Project 365: Days 342-365

342/365: I took an evening flight to California, but spent the day reviewing our itinerary and decided to book an extra night in Pioneertown. I was exploring the town via Google Earth and came across this lady photographing what we later discovered to be (allegedly) the most photographed post office in the US.

343/365: California really knows how to do diners, and Jim and Tag took me to one of their favorites, Pann's, before Jim and I hit Route 66 en route to the Wigwam Motel (with a few stops in between, including the Donut Hole).

344/365: We woke up in a Wigwam (my second!), drove around the Salton Sea and explored Salvation Mountain.

345/365: Our room in the Pioneertown Motel was so wonderful, Pappy and Harriet's was a delight and the desert sunset was incredible.

346/365: We spent the day exploring some desert art and took a little hike around Joshua Tree.

347/365: Back in LA, Tag took me to another excellent diner and dropped me off to explore Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

348/365: LA continued to charm me with its diners (and proper hashbrowns!), and we squeezed in some last minute sightseeing before my afternoon flight back to New York.

349/365: New York is always so magical in the snow!

350/365: I met three friends deep in Brooklyn for dinner at Tommaso's and a little tour of the Dyker Heights Christmas lights.

351/365: One of my favorite new ornaments this year. I just couldn't pass up this happy ham leg.

352/365: My Christmas ham.

353/365: I couldn't pass up this souvenir from our stay at the Wigwam Motel.

354/365: I tried my best to get this little turd to use a cat bed, but she blatantly refused. She prefers to lay on my coats and scarves instead (I need to stock up on lint rollers).

355/365: I only have a few Christmas records, but they were on repeat for most of December.

356/365: I finished my Goodreads reading challenge for the year (a bit early)! I read 52 books in 2017, and this was number 52.

357/365: I didn't take a photo, but we went and saw The Post and it was incredible! Very relevant and of course Meryl hits it out of the park.

358/365: My mom and I had brunch at the Russian Tea Room and then saw the Rockettes at Radio City (our first time!).

359/365: I had a very Meryl Christmas, thanks in part to this wonderful ornament from my friend Shannon that I unwrapped on Christmas morning.

360/365: My mom loves a good joke present on Christmas and this year she told me that she had wanted to buy me another string of sausages, but they were sold out so she made her own. I know she expected me to trash them, but I love them so much I'm keeping them.

361/365: I guess I collect stuffed hot dogs now!

362/365: Another excellent skull to add to my collection (thanks Mike!).

363/365: I was waiting forever in line at the post office, getting annoyed that someone behind me kept brushing up against me—until I finally turned around and saw that it was this floofy dog.

364/365: Man, it's been cold but it was nice to wake up to this snowy scene—especially knowing that I didn't have to go outside all day.

365/365: Ending the year right with breakfast at our usual diner and this surprised little syrup container.

If you're reading this, congratulations! You survived 2017! What a shit year, globally, but I personally balanced out some of the political garbage fires with some real delights. I won't bore you with a full recap (that's why I bore you with this blog all year long!) but I'm just hoping for more of the same in 2018—more diners, abandoned places, roadside attractions, novelty architecture, silly road trips, Muffler Men and city adventures. 

I mostly kept up with my 365 Project, although there's always room for improvement (especially with my counting haha) and I see no reason not to continue it in 2018. Here are a few of the bigger highlights from 2017, if you're interested:

The Second Avenue Subway finally opened!
Prospect Park in the snow
The Women's March in Washington
Exploring the abandoned Staten Island Farm Colony
My first abandoned psychiatric hospital
The Big Duck!
Orange World
An abandoned amusement park
Dachshund fest
We (barely) survived the Inca Trail!
The coolest cemetery I've ever seen
I moved back to Manhattan
I saw a lot of the World's Largest things
I finally caught the Unisphere fountains at night
I bought things from buildings shaped like what they sell
I finally made it to South of the Border
I squeezed in one last 2017 road trip in December
 

✨  Here's to an even better 2018! ✨

Project 365: Days 337-343

337/365: I forgot to take a photo this day, and I'm pretty sure I've been counting the days wrong this whole time, but we'll find out soon enough ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

338/365: David and I walked through Sunset Park to the Renegade Craft Fair / Brooklyn Flea at Industry City.

