.: rebexy :.

Vintage Ride

2009-05-04T21:11:00.004-04:00

There are very special moments in NYC, where you get lucky. Lucky to see things, experience things, that are not possible anywhere else in the world. Last Wednesday was one of those.

Apparently The Bahamas, yes the chain of islands, has a lot of extra money to spend. So they revived a vintage NYC subway train, a whole train! Not just one car! It was celebrating Duke Ellington Day, so it revived the subway cars that were put into service around the time that the Duke hit NY. Late 1930s early 40s. The Duke Ellington Orchestra performed at the 125th St. mezzanine station, then the vintage A train departed from 125th St, down to Howard Beach/JFK (fastest way to the bahamas!), then back to 125th St. 1 round trip. And I was on it from West 4th to 125th.

The Duke Ellington Orchestra and another jazz band played on the train cars for most of the ride. Everyone had a blast. Old people were amazed to be inside the trains that they saw growing up. Us youngins were thrilled to experience a blast from the past. When I got off the train, I actually had to adjust to being back in 2009, absolutely wild and so fun! I hope they do this every year!

Unfortunately, Becky...

2009-04-28T12:04:00.004-04:00

Nabbed from Stephanie and many others out there, purely for fun.

Google the term "Unfortunately, [your name]" and see what you get...

Some are quite amusing...

Unfortunately, Becky decides she should know the truth and tells her.
Unfortunately, Becky was not feeling up for the trip, so we had to decline.
Unfortunately, Becky is now gone, however, with her last offspring (Convincer) ariving in Spring 2001.
Unfortunately, Becky didn't get to experience living life as a grandmother for too long-her oldest grandchild was 6 years old when she died from pancreatic cancer.
Unfortunately, Becky offers no assistance sealing the deal at the end of the night, Romeo.
Unfortunately, Becky berating Honey will be the thing that many customers will remember that day, and that is NOT good for business.
Unfortunately, Becky's compulsive shopping and growing debt threaten to destroy her love life and disrupt her career.
Unfortunately, Becky is unable to complete the race, though she does win a special award given to the person who best exemplifies the spirit of the sport.
Unfortunately, Becky lost and Amjad bowed out, but Kris and Jon got elected.
Unfortunately, Becky is captured and given to Michelle as her way to shed her mortal ties.
Unfortunately, Becky hadn't arranged any questions, and he was rather drunk, so it was a bit of a shambles.
Unfortunately, Becky decided at the last minute that she did not want to walk down the aisle by her self.
Unfortunately, Becky, I think exploding is the wrong term.
Unfortunately, Becky's husband, Herb, wasn't quite as enthusiastic.
Unfortunately, Becky came downstairs, screamed, and Gilley's instinct was to quiet her.

Making vs. Buying

2009-04-27T14:13:00.004-04:00

Came across this bit on Slate that investigates the cost-effectiveness of making vs. buying various foods. Bagels are cheaper (and apparently pretty easy) to make! Who knew?? I did know that yogurt is a no-brainer when looking at cost-effectiveness, and taste too. Since I'm hooked on the expensive greek stuff, I'm going to try making a batch. And maybe a healthier version of Alton Brown's granola, if only because I adore him.

Jam seems too intense, though I'm sure delicious, I just don't eat enough of it anyway. It wasn't in the article, but I have a kit for making ricotta and mozzarella, though I don't know if it'll become a regular occurrence...

What would you make instead of buying?

My City is Cooler Than Your City

2009-04-24T10:04:00.003-04:00

Stuff is happening in Jersey City. I'm sure people have been saying for years that it's "up and coming". But for real. I mean it now. It's up and coming. Take a look at the indie (and not so indie) world that is Jersey City.

Jersey City Craft Mafia

Art House Productions

Jersey City Independent

summer film series in Van Vorst

Urban Groundswell

2009-04-22T09:10:00.004-04:00

Illustration by JCI - N.I.

Check it out! A little story on gardening and compost I did for an online paper...

Urbanites often forget the worms, and often even the grass. But for a growing number of Jersey City residents, it’s all about the worms. This Earth Day, we’re not only celebrating the groundswell of environmental activity happening around us, but also the literal groundswell in our backyards, parks, and abandoned lots. Soil is being turned, spaded, and hoed all over this town with more than a little help from the worms.

Read on at the Jersey City Independent.

Responsible Consumption

2009-04-17T10:08:00.005-04:00

The Interdependence Project, a meditation/activism group I participate in (when I have time, ha!), does a Responsible Consumption monthly challenge every once in awhile. There's a pledge, suggestions for individual areas to focus on, and a place to log any 24 hours of your consumption practice. (They have lots of great projects and classes, if you're in the NY area, I definitely recommend checking them out.)

Here are parts of the pledge I particularly like:

Remembering that everything in the world is connected, I pledge to do my best to be aware of the damage caused by lack of attention and careless convenience.

Knowing that it’s impossible to cause zero harm, I pledge to maintain a sense of humor about my actions as I practice, while still working to limit the negative impact of my consumption choices on myself, others, and the planet we all share.

I love the idea of mini self-improvement projects like this, challenges to your normal daily operations. Small steps seems to be the best way to make these types of little life changes, because they're not difficult, they just require a small shift in your regular activities. Take the water bottle issue... I've finally gotten into the habit of carrying my resuseable bottle with me, EVERYWHERE. I drink a ton of water, and if I leave without it, I end up dehydrated for the day. But it took a slight adjustment. Now when I leave in the morning, I check to make sure I have my wallet, keys, phone, and bottle. Done.

I think I've also (mostly) conquered the resuseable bags, energy efficiency, composting and reducting waste, minimal shampooing and healthy food areas. I'd like to work on carrying a coffee mug (I probably waste at least 1 paper cup a day), carrying a tupperware or glass jar for leftovers for when I pick up food on the run to reduce packaging and waste, and minimizing other unhealthy personal care products. The goal of the month is to really focus on a particular area, so I think I'll go with the coffee mug / tupperware practice. It really just seems to be about planning. Here on the IDP website, they suggest a basic kit:

Low Impact Survival Kit
One of the big insights that came from those of us who did the practice last time was that if you started out with a few key pieces of equipment it became really easy to cut down on waste and actually saved money too.
- Drink bottle : check
- Container for food/left-overs: this month's practice
- Shopping bag: check
- Chopsticks, silverware:
- Cloth napkin

So with a sense of humor and more awareness, it begins. One step at a time... So what could you work on?

Encouraging or Unnecessary?

2009-04-14T17:11:00.003-04:00

I came across this post today from Apartment Therapy - they're recommending a circular hunk of wood that you can roll old newspaper around to make a little seed-starter pot, that you can then plant directly into the garden.

