when a small town becomes a really, really big city

I visited Austin, Texas, for the first time ever this past weekend. It doesn't usually rain there, but it poured for the majority of my stay. My husband accompanied me on the first half of the trip - the second half and my initial reason for going was for a conference focused on the donor database I use each and every day for work. Austin is very cool and happens to be growing at a very fast pace. I am glad I was able to see it now, as I think there will be major differences even within the next six months. We spent our time eating our way through the city (the food is delicious, but very heavy), viewing art, having a mini spa day, and seeing some of the historic structures Austin is well-known for. We covered all of the major food bases and ate a Mexican-style brunch, a farm-to-table dinner, and a barbecue brunch. I ate more meat in the last few days than I've eaten in the last two months. Notable dishes include buffalo ceviche (not sure what got into me, but I literally ate raw buffalo meat with charred radish, onion, chilies, key lime, cilantro, and sweet potato chips), brisket, and sausage (andouille, turducken, and boar). Most of the art was modern art, which really tickled my fancy. I wish we were able to catch some live music, but instead we were only able to fit in a pop-music dance party at one of the bars on Rainey Street. I was thrilled with it; I'm not sure my husband felt the same way. Would I rush back there in a heartbeat, no, probably not, but I would visit again and next time I would stop at one of the hat stores we passed and pick out something to adorn my noggin.

contrasting the distorted view imposed on us by media

Waffle bum.

I recently discovered "Reality Project". Click here to learn more (and make sure you read all the disclaimers). Here's a little blurb about it, directly from the website:

Nowadays, we are surrounded by images of bodies seemingly perfect.
But is that real beauty?
The images that we experience every day impose a standard of beauty that is very far from reality.
You have to be tall, thin, with smooth skin, big breasted or show a perfect six pack.
When these features are not natural, it's "normal" to abuse photoshop to achieve this "ideal".
The intent of "Reality Project", as the name suggests, is to photograph normal people, real and nude, letting their body show their natural beauty, with no tricks or retouch, in all its shapes and sizes.

promoting reef growth through underwater art

In 2006, a man named Jason deCaires Taylor founded and created the world's first underwater sculpture park. It is located off the west coast of Grenada in the West Indies and can be viewed via scuba diving, or with glass bottom kayaks. (He has since built sculptures in other areas, but Grenada was his first project.) While it looks a little creepy at first glance and would make me pretty nervous seeing it in person, his project played a big role in creating a National Marine Protected Area and has facilitated positive interactions between people and fragile underwater habitats. I don't mind seeing small fish and baseball-sized pieces of coral in the ocean. However, large fish and gigantic-sized pieces of coral (aka places  where large fish could swim out of) scare the living hell out of me. His site-specific, permanent work ("permanent" aside from a few hurricanes) are designed to act as artificial reefs and attract a myriad of undersea life. The photographs of his exhibits speak for themselves. Click here to view his website. 

six inches forward and five inches back

My mother came back to NYC this past Saturday (for the second time in two weeks!) on a bus trip with other teachers from her school. It is an annual occurrence, though it is normally scheduled at the beginning of April, not May. In three out of the four times she's ventured into the city we've gone to see a Broadway musical, but last year we decided to take a break from the big stage. Instead of being entertained by Broadway's best, I planned a food tour around the city (and we ate so much food we almost exploded). This year we reverted back to incorporating a show into our day and boy, did we pick quite a show! The first year she came we saw Chicago, the next was Wicked, and the third was The Lion King. 

My sister and I wanted to see something "out of the ordinary", since we played it pretty safe in past years, and since our mom did not have an opinion on what we saw, I sent a list of highly rated ones to my sister. We prioritized our top four choices - number one being Hedwig and the Angry Inch - and it just so happened there were tickets available the morning of her visit at our favorite ticket outlet - TKTS. While I did a lot of research on run times and ratings, I did not exactly look into the premise of the shows. I had seen signs for Hedwig around the city and heard a little bit about it, but I truly did not know what we were getting ourselves into. Up until that morning, I literally thought the name of the show was Hedwig and the Angry Itch and I thought the "Angry Itch" was a rock band who would not allow Hedwig to join. WRONG. First off, it is "Angry Inch" and it definitely does not have anything to do with a rock band. While I don't want to spoil the surprise, let's just say while there is a rock band in the show, the "inch" has to do with a specific body part - not a guitar, or a keyboard, or the drums. While certain parts were shocking, even when not sitting next to your mother, it was very entertaining. We saw it with Darren Criss (from the show "Glee") playing the main character Hedwig and it truly was impressive. Click here to visit the Hedwig website.

sticks and stones, and twists and thrones

An article about the artist Patrick Dougherty caught my eye this morning as I was reading the news. He creates sculptures out of sticks and they are super, super cool. Because they're made of natural materials they break down over time. 