339/365: My mom and I got diner breakfast, looked at the holiday windows and rode the MTA nostalgia train. We also met the cutest festive Frenchie named Bosco and caught this wolf enjoying the nostalgia train.

340/365: I met my friend Lindsey for dinner at Jacob's Pickles (so good) and we had dessert at Milk bar (extra crunchies FTW).

341/365: A million dollars of money I don't have to anyone who can stop Mozart from wailing at me all night long, every single night. I refuse to get another cat, but that's the only solution anyone seems to have for me—there has to be something else!

342/365: I blew through this Manson book and it was fascinating. I grabbed this Ernest Angley pamphlet to use as a bookmark and I felt extra cult-ish carrying this—along with a Tony Alamo newsletter—around. 

343/365: I got a new record rack, so I rearranged some things and magically found a place for the antique prosthetic leg that David got me for my birthday. I love it so much but I was having a hard time properly displaying it until now. I plopped a fake IKEA plant in the top because I can't keep anything alive in my cave-like apartment.

I'm headed out to California tonight for a week to visit with my friend Jim. We're going to sleep in a Wigwam (my second!), hang out poolside at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs (in the shade, slathered in SPF 100), visit the Cabazon Dinosaurs, explore the Salton Sea and hopefully eat at a different vintage diner every day. This will only be my second time in California, but hopefully I'll get out there more regularly now that I have a few friends to stay with—so many roadside attractions to see and so little time! Believe it or not, I still have a few posts left from my October road trip, so I'm sure you'll be hearing about my California one well into 2018. I have some fun posts scheduled for next week, so I hope you enjoy those and have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 323-336

323/365: We went to our regular Friday night bar in Brooklyn and afterwards got bagels for the weekend at Terrace Bagels (their garlic is my favorite). I love their neon sign so much and I can't resist a fancy anthropomorphic food logo.

324/365: We went out to Long Island to visit a friend of David's and I spotted this circus-themed mosaic in the 34th Street subway station that I'd never seen before. 

325/365: My mom and I went to IKEA, which means diner breakfast downtown at the Pearl Street Diner. 

326/365: I ate an IKEA cinnamon roll for dinner (why are they so good and so cheap??) and assembled my new shelf. 

327/365: This idiot.

328/365: Francesca and I went to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation the night before Thanksgiving. 

329/365: My mom cooked Thanksgiving dinner, with a little help from me and David. We ate too much, watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles and I went to bed early.

330/365: I'm not a crazy Black Friday shopper, but my favorite record store in Bushwick was having a sale, so I walked across the Williamsburg Bridge, met David at a diner and afterwards we went record shopping. If you're ever in Bushwick, or in need of records, check out Human Head—they are super nice and have a great selection at reasonable prices. 

331/365: I met my mom for breakfast and I passed this beautiful ombré ivy.

332/365: We didn't do much of anything (it was a wonderful lazy Sunday) but David had some overripe bananas, so we did manage to make banana bread. Well, David technically made it while I just waited to lick the bowl.

333/365: I went after work to check out the holiday window displays at Bergdorf Goodman (stunning, as always) and Tiffany.

334/365: Francesca and I went after work to see Coco, and it was so, so good. Neither of us left the theater with dry eyes, but I'd expect nothing less from Pixar. 

335/365: I have nearly all of my Christmas shopping done already, but I couldn't resist throwing a few gifts my own way and finally bought this pillow that I've been wanting forever.

336/365: My creepy collections stay up year round, but I draped them in a little Christmas cheer.

It's officially December, which means that there are 25 more days until Christmas and only 31 more days left in this crazy, topsy-turvy year. Next Friday I leave for a 6-day trip to California, and my friend Jim and I are going to take a little road trip while I'm there. We have tons of fun things planned, and I'm trying to figure out how to slow down time because I already know it will all go by too fast.

