Today's quote

"You can never be too rich or too thin."
-Wallis Simpson, Dutchess of Windsor

Aristotle on my tea bag

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire."

What motivates you?

Starbucks

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

--President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Inaugural Address March 4, 1933)

A laugh

Overheard while walking by two NYC men in conversation:

"I wonder if Jack Bauer will be at the inauguration in D.C. today."

Inspiration

From J.:

"You have such grace under pressure. The city's tough love is inevitable, but facing it head on let's you know just how strong you are."

Starbucks

"I used to feel so alone in the city. All those gazillions of people and then me, on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stumped by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say, "Hi." They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word."

--Augusten Burroughs, Author of 'Running with Scissors'

Louboutins in Paris by BeChic

Inspiration

And now for the first quote, via e-mail from K:

"I think you are one of the only people I know who knows exactly what you want and what you believe in. Even I don't know what I want 95% of the time, but I admire that you do and you should stick to the ideals that are important to you. Boys are never worth compromising your morals for. (nor are other people for that matter.) That said, while I don't think it will be impossible for you to find someone who shares those same thoughts and beliefs exactly, I think that he may be difficult to weed out from the others. This does not, in any way, mean that you should give up hope. It means you'll have to dig around a bit more, but the search is usually worth it in the end (or so I'm told!). As a society somewhere along the line we got the idea that it would empower us to do these things, that it would somehow make us more independent and free. Not to say either way of thinking is better or worse than the other, but just realize that there are two sides to everything. Consider the possibility that there is a guy out there who, while he might not carry all the cards you are carrying, WOULD be willing to set aside everything to wait for you, to be with you. Unfortunately, we are not perfect. Human beings are ultimately flawed, but we all have reasons for doing what we do. You will find someone whose reasons are justified, whose reasons you can live with, and who will put you and your beliefs at the center of his world. My eyes are always and forever on the lookout for you. xoxo"

How's that for inspiration?

My first post

Dear friends,

I decided to start a blog today, and my reason for doing so is multi-faceted. First, I am just bursting with joy about my daily life, so this blog will be a tiny reflection of all the wonderful, positive things that surround us. The loves of my life are my new home in New York City, fashion, entertaining, interior design, cooking/eating/wine, and friends. The subjects of future postings will be a conglomeration of those loves, as well as musings on the trials and tribulations of being a 20-something girl. In addition, I am surrounded by brilliant women and men, who consistently say the most remarkable things. I wanted a place in which to preserve these thoughts, a place where I could refer to the wise words that have been shared with me.

Your input will make this blog spectacular. I look forward to the ideas that will take true shape here.