new things to oogle at APC...


design collective jerome jerome makes beautiful scarves, by printing poetry, rock lyrics and textures onto vintage pieces. i also love the illustrations on their "a girl for every day of the week" t-shirt series. available at jerome jerome or busy-being.



really pretty clothes can be found at shelly steffee. i especially love the soft, helmet like bonnets she made for her fall 2005 collection. so many beautiful things...

also...
love this sauna box by kelvin goddard, brian richer, and ryan taylor, as well as luis pons' floating villa. both discovered at moco loco

a peek into my personal fashion/art inspiration...
the largely imaginary idea of the black amish.






when i first saw this series of fashion photos i was really excited because they brought together so many elements of my aesthetic that i don't often see all together in the same place (except maybe in the shaker inspired work of fellow artist of color, michael queenland...but that's for another post).

*images by donald graham from a fashion story in paper magazine

and in other news...
tonight i went to BAM to see the opening night of a multi-media theater production by the builders association that i worked on called supervision. i am very pleased with the results and am still a little giddy from seeing the fruits of some of my work manifest themselves on such a grand scale. bravo to marianne and the builders! if you are in new york city, i urge you to grab some tickets and experience a true contemporary theater of ideas.

and did i mention i happened to luck out and be seated right in front of the fabulous david byrne? too good.

slow and steady wins the race...
designer mary ping's work is both beautiful and conceptually elegant.
i can't wait to see what she does next.

wonderful and weird jewelry by erica weiner.
you can find her work at cut + paste (along with lots of other super cool vintage and handmade goods).

these are just the best pins. drawn by andrew rae and available at concrete hermit.

i am totally charmed by the work of the danish design collective, remove. their use of simple materials and ingenious construction really appeals to me.



all of remove's wonderful furniture would look great mixed in with the great vintage pieces that can be found at modern 50 and dodge city modern.

other finds for the home...
- furniture with clean lines from atlantico
- rablabs agate bowls will definitely make their way onto my wishlist (available here)

and also...
be sure to put in your order for a lovely correspondence set from the fabulous port2port press. i'm desperate for a set myself!

renowned jeweler h. stern has created a bold jewelry line for fashion designer diane von furstenberg. i like the rings the best.

oh, oh...
and find loads of fabulous stuff for the home right here (i especially like the wooden egg cups), take a moment to stop by the big sale at aloha rag, and settle down for an insightful interview with the lovely and talented bjork right here (you can listen to a clip of another interview here). she always inspires me. happy sunday!

four pairs of super cute shoes from next in the uk....but alas they don't ship to the usa yet.

its old news, but i love this great shoe line by tara subkoff for easy spirit. i bought the gladiator sandals from the line this past spring and wore them until they literally fell off my feet!

lovely, lovely (and expensive) shoes from loeffler randall.

dress me up in bon and ging. fresh.

on black friday...
something is genius in the state of denmark.

beautiful things at filippa k, rigetta klint, and of course, camilla staerk.

oh and also, the super talented amy shutt is having a big update to her lovely on-line shop day-lab and offering free shipping until 8pm on saturday. go there and pick up the anu necklace (affordable and similar to staerk's bird necklace above) from shutt's own stellar jewelry line or a gorgeous pillow from the fauna collection by brooklyn-based salvor.

happy thanksgiving!

banks violette is smarter than me.

his ethereally odd installations mining goth, heavy metal and the darkness of the american teenage nightmare manage to always stop me in my tracks.


i first encountered his work in the 2004 whitney biennial and it stuck out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of hyper nerd antics and DIY psychedelia. not that i don't like that stuff. i'm into cory arcangel and assume vivid astro focus too, but this was all frozen decaying drum set and poly gloss and black death and unicorns, with a particular use of texture that's hard to describe. he manages to convey a kind of ominous and surreal landscape from the iconography of rock and roll, murder mysteries and the kind of teenage angst-ridden scrawls you'd imagine lurk in the three-ring binder of that cute, but slightly scary boy who always sat in the back of the room hiding behind his stringy hair in high school english class.


and then i saw his electric contribution to the greater new york show at PS1 and felt nearly assaulted by the starkness of his glossy black panels and fluorescent light. his installations makes me anxious, but the weird beauty of them keeps me staring and gets me excited. this is serious stuff.

brooklyn based artist and designer jane d'arensbourg makes wonderful, simple, minimal jewelry using pyrex glass. i saw a pair of her earrings on a totally chic girl on the train a few weeks back and have finally tracked down the source. her work is availble at jelly on atlantic avenue in brooklyn and at auto in the meatpacking district in manhattan. also, be sure to check out her site for more information about her visual and performance work.

