a dinosaur on the high line

December 13, 2024

Any day I spend in New York City usually includes a walk on The High Line.

My last visit to the city, planned as a day to enjoy the holiday festivities, was no exception.

I hadn’t been on The High Line since a particular piece of art, titled Dinosaur, was installed last October on the Plinth located above 10^th Avenue and 30^th Street. This celebrated spot is part of a contemporary art program that has been displaying sculptures in the heart of the city since 2019.

The piece called Dinosaur is a 2,000-pound, nearly 16-foot-tall cast aluminum sculpture of a pigeon created by Paris-based Colombian artist Ivan Argote. Argote’s pitch was selected from a group of 80 artists in 2020.

The sculpture’s foundation was laid in Mexico, and it was hand painted in New Jersey. It took a crane and a lane closure of 10th Avenue to position the pigeon on its perch (the concrete plinth).

Why is it named Dinosaur? Apparently, the sculpture is an ode to the pigeon’s distant past as the birds descended from dinosaurs. Who knew?

Anyway, my daughter and I really wanted to see the hyper-realistic bird in person and we hadn’t been on The High Line since before last October, so we used our recent visit as a chance to get an up-close view. I am so glad we did – despite the bitter cold!

The pigeon has to be one of my favorite sculptures I have seen on the High Line. (The two tons of Legos dumped on The High Line is still my very favorite installation! Click here to see.)

I feel lucky to live close enough to New York City to visit on a whim! And the holidays are always an extra special time to visit.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a flirty restaurant

August 30, 2024

For me, this may be the summer of visiting restaurants with beautiful wall paintings! In my last post I showed you some beauties in Connecticut and today I want to share some I found in Massachusetts.

I found these paintings on a recent trip to Boston, when I had dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Coquette at the Seaport in the Omni Hotel. The food was fabulous and the aesthetics were just as great.

Right in line with the restaurant name (translating as flirt), the vibe was definitely flirty! My favorite part of the décor though were the paintings on the wall.

How pretty are these walls?

And, I had a major crush on these light fixtures!

Some other favorite décor details:

The chandelier in the main dining room, some of the large-scale paintings that truly added to the feel of the place, the ceiling above the bar, the toile wallpaper in the restroom, and the seahorse doorknobs!

If you should ever be at or near the Omni – even if you don’t eat at Coquette (which I highly recommend) – I would peek inside and check out the décor!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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philadelphia flower show 2022

June 24, 2022

I have been to the Philadelphia Flower Show in years past. Hailed as the world’s longest-running and largest indoor show in the country, it is hard for any flower lover not to visit at least once in their life!

But I have never been to the Philadelphia Flower Show since COVID. And since COVID, there has been one huge change to the show – it moved outdoors from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Because of the change, I was especially excited to visit the show this year – my first with the outdoor venue.

The site for the show since COVID has been FDR Park – a 348-acre park located in South Philadelphia along the Delaware River.

The venue turned out to be really great – even though the day my daughter and I chose to attend was a 94-degree day! Yes, it certainly was hot, but we found some nice breezes and some shady spots to rest.

The food and drink options were fabulous with many great seating areas available. We chose to have a snack in the boat house which provided a shady spot with a picturesque view of the river.

Though I prefer white flowers over multi-colored and I am not particularly an orchid fan, the flower installation in the gazebo overlooking the river was my favorite! A profusion of multi-colored flowers, predominately orchids, dazzled in the space. The photos I share here are all from this installation.

My daughter and I hadn’t been to Philadelphia in quite a few years and we had many stops on our list! I am glad we included the flower show as one of our stops because it really was enjoyable – particularly because it was held outdoors.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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park hyatt aviara

March 25, 2022

It’s no secret that I am enamored with the state of California and It is always exciting for me to get the opportunity to stay in a hotel in there – especially when it is one that I have never experienced.

Recently, I had this opportunity during a work trip. The hotel I visited rivaled any hotel located right on the coast (my usually faves).

The hotel was the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad (about 30 miles outside San Diego). Even though I was busy working while there, the aesthetics of this hotel were hard to miss!

It is magical – from it’s foggy early mornings…

…to it’s late night “campfires.”

The food at the hotel is fabulous – with many healthful choices. I so enjoyed the assorted varieties of chia seed puddings at breakfast as well as the ‘chef’s choice’ of fresh juice each day. One morning this was a mix of orange, mango and banana. So yummy!

And, for cocktails, there are some fun choices from the “Mixologist’s Lab” – like my favorite: a Yuzu Jalapeno Popsicle – a cocktail containing a popsicle with a jalapeno frozen inside!

Unfortunately, because I was working, I did not have the opportunity to enjoy all the hotel has to offer. This includes a golf course, spa, and a Richard Blais restaurant called Ember & Rye (check my Instagram stories for some photos of this fabulous restaurant – overlooking a golf course and owned by one of my culinary heros).

