Seeing New York- Cherry Blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

I've been to the BBG (that's what the cool kids call it) a few times since moving to Brooklyn, but I've never been able to see the cherry blossoms. I missed it by a few days last year and was so bummed. I vowed to not miss it this year. And it did not disappoint!

Rinka and Trevor. 2 weeks apart. So stinkin' cute!

The Cherry Blossom festival will definitely be a tradition each year!

Seeing New York- Bronx Zoo

2 little monkeys

going to the zoo

to see lots of animals

and hang with friends

Seeing New York- Yankee Stadium

Naturally with a husband as big a fan of Major League Baseball as mine is, one thing we had to do while living here was go to a Yankee game. So this past Saturday we hopped the D train to the Bronx to watch the Angels play the Yankees.

Luckily Blake's favorite train is the D train.

I have no idea who this is.

Blake lasted until about the 4th inning when he politely said, "All done baseball." As we suspected, he was more interested in playing with the seats and running up and down the stadium stairs than actually watching the game. But we enjoyed watching Blake immediately start clapping whenever everyone else did. Even though he was cheering for the wrong team, it was so cute we didn't mind.

Seeing New York- Fashion Week

Yep. I went to Fashion Week.

Yes, that Fashion Week. The one you hear about and see pictures of. I was there. And it was incredible.

I'll be honest, when my neighbor (no, not that one) said he could get me and a friend into a fashion show I thought, "Oh, that would be fun." Fun doesn't even begin to describe it.

A few days before my date with Fashion Week, I was really worried about what I was going to wear. I'm not really in to fashion. I like to look good, but these days I just feel like I don't have the brainpower or the money to put into looking fashionable. And I really don't like shopping. At all. So I rummaged through my closet and tried to find something that would look good among really fashionable people.

On Saturday, I took my friend Melanie with me and we arrived at the backstage entrance to the Porter Grey fashion show we were going to attend. Matt (the awesome neighbor) told me to text him when we got there. We waited for a few minutes and I started to worry. Maybe Matt forgot that we were coming. Maybe there was some security issue and he won't be able to let us in. Maybe it was just a joke and he was never really going to get me into a fashion show.

Enter Matt.

He gave us our security passes and took us backstage to show us where the models get their hair and make-up done. Then he showed us where the models get dressed and ready for the show. People were staring at us as we walked by. Someone even asked Matt over the radio who we were. I tried to look like I was an uber famous person that only other uber famous people knew. I don't think anyone fell for it.

After the backstage tour Matt took us to where the fashion show was going to be. This particular fashion show was not a runway show. It was a presentation. The models didn't walk down a runway. They stood on a stage where photographers and invited/ticketed guests could go right up to them and look at the clothes. Melanie and I watched as people came in and out to look at the collection. In all honesty, I felt a little out of place. Like I said before, I don't know much about fashion and I felt like everyone there knew it.

designers being interviewed

                        

    

Enter Matt. Again.

As we left the show Matt asked if we had to leave. We said we could stick around for a while longer and he told us to head into the lobby and he would find us in a few minutes. And that's where the fun began.

I swear I looked better than this when I was getting ready.

Sponsors. Swag. Professional photographer to take our picture. I chuckled as Melanie told the photographer that we were stay at home moms when he asked what we do for a living. Just a few moms who happen to know the head of security of Fashion Week. That's all.

We walked around for 20 minutes and then Matt said he could get us into another show. He took us in and we watched the models rehearse their walk down the runway. Then everyone started to file in. Famous fashion people and celebrities were being interviewed while famous people chatted with other famous people. Melanie and I were standing behind the last row of chairs which had a great view even if we were standing. Then Matt motioned for us to come and sit. On the second row. The row right behind the first row. The row with famous people. We sat down and I looked at Melanie with wide eyes. We were in the second row of Son Jung Wan's runway show at New York Fashion Week. I didn't even know who Son Jung Wan was. But we were sitting in the second row so who cared!

The lights dimmed and the pumping music started.

I don't know if it was the loud music, but I was totally caught up in it all. The clothes were amazing (well, most of them. Some of them were weird, but what do I know.) The models were stunning. It was incredible.

sa-curity

celebs

The picture doesn't do the color of this dress justice

I've often thought that there is a whole other side to the world that I don't get to see, mostly because I'm not famous or rich. But that day I got to see a little bit of it. It will go down as one of the neatest things I've gotten to experience while living here.

Seeing New York- Transit Museum

Last week our friend Lindsay invited Blake and me on a little excursion to the New York Transit Museum. So we hopped on a train...to go look at more trains!

There was an electricity exhibit that the boys had fun tinkering with.

And they even let us drive a subway train! Turns out it's totally doable while you hold a small child!

Ok not really.

I forgot to clear off my camera card, so I only got 2 pictures. The rest of the museum has a buses that you can "drive" or be a passenger on. Blake loved being behind the steering wheel of an MTA bus. And Garrett (one of Lindsays' boys) was gracious enough to pick us up and drive us all the way to New York City!

We even went down to a subway platform and toured some of the old trains they used to use. It was neat to see what the old trains look like and how different some of them are from the trains we ride.

It was nice to get out and explore the city a little more.

Thanks, Lindsay!

Seeing New York-Transit Museum Train Show

It's nice having friends who know the not-so-well-known fun things to do in the city. On Saturday we headed to Grand Central Station to visit the Transit Museum Annex to see their train display.

The ceiling at Grand Central is really neat!

After wandering around for a few minutes, we asked for directions. And if we ever go again I'll probably have to ask for directions again. I was thinking it was going to be museum-esque, so that's what I was looking for. Instead, it was more museum gift shop-esque. But in the end, it didn't matter what it looked like, their train display was pretty cool! And free!

Blake had a great time watching the trains. And if we had let him, he would have climbed right in and destroyed the whole thing!

Even though their train display was fun to see, Blake found something he was more interested in.

 Possible Christmas gift?