Project 365: Days 27-33

27/365: Obsessed with drug-store candles (apple cinnamon only, please).

28/365: My mom and I ate a very delicious breakfast at Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop, a lunch counter-style diner that has been across from the Flatiron Building since 1923.

29/365: I marched once again, this time against Trump's muslim/Syrian refugee ban.

30/365: We celebrated the birthday of a very special dude.

31/365: I look at this plaque (a gift from my very good friend JMP) every morning when I'm getting ready // Not only have I not killed this plant at work, but it's flowering!

32/365: Turns out calligraphy is really hard, but I'm enjoying the challenge.

33/365: We went to Delmonico's (open since 1863 and the birthplace of baked Alaska) for restaurant week.

Project 365: Days 20-26

20/365: My new backpack finally arrived in the mail—just in time to fill it with snacks for our 12:30 am bus ride to Washington D.C.

21/365: We marched on Washington with 500,000+ other women, men and children and I've never felt more proud to be an American, a citizen, a woman and a human.

22/365: My D.C. metro card arrived in the mail after I got back from the march and it's inauguration themed (barf).

23/365: Some of my favorite things: baby head vase | chicken nugget planter | flag from election night | witchy cat print | my mom's senior picture | log vase from Anthropologie (many years ago)

24/365: A rainy day view of Flatbush Avenue from my bedroom window.

25/365: I laughed as I passed our recycle bin at work // I went to my first calligraphy class at 92Y and made a friend.

26/365: So back in November I started running a few times a week. I've hardly told anyone that I'm doing it because I don't want to become that annoying exercise person, but I've really been enjoying it (after the part of every run where I'm convinced I'm dying). I took a week off because I was sick and it really bummed me out, so I'm glad to be getting back to my weekly routine.

Project 365: Days 12-19

12/365: We ate at a restaurant famous for melting cheese over everything (at your table!) // We walked from the East Village to 57th and 7th Avenue (5+ miles) because the weather was nice and the company was A+.

13/365: After midnight dollar pizza on St. Marks after a work happy hour and a birthday party.

14/365: I got a new lens and tested it out on my favorite photo subject (in my very dark bedroom).

15/365: We explored the Fieldston and Riverdale neighborhoods of the Bronx.

16/365: My dude and I went to check out a new shopping complex in Sunset Park and I found this holy grail soda of my childhood at World Market // We wanted to go bowling but didn't have enough time—Melody Lanes is a total time-warp though, and I hope to go back very soon.

17/365: I finished the very excellent Rules of Civility and started reading The Voyeur's Motel (I'm ahead of schedule on my reading challenge for this year—let's be friends on Goodreads!).

18/365: Mozart plays with these snakes that I received in a Halloween package and they still scare me every time I see one on the floor.

19/365: Sick day (those ugly floral dishes came with our apartment).

Project 365: Days 1-11

I decided to do Project 365 again this year, after skipping last year for no particular reason. I did it first in 2015, and I really loved looking back on that year's photos. I tried briefly to do the one-second-a-day video thing last year, but only lasted until February before I gave up. I just don't think in videos (or really know how to edit them) and I wasn't really having fun. Still photos just make so much more sense to me, so this year I'm back at it.

1/365: We celebrated 2017 by going to Coney Island, where one of us took the Polar Bear plunge while the other held his towel (and we found this New Year's hat on the beach).

2/365: Well it didn't take long before I forgot to take a photo (maybe this is why I don't make New Year's resolutions), but January 2nd was rainy and I mostly spent it inside—but I did take this screenshot of a young and impossibly beautiful Meryl Streep, and I make the rules around here so I'm going to say that counts.

3/365: I took the fresh and clean Second Avenue subway home for the first time and my commute hasn't been the same since—I always get a seat and the Q takes me just steps away from my apartment.

4/365: I had a dentist appointment (PSA:floss those teeth!) but I got to walk to work from the west side through Central Park, which I've missed deeply since I moved to Brooklyn.

5/365: I wrote out thank you notes on my lunch break—my dear friend Shannon gave me these lovely gold foil kitty cards for Christmas and it was almost painful to send most of them away.

6/365: My apartment isn't perfect but sometimes I just sit on my bed and stare at all of my stuff and think how lucky I am to live in New York and how much I love curating my own spaces and collections.

7/365: We got our first major snowfall of 2017 and I frolicked in Prospect Park for hours.

