Today, I awoke to an alert on my phone identifying the suspect in the NYC bombing that occurred on Saturday night, injuring 29. On my morning commute riding the subway, I couldn't concentrate on my book, because I was thinking about the stabbings at a mall in Minnesota that occurred on Saturday night as well, injuring 9. I worried about taking public transit in one of the busiest cities in the world and was anxious when a police car zoomed past me. On my walk to my office, I actively avoided corners with trashcans and mailboxes and took a longer route to avoid the crowds.

In the week following the 15th year anniversary of 9/11, in the months following Orlando, and the year that included Paris, Nice, Istanbul, and hundreds of horrific events in the Middle East, it is hard to step back and appreciate what we have in this world. A morning where, because of hate, I was consumed with thoughts of anxiety and worry, it is hard to realize the amount of love and kindness that does exist in this world. It is hard to put into perspective the opportunities I have been given by being born into the body I was, in the family I was, and in the location I was.

In a world filled with hate, there is also a world filled with love - as long as we choose to see it. Well wishes to those living daily fears in places far more dangerous than my own. Today, hold your loved ones tightly, live with kindness, and share love.

Meticulous debates surround a summer bonfire to discuss proper marshmallow etiquette.
Doughy white cubes burst into flames then are quickly blackened and extinguished through giggling breath.
The sous-chef practices a different approach; strategically avoid the flames’ direct lick and slowly rotate into a golden-brown treat.
Loyalists to the fire-craft sacrifice proximity to the inferno to perfect gooey ecstasy.
 
Stray embers pirouette towards the sky, mimicking the fireflies’ pulsing greeting to the cicadas in the trees, and the crickets in the grass, and the frogs in the pond.
With baited breath, a dirty glass jar waits to fulfill its destiny of reincarnation from “Knott’s Farm Strawberry Preservative” to illuminated insect death-chamber.
Swirling dresses and swirling clouds of smoke pair with toes tickled by soft blades of grass.
 
A boy capitalizes on an excruciatingly long hour, in increments of a centimeter per minute, to nonchalantly inch towards his crush.
She fidgets with the loose thread protruding from the course tribal blanket they are both sitting on.
Her once-white Keds, now rimmed in a nature green stain, speak to days of bike rides with no handlebars, popsicle overdoses, and first kisses in neighborhood tree-houses.
 
The fire wanes soft as nature’s circadian rhythm slips into pace for the night.
The blanket is folded and hands with sticky fingers throw sticks with sticky ends back into the forest to lay where they were picked.

A dirty glass jar takes on its new purpose.
And the Keds get dirtier.

The current largest love affair of my life remains, strongly and vehemently, the love affair I share with New York City. As it remains – an accumulation of many nights - this is where I stand.

A self-romanticized stroll, accompanied by musical commentary as melancholy as your mood,

You catch the gaze of a stranger wearing dirtied Chuck Taylor’s and note that this is the last time your eyes will meet.   

Soberly thoughtful, you sit on a rusting park bench, watching tourists’ cameras hang out of taxicabs.

Inquiring pigeons select the bread-holding-homeless man over the finance mogul with oxfords as slick as his hair.

Clasped hands swing back and forth as a couple with cuffed jeans wade their bare feet in the cold fountain water.

They talk about that time they went to that concert and did that drug and that thing in that bathroom.

A group of too many dogs, tethered to a woman with too many bags, prance by, scaring the pigeon detectives.

One dog bends down to lick a dark mark on the cement – a shadow of a young girl’s expelled chewing-gum.

Catty corner boasts a café that serves smashed avocado to girls with large social media followings.

They sit with oversized hats, in metal chairs, discussing fashion and locations exclusively below 14th street, Manhattan.

A waiter with ear gauges, who performs drag on Sunday nights, clears a table filled with half-empty mimosas.

You contemplate the group, and the group beside them, and the group on the fire escape above.

They all coexist in your world, but you all coexisting in New York’s.

Simultaneously stealing your energy and gifting you energy, the city doesn’t stop to allow pause. 

You are allotted the blessings of ever-twirling opinions, youthful fervor, and charismatic hopefulness.

Your tax remains a lonesome, wandering range of days and people who are constantly searching for what they are to themselves.

The buzz, the pulse, the vibration - leaves you with something. 

You’re not quite sure, but maybe you’ll figure it out on your next stroll.

Dating in New York City is a complicatedly hungry monster. While I could begrudgingly package my life into a Sex-and-the-City doppleganging experience, it would not be an accurate reflection of my current situation. I don't eat quinoa, I never get my 8 hours, I drink more liquor than water, and the average life expectancy for my tights is two days. In reality, I don't feel like the spunky 'vivacious 20-something' that I literally am. The denial is real, and so it the impending doom that is my childhood/current diet finally bitch-slapping my body. 

This city is dripping with unabashedly confident, successful women with impeccable fashion sense and the affinity for winning the gene lottery. While this utopian society is heaven for the woman-drooling population, the luck doesn't tend to tip evenly the other way. The ratio of men to women in New York City is 3-to-1, much like the ratio of times I fall in love with a stranger per subway ride. 

Being a self-proclaimed metrosexual inamorata provides me with an abundance of embarassingly awkward sexually-ambiguous situations. The Game is to figure out if the perfectly coiffed hair and the strategically slightly-over-tailored trousers are meant to attract the male or female population. Is it too much to ask to not-so-seriously date a satorically aware male who maintains peak scruffage, rounds out at a strong 6-foot-4 inches, and doesn't wear running shoes with toes?

