christmas is all around...

Yikes, anyone else feeling like Thanksgiving got the shaft? It was only a week ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago. The signs of the holiday season are definitely all over the place in New York, and I am loving it… at least for now.  I found myself last night staring at a neighbor’s tree in their window (not so creepy, I was across the street, and the tree must be 12 feet high in a gorgeous huge window) – and feeling the joy that little sign of happy was right in front of me. Shortly after,  I also felt guilt I haven’t pulled out my own decorations, but I am holding to the fact that December is still a few days from now and I can hopefully do some hardcore trimming in once the calendar flips. Have you already started to decorate? Do you have anything you like to do as a tradition?

Letters to Norby #13

Dear Norby-

I miss getting to hold you and hang out with you and your mom. Weekdays watching you smile and blink at me are ever so magical and whenever I miss you I look at your pictures. You are a special little guy and loved by so many.

Don't grow up too fast please.

Love your favorite auntie

(photo from Instagram)

gobble gobble gobble

Happy Thanksgiving week dear readers. If you are one of my readers from aboard, this is the holiday Americans like to gather around the table and chow on home cooked favorite foods, and give thanks for the things in their lives. This is typically followed by a day of trying to kill your neighbor at a black Friday sale that is too good to be true. I thought I'd share a few things I am most thankful for this year with all of you.

• little Norby for being the sweetest little baby nephew so far and making this a really fun time to be with the family (please stay little for a tiny bit longer, please?)
• the full year of traveling around the United States - I visited: Texas, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, and California. If I include the state I work in, and the state I live in, I spent time in more than 1/5th of the states at some point this year.
• friends near and far, who are always up for a visit, time together, making me be a better person, and reminding me regularly that you are the family I choose, and I am happy to have you all.
• family - the blood relatives, who put up with me still, and care about me despite my shortcomings

Happy Turkey Day to All - Enjoy and be good to everyone.



(photo from pinterest)

Letters to Norby #12

Dear Norby-

It’s been quite the busy week young man. You were born, you came home from the hospital, we both survived our first babysitting ordeal. This was probably the only time I really liked babysitting, when I was a teen, I never felt comfortable being in other people’s houses. I blame that on the McMansions that were popular where your mommy and I grew up, the homes were way to big and the kids always seemed like they could be in trouble in their rooms and I’d be way down in the living room, practically in another zip code.  Babysitting for you is well, perfection right now. You love to be held the whole time and you let me take about 800 photos of you, so for now this is a great situation. One day you won’t be so still for photos, and I understand that I’ve have to take what I can get, and I do look forward to the days when you will be playful and ready to rumble. I am also pleased that I get to spend a lot more time with you this week, tomorrow I get to go with you and Mommy to the doctor and then you come to Grammy and Gramps’s house for Thanksgiving. Lots of bonding for us.

Enjoying the time we have this week.

Love your favorite auntie

keep on dancing

Happy Friday Dear Readers! We made it to another weekend, and for me a very short week next week for work, only going in on Monday, and then its Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This weekend is full of lots of fun things in store as well - dinner with the family, a house gathering with friends, and babysitting Norby for the first time. I am super excited to watch the dear little one and take about a hundred photos of him, until he makes that face of "enough already". I am also looking forward to doing some driving to brush up on my skills (I know I am a menace on wheels, but I swear I am better every time I head out). Enjoy your weekend!

last train to...

I pride myself on being good at public transportation - after all, I haven't had a car for over five years now. It's probably on the top ten list of things I love about living around New York. I also successfully navigated San Francisco via public transportation, having never been there.Well, I've been in Boston now for three days and I am completely an idiot when it comes to transportation around here, and I use to live here. I've had countless delays, cannot figure out what "zone" I am in, got on the wrong train... yikes. It was lucky the conductor took pity on me and told me how to get back the way I came, while the guy in front of me laughed his face off (dude, really? come to NYC, I'd love to see you do that). All and all, I have to say it's got to be easier then this really.


(photo from google)

look at the stars

Completely digging on this top - I have been for years looking at the one from a much pricier standpoint, but Old Navy has come through again with this lovely close enough version for my needs. You know my motto, if it sparkles I want it, and well I want this shirt.

Letters to Norby #11

Dear Norby-

Today we get to meet in person for the first time, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve shown everyone your photos (at least the ones that have made it to me) and everyone agrees you are super handsome.  Yesterday morning, your momma told me you like hats, so as any good auntie would do, I went to Baby Gap and purchased you a little hat with animal ears. Children your age should wear hats with animal ears because it’s so darling and well, by the time you are six you will look silly in a hat with animal ears (I hate grownups who wear hats with ears, it looks stupid – not adorable).  I am counting down the hours until I get to hold and coo at you, and start our little bonding session.

See you soon little man.

Love your favorite auntie

you blow my mind

Dear Mindy-

Thank you for being you. I just finished your book “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?(and Other Concerns)” and I loved it, every single minute of it (Thank you to Ali for lending it to me, especially after I got to hear you laugh the entire time you were reading this book). It felt like you and I were sitting on my couch in yoga pants, drinking a few bottles of wine, telling each other funny stories and life lessons.  I particularly felt a kinship when you had a chapter dedicated to your blackberry photos – it felt like something I might also do if I was famous enough to have a book that other people might want to buy and read. I also want to say to you how much I am enjoying your new show – “The Mindy Project”, I will admit I was a little sad to see you leave “The Office” because Kelly was such a fun character, but thank goodness this new show is even more fun. The hilarious situations you get yourself into – makes me think we could take on the town one night and really reap havoc all over the city (any city, call me- maybe?). I also feel our bond of growing up in Massachusetts would seal our sisterhood and make us forever friends.

Appreciatively yours,

Jill

(photo from NY Times)