Seeing the sculptures in real life must be a treat, as there is definitely something to be said by just looking at the photos. In order to make that happen, I would need to embark on a multiple hour drive - as it doesn't look like he does much work in the northeast. It would be amazing if he could create one for the High Line...or our yard! I would not mind having one of those to look at and play around with at home. Click here to visit his website.

a little bit of music and a lot of sisterly love

The Annie Moses Band.

I spent Valentine's Day with my sister on Cape Cod and we decided to see a performance by the Cape Cod Symphony called Rhapsody in Bluegrass. They performed with the Annie Moses Band under the direction of Jung-Ho Pak, the symphony's Artistic Director and Conductor. He was pretty darn funny and could definitely make it in the world of comedy if anything ever goes awry with music. Although my sister and I grew up seeing orchestras and symphonies with our parents and grandparents, we didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into. We were definitely the youngest ones there and our seats ended up getting upgraded as a result of the concert being rescheduled due to an impending blizzard. We were supposed to attend the Sunday after Valentine's Day, but since it was changed to Monday afternoon and I had a five-hour drive back to New Jersey, my sister called and requested a ticket transfer to the show on actual Valentine's Day. 

The Annie Moses Group is comprised of an overly wholesome and cheerful family. (It got a little sickening at times, but their abundance of musical talent kept us from actually vomiting.) The father played piano, the six children (complete with one sister-in-law) played harp, keyboard, mandolin, string guitar, violin, viola, and electric guitar, in addition to singing. Their musical backgrounds are more than impressive and we were truly blown away. Bluegrass holds a special place in my heart; I was able to get my fill while attending school in Colorado and was quickly reminded at how talented the musicians have to be. Bluegrass is technical and very fast-paced at times, which requires a deep knowledge of music and highly, highly skilled musicians. We really enjoyed ourselves and I was happy we made the decision to go. To learn more, click on the Cape Cod Symphony or the Annie Moses Band.   

a night on the town with a cast of stars

My husband and I decided last year that we are going treat ourselves to a Broadway play as a Valentine's Day gift to one another. We don't go on actual Valentine's Day (usually because my husband is traveling for work), but that is the whole reason behind it. We always mean to go see more Broadway plays, but it is hard to get our schedules to match and let's be honest - they aren't the cheapest forms of entertainment in the world. Last year we say Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Scarlett Johansson. This year we saw It's Only a Play with Martin Short, Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing (Rizzo from Grease), and Maulik Pancholy (Jonathan from 30 Rock). There were a few other famous people, but those were the names I recognized most when we were trying to decide what to see. Although the play received some pretty terrible reviews, we found it hilarious and were pleased with our choice. 

The real shocker of our evening had to do with our seats. My husband came into the city around noon and purchased tickets from the TKTS booth in the South Street Seaport. I received a very excited text full of numerous exclamation points letting me know we were sitting fifth row center. The kicker with plays and musicals is I used to work for a Cancer Research Foundation who offset their administrative costs with Broadway tickets and could get premium seats at cost. I thought once I said bye-bye to that job I would never be front and center again. Well, not only were we front and center, we were seated in the row directly in front of Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Dan Aykroyd, and his wife Donna Dixon (Dream Woman from Wayne's World). Not only were there stars on stage, there were stars directly to our backs (BIG STARS). We heard them talking about hotels, being cold, wearing glasses, attending a dance competition this weekend with their daughter, and much to our surprise - chomping down on some Pringles. Pringles! Between how much we enjoyed the play and how exciting it was to be that close to such big stars, I would say we thoroughly enjoyed our evening out. Click here to see our seat neighbors with the cast.

flowers for today might keep the snow away

There she is.

I discovered another artist today, but instead of dust this one uses natural materials as her medium; more specifically flowers. Rebecca Louise Law was born in Cambridge and we happen to be the same age. She lives in East London and is considered an installation artist.  She hangs flowers within site-specific spaces and it is breathtaking.  Click here to see more of her work - there are View All options for her Artworks, Projects, Exhibits, and Videos.

awards become corroded, friends gather no dust

One of Klaus' photographs.

