This is Mike & I'm calling in sick

Yesterday I took the day off. I headed to Soho to check out the exhibitions at Deitch but got sidetracked along the way, spending my $100 gift card at Anthropologie for some shirts and a pair of shoes.


On Wooster, across from Deitch. This wall is forever changing with layers upon layers of posters and graffiti


Stephen Sprouse at Deitch on Wooster


Supreme <3 Lou Reed


Ben Jones of Paper Rad at Deitch on Grand


Darjeeling tea from Balthazar Boulangerie. I sat outside and people watched.


That night Alex and I went out for drinks. The new Brooklyn Public House was a little bright and fratty so we headed next door to Bonita for margaritas and guacamole. Much better!


Today we are meeting the crew in Queens for lunch and bowling.

Separated at birth?

Oh no it's back! On the left we have Macho from G's to Gents on MTV, and on the right, last year's Bree from VH1's Miss Rap Supreme. Can you tell the difference? I love trash TV!

Sharing is caring

This past Sunday was the second meet up for the Knitting & Wine group at Bar Olivino in Clinton Hill, hosted by artist Megan Canning. This was my first time - I brought an old project that I've been working on forever. It's not a difficult one but it is slow going because the yarn is so thin and on smaller needles, it takes much longer to finish. I also brought supplies for a new project, a ribbed cowl using Blue Sky Alpaca yarn I purchased at Purl Soho.

There was a good mix of people and skill levels, and it was great to get pointers on technique, yarn stores and general crafty ideas. It got me really excited to start other projects, and afterwards I bought enough yarn to fuel different projects for the next two months or so. I learned about the The Purl Bee from Megan, which is a great source for ideas and free patterns, and they link directly to supplies from their stores. Great little marketing tool as well!

This is the cowl I started that night. I finished it last night and have not decided whether I'm gifting it or keeping it. The first one I made was not so successful, as I couldn't really pull it over my head but this one turned out good. I just made up the pattern on the spot.

Basically, it's bulky yarn on size 15 (24") circular needles. Cast on 48 stitches (you might want to do 49 or 50 if you don't want it that snug around your head). Knit 3 rows then purl 3 rows. Repeat. Finish with one last set of 3 knit rows, then bind off and weave in the ends. Total time is probably about 2 hours. Very quick and easy. This is 50% alpaca and 50% wool, which ensures that it is warm and snuggly.

As the weather gets warmer I'll have to start thinking of warm weather projects to make... or just stockpile for the winter. I would like to try selling some if they turn out well.

A great source for super cheap yarn is Knit Picks, which is usually where I order from if I don't need the yarn right away. They have free shipping with orders $50 and over, which doesn't sound like a lot but last night I bought $58 worth of yarn, which is enough for at least 8 projects. When the weather gets nicer I would like to check out WEBS Yarn in Northampton, MA. My friend Sean told me about this place, which is like a Mecca for knitters and crocheters. They have great fibers and you can go there and learn to spin your own yarn. There's also a butterfly farm nearby, as well as the Berkshire Mountains. Sounds like a fun field trip to me!

Caturday at the Flea

I can't wait til BK Flea moves back to Clinton Hill. However, I am enjoying the trips out to DUMBO for their indoor space because it gives me a chance to visit another part of Brooklyn I normally wouldn't. There's Halcyon (record store/cafe), PowerHouse Books, Grimaldi's, Loopy Mango, and a throng of furniture stores, many of which are strangely Asian-centric. Today I met Angel down there and we browsed both sides.

I scored this tiny "J" charm from Elma Blint Design. She had really cute stuff - very simple and I wanted every single tiny charm she had. She's usually at the Flea but can also be found at Baubles & Thorn, 111 Lafayette at S. Oxford in Fort Greene.

Beautiful, simple handblown glasses by Andrew O. Hughes. They all had a thumb indentation for a sure grip. I also loved the stemless wine glasses. At $25 a pop for the big glasses pretty steep. I'd rather nab the Esther Derkx stemware at Jan&Aya.