8/365: Is there anything better than egg and cheese on a bagel? Nope.

9/365: This delightfully strange Christmas gift from Francesca fits right in (there's no question that I'm the "weird" roommate).

10/365: I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise.

11/365: I continued to be enamored with the Second Avenue subway and my super chill evening commute.

Project 365: Days 345-365

345/365: Still Life With Cat.

346/365: Super into this print from Burrito Breath, which I'm definitely leaving up all year long.

347/365: I hosted my third-annual Christmas Vacation viewing, with nog in moose mugs, of course.

348/365: This Queen.

349/365: We went to Dyker Heights to see the Christmas lights and grabbed some cannoli to go.

350/365: I wrapped my first gifts of the season.

351/365: Francesca and I exchanged gifts and she got me these incredible (and real!) glass eyes. When she handed them to me, she said "I got a good deal on them because they're cloudy."

352/365: Obsessed with this new pin, also from Francesca.

353/365: I wrapped the rest of my presents.

354/365: My mom bought me this awesome head vase, and I bought a little display dome to hold my glass eyes.

355/365: Jim and I exchanged presents and he got me the coolest record player (!!!) and the best record (Bridge Over Troubled Water).

356/365: I found a great manhole cover on my lunch walk // my dude and I exchanged gifts and he got me this wonderful bag that will be perfect for my camera (the bottom says Warning: Not for Transplanting Human Organs), and some other excellent gifts.

357/365: The fog that cancelled my mom's flight back to Ohio in the morning, and mine at night.

358/365: After my one-hour direct flight got cancelled, I traveled 7+ hours the next day and finally arrived in Ohio to spend Christmas Eve with my family.

359/365: All I wanted for Christmas was for my sister to accidentally pack her dogs (but especially Penny) in my luggage.

360/365: My sister suggested we go to Swenson's for lunch before seeing Sisters, which was the best idea she's ever had.

361/365: I tried (unsuccessfully) to sneak Penny into my purse // We went antiquing and found some real gems.

362/365: I basically commuted to work in New York from Ohio and took a super early flight into Newark.

363/365: All of the travel / lack of sleep / crappy eating / holiday stress caught up with me and I spent the day sick in bed—Nurse Mozart was indifferent to my suffering.

364/365: Day 2 of trying to rest out my cold.

365/365: I unpacked this casket plaque that I found antiquing in Ohio and I think it fits in quite nicely.

See the entire 2015 365 Project here.

Project 365: Days 338-344

338/365: Went to my mom's to steal her Christmas tree (she gave it to me, I'm not that terrible) and I grabbed some very necessary books that I had left behind when I moved out.

339/365: It's getting pretty Christmassy in our apartment even though it still feels like spring outside.

340/365: We hiked up a mountain and creeped on some ruins along the way.

341/365: My first Christmas card this year (thank you Grandma!).

342/365: Francesca and I went to a lecture on grave markers at Green-Wood Cemetery.

343/365: We took a work field trip to the Cooper Hewitt Design museum and I made some spooky and delicious wallpaper in their interactive wall exhibit.

344/365: I did some after-work Christmas shopping and had some gifts expertly wrapped by Todd Oldham and the incomparable Amy Sedaris at Fishs Eddy.

Project 365: Days 317-337

317/365: Wild Friday night with this idiot.

318/365: We went to see this year's Canstruction competition and I took a detour into Trinity Cemetery on my way to the train.

319/365: We went on a trek through Forest Hills Park and found the most adorable flyer for detective work "at a reasonable price" and an abandoned set of tracks.

320/365: The sweetest gift from the sweetest man.

321/365: Morning scene // Tried Ample Hills for the first time—Peppermint Patty ice cream FTW.

322/365: The design department at work stayed for a talk by the grumpy and great Milton Glaser.

323/365: We ate lunch at Schaller's Stube which has all of the sausages.

324/365: I took my annual November 20th selfie in DC, where I took the train to meet my uncle for a weekend of cultural delights.

325/365: We toured the incredible collections (and beautiful grounds) of Marjorie Merriweather Post's Hillwood estate.

326/365: We saw some excellent DC sites, memorials and the installation pieces at the newly-opened Renwick Gallery.

327/365: I said goodbye to DC and marveled at the space-agey Metro.

328/365: We saw the last show on Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life tour at Madison Square Garden.