I read an article on the boat ride in this morning about a photographer called Klaus Pichler who is taking photographs of dust bunnies. He had so many he made a book with them. Weird. I hate dust bunnies, but this man has managed to make them look kind of cool. I don't think I will ever purchase his book, but I do think it is interesting enough to write about. Someone called Josef Haslinger wrote about Klaus' project and I want to share it with you.

"The thing is, we are controlled by a compulsion to get rid of dust...Klaus Pichler's photographs have shaken off the demons. They urge us to look more closely next time we sweep dust and grime onto a pan. We always used to call it dirt, blind to this whole universe. Only now do we realize how privileged dust mites actually are. They live in palaces of amazing beauty and it has never once crossed their minds to vanish into a cloud of dust."   

Some may think this is insightful. Some may think it is heavy. Some may think it is absolutely the most ridiculous thing they have ever heard. I like that it actually makes you think and feel "something". Click here to read more about the project.

it will be very hard for me to send these away

I just bought these stamps the other day and even though it is freezing outside, I am thrilled. They are the most beautiful stamps I have ever seen. I tried to get them a few weeks ago, but they were sold out - I imagine everyone is stocking up on winter/holiday stamps and the desire for farmer's market stamps is dissipating by the second. Not here! I love them. I am also wondering if I should use a quote in my Christmas cards that mentions bounties or harvests or sharing meals...then I could buy even more!

Description from the USPS (I couldn't have written it better):
Fruits, vegetables, cheeses, flowers, and other fresh products invitingly displayed on tables or bins - farmers markets invite us to share America's agricultural bounty. The stamp on the far left has among its products various fresh breads such as baguettes and rolls, cinnamon buns, cookies, artisan cheeses, and both brown and white eggs. The produce on the second stamp  includes vegetables and fruits: apples, eggplants, watermelons, peppers, grapes, potatoes, broccoli, and gourds. Cut flowers adorn the next stamp, with bouquets of bright flowers next to a bucket of sunflowers and a collection of celosia. The final stamp on the far right features live plants, with various herbs, tomatoes, and flowers like marigolds and nasturtiums. Most items bear handwritten labels that identify the product and its price. the artist chose and ranged the products so that each stamp has a large focal point; each stamp is complete in itself yet forms a cohesive whole with the entire strip. The stamp art was created using acrylic paint. 

one of the many fabulous seniors of new york

Not my photo obvi,
but there's Debra.

I was texting with a friend the other day and he mentioned the blog The New Potato and thought I would like it. (I am still very confused as to why or how this particular friend knew about the blog, but whatevs I guess. Maybe because of the food part?!) Welp, I love the name - that's for sure. I am actually a huge fan of potatoes and would not be opposed to eating some form of them in every meal. Mashed potatoes are number one, but I like every kind as long as they aren't burnt or overly crispy - well done fries stay away. I can't stress just how much I really love potatoes, but alas the blog isn't about potatoes at all. The articles I tend to like most are in the health and beauty posts. Some items they discuss are a bit fancy for me, but overall I have really been enjoying it. I especially liked an interview posted today with Debra Rapoport about style and not caring about what other people think. Reading it made me happy. I think you should read it too. Click here and may reading this be a great start to your weekend.

enjoying a meal in the great outdoors

It was very hard to choose one photo that
accurately displayed the beauty of these
dinners. I went mountainous, of course.

I discovered so many cool things this week and can't stop writing about them. On my way into work on Monday I read the summer edition of Edible Green Mountains. There was an article about an Outstanding in the Field dinner held at Shelburne Orchards in Shelburne, Vermont, where we used to go apple picking. (I'm not going to lie - we also bought cider donuts there, cider, and a ginger-y cider they call Ginger Jack - all amazingly delicious.) I made a note to check the website of Outstanding in the Field when I got to work, and to my surprise and delight it was the most beautiful website I have ever seen. An artist called Jim Denevan, who I actually wrote about back in August of 2013 (click here to read my post), founded this notion of connecting diners to the origins of their food by hosting approximately one hundred and fifty person (sometimes more) dinners, that begin with a tour of the farm and are set-up in the great outdoors. I. Want. This. Now. I missed this summer's round of dinners offered in the northeast, but you better believe I signed up for the emails and put a reminder on my phone for next year. I will have to save my pennies because these meals aren't cheap, but I think the experience and the photographs will make it all worthwhile. I would love to attend one in Vermont, but will probably try to get tickets for one that's a little closer in distance to New Jersey. What a beautiful idea. Click here to visit the website, which in my opinion should win an award.   

a park among skyscrapers and a bustling metropolis

My photo from last Saturday.

