many a magnificent manhattan view

Tonight at 9pm on the 9th floor of an NYU building overlooking Greenwich village, I lost my breath. No, I don't have asthma! Sometimes, the beauty of this city catches me off guard, and tonight the view simply overwhelmed my senses. I was gripped by the magnificence and vibrancy of the place I'm so lucky to call my home.

West 19th Street

West 43rd Street

I've walked these streets for 3+ years, lived in 4 Manhattan addresses (Greenwich Village, Union Square, Gramercy, & Little Italy), and I still can't help but pause and gasp at the sight. Below, cars crawled up 5th avenue like ants; city lights flickered like burning candles under the darkened sky; and the Washington Square Park fountain seemed small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.

Central Park South

I love how no matter how large and busy the city seems, New York still feels so intimate. The photographer of these photos Joseph O. Holmes phrases the sentiment well: "I trust my heart and I wrap myself around these streets like I'm in love"...

(Photos via 20x200)

loving lauren merkin & co

Holy cowabunga! I just had the most incredibly fun and educational weekend in Boston, where I visited Harvard friends and attended a women's business leadership conference. Marissa Meyer (VP of Google), Kate White (Editor of Cosmo), and Lauren Merkin (bag designer) were keynote speakers! Ridiculous! Each gave wonderful advice, and I was really inspired :)

My favorite memory of the weekend is chatting with Lauren Merkin at a round-table discussion, which I was extremely lucky to attend. We talked about her startup story and I asked tons of questions, naturally! Major girl-crush on Ms. Merkin and even bigger bag-crush on her products! (My favorites are above... check them all out on her website!)

eccentric house

In 2009, I named my first poetry chapbook Eccentric House because it was a compilation of my most stylistically diverse writing. Coincidentally, this year, my roommates and I have combined our belongings to create one of the most eccentric homes in downtown Manhattan, in my humble opinion! Some things are from our parents, some are one-of-a-kind gizmos & gadgets from thrift stores (that framed poster of a Russian beast, those mismatched wine glasses). We're still a work-in-progress, as you saw earlier, but now we have...

A finished (albeit messy) living room!
(Leather couch + trunk coffee table + oriental rug)

A collection of cups with other people's names on them!
Creepy? Or hilarious!?

Mustache stickers! (AKA Left-over party favors...)

More to come of course. Two years ago, we painted our cabinets. Obviously we need to step it up! It's ON, eccentric house. It's on.

pajama party

After a fun weekend out and about in NYC, I decided to have a me-night, filled with classic films, yummy drinks, comfy pajamas, and sparkly nail polish: a pajama party for one! I used to love going to sleepovers as a little girl and staying up late chatting about cute boys and giving makeovers. While those pajama parties are unfortunately a thing of the past now that my friends and I have the sprawling city as backdrop (and do we love it!), I've learned that pampering the body and soul never goes out of style.

Pajamas | Film | Drink | Nail Polish

nab a pair of cityslips! (giveaway alert!!)

Remember my favorite entrepreneurs/creators of CitiSoles? Well, they've rebranded & expanded, and I couldn't be more psyched to host another fun giveaway here on the blog!!! Introducing CitySlips: fabulous & foldable ballet flats for the well-heeled gal on the go...

One lucky winner will receive the complete CitySlips package, which includes 1 pair of foldable flats (in their choice of either black, gold, or silver), 1 travel pouch, and 1 expandable tote (to store heels/other ache-inducing shoes).

Aren't CitySlips perfect for commuting or after a fun night out on the town? For a chance to win, simply leave a comment (below) and follow Helen Hearts (on the top left-hand box). A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, October 22th at 5pm. Good luck ladies!

... Pssst! Need CitySlips NOW? You can find them at Dillards and Neiman Marcus!

Update: Our lucky winner is Nameeta! Thanks for playing!

sew cool

These ain't your grandma's embroidery, that's for sure... Amazing!

(by Daniel Komrumpf)

much love for nora ephron

Not to obsessively blog about successful, inspiring women (although honestly, there can never be too much talk about the subject!!) but I'd like to dedicate this post to a woman I adore, and that is Nora Ephron. There are so many reasons why I am completely in love with her, but I'll narrow them down to five...

1. She makes brilliant films that feature strong female characters. (Ephron directed Julie & Julia and wrote screenplays for When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle -- MY FAVORITES!!!)

2. She turned her personal heartbreak (husband cheating on her while 7 months pregnant) into a bestselling novel and film, Heartburn. The best revenge is success, no?

3. Her recent book I Feel Bad About My Neck made me laugh so much, I bought it and cracked up even more the second time around... despite not being able to completely empathize on aging in my early twenties.

4. She spoke out against institutes that produce "docile and unadventurous women" -- including her own alma mater Wellesley. Bravo!

5. She gives the most riotously hilarious speeches. Best examples are her tributes to Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols on their AFI Lifetime Achievement awards:

Isn't she fantastic? Most of all, I just love that as a director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, author, and blogger, Ephron shows us we can really pursue all of our passions, that it can all be done. "It's nice to be fluent in more than one language," Ephron says, and I couldn't agree more. For more reasons why I love Nora Ephron, read her bio here and here.

put a ring on it

Sara Bareilles + Beyonce's "Single Ladies" + doo-wop and blues = Talent!

Is this stunning/beautiful/mind-blowing or what?!

Carissa got to see Sara in concert - so jealous!

put a flower on it

Love these gorgeous pin-on flowers from EmersonMade, a new fashion house by Emerson (who's modeling these looks) and her husband. NYC has been so gray and gloomy lately, a dreamy, colorful flower just brightens my day! It's the small things...

(photos via Emersonmade)

"Please accept from me this unpretentious bouquet of very early-blooming parentheses: (((())))." -- J.D. Salinger