52 photos/weeks 21-24

21.) I am quickly turning into a crazy plant lady, and I love it ;)
22.) Living in New York is by no means easy, and most days I want to throw in the towel and move somewhere quieter/cheaper/better smelling, but spending an entire Memorial Day having a picnic in Central Park with your most favorite people somehow makes it all worth it.
23.) The ridiculous amount of rain we've been having this spring paused just long enough for these clouds to come out and play.
24.) A quiet moment on the couch before heading in for another long day of work.

52 photos is my personal challenge to take one awesome picture per week in 2014. All photos were taken by me on either my iPhone 5s or Cannon EOS Rebel T3i (my "big girl" camera). If edited, I use Snapseed, Instagram, or Adobe Lightroom. Follow me - @maspad - to see these and many more pics!

summer(2014): to-do

If last year was the summer of yes, then this year is the summer of slow down. We are all too busy, too over scheduled, and pulled in too many directions. It's not even halfway through June and I'm already stressing about how I'm going to get it all done this summer - how am I going to manage running two different productions while still making time for street fairs-flea markets-green markets-long walks-short skirts-outdoor movies-rooftop bars-panama hats-maxi dresses-bike rides and beach walks? When am I supposed to get it all done? Well, as my lovely friend Kristen recently reminded herself, it's time to put on the breaks. I need to stop trying to up with the Joneses (or in this day and age, keeping up with the perpetually sun-drenched and DIYed instagrammers and mommy bloggers) and go at my own pace. The other day I jotted and doodled some quick summer goals, and once I reached the end of the (relatively small) page, I stopped. No pushing for more, no stressing about opportunities lost. And the truth is, if I don't even get to half of the things on my list, I'll be ok. I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on for the next three months and most importantly, enjoy these summer moments - hopefully though, while wearing that panama hat and sipping that cocktail ;)

weekend link love 04

Apologies for the radio silence as of late! It takes a lot of work to make a play, and I've been logging some long hours these past few weeks to get this play off the ground and into the theater. We're almost open, and it's shaping up to be a pretty fantastic show! While I haven't been able to spend too much time scouring the interwebs, here are some things that did catch my eye ;)

*I'm a little late to the game, but there's an entire art form dedicated to the spirit of doodling - it's called Zentangle, and I honestly haven't been able to put down my Sharpie marker since discovering it.

*I love love LOVE this photo book that recreates fictitious dishes described in literature. Ever wanted to see what Gatsby's buffet or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's cheese sandwich may have looked like in real life? Now you can.

*I always wondered how Monica and Rachel managed to afford their massive Greenwich apartment, but this brilliant infographic proves that it was all just TV magic.

*My beloved pinkie ring disappeared a few weeks ago and I'm crushing on these as possible replacements: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

*An interesting look at the psychology behind, and trickery of, our brains and food.

*This is random, beautiful, and utterly captivating.

*You guys. In planning our next vacation, I discovered that Icelandic horses have a fifth gait known as a tölt. New goal: use more umlauts in life.  New NEW goal: ride like this guy.

*And finally, plant graffiti is apparently a thing. Now if only I could figure out how to do something like that on my balcony.

Have a lovely weekend!!

Please note: some of the above are affiliate links, which may earn me a small commission (but at no extra cost to you!) Regardless if I get paid or not, I still stand by my recommendations and hope you enjoy them too ;)