WAKING UP TO INSPIRATION

One of the daily "Art to Self" pics I get in my inbox each morning.

I know that experts would not recommdend looking at your electronic device first thing after waking up, but I spend a good 45 minutes with my iPhone and earplugs to get my morning started on a note of inspiration.

Here's what's in my inbox that I read or listen to:

A short meditation set to music read by Tama Kieves from her book A Year Without Fear: 365 Days of Magnificence.

A short daily motivation video and message delivered by the featuring the great writer and speaker Les Brown.

Art To Self, "daily cartoons to remind you of your awesomeness."

A meditation introduced by Oprah Winfrey and led by Deepak Chopra.


How do you like to start your day on a positive note?

BALTHAZAR, TACOMBI, AND WENDY WILLIAMS - ALL IN ONE DAY!

I get a lot of creative energy from hanging out in SoHo. So imagine the dreaminess of getting to go to two fun, and totally differing, food hangouts in one day.

First, thanks to my brother Adam's gift to us for our one-year anniversary, we had breakfast at Balthazar, which is a SoHo institution. I loved the dark wood paneling and our corner seat where we could see most of what was going on. There was a constant influx of people; never a dull moment at this place. Remember that tv show Will and Grace? This was their fav. place to go for brunch.

We then waded through the snow and slush in search of a winter jacket, only to find a lot of picked -over merch.

Later in the day, when we needed a little protein to sustain ourselves, I remembered a place I had passed by and wanted to try. A guy outside sweeping pointed us in the right direction and we finally found Tacombi, a loft/garage with a taco truck inside. Truly heaven. It was spacious, fun, warm(!), inexpensive, and they were showing The Endless Summer. Since Mike and I are both from CA, we felt right at home here.

Mike somehow mustered up the energy to move on to The Brooklyn Museum. Me, I was craving the warmth and quiet of our Brooklyn apartment. So I came back home to sit in the late afternoon sun and watch Oprah and The Wendy Williams Show.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OPRAH MAGAZINE ON ITS 10TH YEAR

This photograph of Oprah Winfrey lives on the back cover of the May 2010 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. It's the 10th Anniversary special of this mag. My hats are off to Ms. Winfrey and her staff. The magazine industry is a tough one to survive and thrive in and they have pulled it off.

This photo captures the dignity and elegance of Ms. Winfrey, a pioneer on so many fronts.