New shelves for the upstate kitchen. It looks like they are floating!

Here’s how to force forsythia flowers:

1. Pick a day that is above freezing.
2. Cut the forsythia stems in lengths of less than 3 feet, and bring them home.
3. Put the stems in a bucket of warm water.
4. With your pruning shears, cut another inch off the bottoms of the submerged stems. This second cut, performed underwater where air cannot act as a drying agent, will promote water intake.
5. Allow the forsythia stems to soak up the warm water for several hours.
6. Now it’s time to change the water. When you refill, put floral preservative in the warm water this time. Once again, re-cut the stems, underwater. You’ll speed up the forsythia flower forcing if you keep the stems in a high-humidity environment and give them some sun.

Just some black and white rooms to help me ease into this blogging thing again.

A trip to Paris would not be complete with out stopping at Ladurée.

Got back last week from our trip. It was amazing! The weather was perfect, and we were able to spend a little time with my husbands family while we were there. We are already planing another trip next summer!

I love kitchens that don’t look like kitchens. I like when it looks like another room, or part of a room (in this case).

Black and white is always good.

This one is really simple. I love that it doesn’t have upper cabinets.

I’m not a big chandelier person, but I think this looks nice in this space.

Photo credits: Prue Ruscoe, The Apartment, Marie Claire Maison.

All photos by C Kelly.

Yesterday we spent the entire day at the MoMA. It was almost as if we had the whole place to ourselves! Everyone else must have been at the beach.

It was so nice to be able to take our time in each of the exhibits.

I had such a nice day! This was a good idea to come here on the 4th of July. I’m not much of a beach person anyway.

My Mom came for a visit last week. We spent some time in the city, and some time upstate. The weather was beautiful! We took a boat ride on the Hudson River, and took a walk on the Highline among other things.

On our way to Hudson we stopped at Clermont for a picnic, and to enjoy the view.

Then we strolled along Warren Street in Hudson.

Back in New York we walked along the Highline. Anytime anyone comes to visit I bring them here. It is such an amazing way to see the city!