An English corner shop in NYC

Today, we took a trip into NYC.. Boy, do I love this city... although when I was doing the 9-5 grind here everyday, I couldn't wait to get on the Path train and head back to NJ.

Nowadays, the visits are few and far between... largely due to the logistical challenges of mooching around with a 4-year old and 2-year old in tow... How native New Yorkers do this is beyond me...

I can tell that my eldest has been removed from this lifestyle when she asked if we could just drive around rather than walk.... memories of apartment life and trawling around parks have all but been forgotten for this little one,  and she is definitely a 'burbs girl!

Anyhoo, any visit to NYC has to involve a trip to Myers of Keswick. A little English corner shop in the center of the Village. This place gives me my fix of all things English (although the price tag lets me know that I'm definitely not in the UK). Not only does it sell all manner of English household-named goodies, but it also offers a great selection of homemade pasties, sausage rolls, and, just for the season... mince pies! Mmmm, if I close my eyes I could be in a quaint corner shop in Keswick..... except when I open the door, the bells jingle and I'm right back on Hudson Street... a few blocks from Perry Street (where the legendary Carrie lived on Sex In the City)...

I so hoped to capture more shots, but the battery ran out on my camera... lesson learned... remember camera and batteries...

I'm learning all this the hard way, though... I even joked that I could have been part of the papparazzi for the day, as we spied Ralph Fiennes sitting outside a coffee shop... Liv Tyler walking down 6th Avenue, and John Mayer looking moody near the Blue Note...

Hope you're all having a great week.
Take care.
Lx

The beauty in simplicity...

As I write this post tonight, I have to tell you that my head is a little woolly... I'm afraid I've been nursing a hangover all day... please, don't judge... I've spent the best part of my 30's either pregnant or nursing... during which time, I think everyone and their dog decided to get married... and so, while everyone else chinked their champagne glasses, toasting the happy couples, I sat on the sidelines... either with baby in my belly, sat on my belly, or working out when I next needed to pump...

Given this sober state of affairs, it has meant that I've been at weddings taking in the details... and, I have to say, there is no such thing as a bad wedding...

... this one occasion gives us an insight into the preferences of the happy couple...

.... and, while some may not be to everyone's tastes... every wedding is a celebration of a happy union and, that in itself, is beautiful...

Anyhoo, this particular wedding was in Providence, Rhode Island (a city that I have now fallen in love with and demanded that, once that hubby of mine finishes his studies, we all up sticks and move there)...

... the ceremony was held at Prospect Terrace Park... with fantastic views over the city... it was conducted by a friend of the groom and is best described as intimate, simple, beautiful... just perfect...

I sat next to a tree that had the initials of countless couple etched into it... as I watched two wonderful people exchange their vows, I thought of all the lovers that must have shared moments in this park... wondering what had happened to these couples... wondering if they are still alive... wondering if they ever come back to this tree...

I thought of the simplicity of love... no bells and whistles... just love in it's simplest form... a wedding like this didn't distract you from that thought... it reminded you that this is what it's actually about...  close friends and family celebrating love...

...Oh... and then, amazing food and cocktails... lovely cocktails... too lovely....  so, once again, on a Sunday, I'm off to bed to catch up on some much needed rest... I definitely can't party like a rockstar... I think I should just stick to tea!
Happy  Monday all!
Lx

Run for the hills...

With the threat of Hurricane Earl looming over us, the hubby persuaded me to jump ship and head for the hills... The Cabin.. I was not happy with this... you could say I was a grump... pretty much like this chap below...

Anyhoo, it turned out that the wrath of Hurricane Earl (for us in New Jersey) surmounted to not a single raindrop and a few toppled down plant pots... sooo, you could say, it was a wasted trip to the cabin... especially as I had a list of chores as long as the Magna Carta at home...
On the other hand, the hubby was delighted to get away (shirking on his household chores), and asked me to see this as our last hurrah before the academic year started... I was not convinced, but showed willing...

Hmmm... and so, while there, I pushed all thoughts of our house being whisked away like a scene from The Wizard of Oz, and embraced the cabin life once more... It certainly is a place that forces you to relax. The hubby always says that, 'time doesn't exist in Lackawaxen'... and, for once, I have to agree with him... everything moves at a much slower pace...

The leaves were slowly turning...  and there was a chill was in the air. As Fall rolls in, there's no better place to showcase it than in the mountains...

And so, after a visit to the petting zoo, a spot of antiquing, and a couple glasses of red, I was finally relaxed, and all thoughts of Hurricane Earl, laundry, ironing, gardening etc. had been washed away...

...in fact, I'd go as far to say that I was the most relaxed I've been in a long while... It's amazing what can come out of a hurricane...

Hoping that everyone in the States is having a lovely Labor Day weekend... and to everyone else, have a happy Monday!
Lx

A Slice of England in Pennsylvania

We're at the Poconos and I'm once again reminded just how relaxing this place is. We don't get to visit here as often as we would like, now that we have the little ones... Travelling lightly or nipping away for the weekend with toddlers is pretty much non-existent, and so, when we do the 'Effort v Enjoyment' calculation, I usually deem that the effort exerted outweighs any enjoyment garnished... However, when I am entertaining, I view life through new and improved glasses... and so the get-a-way  cabin becomes all the more desirable... I mean, just look at the mountains, lakes, and fresh air.. I get so good at selling this place, I sell it to myself!