These kids were adorable. Check the outfits on the girls. I loved the little girl in tutu with silver sneakers and Angel loved the little mismatched girl. The little boy saw us eating (tamale and brownie) and cried and cried and tried to reach out for something, anything to put in his mouth.

When we hit the Selima Optique booth we went a little nuts trying on the glasses. These were pretty wild - kind of like the City of Lost Children on acid!

We stopped at Loopy Mango on the way back. I loved this little display case, with the mini sheep showing off some rings.

Art by Dain. I can't really find that much information on him except that he was born in Coney Island.

I saw the world through the eyes of a child

Photo by MIREILLE SCHOONE via Lomography.com

Children are so smart nowadays.

Last night I was walking home from the train and was half eavesdropping on the conversation behind me.

Mom: Okay. Okay. One, stop walking into me and two, calm down! [This sounds like Alex yelling at me!]
Boy: Mom, Mom! If acid burns through things, what container do they keep it in? Can it burn through metal and glass? How do they keep it?
Mom: [utters something indiscernible]
Boy: Mom! Where does the water in our sinks and bathtubs come from?
Mom: The sewer system.
Boy: EWWWWWWW!!

Whatever happened to, why is the sky blue? At least I know the answer to that one. But if this teaches you anything, it's to never stop asking questions. That's how you get so smart.

Suno

Max Osterweis, the designer behind Suno, is getting a lot of buzz. I just read about him yesterday on Refinery 29 and this morning, an email from Daily Candy. While visiting his mother on an extended safari in Kenya, Osterweis fell in love with the textiles and has been collecting vintage African kangas (printed cotton fabrics). His new collection is available at Opening Ceremony, ranging in price from $95-$595. These might just be worth the splurge. Below are my favorites:






I love the bright colors and fun designs - just the thing to brighten my mood up after a) this super snowy winter and b) this dumb recession.

And the best part about this collection? It's fair trade.

Weekend update

What Valentine's Day? I'm a huge sap but for some reason don't like to celebrate it that much. I made a nice little dinner of roast duck with balsamic-apricot-port sauce, roasted parsnips and carrots with sage, a grapefruit-orange salad with mint and olives and chocolate mousse with olive oil. Any reason to make an elaborate meal and I am there!


During the day we did a little shopping - I've been wanting this sweater so I headed to Old Navy to snatch it up.

On Sunday I headed to the Target pop up store on the west side for the new Alexander McQueen collection. I thought it was going to be a madhouse but there were only about 20 people waiting to get in. I walked with a couple of cute tops and then headed to Purl Soho to pick up some yarn for a new project to work on at this Sunday's knitting group.

I strongly contemplated popping into Ushiwakamaru for a quick sushi lunch (gaaah!!) but decided against it. After only trying uni for the first time last summer, I feel like I have to make up for lost time.

Monday was pretty lazy. My only plans were to meet up with my old manager Jake for dinner. He has been living in Germany for the past 3 years and has managed to make it sound pretty amazing. It's nice to know that if we ever decide to make the move we will have a friend over there. Plus, we match!

And the cat, wishing we'd never come home last night. Poor thing was tortured all weekend.

Found them!

Been looking for these Steven Shein rings all over the place and I found them in the least likeliest of all - this website called Modcloth. I love his stuff but they seem like stuff I could've worn back in high school. They're layered with different colors and really fun. Buy some for a little sis!

Diem Chau

I saw these adorable Crayola crayon sculptures at Lola Home in Berkeley, CA. It's the same spot I found those hand-felted river rocks in.

Diem Chau was born in Saigon, Vietnam and moved to the United States with her family as refugees in 1986. She graduated with a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts and has received an Artist Trust GAP Grant and a PONCHO Artist-in-Residence Award.

She turns regular every day crayons into delicate portraits, and when we were at the store, the sales clerk told us she even did custom portraits. One couple commissioned her to create portraits in their favorite Crayola colors.

I love that these still have some of the wrapper on them, as if by slowly peeling it away you reveal the tiny sculpture inside.

Her current work involves ceramic plates and silk thread - beautiful stuff.

