Jeepers creepers I love this city. People say New Yorkers are rude and abrasive, but I am running around with the cool kids. Still hitting up all the museums, above is from a trip to MoMA. I can’t find it in my heart to appreciate modern art. With my limited scope of the artists, schools and history behind the work, I can at least appreciate the beauty of classic artwork. But modern? I can’t see the beauty of it. Maybe that’s the point. A redefinition of beauty? MoMA left me empty, but after the Frick Collection and The Guggenheim my heart was full again. The Frick Collection is fantastic. A home built to become a museum upon the death of the owner, Henry Clay Frick, you feel like you have a personal tour through one of the most beautiful homes in New York. It doesn’t have a sterile museum feel, but is welcoming and filled with hand-picked epics from Frick’s personal collection.

I’m ready to head back to the MET. I went once this fall, but had to cut my trip short to pick up my bosses’ child from school! I haven’t seen the Museum of Natural History yet, either. I live just a few stops away from the Brooklyn Museum, which I’m excited to see as well! I’ve heard some rumors of a graffiti museum that I need to check out as well. Most of the museums have a pay-what-you-wish or free day, and my friend and I have been hitting them up. Super convient to live here and not be hindered by an itinerary, especially when admission runs $20+ at some.

There are 1001 other museum guides out there, so there is no need to write my personal and uneducated views on the artwork here. Here are a few resources I’ve made use of…

Free & Discounted Museums in New York

A-Z New York Museums

The MET

xoxo,

A

It’s been about 4 months in the city. In August I had no idea that I’d be here today. 3 apartments and 2 jobs later, I am loving my life here more than ever.  I’m working for a fantastic start-up and living in Brooklyn with 4 great girls! New York is just, fantastic. It’s been funny though, I’ve started crossing paths with acquaintances, seeing people I know on the train, and the city starts to seem small. But not that small :) New York is constantly changing and there is always something new to explore, especially for me, the new girl to the city. I just went to the Chelsea Market on an errand for work yesterday. So much fun. It was all I could do to not stop and browse but get back to the video shoot in a timely manner with the garlic and chef’s jacket that we needed! I’m thinking of going to a Winter Flea Market in Brooklyn this weekend, and also want to check out my neighborhood. There are a couple adorable coffee shops I need to hit up. Pull out the flannel and bring an old book, go a little hipster ;)

January was spent body in the classroom mind on a more exciting life anywhere but Northern Michigan.

February I continued to work, study and dream. My wonderful group of friends kept me grounded.

March applications were due, and so were papers. Graduation seemed too far away.

April I quietly turned 19. Road trip to an island off the coast of Georgia, Florida’s freshwater springs and the backcountry of Ohio was a much-needed break.

May I had exhausted my search for a photography internship, so decided to run away to Spain. Oh, and graduated from college.

June was bonfires and beaches. I crammed in as much Northern Michigan summer as I could before heading to Spain.

July I played with 5 and 6 year olds, helped high school kids and businessmen practice their English, and consumed my year’s supply of olive oil in less than a month.

August I wandered through the palaces of Granada, dodged jellyfish with Meghan, and stood in awe of the wonders in Barcelona.

September I cam back to Michigan, lost, and found myself in New York.

October I worked, got lost on the subway, worked, drank lattes in corner cafes, and worked a little more.

November I made friends and saw my first show on Broadway.

December I saw Christmas come in the city. I found a job for the new year.

I came back to the Mitten for the holidays, and here I am now. Looking back I can laugh at my impatience and fretting. He really does work all things for good for those who love Him. I’ve learned so much this year, especially to abide in Christ, to wait, to be still, to trust in His timing. I’m heading back to the city in January to start a new job, a lot of things are still “TBD” but my mind can rest. It’s funny when people ask “So I bet you always dreamed of living in the city?” because I haven’t. It was never even an idea, New York? Take me south to the warmer extremities! It’s crowded, expensive and always busy. But crowded with interesting+dynamic people, expensive because you are in an amazing area with endless opportunity, and always busy with something fun+fascinating. Here’s to another crazy year filled with my plans that “fall through”, turning into something better. 2  0  1  3.

-Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros [song]

After three flights and not enough morning coffee, I arrived at Traverse City’s tiny little airport. Greeted by the pristine carpets and silence of a small-town airport at night, I walked through the baggage claim to be greeted by three lovely faces and big bear hugs. I love the city, love my friends there, the fact that you can go out after 9 and not worry about if anywhere will be open, the diversity, my church there, being able to walk places…. and it goes on. There is something about little Petoskey that has my heart, though. The wide open lakefront, the people who I’ve grown up with, the square little home on  surrounded by pine trees, mama’s gardens and the boys’ dirt bike tracks. It’s home.

Part of coming home means time spent in the kitchen with mom. Last week we decided to tackle the impossible: Recreating my Aunt Eva’s phenomenal sugar cookies. I do not use the word “phenomenal” lightly here. They are tender and buttery, melt in your mouth and above all some of the most beautiful creations you’ve seen. Mom has attempted to make them in the past, with no great success. We aren’t sure if she just gives us a bum recipe from the back of Better Homes and Gardens or if we just don’t have the special Aunt Eva touch that makes these cookies famous throughout the Midwest.

After following the recipe to the last teaspoon, ours turned out surprisingly tasty. Still not on par with an original Eva Cookie, but awfully tasty. You can give them a try at home, or order a custom made batch directly from the source! Visit the website for contact information!

