Strawberry Pickin'

Two friends and I drove out to Jones Family Farm in Connecticut over the weekend to appease our strawberry appetite before the season ends. When we were in the fields, we started joking about the proper word to describe the experience and couldn't quite come up with something worthy enough to convey the adorable trucks that escorted us to and from the fields ("berry ferries") or the bucolic blue sky or the rolling green hills and pastures filled with delighted children and their berry-stained cheeks and fingers.

It was a good day.

(iphone photos processed with vscocam. Follow me on instagram: @exquisitebanana.

High Five!

1). Chamomile flowers. One of the growers at our farmers' market sells bunches of this for $4. Feels so summery in a jar on the window.

2).  Baby dimples; full stop.

3). The park I pass through every day always has toys and bikes scattered around. Loved the juxtaposition of colors here.

4). Pretty diffused light hitting the side of a building in Brooklyn. Just realized the image actually depicts a light. Neat.

5). Manhattan, as viewed from the outdoor terrace of a client's apartment.

High five to these five, and, happy weekend to you! Anything fun planned? I have a shoot on Saturday and a date to go strawberry picking with two girlfriends on Sunday. Today, I'm spending some quality time with my sister (and then Tiho will join us in the city for dinner). Hugs.

Miscellany

Adjusting to a new rhythm these days. June is always a transitional month for me. So far, this one is no exception. Until I find some time to be more present here, thought I'd share a few articles I recently read and enjoyed:

Thought-provoking op-ed by Jonathan Safran Foer: How Not To Be Alone;
The Gift of Siblings (love you, Em);
On habit & routine: How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives.

P.S. I have successfully kept my houseplants alive (and thriving) for three months now. The trick? Only watering when I remember, which for me, means once every week or so.

It's Always Sunny In Williamsburg

Picture the scene: Me, casually leaning up against that brick wall next to the bike, caught up in some dreamy Sunday morning moment by myself, when a gigantic great dane stops right in front of me to do his business. The owner (on his cell phone) makes a comment like "dude, my dog waited four blocks to take a dump and now he's choosing to do so in front of a lady."

Yep.

Happy Monday, pals.

People Are Good

The nicest thing happened to me the other day. Upon exiting the train, I spent several minutes internally debating whether to try and make a run for it or wait out the impending rain in the station. My umbrella had busted in the city and was subsequently abandoned in a dumpster.

I took my chances and started walking. Not two minutes later, the storm clouds exploded, and rain started falling in sheets. Cursing my bad luck, I stopped at the corner to wait for the walk signal just as a car slowed at the stoplight. The passenger window rolled down to reveal an arm offering a bright pink umbrella. The light turned to green while the woman driving shouted "Here, take mine! You need this more than I do." Momentarily stunned, I froze for a second before grabbing the gift as the car sped off. I practically skipped the entire way home, soaked and cold, but beyond delighted to have been the recipient of such a random act of kindness.

We've had tons and tons of rain these past few weeks. My new umbrella instantly puts me in a good mood, because every time I use it, I am reminded that people are good.

Farmer's Market: Early June

Visiting the farmer's market is one of our most beloved weekly rituals. We meal-plan around whatever is in season and enjoy talking with the local vendors for tips and tricks on how to incorporate their crops into our everyday eating.

This past weekend, after what felt like the longest wait ever, our local farmer's market opened for the season. I jumped out of bed on Saturday eager to survey the selection and fill up a couple of tote bags.

I plan on visually documenting the farmer's market throughout the summer and fall seasons. I love witnessing the transformation. So, without further ado, this week's highlights (essentially, what we've been cooking with these past few days): garlic scapes, french breakfast radishes, sorrel, and strawberries. We need to get ourselves back to the orchard, stat.

Summer Living

Summer nights are here. The gloriously long evenings that pulse and glow and make you remember what it feels like to be a kid again. My sister and I have big plans to fully follow through with this bucket list from last year, and Tiho and I also have a few mini get-a-ways to look forward to thanks to friends getting married (2013 is the summer of weddings in our social circle).

I'm pretty much wearing my photographer's cap full-time through the season with the way shoots are panning out. I can't believe I launched my business almost a year ago. How has it already been a year? How has it only been a year? I'm planning a series of posts later in the summer about the journey thus far. It's been wild.

I know we still technically have a couple of weeks until the seasons officially change, but around these parts, the energy has already shifted. In fact, I hear the ice cream truck as I type. Oh happy day!

Watermelon, The End

I stood in my kitchen yesterday evening sucking watermelon to the rind. I ate greedily, letting the juice dribble down my chin and onto my shirt. When I was finished, I threw the shirt into the garbage bin, not because of the juice, but because a child's bracelet had snagged it at work earlier in the day and ripped a small hole near the bottom hem.

It was one of my favorite shirts; soft, well-loved. But, for those same reasons, I was okay letting it go. It had a good run.

I'm not really sure why I'm waxing lyrical over watermelon and old clothing: it likely has to do with the fact that the school year ends next Wednesday and I'm experiencing all of the feelings.

I think we'll have a watermelon snack on the playground next week. It's the right thing to do when you only have a few days left with the twenty-five little humans who've been the bread & butter of your life for the past ten months.

I will miss them.

Hotel Life

After the most nightmarish day of traveling filled with flight delays, missed connections and plane rerouting, I am happy to be home in New York again.

Our weekend away was wonderful though: it doesn't get much better than plentiful dancing and merry-making at a wedding filled with friends (old and new) and indulgent room service enjoyed in a king-sized bed. Despite the airport annoyance (what's up with that, Delta?!), I feel refreshed and renewed after a much-need change of scenery.

Things I learned:

People in Iowa are all really, really nice.
Your hotel room will contain multiple copies of the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Chocolate-covered corn niblets are a thing.

High Five!

1). This flag-turned-art hanging above the toilet. I don't know about you, but seeing a peace dove every time I pee brings odd satisfaction.

2). While we're on the subject of bathrooms, I found it necessary to photograph this paint-splattered doorknob leading into ours.

3). Messy unkempt hair worn loose still feels infinitely better than messy unkept hair worn up.

4). My mom regularly sends me emails containing photos from her explorations with her new camera. I love this one she snapped in Cape Cod (minimally processed by me).

5). This waterfront fence in Brooklyn Bridge park is one of my favorite spots in the city.

High five to these five. And happy (long) weekend to you. We're off to Iowa to attend the wedding of Tiho's best friend from college. He and his fiancée graduate from medical school today and then will be married on Sunday. Tiho has groomsman duties while I just plan on dancing my face off. And lounging around in my hotel robe. Fluffy hotel robes rank right up there in my very favorite things.