Autumn In Woodstock, Vermont!

Woodstock is always a must when we go to Vermont and it is still the charming quaint town that I love! I love that Noah's birthday falls around the time we come and so far we have taken a picture on these steps! I look back at this post and I can't believe how fast he's growing! 

Everything in this town is so festive and there were so many porches decked out with gourds and pumpkins! It is so beautiful here and Jon even said he'd like to retire here. It is such an aesthetic place to escape to get away from the grind of Jersey. Who knows where we will end up once retirement hits! We are still young and will continue to road trip to Vermont every fall as long as our bodies allow the 5.5 hour drive! Now for some colorful photos!

Autumn in Vermont- Part One!

Our trip to Vermont this year was so fun and the fact that we only brought Noah with us made it special being that it is still his birthday season! Brace yourselves because when one goes to Vermont-especially in the fall you just don't take a few photos. You take a gazillion photos so I may have to split this into a couple of posts. 

There are so many quaint towns within a 70 mile radius and we hit all the ones we wanted to go to. We got ice cream at our favorite place in Ludlow and went home with a couple bottles of vermont maple syrup. Jon absolutely loves it here and we hit some random spots while driving all over creation just to capture the beauty of mother nature. 

November Rain In Central Park...

Autumn in New York is like a Nora Eprhon movie. Especially in the early morning hours after it rains. Going to Central Park early in the morning on a weekday was a dream. A dream because there was hardly anyone in sight. I saw a couple of photographers with their tripods doing their thing, a couple of joggers, some dog walkers but other than that I felt like I was all by myself. Capturing every single color and falling leaf that defines this season. And as much as I love the energy and action of the city, it's nice to have some silence. And just like my place in Jersey- it's nice to have a somewhere to go to where one can sit and walk around for hours to take in the beauty of mother nature all while appreciating the places we venture out to and live. And for me...that's Central Park in the fall. I also made a little reel for viewing pleasure and you can view it here on my Instagram or here on my tiktok. And now for some photos...

Autumn in Central Park NYC!

Last week on Veterans Day we went to the city to check out the fall foliage in Central Park and one thing for sure when we got there is that New York city is not DEAD!! There were so many people out riding the carriages, artists painting pictures of the bow bridge and San Remo apartments, and I saw about five brides having their picture taken. It was great. The city felt great. The energy was amazing and it felt so good to see everyone out and about having so much fun doing their own thing. It felt like summer in the fall when everyone goes out and ventures to central park to get away and go for long walks. Central Park is the perfect place for it too! Lexie and I had so much fun getting our cardio fix and seeing various parts of central park. Oh how I love this city and all the action that takes place with it. 

Stranger Things Pop-Up Store In Times Square!

For Noah's 12th birthday we had a little celebration in Times Square where a slice of chocolate fudge  from Juniors was his "birthday cake" and then we explored the Stranger Things pop-up store. It was the coolest installation and all the merchandise they sold took me back to the 80's where I wish my kids would experience that era. They had an arcade where Noah played old school video games that reminded me of my childhood and after leaving the store and re-watching the series stranger things for the third time I feel that the kids are hooked on the 80's. The Upside Down was pretty cool too! You can watch a little video I made on Tiktok here. It was the best and cheapest gift for Noah and he had such a fun time. We also had dinner at Hard Cafe per Noah's request and it was tasty. We hadn't been since Noah was a baby so it was nice going back to a nostalgic, familiar, touristy place from when we first moved here. Such a fun evening and I wish it didn't end. 

NOAH IS 12!

TIIIME flies by so fast and this kid is already 12! TWELVE!! For a dozen years I've got to hang out with the funnest, smartest, coolest kid on the planet. There's so much more of him I can describe in which words can't make up for but this is one kid who hardly stresses me out and is the chillest dude I know. So grateful to have him in our lives and how lucky he is to have three older sisters who love on him so much. What a guy! Noah Michael, happy birthday kid. You deserve so much joy in this life because of who you are. Love you so much and always remember this moment and all the little things in between that makes life with you so interesting to live for! 

Autumn In Industry City!

 

These pictures were taken during the "Hallowdays" at Industry city where they go all out in decorating for Halloween and all things fall-ish. I love all their decorations inside and outside this place. Ever since they redid this whole section of industry city years ago it has become one of our favorite go to spots when we want to explore somewhere different other than Manhattan. I personally like venturing out to every spot in the city where my kids can explore a variety of things. This is also the perfect place for a photo op! I captured a few photos of the kids surrounded by pumpkins, haystacks, and gourds. Such a cool spot to sit after an afternoon of shopping and eating. They always have different cool art installations where the little kids (and big) can have fun. Truly a place to come when visiting New York City! Especially during the holiday months! 

Appreciating Autumn In The Garden State.

Lately I have been really appreciating the beauty of Fall in my new hood. I feel that since turning 50 I don't want to take anything for granted. Not my friends. Not my family. Not The Lord. Not my neighbors. Not mother nature. Not the place that I live. We have been so blessed to live where we live and to have the neighbors we have. To have a couple of friends at church we can rely on, and to have a loving God who is there for us to show off his beautiful creations that he has done along with mother nature! And with that Lexie and I have been going on walks in the morning and just the other day picked up Noah after a half day of school to see the carpet of leaves in our town as well as running errands where we stumbled upon a park where the fall foliage was absolutely vibrant! I captured a few photos of my boy, and he is soooooo dang happy to be November baby and that he was born in one of the most colorful months of the year. New Jersey is no New York but in the fall...she's pretty dreamy. Just take a gander.....

Phantom Of The Opera In NYC!

Three days before Halloween Lexie and I went to our first broadway show after 18 months being closed due to the pandemic and it felt sooooooooo good to be inside a live theatre again. Broadway is definitely back and so many shows have opened up and right now is the time to go cause tickets are crazy cheap! We had such a great time and Phantom was amazing! I can watch that show over and over again! I cried like a baby so bring lots and lots of tissues if you are planning to see it! And if you are curious about the requirements to attend a broadway show, you must provide proof of vaccination along with your ID, a negative covid test and yes...you need to wear your mask throughout entire show. I promise going to broadway right now is so worth it!

Dia De Los Muertos At Rockefeller Center.

Last week I stopped by the Rockefeller center where they had a gorgeous display of Syrians celebrating Dia De Los Metros and this Selena display stopped me in my tracks along with many others were Mexico week was being celebrated. What an elegant display of elegantly dressed skeleton sculptures done my Mexican artists by Menchaca studio.

Welcome November.

Halloween may be over but the crisp air, crunchy leaves, displays of pumpkins and mums on quaint porches, and scents of pumpkin spice still linger in the air. I love this time of year and November is one of my favorite months in Autumn. Particularly because it's the month of only son's birthday and I can hardly wait to celebrate him. But for now I will share this lovely display of pumpkins and mums from our trip to Woodstock. What a perfect time year to visit. I'll share more about our trip later but just wanted to welcome November with a thankful heart and hope it'll be a great month for all!