November in NY

Au revoir November, it's been real (& oh so beautiful)...

29th St.

Hudson Valley

photos: me

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving...what a special day to spend with family & friends gathered around bountiful tables of food!  I personally think we should have Thanksgiving every month, once a year is just not enough....

(a beautifully decorated townhouse I passed on the Upper East Side)

 

It hasn't been an easy year, a lot of heartache, both human & animal.  Very sadly we had to say goodbye to my mom's beautiful cat Pooka last week.  She died on my Gram's birthday & we said Gram wanted a birthday present in heaven.  She was a stunning & special cat & mom to my 13 year old George.  I'm comforted to know she's playing in heaven with my Gram & Popper & Popeye... 

(Pooka was an angel & looks like one in this picture :)

 

Whenever you open your heart there's a chance it will be broken but no matter how long or short these special people & animals were in my life I am grateful for every second we got to spend together. 

 

What are you grateful for today?  Today I'm grateful for my family, friends & pets (of course), heat & hot water, the sound of birds singing on a cold November day & watching my new kitten Frankie see his first snowfall this week (he ran up to the windows like, What the hell is going on?!)  Do you know that gratitude is the key to attracting everything you dream of in life?  You can read more about the power of gratitude here.  It really is about a change in perspective that will change your life.

 

Happy Thanksgiving & I am grateful for each & every one of you!

photos: me

High-Low Moto

Just drooling over this A.L.C. moto jacket/peacoat hybrid...badass + classic = perfection...

 

buttoned-up...

such a great detail on the sleeves...

I stumbled upon these moto inspired jeans while roaming around Target (with a wagon full of cat litter, garbage bags & other boring necessities I just could not bring myself to the register without something fun)....the distressing looks really crazy in the picture but in real life it's much more subtle & consistent...

I'm wearing them with my Zara leather jacket from last year...

& a little faux fur to soften things up & keep it cozy...

photos: 1/2/3/4/5/6

Marathon Sunday

Wishing all of the runners in tomorrow's NYC marathon a fantastic race, strength throughout & making it across that finish line!  I was so blessed to run NYC's last marathon in 2011 & I personally did it in memory of the victims of 9/11 & it also coincided with the tenth anniversary.  My beloved city was brought to its knees on 9/11 & I'll never forget the outpouring of love, strength & support that we all offered one another.  I have loved NYC since I was a young girl but running 26.2 miles of its streets & bridges tattooed it on my heart & made me realize that the glamorous buildings can be gone in the blink of an eye but the people & their passion are what make New York City the greatest city in the world.    

When I was a few miles from the finish I felt a hand on my right shoulder...I turned to look & a fellow runner, a girl about my age, said to me, "I lost my mom on 9/11, I'm sorry for your loss."  Before I could get anything out, what could I possibly even say, thank God I hadn't lost anyone I knew, she was gone.  I had the chills from head to toe & hoped that she knew that in my own small way I was running for her & her mom...

Do you know what I love most about running?  Like music, it doesn't discriminate (& I love nothing more than popping in my headphones when I run).  It's universal, it knows no color, race, age, physical attractiveness, disability or socioeconomic class.  You're all in it together supporting each other every step of the way- I ran the marathon with people that were blind, in wheelchairs, missing limbs & those with mental wounds, illnesses & broken hearts that can't be seen.

I thought to myself...Why does it take a marathon to have an entire city cheering for you & your success?  What if we supported each other that way every day?  Can you imagine hopping on a subway car in the morning & everyone busts out, "GOOO Colleen!!!  You're looking strong & amazing!!!  You're gonna kill it in that client meeting today!!"  How fun would that be?

As we cheer on the runners tomorrow let's all remember to carry that supportive spirit with us & be sure to cheer each other on every day.  As my friend Eckhart says, it really is the small, everyday things that lead to greatness.

Made it!!!

photos: me