Lyla at Stumptown

This is my daughter, Lyla, doing her best to balance on the window ledge at Stumptown in New York City's Ace Hotel. Since the hotel and attached coffee bar opened last year, we've visited so many times I've lost count. On this particular day, we were getting a bite to eat on our way to buy her ballet slippers.

Lyla loves Stumptown's French toast and hot chocolate and it's her sophisticated food choices that recently got me thinking how lucky NYC kids are to be exposed to so many diverse kinds of food at their young age. To them, the city is an endless menu of tasty places which offer their favorites anytime, any day. I'm not sure my and Lyla's food adventures could happen anywhere else.

Danny

I don't have any tattoos, but I've always loved them on other people. Danny manages the gym I go to, which is how we met. During the shoot, he told me about his years of drumming and touring with rock bands that inspired the ink. He has a kid now so he mostly stays put in New York.  I chose this shot for the blog over some of the more traditional portraits we got from the shoot.

I love body art, but change my mind way too often so I know better than to do something so permanent. I mean, I have three piercings in one of my ears and regret two of them.  But props to those unafraid to commit.