Thursday, May 15, 2008

Anticipation

Hurrah! I just discovered this book (click on image for link). It seems like an answer to my searches and plans for the summer.


I am by no means an impulsive buyer, but this time I knew I had to have it, so I took a detour to amazon before you could say "Κύμινο". I threw in a couple of other cheap books in the order, got my free shipping fix, and now all I have to do is wait for its arrival. Plenty of time to say κύμινο (=cumin), then.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Travel guide: part 2

Last weekend my brother was visiting, and we had a nice time walking around town, browsing at stores and random art. It is indeed a sign of civilisation when a city offers its inhabitants the pleasure of art for no apparent reason and expecting no direct return.

Hello Kitty statue. It does count as art, right?

These two are on the east side, on the way to the MOMA, kind of putting you in the mood for modern art. We didn't need much persuasion, but we were happy to see them just as well.

Five panels from the Berlin Wall

Once inside the museum, I tried to enjoy the experience for myself rather than spend the entire visit behind the camera. So very few pictures were taken, and even less came out good.

Picasso

Not surprisingly, the museum was great fun, with lots of interesting installations, exhibitions as well as its permanent collection.

Andy Warhol

Our only regret was that we only allowed for 4 hours, which was tiring. A ticket, however, is good for multiple entries during the entire day, so we wished we 'd gone earlier, break for lunch and continue without rushing. Now we know.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Travel guide: part 1

If you are planning to visit New York any time soon (and if you are who I think you are, you 'd better hurry up with those documents), I thought I 'd give you a little idea of what may, can, and will be seen.

Chelsea

I do not have an artistic vision for this little tour I am planning. It is all for the self-serving reason of whetting the appetite of potential guests. Unlike advertising companies, I just come out with it.

Ridgewood

Also unlike advertising companies, I just snap whatever catches my eye, sometimes in a hurry. So, for this first installment, I apologise for the bad quality of the photos. They are all taken on the way to work, when I didn't have the time, or perhaps the mindset to be very careful with angles, lighting etc.

West side

They are all things I see on a regular basis myself, though, and the fast pace of this series of photos will serve me as a personal reminder of daily life in the years to come (I won't be in New York forever, please remember this dear potential guests!).

Not many of those left any more

The first store to the left has the most yummy baked goods ever. The last store to the left, at the end of the arcade, always smells of freshly baked pies. Yum!

Lunch spot

This little 'park' has a lovely community of its own. My favourite is the old Belgian man who keeps dog biscuits in his pockets, and every dog and their human in the neighbourhood comes over for a treat and a chat.

Source of lunch

Please note: no kitty picture this time. I am showing remarkable restraint.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Silvery grey

It is a very grey Saturday. Which is fine, because 'Saturday' in my mind has always been a lead-grey coloured day (am I the only one who thinks of days in colours? Always done it, since I was a kid.) As a result, all silver, grey, charcoal colours stick out in my mind today, from the foggy overcast sky to the grey projects in my finishing line.

One of them was indeed grey: this skirt, that I started making about a month ago, with some linen-looking cotton and following step by step the instructions in this book. Only the facing and the hem were left undone, but I had been kind of afraid to finish it on the day I started it. Not today - in fact, I did all the remaining steps without reading any more directions. It didn't come out perfectly, but certainly good enough.

I feel I will get to wear this skirt quite a lot, it is just the neutral kind of clothing I feel comfortable with, and I hope it doesn't look all that 'homemade'. I think it's the darts ;-)

Seven, of course, being the quintessential silvery-grey household member, insisted on being there all the time. She is right here next to me as I type. She was there for the photo-shoot.


She was there as I measured and pinned the hem. Skid joined in the fun.


Meanwhile, Sunny was watching from nearby, lying on the Lizard Ridge blanket, because she knows its colours make her look particularly radiant.


Okay, okay, you caught me. Sunny's picture was taken on a different day. The discerning eye will notice Seven's ear behind Sunny (top right). They all like this colourful, expensive, time-consuming blanket, as if it was made for them. Not in their dreams - it's mine, MINE!!
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