2 Saturdays ago: 25th Birthday Fete!

Fact: Planning a birthday party is always harder than it should be.

NYC Truth: Organizing a party in Manhattan will drive you to madness.
Real Life-ism: Nobody cares about your party [as much as you do].
Conclusion: Calm the eff down, plan something fun for all, and wear a pretty dress and shiny shoes that make you happy.

It's such a blessing to gain WISDOM with age. *Whew.*

Thus:
The fun plan took the form of an improv comedy show at the UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE, starring actors and writers from "30 Rock," "The Office" and other hilarious shows, followed by dinner at La Bottega, located in the Maritime Hotel.

Pretty dress? Check!


Shiny shoes? Check!

(ELM, SB and The Bunny)


I think my friends are gorgeous.
I've noticed lately that my peers--meaning specifically those people born in 1984 and 1985--are looking ravishingly gorgeous and seriously radiant.
Quite simply, they look the best they've ever looked.
Even on Facebook, when I peruse current photos of people I haven't seen in the flesh since we were 9, it's obvious to me that they've reached a beauty "critical mass."
Mind you, that isn't to say that the best isn't yet to come, because I think it is, but this is a pleasant plateau to reach following the not-yet-distant-enough pains of pre-and-post-adolescence.

I think there will certainly be a time in my life when I'll gaze with jealousy upon the cellulite-free and curve-less figures of teenage girls, and long for that phase in my physical development (which, if I'm honest with myself, never actually existed).

But for now, I think my friends, and even I, look the way we're supposed to--and hopefully feel a little more comfortable in our own skin, too.
That sense of peace is a true birthday gift.

They're such a happy bunch; I'm tremendously and unduly lucky...

(A(K)K, EJS and LAT)


(LAT and BJE)


(DM and CCR)


(MVG, G(A)S, and CLB)


(ELM and SB)


(CJM)


(DM, CCR, ESG and CJM)


(CJM, MVG, G(A)S, and CLB)


(CLB and CJM)


(BJE, CJM and LAT: Even wearing heels it's sort of hopeless with these two...)


(Princeton Girls: LAT, A(K)K, MVG, EJS, and CJM)

I've got a GOOD FEELING about year #25...
In the words of the wrapping paper on one of my gifts, here's hoping that every day grants each of us a...

Cxx.

I'm Crazy But I Get the Job Done

Today begins a VERY busy week for me.

Tonight I kicked off my 25th birthday celebration with dinner out, courtesy of my boyfriend and his charming family.
My dessert plate, before:

...and after:


Here's what the rest of the week holds:

Monday 4.12: Ben Folds concert at Town Hall.
I've loved this man since I was 16. He performed at Princeton the week of my 20th birthday, and his concert tomorrow will get me in the mood for another birthday a half-decade later.

Tuesday 4.13: Children for Children benefit gala at Christie's.


This charity is the reason for my recent party at Lilly Pulitzer.
(To view all the fab professional photos from that event, click HERE.)
I'm on the Young Supporters (junior) committee and so pleased to be affiliated with CFC's great work. I'm in good company with the planning committee, and also look forward to seeing Katie Couric honored at the dinner.
Naturally, I'm still trying to decide what to wear...

Wednesday 4.14: ELM arrives from London-town!
My darling friend ELM (center) comes to NYC with her beau for a brief, but fabulous, few days.

We're having dinner on Wednesday and romping around the city on Friday.
I.CANNOT.WAIT. I only wish that the entire gang could be here to cause trouble together.

Thursday 4.15: I achieve a quarter-century and...
attend the American Museum of Natural History's Spring Safari.

(This special print is SO Lilly and SO New York.)

I'm friends with a museum VIP and am going as her special guest (love you, EJS!).
Since Lilly Pulitzer is sponsoring the evening (talk about the stars aligning...) I will be decked out in Lilly duds and, depending on how well I finagle things, VINTAGE Lilly!
Dress code? "Lilly or Louder"
Even the museum's whale is expected to wear a Lilly bowtie.
Bless the creative geniuses who dreamt up this sure-to-be-outstanding evening.

Friday 4.16: Playing NYC guide go ELM and SB!
Hold on to your hats, kids, because I live to give tours.

Saturday 4.17: Ringing in #25 in the company of friends.
An evening show at Upright Citizens Brigade followed by drinks at The Park?
DON'T MIND IF I DO.

Sunday 4.18: Collapse.
Merely from the sheer exhaustion and amazingness of being utterly spoiled and loved.

Cheers to going big or going home,
Cxx.

Little Me.

I thought I'd share a bit more about CJM, so here are 15 things about me...

1. I'm probably better at writing a list of DISlikes than likes. Interpret that as you will.
   
2. Hoping to ingratiate her to the idea of a younger sister, my parents asked my older sister to help name me. That being 1985, and she being 9 years old, her recommendation was "Crystal-Tina." Blessedly, that is NOT my name.
3. I am 1/16 Cherokee and always thought I should spend some time on a reservation, donating my time and learning about my culture.
4. The Cherokee is only part of a mix that includes Chinese, Irish, Swedish, German, and various samplings of Western European races. I felt odd about this when I was younger and the first time I hear Cher's song "Half Breed" I was utterly taken with it, thinking it might be my anthem. (Ridiculous.)
   