Does this seem totally ridiculous and unnecessary to anyone else? A $15 hunk of wood. When any circular object you have in your home, or no object at all!, will do. You're rolling the newspaper into a cylinder and tucking it in at the bottom. Really? You need a tool for this?

I'm all about encouraging people to plant things, re-use paper, be generally environmentally-minded. But I will seriously rethink our friendship if I find this in your house. Call me instead. I will come and help you roll newspaper seed-starters. Urging frivolous consumerism is the opposite of what we need right now. Hmmph.

My Best Yet!

2009-04-12T16:06:00.006-04:00

I just finished my best sewing project yet! It's a blue springy tunic, based on a top I brought back from India and an Amy Butler pattern. The fabric was a gift from Court, from Purl Soho. I'm SO happy with it! The fit is perfect, even though I altered the pattern big time. I skipped the lining, back darts and zipper, sleeves, and shortened it a bit. Did a lot of things by eye and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. Forgive the sleepy look in the pics. I still have a cold!

The best part is it only took a few hours of sewing spread over 2 days!

listening to: Belle & Sebastian - Song for Sunshine

New Wedding Dress Blog

2009-04-11T12:17:00.004-04:00

Courtney had the brilliant idea of starting a blog to track the design and creation process of my wedding dress! It'll remain pretty specific to dress planning, because who wants to know the nasty details of general wedding planning. Follow it here. We'll both be posting here and there. And many thanks to Andy for designing the header!

Spreading Love

2009-04-02T09:54:00.003-04:00

My friend Stephanie shared this lovely story recently, reminding me of the mysterious ways people spread love. Even in the subways of NYC.

Last week as I was walking down 34th St, I came up to 2 girls that were carrying homemade signs saying 'free hugs'. Without a pause, I said "I'll take one!" We hugged, I continued down the street, smiling. And much happier for the rest of the day. How hard is that?

Urban Exploration

2009-03-16T08:38:00.006-04:00

Jersey City is full of nooks and crannies of goodness. We've been exploring new streets, neighborhoods, shops, and parks all over town recently. This weekend, we finally got to the elusive Bergen Arches, an abandoned railroad line that runs from downtown JC to Tonnele circle, parallel to Rt. 139, some 85 ft. below the above cross streets and highways. It's now 30 years overgrown, and while it feels a world away from the circus of NJ's highways, it's still an urban retreat, and probably the best gallery of graffiti I've ever seen. Looking forward to seeing it in summer or fall bloom.

PARK(ing) Day

2008-09-12T11:46:00.006-04:00

We're one week away from National PARK(ing) Day!

Fri Sept 19th, do this:

1. Pick out a nice metered parking spot and fill 'er up

2. Roll out some green... fabric, putting green, whatever you got

3. Set up a chair, a park bench, some croquet...

4. Park it for the day, an hour, however long you can have someone sit and enjoy the park!

5. Join the flickr group and post pics of your day at the park!

Hairy Lady's Fingers

2008-09-03T19:48:00.005-04:00

Yum! So what we call okra, India calls lady's fingers. I kinda see it. But not so much. I can't remember if Indian okra is hairy, but ours is. Which doesn't really work with the lady finger thing. Forget the hair, just find some okra, it's in season!!
Anyway. I made some this weekend following a Keralan recipe, and they came out so delicious! I made them again tonight, with a little more speed and confidence. Next time, I won't even need to look at the recipe!

Straight from Nimmy Paul, with a few tweaks...
Ingredients:
Okra
Plain yogurt
Green chili (jalapeno) chopped
Ginger chopped
Grated coconut (UNsweetened)
Coconut oil
Mustard seeds
Dry red chili
Curry leaves (I used basil, don't tell Nimmy!)

Saute okra in a little butter or oil (vegetable, safflower, etc...). When almost done, add 1/2 T ginger and 1 chopped chili, toss in a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, combine about 1 c of yogurt with about 1/4 c of coconut. When okra is softened to your liking, mix into the yogurt. Put the pan back on heat, add about 1 1/2 T of coconut oil, 1/2 t mustard seeds, 1/2 dry red chili (or 1 tsp), and curry leaves*. When spices start popping, mix into okra and yogurt. Stir gently and serve!

*Curry leaves are very different than what we know as curry, the yellowish mixed spice powder. Fresh green curry leaves add a wonderful subtle flavor which is released when they hit the oil. They can be hard to find outside of Indian neighborhoods, so I've substituted fresh basil leaves. Nimmy said not to try subbing anything, but I did. And I liked it. Use about 3 or 4 leaves, doesn't need to be strong.

A few other notes. Please be sure to get UNsweetened grated coconut. It's much easier than grating your own, but by all means, if you've got coconuts, give it a whirl. DO NOT get regular grated coconut that you'd put on an ice cream sundae. You will be oh so disappointed.
Also, coconut oil might not be in the regular grocery store. Should be at any asian or ethnic food store. The health food store near me has it. It's glorious, you'll want to use it for everything. Be very. very. careful. Or you'll turn into a coconut!
Finally, a little discovery... typically when I make okra, it's slimy. You know what I mean. Fresh or frozen, always comes out slimy. I found out that's because I steam it, even in just a little water, still slimy. Well when you just saute in a little oil or butter, NO slime! It takes much longer to soften, but it's worth it.

Adjust the recipe's yogurt and coconut based on how much okra you use. I used about 2 c chopped okra, and this is only about 2 servings for a main dish, 4-6 as a small side. But I like it, and so did everyone else that had it, we could have doubled the recipe, even as a side. Enjoy!

Real Food Please

2008-08-28T14:08:00.003-04:00

Sorry if this isn't up your alley, but it's important to me, and I think to many of you. I think it's time to move beyond little lifestyle changes (which are also important), to speaking up in policy forums. Here is an opportunity. I'd love to see these comments jump in number to send a little message that we are noticing the poor governance of our food supply. Maybe this should be prefaced with: I do not trust the FDA, at all...

In response to spinach troubles, the FDA recently announced a rule allowing manufacturers to irradiate spinach and iceberg lettuce. You might like to know that other foods are already being processed with radiation, to kill off bacteria and extend shelf life, including meats and other fruits and vegetables. Irradiation is not acceptable processing under the USDA's 'organic' guidelines, only for non-organic foods. Here are some thoughts from Europe.

From Wikipedia, "food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield, and improvement of re-hydration. Irradiation is a more general term of deliberate exposure of materials to radiation to achieve a technical goal. As such it is also used on non-food items, such as medical hardware, plastics, tubes for gas-pipelines, hoses for floor-heating, shrink-foils for food packaging, automobile parts, wires and cables (isolation), tires, and even gemstones."

