9.27.2007

Abu Dhabi!

I'm going, we're going! Dad and me. For the Middle East International Film Festival to represent NEW YEAR BABY. Isn't that wild?? The festival wanted a director or producer, so I've been upgraded to Assistant Producer of Screening and Outreach. It sounds so important, I love it! And I'm bringing dad because he loves to travel and, well, what better way to see a beautiful Islamic land than with a tall distinguished man by my veiled side? And thanks to Couchsurfing, I've already hooked up with an American living there who will show us the ropes!
If Zaha Hadid were just a few years ahead, this might be where we're screening.
But instead we're staying and screening at the *yawn* Emirates PALACE.

The journey begins Oct 14th!

listening to: Bird and the Bee - La La La

9.25.2007

before and after.

plain & boring building:



beautiful and welcoming building!:


I'm SO pleased with how it turned out. The trees are junipers, and the long planters are boxwoods, they will grow into a shrub. This first season, they all need watering pretty often, which I'm happy to do. Hopefully this will satiate my need to smell and play with dirt (I grew up on a farm, what!?). Everything came from the 14th St Garden Center here in Jersey City. They helped me choose everything and even delivered and set it all up to my nitpicky instructions. Love it.

In other news: Rostitchery blogged me, oh so briefly, but still, she's famous! (among the crafty blogs anyway.) It's for the dress I made from her tutorial, yay!

listening to: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Orion

9.24.2007

laptop case... check

Ironically, having a blog has increased my productivity. I'm getting things done! Just because I posted about it for the 2 loyal readers, I feel like I need to follow up and actually complete things.
I made the case for my laptop today. It was a little tricky to figure out the layout since I was lining it, but it came out great. I didn't quilt any of it like I had wanted too, but I was too nervous to mess it up, it was looking so pretty.

So here it is:


Lucy: 'Hmm, what's this?'


Lucy: 'Hey, stop taking pictures of this thing and play with ME.'


Lucy: 'Fine, FINE. I'll just lay here and be cute until you're done.'


Have I mentioned I'm obsessed with my dog yet?

listening to: Jeff Buckley - Satisfied Mind

9.23.2007

Plastic bag hell...

A few months ago, I asked friends to save me their plastic shopping bags because I had found a way to send them to plastic bag heaven, a little retirement community for the bags instead of just tossing them into our already filthy environment. I can cut the bags into strips, loop them together to create a plastic 'yarn', and crochet/knit the bags into other durable shopping totes. Well, a number of people saved a lot of bags, and they apparently do a LOT of shopping too. I have now found myself in plastic bag hell.

You can see the ball of plastic yarn I've finished so far in the front. And those bags of bags of bags makes up only about 1/3 of all the bags I received. The trunk of my car is also full of them. I'm guessing I have somewhere around 400-500 bags. I'll be cutting bags into strips for another couple of days, I hope to finish this week so I can actually start making the totes soon, that will be the fun part!
If you're interested in checking it out or yourself, here is the pattern that inspired the project. And here are some other crafty plastic bag ideas.

I also found this guy who makes 3D art and creatures from old newspapers. Very useful in NY where newspapers are discarded even more readily than plastic bags! A little creepy, but very cool.


listening to: Rasputina - You Don't Own Me

9.19.2007

things to do with apples...

So i'm trying to use up the apples from apple-picking. I haven't been eating them up as much as I thought because they're still a bit tart. I might try an apple crumble dessert, or if I can get cranberries I'll make my cranberry/apple sauce. In the meantime, I made plain old applesauce, which was a LOT easier than i expected.
  1. Quarter and de-core 8 apples, put in large pot
  2. Add a glug of orange juice and a little bit of water, just to cover the bottom of the large pot
  3. Sprinkle raw sugar and cinnamon to taste
  4. I added a tsp or so of vanilla, only because I just got it fresh from the Dominican Republic. Maybe some ginger?
  5. Bring to boil, then simmer until liquid is soaked up (~30 mins total). Stir occasionally.
Voila! Applesauce! 8 apples gave me enough for a big dinner party or enough for me alone for a week or 2. I kept the skins on for more color and texture. It's so perfect for the summer/fall change.


