"Stanton" - Settings: ISO 1600, f/11, 1/100 sec, 50mm lens

And… we’re back in Manhattan.  I took this photo walking along Stanton Street in the Lower East Side yesterday.  Something about the arrangement of all those different elements called to me.  Yes – it is a far cry from the foliage and small-town charm I enjoyed over the weekend – but hey – I’m officially a New Yorker now – nine years in.  And I think NYC is just as beautiful.  Just in a different way.  In my dream world, Adam and I will have a house in the country (or in a small, charming, funky, cool college-type town) someday and we’ll ALSO have a small apartment to keep in NYC so I can get my fix of both settings!   You hear that universe??  I’m putting that out there!  I hope you’re listening!

I always joke that I “Secreted” Adam.  You know the book The Secret?  Well, I don’t exactly believe in all that stuff… but I do think there’s something to visualizing and actually making clear declarations about what you want out of life.  About a month or two before I met Adam, I read that book and one night, I was up on my roof all alone and I looked up to the sky and I said – “ok universe…  I know exactly what I want.”  And I listed all the qualities out-loud that I was looking for in a man (yes, I’m a dork) – but then BAM.  One month later Adam finds me on J-Date.  Two years later – I’m married.  Interesting – no?

Anyway – I was happy to have a quiet night in with my husband last night.  I cooked a yummy dinner – a recipe from The Pioneer Woman – Chicken Cacciatore.  It came out great!  And I even made that dulce de leche dessert that my friend Robyn whipped up last week!  I started boiling the can of sweetened condensed milk right when I started cooking dinner.  Three hours later, I opened it up and it was caramelly deliciousness!  I cut up some apples and strawberries and served it up!  Adam was impressed. 🙂  I’m trying to get more fruits and veggies in to our diets and in this meal alone we had green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, onions, garlic, tomatoes, strawberries and apples.  Not bad for one meal!

Now I’m off to the nursing home for Bingo.  Hope everyone’s having a fabulous day!