A trip to NYC and a few sneak peeks

I have to be honest here.  Blogging has taken a backseat to life.  I love to blog and to bring you pictures of the furniture, DIY and such, but some days blogging is the further-est thing from my mind.  Facebook well I love because I can interact with you all on a daily basis & I can do it in between getting things somewhat accomplished.

I have a 3 & 5 year old.  I am spending much of my free time with them.  I have become a big part of my 5 year old's first year in school.  I am doing and being as active as a stay at home mom can.  You know like field trips, joining in game day (which is a ton of fun),  etc.

We have ballet for both girls, which I love having that "time" with them separately.  It's "our" time.

We have been working on something that is heavy. It took up a BIG part of my time over the last week & a half.  I spent so much time researching, writing, pulling stuff together.  I hope that I will be able to share with you soon and I hope it is good news.  I need a ton of thoughts & prayers that things go in the right direction.  Whatever is meant to be to be.  I need to put this to rest good & for all!

I also just had family here for almost 2 weeks.  I absolutely loved it, but I did nothing with furniture except make it to an auction and a couple of estate/tag sales.  We went into NYC, West Point (the guys did a tour), out to eat, cooked big meals, we went to my booth, farmers market.  My husband put my brother in law to work on the outside wall.  And, my awesome brother in law did some electrical wiring for us to give us lights in the shed!!  It was a fantastic visit and we were all sad the day had come for them to fly home to California!

My dad thought they needed supervision :)

I really do want to be a more active blogger.  I want to bring you more pictures of before & after. This I can tell you I have done several pieces I haven't shared yet.  I will share a few peeks here -

I am just finding my time is cut short some days, and by the end of the day I am spent.  I am too tired to edit pictures (and again truth be told...I forget more times than not to take before...bad blogger).

I do believe that once winter is here I will be able to bring more to you.  Auctions & estate sales are fewer.  We will have settled into a routine.  Outside projects will be put on hold.

Until then... Please enjoy our trip to New York City!!  My sisters & brother in law wanted to see the city.  So we did a 9 hour bus tour.  It was the best & easiest way to get as much in one visit as possible.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

I have lived here since 2002 and while I've seen pretty much every inch of the city, it has been quiet some time since I've been in to see all of the tourist spots.

Atlas

Freedom Tower view from the Empire State Building

Brother in Law is retired fireman.  

Little Italy - San Gennaro festival was going on!

View of the city from the Empire State Building

Midtown (also known as Times Square)

Rockefeller Center

We took the ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty.  It was a beautiful day for a boat ride!

Ellis Island 

The Girls on Liberty Island

I haven't been down to the 9/11 memorial since it's been finished.  There is still a very distinct feel when you walk in.  I have always felt it and I hope the feeling never disappears.

I have to admit.. I love the Wall Street area.  I spent much of my time down there when I first moved to the city.  I would take to the subway stop that came up right next to this church, and I walked down this street past the NYSE every morning.  I loved it!

Wall Street

After I left my job that took me to Wall Street, I went to work for a company located in the Metlife Building.

The Metlife building is located in Grand Central and you can enter through the terminal.

This is the beautiful ceiling in Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal is truly a remarkable building.  It is stunningly beautiful, there are restaurants in the lower level, and many shops along with a lovely market inside.

I took my Katie with us.  The girl kicked butt & took names.  She had to be up at 5:30 a.m. for us to be in the car & leaving by 6 a.m.

Getting ready to board the bus

The girl went all day with not one complaint.  She trucked along like a little adult.  It was such a pleasurable day with her.  Once we got into the car & settle, sisters eyes went heavy and out like a light.

Showing her sassy side!!

Dance off with the Tour Guide

By the end of the day SHE was our tour guide!!  

It was a great trip had by all, but we were all tired and ready for bed as soon as we got home!

I hope you enjoyed the overload of pictures.  NYC offers some of the most beautiful architect, great restaurants, and people watching places you could visit.  I don't go into the City nearly as much as I once did, but every single time I do, I am still as in love as I was the first day I emerged out of the train station.

Funny story.... (not sure I can type it out to be as funny as it was)  When I first came to the city, I had started my interviewing process almost immediately.  I was never intimidated or overwhelmed by the city (and I came from a little country town in Texas).  I lived in New Jersey and therefore I commuted in to the city by the PATH train.  I had gone to my interview, changed from my heels to my flip flops and continued on to catch my train home.  It was in the middle of the day so most people were at work (very few in the train station).  It was myself & a young couple on our side.  I was sitting on one bench, they on another.  I had picked up a newspaper and proceeded to read it while I waited.  Not long I felt something go over my foot (remember flip flops = bare feet).  I slowly lowered my paper to see a medium dog sized rat with an extremely long tail.  YUP the nasty bugger ran over the top of my foot.  I found myself stand on top of the bench.  YUP I leaped from the ground to the bench without even realizing it.  The young couple was doubled over laughing & when they could FINALLY catch their breath asked me if I was new to the city!!  Why yes I was and nope I had never seen a rat that size before.

Have a wonderful Sunday all!!