Author: Stacy Horn

I’ve been mulling over something nice to do for the holidays, essentially what charitable organization I’ll contribute to in lieu of giving gifts.

I was looking at this from New York Cares, an organization I volunteer for from time to time. That’s actually the beauty of this organization—you can sign up and volunteer a day here, a day there. It’s perfect for people who don’t know what kind of commitment they can make, and instead volunteer when they can. So New York Cares has this Winter Wishes program which is a variation on the post office’s Op Santa. I like it because I saw right away in the faq that answering most letters will mean spending $40 and less. I don’t know yet how they accomplish that, but part of the problem with Op Santa was sifting through the letters to find one I could afford.

Here I am, literally just rolled out of bed and sitting in front of my computer with my coffee.  Last night I was very unhappy with my haircut because blown-out it had a little dutch boy thing going.  I took a shower to un-do that, but was still unsure.  This morning I am fine with it.  I’m thinking in a day or two I will love it. The problem might be the straight line that he cut my bangs into, which I can remedy in a few weeks or a month, when they grow out a little.

Oh. Finney just jumped up on my lap.  Here is a real time account (I’ve got my isight camera hooked up.)

Finney first appears and gets himself settled.  Hi camera.

Ah, the hand.  Love the hand.

No wait, hate the hand!!  

Doesn’t today feel like a holiday too, even though Thanksgiving is tomorrow?

I love getting my haircut! It puts me in a good mood all day.

I’m not going to do anything all that different though. This is my cut three months ago, the blown-out version. But it turns out I like my hair wavy at this length. So I’m going have him cut it short again, but without the relatively drastic longer-in-front thing which doesn’t work as well with waves as it does straight like this photograph.  

Tyra Banks has been wearing her hair this way in America’s Next Top Model, the wavy version of the longer-in-front bob, and I don’t think it works on her either, although she still looks beautiful of course.

Going to the gym gave me another boost of energy, so I did the job I was going to put off.  I went through all my records and successfully got rid of a ton of paper.  Yay!  I just love the feeling of paring down.  I feel lighter and freer already.  There’s a few more feet of unoccupied space in my apartment!  If I had to move tomorrow there’d be that many fewer boxes!  

So after three days straight of cleaning, today is officially a day off.  I will go to the gym and come back home and relish.  A little tv, magazines, and my book (still reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn).  Perhaps a home spa treatment.  This is exactly what it sounds like — I try to do the kinds of things you get done at a spa at home.

Here is Buddy who jumped into a small cabinet I was cleaning, the very second I removed a few things and created a spot.

I shot this basement-level window on 11th Street. There was a cute sign in the window which said: Items in window just for viewing pleasure (tip of a collected iceburg). Don’t you love this person??