329/365: Someone in my apartment building ordered a ferret house (thankfully not any of my roommates).

330/365: Jim and I ate Thanksgiving breakfast (is that a thing?) at a half-empty Tom's and passed an excellent Texts from Hillary stencil.

331/365: We walked around the always-beautiful Green-Wood Cemetery, which was approximately 1,000 x better than fighting crowds on Black Friday.

332/365: I spent most of the day being lazy on the couch (with a break into the real world to go see Hunger Games), so I didn't take a photo but here's a still from a video I made of me reenacting this hamster video.

333/365: I met my mom for breakfast and we toured the holiday windows on Lexington and Fifth Avenues (Bergdorf's were the best, followed by Saks).

334/365: I tried to make a gif of my wonderful Kit Kat Clock, and it's not perfect but I still love it.

335/365: Very into this new patch acquisition.

336/365: I did a little Christmas shopping after work at Fishs Eddy, which has nothing I need but everything I want.

337/365: A thing I designed for work is currently in the 86th Street subway station // One of Barney's holiday windows contains a real live human carving crazy-intricate ice sculptures.

Project 365: Days 310-316

310/365: I had to see a doctor, and their office is right on Gramercy Park. I resisted the urge to ask if they had use of a key, but I did stop to admire the beautiful leaves near Calvary Church.

311/365: We walked to Prospect Park and passed my favorite flower shop sign and the beautifully gloomy Green-Wood cemetery.

312/365: Another beautiful cemetery in the fall—Jim and I finally got into Woodlawn.

313/365: A thing I helped illustrate at work was printed, featuring this cool dude.

314/365: I'll be so sad when it's no longer Honeycrisp (or, Honeycriap) season.

315/365: Made a special dinner for a special dude.

316/365: Spent two days at work obsessed with Shia LaBeouf and #allmymovies. As Francesca said "I'm trying to not be sad that it's over, but happy that it happened at all."

Project 365: Days 296-309

296/365: Francesca and I went to Warby Parker at lunch to try on glasses and this photo was definitely an accidental capture, but there we are.

297/365: Francesca took this cheesy senior/tourist photo of us sitting on hay bales in a Sleepy Hollow median.

298/365: Lazy Sunday with this lazy kid.

299/365: Sleepy Hollow souvenir inventory: floaty pen with Headless Horseman? CHECK.

300/365: I met Jim at Cooper Union for a really interesting lecture on the history (and future) of the NY subway map. We left before they started on the future, however, since we only care about the past. Side note: HOW did we already get to day 300 of this year / why is my life speeding by so fast / help I'm old already.

301/365: Top-secret costume work that is no longer top-secret since Halloween is over. Having a mannequin head is surprisingly helpful when I'm trying to be crafty.

302/365: Senior pictures to celebrate National Cat Day.

303/365: I wasn't feeling well so I stayed home sick with this idiot, who likes to stare at the curtain instead of the interesting world of Brooklyn.

304/365: I got up super early to prepare for my second annual BOOzy Brunch.

305/365: I know this probably doesn't count as a photo since it's a screenshot, but I was so wiped from my party (and walking in the Halloween Parade/riding the subway with a heavy ice cream cone on my head) that we just lounged around and watched movies all day. First Beetlejuice, which I had never really seen and then Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, which made me realize that Pee-Wee and I have the exact same aesthetic and share a love of the absurd.

306/365: My Mister Softee bowtie was put on permanent display.

307/365: Daylight Savings time changes are the worst, but the light during my lunch breaks has been especially pretty this week.

308/365: I started a new book based on a recommendation from Trent about James Garfield and it's way more interesting than it probably should be. I also continue to be amazed that I can walk into the library and take books home for free.

309/365: Still obsessed with Mad Men and even more obsessed with Glen and Betty—I want an oil painting of this screenshot to hang above my couch // I heard fireworks and looked out my window just in time to catch the finale.

Project 365: Days 289-295

289/365: A Queen reigns atop Pillow Mountain.

290/365: Jim and I got a peek inside of the magical Four Seasons restaurant, the National Arts Club and City Hall for Open House New York weekend.

291/365: I creeped around the newly-renovated Kings Theater in Brooklyn on the second day of OHNY weekend.

292/365: Mozart has been causing me a lot of grief lately, but then she does something so undeniably sweet—like rest her hand on my shoulder while we're laying in bed—that I can't be too mad at her.

