happy thanksgiving...

Finally able to take a break from the traveling and the visiting of this lovely weekend, I just wanted to stop in and say how thankful am I to all of you!

I am oh-so grateful that you read and comment! Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing weekend with friends and family...

image via flickr

birthdays...

It was my birthday on Sunday, and I pretended it wasn't happening. If you're like me, you dread birthdays... if you're not, well, you're like everyone else. I'm a rare breed.

I just find birthdays to be so disappointing. There's usually drama and hurt feelings. So I decided to skip the celebrations and pretend it wasn't my birthday... which led to drama and hurt feelings. So much for my genius plan.

This birthday was just a hard one. I turned 24 and frankly I thought I'd have it together by now. Sure, I've earned a master's degree, become a published writer and written a kick ass thesis {if I do say so myself}, but I'm still waiting for my big break... and I'm loosing faith in myself in the process.

So maybe it would've been a good idea to let someone light a candle and sing the stupid song... but I skipped it this year, and now I feel just as crummy as I do every year after my birthday.

I didn't even let David take me to that movie {which I'm still dying to see!}... How pathetic.

Thanks for letting me rant a bit, friends! I promise to be back to my cheerful self tomorrow...

image via only cupcakes

a shameless plea...

Dearest boyfriend o' mine,

I know you hated Paris, je t'aime {I loved it! Didn't you, dear readers?}. But maybe you hated it because it was French... and Frenchiness can be an acquired taste for some {namely, you}.

However, New York, I Love You contains nothing Frenchy and it is playing at the theatre on 60th and 3rd this weekend.

And it is my birthday on Sunday, you know {yes, my friends, it's my birthday, but I'd like to pretend it isn't happening... for reasons I will disclose at a later date}. So, maybe you could sit through this series of romantic vignettes in the name of the city I love most?

Like I said this is a shameless plea.

merci new york...

It's no secret. I am no blushing bride. Maybe one day, but I'm not expecting a proposal any time soon...

However, for some reason I gravitate toward bridal blogs. Maybe because everything is so romantic and picture perfect? A dreamy escape is one of the perks of reading blogs after all, isn't it?

Designed to inspire the busy New York City bride, Merci New York is just that... a dreamy escape. I love this recent post on all things turquoise, since my apartment's color scheme is filled with light blues, ivory and beige. Gorgeous, don't you think?

Happy Friday friends! Wishing you a lovely weekend...

caitlin mcgauley...

As I obsess over the premiere issue of Lonny magazine {aren't we all obsessing?}, I keep coming back to the soft watercolors of Caitlin McGauly.

Her paintings are just so warm and inviting... something about them makes me feel at ease and at home. Maybe it's her New York theme that I love so much. Be sure to check out Caitlin's NYC Sketchbook. So lovely!

Happy Wednesday friends!

images by caitlin mcgauley

simpler times...

Last week, I went to see Jersey Boys. And, of course, having spent most of my life as a true Jersey girl, I loved it. There's a certain kind of humor that comes from being Italian {or in my case, 1/2 Italian} and raised in the Garden State... And this play captured it perfectly.

But, what it also captured perfectly was the simplicity of the 50s and 60s... Sometimes I wish I could travel back in time to see what it was like. I suspect I wouldn't fit in well... I don't think I'd like being referred to as a dame. But there's just something romantic about simpler times {you know, before Blackberries and global warming} don't you think?

images via a visual party, garbonza's weblog, and here

this week...

This week was one of my busiest weeks in a very long time. There were quite a few ups and downs, but I've been meaning to share the good bits with you, my dear readers. As I catch up on my blog reading with a freshly brewed cup of coffee this morning, it seems like the perfect time to dish...

On Monday night, I attended Glamour's Woman of the Year Awards. It was an inspiring and star-studded night! Hearing each accomplished woman speak, made me want to do more with my life.

My very favorite part of the evening was hearing Maya Angelou speak. I hung on her every word-- every word she said was poetry. I was truly in awe. See highlights of Maya Angelou and the amazing other honorees below.

While Joanna from A Cup of Jo has been away, working on her lovely Parisenne project for YSL, I was asked to contribute a few guest post over on Glamour's daily relationships blog, Smitten. Here are a few of my posts:

* 5 Signs You Need to Dump Him, Stat

* Are You Looking for Someone Quirky?

* And Is It Weird That I Hate Pet Names?

I hope you pop over to Glamour.com and enjoy!

images and videos via glamour.com

new york city fire escapes...

There is something romantic and very "old New York" about fire escapes. Holly sang on one when she had a case of the mean reds. Maria looked down at Tony from one when their love affair had just begun...

I have a little red fire escape outside my window. A quiet reminder that an escape is there if I need one. A quiet reminder of a New York that's come and gone. A quiet reminder of my little city life {as if the horns and sirens would let me forget}.

It's kind of sad, the way new buildings have done away with fire escapes, don't you think?

images via i know, i'm blushing, film reference, and here

write it on your heart...

Too help you start your Monday morning off right, I thought I would share my new computer background with you, my dear readers...

My mom shared this poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson with me last week, and I thought it would be a perfect computer background, serving as a daily reminder that every day is the best day of the year.

Wishing you a great new day!

P.S. If you'd like this background for your own computer, leave a comment or email me at kristen {at} kristenflanagan {dot} com and I will send you a screen-sized file!

original image via flickr

happy weekend!

Happy weekend, friends! This week has been such a busy week, with one very special weeknight surprise...

Le boyfriend took me to see the New York Philharmonic play on Thursday night! While I am not a classical music aficionado, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Beethoven and Mozart live. The entire experience was definitely one of those magic New York moments.

Before the show, we dined at Cafe Fiorello, which I would definitely recommend. The antipasti bar is unbelievable-- everything was scrumptious.

All in all, a perfect date night! Just the thing to make a hectic week a little bit sweeter.

How was your week, my dear readers? What are your plans for the weekend?

images via new york social diary and nymag