Sunday Gratitude (for naps)

// 1. My Sound Career has arrived. As has the fear. // 2. This pigeon escort me to the park. // 3. Bowl of morning joy. // 4. Enjoyed Korean treats at a Parisian bakery. Yes, you read that right. // 5. Family wedding in Chicago. // 6. Reverent, whisical church windows.

Happy Sunday People.

I honestly didn't realize it was Sunday until about an hour ago. This week has been BUSY and this weekend we took a whirlwind 20-hour trip to Chicago for a family wedding (congrats, Sean & Nicki!) Hence the disorientation on the day/time. Oh hence. This was a grand day for a nap.

Gratitude.

It was a joy to see some extended family this weekend. I've been living in NYC for a month now (can you believe it?!) and I've largely spent my time alone. Not in a creepy way, but I'm just new in town. I've been attempting to get a lot of things off the ground, work-wise, which often feels like a lonely kind of hustle. I'm thrilled with it, but it's also a strange experience, being in this city brimming with bodies and spending a lot of the day not speaking to anyone. Seeing family this weekend kind of filled in the gaps a bit. Stevie's cousins are so funny and silly and just COMFORTABLE and I love spending time with them. You know when you can just be yourself with some people? Well, it's hard to be anything else with these folks. Hence the adult-sized Christmas onesies, any of you remember?

Now I'm off to babble monologues to myself. Wish me luck in my attempts to memorize. I've got some casting directors to wow (?) this week!

The Merrell Challenge: 30 Runs in 45 Days

// My new running trail: Jackie O Reservoir in Central Park. //

Mapmyrun.

I've been meeting a lot of people lately. New city, new friends. It's been grand. One common denominator amongst a lot of these new friends is their athletic ambition: TONS of people are training for a half marathon this fall. It's intimidating. And impressive. And just plain intimidating.

I am not a true runner. A true runner needs no music, no external motivation. They feel the (intangible to me) heartbeat of nature as they fling their long lean limbs through the air, resisting gravity and all temptation to STOP RUNNING. Maybe they don't even have that temptation. I'd like to wave a Twix in front of their noses and see if any pupils dilate. These people are impressive. These people are disciplined. Beautiful. Lean. And possibly have extra motivation genes. These people all look a lot like my hot athletic sister-in-law Lauren. She's one of this elite breed. Multiple triathlons under her belt. I have accepted that I am not one of her kind. I would need some genetic engineering to yearn for the pavement in this special kind of way.

However, I do sort of like running. Even though it hurts. And I get cramps. And even though my inside thoughts are only whines. But really, I do like running (well, we should call what I do jogging), because it makes my lungs feel fly and my legs wake up. When I run I feel grateful that I can.

Enter the Challenge.

I came across this challenge on my Mapmyrun app: Merrell's Feel Your Run Challenge: 30 Runs in 45 Days. I am not much of a quantifier, so I've never really sat down and counted the number of workouts I do in a month of two. But this kind of made me ponder. How hard would it really be to run 30 out of 45 days? So before I could talk myself out of it, I joined this challenge. Am I crazy? I wonder if there are any bonus points for doing more than 30 runs in 45 days... If you want to join me in this endeavor, sign up here! If you haven't used Mapmyrun before, you should definitely check it out. It's a free app that calculates all your workout metrics: calories burned, distance, speed, elevation, etc. It's pretty spectacular. It's super easy to use and sort of makes you feel accomplished.

So far, I've completed 3/30 runs and I have until Oct. 17. I'll keep you posted on this! You can follow my Instagram trail pics here. Wish me luck!

September Delights List

September Delights List by knhale // 1. Kate Spade Seaport Grand Two Tone Watch // 2. BCBGMAXAZRIA leather handbag // 3. 'Design Sponge' Home Décor Book // 4. Someday, Maybe, Someday by Lauren Graham // 5. Dogeared Elephant Stud Earrings // 6. Report Slip Ons // 7. Attingham Tea Set // 8. Capri Blue Candle // 9. Sparrow Fiemme Cardigan // 10. Gorjana Honey Comb Lariat Necklace // 11. Happ & Stahns Perfume

September and Such.

