This was one of those weeks that really reminded me exactly how much I love New York City. It is the best city in the world, really, truly, 100%.

In the past few days, I have taken a boat trip to see the Statue of Liberty, dragged will.i.am into a photobooth, taught 30 women how to amp up their blogs & worn sparkly ears all the city. I have met incredible artists & sipped lavender-infused cocktails. I have eaten post-midnight meals in secret tequila bars & hugged enormous silver B-shaped balloons. I have shared more than 10 bottles of champagne with ecstatic babes & snuggled two of my best friends. I have practiced my smile in more photos than I can count!

It has been an incredible week, month, year, life!

I am really feeling the gratitude right now. I’m bathing in it! Soaking it up through my skin! As Ren & Stimpy might say, happy happy… JOY JOY!

I made a lot of new friends last night!

I am, of course, desperately missing my fellow headmistresses, but know it will only be a couple of short months before we are reunited, sharing beds & finishing each other’s glasses of wine. Hooray!

The Blogcademy was such an incredible success that we decided it would be plain SILLY not to do another one! Should we come to your city?!

P.O.S.’ new album, We Don’t Even Live Here (go buy it, Stef needs a new kidney, okay?) Late-night visits to The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop Using the word “cake” as a verb Polka-dot Wolford stockings Lunch at the Soho Grand (their club room is a rich turquoise, with an enormous peacock painted on the wall — stupendous) NARS Schiap lipstick These silly hats (they say “New York ain’t fair” & have fake bird-poop on the back!) A weird jelly lens you can stick over your iPhone camera & make fly vision Taking the Circle line boat around Manhattan & taking touristy pictures of the Statue of Liberty Kat’s tweet which said, “Going into Gala Darling’s storage locker is like visiting the best & sparkiest vintage store in the world” Pushing sequins on people Painting stars on my face Early morning coffee dates with Kat — so sad not to be able to do that every day! Lunches at my favourite place Family time on the couch with blankets a-plenty Discovering hidden restaurants Hats with ears Vanilla candles Dolls with third eyes Making mixtapes Unicorn stickers To do lists Buying stamps that say “abracadabra” Meat pies (embracing my Kiwi roots) Pink cashmere sweaters …&, like, everything else?! Kind of?!

Have you written a gratitude list today? Put on your favourite song, turn it up LOUD, & start writing!

L-o-v-e l-i-f-e,