggest Trunk Show yet, as there will be vendors filling the store, and the beautiful backyard too!

Rosalyn and I are setting up a photobooth, and I will be taking pictures of you, and your crafty goodies from the show! The photobooth will be taking donations for Sketch, an organization that creates opportunities for street involved and homeless people to engage in the arts in the community.

So please come by the Trunk Show on SUNDAY JUNE 13th (12pm - 5pm) at The Workroom, and let me take your picture!

snap and tumble letterpress

Remember, I mentioned about a letterpress workshop I took with my friend, Mark? I am finally posting about it now.

We went over to Tanya's home and she introduced us to her letterpress machine! I was so excited, because I have been looking for an opportunity to try letterpressing for awhile now! We made some beautiful cards, and Mark made business cards of MoFUN (Ministry of Fun!). I knew letterpressing would be accurate, but I was still so impressed at how crisp and precise each letter came out. I would love to have more opportunities to do this in the future. Thanks Tanya! You created the perfect workshop for people who are curious about the process, and have never touched a letterpress before.

The reason it took me so long to post this is because I took some film shots at the workshop, and it took me this long to finish the roll. My resolution for next year should be to take more film photos.

from above

7 people floated into the air in a cozy wicker basket. We were 1500 ft above ground, and I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be. I didn't feel that funny tickle in my stomach, the one you get when you go really high up on a rollercoaster.

Jin and I finally went air ballooning! We were planning to do it for our anniversary, but the weather was not cooperating then. We were lucky we only had to wait a month later to take flight. I think it was better that we waited, we got to see some autumn colours.

We took flight at dawn, so it was very peaceful. We floated above farms, and some dogs were barking at us from below, but they looked like tiny tiny ants from where we were.

After we landed, we all had a toast of champagne! It is a ballooning tradition, dating back to the first balloon flight from Paris in 1783. Farmers thought that the hot air balloon that landed in their field were demons falling from the sky, and they came after it with pitchforks. The pilots offered the farmers champagne, to prevent them from destroying their balloon!

We had a more friendly greeting when we landed, farmer's children in their pyjamas happily running towards us instead!

Bye Bye Summer : the EX

When the EX comes to town, you know that summer is coming to an end. It is our annual midway fair that stays for 18 days. I am so glad that I live within walking distance to the fair grounds! Parking would be a nightmare!

These are film images I took last year, when Jin and I took a break from wedding planning (our wedding was only 6 days away!). This year, we went back, and I took my film camera, again. But, I have to finish the roll. Perhaps I can show you those photos when they get developed.

I am a little sad when the EX leaves town. It is so silent......I can almost hear the leaves turn colour.

water made from clouds

A week ago, I met nikole, and I am still grinning from the experience. It all started when she told me, out of the blue (online) that she had something for me. I was beaming inside, because, I do not get messages like that on a daily basis. I don’t think too many people do! Especially from someone you have never met. If you do, then the only conclusion is that you are an incredibly happy person! Lucky you!

We ate a small lunch at a little cheese shop, and we chatted non-stop! We stayed so long, that they gave us complimentary cupcakes for dessert. I guess they thought all that chatting must make us hungry again!

It turned out, she was saving this water made from clouds for me. And to go along with it, she made these adorable and delicious cookies shaped in raindrops, and ice cream! I felt so lucky to be a recipient of one of her edible masterpieces!
Everything was so stylishly put together, a perfect parcel. A perfect, themed parcel! I loved it.

Read her story here
See her masterpieces here, and here.

Nikole, I cannot wait to get together with you again :)