midsummer fun

The carousel at Chelsea Piers

Toes + grass

The view from the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building

Brothers. Best friends.

Did you know you can kayak on the Hudson river?

For free?

You can and we did.

STOMPing

Self portrait in the back seat of a cab, date night

Perfecting dance moves in PJ's

Exploring the American Museum of Natural History

Heading home, late afternoon

the moon from our roof

last night.

Our Time Spring Shows

When Taro left home this morning, he was headed to the theater to start load-in for the Our Time Spring shows! I can't believe it's that time of year again already, but starting this weekend and continuing next weekend, you can see brand new original work written and performed by the Our Time pre-teen and teen companies. It's going to be a great run of really fun shows, and we would love to see you there! Click here for more info and to purchase tickets. Thank you so much for your support of this wonderful organization!

looking for a home

This is a sculpture I created years ago (2005, I believe?) which a friend of mine now owns. My friend recently moved and no longer has space for the piece, so he is looking to sell it. If you are interested in providing a home for this artwork, please let me know!

She's rather tall, as you can see in the photo below, taken in my old studio when I was still working on her:

If you are interested, I would be happy to send you more details, including specific dimensions. She is made of industrial wire fencing and rebar tie-wire, and is painted black. You can read more about my Wire Couture collection on my portfolio website, here. Thanks!

bikes

We have lived a stone's throw away from Central Park for over four years now, and it wasn't until this past Monday morning that we got our patooties to the neighborhood bike shop to rent bikes and go for a spin around The Loop.

Well, it was awesome. Better than awesome. Spectacular. The kiddos felt so free and exhilarated, Taro and I were totally invigorated from the much-needed exercise, and it was so great to experience the shift in perspective that comes from hopping on a bike and traveling well-known terrain. We stopped for a picnic lunch in Sheep Meadow and while we ate we realized what we had to do.

We had to have bikes. For keeps. Even though that would mean parking them in the tiny dining area of our apartment (which is really just a table parked in our living room).

So in an act of unparalleled impulsiveness, we bought our own bikes when we returned the rental ones to the shop. We bought helmets and child seats and water bottles and the works.

Today, when Taro got home from work the boys and I were waiting, ready to go, and we took our inaugural spin around the park, arriving back home just before sunset.

We had a blast, as you can see from the photos above, which were snapped as we walked our bikes the last half-block to our apartment.

It's going to be a fun Summer.

Who needs a dining area for dining anyway?

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the original version of this post was deleted during the Blogger Blackout, along with several comments. If you left a comment the first time, I apologize that your words have been lost :( Please feel free to comment again, if you wish.

the best

This is my favorite season in Central Park, for obvious reasons ;)

Bill Cunningham New York

Last night I joined up with Abbey and Samantha and went to see this amazing documentary at the IFC Center. I have been a fan of the legendary street-style photographer, Bill Cunningham, for ages but I knew very little about his life or the stories behind his art. Well, this flawless film painted a riveting portrait not just of Mr. Cunningham, but also of the New York and Paris of the last 40 years.

It was so captivating and moving, it made me laugh and cry and I truly didn't want it to end. I left feeling utterly inspired by Cunningham's singular talent, devotion to his craft, and incredible commitment to personal integrity. The fact that the story happens to be focused on the world of street fashion is just icing on the cake.

I cannot recommend the film highly enough. I'll be purchasing it on DVD and referencing it again and again!

Spring

Spring! And Earth is like a child
who has learned many poems by heart.
For the trouble of that long learning
she wins the prize.

Her teacher was strict. We loved the white
of the old man's beard. Now we can ask her
the many names of green, of blue,
and she knows them, she knows them!

Earth, school is out now. You're free
to play with the children. We'll catch you,
joyous Earth. The happiest will catch you!

All that the teacher taught her—the many thoughts
pressed now into roots and long
tough stems: she sings! She sings!

--Ranier Maria Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus I, 21

All photos by me, except for 2 and 4, which are by my friend, Corie.

Marla Cielo

Aren't these envelope clutches by New York designer Marla Cielo just fantastic? Each one is completely unique, due to the process of hand-painting large leather "canvasses", cutting them into strips, and then weaving the pieces into a bag. Functional fashion meets one-of-a-kind artwork! Check out the website to see the whole range.

You can also shop Marla Cielo's latest collections at a special event on April 28th from 6-9 pm at Bond 07 (07 Bond Street, NYC). Enjoy a cocktail while you shop, meet the designer, and even watch her demonstrate the painting process! I plan to go, and it would be great to see you there ;)

The Green Flea

Everyone's always talking about the Brooklyn Flea, but I'm rather partial to the Upper West Side's own Green Flea.

Besides, I can walk there ;)

Photos taken on my phone last Sunday.

Sunday

What a gorgeous, sparkling NYC Sunday!

We spent it strolling around the Upper West Side,

grabbing bites at some of our favorite places,

climbing rocks and running through meadows...

celebrating Spring!

Wahoooo!