But let's remember, we don't generally ingest these objects...

A food's make-up (fats, carbohydrates, etc...) determine what exactly changes in the food's content once irradiated. Spinach and lettuce are mostly water, so the result isn't totally damaging. But it's the basic idea that it is causing free radicals, bacterial mutations, and generally altering the DNA of your food. That just seems weird to me.

FDA is accepting comments and opposition until Sept 21st. Here is where you can comment. - http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064806d2f95
Make sure you include the docket # - FDA-1999-F-2405
Click on the Add Comments button, and go to town. You can submit as an Individual Consumer in the Submitter Category box. You can post as anonymous or with your name.
Here is some recommended text that I modified a bit from another commenter...

------------------------------

My already poor trust in the FDA is only being deteriorated. Just like my food's nutritional qualities.

Allowing irradiation of lettuce and spinach is an irrational response to a continuing problem of mass-farming and lax health regulation and inspection. The reason that we have seen an increase in the outbreak of salmonella and e. coli is that the farms, handling, and distribution centers are filthy. Irradiation is not the answer for food-borne illness. It is a overly simplistic bandage to offer a false level of confidence in the public sector. It is only serving the needs of the out-of-control food industry.

Irradiation is not a safe solution. Not only do we see vitamin loss and the loss of essential fatty acids in irradiated foods, there is a real possibility of promoting a mutation of the strains of e. coli and other food-borne microorganisms. Additionally, there are concerns over the formation of free radicals, which can set off chain reactions in the body destroying antioxidants, tearing
apart cell membranes, and making the body more susceptible to cancer, diabetes,
heart disease, liver damage, muscular breakdown etc.

I insist that the public not be misled and ill-informed. While simple labeling in the grocery may allow a consumer to make her own choice about the use of irrradiated food (which seems poorly enforced anyway), this does not prevent restaurants, school lunchrooms, hospitals, etc. from serving unknowing consumers foods that have been irradiated. Given the known and potential health concerns, this is hardly an acceptable solution.

Please take all comments into consideration, and understand that we ARE noticing the poor governance of our food supply.
--------------------------------

Again, sorry if you don't care about this. But maybe forward it on to another friend that may.

Your public service announcement person on patrol ...

Knitting Comes to Jersey City

2008-08-26T11:27:00.004-04:00

We're getting our very own knitting store and cafe! I was wondering when somebody was going to open up something like this.

The Stockinette
581 Jersey Ave @ 3rd St

They're in there working away stocking shelves, painting, decorating... due to open in September. VERY exciting news.

Is It Hot In Here?

2008-08-21T20:44:00.007-04:00

So the firemen fabric from awhile back? It turned into an apron, only to be used for cooking the hottest of hot foods of course... It was a gift for Heidi's birthday. Here she is modeling it. In the subway. On a Saturday night. She wore it all night.

It's probably the most amusing thing I've ever made. Here's another close-up. Just because I can't get enough.

Listening to: Marvin Gaye - Take Me To the River

India

2008-08-20T11:12:00.013-04:00

The best way I can describe India is... vibrant.
I went for the food and the culture, and returned in complete amazement of the depth of it all.
I've never experienced so much color, spice, friendliness, confusion, variations in lifestyle... and I saw only the tiniest sliver.

I went with a group set up through friends, 16 of us, to Kerala, the southwest coastal region of India. Kerala actually means "God's own country", and it's stunning. It's the spice center of the world, and I will argue that with anyone who dares. They grow a chunk of the world's peppercorn, cardamom, tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla... We went to markets, toured farms and plantations, and had cooking demonstrations at every stop, by chefs, mothers, fishermen, anyone who would cook with us.
I learned that curry is actually a leaf... tea is actually a tree - picked best during monsoon season... black, green, white, and red peppercorn is all from the same plant... indian okra isn't slimy like ours... and cardamom makes everything better...

Beyond Kerala's food, there is rich culture. Kerala is predominantly Christian, with Hindus and Muslims making up most of the balance, and some Buddhists and even Jews (~15 families in Kochin). The Christians eat all meat, even though cows are off-limits in the Hindu culture (Hindus believe that all 365,000 Hindu gods and goddesses live in the belly of the cow). The Catholic church is alive and well in Kerala. We visitied a Sunday morning service, all in Malayalam, but I still got a sense of extreme devotion. Ayurveda is rooted in Kerala as well, a homeopathic traditional medicine and lifestyle that uses massage, oils, teas and herbs. Many Keralites use it as their healthcare. And we used it frequently throughout the trip. Imagine wet fish on an oily countertop. That is ayurvedic massage.

The colors are the best part - the decor and aesthetics, the dress, even hair ribbons. This is a sari store, 4 floors of shelving with the most beautiful colors and fabrics. They take pride in their colors. A favorite thing to do in villages is photos. Everyone loves to have their photos taken, but you must show them on the screen. They love seeing their pictures, shaking hands, smiles go a long way in India...

We ate like royalty, and for many, it's actually how they eat daily. I didn't see any packaged anything; all meat, produce, spices and fruits are fresh and in bulk. They get their milk from cows, local spices and rice... It was delicious. Fresh curry leaves and coconut milk in almost every dish. Treats and dishes like oppams, chappatis, paisams, dosas, masalas...

There's so many wonderful things, I hate to even mention India's challenges, but unfortunately there are many. The cities, especially the big cities like Mumbai, are totally overwhelming with poverty, squalor, and filth. There are very poor water and waste management systems in India, and the city streets become dumps quickly. The roads are horrendous, and apparently the transportation authorities don't fix potholes unless they get a nice fee... The roads, dear god, the roads. If I never go back to India, it will be because of the roads. Buses, trucks, taxis, tuktuks, bicycles, pedestrians, and cows... all on the same road, some going the same direction, all going as fast as they can while avoiding potholes. Except the cows. They mosey right along, sometimes even obeying the stoplights better than the vehicles...

The saving grace to Mumbai was our visit with a couchsurfing friend and his family. Sachin invited me and Dad over to their apartment, where his mom cooked us the most amazing dinner. It was the most gracious thing I've ever seen someone do for strangers, and it set our trip off to the best start possible!

So many wonderful stories, much of it is portrayed in the pictures... enjoy! There are also videos of things like tuktuk rides, Independence Day Parades, rope spinning, etc... Photos and videos will be updated as more come in from other folks in the group.

Creating New Habits

2008-05-07T10:32:00.003-04:00

Some quick updates here... I've been knitting and sewing a bit (more on that later), started the new job, bought a crockpot!, and sold. my. car. Well almost. 2001 VW Cabrio for sale! anybody?

I read a really interesting article today about habits. How are habits formed, and how can we create new ones that we actually want?

