Time Out

Ok, so I know I'm supposed to be finishing up blogging about our honeymoon before blogging about anything else that's happening in real life (or at least that's the rule I have for myself), but I just had such a lovely New York day that I had to write about it. This is going even more against my rules, because I don't even have pictures to go with it. Its fine if some of you stop reading at this point. I'm even posting this with the real date on it. So next time you check back to see if I've blogged more about Florence or Rome (and I promise I will soon), don't forget to scroll down past this post.

The day started with bagel sandwiches from New York Eats and iced coffee from Starbucks while I sat with Geoff on the couch and he watched College Football and I read though old Entertainment Weeklys (I'm way behind). Bagel sandwiches aren't exactly on my diet, but since I'm just getting over being sick (thank you, antibiotics) and Geoff is in the midst of it, we're allowed. Spent a little time this morning running to get drugs and gatorade for poor Geoff who is, even as I type this, shooting a wedding down in Battery Park, despite his aches, chills and sinus pressure. Everyone pray the DayQuil Sinus kicked in.

I left him around 2pm to head into the city for a haircut at the fancy place that specializes in people with curly hair, Devachan. Got off the subway in SoHo and amidst the throng of tourists and shoppers, spotted Christian Siriano, the winner of last season's Project Runway, looking just as fierce and tiny as you'd imagine. I love him and think he is crazy talented. (It's almost more fun for me to spot a Project Runway designer than a movie star at this point). I ducked into the salon and emerged an hour later with some great curls. They did, however, refuse to do my bangs, since they apparently don't believe in any part of a curly-haired person's hair being straight. So picture the bangs a little wonky for the rest of my story.

I headed uptown to meet my best friend Alison for dinner between shows, as she is currently in previews for A Tale of Two Cities on the Broadway (go buy tickets). By the time I get to the theatre, the matinee has already let out and the stage door is swamped, but I run into a few actor friends I know and get caught up chatting so Alison has to come down and fetch me. We go into the theatre and walk up the crazy flights of stairs to her dressing room so she can show me the opening night dress she just bought. Speaking of fierce. On our way out, she walked me onstage to show me the set, (since I'm SUCH a good friend I haven't even seen her show yet), and even though the actor in me has long since passed away, it is still a magical experience to stand on a Broadway stage and look out at the empty theatre. I'm not even ashamed to say that, no matter how much of a theatre geek it makes me seem. It's just really, really cool. Romantic and inspiring and...magical. There, I said it. And I've only done it three different times, even though I've been in NYC for seven years and casting Broadway shows for over half that time. One was when Alison was in Fiddler on the Roof, and now both other times have been for a show in which James Barbour is the lead (the first was Jane Eyre and now, Tale of Two Cities). Maybe he's my lucky charm. I do love him. Or maybe Alison is. They're neck and neck at this point.

We got to dinner, and had one of those amazing conversations that you have with your best friend, especially when you haven't REALLY talk-talked in weeks, where we both cried a little and were reminded of who we really are and left feeling much better about life. Not that anything was even wrong with either of us going into the conversation. But we were so long overdue for a real chat that when Geoff and I had dinner with her and Stephen last weekend, we often left the guys out of the conversation quite by accident. After which Geoff STRONGLY encouraged us to make a date. And we did. And it was good for our souls.

After dinner I walked her back to the theatre for her evening show and then walked up 9th Avenue to meet my co-worker Stephen (different Stephen - who everyone in my life refers to as his nickname "Button", so as not to get my two Stephens confused) who was going to loan me a movie I wanted to watch tonight while Geoff is shooting this wedding. I had my iPod on and that 10 block walk up 9th Avenue was pretty awesome. Walking anywhere in NYC with your iPod on makes you feel like you're in a movie. You've got a great soundtrack, and you're watching those NYC movie montages live and in 3-D around you. The girl in a strapless print dress and spiky red hair hailing a cab. Couples dining al fresco and drinking wine at multiple cool restaurants. The old lady in a straw hat with her groceries. A girl with a pony tail walking her dog, and his expectant look as he waits for her to unlock the door to their building. A bus boy running from the bodega on the corner with a loaf of french bread back into the restaurant where he works, because they've clearly run out of bread. Parking lot attendants in navy blue uniforms watching the girls go by. Tourists (though they rarely make it further west than 8th Ave, another reason that 9th Ave is a much better place to take this walk) discussing the finer points of Phantom of the Opera or Wicked or whatever other brilliant piece of theatre they experienced at the matinee. Guys sitting at a sports bar way too early in the evening. Hot dog vendors making a deal. Three girlfriends emerging from a shop together, laughing. The dancers rehearsing at the Alvin Ailey School. And the amazing photos at the Alvin Ailey building that actually move as you walk past them. Picture all of this going on around you while Bruce Springsteen (Thunder Road), Melissa Etheridge (Breathe) Frou Frou (It's Good to Be in Love), Death Cab For Cutie (Your Heart is an Empty Room), MercyMe (Here With Me) or Kelly Clarkson (Gone) play in surround-sound just for you. It's one of those things that I love about New York. That I can have such a full and vivid and romantic and interesting 10 block walk and feel like I just wrapped a scene from Gossip Girl (if I was far younger and ridiculously good looking) or Sex and the City (though I would have had to be in the Meatpacking District or the Upper West Side and in much more enviable shoes). And no one can even tell what I'm thinking. To them I'm just the girl with the yellow purse and wonky bangs smiling slightly to herself while she listens to her iPod. They don't know that I've just had my own personal movie montage. And I didn't even have to pay $10.50 for it.