Mmm September. I truly can't get enough. This magical month is just my Achilles Heel, in a way. And there are just so many pretty, craveable items out this month, thanks to the wonderful school year kicking off. I don't boast to be a fashionista, but any fashion instincts in me definitely surface during the Autumn months. I dress mostly like a slob for 9 months a year, but when September hits... well, I just have too much respect for this grand season. You can see the full amount of fun on My September Pinterest Board. These are all items that get me excited for fall. Especially that Design*Sponge book, since I've been in apartment-decor mode for weeks. Ooh la la.

Currently...

Listening // The peaceful tuneage of John Mayer's "Paradise Valley" & Bethel Music's "Tides"

Snacking  // Trader Joes Animal Crackers

Watching // White Collar Season 1 on Netflix

(Since Burn Notice Season 7 has yet to come to Netflix... Or finish its current season on TV :)

Reading // I know it's sort of trashy, but I'm relishing, "Nemesis: The True Story of Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O and the Love Triangle that Brought Down the Kennedys" It's a guilty pleasure.

Craving // Mom-Sister time. I miss that goofy girly trio.

What's on your September desires list? 

Hello September!

Don't you love New York in the fall?

It makes me wanna buy school supplies.

I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.

On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms. - Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

So We Meet Again.

September is absolutely, hands-down my favorite month of the year. And it only mostly has to do with the fact that it's my birthday month (wink wink.) I love the subtle transition from lazy, late summer to watercolor hints of autumn. The trees begin to turn up their crisp noses at the air's humidity, and in timely obedience to the magnificent weatherman in the sky, the temperature drops accordingly and the boots march out from their safely-tucked hiding places to do some walking. I am just captured by the colors: evergreen, scarlet, marigold, auburn and amethyst. These coy shades manage to catch me off-guard every year, and yet I relish the moment because it feels so good to be, yes, seduced by the luxe wonders of fall. Walking down the street and watching a gently falling leaf from an old oak tree; you can't make this stuff up. Well, you could, but I wouldn't because it sounds all-too cliche. Yet there it is, you can't help but spot it: that petite brittle leaf, aimlessly letting go, falling, and papering the bustling streets with its chilled quiet.

Labor Day.

We went on a bike ride this weekend along the West Side Highway from the Upper West Side down to Chelsea, had a taste of brunch and traipsed around the uber-hip Chelsea Market for a bit. We stopped midway to gaze at the Hudson, and stayed resting in the grass for a long time, enamored at the fact that someone was swimming laps in the river. Yikes. That's bravery.

City Garden.

I had to halt our bike ride once again when I came upon this fantastic little garden in the middle of Riverside Park.

The Garden Peoples' Garden is a mesmerizing little treasure trove, perfectly manicured and stocked with giddy, mismatched plants. It was such a lovely way to spend the first day of the month, biking around our new town and sensing that the joy would only increase with the coming months. I realized that September was back again, ushering in her charms of fall. I am so ready for you, September. Let's have a whirlwind month, shall we?

Sunday Gratitude.

// When hydrangeas wilt you know it's summer's end. Oh Labor Day. //

Sunday.

Today I woke up to a hilarious text message from my sister. I guess she knows I've been a bit homesick (our recent snapchats have consisted of me, sending puppy faces, mourning faces, and fake-crying faces. Often these go without response.) However, she texted with a sisterly, all-knowing, "If you're homesick, here ya go!" The text included a video of my family at home on this fine day. My mom making breakfast, my Dad misunderstanding everything she was saying, and my cousin (who is pretty much a sister), glaring at Rachel, inquiring, "Why are you video-ing this? Are you taking a video??" Pretty much priceless. That kind of chaos is specifically Spencer-branded. There is no other family (that I know) that scrumptiously blends sarcasm, compassion, movie quotes and fervent prayer into such a wonderfully warm haven of laughter. It was just a comforting way to wake up. Realizing that even though I'm far away from "home" these days, the same kind of pattern is still happening there... and that just makes me happy. My goofy insane family is the same as ever. Somehow it cured a bit of my home-sickness. How? I have no idea. Sometimes the heart just needs a tiny taste of home.

Thankful for my sweet family today. What are you and your family up to this Labor Day weekend? I hope you are able to spend time together (labor-free), grilling out and laughing to your heart's content. Enjoy this end-of-summer celebration weekend!