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Monthly Archives: November 2011

From One Generation to the Next

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November 18, 2011
Inspired & Inspiring
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(photo found here)

At the beginning of October I went to a mediation at Occupy Wall St.  It was pretty intense and energizing.  Later that night, I was talking to Suz (my second mom basically) who was around my same age during the Vietnam protests.  She asked me if I was ready to hear her top tips for protesting. At the time, I thought they were pretty extreme, but as the movement progresses they seem just as relevant today as they were in the ’60s. I thought, given everything that’s going on now, I would share them with you.

Suz’s Top Ten Tips for Protesting

1.  No loose jewelry, no earrings, no necklaces, no bracelets

2.  Wear your hair up so as not to be pulled

3.  Do not wear a scarf

4.  Don’t wear open-toed shoes, rather shoes that you can run in

5.  Don’t take a purse

6.  Be aware of your surroundings

7.  Keep ID, your phone and money on you

8.  Carry a wet cloth in case of tear gas

9.  Hold up a peace sign and stick a flower in his gun

10. Smile!

Homie of the Day: Jo

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November 17, 2011
Homies
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Our dear friend Jo has been taking full advantage of NYC’s arts scene of late, with a recent visit to the MoMA and a performance collaboration by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs’ Karen O and production designer K.K. Barrett. Check out her thoughts below and the similarities she found between the two:

thrashing//violent//feminine//nightmare orgy

the opening scene in Karen O’s Stop the Virgens reminded me of Willem de Kooning’s Excavation (1950), which I had seen a few days before as part of a major retrospective on the artist at MoMA.  the “virgens” spilled onto the disturbing landscape with limbs intertwined, yelping and growling and moaning like they were being birthed from the primordial ooze.  all that chaotic closeness of female bodies one on top of the other writhing in a gross, sexy heap made me feel the vastness of the feminine experience. beautiful and disgusting birth, sexuality, strength, murderous violence, vulnerability, hope….it was all in there.  similarly, and despite the fact that de Kooning acquired a reputation as a righteous misogynist, I felt moved by his lady-like nightmare orgies and portraits of teeth-baring women.  they look like beefy and bandana-ed Sylvester Stallones who could give the T&A pinup girls of the time a run for their money.  they seem to contain within their frames the sexual and the grotesque as easily as the virtuous and sublime.  the gorgeous pastels in de Kooning’s Woman, I is a perfect example.  maybe I like de Kooning’s snarling gladiator women and Karen O’s wraith-like “virgens” because I’m bored by the oversimplified women getting shoved down my throat via pop culture.  (Carey Mulligan how can you be so passive and doe-eyed in Drive? are you just going to let Ryan Gosling save you like a little lamb? do something, dummy!)  it’s incredible to me how ubiquitously portrayals of women in media simplify us to one of these elements – the saint, the damsel, the slut, the bitch, the girl next door, the vengeful/violent psycho – and how rarely art successfully (or even attempts) to convey a holistic picture of how these difficult complexities coexist within us.  maybe I see myself in these odd totems holding the capacity for both incredible creation and devastating destruction – again, it’s all in there.



(Click through all the images above for source info)

at any rate, I’m looking for more unconventional portrayals of women in art. let me know if you have any suggestions, dear internet readers!

Amsterdam!

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November 16, 2011
Travel
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I first went to Amsterdam 10 years ago. At that time, I had heard a lot about the coffee shops and red light district – which are part of the experience for sure – but somehow nothing of the beauty, charm and ease of the city. I was awestruck; it quickly became one of my favorite cities.

This past weekend I jetted off to Amsterdam a second time, for a trip that left me asking why I don’t do these things more often! Friends had rented an apartment there for the week via AirBNB and invited me to come along. I quickly put my apartment on the same site, rented it out to a nice, young German man and hopped a flight to Amsterdam.

Day One
One speedy red-eye later I arrived to wonderful, light-filled, real-life Amsterdam apartment.

After a quick nap, we set off for the day. Our first stop was this very cool concept store “for interior and lifestyle” called Friday Next. In addition to the store’s shop and work areas, it also features its own cafe.

After some food and coffee it was on to check out some of the cultural sites. Our first stop was the prestigious Van Loon family home which now operates as a museum. When we arrived just in time for the opening of the coach house, which only happens once an hour for 15 mins, we knew we had some serious luck on our side!

Though the natives are mostly on bikes, Amsterdam is wonderfully walkable city. And there are ample bars, cafes and coffee shops to pop into between sites.

Next up was a visit to the Rembrandt House, which Rembrandt purchased for an exorbitant amount of money and eventual lost due to bankruptcy. In addition to training his pupils here, Rembrandt also dealt other artist’s work from the front of the house. I was quite shocked to learn that people of this time thought it was dangerous to lie down horizontally during sleep, so they instead opted to sleep half way sitting up. I also learned about Rembrandt’s copper plates, made to produce prints, of which there are only 80 or so left in existence.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a trip to Amsterdam without a visit to the renowned Van Gogh Museum. I had been to the Van Gogh Museum on my first trip to Amsterdam but appreciated it even more the second time. Amazing!

