Street Vendors Hurt By Recession?

...or just hiding their illegal goods from police?

Sign reads, "This stand is CLOSED. Nothing whatsoever is for sale here."

Not even those hats?

The High Line: Backdrop for our engagement photos

After visiting Manhattan's new High Line park in late June, not only did I decide that I had a new favorite NYC spot, but I discovered the perfect location for our engagement photo shoot. I immediately contacted the photographer we booked for our wedding, Stacey Ilyse, and she was just as excited about the shoot idea as I was.

And so we spent an hour and a half this Sunday evening on the High Line and in the Meatpacking District and had a BLAST. It was fun and relaxed, and we laughed a lot. Rob and I did a LOT of kissing. Even though the park was crowded, it really felt like we were the only people there. And I had some interesting costume change experiences (including stripping down near the ground floor elevators at The Standard Hotel...)

So while it was happening it felt like a positive experience and I knew we got some great photos.

But really...I was BLOWN AWAY by the finished product. I'm so critical of everything -- I never thought we'd end up with such perfect photos -- there's nothing I would change! Not only did Stacey capture our relationship -- the tender love we have for each other, the goofiness and giggles, and our obvious uniqueness and individuality. And she really showed off her diverse post production style (which is the reason why I was drawn to her photos in the first place).

I told Stacey I wanted to blog about the shoot so she moved around her schedule and was able to send me edited images within 2 days!!!! I can't stop looking at them. I'm soooooo happy! I want professional photos taken once a year for the rest of my life, haha.

Some of my favorites are below. A slide show of a bunch can be found here.

I love this photo because it truly captures the beauty of the High Line, and the post-production makes it look extra vibrant and surreal!


I love the softness of this one


And the vibrancy of this one!


Rob's favorite :)



My favorite :)



Or maybe this one is my favorite. I just love how we're both laughing but for different reasons. I'm pretty sure Rob is laughing at himself for not being able to balance on the train track and I'm laughing at him ;)



Still individuals!



I needed to break out the Louboutins and the infamous Renda DVF dress! Its not everyday that my fabulous shoes get to be photographed by a professional photographer! What I really love though is how this photo captures our personalities :)

Honestly, worth every penny. (If you know anyone who's engaged, tell them Stacey Ilyse Photography is running a summer e-session promo--$100 off and free guest book! No, I'm not being paid to mention that, haha.)

I just hope I'm still smiling when one day my kid sees these photos and shrieks, "MOM?!?!? That's YOU?!?! You and Dad look sooooo young. You used to be PRETTY."

Trimble's of Corchaug: Inspired by the Idea Garden

Our NY-centric staycation left us on the North Fork after the visiting the wineries, and any Long Islander knows that if you head out East without going to a farm for fresh produce, you've wasted a trip. As we were driving back to my friend's place, heading west on Rt. 25, I had one of those "WE NEED BERRIES" moments and immediately saw Trimble's which looked like a farmstand so we made a sharp turn into the small parking lot.

Turns out it wasn't a farmstand but a nursery. (The abundance of flowers should have tipped us off...) But I immediately forgot about my hankering for local strawberries since it was such a great spot. We had so much fun walking through it.

Next to the greenhouse and nursery, they have an "Idea Garden" with winding pathways and random accoutrements that you wouldn't normally associate with a garden: Bowling balls as decor, really??? But it achieved it's intention--it gave me the "idea" for a blog post and some inspiration for photos. Here are some photos from the Idea Garden and the nursery. I'll spare you the silly shots I took of Rob ;) No people pictures here...that's what Facebook is for!

What a lovely detour!

Long Island Wine Country Photos

During our staycation, we headed out East to see friends and spent a lovely afternoon on the North Fork at a few vineyards: Martha Clara, Raphael and Pindar. The Long Island wine was excellent but the location and the weather were the true highlights. I love being reminded how lucky I am to live in New York.

Fire Island: Punny Beach Houses

We spent 4th of July weekend on Fire Island, the small island off the southern coast of Long Island's Suffolk County that bans cars, encourages daytime drinking, has a thriving deer and conifer population, and lets you bounce between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great South Bay with just a 3 minute walk.

Most of the beach houses are quaint bungalows and even the ridiculously huge homes are fairly understated. The houses are named just like most of the boats docked on the shore, and I came across a bunch of "punny" names. I took these pics because my fiance LOVES puns, and thought I'd share them here as well. These are from the towns of Ocean Bay Park and Ocean Beach:



Get it??? Dew Drop Inn??? SEA'S the day? Golden Daze...cause its sunny and you spend your days in a daze!...wink wink ;) ;)