Researchers "have found what they call three zones of existence: comfort, stretch and stress. Comfort is the realm of existing habit. Stress occurs when a challenge is so far beyond current experience as to be overwhelming. It’s that stretch zone in the middle — activities that feel a bit awkward and unfamiliar — where true change occurs."

And then it even says... "Continuously stretching ourselves will even help us lose weight, according to one study. Researchers who asked folks to do something different every day — listen to a new radio station, for instance — found that they lost and kept off weight."

That sounds promising.

So as I sit here and bite my nails, wondering when I'll get to the gym again, I'm thinking about what habits I want. They say to not even try reversing habits, but creating parallel ones. And I like the whole stretch idea. I have this idea that mornings could be way more productive. I could actually walk my dog instead of just taking her to the tree in front. I could make coffee and sit and drink it instead of pouring it into a travel mug that I forget and leave on the counter anyway. I could (gasp!) actually sit and meditate for 10 minutes to start my day. Doesn't that sound wonderful?? So I think I'll start by getting up 10 minutes earlier. It's certainly not the whole 45mins or an hour that I'd like, but it's a stretch.

What habits would you want, and how do you think you can stretch your current comfort zone to get them?

Library of Congress Photos

2008-01-29T19:46:00.000-05:00

Discovered through DollyMix (via Court!) - The Library of Congress created a Flickr account to post their 3000+ photos. Many of them are fascinating, especially the ones of women working during the wars. I especially love this one, makes me proud to be a technical lady myself. And CHECK OUT those yellow overalls!

Some of the photos seem posed for sure, but what woman wouldn't want to pose for her shot to go down in history? I certainly would, especially to show off the wide leg of my coveralls perfectly anyway...

Listening to: Pandora

Sound the Alarms

2008-01-24T17:30:00.001-05:00

I imagine most people would do the same thing I did yesterday if they saw this fabric in the store.
1) Laugh
2) Look around and see if anyone sees you picking up the bolt of fabric
3) Think what you could make of it (this is a great question - it doesn't appear to appropriate for something for a boy, but it's almost like boys fabric... I'm at a loss what the creators of this were intending...)
4) Laugh again
5) Take it to the counter to be cut and wait for the woman to laugh too
6) When she doesn't laugh, come up with some lame story about a project for your little cousin who loves firetrucks (Hummer firetrucks??)
7) Laugh your way out of the store (and every time it catches your eye on the way home)

I can't tell you what I'm using it for yet, but it's perfect. I can't think of any real uses for it. Every project I can think of is complete mockery.

Lucy likes it anyway.

Listening to: Zero 7 - In Time

Interfaith Questions

2008-01-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

To honor Martin Luther King Jr Day this year, I participated in an Interfaith Celebration that took me to a mosque and a synagogue (and an Episcopal Church had I stayed for the whole tour). Part of my 2008 creation is to visit services or organizations of many various faiths and divisions of those faiths, and this fit perfectly. I've really wanted to visit a mosque and attend a regular service (are they called services? I don't even know), in order to expand my awareness and minimize ignorance as much as possible. Which was the theme of Sunday's events.

While I've been to many Christian and Jewish services and events, Islamic faith-in-practice is pretty fuzzy to me. What are their regular services like? Traditions? Daily practice? Thoughts on prayer, afterlife, food? I jumped at this opportunity to even be inside a mosque. It was a big beautiful simple room. Empty. We took our shoes off and put them in cubbies. I put a scarf over my hair, not knowing if it was required or not. It seemed that other women did too, but was my scarf too pretty, did it defeat the purpose and draw attention anyway? They asked us to sit on the floor or bring a chair over. I sat in a chair. Is that considered disrespectful or wimpy? A man sang a song he wrote for the occasion, is it appropriate to clap? I desperately want to understand these things.

The short service was very nice. An imam recited/chanted two verses from the Koran in Arabic and then translated into English. They were messages about tolerance and acceptance, and his chanting in this big open room was mysterious and beautiful. He then spoke about righteousness from the Muslim perspective and how we need to continue working to realize King's vision, and this can only be done by minimizing ignorance and intolerance. It was very touching and lovely. But I still wonder, "Is this the kind of message that they preach every week? Is this just because we're in New York City?". Which feels kind of horrible to me. Why should I question their tolerant and progressive event?

I would love to attend again sometime with a host, someone who can explain things as we go along, answer my scarf questions, so I can better understand this religion and culture. I want to do this in every religious tradition, but how do you begin? How do you pick such hosts? How long will it take for a Methodist-raised, Quaker and Catholic school-educated Buddhist meditator with a Jewish boyfriend to fully understand and appreciate all the faith cultures out there? Why do I even care so much?

Body Image

2008-01-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

As we're now 2 weeks into the new year, seeing diet ads everywhere, body image has been on my mind.

Via Feministe: this toddler size "Hooters girl (in training)" tee...

Not that it's not always in your face, but really... is anyone else disturbed on almost a daily basis over things like this?

Fortunately, there have been a few things catching my eye that are out to battle the plastic surgery/perfect celebrity/fake body fake personality THING going on here.

One. How to Look Good Naked with Carson Kressley. You know, the AWESOME guy from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? I watched two episodes this weekend, and I. Love. It. He basically takes a woman with a non-Cosmo-cover body, and shows her in various ways that what she's got goin' on is beautiful and worthy of loving and flaunting. I totally support the idea that you've got to love and appreciate what you've got in order to inspire you to change it, if you want to. It has nothing to do with getting them to diet or exercise (though I do think it's always good to encourage healthy exercise like some simple walking and weights). He gets them to find proper fitting and beautiful undergarments, which most women don't have. One woman was wearing a 38C, and she's actually a 36E! No wonder she's uncomfortable and can't find clothes that fit her well. And he's brilliant with the women. But a big ole boooooo for Lifetime for allowing a Botox ad to play during the commercial break. Come ON Lifetime. Get your priorities straight. Less Botox, More Carson.

Two. The book Self-image and the teenage girl: a review of Body Drama by Nancy Redd. I actually read about it on the One City blog from the Interdependence Project (my weekly meditation group), so I can't say much about it from a personal perspective, but it looks really great. It talks about smelly feet! Girls need to know that smelly feet are ok! And that even prissy blonde celebrities have smelly feet! And it shows girls' bodies the way they are, in all their beautiful sizes, shapes, and colors. I think we need a little more of this. I think Dove has been doing some ads around this idea as well, go Dove!

Listening to: Aretha Franklin - Never Loved a Man

Back in business...