Madison Square Park is one of my favorite places in Manhattan. It is beautiful and I always love the art they have on display there, which is mostly site-specific pieces that can weather the outdoors. One of my fondest memories is making a solo stop there before work in 2011. My husband was off to San Francisco and we commuted in together - I always try and take advantage of commuting with a buddy even if it is early because most of the time I am all by myself. I had a few minutes to kill after we said our good-byes and since he was reporting to an office on the same block as Madison Square Park, I decided to take a walk. (That's when I saw the big head sculpture I blogged about here.) It was wonderful and lovely and strange all at the same time. I really enjoy seeing art outside. Nature + art  = a good time in my book! The present art on display is by Tony Cragg and features three bronze sculptures on three of the lawns in the park. They made me think of Arches National Park and making those sandcastles where you drip sand in a pile and make many piles that eventually form a structure. The description of his sculptures is pretty heady and out there. Click here to read it.  

lightning strikes...maybe once, maybe twice

This is her design. She is so cool!

My husband's cousin, who (I guess) is my cousin too, is a very talented fashion designer who went to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Her main focus has primarily been bathing suits, but she is extremely talented on all design fronts (in my opinion). She has worked for O'Neill, Juicy Couture, and is presently employed by Victoria's Secret. She is no joke. She is also the biggest Stevie Nicks fan I have ever met. Each year she attends an event called Night of a Thousand Stevies, where fans from all walks of life join as one and dress up like Stevie. I have made tentative plans to join her at the event, but something always comes up, or it works out that my husband is finally around after not being home for weeks and I opt for spending time with him over gypsies, spinning sisters of the moon, and drag queens. Maybe 2015 will be the year though - fingers crossed! 

This morning I received an email from her about a scarf competition she entered. Stevie Nicks is conducting a contest where she will choose one lucky winner to design a show-stopping shawl to celebrate the release of her new album called 24 Karat Gold (of course it is called that). The shawl she designed for it is made with sheer silk chiffon, metallic gold embroidery, lace trim with beaded fringe, and handmade tassels and she needs your vote to win - though I imagine if Stevie wants one over the other the votes won't really matter. Let's support her and her exceptional talent. Click here to vote (and you must have a Twitter or Facebook account in order to do so).        

the neighbors are almost home

I was thrilled to be
able to take photos.

I really love my job and because we are a well-known park that covers a large area along the west side of Manhattan, we have a lot of friends and neighbors. One of our soon-to-be neighbors is the future Whitney Museum of American Art. Our office is nestled into the northeast side of the museum and like the new and improved Whitney; it was also designed by the famous architect Renzo Piano. (He gave us a "deal" because we are a non-profit organization - we couldn't be as close as we are to it and be an eye sore.) Last night, we were offered a construction tour of the unfinished museum and it was super cool. Getting VIP treatment is always a ton of fun, but when it has to do with a world-renowned art museum it just makes it that much cooler. We had to wear hard-soled shoes and hard hats while we toured. We were able to see open space on entire floors because the walls have yet to be built. Someone asked why they couldn't keep the spaces free and clear, but as the tour guide/project manager ever-so-gently reminded us - the building is meant to house art and a lot of art needs to be hung up, which is hard to do without walls. (Novel idea, right?) The views from the building are incredible. It was so neat to see a project so monumental in such an unfinished state. Presently, the Whitney offices are scattered between four buildings in different areas of the city, but in four short weeks the staff will all live next door. I cannot wait. The actual museum is not slated to open until Spring 2015 and once it does the High Line will become even busier than it already is. You should schedule a visit. Mark your calendar! Click here to learn more about Renzo Piano and the Whitney construction project.

a blog full of so very much, seriously so much

The Danish duo that
started the blog.