I would like to see more of the holiday window displays this weekend, and I'm hoping to catch the MTA "nostalgia" trains at least once this month (they run every Sunday in December). Obviously fall and Halloween are my very favorites, but winter and Christmas are a close second so I'm going to try to enjoy the holiday magic here in the city as much as I can. Have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 316-322

316/365: These two air plants are toast, but I just can't bring myself to throw them out. They also don't look that much different than they did when they're alive and now I don't have to worry about watering them once a week.

317/365: Friday was freezing cold, and by Saturday morning all of the ginkgo trees in the city had dropped all of their leaves at once. Most of them didn't even get a chance to turn yellow because it basically went from 80 degrees to 20 degrees in one day (I'm being dramatic, but this fall weather has been wacky).

318/365: My mom and I ate breakfast at the Square Diner in TriBeCa and walked over to Brookfield Place for the annual Canstruction event. It's become our silly little tradition before Thanksgiving, and I look forward to it every year.

319/365: I had my camera with me during the day, so I walked over to the Conservatory Garden at lunch hoping to catch the Korean chrysanthemums before they were gone. They were a little crispy, but still overwhelmingly beautiful. 

320/365: There is some really inventive subway graffiti, but the ballpoint pen additions to this poster for the movie The Snowman made me laugh.

321/365: After the first episode, Mindhunter really picked up and now I'm obsessed with it (as pretty much everyone I've ever met told me I would be). I especially love this insanely large typography on the titles. 

322/365: Just the first thing I see when I wake up the morning (besides Mozart's screaming face).

Once again I find myself without concrete weekend plans, but I may brave IKEA with my mom (which means diner breakfast, of course) and hang out at my Brooklyn country retreat (aka David's apartment). I just made another batch of apple cramble, but my mom and I still have to solidify our Thanksgiving menu and go shopping (alongside every other resident of New York City, probably).

I've been trying to read every chance I get to finish all of my library books before they're due, and I just finished The Butchering Art in less than a week, and it was excellent. Next up is The Apparitionists and I'm expecting it to be great based on nothing but the cover art alone. I'm looking forward to a short work week and as many Thanksgiving-themed festivities as I can cram into a few days, but until then—have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 309-315

309/365: David and I ate dinner at the Meatball Shop on the UWS and then had drinks at a bar that was full of board games. We played one round of Jenga before realizing that we did it wrong (we weren't stacking the blocks we took out back on top), so we had to play again. I forgot how stressful and surprisingly fun it is to play a game that is so objectively simple.

310/365: My friend Jim was in town and we had dinner at Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem. Their fried green tomatoes are so good that I checked to see if they deliver to my apartment (they do, but not the tomatoes—whyyy not??).

311/365: We had a perfect adventure day in the Bronx, despite the rain, and explored the Bronx Community College (home to the first Hall of Fame in the country) and had pizza and cannoli on Arthur Avenue, aka "the real Little Italy."

312/365: When I first moved into this apartment, I thought this ledge was wasted space but I obviously haven't had a hard time filling it and now I can't imagine this space without it. Also, nothing on here is a "Halloween" decoration and it will probably look like this all year long.

313/365: Part of my Halloween costume found a new home.

314/365: This diva has been acting slightly better lately but she's still the most dramatic cat I've ever met.

315/365: My library holds are quickly piling up, but I'm most excited about this one. I'd been wanting to read a book about Joseph Lister for a while, and if this book is half as good as its cover then I'm in for a treat.

It's supposed to be cold here this weekend—which I don't mind. I don't have any huge plans, but I'm thinking maybe a movie (Lady Bird?), a diner breakfast and the Canstruction exhibit. I also want to buy a new winter coat and shoes, although I really hate shopping (especially in New York). I'm itching to explore another abandoned building soon, but that would involve driving somewhere—staying snuggled on the couch seems much more appealing to me right now. I just finished Stranger Things 2 (so good! I cried!) and Mindhunter is up next in the queue. I hope you enjoy your weekend, whether it's adventurous or snuggly (or both!). Happy Friday!

