8 year anniversaries.

eight years is a long time. or at least it's not a short time when it's a measurement of how long you've been dating someone and you're 31 (i don't think).

with all this change (or at least the anticipation of change), abe and i have been doing a lot of s-o-u-l searching. we search first thing in the morning when we wake up, while walking to the subway, while making dinner, during commercials breaks on the couch while watching late night tv.

the thing is, it's so easy in the day-to-day, especially with the fast-pace of the city, to get picked up by the whirlwind that is your (um, my) life. for me, that's being an attorney most days of the week, being (or trying to be) a consumer of all things new york (yep, the things that keep me glued to the city: following restaurant openings on grub street, the ballet at lincoln center, walking the hudson river). 

but sometimes, we have to stop 

and sort through our lives. organize and prioritize. 

figure out which things are our rocks (a move westward, a baby, a fast-track career in big law?), and letting the pebbles and sand fall where they may. 


right, i know. who measures life in pebbles and rocks? apparently the professors and students at columbia business school. ever since abe's retreat with CBS a few weeks ago, it seems like our discussions keep coming back to the same question: what things in life do we want to be our rocks? (and ultimately, how will the rest work itself out?)


our conversation on sunday to celebrate our 8-year anniversary was filled with exactly these questions. 


i don't have any answers for you. at least not yet.




but we did get to enjoy some delicious italian food while at it.  


xoxo, 
anne-lise

spotted: darling's spring collection.

one of my favorite store fronts in the city. 

. . . 

in the past few weeks, spring has begun to make its approach. slowly, but surely. nightfall doesn't arrive at 4:30 in the afternoon anymore. the weekends are sunny, and it's beginning to feel like this winter (albeit relatively mild so far) is coming to an end. 

darling's store front spring collection (which i walk by every morning on the way to work) has also got me thinking about some new colors, and best of all, dresses! (without leggings or tights or uggs).  it may admittedly be too early to indulge completely in warmer weather, but i'm beginning to start counting down the days 'til spring.

xoxo, anne-lise

a year for resolutions.

i'm not one to make new year's resolutions very often. but this year feels different, and i think maybe that's because i expect it to be a year  f u l l  of change. it'll be (even after almost 8 years of dating and 5 years of living together) my first year with abe as a married couple. (married!). it may also be because i expect that there will be a move from the Big Apple to the bay area (i capitalize the Big Apple because, in my mind, it really has become an untouchable city worthy of worship, addictive and perfect in its imperfection). but change is a good thing.  and san francisco claims good weather. it may also be because i think there is some room for adding creativity back into my life. and mad + vine is a first step towards that. (thank you, libby).

so, whether or not the mayans were right about 2012 being apocalyptic, i do predict that it's going to be a big year.  

and, you may be wondering, what exactly are my resolutions? i have really only one. at least only one that I've said aloud to myself or anyone else (my husband). and here it is, in all its oddity.  

i would like to host more parties. 
that's right, 
i'd like to become a better hostess!

you may now also be asking yourself, is that really a fair resolution?  or rather, is that a resolution at all?  the thing is, i get nervous about having people over. i have always (always) had two fears. first, fear of being the center of attention. and second, fear of not being able to entertain flawlessly.  entertaining, of course, embodies the first (a good hostess must be comfortable as the center of attention). 

but as an adult, and as a married person even more, i'd like to be that person who can host friends for dinner and drinks. and have fun while doing it. apparently gwyneth paltrow is a great hostess. so. this is the year to make that happen. practice makes perfect.

and all this brings me to these amazing pictures by sara remington. they encompass everything about food and entertaining that i love. they are simple, beautiful, scrumptious, easy (or at least easy looking). hopefully i can update you soon on a successful evening of deliciousness. done with a sense of confidence and ease. until then, here are just a few to whet your appetite.

all photos property of sara remington. for more of her musings, click here.