Drawn Out

Trying to keep the creativity flowing, I broke out my sketch book and began drawing. Here are my girls from a short, yet DRAWN out storyboard I call, Uptown Cabin: Luxury at Its Coziest.

WALL Things Happy

I've learned that sometimes it's the little things that keep me going, and, as usual, I'm always trying to think of ways to keep my space not only well designed, but also a place that inspires me. So, while some people may put up metaphoric walls, which just block their creativity, I like to decorate the literal ones. From magazine tears to old childhood notes, this area in my apartment is WALL I need to keep me going.

Getting in the Mood

The mood boards in my portfolio needs some revamping. So I started with the pages from my book, added some key, supplemental props and started shooting. I think this revamp really added to the mood.

I MOVED!

Saturday, I found my way to MOVE!, a MoMA PS1 presented event meant to showcase fashion and all things art through collaborations between clothing designers and artists.

At the suggestion of my friend, Frank, who was a Robert Geller clad dancer in one of the installations, I gladly took the train to Long Island City, paid the $10 admission fee, and slapped on the bright pink sticker the guards used to decipher who the paying customers were. Here are some photos from my afternoon.

The interesting stairwell really foreSHADOWed the truly entertaining afternoon I was about to have.

The Robert Geller/Ryan McNamara collaboration You Can Dance. See Robert pointing in the background admiring the students and teachers he'd outfitted.

The Terence Koh/Italo Zucchelli collaboration, Untitled (2010).

The Rob Pruitt/Marc Jacobs Collaboration, Looks. After being forced to down a blue-walled runway by two women wearing headsets and holding clip boards, they showed me into the next room where I was able to watch my sassy self strut down the virtual runway of my dreams... Finally, years of practice in the mirror paid off!

The Cheryl/American Apparel Collaboration, The Makeover You Never Knew You Wanted. I stood back and watched as ordinary citizens were transformed into their inner CHERYL with makeovers consisting glitter, hair extensions, shoulder pads, fake blood or any combination of the bunch.

But, sigh, I couldn't stay the whole afternoon. Yet, walking down the street back to the train stop I passed by a sign all marked up with graffiti, with old labels peeling off, and with the latest addition of those pink stickers everyone was forced to wear. The event had put me in one of those seeing-art-in-everything moments and I found myself taking a photo of what I had just seen, which looking back seems a little lame, but nonetheless, I realized that MOVE! had, in fact, reminded me stop, smell the roses and be "moved" by art that happens every day.

Installation "Met" with Admiration

It was a beautiful day for a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and gorgeous weather like this is always the perfect backdrop to showcase this building's stately, neoclassical exterior.

As with most older buildings, as the Met grew larger and additions were added, the architecture changed with the times resulting in very modern moments among a structure built on traditional lines. I found this ceiling in one of the newer wings.

Yet, in addition to a mixture of old and new, I love when nature is a factor in a building's design as seen below in the Egyptian Wing of the museum. Not only does this room showcase the amazing Central Park view, but it lets in buckets of light on the reflecting pond it houses.

But what happens when architecture IMITATES nature? Well, I traveled to the rooftop of the Met and found out first hand.

 

With only bamboo, colorful strings (I love the color palette by the way), and a lot of elbow grease, Doug and Mike Starn and their team of rock climbers have worked since April on a project called, "Big Bambu". 

Yes, it's been going on for almost six months now AND it is going to be disassembled at the end of October, but I'm glad I was able to take a glimpse at this marvel. 

This was from the center of the structure. AMAZING!

So, if you can make it before "Big Bambu" goes back to being just a big PILE of bamboo, please, do so, but either way make it to the rooftop of the Met because with a view like this it'll all be worth it.

And Now, A Time to Reflect...

110 Livingston Street, former home of the New York City Board of Education, can now be YOUR home. This 1925 built property has been revamped to feature all the modern day amenities with an historical backdrop, but when I strolled by the other day I noticed one of its more unforeseen features: 111 Livingston Street. Do you see it?

Yes, that geometric cast of light on the building's facade is from the windows of the building across the street, and when I saw it couldn't help, but take a photo and do exactly what 111 Livingston Street did: take a moment to reflect.

Inspiration AND Awareness

I bought a Diptyque candle last week. I just love burning it because it really makes the entire apartment smell like, in this case, honeysuckle.

Anyway, I went on a walk with some friends yesterday in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn and stumbled across some treasures that made me think of years passed. We found this amazing old door, which could not be ignored. It was just so detailed and ornate. It made me wonder about all people that it’d met since it had been hanging there. 

Then, not to far passed the old door was this vintage bike and  my eyes obsessed on how the blue color just POPPED against the brown backdrop. I love unexpected pops of color. The weather was perfect and it ended up being a truly inspiring afternoon.

By the way, if you are wondering what that candle had to do with my walk today, well, when I got back to my apartment it was only then that I realized I had left the candle burning the entire 3 hours I was gone.

So the moral: Be responsible while you’re being inspired.