2008-01-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

Whew! So I finally got to sit down tonight to work on some tiny projects that have been on the list. First up, the "Artsy Clutch" from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing. It's on the cover, and I think it was enough to catch my eye and make me buy the book. The clutch is really just a simple rectangular lined bag with an extra layer of inner fabric for more support, and a button/loop closure. Simple, cute, and very use-able. Good way to use up scraps that (may or may not) match!

Next up, I've been staring at this on my desk for too long:

It's a hideous plastic sewing machine cover. It was $1 I think. I've been wanting to get something a little prettier. It has only 2 pieces, a 15"x6.5" rectangle for the top, and then a 45"x10" rectangle that wraps around the top rectangle and is then stitched down the side. I picked a fabric, cut it out, and had it together in maybe 15 minutes.

If I do another, I'd line it with a nice contrasting fabric for some sturdier support, but this will definitely do the job, and it looks MUCH nicer on my desk.

There's still some green fine-wale corduroy to become a skirt, an apron for a friend's belated birthday present, and a new carry-all bag on the list. I also want to take the time to make a taped dress form of myself. I really think it'll be worth the hour or so it takes to make, and it'll allow me to try so many more dresses and tops on my own form. And since it'll be hanging in my room somewhere, I'll look for some duct tape in nicer colors than industrial silver...

Last up, some favorite pics from Colorado:

Listening to: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No2

Warming Up

2007-12-14T09:41:00.001-05:00

Life has suddenly gotten very crazy, at least for my mellow soul. Progress has been happening though. So some quick things before I vacate for the holidays!
Although I love the gray knitted neckwarmer/hoodie thing from a few weeks back (and I would still like to make it eventually), I've decided to use the blue yarn for a hat and neckwarmer combo, adding in some green yarn that my sister gave me for my birthday.

The hat is almost done, and the neckwarmer shouldn't take long. It will look like some combination of these...

And I think I'll do a big green button on the hat to match the ones I use on the neckwarmer. Cute, right?

Also, a lot of people have been asking about the progress on the plastic bag bag. It's minimal progress, but I'm still working on cutting the bags into strips so I can make the plastic yarn. I need a good snow day so I can sit and watch movies and cut up bags...

I'll be in and out until New Years, so Happy Holidays!! Here's a cute shot of father and son carrying their Christmas trees home in the city.

Listening to: Feist - I Feel It All

My Hero

2007-12-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

We went to see Andrew Bird this weekend. And I love him. Even more than I did. Which was a lot.

He's a violinist, started on Suzuki, just like me back in the day. Except he's clearly got some sort of genius thing going on. He loops all kinds of amazing violin parts, layers and layers, adds guitar, whistling, an awesome bassist and drummer, and some jeff buckley-style lyrics, oh, and some glockenspiel. His live show is way more amazing than his albums, and if I could only figure out how to post videos, you'd see... If he plays within an 80 mile radius of you, go. You'll be wooed.

Listening to: Andrew Bird! - Heretics

Buy Nothing Day & Cookies

2007-11-30T09:18:00.000-05:00

So the day after Thanksgiving is unofficially known as 'Buy Nothing Day', a growing little kick in the face to Black Friday. A good friend of mine has a family tradition of doing all their Christmas shopping on Black Friday. It's always amazed me. I made the mistake last year of going to the mall in Jersey City on the Friday after Thanksgiving to look for a lamp. Just a lamp. HUGE mistake.

So this year I was going to try to avoid all shopping and buying in general. There was some hoopla around the effort, many people saying that it wouldn't make a difference anyway because I'd just buy more the day before or after. That's kind of beside the point. I consider it more of an awareness-raiser throughout the day so I'd be thinking more about what I consider needs vs. wants.

Regardless, I failed. We were baking Christmas cookies all day (a little family tradition), and we sent Dad out to buy some baking supplies throughout the day. I also needed to take care of 2 gifts online, before I forgot. In that case I was thinking, "If I don't buy these today, I definitely will tomorrow, if I remember, so I'll just get them today." It was a good try though, and I was definitely more thoughtful of the kinds of things I purchase instead of revamping or borrowing.

Anyway, we baked about 16 kinds of cookies, thanks to Dad's run for more butter (we went through 6 lbs of butter).

Inquire within for recipes to:
mint brownies
pecan tassies
cherry cheesecakes
britzle bars
congo bars (chocolate and butterscotch)
lemon bars
almond bars
7 layer cookies
snickerdoodles
peanut butter blossoms

And just because she's so cute, here's your dose of Lucy:

Listening to: Nick Drake - Saturday Sun

THE table

2007-11-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

I get a lot of comments about my dining room table. It's my baby. It's beautiful.

So I figured I'd post about it so you, yes you, can check it out for yourself.

The company that made it is called Sticks, and they make furniture and 'object art'. Anything from tables, to lazy susans, beds, mirrors, gameboards, lamps, dressers, bookcases, chairs, candlesticks... They sell through furniture stores, galleries and boutique distributors all over the US. You can order any of their stuff through these stores, though most stores don't keep a huge stock in-store. I ordered through American Pie on South Street in Philadelphia. It was a custom order based on some other pieces I had seen in the store. I asked for things to be added in like music symbols, an angel on the violin, etc... You can also personalize the written messages around the edge of the table, though they also have standard sayings or nothing at all. As for prices, it really varies. Consider that it will be more than traditional furniture because it is indeed art. You'll obviously pay more for custom than stock pieces.

The chairs are $20 Ikea chairs that come in red, blue and unpainted. We painted the green ones to bring out the brightness of the table.

The Sticks color palettes are amazing, and I love the pretty whimsical designs. Since getting this table, I have chosen my apartments based on how the table will fit and if I can paint the walls around it so that the table is the focus that pulls the room together. And it works. Every time.

Listening to: a conference call at work

Early Thanksgiving

2007-11-18T20:50:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! I had 21 people in my 500sf. apartment on saturday night for an early thanksgiving with friends. I would have had more if i thought my floor could handle it, because it was such an amazing opportunity to celebrate with the people in my life!

First, some prep the night before. These are the pies right out of the oven, and the cranberries right before going into the oven. Recipes at the end.

Saturday involved finishing the stuffing, prepping the sourdough biscuits, and then the turkeys (two 10 pounders) and putting them in the oven. I kept the turkey really simple this year, some olive oil, salt & pepper, lots of sage and rosemary. Baked with foil for ~4hrs, another 1hr without foil, they were perfect.

Everyone brought wine or dishes of their own. We had garlic mashed potatoes (10lbs of potatoes! 12 heads of garlic!), broccoli casserole, green beans, pear & cranberry stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin soup, artichoke spinach dip, candied sweet potatoes, pumpkin biscuits... I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but it was all amazing. If only they had the technology for you to experience scents and flavors through computers...

Now here's what a tiny apartment looks like packed to the brim.

