'irish i were drunk'

this weekend will be the celebration of st. patrick's day, with a parade on monday. i been told that there is no parade like it in the world. i'm tempted to believe it. a good friend of mine here from the states married an irish man. i believe he is from outside of cork. they live here now in new york with 5 children. i thought who has 5 children anymore. they do, and really they are gorgeous children. the beauty gods have been kind to them.

well, i find this funny. my friend called me up one day a bit upset. she had already handled the 'situation' but she just needed to let off some steam. one st. patrick's day weekend her husband asked her if she could drive into the city saturday night. it would be late and he wondered if she could come and pick him up.

now mind you, she would be at home with the 5 kids, not as free to hang out and party for the st. pat's weekend, and he would be out drunk with his friends...

she said to me 'he's the one out partying, why do i have to drive into the city at 3 in the morning to pick him up?' she told him 'take the subway!' (subway not metro, and runs 24 hours here in new york). my friend's husband, kevin, looked at her in all seriousness as said 'i am going to be soooo drunk, i won't even be able to make it to the subway.'

love that story, needless to say my friend did not think it was funny.

hope u have a wonderful weekend!

some pretty things...

flowers galore, can you imagine? Dali dined here often and has been quoted as saying that the owners of this restaurant on the east side of manhattan 'throw money out the window and it comes back to them through the door.' from what i read it is a space of beauty and fine french cuisine. i always like to peak now and then into the rooms of 'the haves,' just to see what they are up to. and this space looks divine. the owner is at new york's flower market every morning at 6.30 in order to purchase an abundance of flowers to adorn the family owned restaurant.

the story of how it actually began is a sentimental one. the father, as a young man worked on cruise ships as a part of the service staff in the restaurants. as he was a way from home often working, so many years ago, his wife leased a space and wrote to her husband asking for a name of the restaurant, and as a hint that he had to come home to create it. all was a complete surprise for him. but the wife simply wanted to figure out a way to have her husband home more often and near her. the son now owns and runs the restaurant. just thought it was a nice story for a pretty space that seems to be in the business of food (which i adore), beauty and quite possibly love, which inspired it all.

while on the subject of pretty things...

'when i was a young perfumer...'

not everyone can say this about themselves. nooooo, i'm not a perfumer, but there is something eccentric about it. the idea that perfumers actually exist, whose job it is to create scents. sweet! i read an article about 'la osmothèque,' a museum of perfume in france. the writer wrote...'writing formulas as composers compose symphonies,' while referring to one who creates new perfume scents. it seems as if the museum is a space to discover and rediscover scents that have seemingly disappeared. why is this interesting? i suppose it's not very, i just think that it is fascinating that there is a space dedicated to scents. it is thought of as an uber-chic intellectual sephora. a playground of perfumes, if you are into that kind of thing. i am, sometimes. not often, but sometimes...

i have a perfume that i like very much. i don't wear it often. i guess somehow subconsciously i think to save it for special occasions. it's pretty and soft. but i think the better part of me knows that every day is a special occasion. so i'm thinking i should sprinkle some on a little more often. i love it when i'm out and about and someone walks by me and they just smell divine. just a nice soft scent that inspires. i could be that girl...

rumour has it...

yesterday my aunt called to tell me that my brother married his long time girlfriend, it was a civil wedding, no guests, just the two of them. very much in the spirit of an elopement, taking on a charm from another time and place. so cute. that means out of us 4 siblings, i am the one who has yet to marry. for so long i thought that i'm not the kind of girl to get married, i like my freedom. but these days, having a sweetie in life seems like it could be, well, sweet...

new york wanderings

...ventured out to wander around new york city yesterday. i did one of the things i have always loved doing as a new yorker, that is, to get up and go out with absolutely no idea where i'm going or what i plan to do. i suppose the city invites this kind of behavior with so much to do and see. i thought i'd let my mood guide me about. as i was making my way through the shopping crowds on 34th street i realised that i was quite near to the new york public library on 5th avenue and 42nd street. a perfect walk on a perfect 'spring like' day although it is mid to late october. i always forget about visiting the library, it's like a museum surrounded by books. what i mean to say is, there is delicious art work; sculpture and paintings and photographs sprinkled in amongst all those books. and everyone looks so smart and studious there in the quiet with their books and laptops. it's inspiring just to want to study and do something and be really really good at it!

i then wandered up 5th avenue and stopped in St. Patrick's Cathedral. you can see here how gorgeous the cathedral is with its majestic columns and rainbow colored stain glass windows. the crowds were not free to wander as we normaly can at this moment. i wondered why, what's going on? without exageration, the main sanctuary was roped off as a bride (gorgeous dress!) was about to begin her wedding march. i sat down in another part of the church and admired all the pretty dresses, smart suits and shiny shoes. i was tempted to think about marriage and what it might mean. ...and then i thought it may be too big a subject to 'ponder' on this bright big sunfilled breezy day. ...all you need is love?...