Author Archives: adaymay

Mid-Month Mix

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Music is certainly my therapy. If I’m feeling a bit blue, I just need to hear Least Complicated by the Indigo Girls and instantly a smile returns to my face. I love how you can hear a song that brings you right back to a moment you never want to forget. To get us through what I feel is the longest month of the year, I thought I would put together some of my favorites. Enjoy!

March – Anticipation

  • All I Want  (Toad the Wet Sprocket)
  • Free  (Alana Davis)
  • People Everyday  (Arrested Development)
  • Galileo  (Indigo Girls)
  • Something About You  (Cary Brothers)
  • Shiver  (Coldplay)
  • Wishlist  (Pearl Jam)
  • #41  (Dave Matthews Band)
  • Ascension  (Maxwell)
  • Trouble  (Ray Lamontagne)
  • Fool in the Rain  (Led Zeppelin)
  • My Doorbell  (The White Stripes)
  • All At Sea  (Jamie Cullum)
  • My Winding Wheel  (Ryan Adams)
  • Fast Car  (Tracy Chapman)
  • Shine a Light  (The Rolling Stones)
  • Sweet Disposition  (The Temper Trap)
  • Take My Hand  (Dido)

Special Delivery

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There must be something in the water. Since ringing in the New Year, my dear friends have welcomed in the next generation. I have six little ones to buy for… such a lucky auntie! Here is just a sampling of some of my favorite gifts:

This little bath set, which includes one hooded terry towel and one 100% cotton muslin washcloth, is just too cute for words. Exactly what you need to make bath time oh so fun!

Serena and Lily is a go-to for all things baby. Their bedding, nursery furniture… it’s what dreams are made of. This safari blanket (available in three colors) is perfect for stroller rides, tummy time, or to just adorn the crib. S&L collaborated with the acclaimed Austrian textile company David Fussenegger to produce this oh so soft flannel blanket.

Adorable and free trade…doesn’t get much better than that. These little slippers are 100% natural wool from local, free range sheep crafted by Chileans in rural regions of Patagonia. Perfect for a hipster baby in the making!

I always love sending along a piece of art for the nursery. This little whale plaque just makes me smile too!

Who doesn’t love receiving an iconic Tiffany’s blue box? This little elephant earthenware bank is just the sweetest and will also instill the importance of saving at an early age!

This is a gift that I would even love to receive… a collection of eight classic children’s stories with the most whimsical book covers illustrations. And the presentation… perfection. The set includes Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, The Call of the Wild by Jack London, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

I was first introduced to Jeannie Payer in 2001, when I received her Jacob ring as my college graduation gift. To this day, it is still my favorite piece. This beautiful first tooth box is adored with a quote from J.M. Barrie: “When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born, and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies.” A piece that will certainly be passed down for generations.

And to all my dear mommy friends, you inspire me every minute of everyday!

Movie Monday

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liberal arts images
There is just something about this film that resonates with me. I first saw Liberal Arts, written by, directed by and starring Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother fame, at last year’s Nantucket Film Festival, a favorite island event. The story addresses the underlying tension between young and old, fiction and reality, innocence and experience. Jesse, a 35 year-old college admissions officer in New York City, returns to his alma mater in a small Ohio town to attend his favorite professor’s retirement party. While there, Jesse is introduced to Zibby, a 19-year old bright-eyed sophomore, played by Elizabeth Olsen, whose zest for life awakens Jesse, a man who loses himself in books to combat his loneliness.

The film opens with a simple quote from Ecclesiastes: “He that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.” Jesse is proof of this. Life’s answers aren’t found on the pages of books but rather in experiences. And thus Zibby, the youngest, becomes the heroine of this beautiful film through her simple life tenet, an improv rule: say yes to everything. Never stop exploring. And maybe it is this that keeps drawing me back to this delightful film. So, here’s to the journey and to my favorite line “Nobody feels like an adult. It’s the world’s dirty secret.”

Home Away from Home

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Home Away from Home

I’ll be honest. I never thought I was quite “hip” enough for Brooklyn. But after reading “New York Now” in Travel & Leisure last August, I knew I had to get over myself. For it was in this article that I was introduced to The Wythe Hotel, a former textile factory situated on the Williamsburg waterfront that was converted into a 72-room ever-so-chic eco-friendly hotel. Lucky for me, I was able to score a room after the NY Gift Show a few weeks ago and my expectations were blown away.

From the moment I walked through the door, I knew I belonged. The lobby area, designed by Workstead, a Brooklyn-based firm, was effortless. The wood floors, wood benches, floor to ceiling windows and columns throughout the area were reclaimed from the original structure dating back to 1901. I was greeted by an ever-so-hype gentleman (with thick tortoise glasses, of course) who checked me in to my historic queen room on the 5th floor with views of Brooklyn. Upon opening my door, I was struck by the “less is more” design aesthetic. In reading a review, the owners/developers claimed that by “doing less allows the natural essence of the building to shine through.” And shine through it did. The wood bed, again made from re-claimed wood, was simply dressed in white linens, my favorite. What caught my eye though was the nouveau toile wallpaper designed by Dan Funderburgh and printed in Brooklyn. (Just love how Brooklyn shines throughout the hotel). Nothing like seeing a pair of New Balance in your toile wallpaper to make you feel oh so hip.

My night ended at Ides, the rooftop bar on the 6th floor, oddly enough named for the owner’s daughter, and a play on the old adage “beware of the ides of March.” Sipping my cocktail with a dear friend and taking in the views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline, I knew my head may hurt a bit in the morning, but it would be well worth it. All in all, I plan to return to The Wythe again and again as I realized being hip really comes down to embracing yourself and the surroundings around you.

“Step with care…

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“Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act just never forget to be dexterous and deft and never mix up your right foot with your left.”

Wishing Dr. Seuss a very happy birthday and many thanks for all the life lessons along the way!