5. I sometimes slip and pronounce "while" as "wahl;" this is my most distinct Kansas inflection.
6. I am a lactard. I avoid dairy except for cheese. I will never disavow cheese. But I embrace soy products more and more each day.
   
7. I always pronounce "February" as "Feb-ROO-air-y" since that's how it's spelled.
8. I find the Hong Kong Chinese-British accent to be the most aurally pleasing in the world.
9. When I was younger I was convinced I would eventually win an Oscar. I had an agent. There are some embarrassing tapes of a TV commercial and some silly headshots floating around...
   
10. I become irritated when people pronounce "huge" as "yuge" and "human" as "yuman." It's only tolerable when Cary Grant does it, and even then, it's touch and go.
11. The word "impactful" always sounds fake to me. I'm glad that Blogger's spell check agrees with me.
12. My absolute favorite places to shop are upscale grocery stores and independent bookstores; everything has its place and is part of a logical sequence.
13. If I could be anything in the world, regardless of any limitations, I would be a prima ballerina. If I could be Suzanne Farrell, even better.
14. My current dream job, given my limitations (see #13), is to be president of a major museum.
15. I think I have some major unlocked potential inside of me, and don't doubt that someday I will be famous (and hopefully not infamous...). I just wish that on my worst days I could remember that.

More of these lists to come later. Let me know if you have questions of things you've wondered about me!

Happy Labor Day weekend!
Cxx.

Paris Recap #3: Promenading around Paris.

Strolling along the Seine.
For a month in the summer the right bank of the Seine is converted into a beach for the "Paris Plages." Imported sand for sunning, fencing classes for children, pentanque fields, exercise equipment, ice cream stands and street performers draw huge crowds to the riverside.

Above: These two clowns stalked this woman and sat down on either side of her. She was spectacularly nonchalant about the whole thing; she may even have been whistling.

Right Bank.

1st arr.: Jardin du Palais Royal. This row of trees reminds me of my favorite Klimt painting.

The Colonnade at the Palais Royal.

And, of course, I had to reenact my favorite "Charade" pose:



The Place du Palais Royal Metro Station entrance.
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1st arr.: The Ferris Wheel from two perspectives.
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1st arr.: Toy sailboats for rent in the Jardin des Tuileries.
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1st arr.: La Fontaine des Innocents.
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3rd arr.: Entree des Fournisseurs. This marvelous ribbon and button shop, tucked away in an enclosed courtyard, was shut for August. Such is the situation with many Parisian shops in late-July and August when shopowners take their 4-week vacation. I'll be back...
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3rd arr.: The Bunny read while I took a nap in the intimate and serene Square Charles-Victor Langlois.
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Velib'! This two-year old bike rental system has stations all over the city and is immensely popular. If you read The Sartorialist you will recognize these bikes from many of Scott's recent Paris shots. The bikes themselves are unique looking: streamlined, elegant and cute! I love nothing more than a bike ride and The Bunny was happy to oblige. We rode around the 3rd arr.
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4th arr.: Beaubourg and views from it.

Clockwise from left, views from Beaubourg: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Montmartre (with Sacre-Coeur perched on top), and La Fontaine Stravinski.

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6th arr.: Arc de Triomphe.
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8th arr.: Place de la Concorde. Entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries.
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18th arr.: Sacre-Coeur is magnificent. I fell in love with it during my first visit to Paris and felt like I was seeing a beautiful old friend on this trip.

Left Bank.

5th arr.: Looking onto the balcony of the apartment where The Bunny and I were staying; lovely view onto the Pantheon and the Eiffel Tower (visible at night when it's lit).
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5th arr.: Le Bonbon au Palais. This candystore's sign takes the form of a child's dictation exercise and makes light of the difficulty of homonyms in French. The shop is designed to look like a classroom filled with candy; every kid's fantasy come true!
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6th arr.: A perfectly gorgeous, wizened tree in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
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6th arr: Cafe with whimsical pastel-colored chairs on the Boulevard-St-Germain.

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6th arr.: The buildings of Paris are arranged such that the most magnificent patterns of light appear as the sun shines through. This is what I find to be most dreamy about the city.
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7th arr.: La Tour by day.
By Evening:

(It wouldn't be CJM if I wasn't cartwheeling...)

And By Night:

And by night.
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9th arr.: Spotted on the Boulevard Haussman: Cute-as-a-button little girl and Perrier-shaped botany.
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15th arr.: A building similar to NYC's Flatiron building but on a smaller scale!
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Doorknobs and Doorways.

I could happily devote years of my life to photographing the doors and doorknobs of Europe. Americans in general simply don't value quality or artistry like this.

Next Up: What, and how, Murf ate in Paris!

Cxx.