My Home in the Catskills

Since last Tuesday, Dan and I have assumed the role of doting innkeepers at Catskill Lodge, the bed and breakfast in Windham, New York, that we co-own with Dan's brothers. (The front-porch photo above was taken on our wedding day last September.) While I have to admit that after six days of egg-frying, pancake-flipping, and laundry, we're ready to be free of the chores that come with a seven-room house filled with guests—we both share a great love for this place. Built in 1893 and filled with furniture and decorations that span the last century, it's homey, charming, and absolutely unique. And while the role of host naturally comes with early mornings and endless housekeeping, it also gives us a chance to meet new people and explore the breathtaking natural landscape. In the last seven days we've chatted with folks from as far away as Belgium and China, picked produce and prepared meals from the garden, and sparked up a bonfire in the backyard every single night. Then there's the comforting, unplanned moments—like watching an eight-year-old's eyes light up with excitement in front of the crackling campfire, or Dan stopping in the middle of his chores to play a song on the antique piano. Of course, we've also had our share of adventure vacation activities, from floating the Esopus River to scaling a 3800-foot peak. The two of us met here. And then we got married here. Now we're just soakin' it all in...

My NYC Find

Blame it on the fact that I lived there for seven years—sometimes I've just got an eye on the businesses and services people who live in New York actually use rather than the effortless glitz the city portrays to outsiders. On my last visit to NYC (two weeks ago), I was drawn in by the gleaming wide windows of a sparkling new Duane Reade drugstore on 39th and Madison. The store sports a complete redesign—the antithesis of what drugstore shoppers assume about the omnipresent pharmacy and toiletries market. Rather than flickering florescent lighting and disgruntled employees, the space exudes a Sephora-like aesthetic, right down to an entire section devoted to pricey makeup. The only shopping spree I had while in the city happened right here...

Me, and Modern Luxury Dallas

In recent weeks (well, months), I've been working with an editor at Modern Luxury magazine's Dallas edition. I've got three clips in the May/June 2010 issue—a roundup of luxe lakeside resorts, updates on Austin's best spas, and my picks of the best dog-friendly restaurant patios in Dallas. Check 'em out on my web site!

Where Have I Been? (version 2.0)

 My window shade inspiration...

You know you're an inconsistent blogger when you go to type a title (Where Have I Been?), and your computer autofills the text. I was embarrassed today at a lunch meeting when the person I was with said she had been reading my blog, because it's been over a month since my last post! The positive news is that I'm negligence doesn't stem from sheer laziness—I've actually been slammed with (paid) writing assignments! Most of the time, I've been right here....

(with the exception of last week's five-night furlough on Lake Hartwell.) And even thouugh I just finished up a huge project for T+L, there are three more assignments in my queue. Little did I know when I bought that antique green chair from Gypsy Wagon down the street that my bum would be planted in it for so many hours a day. But I am soo not complaining!

Before and After, Part One of TBD

Today marks one month since we closed on our house. Not surprisingly, the inside is still coming together, slowly. Our motivating factor right now is the party we're hosting Sunday afternoon. Here's a look at the bedroom, which I brightened up with a coat of turquoise paint and some white furniture.

Before:

After:

Are You Going to Scarborough Faire...

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...

Okay, those are lyrics to a Simon & Garfunkel song. The Scarborough Faire as we know it in Texas, is a Renaissance Festival held for eight consecutive weekends in Waxahachie, every spring since 1981. Last weekend we took Dan's parents for some serious in-law entertainment. If you've never been to a Renaissance Festival (I hadn't), it's a feast for the eyes—and the belly, if you're into giant roasted turkey legs.

Here, some photo highlights:

A Care Package for a Hurt Hand

As some of you know, I had a little run-in with the neighbor's dog (let's just say the dog won), worsened by the fact that I ended up spending six hours in the city hospital's ER waiting to get stitched up. Though I'm mostly healed now (it's been a week and two days), a get-well box arrived for me today. Inside it? A mom-made care package, just like the old college days. It contained a few things to keep me busy—a cookbook, a box of organic carrot cake mix, and a Price Is Right board game—but the best part was the customized first aid kit, which, if I know my mom, was made to poke fun at me just a little bit. At least next time we'll have everything we need to tend to household accidents—right down to the manual on how to care for everything from splinters to impalements. Party on!