Even though spring began nearly a week ago, the cold, snowy-ness of winter seems as if it doesn’t want to be left behind.  Not only did we have a snow storm last week, but it appears that it is snowing today as well.  

As you know, I am not a fan of snow.  It’s pretty coming down, and in those first few hours, but after that it turns ugly as it mixes with the dirt on the ground, melting in huge puddles that make walking unpleasant, but I do not pretend to believe that snow cannot happen in the spring.  After all, it has occurred in the middle of April on my birthday.

Spring, not unlike New Years’, is a time of new beginnings.  The earth comes alive with colors that have been hidden for what seems an eternity, the days start to get longer, and the cold breezes of seasons’ past are replaced with warmer ones (or, they will be when winter decides to release us from its chains).  We come out of our hibernations, even if it is just to take a much needed walk, or sit on the roof of your friend’s car, parked by the jetty overlooking the bridge, while having dinner and avoiding the rats.  Yes, rats live in the jetty by me, which is rather disgusting and sad, because otherwise Melissa and I would have a perfect time there…that doesn’t stop us from going and enjoying the view, just makes us cautious of where we plop ourselves.  Our days venturing onto the jetty itself were ended last year when we actually saw one pop up onto the rocks (and you can hear them too).  We have not been there this year yet, but give us a few weeks and we will.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons, and I will not let this unsightly weather drag my mood down.   I am looking at floral-y summer dresses to cheer me up, and I recently purchased a pair of coral flats which I intend to break out later on in the week (hopefully).  On this snowy day and night I will be curled up, catching up on Vogue and continuing my current book.

“To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”

–Phyllis Theroux

Recently, as I was combing vogue.com, I came upon a new edition to their Vogue Daily section: horoscopes.  It had been a while since I had kept up-to-date with my horoscope, or for that matter, since I had read my horoscope at all, but I decided to give it a go.  As in all horoscopes, I don’t feel that they are always accurate, because, how can they be, but I kind of like these a lot actually.  Here’s today’s horoscope for Aries from Vogue:

Today is for dreaming.  Let your heart lead the way.  “Following your bliss” can be the realization that everything you desire, you already possess.

Today, I have spent much of the day in front of my computer, working on a book proposal assignment for a class of mine.  It was for a fictitious book by an author that I love.  It should be a book, but sadly is not as of yet.   Here I sit, hair twisted up, glasses on, still in pajamas, and I feel as the horoscope says…that these days, my heart is leading my way.  And that makes me smile.  Another reason why I love Vogue.

I am not the girl who goes to the salon every week, or every few weeks, to get my hair or nails done.  Although, there have been times where I have gotten myself into a mani-frenzy and gone regularly, it only lasts for a month or two, and is immediately followed by multiple months of bare nails, or at-home-manis that sometimes are so awful that they have to be removed instantaneously.  As far as hair goes, I am never happy unless I’m the one washing it.  I don’t exactly know why this is, especially since so many people that I know love to get their hair washed before getting it cut, but I just don’t.  I am not the girl who cannot leave the house without first applying make-up…more often than not, I am bare-faced.  Not that I don’t enjoy wearing make-up, because I do, but I just do not love wearing it every day.

Despite these things though, I do consider myself to be a girly-girl, and here’s why:

I love dresses and shoes.  Despite my lack of adequate closet space, where I literally had to re-organize it last year to accommodate my collection, I still look to buy more…or at least look at more (not necessarily purchasing). 

I love getting dressed up to go out just as much as I love wearing yoga pants and leggings, which is why, last week, after over a week of not being able to do a lot of things due to a minor surgery on my back, I decided to treat myself.  I was going to a wine tasting with my boyfriend Friday night, so Thursday, I got a mani, and Friday, after work, I went to this place called Dry Bar.  There are a few locations scattered around the city, and it has become quite popular as of late.  For those of you who don’t know about it, they wash your hair and do blowouts in a pretty, sunshiny environment, with girly show/movies playing in the background, and you get a drink, all for only $40.  It was fabulous.  My hairstylist was really nice, and even though she made my hair a little bigger than I would have liked (I chose a wavy style with some volume), I knew that it would be tamed within an hour…because my hair is always in charge.  I would definitely go back once in a while.  Oh, and my drink of choice…champagne of course!  After the wine tasting, which was not good – we discovered that, despite all the hype that I’ve heard about Chilean wines, they’re not that good (or, at least that’s how we felt) – I was more than happy to put on a tee and yoga pants, and sit at home with friends…drinking much better wine.  I had make-up on, my hair and nails done, and I felt pretty.

As I’ve gotten older, I feel that every year seems to go by quicker.  I know that that isn’t actually true, although I wonder as to why this is.  Maybe as an adult you become acutely aware of time and what you do with it?  As a child and then young adult, we seem to take everything for granted, so maybe that is what it is…not taking things for granted.  Either way, one certainty of a new year is that you don’t know what is going to happen…the possibilities are endless.  Every year brings new joys and sorrows, people entering and exiting your life…change.  Looking back on last year, my life is completely different and still partially the same (if that makes any sense), and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

This past NYE, I spent unlike the previous one.  Going into 2012, the city was my playground…literally.  I met a friend of mine for dinner, then we partied the night away in true NYC fashion.  The one that occurred a little over two weeks ago was quite low-key.  My boyfriend and his roommates decided to have a party at their apartment, having only just moved in a couple of months before…unfortunately for me, I didn’t even have one drink that night.  The Saturday before I had woken up with a cough and, as Monday rolled around, it had gotten progressively worse to the point that my throat and chest hurt from coughing.  At some point I started getting cold and even dressed in Billy’s sweats to get warm (which didn’t work, nothing worked) before realizing that I had a fever.  Billy put me to bed right after midnight.

Last year was an interesting year for me.  Melissa and I started taking yoga classes, which I have since found a place in Brooklyn (by Billy’s) that I try to frequent twice a week.  I went back to school by the persuasion of my boyfriend…which was a scary thing.  Who knew that it would take the whole first semester in order to get my focus back?  I became a godmother to beautiful baby Brooke (“lil B”), whom I have still yet to meet because she lives so very far away from me (and even farther now that she has just moved to Hawaii).  Not to fear though, I will be journeying to Hawaii come April for her christening (and a pre-birthday vacation)…and then I may take her home with me (sorry Tara!).  And I found the love of my life.  I wasn’t looking for him, and I was definitely not having the best of days, but I went to see my friend’s band (New Beard) playing downtown the night before July 4th, and I found him.  I walked right up to him and he walked away.  There are claims (from him) that we chatted a bit not too long after, but I do not have any recollection of that (I had consumed many an alcoholic beverage).  A week later we went out on our first date.

Last year wasn’t all full of positive memories, there were some negative ones as well, but I am choosing to focus purely on the positive, a theme that I started mid-year, weeding out the negative from my life.  And I have to tell you, when you, it makes a huge difference.  I don’t know what this year will bring, but one thing that I’m certain about is that it will be a great year and I am ready for it!