Summer Breeze

You must know your own beauty. Look at your world: all those roses, saucepans, violet lipsticks, your eyeglasses, your favorite armchair. Study your handwriting. Draw a little yellow house under a November sky. Inquire if you must of your cat or dog or parakeet but no one else. Simply know that with every breath, you are luminescent as rain, radiant as any Northern star, beautiful as a wild garden shimmering before the first frost. 

Hudson Highline

I'm a day behind, but we've been driving like crazy women up and down the mountains of Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. Yesterday we said farewell to Alex and headed into Amherst to see Emily Dickinson's grave again and check out the town before heading out. The last time I was here everything was buried under snow, and it feels completely different in the summer. 

I think this is one of the 50 cemeteries we've visited on our trip. I've never met a graveyard I didn't like. 

The Emily Dickinson Museum (it was closed, but the gardens were open and beautiful).

Pretty house across the street.

Norberta's still here and kicking! We drove through one toll and the guy literally laughed at us and said, 'Hey--nice color.' Like you even know our lives.

One of the few planned events we made for the trip was to stop in Poughkeepsie, NY, and walk over the longest pedestrian bridge in the country, straight over the Hudson River. We really had no idea what to expect, which was probably a good thing. Poughkeepsie is a tad on the Chateau Ghetto side, but once we got to the actual walk it provided gorgeous views of the river/mountains. 

However, storms were brewing. We'd made it about halfway across the bridge when two boys on a golf cart came driving up and told us we had to exit ASAP or risk being electrocuted. Noooo! Granted, we were surrounded on a high-rise metal structure that's suspended over water. But seriously? I'M JUST TRYING TO WALK OVER THIS RIVER!!

So we turned around and headed back...

... and waited in our car. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, we decided to risk our lives/break some rules and walk back across the bridge (look, we drove 700 miles for this. 700. Kind of.).  

Can't stop, won't stop. We made it across the bridge and back alive. It was probs a miracle from above. 

Then we got the boys on the golf cart to take our picture. Take that.

Serious electricity in the air. Nice hair, lady.

After conquering the Hudson and narrowly escaping death, we continued on to the Catskills were we found ourselves in the sweet artsy town of New Paltz and its super-fab Super 8....

One thing's for sure--road tripping is hard work.

I Love Noho

After checking out of of gigantic suite in the glorious, tiny state of Rhode Island, we packed up our goods and headed westward through Connecticut and into Massachusetts. One place I've always wanted to visit is Brimfield, Massachusetts, where they have thrift/flea/antique exhibits filled to the Brim with goods, treasures, and probably blue Pyrex. To my dismay, we missed the last exhibit by one weekend and had nothing to see in this sleepy section of MA. However, I was/am determined to thrift my way through New England, and we stumbled upon the super cute town of Putnam, CT. 

To my greatest pleasure and surprise, this is what we found:

Is this for real?!? I was OBSESSED with the Boxcar Children series when I was little--I hunted feverishly for every book in the library, read the series over and over, and could only dream of running away from home with some much-cooler siblings where we'd camp out and have adventures via boxcar. Sadly (?), this is as far or close as I've gotten to a boxcar since (and the museum was closed, i.e., mega bummer). 

Nonetheless, I was still v excited about this discovery.

Putnam is very cool and has a ton of antique/thrift stores. One of the first ones we found had an entire wing dedicated to weird movie memorabilia that the owner's son has collected over the years. Here is one of the creatures from Men In Black (or so they say). 

Who wouldn't want 50,000 creepy face molds of old, dead celebrities?

From here, we moved on to the mother load of antique shops. It was three stories, not including nooks + crannies, and full of cool junk. I got a pile of silk/cotton old-lady handkerchiefs for $1 and my mom almost escaped with an awesome birdcage on a stand. Unfortunately, Norberta was no match for this sucker, and it was too long to fit in the car. We tried sticking it out the window, sans cage, but it was a no-go. I guess some things aren't meant to be. 

Finally (finally!!!!) we made it to Northampton and into the arms of the one and only most fabulous Alex M, a lady I love, adore, and admire like few on this planet. Her new apartment is the most amazingly cute and well-decorated pad I've ever seen--so put together. So shabby chic fabulous. So perfectly Jane Austen-fied, with just a hint of Kilt Lifter. LOVED IT. While I was THRILLED to see Alex's new home, I was more thrilled to just be within 50 miles of one of the most brilliant people I know. Alex recommended that my mom and I eat at one of her favorite spots (Paul & Elizabeths), got us *free* tickets to a strange little movie (Beginners) at her adorable Pleasant Street Theater, and was her usual bubbly, hospitable, charming, sweet self. 

Obviously, this is where she works. Only a perfectly crafted gingerbread house will do.

I also met Everett Kensington, and he is just as handsome in person.

After our movie (and Junior Mints/seltzer), my mom and I grabbed a hotel and got ready to spend the next day in Noho. We traipsed up and down the little town's streets and especially loved the store Pinch.  My mom saw this sign and said, "Oh! This is what Alex needs in her house!" I agree. 

Well-read birds.

Thirsty wind chimes.

We met up for lunch and dodged the rain, and I loved every minute. Although Alex had to work all day, she still managed to gorge on quesadillas, drink some cheap wine, and sob her way through a showing of Harry Potter. A million thanks to Alexandra for being a wonderful hostess (as usual) and sending us on our way through the beautiful Northeast!

Next up...Catskills? Poughkeepsie? Only time will tell...

We Summer in Newport

Yesterday we woke up early, hopped in Norberta, and drove to the coast to visit the beautiful town of Newport, Rhode Island. 

The weather wasn't quite as hot as it has been, and there was a great breeze (for the most part) coming off the water. After parking our car, we started out on the Cliff Walk to check out the 60+ mansions that dot the path, following the coast the entire way. The houses were gorgeous. The landscaping was perfection. And the green, flower-filled walkway was delicious. 

Ready to go, walking stick at the ready!

 Rose hips everywhere.

Haha, I love it!

These were the biggest seagulls I've ever seen. 

Reach People Way like no other.

Taking a little break for sanity's sake.

Finally at the end... until the walk back. Woot!

Apparently I felt the need to straddle my water bottle at the end of the walk. Pretty much all rational thought was gone at this moment. Whatevs.

This one's for sale. Just sayin'.

Oh haii Tom Wolfe!

All in all, the wedding was a success! They read sweet vows, provided delicious food + drinks, toasted to the night, and proved that the people of RI know how to throw down. After a long night of dinner and dancing, we headed back to the Biltmore for our last night in the Ocean State before heading onwards to the one and only Noho/Alexandra!!! So very excited to be here.....

xoxox, Hann