it seems domino mag has discovered one of my favorite places and i have to admit, i'm a little sad. i try not to be a selfish person, but it does make me feel a little bit funny in the belly when i see a big spread in a magazine about some place that i love. i'm conflicted. i'm happy for the place (person or things too), but sad that its not quite so special anymore. at any rate, please do check out the magical de vera on crosby street and please notice the lovely write up in the december domino. and while you happen to be on my favorite street in manhattan, walk north a bit and check out the moma design store, chat with the friendly folks at sur la table, peer in the windows at ann demeulemeester's men's store, oogle the designers at work in the apt, have a glass of wine by the fire at savoy, browse books at the housing works bookstore, grab a warm chai and the best indian food at the lahore (the cabby's delight!) and take a peek inside the coolest tiny vintage shop called dane. try your best to keep it under your hat, friends.

oh and also...
- beautiful everything at ona
- nice things for the home at places and spaces
- i'll take one of everything at auto
- a totally wish-worthy list of goodies at abc carpet and home

*the gorgeous twig bench pictured above is from pinch design

some weekend bits and bobs...

i went to pearl river on friday to pick up our usual japanese and chinese snacks and a few things to help my thanksgiving table. i was reminded how fun that store is and how cool it is to find pocky sticks, useful kitchenware and great ceramics (not to mention tons more stuff) at amazing prices and all under the same roof. lucky. lucky. while i was there, i fell in love with these line design dishes (more fabulous in person, i promise). they have plates, cups, bowls, and platters all with the design...in blue or in brown. if i told you the prices, you wouldn't believe me. but i have to restrain myself so i have enough cash for christmas shopping. will have to save my pennies...

take a look at these wonderful things too:
- fabulous leather bags
- because miranda july is super cool
- hable construction's site just re-launched and i want everything in that espresso bead print
- cover your eyes...these are gorgeous, naughty things
- and somebody's got to order the skull and crossbone's notecards for me at carrot and stick press

this should be good. its been a long time since i've seen chicks on speed.

chicks on speed
w/ kevin blechdom and planningtorock
on saturday, november 19
at midnight
at the knitting factory
74 leonard st.
new york, ny

via flavorpill

my closet for camilla's "peeping friday."

as you can see, its spare, small, and has almost no color. i like color...i just don't like to wear color. i am a huge fan of the idea of a uniform (much like the wonderful andrea zittel), which may come from the fact that i wore a uniform to school for most of my young adulthood, but i like to think it comes from my obsession with groups like the amish and the hasidim.

beautifully bizarre by walter martin and paloma munoz.

jasmin shokrian makes breathtakingly beautiful clothes.

oh, dear. oh, i love this site.

*discovered via design*sponge

i am fascinated by yoko ono.

"the only two things that are really going to save the world are music and art, because music and art are two international languages. i’m not talking about only the artists. i’m thinking in terms of each person in society who has an artistic sensibility."

"a small amount of poison is usually a very good medicine."

"the energy of anger is incredibly strong. love and hate are two sides of a coin. twist the coin and make it love. it’s beautiful. we have to do that now. it’s time to start covering the world in love. you don’t have to be afraid of anger."

"i go with the flow, i go with the flux."

"love is getting so scarce, and people are scared and frightened. we have to go back to trusting each other and loving each other. i really think i’m on a mission of making sure we heal this earth.”

something good to eat...

i love food. i love to cook food, i love to eat food, i love to shop for food, i love to read about food and i love to watch people cook food on television (especially tina, bill, nigella and donna). over the weekend, i discovered a few wonderful japanese blogs on cooking. the images are so yummy that even the two that aren't in english are fun to look at. you can find them here, here and here.

something beautiful...

last night, marina explained pictures to a dead hare a la joseph beuys and it was totally beautiful. i think it was the best performance of the series so far. i can't get the striking images out my my head: marina up on that platform with her face covered in gold leaf and honey, cradling the rabbit in her arms and murmuring in its ear. marina clomping around with a steel plate attached to her foot, manipulating the rabbit as though it were some kind of puppet. chalkboards, easels, gold leaf chaos. it was so jarring and humorous and lovely all at once. i wish you had seen it.

something wonderful that i want to spend my money on...

- i'm a huge moleskine fan and i am also totally obsessed with all things wool felt, so i was thrilled to see the limited edition wool felt address book being offered this year.
- perfect ballet flats in perfect colors like chocolat, army green, fog and parisian blue (can you tell which one's i want?) from sue london
- wool felt slippers and other warm, simple, cleanly designed good things by pia wallen

*image of josephy beuys famous wool felt suit is from art interactive

last night, jas and i went to see part two of marina abramovic's "seven easy pieces" series. this time, she re-interpreted vito acconci's seedbed - a favorite artist of jas and i and one of his more important performance works. after seeing two parts of the series, i'm finally starting to figure out what marina is really up to. she said at the performance symposium a few months back that she wanted to re-perform these particular performance art pieces because they inspired her and informed how she makes work. she said she had been thinking a lot about documentation and felt that by re-enacting these works, she could somehow document them. i would agree that she's documenting them, but it seems like a documentation for herself and her own body, more than a documentation for the viewer. i'm not sure that's what she intended. as a viewer, i felt like i was witnessing her engaging with these legendary works and witnessing her documenting them in her body, but my role was only as a witness for her deeper experience. its a very different experience than i have ever had from watching performance and it really works to disconnect you from the intensity of the performance. that said, its a sort of awesome and totally admirable experiment.

other discoveries...
lisa levine jewelry, something great for a winter face, amazing soap can be found here (try the mud!) and here (try them all!), also be sure to check out this fun read...
and finally, i'm afraid i may need another pair of peep-toe wedges. these are even better in person. i'll take a size 9 in the black please.

