Last week, the little man spent the entire week with his grandparents and my husband in Florida while I peacefully rested (and worked) at home in NYC. While I missed my boys terribly, I did not squander an ounce of my free time. Here is what my week looked like in pictures.

what I read…

edith wharton tells the story of wealthy girls shunned from new york society in the late 1800s. they gave london a go and were foisted on broke nobility who needed the lady’s fortunes to keep up their big inherited houses. sound familiar lady cora?

what I did…

the fabulous shari schneider invited me to one of her italian wine tastings at her gorgeous new store on the upper east side

i went to the beautiful micki’s baby shower. she’s due in july!!

what I watched…

where I went…

one gorgeous sunday i got out to just wander around riverside park, unencumbered by strollers..the stretch of park along the hudson is extraordinary. i wish i had michael’s camera with me.

what I cooked…

this is my absolute favorite vegetarian feast courtesy of goop. it’s a crowd pleaser every time.

who i cooked for…

where I ate…

this place is a very yummy farm to table restaurant right down the street…mmmm

every day after work i stopped in barnyard for a sandwich because i didn’t have to race home to free the babysitter…we’re talking a triple decker turkey club, a whole meatball sub and something called the figgy piggy!

the lovely lady grady invited me for a hudson valley sleep over that was kicked off by sharing a branzino at the ocean house

uncle peter met me for lunch at eataly where we ate mussles and smoked bluefish and pickled anchovies…double mmmmmm

what I saw…

i stumbled on this little house on riverside drive on my way home from riverside park. i went home and started to research it of course and discovered it is the only freestanding mansion left in new york. it was built in 19o9 for a mr. schinasi by william tuthill, the same man who designed carnegie hall. mr. schinasi was an immigrant from Turkey who made his fortune in cigarettes. it’s current owner is a law professor at columbia who bought it in the 1970s for $300,000. He’s been refurbishing it since then and now has it on the market for 20 million. Any bidders?

hara joined me to see this outrageous modern comedia dell’arte brought over from england by sir nicholas hytner, who we are most indebted to and if you can’t remember why email me and i’ll remind you. the show included stunts, pratfalls, potentially pernicious audience interactions, and an old man who kept falling down the stairs with his back arched and claws out like a cat. i won’t even begin to describe the show because i simply can’t. but i will say hara and i ran the full gamut of emotions from hysterical laughter, to crawling skin, to hunger, to exhaustion.

monday was member’s day at the metropolitan museum of art. i only became a member this past march. on member’s day we were treated to a museum closed to the public where we could view the 2 exhibitions you see below with complimentary audio guides. there were cookies and beverages and someone playing the violin. there is a HUGE gift shop where we were able to purchase anything with a 20% discount. i arrived at 1pm and made it back home at 7pm. in this span of time i listened to every single item in the audio guide about the steins, i browsed the prada exhibit, i spent hours looking through big coffee table books on art, architecture, style, jewelry. i had no time constraints, no naps to administer, no meals or snacks to attend to, just luxurious time.

it was a glorious vacation and i’d like to take a moment to thank my sponsors. you know who you are.

the boys returned yesterday and i was rested and ready for this…