This blog is amazing. The photos they find are the best ever and the captions are just perfect. I know my mother isn't going to love the name of the blog, but I want to write about it and think you should see it anyways. It is called...wait for it...Fuck You Very Much and it is my new favorite place online. It is serene, ballsy, cutting edge, sexual, fashionable, and exotic all wrapped into one well-organized package. It is a blog that makes you feel things and feeling things is great. I have felt the following for these few examples:

• an undying need to get in the sun (July 4th, soak up sun)
• totally grossed out, but curious how the sheets stayed so clean (June 16th, stay in bed)
• I giggled, a lot (June 2nd, hospitality)
• thought damn, she is beautiful (June 12th, Stephanie Seymour)

I could go on, but I will stop. Click here to visit. Have a safe and happy weekend!

sugar coated, thought provoking sweetness

Sugar sphinx.

The other artist I discovered is Kara Walker. I was invited to a private showing through my work of her colossal installation at the old Domino Sugar factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Once the exhibit leaves in nine short days the factory will be turned to dust, but until then you can visit her amazing installation called "A Subtlety". It is made up of fifteen five foot high statues made of sugar, molasses, and resin. The main attraction is a thirty five-foot high and seventy five-foot long sugar coated sphinx with African features. It is breath-taking, yet you want to take as many breaths as possible because it smells like sugary sweetness. Between the sculptures and the fact that it was a sugar factory, it smells like a candy store - for the win! The walls are still sugar coated, which not only smell amazing, but look amazing too. The artist Kara Walker, was actually there last night too. I walked past her and instantly recognized her. She has the most amazing skin and was wearing a straw hat (along with other clothes too, of course). It isn't there for much longer, both the exhibit and the old factory (a company called Two Trees is knocking it down ironically enough), but if you have the chance go see it. Click here to learn more about the project. 

abstract, oily, colorful, and fun

Oh hey, what do you know - I have a blog! Okay, this week was busy and I did a horrible job at writing. Oops. I had a very fulfilling week too, so it seems silly I didn't write. Well, after not saying much for a few days I am ready to share some of my findings. They happen to be art and not food, which is a nice change and makes me feel less like a fat kid. The first is an artist called Paco Pomet. He lives and works in Grenada, Spain and "his landscapes and portraits borrow from sepia-toned photographs that look like historical documents or vintage vacation photos". (Quotes make it not plagiarism, right? Those are not my words, but explain his work so eloquently. I couldn't resist.) Most of them are oil paintings, but the surreal-ness of them remind me of the collages by Eugenia Loli. Click here to see more of his work. Here are my three favorites, which all happen to be from 2013 - I guess that was a good year for him:

Eden. 2013

Restoration. 2013

The mission. 2013

a new blog discovery that is impressive

How delicious does
this look? How
amazing is this photo?

I just found a very cool blog with very cool photos. I was drawn to it by the food section - no surprise there really (fat kid for life). I poked around the other sections (art, culture, fashion, and random) and they look cool too. The blog is called The Artful Desperado and you should look at it. I found it through someone's post on Pinterest of the most delicious sounding dessert. 

I knocked it out of the park this weekend with a Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Bruschetta as one of our appetizers and this blog has a Strawberry Lime Basil shortcake recipe. Hell to the yes. I like lime desserts, a lot. My absolute favorite is key lime pie, but I also enjoy chocolate things and things made with caramel too. I like Talenti Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup gelato, but aside from that I don't normally like peanut butter in my desserts. I want to try to make this dessert so badly. We do have guests coming this weekend, but I am not sure they are the dessert type. I know they like ice cream cones, but that is a very different experience compared to sitting down at someone's home for a homemade dessert. Maybe I will save it and experiment with it during the fourth of July weekend. Click here to check out the blog.

colorful and artistic trajectory

This is my post to close out the week and not talk about food (or at least try to). We purchased a print made by Kris Tate and it fits in a large wooden frame we purchased a few months ago. What are the chances?! Miracle. Her work is eye-catching and bright, and she is described as "living in a world of geometrical colour with creatures of the forest". Truth be told I purchased the print "Voices of the Forest" at a Fab.com sample sale in Manhattan. It was not as inexpensive as I would have liked it to be, but I felt it was worth the splurge. I thought it looked more like deer puking rainbows than forest voices, but sometimes one interprets art differently than its creator - and it is okay. I am not sure where we are going to hang the print, but it is ready to be used to decorate our home. The coloring on our print is a little different than the picture displayed, but I hope you get the gist. I was thinking master bathroom, but after seeing how nice it looks in the frame, I am leaning more towards foyer. Where will it end up? Only time will tell. Regardless, enjoy your weekend and click here to see more of her work.