293/365: I got a pretty new iPhone but I think I'm even more excited about my pretty new case.

294/365: My man suggested we start watching Mad Men, and I'm 100% obsessed, like I knew I would be (aka the reason why I haven't written a blog post all week :| )

295/365: Very into this new (to me) book, and the cover glows in the dark.

Project 365: Days 280-287

280/365: Jim and I started our roadtrip to Ohio in an adorable Fiat with mandatory stops at Wendy's and Sheetz.

281/365: We stopped to pay our respects to Frank Lloyd Wright and took tours of Kentuck Knob and Falling Water.

282/365: I took Jim on a tour of some of my old Ohio haunts, including the mall // Katie got married like the successful adult she is.

283/365: We arrived in Pittsburgh, went to the Andy Warhol museum, ate Primanti Bros. and walked some bridges.

284/365: We rode the Duquesne Incline // I'm still having a hard time comprehending the weird and wonderful Roadside America, billed as the "World's Most Famous Indoor Miniature Village."

285/365: I couldn't resist this souvenir from the Incline.

286/365: Not the best photo, but look at this ferocious creature.

287/365: Hi, let's be friends.

365 Project: Days 274-279

274/365: The weather was terrible so I stayed inside, watched The Others and ate a crispy chocolate ear.

275/365: I peeled myself out of bed to walk to the farmers' market at Grand Army Plaza, bought some honeycrisp apples and left after it started to rain again (but stayed long enough to buy a cider donut and hot cider).

276/365: We took my mom on an "open-house" tour of Green-Wood mausoleums for her birthday (totally normal).

277/365: I never get sick of Green-Wood, so I took the long way home through a section of the cemetery where I had never been and found some wonderful things.

278/365: We hiked up Bear Mountain and saw three snakes—one of which was a poisonous rattlesnake, and one was 7-feet long (no thanks).

279/365: Francesca brought back some A+ souvenirs from Spain, including this cat change purse and ham-flavored Pringles (they're really delicious).

Project 365: Days 267-273

267/365: We saw Black Mass and had popcorn and Sour Patch Kids for dinner.

268/365: We went to Williamsburg for the Brooklyn Record Flea where we ate delicious pork and ice cream sandwiches (two separate things), observed the scene on selfie beach and didn't buy a single record.

269/365: I was feeling meh, so I tried to cheer myself up with a walk to Brooklyn Heights, which included a wealth of excellent manhole covers on Henry Street.

270/365: We checked out the new Whitney and hung out with (or around, at least) Leonardo DiCaprio // I walked by the skinniest house in New York, 75 1/2 Bedford Street, with rooms no wider than 8'4".

271/365: Very important adult activities.

272/365: I met Trent for some much-overdue and very delicious chimichangas (right next to this awesome sign).

273/365: I took inventory of my Halloween decorations (not all pictured) and started to plan (and get really excited for) my Halloween party.

Project 365: Days 260-266

260/365: Francesca sketched out some big ideas with her souvenir from the Magic Forest.

261/365: We saw the Coney Island Art Walls, rode the Wonder Wheel, had our fortunes told by Grandma and (finally!) ate at Totonno's.

262/365: I walked through Central Park like old times.

263/365: Excellent belated birthday books.

264/365: I spent my life savings in the Halloween section of Target and bought these incredibly necessary catnip toys for Mozart (along with eight pairs of definitely necessary Halloween socks).

265/365: We had the day off for Yom Kippur, so we celebrated the first day of fall by taking a very lovely walk through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden // I guess Mozart isn't as thrilled about Halloween as I am.

266/365: I made my first apple cramble™ of the season!

Project 365: Days 253-259

253/365: I went to the Milk Carton Kids show at Town Hall (they were phenomenal) with Francesca and took some photos of the beautiful merchandise she designed.

254/365: I stayed out late/early after the MCK show to see the 9/11 tribute lights from a new perspective.

255/365: Francesca and I went to Savannah, where we stayed right by Forsyth Park and took a wonderful ghost tour through the city at night.

256/365: We hit all of the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil spots, including a tour of the Mercer Williams House, breakfast at Clary's and a stroll through Bonaventure cemetery.

257/365: We said goodbye to Savannah (and a near-perfect trip) with a walk through the Colonial Park cemetery.

258/365: Souvenir inventory—Savannah is lousy with squished penny machines, and we got our fortunes from a pirate fortune-telling machine.

