Breakfast, Brunch, and Brinner

Brunch.  It's my favourite part of the day, partially because it can occur at any time on any day.  Breakfast time?  Eat some brunch. Wake up too late for breakfast?  Brunch.  Dinnertime?  Brunch, or, as my sister calls it, brinner.  Brunch for dinner.  Brinner.

These particular photographs are from brunch one of our local haunts, Cafe Madeline, on Sunday.  Danny and I met my friend Ginny, who made that movie I talked about, and who was my roommate my freshman year of college.  Tasty things happened afterwards.  There were steaming mugs full of coffee, croissants, eggs, scallions, cheese, yogurts... it was yummy.

Meeting people for breakfast is the best.

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

It's the Holiday Season

The past few weeks have been great. I feel good about my teaching, we've become just a little bit more monetarily stable, we put up our Christmas tree, and all is well with the world. In general, at least. I haven't been taking as many photographs, or, well, more honestly, I haven't been loading too many onto my computer. So, here are a few that I have uploaded, and some little stories behind them.

Enjoy!
A Happy Holiday season to you all!

Danny surprised me at work two days ago with two dozen roses!  We were going out to a quick lunch, but it wasn't a special occasion or anything.  He was just being super sweet.  I love him.  Seriously- he brought me roses at work.  It made my week!

This is the interior of the comfy Think Coffee this past Friday night.  Because, that's how I spend my Friday nights.  Sitting alone in coffee shops.  Perfection!  Danny and I ended up seeing "The Immortals" at the movie theatre in 3D later in the evening, and had a blast.

Here is the interior of the very not-comfy Maryland commuter train that Amtrak used for my ride back to NYC on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Not stellar for $90, but hey, I got home.

And, here is the tasty and simple croissant sandwich I ate on the train.  I barely had time to grab lunch before the journey, but I'm glad that I did.  Since it was a commuter train and not a standard Amtrak coach, there was no dining car.  If you know me, which you might, if you're reading this blog, or, at least, know a little bit about me, which you do, if you've read this blog before, you'll know that I paired this with a coffee.

This is a pair of boots that my mom gifted to me while I was staying at my parents' house over the Thanksgiving holiday.  They are 90's granny-like ankle boots, and they are some of the most comfortable things I've ever worn.  Despite how they look in this photograph, they are brown, but the furry lining is very real.  Yay.  Comfort.

I went to go see Philip Glass's "Satyagrahya" with my friend Ginny at the Met last Thursday night.  The opera was stunning, and beautifully done.  I had such a wonderful night!    

Post show, we walked out, and saw this incredible sight- Occupy set up outside of Lincoln Center to emphasize to the People who just viewed Satyagraha, an opera about Gandhi’s years in South Africa, and his development of nonviolent resistance, or “satyagraha” (truth force), that peaceful protest, police brutality, etc exist, and are important in this city and country, now. The police were being insane. Saw them manhandle a guy for standing and watching from the other side of the barrier! A bystander.   They were telling people they weren’t allowed to watch, and asking people not to take photos until Philip Glass and his entourage showed up.  Philip Glass, then, started speaking to the crowd or protesters!!  After Glass showed up the police seemed to calm down, despite the fact that the barrier was broken. However, the barrier was broken from the outside- the opera viewers allowed the protester into the square! Art in action.

Mmmm... Coffee at Soup and Burger, a diner in the village, yesterday.  Danny and I had a breakfast-for-lunch date.

MMMMMMmmmmore coffee....

We set up our Christmas decorations a few days ago!  Here is our mini blue tinsel tree, covered in ornaments, and a little snowman table topper.

Some pretty ornamental cabbage currently growing in Madison Square Park.

Speaking of Madison Square Park, here is a shockingly gaudy and unattractive ad for the Lady Gaga Thanksgiving special that was up in MSP for... a whole entire day!  Installations like this make me mad.  It was so un-obvious that this was even an ad for the TV show.  Couldn't you have done something better with your money, Gaga?  Like donated to charity or something?  Outrageous, and ostentatious.  Not in a good way. 

Here is a beautiful sunlit view of houses from the train platform, early in the morning.  I love my days.

Treats popped up in the teachers' lounge at work a few days ago.  It was awesome.

Here is a shot of the subway platform at night, with the train coming in. Always such a welcome sight.

No, I don't know this guy.  Yes, this photograph was an accident.  Yes, I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

Here is another shot of the 34th St Herald Square subway station.  I like this platform a lot.  So colourful!!

I wish many happy days to you all.

Cheers :)

Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Inspiration Fridays: A Book, a Hot Drink, a Treat, and a Snuggle

As the weather gets colder, I like to wrap myself in warmth, eat delicious food, enjoy quality entertainment, and snuggle with my darling.  I feel as if this is fairly common practice.  During the winter, we enjoy hot beverages, the comfort of cozy scarves and sweaters, and the simple pleasure of long, dark nights with a lamp and a book or movie.  Though Thanksgiving hasn't yet arrived, I've already taken to burrowing into my couch with novels, wearing comfy knee socks and drinking hot chocolate whilst playing video games, and piling blankets on top of myself and Danny as we catch up on some of our favourite TV shows.  It's easier to wear dark or warm colors in the cold weather, to surround yourself with everything that makes you feel warm and safe, in contrast to the harsh winds and temperatures outdoors.

Today's post is devoted to the urges we get to hole up in a cocoon, eat breads and pastries, drink coffee, tea and cocoa, and grab a book and a snuggle buddy.  Because that is what inspires me today.  I'm doing my best to beat it by working out and attempting to dress well, but honestly, all I want is a pain au chocolat, my space heater, my boyfriend, a sweater, a latte, and a good 500 pages of fantasy to accompany my winter hibernation.

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Lilla Kuttuggla

 Jeannette Rose

My Old World

Ayeshah Ijaz

Knit a Sweater, Help a Penguin in Need

Pear and Apple

Ecole Azur Lingua

By Moi 

Les Foudres

Unknown

This Perfect Shade of

My Snuggle Buddy, Danny! (Photo by moi)