Project 365: Days 302-308

302/365: I walked around the Upper East Side on my lunch break, photographing all of the spooky Halloween decorations.

303/365: We spent a lazy Saturday sleeping in, walking around Green-Wood, picking out our pumpkins and buying David a last-minute costume.

304/365: We carved our pumpkins and I forced David to watch Hocus Pocus (his first time!).

305/365: I put the finishing touches on my costume.

306/365: I debuted my costume at the Halloween parade. In case you're not familiar with Grandmother's Predictions, they're fortune-telling machines, like Zoltar but older (and way better, in my opinion). They were made by the William Gent Vending Company in Cleveland Ohio in the late '20s and early '30s. There is one at Coney Island, and I decided that this was the perfect costume for me about a year ago. Of course, I didn't start actually making it until about a week ago, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. It was much more comfortable than I expected, and help up surprisingly well through two subway rides, one bar and a whole lot of walking. We took tons of photos with people, gave away about a hundred fortunes and the next morning my photo was included in a costume round-up on Gothamist (RIP).

307/365: My friend Shannon always sends me the sweetest Halloween goodies—this year it was a box filled with delicious ghost candies, the cutest wiener dog card and this ghost bag that I will most definitely use all year.

306/365: I couldn't bear to throw out my costume but I live in a teeny-tiny studio so I wasn't sure where I would store it. Luckily, it fits above my fridge and I think my skeleton is an excellent stand-in for me. I had to sacrifice an area of valuable storage, but where there's a will, there's a way.

My friend Jim is in town this weekend for his first New York visit since he moved to LA in April. I've missed him more than words can say, so I'm thrilled to be able to spend some time with him, even if it's a woefully brief visit. He'll be staying with me in my shoebox apartment for two nights (my first guest!), and I'm hoping Mozart miraculously behaves.

I can't believe it's November already—it was chilly for a minute but warm again today—and the leaves in the city are changing at a glacial pace. I don't have grand plans for Thanksgiving, but now that the Halloween costume madness has ended, I might try to come up with a fun themed dessert or other dish to contribute. This is my favorite time of year and I'm trying my best to savor it! Have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 295-301

295/365: Sick day with this excellent mug (a belated birthday gift from my friend and protest buddy, Carli).

296/365: After a quick brunch, I took a wandering walk around the Upper West Side and stopped at Columbus Circle to watch the pigeons playing in this fountain. 

297/365: We spent a beautiful (and warm!) fall day in Sleep Hollow.

298/365: I love this silly keychain from Greenwich Letterpress.

299/365: Having a working stove again means one thing: apple cramble! These hedgehog measuring cups aren't the most practical, but they make me smile. 

300/365: This book is so good I missed my bus stop because I was so into it.

301/365: More Halloween costume prep. 

I don't have plans for this weekend other than to finish my (very complicated) costume. I'm planning on going to the Halloween parade on Tuesday, so it has to be ready by then. I have a history of overly-complicated, unsexy and unwieldy costumes, and this year is no different. After an unseasonably warm October, it seems as if it suddenly became fall yesterday, and I hope this chilly weather is here to stay. It's the most wonderful time of the year—enjoy it!

Project 365: Days 281-294

281/365: The second day of our road trip started off with the only disappointment of the whole trip—not being able to see this UniRoyal Gal in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (well, we could see her legs). She's behind a barbed wire-topped fence at a private men's club, but I think when the leaves drop she'll be more visible.

After that our luck was much better, and we ended the day arriving at heavenly roadside mecca South of the Border. I was taking a long exposure photo with my tripod in the middle of a driveway when I had to move to avoid getting hit by an oncoming car—this is the resulting photo and I think it's a pretty cool accident.

282/365: Despite what everyone told me about South of the Border (the good reviews, and the very bad) it managed to exceed all of my expectations. Before we left in the morning, we went up into the sombrero-shaped observation tower and surveyed my dream kingdom from above.

