Last Weekend

With Brian's brother, Spencer, visiting last weekend we set out on our own mini version of the "Kindle-less Walking Tour" and enjoyed some of the more off-the-beaten-path bookstores in the city. It was fabulous and I highly recommend it!

We started in the West Village and happened to walk by a new shop (just opened in October) one of my good friends had told me about. I had to stop in for a quick look and luckily the menfolk obliged. For all moms and moms to be you should check it out! Clementine: Extraordinary Consignment, Maternity to 4T. For pregnant stroller pushers, there is a short stairway down to the shop.

Other stops along the way!

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe.
I bought 4 good children's, hardcover books for under $20. Score!

Restaurant supply stores abound on Bowery.
I love browsing through all the kitchen tools.

Lunch at Frank. Good Italian food.
And that's saying a lot since we usually don't like to eat out for Italian.

One of the many clothing "galleries" in SoHo.

Bubble Tea (okay, juice) on St. Mark's Pl.

St. Marks Bookshop

We also stopped by McNally Jackson Books in Nolita, which is a very open, bright bookshop.

California Moments, part VI

The Final Photos!

Isabella misses her cousins Mary and Emma! She talks about them everyday!

With my dad & Nikki at their home in Modesto. My dad has converted most of his backyard to a beautiful, food producing garden. Very inspiring!

These are just a few photos I took after the funeral service for my Aunt Nancy. As sad as it is to loose Nancy I'm grateful that her battle with cancer is over. And I really enjoyed gathering with family and friends to remember her sweet, wonderful life.

Nancy in Guatemala, loving the little children.

California Moments, part VII

San Luis Obispo

Enjoying Grandpa Jones (Brian's grandpa)

Watching TV with Grandma Jones

Avila Beach

I love, love, love the beach!

Feeding the animals at Avila Farm

California Moments, part VI

Hiking "The Dish"
at Stanford

Now you don't see cows in Manhattan everyday.

A beautiful, hilly hike with amazing views. If you ever go, please know that there are two entrances and it's kind of a long walk. Just don't get stuck, tired, hungry and alone, with children after dark while husbands run a mile to the other entrance to get the cars. Stanford University: The Dish.

Palo Alto Creamery

So, the food was nothing to write home about, but the jukebox and ice cream...FABULOUS!

California Moments, part V

Gamble Gardens
Palo Alto

Call me crazy, but I really love it when the camera captures un-posed photos. Isabella was enjoying her "time out" way too much! A true toddler & mama moment!

I love Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto! I think I've made it perfectly clear to Brian that I really, really want a garden like this someday (okay, maybe on a smaller scale). And living in Palo Alto, I could definitely handle that!

California Moments, part IV

While visiting Jon & Angela we had the opportunity to tour Jon's workplace, NASA: Ames Research Center. Brian loved the experience of flying a Boeing 747 (simulation, of course) and he did a great handling take off and landing. Now he anticipates the cinematic moment when he can stand as the flight attendant announces over the intercom, "Our captain has become incapacitated, anyone know how to fly this plane."

Before California...Design Mom

Just a few days before I headed to California I had the fantastic opportunity to do a party for Maude Blair. Her mom, Gabrielle Blair, is the amazing woman behind the popular blog, Design Mom. Gabrielle posted a fabulous bit about the party and has a ton more photos on her flickr photo stream. View the write up here. For more information about my fun science parties go to www.ScienceExplorersNY.com.

California Moments, part III

Our lovely photo shoot on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. In the mustard flowers, of course!

L to R: Jon, Sabrina, Angela & Olivia