Oh the Humanity (Humans of New York)

Do you follow Humans of New York on Facebook or Tumblr?  If you don't, you should check it out.

For those of you that don't know about it, Humans of New York is a photoblog of street portraits featuring everyday New Yorkers.  It StoryCorps in photos.

I love the posts because they remind me that everyone has a story and that you never know what the person standing next to you is going through.  Some of the posts make me laugh and others get me teary eyed.

Did I mention this project was so successful the photographer, Brandon Stanton, turned it into a book?

Here are some of my favorites:

The Gap's Miami Collection (Serious Nostalgia)

Jacket/Shirt/Shoes/Jeans/Bracelets/Bag/Glasses/Watch

Have you checked out the Gap's Miami Collection?  It really captures the essence of Miami circa the late 80's/early 90's. 

Bye Bye Palena (Cleveland Park Boogaloo)

A quick snap of Palena late Saturday night before it shuttered.

Palena, my favorite neighborhood destination, closed on Saturday. 

Palena's end seemed to have come quite suddenly.  Neighbors found out the restaurant was experiencing serious trouble through a report in the Washington City Paper. Then on Friday, Palena's owner, Frank Ruta, announced that he would be closing the restaurant on Saturday night.  It is my understanding that the employees didn't find out much sooner than the rest of us and were equally taken by surprise. 

Restaurants come and go, but Palena's shuttering has left me quite surprised and wistful. It's clear that I'm not the only one who feels such strong feelings about Palena's closing. 

Given more time to digest the news, I can't help but wonder if the community would have tried to do something to save Palena. If folks had known earlier about its difficulties paying rent, I bet that someone would have suggested a Kickstarter campaign.  Or maybe the neighborhood could have banded together like in, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. But Breakin 3: Cleveland Park Boogaloo has yet to be produced, and we were left with one day to say goodbye to our Palena. (The clip below can't be seen on a mobile format.)

George Clooney is Getting Married (Who's that Lady)

George Clooney is getting married to the gorgeous, successful, tri-lingual, Oxford-educated Amal Alamuddin.  Or as Slate puts it London Human Rights Lawyer Amal Alamuddin Is Engaged!

I must say I'm excited by this.  George Clooney, the superstar that everyone thought would remain single, is settling down with what looks like a no-nonsence, interesting, engaging, career oriented person.  As an added plus, she's stylish, and gorgeous.  I can't wait to hear more about this couple!

Baby Girls Part II (Jessa and Shoshona)



I had this blog entry ready to go a few weeks ago before my Facebook account was abrubptly disabled. Since then, I had been focused on getting my account (and photos) back and then my regular life and work picked up. So let's return to part II of our Baby Girls series. I had so much fun putting Shoshanna and Jessa's baby outfits together.  Take a look  how how these stylish cousins dressed as babies after the jump.

Galentine's Day

Artwork by Michelle Taylor

For those of you who aren't Parks and Recreation fans, Galentine's Day is celebrated on February 13th. Here is P&R hero Leslie Knope's description:

“Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every Feb. 13, my lady friends leave our husbands and boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”

This sounds like so much fun. Especially since my life now seems to be a constant loop of work, baby, work, baby. Don't get me wrong I'm happy on so many levels but I really do miss quality time my friends.

Here are five ways to celebrate Galentine's Day.

1. Have Breakfast for Dinner: French toast and frittatas are to Galentine's Day what turkey and sweet potatoes are to Thanksgiving. If you live in D.C., you can always hit the Diner or Ted's Bulletin.

2. Call your gal pals and have a full on conversation: I think all I do is text these days. A long phone call with an old friend is really a luxury.

3. Get manis and pedis with your besties: No explanation necessary.

4. Watch a marathon of Girls or old Gossip Girl episodes.

5. Hand out your own old school Valentine's cards (corny I know).

6. Throw your own Galentine's Day party: It doesn't have to be elaborate just have some ladies over for eggs, French toast and bloody marys. Of course here are some amazing Galentine's parties for those of you with a little extra time and creativity: Rue Magazine,Dream Box Photography, 100 Layer Cake, and Style Me Pretty.

P.S. Check out this video for a full explanation on Galentine's Day.