I hope you enjoyed a little peek at this great resort in California!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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chihuly in the desert

February 11, 2022

Chihuly in the Desert showcases Dale Chihuly’s stunning, large scale glass installations. The pieces created by this amazing glass artist are currently nestled among the collection of desert plants at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona (see more on the Botanical Garden here).

Chihuly’s work features installations throughout the garden’s trails in addition to pieces displayed in an indoor gallery exhibit.

Yes – cleaning is required! Pieces are cleaned by garden staff regularly to ensure the brilliance of the glass.

If you follow this blog, you have probably seen photos of the artist’s 2017 collection (click to see) displayed at the New York Botanical Garden.

I was so lucky to have the opportunity to view Chihuly’s work again – in 2022. And, it was so wonderful to do so in the beautiful February climate of Arizona when, back home in Connecticut, snow was covering the ground!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of Chihuly in the Desert. I recommend never passing up an opportunity to see Dale Chihuly’s work! (Tip: If you visit the Desert Botanical Garden, try to see the exhibit at the end of the day when the bright sun is not as distracting to the works. Chihuly in the Desert continues through June.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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life moves pretty fast

July 2, 2021

We are starting a holiday weekend and everyone is super excited because some of our COVID-19 restrictions have relaxed and people feel a little more ‘normal.’

I am grateful to our life with COVID-19 for teaching me to slow down a little bit.

For the weekend, I am reminding you of a few words from a very wise man: Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

With these words in mind, I challenge you this holiday weekend to pick a single thing to find beauty in and really spend some time to examine it.

You may choose something aesthetically pleasing or you may choose a person. Whatever it is you decide to choose, spend some real time taking it in and examining it from every angle…appreciate the beauty in your choice.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous holiday weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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art in unexpected places

June 11, 2021

For any serious shopper, no trip to Miami is complete without a stop at Aventura Mall. Aventura Mall is one of the top shopping centers in the U.S. Anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, the center is highlighted by a mix of over 300 luxury boutiques and shopper favorites. It also features over 50 dining options.

But, on my last trip to Miami, it wasn’t the stores at Aventura Mall that I was visiting…it was the artwork! Aventura showcases over 20 museum-caliber pieces in a range of mediums by world-renowned artists installed on multiple levels of the mall.

I love this happy guy by Ugo Rondmone!

I am giving you a little taste of some of the pieces in today’s post. Enjoy!

If you are ever in the Miami area, be sure to plan some time to visit the Aventura Mall! Click here to see one of the more exciting pieces! You can see some of the interactive pieces on my Instagram stories.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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desert botanical garden

May 21, 2021

I became a cactus fan long before succulents were ‘in.’ I made my first visit to Arizona when I was in junior high school and I instantly became mesmerized by the unusual and glorious plants called cacti.

When I got home from my trip, I signed up for a subscription to Arizona Highways magazine so I could regularly see beautiful, artistic photographs of Arizona plants in their native habitat.

This background of cactus love made it extra special for me to have the opportunity recently to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I had never been.

The garden is like a living museum, home to more than 4,400 species and 27,000 plants.

Today, I share a few of my favorite views from my visit.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a fabulous weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Look at my last post for more from the Desert Botanical Garden.

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anything but yellow

May 14, 2021

On a quick trip to Scottsdale, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix with some great people. During the visit, I was intrigued by a comment made by our tour guide – that most flowers in a desert garden are yellow. Of course, after hearing that, I needed to find some color beyond the yellow as I toured the space!

Today I am sharing a few of these non-yellow finds. I will share some more photos of the garden in a future post because there were plenty of amazing succulents to admire!

My first amazing find at the garden is a little bit of a cheat…they are not live plants! They are blown glass pieces by the amazing American glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly. It was such a nice surprise to discover the three pieces of large-scale sculptures gracing the entrance to the garden!

You may remember from a previous post, that I visited a large Chihuly collection when it was installed at the New York Botanical Garden. (Click here to see the post.)

Here are a few of my favorite living ‘beyond yellow’ finds!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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spring walk in essex

April 23, 2021

Even though I live in a shoreline town, there are plenty more in Connecticut to explore! Some towns I may not visit very often, yet others I wouldn’t miss checking out on a regular basis.

Essex is one of these ‘regular basis’ towns. It has a quiet elegance about it and is very historic – It is home to one of the oldest (since 1776) continuously operated inns in the country. I usually visit this seaport village in July, but a friend and I recently made a spring visit.

As in any visit, we took plenty of time to notice outdoor home décor and gardens. Having done a formal home tour in Essex in the past, I know there are many magnificent interiors as well!