Any other apple ideas?

listening to: Feist - One Evening

9.18.2007

welcome back!

Now THAT was a real vacation. i've been to the beach before, and i've been to islands before, but this was different. The Dominican sunsets were other-worldly, the locals were beyond friendly, the ocean warm and calm at night, the resort just perfect. i've never been interested in all-inclusive resorts before, but this deal was so good we couldn't turn it down (thanks travelzoo!). i certainly wouldn't do this for every trip, but it is quite the treat to have EVERYTHING already paid for. all that said, here are the teaser pics to get you to view the entire album... and Adi's album...

Now for the highlight of the trip... The resort puts on a show every night, think themed dancing, music, performance stuff. Most of it was cheesy as you can imagine. Then. there's. the. Michael Jackson Show. Dominicans love MJ, and it shows. They had a look-alike and did semi-reenactments of his best songs/videos, including Bad (with amazing breakdancing), Smooth Criminal, Thriller (yes. they did the dance.), Heal the World... It was spectacular.



We spent all 4 1/2 days pretty much just laying on the beach. We threw in some kayaking, salsa dancing, lots of volleyball, football, and frisbee, and we even went to the gym on most mornings! On vacation! It was a tropical outdoor gym, we couldn't pass it up. We got off the resort for 1 day and went to Altos de Chavon. It's a beautiful mountaintop... place... I'm not really even quite sure what exactly it is. (I do know that Michael Jackson was married in the church there.) It's sort of an artist's village/historical community, I think. Anyway, it's beautiful.

Came home to 55 degrees on a beautiful night - Fall is in the air!!

listening to: Leah Siegel - The Grandma Song

9.12.2007

packing

We're off to the Dominican Republic tomorrow! 4 days of sun, beach, and pure relaxation with good friends, it's much-needed. Lucy gets nervous when she sees me packing (she's very attached).

I picked up some perfect fabrics for the laptop case. 2 are Amy Butlers, the other is a similar brand called Free Spirit (they tend to match their styles and colors to Amy's stuff). The multi-color will be the outside, the blue/brown will be the lining, and i'll do a pocket or flap or something with the green. I got some batting too, so it'll be my first attempt at quilting too.


I loved the green one so much, and I've been in need of a simple case for my ipod. So i put together in literally less than 5 minutes a perfect little case with velcro closure. Just in time for vacation so it doesn't get dirty with sand, I love it!


Listening to: Food Will Win the War - Traveling

9.10.2007

frontscaping

Since empty concrete building fronts are so much duller than beautiful frontscapings, I took it on to present some ideas to my buildingmates. They approved and I've now been tasked with following through and actually getting plants that will be beautiful with minimal upkeep on our part. The plant store looked at me like, 'You want plants, yet you don't want to care for them?'. I thought that was pretty normal in the urban world. I'll be finalizing the frontscaping with them in the next week or so.
Anyway, see my boring building below, and the other pretty buildings in the neighborhood.


listening to: Jose Gonzalez - Down the Hillside

9.09.2007

not quite fall yet...

We went apple picking today up in Warwick Valley. Just an hour or so from the city and you're suddenly in NY's wine country. Macs, Red Delicious, and Granny Smiths (which they called Greenings?) are ripe. Lucy discovered apples as both toys and treats.
It would have been a perfect afternoon if it had been about 20 degrees cooler. I loooove the feel of Fall, and although the day was wonderful, there's just something extra special about sunny warm apples on a crisp day. Soon enough.


In other news, I'll be fabric shopping this week to make a simple padded envelope case for the macbook. Will also be getting something to start the toy project. Venturing out of the world of knitting scarves and sewing skirts. Should be very exciting.

listening to: Miles Davis - Blue in Green