Ooh Hallow's Eve

As I used to say as a kid, Nothing Stops Halloween. This Halloween the streets and shopping centers were packed with children hungry for some trick'r'treatin'.

Below I share some fantastic costumes and some sweet decorations.

How was your Halloween? What's your favorite costume?

Post-Sandy :: Mobile Photos

Sandy left a mess in her wake and we pray for all the families who really had it hard; our hearts are with you. The city really shut down. For many, it was a much needed bunkering down; time well-spent with family and friends. Some times we must be forced to take it slow and enjoy being inside with the ones we love. Below are some mobile photos submitted from a reader. Flushing Meadows Park really experienced more than its usual share of flooding. The lone fire hydrant in one of the photos really shows the extent of overflow.

Back to work for me this morning and tomorrow, the routine is back. I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing time off with family. It reminds me where my heart and priorities are.

What was your Sandy experience like?

Post-Sandy :: Photos from the Meadow

Hiatus - Sept 30th Street Fair

Forest Hills held a nice little street fair on September 30th of this year. Here are some overdue photos of the event that, eventually, was blessed with a little rain.

Enjoy.

Serene

Working on the weekend is good. It makes us grateful for those weekends we don't work. Appreciative of the times that we can relax and make room for rest. A little serenity goes a long way. And that's actually what I feel when I look at this picture of the bird below.. It's so peaceful.

 Our city is so wonderful because we have access to so much, more than what we really need, but, at the same time, we can shut it all off and just be free of the things that tie us down in the day-to-day.

There is a German saying "Stadtluft macht frei" and it means "city air makes you free." I must say I agree; city air certainly makes one feel free. We are able to create and recreate ourselves as we see fit, when we see fit. This weekend let's indulge in some peace. Something that makes you feel at ease. Whatever it may be. Taking it slow, one step at a time, enjoy. Really, really enjoy. Every moment of what you do. Appreciate. Be grateful. Sometimes we need to work hard on the weekends to appreciate those weekends that we don't work. In this incredible city that offers us surprises around every corner.

So let's be free this weekend. What are you going to indulge in?

Enjoy!

Abundance

The weather has been gorgeous! This weekend I enjoyed a spontaneous trip to Astoria where I was pleasantly greeted by an abundance of flowers, veggies and fruits. Autumn is striking quick!  The colors were so magnificent I simply couldn't not take as many pictures as possible!

 First off the clouds were ridiculous.  Those rays and that contrast. None of these photos are edited; I wanted to simply enjoy the colors as they were captured and honestly nature is photography's best editor. Whenever I see the sun and the clouds playing with light in this way it gives me the giddiest feeling of all.

Walking down the street there were plenty of grocery shops and restaurants that had gorgeous greenery to enjoy. I love the lights wrapped around the trees and all the fruits and vegetables that are on display as one passes.

 Among the groceries and restaurants, a flower shop also graced the streets. The flowers were beautiful and once you see pumpkins and squash there are two immediate associations and both deal with excessively indulging food :: Halloween & Thanksgiving. I enjoy both thoroughly and love having these colors on every block to remind me of the delicious sweets and the yummy food that is soon to come.

This place was beyond awesome. The way they wrapped all those greens around the market to really give it a FALL feel, I loved it.  All the fruits and veggies and scarecrows made for a really sweet display so I had to stop and take some shots!

After walking around and enjoying the weather and the area we simply had to make a stop and buy some sweets & coffee. What I really wanted was absolutely everything, but I settled for a strawberry cheesecake that was pretty yummy. Seeing the mango mousse here is making me want to return. To top off the cheesecake a really good caramel iced coffee hit the spot perfectly.

Put on the walking shoes and just take a good stroll around; you never know what you'll find.

Enjoy!