The question is, if this city is The City of Singles, then how does one maximize profits? Does one acquire straight-across bangs slightly too short for their face and move to Williamsburg to date The Man-Bun-Flannel they saw on the L train this morning? Does one invest in a Juice Press rewards program and suffer through the occasional hot yoga overheating to satisfy The Equinox-Gluten-Free-Yuppie whom you stalk on his shamelessly self-promoting Instaram account? 

Can tastes transcend stereotypes? If, as New York City residents, we all unwillingly drink the Kool-Aid, vowing to remain forcibly single until we are "reaching our success peak and at least 28, but, god forbid, no older than 30", then why don't we embrace our anti-nuptual lives and explore the plethora of unique dating options we have in the city? 

Alice + Olivia created a wonderful fairytale that drew a vivid picture of color, pattern and intricacy and vibrance. 

It is all in the details. Having a home that is filled with interesting details and personal touches makes all the difference to your living space as well as your mood. Creating a specific vision in your mind when decorating your place will end in a result that reflects your personality and interests. If you take the time, you will be much happier with the results.

For example, I would paint everything metallic gold if possible. It's a horrible addiction. No dollar store shelf is safe from the wrath of my gold spray paint can. While I try to hold back on occasion - I would probably try to paint the walls gold if I could - you can still definitely see a trend in my design aesthetic.

BROWN RICE SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, 
GOAT CHEESE, AND LEMON

from Cooks Illustrated

While I am trying to cook more, it is a learning experience. FOR EXAMPLE: completely forgetting to put goat cheese in a goat cheese salad...

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
• 1 recipe Brown Rice for Salad (see related content)
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of asparagus with tips pointed in 1 direction and remaining asparagus with tips pointed in opposite direction. Using tongs, arrange spears in even layer (they will not quite fit into single layer); cover and cook until bright green and still crisp, 2 to 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, season with salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until tender and well browned on 1 side, 5 to 7 minutes, using tongs to occasionally move spears from center to edge of pan to ensure all are browned. Transfer to plate and let cool completely. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

2. Whisk olive oil, shallot, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Transfer cooled rice to large bowl. Add asparagus, all but 2 tablespoons goat cheese, and dressing; toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Add 1/3 cup almonds and 3 tablespoons parsley; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining almonds, reserved 2 tablespoons goat cheese, and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley; serve.

I am perpetually destined to get distracted by beautiful things. I strive to make my life as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

I am still gradually, unwillingly pulled towards the potpourri of Pinterest boards and Tumblr posts tempting me to procrastinate and dream about the interior design of my future New York City apartment.

I think I could be happy living in a small box as long as it was decorated. MY decorated small box. Sounds nice. And small. And most likely realistic.

 I would love to be in a studio with HUGE open windows that reach floor to ceiling.

 I love pattern. If I could incorporate the use of color and pattern into my place, it would brighten my apartment.

 If all I have in my apartment is a bed, it better be comfortable and it better have a million pillows.

 It is all about the small details. Whether it be wallpaper or fresh flowers.

I love the look of the couch sitting at the foot of the bed and of course a MAGNIFICENT headboard.

One can only hope their apartment can be as colorful and vibrant as these.

What do you want in your future home?

This morning as I waddled out into the arctic tundra that is my University campus, I realized that layering should probably be a major because I would definitely make the Deans List. I think my fingers froze into Barbie-like shapes as my joints immobilized in the cold. YET, never fear because SOMEONE SOMEWHERE will be able to afford the following sweaters that they probably won’t wear because they will be busy at their winter vacations in the Carribean. BUT they could wear them… if they wanted to. Here’s to sweater envy at ANN YEE’S latest 2014 showcase:

ANN YEE 2014 COLLECTION

Give me the chunk. Give me the knit. I love it all. 

Why can't I just be warm? WHY DO I LIVE HERE?

While living abroad in Rome for five months, I became a chef - if you call a chef someone who learned how to scramble eggs for the first time and educated themselves on the difference between a clove and a head of garlic. Needless to say, I have learned to appreciate food, cooking and exploring my way though the trenches of a kitchen. Here's to my first recipe and the many to follow.

ASPARAGUS, RED PEPPER, AND SPINACH SALAD 

W/ SHERRY VINEGAR AND GOAT CHEESE

from Cook's Illustrated

Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with cheese. I would eat only cheese every day if that was accepted in normal society. The goat cheese in this salad was a perfect pair with the garlic vinaigrette and the roasted peppers were incredible. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for a healthy, interesting salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 6  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  red bell pepper, cut into 1- by 1/4-inch strips
• 1  pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces 
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1  medium shallot, sliced thin (about 1/4 cup)
• 1  tablespoon sherry vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1  medium clove garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 6  ounces baby spinach (1 bag)
• 4  ounces goat cheese, cut into small chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke; add red pepper and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes, stirring only once after 1 minute. Add asparagus, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook until asparagus is browned and almost tender, about 2 minutes, stirring only once after 1 minute. Stir in shallot and cook until softened and asparagus is tender-crisp, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Transfer to large plate and cool 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/4-teaspoon salt, and 1/8-teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until combined. In large bowl, toss spinach with 2 tablespoons dressing and divide among salad plates. Toss asparagus mixture with remaining dressing and place a portion over spinach; divide goat cheese among salads and serve.