Anyways, a few years back, the hubby and I found a place called 'The Settlers Inn' in a little town named Hawley, and this place has become a unique selling point for me... Hawley echoes an age that has long gone. Within this quaint town is an Inn that gives more than a graceful nod to an English pub. With it's English craftsman interior, English ales, and a stunning English cottage garden, I'd be forgiven for thinking I'd hoofed it back to the mother country!

As much as I lurve the ole USA, I certainly miss a good English pub... the beer garden in the summer, the crackling fire in the winter... oh, how I yearn for these... but, boy does this place deliver... It's like a little slice of England in the USA.  

So there we were today, sat on the deck... the hubby tucking into some fantastic food, me drinking a lovely cup of tea (would have been even better if it were a PG)... 

The gardens are amazing... perfect for walking around after eating a delicious lunch...

We then popped into the garden shop attached to the Inn called 'The Potting Shed'... the hubby picked up a cowboy hat, which he assured me was actually a gardening hat... I was just too busy perusing the beautiful gardening accessories... namely a large basket for carrying flowers and vegetables around the garden... not that I have a vegetable patch, but I would have used this basket if I had....

We then strolled along the river, where my brother showed off his 'stone skimming' prowess... the hubby watched in awe...

All in all, this place makes me realise that I don't have to be in England to appreciate beauty and a good pub... It's right here on my doorstep...

Hoping that everyone out there is also having a fantastic weekend and making the most of this beautiful summer!

A lazy afternoon...

What better way to spend a day than next to a lake... collecting snails (Ok, that bit wasn't quite so glamorous.. they looked nice, but smelt awful)...

..before heading back to a cabin, sitting on the porch with a cup of tea, and breathing in the fresh mountain air...

Sorry, the posts have been few and far between this week, but sometimes a girl just has to relax...

I have some beautiful experiences to share with you soon, though... Wishing everyone a wonderful and relaxing weekend...

Over and out Cape Cod...

And so, it is time to leave the gorgeous Cape Cod and it really is with a heavy heart that I write this message.
Our time here has been magical and lived up to every expectation. When booking the cottage, I poured though ad after ad (yeah, the hubby loved that), attempting to find 'just the right place'... It had to say, "Cape Cod" to me (where I'd got this notion from, having never been there, I don't know); I guess I'd imagined this family vacation image a million times, drawing upon images of childhood vacations. I thought, being in the States, I was pretty much setting myself up for a fall. But, Cape Cod delivered on all fronts and made me realize that I don't have to be in the UK to relive childhood experiences with my own children. I leave here with amazing new memories and those of vacations long gone being relived!

Now for the mammoth car journey home... I guess traffic jams are another memory synonymous with childhood vacations in the UK.. now where are those Opal Fruits *Starburst* and the thermos of tea?

Memories of childhood vacations...

There's a storm-a-brewing in Cape Cod today, and so, a kink was thrown into our plans. Rather than a beach day (to keep the kiddies happy), it was a day of more sight-seeing... I'd like to think that this will grow their minds and give them an appreciation for all things beautiful... OK, they won't realize it any time soon, but they'll thank me some day!
Anyhoo, we set off to Truro, a place named after a quaint fishing village in England. As a child, we vacationed here often, and so, I wanted to see how the American version matched up!

The skies were grey and the wind was blowing, so it had everything going for it so far! On arrival, I breathed in the salty sea air, heavy with the smell of seaweed and I was transported back 30 years... If only I'd remembered the Thermos of tea!!!

It definitely wasn't as quaint and beautiful as Chatham, but for me it stirred all the nostalgia of home and childhood holidays, and so, won points on these grounds alone.
On our way home, we passed a local vineyard, which we of course had to visit...

The kiddies were asleep in the back of the car (why would you wake sleeping bears?), so the hubby and I relayed out of the car. Unfortunately, we had to pass up the wine tasting (I think that would be pushing the 'bad parenting' too far), but we did take a couple of bottles for the road. I'll let you know how it tastes!

All in all, it was a wonderful day that brought back a lot of great childhood memories for me...
Do you have a specific vacation spot that reminds you of your childhood? Leave a comment and let me know... I'd love to hear your stories...

Bathing in the beauty that is Cape Cod

Trying to pack everything into our vacation with the little ones is becoming increasingly difficult and, unfortunately, there have been some casualties along the way... namely eating out and sleeping. Last night, however, the hubby and I decided to squeeze in an evening stroll, with the intention of getting some delicious seafood along the way. And so, we walked through the village of Chatham and took in the sights...

While bathing in the beauty of Cape Cod, I did a lot of imagining that I lived in a beautiful village like this...

Even the garages here are beautiful.

I want a front door like this

With lavender in a basket like this...

...where the kiddies didn't scream (by now, my youngest was swimming in her own personal misery), my clothes weren't smeared in whatever the kiddies had eaten that day... and I was a few pounds lighter (keep missing those meals and I will be)... years younger... wealthier...etc...

Beachy sure is Peachy!

A book left for the next beach visitor.

If you're fond of sand dunes & salty air...

Then, I caught myself, because here I was with my beautiful girls and wonderful husband, taking in all this beauty, which I can now share with you... and the old turn of phrase, 'life is good' came to mind. I know it's a cliche, but I've spent so much of my life wishing, and now I'm finally seeing that I have everything I've ever wanted right here... not just in this moment, but 'almost' every day...

Before the tantrum....

Check back with me next week on that, though, when I'm back to being run down by the chores of every day life!