In Central Park, there is so much to see. Together last weekend, 2-year old Layla and I visited Alice in Wonderland, made fallen-leaf angels, and marveled at the remote control sailboats that shimmered happily across the pond. There is almost nothing that didn't make her giggle! (And seriously, that hot-pink puffer vest? Covet.)
I've been L's friend since she was six months old. She is always one of the sweetest sessions of the year! My job SO does not suck.
<3
Ana
Central Park, October 2013
(also featured on Pinhole Press here!)
Last month I threw my best friend a baby shower. It was pretty epic!
The best part of the preparations for me was the book I made with Pinhole Press, a landscape panoramic gray-fabric book with extra thick pages called, "Sweet Words for Little Boys" with a subtitle, and "And those who love them", and it was extra special because each one of the guests had submitted their own baby photo along with a quote or words of advice for the little man and his parents-to-be! The waterworks were on as she read each page, beginning with a baby photo of her mom and aunt with advice from her aunt, as her mom is not longer with us.
I co-hosted with two other friends, a friend to help me with the decor, Ashley Norton, who works as a crafting editor at Martha Stewart Living, and a photo shoot producer friend, Erin O'Reilly, to help source and execute the day. Together we agreed on a nautical theme since the Kozlowskis are expecting a boy, and their home decor aesthetic is very chic and simple in light, airy tones.
We began with a Paperless Post invite with little boats on them, and Ashley followed that up with garlands of folded boats out of hand-painted paper, bouquets of handmade paper flowers in blue tones with menswear hints, and an ocean-themed photo booth with waves and hand-held hand-painted props in cute Octopus, Jellyfish, Seahorse and shark shapes.
Guests could take home their Instax polaroid favor in a hand painted linen bag that Ashley painted to match the hand-painted muslin tablecloth, and the Photo Booth was a hit! We all spammed our Instagram feeds with a load of funny photos from the booth. (My feed is @anaphotonyc!)
It's the longest day of the year today!
Where did the 8:45pm sunset find you? I decided to lay on my back in the grass on the Great Lawn in Central Park, watching the big orange ball fall lower and lower in the sky.
"Summer afternoon--summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. -Henry James
Central Park, 2013
Hey, hey models! Let's update your books with something fresh and summery, no? Follow me. I'm chasing the sun.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn. May 2013
Feet, up. Smile inextinguishable. It's your day, mamas!
Manhattan, 2013
A nice amount (a perfect amount, in fact!) of time has passed while I was gone.
It's been long enough that American currency is weird-looking. Long enough that the street traffic seems out of place without the roar of a thousand motos. Long enough that I still have the bright-eyed half smile on my face.
My smile threatens to erupt, at the slightest prompt. I'm still looking at everything with a traveler's eager, observant affinity, where every corner storefront merits a second look, where every interesting face passed is noted and memorized with excited inner appreciation.
I'm still in the habit of being rather disconnected. I'm only checking my phone every couple of hours. I expect that bit of loveliness will be the first habit to evaporate, but I hope it doesn't happen today.
I awoke at 3 am today, full of thoughts and done with sleep, despite my valiant efforts at avoiding jet lag. I awoke and I watched this video, of kayaking on Halong Bay, Vietnam, and was tickled at the memory. Reliving this trip is going to be a riot, without a trace of the sad longing that remembering can sometimes bring.
One more watch, and then I'll get back to sleep. Really.
In Hanoi, you bring your pet bird to the park with you so that she can chirp the latest gossip with the other birds. Though a caged bird is sad in a way, this is a sweet ritual that I was surprised by and loved. Hanoi, Vietnam.
Okay, granted this is an Instagram photo, but the truth remains that the color the sun splashes as it sets over Angkor Wat, is, undeniably... Epic.
Mystically tangerine-orange-pink.
This is a day I won't soon be willing to leave. I won't stop wanting to replay it on loop, in my daydreams. And in the moments before sleep comes.
Dear Mama,
I parked my pillow in Saigon last night. I woke up feeling alive.
It is such a thrill to disappear. To vanish off of the map of my daily routine, to vanish into the crowded lanes of a new city.
Saigon breathes impatiently for me to get to know her. She emits the rumble of a thousand motos and the smell of almost-ready French bread. Tree-lined avenues and grins on faces.
Endless ways to spend the sticky-hot afternoons, searching out a breeze or a game of Chinese checkers. You lay in a hammock. you gossip in a park.
Endless ways of using coconut and condensed milk. I love a city that loves their desserts.
I'm out of doors and out on my own and out in search of today's adventure.
I'll report back again soon.
Love,
Ana
Oh, how I love to document-the-documentation. How meta! Sometimes the smiles that come out for the iPhone while packing back up into the stroller are as priceless as the fancier, well-lit versions. Here are some of the faces that have lit up the first 30 days of my 2013.
Special guest appearances by makeup artist Mel Paldino, the so totally famous and fab Melanie Notkin and a rude-ish acronym from Drive-In EQ. You people kill me!
I found it hard to narrow the month down to only five BTS photos. On days like today I am SO. PLEASED. WITH MY CAREER CHOICE. Boom!
Behind the scenes at Parents magazine, 2013
Love, Ellaire.
Tribeca, October 2012
New yorkers show their rallying spirit, in the most brilliant way. We all root for each other. Check out how these marathoners helped out their communities on the day of the would-be race. And this is an exceptional slideshow of Sandy photos, so New York.
And here's my favorite tiny New Yorker for today, even from her small stature showing the same enthusiasm for her fellow man as the rest of the taller variety!
October 2012, Westport, Connecticut
...who knows what she'll say?
Central Park, October 2012
Gerber baby casting call! You'd think, right? Brothers and buddies for life. Already sharing secrets...
Manhattan, 2012
A squirrel above us wanted to make friends. We know this because he kept dropping acorns on our heads! "Hello, Mr. Squirrel!"
Payton found this hilarious, but we went in search of safer pastures... best to avoid a mid-photoshoot THUNK!
<3
A little sweetness on the blog today, a little glow in the spirit of things to come. A little wish from me to you to skip forward, skip, hop and run toward your future, whatever that means for you. <3
I'm so proud to take part in such an important cause! My photo of little Zayne is featured. Could he be any cuter though, seriously? I love this kid. <3
Toddle and play, toddle and play! These twins celebrated their 1st Birthday with a photoshoot in a beautiful park in downtown Manhattan. They were so curious and so excited to run in the grass and point out at the water, there's SO much to see in this killer park! <3