283/365: We had a gloomy, rainy road trip day but I'm so glad we didn't let the weather deter us from stopping at Dinosaur Land in Winchester, Virginia. It was easily one of my favorite stops of the whole trip and I left with a t-shirt, mug, brochure and two squished pennies.

284/365: I unpacked my souvenirs (I spent nearly $100 at the South of the Border gift shops oopsy). I don't smoke, but this ashtray is currently holding memory cards and squished pennies from our trip.

285/365: I went to Green-Wood Cemetery after work for a talk/book signing with Caitlin Doughty. I'm excited to read her new book, From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death, and frame the bonus poster I received for pre-ordering my book.

286/365: A few months later and Mozart is still obsessed with this toy.

287/365: David and I had two days off for Jewish holidays (our last of the season, sad!) and went backpacking/camping upstate in Harriman State Park. As we were walking to the trail head we came across this cute Sinclair Oil dinosaur just hanging out in someone's yard.

288/365: On our way home from Penn Station, I spotted this news stand that looks like it hasn't changed in decades.

289/365: There's no limit to my love of souvenir, novelty drinkware.

290/365: My mom and I took a tour of the Little Red Lighthouse for Open House NY weekend.

291/365: I broke down and bought an Instagram-trendy letterboard because I had a vision of an orange one just saying Boo! I'm going to paint the frame black, but it's already making me happy. 

292/365: This little diva had an entire open bed and decided to nap directly on top of my sweaters.

293/365: I went out to dinner with my friend Carli and we walked past a street of murals. This was part of one with an alligator and this "Snappy to Serve You" cup made me laugh.

294/365: After nearly a three-month ordeal that included two different stoves with two different gas leaks, I finally got a third stove and my landlord hooked it up. I'm no longer smelling gas and I have a working stove for the first time since I moved in to this apartment in August, so I'm ready to start making cramble!

Project 365: 274-280

274/365: My uncle was in town and we went to Hartsdale to visit dearly departed celebrities at Ferncliff Cemetery. Dr. Luigi was not a celebrity, but I love his epitaph.

275/365: I met David at BAM to see Harry Dean Stanton's last movie, Lucky, and I saw this sticker in the restroom (hell yes!).

276/365: I worked for the day as one of the photographers for 92Y's annual StreetFest.

277/365: Psycho bunny.

278/365: I bought this candle at Home Goods and it's making my apartment smell amazing.

279/365: It's apple cramble season!

280/365: The most epic of road trips. Get ready for roadside attraction posts from this trip until the end of time!

Project 365: Days 267-273

267/365: We woke up after camping for the night in the Catskills and suddenly it was fall. 

268/365: I met a friend for brunch and did some frivolous shopping in my neighborhood. I love my city adventures, but sometimes it's nice to just hang out close to home. I didn't get a dog groomed, but if I had one I would definitely take it here based on the signage alone.

269/365: I took a tour of the New York State Pavilion from the 1964/65 World's Fair in Queens. I'd been inside once before, but this time I got to see a lot more—if only I could go back in time and see it in all of its Fair glory.

270/365: I passed this new-to-me ice cream truck on my walk home—I love the cones on the front, even if they are missing their ice cream.

271/365: I'm starting to catch the sunset on the end of my walk home each night. I love a good pink sky, but I'm not looking forward to it being dark when I get out work.

272/365: I had an Amazon credit and a gift card, so I ordered these very necessary plush sausage links. They're so cute I can almost not handle it and I also think I might need another set.

273/365: I noticed this cloud on my walk home—doesn't it look like a giant feather?

I've been having some Internet issues (ugh) and I have my second service appointment on Saturday morning, but my brand new stove is also being delivered that day, which is very exciting. On Sunday 92Y (my day job) is having its annual Street Fest and Francesca and I are the official photographers (at least we get overtime pay!). Kind of boring weekend plans, but we have next Thursday and Friday off work (Happy Sukkot!) and my mom and I are heading out on an epic road trip—to roadside attraction mecca South of the Border. She told me she wants to be surprised by our other stops, and I've packed so much into the four day trip that I'll be surprised if we can physically see them all. After a particularly humid few weeks, its finally starting to feel like fall is here to stay—have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 260-266

260/365: I went to Goodwill on my lunchbreak and resisted buying this entire tub of army men (but I did get two books I definitely don't need).