Aunt Eva’s Sugar Cookies
Not adapted, but carefully copied with much love from Harbor House website. 

• 2 c. (4 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 5 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, scrap bowl as needed. Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to creamed
ingredients…mix well. Divide dough into fourths, flatten and wrap quarters with wax paper and seal in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into shapes.

To Bake:

Let dough soften a little for easier handling. Roll out dough on a floured surface to approx. 1/4″ thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake @ 375  for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. When cool, glaze with frosting of powdered sugar, half & half, almond extract and clear vanilla, whisked to a spreadable consistency.

Coconut Almond Candy Bars
adapted from Oh Nuts

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (half a standard 14-oz can)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup whole toasted almonds
• 1 bag 60% cacao chocolate chips
• Kosher or sea salt for sprinkling

In a medium bowl combine the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Incorporate the coconut until it’s coated in the milk-mixture. Press into a foil lined and greased pan. 8×8 would do, it depends on how think you’d like the candies to be. Press the almonds in rows on top of the coconut mixture and refrigerate until set. You can score them with a sharp knife/pizza cutter to make separation easier later. Once they are pretty firm and have a little bit of a hard shell on top, pull the foil out of the pan and separate the individual candies with a sharp knife. You may want to pop them back in the fridge for a little bit so the bottoms get the hard “shell” from the sugar exposed to air. I thought it made the hold up better for dipping.

In a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water melt the chocolate chips. Remove from heat, and with a fork/fingers dip your candies. I did some of the fully dipped, then half way through switched to just dipping the bottom then drizzling chocolate on top. Let them cool on wax paper or greased foil.

I awoke at 6am with great expectations of getting a good place to view the Macy’s day parade. I slowly stumbled about with a pounding headache, wishing I had gone to bed earlier the night before. I pulled on my wool socks and slouchy boots, looked at the clock, 6:31. Wait, 6:31? What am I doing? The parade starts at 9am uptown. I’m going to midtown. 6:31? Is this necessary? The website said get there are 6. That wasn’t happening, and I managed to talk myself into setting the alarm for 7 and taking a nap…. Needless to say I did put up much of a fight.

I got up with a less achy head at 7, went to the kitchen and recovered my half-cut croissant, left mid-prep when the reason of my groggy mind took over. A sunny side up egg, Brie cheese, and a touch of apricot jam and butter. I wrapped up my croissant-wich and sprinted down the stairs to catch the 4 train.

People. That’s what I ran into in my search of a good viewing point and (more importantly?) a cup of coffee. When you can’t move because your shoulder to shoulder with a German boy who is taking pictures with a little silver Nikon and a black mamma with her little baby you just can’t move. Let’s not mention the Columbian guy uncomfortably close behind, and the hat and chain with some mascara and tight jeans for a girlfriend in front, bickering about where they should try to get the best vantage point to see Snoopy.

I made friends with the two short girls in front of me, and they tolerated my occasionally bumping their heads with my camera lens in exchange for a closer position to the street, since I was a good couple heads taller anyways.

After fighting my way back to the train I came back uptown and stopped at the iconic hot dog shop I walk by all the time, but had never stopped. Papaya. I don’t know if that’s what it’s really called, but that’s what the neon sign says! I tried their ”Coconut Champagne” (note: styro cup) and a classic dog topped with sauerkraut and onions. Less than $5 for a quick bite. Good hot dog. Toasty bun. I’d go again.

I had the pleasure of going to Queens with a new friend here in NY, and spending Thanksgiving dinner there. Cliche, but I am SO thankful for the great people I’ve met here. It wouldn’t be the same at all without these great people in my life.

Although it wasn’t the little storybook sight I hoped it would be, after a few snowball fights and yes, sloppy wet wool socks, I am still in a Christmasy mood. A trip to Anthropologie the other week put Christmas shopping on my brain, and I’m currently composing my list to Santa.

This all sounds so traitorous of me. It’s not even Thanksgiving.

At least I’m not singing Christmas carols. Yet. Where is the hot chocolate and crackling fire?

A crowded Grand Central Station, due to the limited availability of the train.

To adjust for the lack of the train they had free buses running… what craziness!

This was my first time in GCS believe it or not! I’d passed through on my way downtown but never gone up to see it. So beautiful!

No power… But a few stores ventured to open their doors to customers.

No starbucks :(

This was a funny moment. I spied these guys hoisting up a flag as I walked down the sidewalk, and waited for a minute while they made the last hooks and adjustments before running it up, knowing that the little wait would be worth the grand photo. The flag raised after such a terrible storm, symbolic and striking newspaper worthy photo right?

Well, little kink in the plan. They had her all hooked up and ready to fly…. Upside down. Needless to say they quickly lowered the flag and started unhooking and latching to switch it. A little anti-climatic but I couldn’t help but giggle.

***

I volunteered last Sunday with some people from my church knocking on doors with groceries in a blind and deaf building  repacking food, distributing supplies etc on the Lower East Side. A lot of people were still without power and heat. Thankfully the train is up and running again, but there is still a lot of work to be done near the coast, the news is reporting all that so there’s no need for me too as well, and I’m so removed from the problems up here. Blessed, but trying not to become oblivious as I sit in a heated apartment with a full fridge and wifi. Keep NY in your prayers!