259/365: I've been trying to train this loud, rude creature to be quieter, but I'm not convinced it's working. Don't let her sweet face fool you; she's a screamer.

Project 365: Days 238-252

238/365: I saw my first (and probably last) outdoor movie of the season—Airplane! (one of my all-time favorites)—in Central Park.

239/265: My aunt and uncle were visiting New York for the first time so we took them out for the night.

240/365: We took a tour of the Brooklyn Brewery, and walked along the Brooklyn waterfront.

241/365: I had my 30th birthday picnic in Prospect Park, with plenty of snacks, excellent company and the sweetest homemade cupcakes.

242/365: I turned 30 and received some wonderful gifts, including Taco the chalkware chihuahua, and a photo book from the 1939 World's Fair that Mozart instantly claimed as her own.

243/365: I finally got around to arranging my picture shelves and hanging the rest of my art. I have so many wonderful things to look at and it makes me so happy.

244/365: I met Jim and Katie for our first-ever repeat weeknight dinner at the always-festive Panna Garden II in the East Village.

245/365: I added the custom keytag that Jim got me for my birthday to my keyring and I think it fits in nicely.

246/365: We headed upstate to spend the weekend in Lake George and took the scenic route past three amazing diners // We went around the US in 18 holes of mini-golf, met a muffler man from the World's Fair and I remembered how bad I am at mini-golf.

247/365: I had what might be the best day of my life exploring the weird and wonderful Magic Forest.

248/365: We drove/hiked to the top of Prospect Mountain // We played another round of mini-golf at the Goony Golf course in Lake George.

249/365: I took inventory of my souvenirs from the most perfect weekend.

250/365: My dude took me to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as part of my birthday present, and it was wonderful.

251/365: We celebrated Katie's birthday at the Burger Joint // I went to a solo Cat Power show at Webster Hall (my fifth time seeing her) and she was incredible, as always.

252/365: Still so excited about this souvenir feather hat from the Magic Forest (it was only $2.99!).

356 Project: Days 232-237

232/365:

I was so engrossed in writing

this diner piece

on the train that I missed my stop. The resulting walk home through Prospect Heights was definitely not a bad thing.

233/365: I crossed another bridge off my list by walking the George Washington Bridge and captured another beautiful sunset from my bedroom window.

234/365: Pretty much what I wake up to every morning.

235/365: Boyfriends who go on trips and bring back souvenirs (like Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a Minion magnet and—most importantly of all—a squished penny) are the best kind of boyfriends.

236/365: Friends who go on trips and bring back souvenirs (like a Yellowstone coffee mug, piece of pyrite, prison postcard and—most importantly of all—squished pennies) are the best kind of friends.

237/365: Always happy to spend time in a photobooth // A chicken and her chicken.

365 Project: Days 218-231

218/365: We went to our last Celebrate Brooklyn concert, Third World, and it was great. I love all the seasons and I always get so excited for fall—when it will finally be appropriate to wear these socks—but I'll definitely miss this most excellent part of summer.

219/365: We ventured up north to visit Mother Cabrini and the grotesques at City College—the Hamilton Heights area of Manhattan is a real delight, especially Convent Avenue.

220/365: I did some diner research for a thing.

221/365: I vowed to cook more for myself, and these pizzas have become a regular staple.

222/365: Jim won the Shakespeare in the Park lottery, so we grabbed dinner from Shake Shack and watched Cymbeline at the Delacorte in Central Park.

223/365: This ham.

224/365: Slowly hung up some things, which always makes me happy.

225/365: There can never be too many pizzas in a week—this one was for lunch, and from San Matteo on the Upper East Side. It was delicious and the closest I've found to the pizzas I ate in Italy.

226/365: Did some more diner research for a thing. I found some really great ones that I can't wait to share.

227/365: Bought some frames, hung some more art. I'm really loving my new space.

228/365: Really into the sunsets outside of my window every night.

229/365: Re-reading one of my favorite books, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, for the I-don't-know-what'th time before Francesca and I go to Savannah in September (!).

230/365: I'm always thrilled when an ugly awning comes down and reveals a great sign (or clock!) underneath.

231/365:  I have to leave my door open so Mozart can get in/out of my room and I was so excited to receive this doorstop in the mail. I was bummed to discover that it's too thick to fit under my door, but I think I can shave some off to make it fit—totally worth the extra effort because look how cute this thing is.