Thank you thank you to all that came and made my home a home! Now for the secret family recipes!

Pecan Pie
1 c pecans
3 eggs
1 stick butter
1/4 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c dark karo syrup
1 t vanilla
pinch salt
unbaked pie crust

Sprinkle pecans in pie crust to cover bottom. Melt butter. Mix butter with remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 for 1hr.

Note: this pie never lasts past a single meal. If it does, you'll finish it for breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie
30 oz canned pumpkin
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 t salt
1 can evaporated milk
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t ginger
4 eggs
1 c water
2 unbaked pie crusts

Mix. Split into 2 pie crusts. Bake at 425 for 20 mins, then 350 for another 25 or until centers are not jiggly.

Note: This is the best pumpkin pie recipe I've ever tasted. I've never used real pumpkin, and you'll never need to. It's perfect. Every time.

Baked Cranberries
6 c cranberries
2-3 apples, diced (or pear?)
1-2 c sugar
cinnamon
ginger
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c brandy or whiskey (optional)
mint (optional)

Combine all. Add sugar and spices to your taste. Add fresh chopped mint if you please. If you don't use a liquor, add extra water or juice (can use apple too). Cover with foil, bake at 375 for ~40 mins. Remove and stir well, mashing lightly with spoon. Serve warm or chilled, with more mint.

Stuffing (my most favorite dish in the world)
2-3 loaves bread (I used a farmer's whole wheat bread with rye and poppy seeds for extra flavor)
celery
onion
buttermilk
1 stick butter
2-3 eggs
salt & pepper
rosemary and sage

Break up bread into chunks and dry overnight. Chop 2-4 stalks of celery (based on your taste) and 1 onion, set aside. Melt butter, add celery and onion, chopped sage and rosemary. Pour over bread. Add 2 eggs, salt and pepper, a glug of buttermilk. Mix with hands. Add milk and/or egg as needed to get moist (but not mushy) throughout. Bake in turkey or in a separate dish (350 for 40 mins, covered or uncovered whether you like it more or less mushy).

Sourdough Biscuits
1 c sourdough starter
6 c flour
1 t salt
3 T sugar
1 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
2 c buttermilk
1 c shortening
1 pkg yeast (optional)

Well the flour in a bowl, add dry ingredients, add shortening and cut in with pastry cutter until even. Well mixture, add sourdough starter, buttermilk and yeast. Mix with wooden spoon, cover with wax paper and refrigerate a few hours. Flour the working surface, roll out dough to a thickness of ~1", cut with round cutter (or rim of glass) and place in a greased glass or ceramic dish. Bake at 400 for 20mins or lightly browned on top.

Note: Let me know if you're interested in sourdough. I'd be happy to give you some starter and teach you how to keep it and bake with it. These biscuits are glorious!

Listening to: Nutcracker Suite

sustainable living?

2007-11-15T10:49:00.000-05:00

So this is a fun little game that determines how many earths it would take to support the global population if they all lived with your current lifestyle. It looks at housing, utilities, transportation, eating and shopping habits, etc...
Apparently, if everyone lived like me, we'd need 4.2 earths to support us. That's just a little shocking isn't it? Part of it is I drive a lot to work (which I'm trying to cut down on), and I fly. To be honest, I'd fly even more if I could, and I must say, I think the benefits of cross-cultural learning and communication far outweigh the costs of a little flight to, say, India, right?
Another thing was coffee consumption, where I'm at about 15 cups a week. However, they're assuming that you buy generic coffee that's flown from poor farmers in Timbuktu. I try to buy New England or Bucks County (PA) coffee, which I'm assuming is grown locally as well, but I'll have to check my labels on that.
Otherwise, I'm doing pretty well. My energy consumption, trash, and food habits put me in the right place... If only I could get rid of that car...

This all fits right into what I'm studying in class this semester. We've covered personal and municipal waste management, residential and community options for decreasing utility usage, pollutant reduction in general, and safe water. Every thing we learn about gets me thinking about how wonderful the house I grew up in was. The whole back of it was glass, so it was solar heated in the winter. We had a trash compactor, so an entire 4-person household put out pretty much 1 bag of trash each week. We also had an outdoor compost which contributed to our garden which provided nearly all our vegetables through summer and fall. I've thought about composting here, but can't yet figure out what to do with the compost once I get it going. There's a community garden down the street, but they haven't replied to my emails yet...

What's your score, and what changes have you considered to live a more sustainable life?

listening to: NPR News

apron success!

2007-11-13T11:41:00.000-05:00

Fabric: 1 yd each of two fabrics
Pattern: reversible apron, from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing
Time: ~2 hrs including cutting pattern pieces, sewing, pressing, and finishing
Skill Level: Easy, there were no special stitches, nothing tricky about aligning pieces.
Extras: You can add pockets, applique, other fun stuff. I kept it basic since I love the prints so much.

I was going to crop the picture so you could see more of the apron, but look how nice the swatch portraits look on the wall! The one up on the top in the middle is even the same fabric!

Detail of the topstitching with a perfect teal thread I found buried. It was one that came in those sewing kits you get at the grocery store. All of them are such weird colors like teal, bright pink and yellow... You never know what will work.

Sewing has been so fulfilling lately! Quick projects like aprons, totebags and computer cases are so much easier and quicker than clothing, I've really gotten to practice some basic skills and get better with my machine. I might be ready to finally take on a patterned dress again. If you've been scared of sewing, I can recommend some of these basic and fun patterns I've done lately to get you started. It allows so much freedom in choosing fabrics and details that inspire you. I just love looking around my apartment and seeing lots of little things that I've made!

listening to: Veruca Salt - Twinstar

quiet night

2007-11-12T17:21:00.001-05:00

I feel the beginnings of a nasty cold coming on and have decided to stay home from orchestra rehearsal to take care of myself, that and start working on this reversible apron that's been cut out for a month. It's the same fabric from the totebag I made last month.

I'm going to need it this weekend. I'm hosting ~20 people for an early Thanksgiving dinner. I'm only making the turkey, stuffing, and pies, and everyone else is bring drinks or a dish from their family's traditional dinner. It was one of those things that just kept growing and growing. I love hosting people for dinner, but from now on I'll have to keep it to smaller groups! My poor apartment can barely hold 20 people standing, this is going to be very interesting. More details on the menu and seating issue resolution as the week unfolds...

listening to: The Beatles - Long Long Long

Yoga + Dancing = Pain

2007-11-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

I started going to yoga again, after a year or so of not using about half of my muscles apparently. There are muscles hurting that I didn't know existed. Particularly in my back. It's fascinating really. And it's not like you can stretch more before or after yoga. Before, I used to take a more restorative type of yoga, and these classes have been very fast-paced, strength-building. It's great, and I feel so much stronger already, but dear god, it hurts.

