its been brought to my attention that i'd neglected to set up my comments preferences so that non-blogspot bloggers could post comments to my blog. its been fixed! comment away, everyone!
(and here i was thinking no one was listening...)

last night i made a luscious pot of lemon curd. anyone who knows me knows that i am a sucker for anything lemony-sweet. this curd totally fits the bill. i can't wait to spread it on toast and spoon it into tart shells. an added bonus - i got to use my new lotta jansdotter labels to mark the jars. it's been a nice mail week, actually. i also got some of her stationary and a book on scandinavian design that i love (i plan to scan some pages to post soon).

in other news...
aren't these funny little wool boots fabulous? i want some.

also...only orangette can make me want to run home from work and stew prunes.

and finally...i'll be gone for a few days. i'm traveling to texas to celebrate my youngest sister's birthday, to see the andrea zittel exhibition at the contemporary arts museum in houston, try to see my friend aaron's play, drink some coffee at the much-loved brazil, eat some oysters, do a little shopping and a lot of resting.

i feel really happy in my skin today. and in my clothes...which lately seems a rare, rare thing. one of the things i love to do is to look at pictures of street fashion for inspiration on those days (or weeks) when i can't seem to pick out what to wear in the morning. here are some places i've discovered recently for just that purpose:

london street style
helsinki street fashion
tokyo street style
wardrobe remix

i'm finally starting to dig my way out from under all of the things to do that seemed to pile up while i ran off to the midwest for a few days. this is a crazy time for my family. a lot is happening for us all and it was lovely and unexpected to see my sisters, mom and dad for a bit (despite the horrible weather in chicago, which i'm still experiencing back here in new york too). i've nearly lost my voice from cheering on my dad and i think i may have caught a cold, but i'm very happy that i went and beyond proud of what he has accomplished.

i've gone clog wild! i saw someone wearing a pair on the train recently and now i'm convinced they are the most modern, simple shoe possible. i especially love these from olsson. i want to wear them but i'm convinced my feet are too big and that i'll look ridiculous. anyone wear clogs? which brands do you like and why?

just purchased from the sale.
it’s a secret. don’t tell jan.
in light of recent events involving someone very close to me, i may be in chicago when it finally arrives.

i love mav's idea of posting your dream room. i love to see other people's home's and home design inspirations. i was trying to decide what to post and for some reason, i kept going back to these images of the house that architect stephen atkinson built for his parents in louisiana. so simple, humble, real. i know they aren't really interior shots, but i love how the house is both outside and inside at the same time. the architect says, "a removed chimney anchors the house and the ‘dogtrot’ configuration with a central yet exterior breezeway and adds emphasis to the cooling aspects of the house." its welcoming to the rural landscape. i suppose i'm also drawn to it because i've been a city dweller for quite a few years now and find myself increasingly yearning for grass and trees and rocks and water.

i'm working from home today and i wanted to post a picture of the wonderful seckel pears i bought at the green market this past weekend. they are so delicious. firm, not too sweet, extremely satisfying. as you can see from the picture, we've already devoured nearly half of them.

another lazy sunday began with jas and i watching our favorite show, cbs sunday morning. its one of the few things on television that i try very hard not to miss. afterwards, jas had the marevelous idea to make polish apple pancakes for brunch. and so we did. here is the recipe so that you can too:

apple pancakes

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon canola oil, plus some extra for frying
5 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced
powdered sugar

in a bowl, combine flour, sugar if desired and salt. in another bowl, lightly beat egg; add milk and oil.

add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth. fold in apples.

in a heated pan with several tablespoons of oil, pour batter by 1/2 cupfuls and spread to form a 5-inch circle. turn when bubbles form. cook on the second side until golden brown and apples are tender. sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat them just like that (or with maple syrup, if you must).

makes 12-14 pancakes.

* * *

and i almost forgot...
jas and i saw the marvelous film, "the squid and the whale" at the cobble hill cinema last night. if you like wes anderson flicks, you'll love it. so quirky, but with so much heart.

last night i watched one of my favorite films with jas - the bizarre and oddly haunting grey gardens, a documentary made by the maysles brothers in the seventies. such beautiful shots of such a strange, bitter mother/daughter relationship. the images are grainy, colored with muted hues. it sort of goes on and on and on and never quite makes much sense, which i think kind of makes it hard to watch. it reminds of me of a beckett play. in the best way.

oh and today i returned home from the green market to find a postcard from my friend karen, whom i haven't seen in ages. and not just any postcard, but a postcard with a picture of the amish! clearly, she knows me well. it was nice to get such happy mail!

i love this stool from the ikea PS collection. its called eskilstuna, its made of wool and steel and it costs $15. the new ellan rocking chair is nice too.

i've always wanted to live in a house boat at least once in my life. it must be the water-loving, piscean part of me. (found on moco loco).

some things about me that you may not know...

i love to cook, eat, read, travel and sleep in as much as possible.

i'm opinionated and am learning to be a better listener.

i have a master's degree (which, for some reason, always surprises people).

i love love love to get mail (especially packages and fashion magazines). i also love to send it.

i'm a performance and installation artist, but i haven't made or shown any work in over a year.

i'm not yet sure why.

i am well-read.

i used to play the piano and the cello and i wish i had never quit.

i am trying very hard to lead a simple, slow life in a big, fast city.

i would be very happy living in a tiny house. anywhere.

i like to listen to music. some of the artists that i like are bjork, kraftwerk, laurie anderson, goldfrapp, radiohead, portishead, massive attack, tricky, gorillaz, adult. and talking heads.

i am continually inspired by contemporary art and design, obscure religious sects, performance art, bill granger, almodovar films, beard papa's creme puffs, shoes, teany, buffalo 66, lotta jansdotter, books about death and the funeral industry, fashionable old people, koosil-ja, maija isola, birds, prefab architecture, samuel mockbee and trees.

beautiful, beautiful furniture...BDDW (found on karin's style blog).

some things i am currently about...

* enjoying all the rain in new york city

* learning to make felt

* zakka books and magazines

* dreaming about making my own clothes

* baking (especially cookies)

* lomography

* discovering economy candy (how did i miss this in all my time in new york?)

* slowly nudging my mom into the 21st century

* zadie smith's lovely new novel, "on beauty"

* adding to my collection of bowls/vessels and scandi textiles

what are you about these days?

over the holiday weekend i bought my ticket to fly to texas for a surprise visit in honor of my littlest sister's birthday, saw a wonderful play by the british theater group improbable at new york theater workshop, ate some korean barbeque, had my very first okonomiyaki and takoyaki at otafuku in the east village and saw the jenny holzer installation at the new york public library that's pictured above. phew!

my new fall bag from la voleuse. its made of super soft midnight blue velvet and is roomy enough for all of my many things. i heart it very much. (image from the www.lavoleuse.com) i also got these lovely shoes in black.

i'm really inspired by the personal style of georgia o'keefe. wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the dusty warmth and pure colors of the ghost ranch?