Curse you NYC. What have you done to me?

I never thought this Yankee town could steal my southern heart ;)

Sometimes you do get what you wish for. Simply, I wanted it to snow while I was here and it could not have been more perfect. Here we are out for a walk with Callie and one of her main boyfriends, Valcor. The puffy jacket is courtesy of angel Jeremy Scott, who created another smart collection for his return to NY fashion week and had the best party with dancing til dawn.

Right now I am listening to Maria Callas (the next project with the Italian Cultural Institute) as my commune of friends awakens groggily from a late night. I have had an amazing morning already, out for a long walk about town taking in the brilliant Alexis Bittar posters featuring 80s diva Joan Collins in full Alexis Carrington mode, the superb bagel shop, the exhilirating cool air, and many friendly strangers.

Yesterday brought this magnolia a true treat. My heart belonged to the ballet as a young girl and who would have thought I would be sitting in Merce Cunningham's studio watching the last dancers trained under him rehearse a very special piece. Sitting on the bench taking off my shoes before entering the studio made me think of those times going to dance rehearsals myself. I should also note the wonderful shock of seeing shirts hand-painted for Merce c. 1958 by Robert Rauschenberg as they came out of the archives....Is this a dream?!

I followed that magic up with a visit with my lovely friends and collaborators at Nouveau PR. They created the best presentations and shows of fashion week (Risto, Siki Im, Flanders House) and conduct themselves with good manners, style and grace. I <3 Michael and Corinna!

Last night I had a perfect dinner at Cafe Gitane with my dear Athens friends who have lived here for many years now. Of all the places in this big city, how is it that my friend Karyn from LA happened to be sitting right behind me? Serendipity is the theme this week.

I don't want to leave. We are off shortly to the Guggenheim. There is so much life, so much to take in.

I am eating a bit of meat again and drinking coffee.... honestly what happened? ;)

So there you are. My love affair with New York is no longer clandestine...

Autumnal Equinox

Hello friends. Welcome to autumn. Can you feel it? Is there more of a chill in the air at night where you live? I hope so. I love it. I love all the seasons for what they bring to us in nature and in spirit. Change is good.

Last night, I realized it was the autumnal equinox. So as I was driving home, I took a detour and drove up to the top of the mountain here. It was pitch black @ 8PM. I'd been out and about and wasn't dressed for a hike up a windy dirt path in the dark. Oh well, I slipped off my vintage cream satin mules, grabbed a wrap from the backseat, notified a few friends of my whereabouts via text (just in case!), and trekked up the trail. It felt good to be barefoot on the earth in the darkness.

Taken on the phone. Doesn't do much justice in illustrating the actual experience...

Beautiful silence. Nothing. No one. This is what amazes me about Los Angeles. To be in one direction in the "thick of things" and in the other, so quickly far removed. I sat up there alone, on the very edge of the canyon. The twinkling lights of the city far below and away, like a galaxy of its own it seemed. I feel really fortunate to have that silent mountain above me. Its why in part I am addicted to living in this area. Its why Los Angeles is so amazing.

I meditated on this life, on my family, on my friends, and thought positive thoughts for them. I did the same for some who have seriously upset me or let me down in the past year. I only wish that everyone can find peace, health and happiness. To not struggle so hard and to accept love. If we could all find things within ourselves individually it seems that the humanity would indeed be a better as a whole:) I don't think that is at all naive.

I thought of all the time I have spent up there, from the moment I discovered it to sharing it with others. All great memories. Even the memories that were once bittersweet are just fine now. Ah...peace :)

I admit that this little mother earth who is all in tune did start to get a little creeped out after awhile once I heard rustling in the brush below me. (More creeped because I could not see what it might be even after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and it continued to make its way closer....). So I moved back down the mountain a bit, faced east, and spoke my prayers aloud for everyone again. Made my way further down in almost a dance-like walk, so happy, and jumped in the car to be greeted by Janis Joplin singing "Bobby McGee" (Janis passed away less than a mile from here as the crow flies). I drove along, finished the song in my garage singing to the top of my lungs, dancing as wildly as one can in the car, and continued to dance like a fool around my place once inside. Celebrating life!

The City of Angels. Its always been a place of dreams, lost souls, creative minds, love, life, hope, and opportunity. Keep that glass half-full ya'll.