Happy weekend, dolls. We are hosting a dinner party for a few friends tonight {I'm making this cheesy mushroom pull apart bread} and then I'm looking forward to nestling up for a long, relaxing weekend with plenty of pancake brunches in bed with my boys. Have a cozy couple of days.

+ Roald Dahl stamps.

+ The best egg & cheese sandwich in all the world.

+ Lamp makeover.

+ Paper soap.

+ Candle obsession {one smells like a swarm of bees!}.

+ How to do laundry. 

+ My list for spring: prints!

+ Cozy, cozy.

+ Gorgeous camera strap.

+ A winter picnic?!? On my cold-weather bucket list now.

+ What does your division of duties list look like?

+ Fashion week favorites.

{Photo credit: VK Rees Photography}

A couple weeks back we finally had a snow day in New York City. A play date was canceled. The playground was a ghost town. CJ's scooter wouldn't go in the snow. And yet we didn't want to stay cooped up indoors.

So.

We decided to take CJ for a special treat - to see a musical! Luckily for us, there are no snow days on Broadway. 

So we bundled up and bolted to Midtown to take in a showing for Freckleface The Musical based on actress Julianne Moore's bestselling children's book. The storyline is about a girl with red hair and lots and lots of freckles who desperately wants them to go away so she doesn't get bullied and made fun of. I was a little worried the plot may be a bit thick for my three-year-old, but with a playbill full of music and dancing I was hopeful he would be intrigued enough to pay attention.

And he was.

The stage felt so close to the seats that I'm pretty sure CJ thought he was a part of the story. He didn't budge for the entire performance. I'm not even sure if he blinked! The constant set changes and bold, electric music kept his eyes bolting from character to character on the stage.

When the musical ended, CJ said, "I want to see them sing the Kid in the Mask again." {His favorite song in the show.} I asked him to rate the performance and...

Drum roll...

He gave it two thumbs up!

I would have to agree. Anything that can capture my fiddly little dude's attention for over an hour has my vote. And while he may not be old enough to understand the concept of a bully, it's never too soon to start teaching a child to be kind. Bonus: the music was stellar.

CJ kept his autographed copy of the program and often tells me he wants to go back and sing with Freckleface. And he sure does have a love for music in his soul {he has a rag tag collection of musical instruments that includes an accordian, microphone and trumpet}, so I'm glad he got to see something he loves so much under the glow of big-city Broadway lights.

I moved to this city for my job. My dream. My wants.

But somewhere between these spaghetti-stringed city streets I got to expose CJ to a whole new world and out of that has possibly grown another little person's dreams and wants.

If you are ever in New York City with your children, I highly recommend taking them to see their first pint-sized Broadway show or musical. It's magical. And special. And makes them feel like a little star.

P.S. If you are thinking about going use discount code MAMADRAMA at the box office or online for specially-priced $40 tickets. 

Disclosure: I did receive complimentary tickets to see Freckleface the Musical. However, opinions expressed here are very much organic, true and my own.

Last night all of the romantic Valentine's Day preparations in our house were for this. Greg & I sat on the floor, sipped hot coffee and laughed about the cheesy things we used to do for each other, while we blew up 63 balloons and cut out 29 paper hearts. For our Valentine.

Hope your day is filled with lots of smooches and love.

Do you have any special plans? Or a special somebody to celebrate it with? What is your favorite lovie Valentine memory?

xx

P.S. CJ was more excited than Christmas morning. Balloons are more magical than presents, apparently. 

So if my meterologist is to be believed, we are due for a few inches of snow tomorrow. Huh. I guess it is winter after all. In other news, my mom is coming into town tonight for a few days so I can have a little quiet time sans CJ to finish a huge deadline {which is also the reason I've slagged on my blogging}. When I'm not writing we are going to eat salty margarita pies with pretzel crust and pretend it's summer.

Happy weekend.

+ Totally doing this for Valentine's Day.

+ The prettiest blocks.

+ It's hot chocolate month {banana peel & beer hot chocolate!}.

+ My winter boots.

+ Why French parents are superior {totally interesting}.

+ 10 one-of-a-kind homes {I want the old fire station}.

+ Adorable.

+ So dainty & pretty.

+ Zooey Deschanel is hosting SNL this weekend! Happy face!

+ I'll have two slices, please.

{Photo credit: Slim Aarons}

Happy weekend, sweet readers! We are huddling at a friend's apartment for a Super Bowl party this weekend (ummm...go Steelers? ;) To break up all the hearty dishes, I'm bringing along a cheese plate (including this fun cheese - the rind is rubbed in espresso!). Have a tasty weekend!

+ A nude tattoo. 

+ Rad screenprint to hang near a workspace.

+ A literary guide to Brooklyn {my heart skipped a beat!}.

+ A candle that smells like Earl Grey tea.

+ On my nightstand.

+ Can you figure this out?

+ Nifty Parisian installation. 

+ DIY friendship rug. 

+ Sleek black toothbrushes. 

+ I'd like a painting like this.

+ Love ever after. 

+ Ballet slippers for grown up girls.

+ A pretty song.

{Photo via Square Meal}

I am currently en route from LAX ---> JFK {isn't in flight wireless a wonder?}.

Homebound.

As I slouched in the backseat of a cab on the way to the airport very early this a.m. I noticed a sea of shadowed palm trees poking above the early LA mist, the tops like midnight-hued pom poms cheering me home. 