261/365: My former roommate (and current friend) Jess and I went to Wave Hill in the Bronx. It was a beautiful day to leisurely stroll the gardens and it felt like we were much farther from the city than we actually were.

262/365: I watched Gilmore Girls until nearly 3pm (so long I got the judgy "Are you still watching?" message from Netflix) but I finally got off my couch and took a walk on the High Line. Afterwards I walked to get a Slurpee through the West Village and spotted this sidewalk carving. I wonder where Andy and David are now and what their lives were like back in 1987 New York.

263/365: It's the most wonderful time of the year!

264/365: I ordered a case of Zapp's Voodoo chips because they're sort of hard to find and they're the best chips, hands down. Also, how cute is that Mustard hot dog plush that my friend Shannon got me for my birthday? He's a much better roommate than Mozart.

265/365: My mom got me these beakers on super sale at Michael's and I'm trying to grow some lil plant bebes (fingers crossed!).

266/365: Those ears!

Project 365: Days 253-259

253/365: This idiot still loves her new toy and still howls at me every single morning.

254/365: We went to Governors Island and David brought a kite. My initial thought was "what is the point to flying a kite," because I'm a monster but it turned out to be oddly relaxing and mesmerizing. 

255/365: My mom and I saw the Acro Cats (and the Rock Cats, aka the world's only cat band) in Brooklyn. I didn't get many great photos but this drummer killed me.

256/365: I went to Brooklyn Bridge Park to photograph the Tribute in Light on 9/11.

257/365: I bought this very necessary contact case and didn't realize until I first used it that there's no indication which is the left or right contact (still worth it).

258/365: I spotted these pretty mums on my walk home. I'm so excited for fall, although it got warm and humid again this week which is not cute.

259/365: I walked through the park and spotted this bird in the Harlem Meer. There was also a woman walking a cat on a leash, and the cat was very interested in this creature.

I've been quite busy at work this week, which makes the time goes fast but is also mentally exhausting. I have plans to go to Wave Hill tomorrow with my old roommate (and current friend) Jess, and I'm always angling to squeeze in a diner breakfast where I can. We had some very lovely fall-like weather recently, but this week has gone back to being swampy. I saw some leaves starting to change in the park today, though, so fall is imminent! Have a great weekend!

Project 365: Day 245-252

245/365: We had drinks at Otto's Shrunken Head for my birthday and it's my new favorite bar—it was super chill, they have a photobooth (it was broken, so I'll have to go back) and they have the coolest tiki mugs (I got a skull and a shark).

246/365: Once again, Francesca outdid herself in the birthday gift department with this visible man model.

247/365: I got diner breakfast with my mom and spent the afternoon wandering around the Upper West Side.

248/365: David and I spent a rainy Sunday eating popcorn, napping and watching You've Got Mail (his first time!). Please accept this screengrab in lieu of a photo.

249/365: We spent Labor Day lounging on the beach at Fort Tilden, which I love because of all of the abandoned military structures covered in art. 

250/365: I hung up the antlers that I got at an antique mall in East Liverpool, Ohio and I think they fit right in.

251/365: I tore through this book in two days—it's so, so good. Do yourself a favor and reserve a library copy or buy one right now.

252/365: I went to Queens after work to catch the Unisphere fountains at night. I knew they'd be on for the US Open and I had the best time taking photos. I accidentally figured out how to take ghost photos and I became obsessed with getting the right shot. My lens got wet when the wind shifted, but I love this last photo.

My mom and I are going to see the Acro Cats on Sunday, David and I are going to check out the art installations on Governors Island on Saturday and I hope to fit in at least one diner breakfast in between. The weather has been perfect lately—light jacket chilly—and I'm about to lose my mind over how wonderful this city is in the fall. I hope you have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 239-244

239/365: David and I met in Ohio—he drove and I flew. We had dinner with my dad at the Olive Garden (David's first ever OG experience!) and had s'mores over a campfire in my dad's backyard for dessert.