And today we went to Dance Dance Party Party again, and it was as fun as I remember. Imagine a dance studio, lights turned down, multi-colored disco ball glowing, a dance mix playing loudly, and 10-15 women of all ages, shakin' it like nobody's watching. I'm telling you, if you are a woman (sorry guys...) and you live near NY, Providence RI, Chicago, Austin, or LA -- GO! If the other cities are anything like NY's, it is the most energetic, judgement-free fun you will ever have! I'd really love to make it a weekly thing, so we'll see if I can work out the Sundays.

So with yoga and dancing kicking my butt this weekend, I am a sore lady. Wrapping up the night with some tea and tylenol.

listening to: Jai Uttal - Durga Pahimam

in love with google reader

2007-11-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

Courtney's visit was successful on many levels, but primarily because she has now hooked me on google reader. In my trend report it tells me, "From your 33 subscriptions, in the last 2 weeks you read 515 items and starred 14 items." 515 Items! That I CARE about! Instead of just catching a glimpse of 3 worthless news items shoved in my face by some worthless news agency. I love the control, the ownership, i feel when reading a design blog entry, a new recipe, a relevant snippet of news... just brilliant!

Here are some of the best of the best:

smitten kitchen's pumpkin black bean soup recipe

craft's apron contest (i'm entering 1950's frilly apron i made a year or 2 ago)

via feministing: feminism is...

In other news, the swatch portraits are done, sorry about the picture, but you get the idea!

listening to: Feist - One Evening

walls

2007-10-30T15:21:00.001-04:00

Imagine this plain blank wall with some combination of these fabrics and maybe more...
Inspiration & fabric: Purl Bee's swatch portraits

Will finish this week. And I'll add more about the weekend after I'm done stressing over my exam tonight!

listening to: Balkan Beat Box - Adir Adirim

cool down and round up

2007-10-26T17:47:00.000-04:00

It's cooling down - quickly - in these parts. It's time to start thinking about the warm bulky colorful sweaters and scarves of the season. My good friend Courtney is visiting this weekend, and she happens to know my style very well, proof = this design she sent me.

See? Right up my alley. Chunky, neutral, face-framing, cozy. LOVE it. It's from pip-squeak chapeau who designs and knits made-to-order beauties like this. Unfortunately, it's $100+, which is NOT up my alley. But it looks relatively simple once I figure out that back decrease (with Stephanie's help... hi Stephanie!), and a similar yarn can't be more than $25.

In other news, I've renewed my library card(!) and have loaded up on some various books to read. After my exam next week, I'll be free to do some reading on my own, not that air pollution and injustice health disparities and superfund case studies aren't enjoyable reading...

Also, I've been listening to a lot of new music thanks to the looong plane rides last week. The airline had all kinds of ethnic traditional and pop, classical and western music that I don't typically find easily here or just haven't noticed yet. I highly recommend these:

Monade - A Few Steps More (French mellow alternative)

Scissor Sisters - Ta Dah (awesome American dance pop)

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (duet of Led Zeppelin and country origins, perfect)

Astrud Gilberto - any album (smooth Brazilian bossa nova style)

Fairuz - Legend (traditional Lebanese singer)

Balkan Beat Box - any album (Balkan and Middle-Eastern themes with hip-hop beats and political undertones that you won't understand anyway)

listening to: Nouvelle Vague - This is Not a Love Song

backing up a bit...

2007-10-23T13:39:00.001-04:00

I didn't have a chance to post about Rox's birthday weekend before leaving for the trip, so backing up a bit here...
It was a funfilled weekend (after a delayed arrival), kicked off by everyone's favorite little dessert shop, Cafe Lalo. We LOVE Cafe Lalo, and they hadn't even run out of the chocolate peanut butter cake yet!
Friday we went to Holmdel Park, where both Rox and I ran cross-country meets in high school. It was a lot more enjoyable going for fun instead of for a meet. Lucy led us through the course, and we strolled the park for a bit. Then another stop at Liberty State Park here in JC, my favorite.

Friday night, cuban dinner and then dancing at 1984 (Pyramid). GO on a friday night, and where your dancin' shoes!
The rest was pretty low-key, and despite their incoming plane delay, it was a happy birthday afterall!

listening to: Scissor Sisters - Ooh

es salaam alaykum!

2007-10-21T19:33:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: PICS!
Greetings! I have returned from the depths of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi to be exact. What a wild experience. Where to even begin explaining it all... So the Middle East International Film Festival was, well... kind of weird. It was really meant for directors to pitch their next projects, which is not what New Year Baby is about. It was a complete honor to be there with the film, but all the screenings were empty, which is just unusual for festivals.
They put us up in the Emirates Palace, probably the nicest hotel in the world, at least the nicest I'll ever stay at by far. The service was just over the top! Rose petals placed in specific patterns all over the room, fresh dates and chocolates refreshed daily, amazing food, views of the sea, just spectacular. But it felt like such a show. We talked to many people staying in Abu Dhabi for a year or so, and they say once you get out of the glitz, it's got quite a dirty underbelly. For one thing, it's progressive, but still women are clearly second class citizens. I dressed pretty modestly, and still they either STARE or look straight through me. It was fascinating to experience the Muslim perspective firsthand also. We walked around downtown quite a bit, admired the sari and burqa fabrics, went on a desert safari (think desolate huge sand dunes), saw some great films... I loved much of it, but know that I couldn't spend much more than a week there.
Here's a few pics to give you a taste. Will update the post later once I post all of my pics with my dad's.

listening to: Monade - Becoming

camping + sewing = awesome

2007-10-11T14:32:00.000-04:00

This company, Thru-Hiker, is so brilliant. People that like camping and hiking tend to be a little more all-natural and do-it-yourself right? And they might also be quite crafty right? Some might sew, or at least be willing to right? Right! So, voila, they supply you with kits to make your own hiking gear including down vests and coats, sleeping bags!, tent tarps... amazing. You can also by goods from them too.
I'm eyeing this vest kit, 1) because it's easy (no sleeves), 2) i'd learn to work with outdoor fabrics and filling, and 3) it comes in pretty colors. They supply the fabric, filling, pattern and instructions, and you can even call them for help.

And they even have a (free) easy sewing pattern for fleece mittens. Really, just brilliant.

The vest and mittens could be perfect for some autumn hikes in the area (or some cider-donut trips to Hacklebarney...).

listening to: The Greyboy Allstars - How Glad I Am

NOW we're talking!