We finished the day with dinner at Moeders, which means Mothers in Dutch. In addition to great food, this Dutch restaurant features framed pictures of mothers all over its walls – and you’re welcome to add your own to the collection! But my favorite thing about Moeders is that all of its silverware is different, as it was brought in piece by piece by guests on the opening night.

Day Two
We were offered the priceless advice of renting a self-operated boat to peruse the canals. We set off to find the dock and stumbled upon a wonderful market, then wine, meat and cheese shop on our way.

After picking up supplies for the perfect picnic-at-sea, we headed to the water. To our great surprise, the only thing waiting for us at the dock was a lock box, to which we had chosen a pin, and electric boat ready for the taking.


We grabbed the key, untied the lines, brushed up on our knots and nautical basics and headed for the canals!




This was truly a WONDERFUL way to see the city. It also gave us a chance to check out some of Amsterdam’s coolest real estate: its houseboats!



One three hour tour, and two stops later, we headed back to the dock. Absolutely amazing day!!


And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, I was treated to a surprise birthday dinner at the lively and delicious Bazar Amsterdam, followed by a trip to Trouw, a joint club, restaurant and art space.

(bottom left image/bottom right image)

Day Three
We ended the trip with a slow paced day. We began by walking around Amsterdam’s lovely Jordaan neighborhood and eventually found our way to Frozen Fountain. This store has an amazingly curated collection of home accessories, furniture, some clothing and jewelry. It was a great find!

(above photo via Davernator)

Like all good shopping expeditions, we capped this one off with a glass of wine at Cafe George – not only good for its ambiance but well-designed menu.

The trip ended with a wonderful meal at the local Cafe de Toog. After a long day of walking around, the 3-person jazz band and neighborhood feel was what we were looking for.

It was a quick trip but we squeezed in a lot and I left with a renewed love of Amsterdam! Such a fabulous city!

(Click through most of the pictures above for source info and to be taken to the place page)

Don’t Forget Your Roots Medley

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November 15, 2011
Holistic Living
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Lately, I have found myself craving apples, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, squash and kale.  I have been doing some research about seasonal cravings and found a good explanation for this.
According to Joshua Rosenthal, founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the body often craves foods that balance out the elements of the season.  In the spring, people crave detoxifying foods like leafy greens or citrus foods.  In the summer people crave cooling foods like fruit, raw foods and ice cream.  In the fall people crave grounding foods like squash, onions and nuts.  In winter, people crave heat-producing meals like meat, oil and fat.
If you have cravings like these, listen to your body and trust it knows best what you need!
This recipe is super simple, as all you need to do is chop, mix and check it.  You can easily throw it in the oven while you make the rest of your dinner.  It also makes for a good lunch.
Don’t Forget Your Roots Medley

1 butternut squash

4 medium sized beets

3 sweet potatoes

4 cloves of chopped garlic

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 or 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

Dice all the vegetables to equal width.  Once diced, mix in bowl with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Place in casserole dish and bake at 450 degrees for 50 minutes.
(Feel free to add carrots, brussels or any other kind of squash)

Picturesque

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November 14, 2011
Pictures
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We asked some of our friends from all around the world to send us pictures of what their lives look like.  We have loved receiving them and can’t wait to share them with you!  Thanks, friends.  We love you!

Darcy – Tel Aviv, Israel

Julie – Boulder, Colorado

Kelley – Columbus, Ohio

Katie – Boston, Massachusetts

One word, two ways: Wondrous

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November 12, 2011
One Word, Two Ways
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Every week we pick a word and each do a post on that word.  This week our word is Wondrous.

What an amazing experience to capture on video! I love the girl’s reaction at the end.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

I recently watched Into The Universe with Stephen Hawking, a new series on the Discovery Channel (you can also watch it on NetFlix watch instantly). The ideas presented and the way in which Stephen unravels the possibilities of the Universe is WONDROUS! I can not stop thinking about the ideas presented in this series.

Check out the whole series on Discovery Channel.

Homie of the Day: Kristin

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November 11, 2011
Homies
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We’re excited to share with you today the awesome creations made by our wonderful and talented friend, Kristin. In addition to the looks below, Kristin has several other handcrafted accessories featured in her etsy.com shop.

*Kristin’s pictures were all taken by another wonderfully talented friend and photographer, Marty Diegelman. Check out his work at www.martindiegelman.com/

Crankbunny Puppets

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November 10, 2011
Personal & Interior Style
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I recently came upon these fun Victorian Tattoo paper puppets. I love that each one comes with its own name and story and think any one would made such a playful addition to any space.  I really get a kick out of ’em.  Click below to view them individually.

Sir John/Miss Luna/Sir Craig
Miss Suzy/Sir Kyle/Miss Pam