240/365: David's culinary tour of Ohio continued with a stop at Swenson's for lunch.

241/365: We went on a hike through the Ledges at Virginia Kendall (part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park) and everything was so green.

242/365: I took a solo, mini-road trip through southern Ohio (to two cemeteries, the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock and Grandpa's Cheesebarn) and met my friend Shannon for dinner (and dessert at Mary Coyle in Akron).

243/365: My dad, grandma and I took another mini-road trip to East Liverpool, Ohio and Chester, West Virginia for antiquing, the Fiestaware factory and the World's Largest Teapot.

244/365: I flew back to New York and couldn't resist plugging in my new light that I bought for $4.95 at an antique mall in Sugarcreek, OH (definitely an all-year decoration).

I had fun in Ohio seeing family and friends (and checked off two "World's Largest" things), but as always I'm glad to be back in New York. This was the first time I've come back from a trip to my very own apartment and the novelty has still not worn off. Even though my stove is still not fixed (ugh—but I'm becoming a pro at microwave dinners :| ) I'm completely enamored with my new space. I went a little crazy in Ohio buying things I don't need—everything is so cheap!—but finding space for new pieces is always the least of my worries. We might try to go camping this weekend, and after my first s'mores of the season last week I'm eager for an encore. Have a great long weekend!

Project 365: Days 225-238

225/365: I spotted a campaign that I worked on in the 86th Street subway station.

226/365: We went to Southold for the day and hit the winged skull jackpot at the oldest colonial-era cemetery in New York state.

227/365: I hung up all of my art and I am never happier than when I'm surrounded by things that I love to look at.

228/365: My lazy roommate.

229/365: I started reading Gulp—it's only my second Mary Roach book, although I read Stiff twice and I have Spook in the queue.

230/365: I had been smelling gas in my (tiny) apartment ever since I moved in, and my super checked my stove and found nothing wrong. I was still smelling it though, so I called ConEd and the FDNY immediately showed up at my door (in full uniform!) and dramatically unplugged my stove. Ten minutes later, a ConEd employee showed up, tested the area and found that my flex hose was leaking. It was minor and I've been without a working stove for a week—but I'm glad Mozart, my sensitive nose and I didn't blow up.

231/365: I had a TIME trying to get this TV delivered (UPS is the literal worst), but it was worth the wait. This is the first time I've had my own TV since my 13" in college and it's already turning me into a hermit.

232/365: Francesca came over to see my apartment and we watched Moana (I love the pig!) and ordered pizza.

233/365: I walked down Park Avenue for Summer Streets, met friends for brunch and just wandered around the city for a while. I love making plans but sometimes an aimless wandering day is fun too.

234/365: My mom and I decided to make the Broadway Restaurant our regular diner and spent the day thrifting.

235/365: I wasn't even going to try to photograph the (partial) eclipse but we went up on the roof at work and we all passed around viewing glasses.

236/365: I missed this day—I've missed more photos this year than I'd have liked, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

237/365: Sabrina and I went to BAM (I had never noticed these amazing cherubs before) to see Ricki and the Flash as part of a Jonathan Demme retrospective. Watching Meryl for any length of time is like going to church for me—it feeds me spiritually.

238/365: Mozart is obsessed with this $14 toy—it's so fun to watch her be constantly fascinated by it, and I can't recommend it enough.

I'm off to Ohio tonight for a wedding—and David is coming with me. He grew up in Buffalo but has never been to Ohio, so I'm excited to show him the sites (aka Swenson's). I never fully appreciated Ohio in the 27 years that I lived there, but every time I go back I have a lovely time seeing friends and family and exploring places I once took for granted. It will be a little quiet here on the blog next week, although I have a few posts scheduled (and my birthday is on Thursday!). I love fall so much that I'm never sad to say goodbye to summer, but I hope to squeeze in a few more summer adventures—camping and maybe a beach day—before I start petting fall to death. Have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 211-224

211/365: We waited in a huge line to see Andrew Bird at Celebrate Brooklyn, but it was worth it (and the kimchi dog was delicious).