Fuck you Amy!

The owner of this general stores loves mushrooms so much!
Bath goods, home décor, cookies… Everything mushroom!
Even the lunch menu is filled with mushrooms.
The bathmat is fluffy, and you can really play with toys!
Each comes with a mushroom card.

Ok just kidding but really, thanks for reminding me about these totally useless but super cute and adorable miniatures from Japan. Made by Re-Ment, there are foods and crockery for every occasion.

Available at Kid Robot (at the physical NYC store) and Kinukuniya - if you have a child, be careful because they'll probably get a bunch of these from me. You've been warned. Again.

We're Just Friends

1. Put your MP3 player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag at least 10 friends (make me #11 so I can see your results).
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.



IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Foolish King - Pajo

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF
The Girl from Ipanema - Frank Zappa

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Split Needles - The Shins

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Waltz in F Minor, Op 20 No 2 - Chopin

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Woozy with Cider - James Yorkston

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Yer Bounda Fara - Ali Farka Toure

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
In Our Bedroom After the War - Stars

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed) - Bright Eyes

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Tsubasa - m83

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get - Morrissey

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Eisler on the Go - Billy Bragg & Wilco

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Blowing in the Wind - Bob Dylan

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Watermelon in Eastern Hay - Frank Zappa

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Drop Re-record - The Jesus & Mary Chain

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Shine - Cyndi Lauper (awww!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Long Slow Goodbye - Queens of the Stone Age (I swear this was an accident!)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
You - People Under the Stairs

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Kicking Horse on Broken Hill - Godspeed! You Black Emperor

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Slowly - m83

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Here Comes - Tahiti 80

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Let it Rock - Bon Jovi

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
We're Just Friends - Wilco

Download the songs here. Only good for the first 10 downloads because of stupid RapidShare.

Make it work

Ha. Ha. Ha. Available at Threadless for $15.

Some flicks from the weekend

Birthday tulips from Laura next to my bromeliad. Doesn't seem to be faring well this winter, I think it's too cold by the window. I love how the colors are a little hazy in the morning light.

Bright subway poetry - someone really took the time to do this lettering. The last and only time I wrote on a subway poster, I got a $75 ticket!!

Bonbon Oiseau at the Flea. I had to purchase a pair of earrings that I had my eye on (photo below). It's very hard to decide on what to buy because I pretty much want everything.

I've never seen this artist's work before. This is C215 who does crazy awesome stencils.

This morning I made this delicious English breakfast - it looks like a lot but it was pretty easy to make. I used B&M maple & brown sugar baked beans, which are DELICIOUS!! The beans are small and not mushy and the sauce is sweet and thick. Good.

The Hypnotic Brass Band at Union Square - great to watch and a really tight sound.

Some birthday presents I bought myself. New Bonbons, a ring made from recycled eyeglasses by Selima Optique, a Threadless tee by Miso/Ghostpatrol, and my one extravagance - Heavy Liquid by Paul Pope. I've been wanting this for a long time and it's been out of print until this edition.

Today we also watched Coraline in digital 3D. Visually beautiful and surprisingly frightening, with amazing animation. I liked that it wasn't completely CGI; there was still an element of tangibility. The 3D didn't really do much for it as the screen was pretty tiny - that was my only complaint. But definitely check it out if you can - very charming.

Full-assed

I did one of these on Facebook but it was rushed and I was in a bad mood that day. So here goes:

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

1. I really love antiquing. Especially for old kitchen things and artwork. Clothing not so much.

2. I wish I was an awesome skater. On a skateboard. Also wish I could play bass guitar and sing.

3. I took ballet classes from age 3-11 and tap from age 6-11. In the next year I plan to take tap again, either at the Y or Alvin Ailey's.

4. I learned to draw from Ed Emberley's big Red, Green and Purple books. I still collect them and to this day he remains one of my heroes. So does Alexander Calder. A more recent hero is Bruno Munari. I guess I have a thing for old male artists.

