in which I talk about "Mema's Blue" and finally post a bunch of photos from New York.

A number of years ago my grandmother, who I have always referred to as "Mema" (this stuck from the time I was little. In effect, I named her, and now everyone calls her that, and it is beautiful), told me about this certain shade of blue that she had fallen in love with and wanted to find clothing in. Ever since, whenever I see that particular blue, I a) think of Mema, and b) instantly fall in love with whatever it is.



Recently, a coworker gave me a scarf that she no longer wanted--AND IT'S MEMA'S BLUE. I can't even begin to describe my excitement. It's one of those huge scarves that drapes so nicely and could double as a tablecloth, and has little beaded tassles at the ends.





I can't wait until the weather gets colder so I can wear scarves more often. And boots, and cozy knits, and coats, and wool tights, oh my...

Anyway, I still have a ton of photos from New York that I really ought to post, and so, following my new mantra of "do it now", here goes:



This girl was walking through Times Square, which, incidentally, was one of my least favourite places in Manhattan. If you want to get a good idea of what New York most certainly isn't, go walk around in Times Square for an hour or so and then get lunch at TGI Fridays. Seriously. It's loud, it's obnoxious, it's full of Japanese tourists, and doesn't even register on the Character & Charm meter. I was overwhelmingly unimpressed. But I thought this chick was pretty fancy. Note that I have pretty much the same Marc by Marc Jacobs purse that she does, only mine is black and the straps are ever so slightly different...



Here, the polar opposite of Times Square: The spotted Pig, located in Greenwich Village, and an instant candidate for my Top Five Desert Island Favourite Places On Earth List. I think Greenwich Village as a whole was my favourite place in Manhattan, and the Spotted Pig was just the hub. It's the closest thing to Europe that I've ever seen in North America: cobbled streets, art deco buildings with vines encasing them, people sitting on their doorsteps, barefoot, reading books and drinking coffee out of cute little mugs, shops embedded here and there, beautiful doors on beautiful old buildings with quaint fairy-tale-like flowerboxes outside the windows. It just breathes with life, and you can't help but get a little drunk on it.



(click on the little images to enlarge!)
From left to right: one of my many dream streets, my future neighbour (I hope), the union square farmer's market, the statue of Balto (one of my Desert Island Top Five Childhood Heroes) in Central Park.



I didn't think I would, because normally big huge buildings make me uneasy, but there was something about a canopy of steel and glass and concrete that I found serene and majestic in a way that downtown Vancouver will never be.



I took this from the roof at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Two pieces of advice I'll offer: NEVER eat at the cafeteria in the museum, and make sure you set aside an entire day to walk around and see everything. I missed practically all of it, including the main thing I went to see, which really had no relevance to the exhibits at all: Remember that scene in When Harry Met Sally that is filmed in the that solarium area in the MET? Harry says that he would be pleased to partake of Sally's pecan pie in a funny voice and then asks Sally to a movie and she awkwardly says she already has a date and Harry is visibly disappointed and such. I wanted to go and walk through that solarium and think about that scene. Yes! Of course I would pay money to do that!



Next time I go to Central Park for a wander, I'm bringing a little sailboat. I'm going to set it free on this pond, and then I will watch it all afternoon and bask in how much I really wouldn't want to be anywhere but there.



These are the coolest bathrooms in the world. From the outside, when vacant, the doors are very nearly see-through. From the inside, before you lock the door, you can see everything outside. Once you lock the door, the glass becomes opaque and no one can see inside anymore--but you can still see out! It took me a while (lots of awkward skulking and many photographs) to become comfortable with this concept. You can find these bathrooms at Bar 89 in SoHo.

Whew. I will post the rest another day! My computer is beginning to get unhappy and overheat.

This was for you Mema! xox, lolo