212/365: Mozart has snuggled with this skeleton ever since I bought him for my Halloween party and I will never get sick of it.

213/365: I took a wandering walk through Brooklyn, stopping to finally photograph the Mosaic House.

214/365: There are a lot of things I don't miss about my Brooklyn apartment, but the sunsets aren't one of them.

215/365: Packing the essentials.

216/365: Packing, packing and more packing.

217/365: Last morning in our Brooklyn apartment (and last morning being both afraid and fascinated by Flatbush Avenue).

218/365: My first night in my new apartment and I forgot to take a photo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

219/365: I devoured Into the Water in a few days (and Mozart's face here makes me laugh).

220/365: IKEA day with my mom, but first diner breakfast at one of my favorites, the Pearl Diner.

221/365: At first I was annoyed at this ledge in my apartment (an old mirror in what used to be the parlor of the brownstone) but I quickly realized that I wouldn't have a problem filling it with art.

222/365: I met my friend (and new upper, upper west side neighbor) Lindsey for dinner on the UWS.

223/365: This corner of my apartment already looks a bit different, but unpacking is the fun part of moving.

224/365: Francesca and I saw Hamlet, and got moved from our back row seats into the front row (seated on the stage) because two subscribers never showed.

I'm majorly behind on posting my Project 365 photos, but I've been trying to keep with with taking them amidst the moving madness. Two weeks later, I'm finally unpacked and I've hung all of my art—I really love my new apartment and living alone is so much better than I even anticipated. My TV just came yesterday (after an arduous journey around the country—thanks for nothing UPS!) and at night I just sit (on my couch!) and look around my apartment and think about how wonderful it all is. I'm meeting a friend for brunch tomorrow, hopefully taking advantage of Summer Streets and I'm looking forward to having more free time to explore. Have a great weekend!

Project 365: Days 204-210

204/365: David and I went to our first Celebrate Brooklyn concert of the summer.

205/365: We spent the day lounging at Rockaway Beach.

206/365: I walked from David's to this cemetery on Flatbush Avenue, hoping it would be open but the gates were locked :(

207/365: Continually amazed that I've not only kept this plant alive for awhile, but that it appears to be growing!

208/365: One last photo of my current art arrangement before I move.

209/365: Three friends and I grabbed falafel at Mamoun's after work and dessert at Dō. We waited probably an hour in line, and I don't regret it but I definitely don't need to go again. The portions are way too huge (I ate all of my ice cream but just a fraction of the cookie dough) and a tube of Toll House is just as good.

210/365: I've been trying to pare down my stuff before I move and I took two big bags of books to The Strand last week but I'm still dragging my feet with the actual packing part.

Project 365: Days 197-203

197/365: My first time trying Halo Top ice cream wasn't great—I ate this entire pint of chocolate chip cookie dough in one sitting (don't judge) only to find out that it had ZERO cookie dough in it. I wasn't expecting much, but come on!

198/365: I took the train to Philly for the day to see the newly-opened hospital wing of the Eastern State Penitentiary (definitely worth it). Afterwards I just walked around for a few hours—Philly is endlessly charming.

199/365: My mom and I tried to go to the Cup and Saucer diner on Canal Street before they closed for good (RIP) but there was a line out the door. I wish all of these people had patronized the diner before it was announced they were closing, but even then I don't think they could've survived their rent suddenly doubling (!!).

200/365: I couldn't resist buying this cast iron witch's boot planter at a thrift store in Philly—check out that suspicious green spot in my photo which is probably just a weird reflection but also might be the ghost in my apartment that Mozart is always staring at?

201/365: So annoying, but so cute.

202/365: I needed a light read after I finished the Jonestown book, so I started this 465-page book about the great influenza epidemic.

203/365: I took the day off and snapped this selfie of me dying of heat exhaustion in my sweltering apartment.