2007-10-09T21:45:00.001-04:00

I think Fall is here, finally! Watch it last like 3 days now. Thanks to some rain last night, the colors have just started really coming out today. We usually peak around Halloween here in these parts, so we still have plenty of time to enjoy the colors and scents. Is that weird? Does anybody else smell the seasons too? My sister is coming into town for the weekend to celebrate her big birthday this weekend. It should be a perfect autumn weekend!

If you really want to get all cozy and autumnal, check out Brooklyntweed. This guy is my knitting hero. He spins his own yarn, knits the most perfect sweaters and patterned work I've ever seen by hand, has an amazing style for color, and takes beautiful pics on top of it all.
See, guys CAN be crafty and masculine!

listening to: Beta Band - Human Being

urge for going...

2007-10-08T11:51:00.001-04:00

Travel is always somewhere in my mind. I never pass up the chance to go somewhere new, but the idea of taking a huge trip is always appealing too. I was just catching up on a friend's cross-country and international trip through their blog. They quit their solid jobs in Miami/NY, drove cross country to see friends and family, and then took off for the far east for 3-4 months of travel. 1- I'm terribly jealous. 2- I'm glad SOMEBODY's out there doing what all the rest of us long for. Where would you go? What would you give up to go??
There's just so much world to see. In many other countries, international travel is expected and respected! I wish American culture valued it a bit more so that wanting to take a 3-month trip wasn't so frowned upon. Maybe one day the stars will align and I'll be in a place that allows me to travel when I want.
In the meantime, I certainly won't boohoo the trip to Abu Dhabi! Countdown at 6 days!

listening to: North Mississippi Allstars - Moonshine

i'm useful...

2007-10-07T21:59:00.000-04:00

so says Etan. We went to a sample sale this weekend and he got a couple pants. While trying them on, he was so happy to find out that I could indeed hem every pair for him. It's so nice to feel useful...
And to fulfill some of my own needs, I have made myself a pretty totebag!

I'm excited about this for a few reasons. One, I'm trying a couple patterns from a new sewing book called Simple Sewing. I want to do nearly all of the patterns in the book, and this was the first one. It was, indeed, simple. Her instructions and diagrams are easy to follow, and she throws in simple techniques that make the project come together much quicker. Two, I got a bunch of really awesome fabrics from purl patchwork (see some others poking out of the book in the pic below) to make all these different patterns, and I'm really happy with the colors and contrasting patterns. I'm using the two prints from the bag to make a reversible apron too (on the front of the book cover), so I'm glad I can see how they'll look together. Finally, it was my first attempt at details. Normally I just slap the fabric together to make something semi-presentable. On the bag, I actually wanted it to look great upclose to really play up the fabrics. So I added some zigzag on the trims, and even some applique (a first)!

ps - I made the applesauce again, but this time with peaches and apricots added in. SO delicious! If anyone makes it with anything else, let me know. This stuff is GOOD. I'm never buying store-bought applesauce again.

listening to: Stanton Moore - Nalgas

indian summer & grits

2007-10-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

It seems that fall just won't come for good. Every time I go to do something autumnal, it goes up to 80-some degrees.
I was starting to crave some pumpkin, despite the heat, so I made these pumpkin oatmeal cookies. I used karo instead of molasses, and I didn't add raisins, nuts, or flaxseed. But otherwise, the recipe is quick and easy. They're delicious, chewy, not too sweet, and vegan (if that's what you're into). Vegan food is always a little different in flavor and consistency, but you can't mess up pumpkin and oatmeal. Even after cooling, they're still soft!

And speaking of food... the winner of the annual Grits-Eating Contest ate 21 pounds of grits in 10 minutes! Whooooooa. Think about that. 21 lbs of ANYTHING is a lot. But that seems like an unfathomable amount of grits! And I loooove my grits. But. God!

listening to: Yo La Tengo - My Little Corner of the World

ny randomness

2007-10-02T12:13:00.000-04:00

upcoming things

tonight - my first exam at Columbia!
friday - JC Artists Tour! Etan and I will be working at a friend's gallery opening - esORO - on Brunswick.
saturday - the warehouse sale! sample sale for all kinds of jeans. yay!
saturday oct 13 - kickball - east river park
sunday oct 21 - Musica Bella orchestra concert, featuring me somewhere in the second violins
through oct 27 - Jen Bekman gallery, showing Obsessive Consumption
any weds-sun - bargemusic! small ensemble music. on a barge. beneath the brooklyn bridge. amazing!

listening to: The Redwalls - Build a Bridge

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2007-10-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Breast Cancer Awareness Month! As most of you know, my mom is a survivor. So me and my sister keep abreast (no pun intended) of the latest studies, screenings, etc... It seems like every month, new studies are coming out showing that pretty much everything causes cancer, and everything also can prevent cancer.
Don't drink. But have a glass of wine a day.
Don't eat sweets. But have a piece of dark chocolate for dessert.
Pesticides are dangerous. But eat plenty of fruits and veggies.
No meat because of the hormones. But get lots of protein.
Wearing bras, not wearing bras. Deodorant, lotion, nutrasweet, artificial light, grapefruit...

Seriously.

As an educated consumer, health enthusiast, and cancer lookout, my own tip of the day is awareness and screening. Read the studies for yourself, compare studies, talk about it, and get early detection screenings whenever possible. And don't depend on your doctor to tell you when. Ask for yourself.

American Cancer Society seems to present some non-biased information here. Don't let it all weigh you down too much though. If I find any truly conclusive information, I'll pass it on. In the meantime, enjoy your grapefruit.

listening to: Beta Band - Dog's Got a Bone

Abu Dhabi!

2007-09-27T20:54:00.000-04:00

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

before and after.

2007-09-25T11:20:00.001-04:00

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

laptop case... check

2007-09-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

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

Plastic bag hell...

2007-09-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

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

things to do with apples...

2007-09-19T17:52:00.000-04:00

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.

Quarter and de-core 8 apples, put in large pot
Add a glug of orange juice and a little bit of water, just to cover the bottom of the large pot
Sprinkle raw sugar and cinnamon to taste
I added a tsp or so of vanilla, only because I just got it fresh from the Dominican Republic. Maybe some ginger?
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

welcome back!

2007-09-18T13:30:00.000-04:00

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

packing

2007-09-12T16:07:00.000-04:00

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

frontscaping

2007-09-10T17:08:00.000-04:00

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

not quite fall yet...

2007-09-09T22:56:00.000-04:00

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

a fresh start.

2007-08-29T09:39:00.000-04:00

back at it. with lots happening. intending to use this space to capture all my stuff: knitting, sewing, music, cooking, travels, books, well-being, life. graduate school and other life changes have brought me a new computer, new camera, and the desire to really capture the things that happen to me on a (near-)daily basis. i hope it interests others half as much as it interests me.