Nesting on the Cheap

I couldn't even believe it. After breakfast at our favorite diner, we stopped into Starbucks for coffee (cause the diner doesn't do iced coffee justice) and I happened to notice that there was a moving sale just a block away. They were advertizing coffee table, kitchen table and chairs, two of the top items on our list of things for the apartment. And things that have proved elusive in all our shopping and online searching so far. So we headed over, just to see. I fully expected it to be like all the other furniture you see on Craigs list or that you picture in your head when you think of a moving sale in Queens. I'm thinking, ugly flwoered couches, nasty ornate light colored wooden furniture... Not so! One of the first things we see is practically the PERFECT table for our kitchen. Great color, its in great shape, and there are only three chairs, but that's ok by us. We bought it on the spot for WAY less than we should have. We were so excited we were almost beside ourselves.


We got it home, set it up and promptly tried it with some of our table settings. Did some "staging", as if we were on an HGTV show. Fun!



After finding the kitchen table, the search was still on for a coffee table. Geoff is itching at this point to get all of our purchasing done so that we can be SETTLED. I enjoy shopping around a little more than he does, (and I'm just generally slower to make a decision than most people...like to REALLY weigh all my options). SO we have checked all the usual suspects for coffee tables and have come up empty: Crate & Barrel, Macy's, Bloomindales, Bed Bath & Beyond, The Door Store, Pottery Barn, Target, Bob's Discount Furniture and general online searches. We sorta kinda liked one from Pottery Barn and another that we found online, but weren't crazy about any of them. And then there was Craig's list. We found one that someone in Union Square was selling that was Pottery Barn a few years ago that was perfect. And one day after a shoot, Geoff had the car, went to visit it and brought it home for another steal. Pictures to come in another post...

I love it when a house comes together...

The Bokas' Day Out

We had the BEST day. It was Saturday, there were no weddings to shoot and nothing to keep us from enjoying a summer day in New York. The weather was gorgeous and after several weekends of Geoff mentioning that we should rent bikes, (after loving it so much in Italy), we finally did it. And loved it again.


We finally found a bike shop that still had any rentals available at noon on a Saturday in the summer and high tailed it over there to pick them up. There was a slight moment of crisis when we realized that the woman before us at the store took one of the bikes we had on hold. And we were told there were no more rentals available. But the bike shop just found us another one. Possibly one that actually belonged to somebody else and was in for repairs, but we didn't ask any questions.


After a quick stop by auditions for me (I had to flex those rusty acting muscles and read with an actor), we headed over to the west side of Manhattan and rode south on the bike path by the Hudson River. It was GORGEOUS out.







And it seemed everyone else had the same idea, as it was packed. The bike paths, the benches, the grassy areas, the boardwalk... just tons of people out enjoying the day. Even saw the lady from the bike shop who had taken our bike. This guy though, was one of my favorites.


We passed Chelsea Piers, and hung a left on Christopher Street to ride through the West Village and almost as soon as we did, we saw this adorable little Italian restaurant with outdoor seating. So we stopped for a late lunch. It was SO good. And made for even more of a flashback to Italy.



Me stealing something delicious from Geoff's plate while he takes my picture.


Afterwards we would through the West Village a little more and came upon a street fair on 6th Avenue. We walked our bikes through and saw grilled corn on the cob vendors, jewelry sellers, cotton candy, fresh lemonade, and this really really cool furniture booth from a store where everything looked to be hand carved from whole trees...just some gorgeous and really interesting pieces.

Then we continue east, picking out dream houses in every other brownstone that was painted with colors that I liked.



After making it to 2nd Ave, we spent our last few moments in the bike lane there, just enjoying the breeze and the sights and the people watching. We love bikes. And if Geoff has anything to do with it, we'll be buying some of our own as soon as possible.

Our Love Plant

What nearly no one knows is that for our wedding favors, we potted a bunch of basil in these cute little silver galvanized buckets, because (according to what I read online), herbs represent things (who decides that, I wonder?) and basil represents love.

So my mom and her friend (and maid of honor in her wedding) Ginny potted all this basil, we put cute little stakes in each pot, and around that, looped everyone's name tag for the reception with table assignments. And it was two names to a bucket, one per couple...also keeping with the "love" theme.

No one would know this however, because of Wedding Day Rain Storm #1 ripped through just before the ceremony and destroyed them all. Fortunately, there is a silver lining here. My mom, Liz (my new sister-in-law), and Liz's mom salvaged as much of the basil as they could and nurtured it while we were galavanting around Europe. Liz planted some in her planters, which was growing beautifully when we were there for our mini pool party with Carla and Alison. And Liz set aside three buckets for Geoff and I to take back to NYC. After a month in those tiny buckets, they were looking a little sickly, so I repotted them and brought them back to live on our kitchen window sill. Don't they look pretty?


I've always wanted my own herb garden, and feel this is an excellent start. Now I have to just try not to kill it.