5. Or just old men in general because I also admire Marshall Mcluhan.

6. I really thought I was going to be an Olympic rider when I was younger. And a veterinarian. My mom just sent me a box full of awards, photos and fan mail from when I used to ride and I got so sad.

7. I think about friends I had when I was eight and long to know them again.

8. I prefer the company of older people. They have more stories to tell and they don't get caught up in dumb shit.

9. I'm pretty good at learning new languages.

10. I love talking about poop. Even though it is disgusting. Like I'll see dogshit on the ground and laugh hysterically and take a photo. Or if I was out drinking the night before I'll text Chris or Ryan and tell them which poop I'm on. Chris thinks it's funny, Ryan just takes it.

11. Getting old scares me way more than dying.

12. I've always loved stationary and pens and paper products in general. I'm also a pretty good pen pal. So if anyone wants to be a pen pal, send me your address and we can re-discover the lost art of snail mail letters.

13. My best subject in school was Biology. I'd be a marine biologist now if things had worked out 11 years ago. Or a dog walker. Or an event planner.

14. I waited tables for 6 years, temped for two and worked on a farm for two winters in a row. All to avoid the desk job that I'm so unhappy at right now.

15. When I'm PMSing, you will know. Lord help you.

16. I can spend all day in a bookstore. Choosing books is serious business! If you try to rush me while I am shopping, I will probably bite your head off.

17. I show my love by punching, teasing and cooking.

18. The worst thing I've had to Google lately is "Stage 3 bed sores." The image can be found here. This is one hazard of having an ex-nurse as a best friend. The second worst thing I've had to Google was "butt hash."

19. When it comes to food, I do not discriminate. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, offal, weird animals. As long as it tastes good, I WILL EAT IT!!! I've eaten kangaroo! And rabbit and snail and duck fetus. The duck fetus was not so yummy but at least I tried it.

20. I complain about the cat a lot but she is a great pet.

21. When my brother was born I think I tried to kill him.

22. Just kidding.

23. It takes me about 2 full days to recover. On Monday I thought I would never drink again but just now I have polished off two glasses of wine.

24. In 6th grade I was sent out of class because a book was thrown AT me. Thanks Mr. Williamson.

25. I have a soft spot for people who remind me of my family. Like Marty Crane from Frasier (my dad) and the guy in the next cube (my brother)

I don't even think 25 people read this blog, so I tag all of you.

I wish I was in Heaven looking down...

Because NYC is a giant snowglobe right now! Here are a few things I am looking at.

Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz created sad, metaphorical snowglobes. On days like this when I would rather be anywhere but here, I get it.


One of a kind hedgehog and vintage pocket knife necklace from Garnett Jewelry. I love the design of the pocket knife! It reminds me of the Swiss Alps, which I've only seen in passing.


Beautiful suede felt hat by Still Life. Looks warm and cozy and they also do custom orders.

Carry on, then!

It's snowing but spring is on the way...

I warned you guys! The Bonbon Oiseau spring collection is up and it is awesome! Here are my favorite pieces so far:
Le Cocon necklace - I love how versatile this is! You can wear it long or doubled up and shortened, plus she has a slew of new pins that can double as pendants that can be worn on any of her swing chain necklaces. Genius.
Le Cocon bracelet - to match. I don't own a lot of bracelets because my wrists are so tiny they usually slip right off. So I've learned not to wear bangles but to look for chain-based ones like this. I love how organic this looks.
La Push earrings - these definitely say SPRING! to me. Love the straw flowers and beading. Very different from past collections and anything else I have seen.
Feuilles de Printemps earrings - I love the little blue bead at the bottom. Both of these pairs of earrings can dress up or down. I love how versatile they are.

If you're in the Brooklyn area, Deb of Bonbon Oiseau will be at Brooklyn Flea this weekend, Feb. 7 and 8. Stop by to say hi and check out the new bonbons, AND partake in her Valentine promo, 30% off all earrings, bracelets and necklaces with lockets. Offer good until Feb. 10 so run, don't walk! If you're not in BK you can still order directly from her website. Please see her blog for more information.

And, leave a comment to win this! Ends Sunday night, winner announced Monday Feb. 9