Fitting.

Normally I'm a bit sullen when a trip comes to a close, but this time I'm cheering.

As I pinballed around California the past few days from Palm Springs to Temecula to Los Angeles, I have found myself having a pitch perfect time. I sipped on salty margaritas by the pool. I giggled with a best friend in our pajamas in the middle of the day. I stood in the heart of a canyon filled with nothing more than breathtaking scenery, Greg and myself.

But.

I also found myself excessively missing my three-foot sidekick.

Greg and I travel quite frequently and I usually never bat a lash about leaving CJ behind. As a couple we stay kindled by escaping without having to pack our parent hats and CJ gets to spend time with my family, who he doesn't get to see on a daily basis, that ogle over him and spoil him x 100. 

This time the guilt feels heavier. The gap feels wider.

So.

Somewhere over the big rust-colored Grand Canyon at 33,000 feet I had a little idea. Greg has to go out of town here and there over the next couple of months, so I think it would be the perfect time to take a little trip just CJ and I. A wanderlusty adventure for two. I think it could be really sweet and special to give CJ my uninterrupted attention {bye bye, Twitter!}. 

Any ideas on a good spot for a traveling mama + one handsome little boy? Have you ever vacationed alone with your kids?

{Photo credit: Vogue}

Holy, hot mama! Isn't this lovely pregnant lady so va va voom? When I was pregnant I was the color of a grey wall. Did you feel like a pregnant supermodel when you were expecting or shleppy and dowdy? What were some tricks you used to feel chic? I feel like a red lipstick could be a pregnant ladies knight in shining {red} armor.

{Photo credit: Rockstar Diaries}

Yesterday at 8:52 a.m. Greg messaged me to meet him at the airport with a weekender bag. I took a cab through the grey rain to Terminal 4 and found out I was getting swept away to California for a few days. It felt magical and like a script from a movie. We're staying at this super rad hotel with a private fireplace on the patio. Ooo la la. It's nice to get whisked off your feet {literally} even after almost six years of marriage. Bonus: I get to swing by to see one of my very favorite people in all the world who just moved to the west coast. 

Have a thrilling weekend, my dears.

+ This will make you smile for days.

+ I'm dreaming of shorts already.

+ Buy a pair. Give a pair.

+ A warming face cleanser. Perfect for winter!

+ Pretty.

+ Ashley captured a snowcapped NYC pitch perfectly.

+ Ummm...for the couple who has everything?

+ Super creative sandwiches.

+ A six-layer chocolate & marshmallow cake?!? My head spins!

{Photo credit: unknown}

Approximately 21 days ago I boiled a kettle of steamy tea, ducked under my duvet, popped in a documentary and 84 minutes later my spirit felt changed. I watched Bill Cunningham: New York about the New York Times' style photographer. Have you ever seen it? It's stunning and fills you with enough inspiration you feel as if you could float away. After the film I decided two things. One, I really wanted to bike down West Broadway alongside Mr. Cunningham. And, two, CJ and I desperately needed to ogle over some beautiful photography.

I happened to stumble upon the perfect thing.

Brooklyn photographer Danny Goldfield had an exhibit showing downtown called NYChildren. It showcased pictures of children from all 169 countries who now live in New York City. Perfect. So I grabbed my mini Bill Cunningham and away we went...

When we arrived the gallery was still and sterile and silent. I was unsure if CJ would even give the photos a single glance or demand a banana muffin and want to leave.

And then his tiny voice punctured the air in the cavernous room. "Are there any kids on the wall named Jack or Camille?" (His preschool besties.) 

And so we looked.

We found a little girl from Romania splashing in the sprinklers. Just like we do. And a little boy from China riding the subway. Just like we do. CJ stared intently at the pictures, pointing and asking questions. He was candid and real. Just like the photos.

I told him that pictures are supposed to be worth a thousand words and asked him what he thought these pictures were saying. He said they were worth "47 words," and the kids were saying they were "happy." He told me he liked the picture with a girl peeking through a pile of colored balls the best. I told him I liked the one with a little boy riding on his dad's shoulders through the city crowds. He asked if he could take "pit-tures next year." I laughed and said of course. He stood and marveled at all 169 of his new NYC friends that he will never get to meet. I stood and marveled at the one NYC kid that I am luckily enough to have met.

Art gallery chit chat. With my three-year-old.

It was a New York City scene just for me. And my own personal Bill Cunningham, take two.

In 47 absolutely perfect words.

P.S. How To...Sing Auld Lang Syne On A Bridge.

Surprise, surprise. It's Friday! Greg and I are sneaking out for champagne at one of my favorite French nooks in the West Village. I love the walk home after a few glasses of a good bubbly. The city looks swirly and glowing, like the perfect abstract painting. Have a special weekend, sweet readers!

+ If you could spend a month anywhere, where would it be?

+ Did you participate in National Hat Day?

+ Psst...it's not too late to wear one.

+ This Upper West Side apartment is so ethereal and girly. 

+ A sweet serving tray.

+ And a treat to serve on it.

+ This is spot on, parents.

+ Hungry enough to eat a horse? This is hilarious.

+ Wowza! What an adorable craft project. 

+ Oh the adventures you could journal in here.

+ Good to know.

+ How to throw a pity party.

+ Have you ever received {or, cringe, had to send} some of these?

{Photo credit: unknown}