*unattributed images are from acconci's seedbed

jas, otherwise known as the best boyfriend in the world, surprised me with tickets to see goldfrapp in december. i can barely contain my excitement. so much glam goodness is coming my way.

in the meantime, everyone should look at these interesting photos and then everyone should click over to anna kula and buy something this instant. its all too good for words. trust me.
(available here, as well.)

also...
has anyone seen this thomas o'brien desk in person?

the picture has me hooked (and we do need a desk), but i wonder about the quality or target furniture.

i don't know which graffiti artist does this tag, but its my absolute favorite. i see it every now and then in soho and it always makes me feel really fuzzy all over. maybe its this wonderful gentleman.

*this is not my own photo, by the way. i can't remember where i found it.

for as long as i can remember i have been fastidiously tending a little look book full of collages made from images culled from fashion and design magazines. its something i seemed to have absorbed from my mom (as she keeps one too) and it serves as a sort of undulating, morphing picture of me and my style. its more than just a way to keep track of what i like, want and am inspired by...its also kind of a way to keep track of my me-ness (for lack of a better word). inspired by the amazing collages that periodically appear on roxy marj's site, i've been hoping to incorporate my book into my blog, so maybe i'll scan a page or two soon.

my shopaholic brain has focused on these things today (in addition to the anthropologie sweater in the post below):


the super lovely cape is by spiewak. the "boyfriend" sweatshirt is by octupi and can be found at i covet this. i already have the big, balloon-y bag in midnight blue velvet, but the grey suede will be available this spring and i'll be first in line to pick it up. its by la voleuse. the other bag is by the super cool suzette sundae. the marvelous white sweater is by hengst.

you should also go see the beautiful things that alicia lawhon, maria cornejo, dries van noten, magda berliner, APC, and vanessa bruno have to offer.

oh and if you are in new york, i encourage you to see my friend ivan talijancic's new work with his multi-media theater company waxfactory. its called "...she said" and its based on "destroy, she said" by marguerite duras.

you can read the ny times review here and read about his theatre company here.

*...she said image by tasja keetman

you may (or may not) have noticed that my posts seem to be lagging by a day. not sure why that is, but it seems to be true of my life in general this past week. i think of what to say, the next day. i think of what to do, the next day. i think of what to wear, the next day. i try to catch up on sleep, the next day. but i never seem to be catching up. i'm in perpetual "catch up" mode. so please consider this post an attempt to right myself.

tonight, i will attend the first performance in marina abramovic's series, "seven easy pieces" at the guggenheim. tonight's imitation/reenactment is bruce nauman's "body pressure." i'm excited, but to be honest, i feel conflicted about the whole performa biennial in general. its both exciting and wonderful and the kind of event i always wished someone would create here in the united states, but at the same time, every event is a reminder that i'm not making my own work. its a reminder that i've stalled and can't seem to get myself inspired.

*unattributed photos from the guggenheim website

time to stop spending money on myself and focus on holiday shopping?
perhaps.
but first i have to buy this sweater.

oh and...
i love creative approaches to design and to writing.

these bling crystal rings designed by orfeo quagliata are absolutely beautiful. i'd love a smoky grey one! they can be found at unica home.

also, i've stumbled across two new wonderful places to lose myself:
gorgeous sounds
lovely photography

more dream rooms...
(a la mav's idea from the always inspiring port2port)

*all images are from various issues of dwell, living etc, and the book scandinavian living, the cover of which is one of the images.

tonight, jas and i went to see a performance work in the first biennial for performance art, hosted by performa and curated by roselee goldberg. the performance, "true love is yet to come," was by danish video artist jesper just.

being artists that work in performance and installation, we were both eager to see the kind of work being presented in the biennial and feeling both happy and lucky to be living here in new york during the occasion of the first biennial.

the performance was wonderful. magical. like witnessing someone's haunting and beautiful dream. its like a treatise on love with a familiar soundtrack of "unchained melody." if you happen to be in new york, i suggest you to try to catch this performance and some of the other work being presented in this landmark event. i'm especially looking forward to seeing the 7 new performance works by marina abramovic.

oh and in the new york times there is an interesting op-ed piece by marjane satrapi, a brilliant graphic novelist, that everyone should read (check out her books too).

i'm finally back from my visit to texas. it was a lovely time! i didn't manage to see my friend's play or the andrea zittel exhibition (but will see both here in new york in the next few months), but i did get to surprise my little sister at her twelfth birthday party, eat tons of oysters, get lots of rest, spend time with my family, and gossip over coffee and magazines with my mom. everyone at home is happy and healthy and my dad has been getting a much deserved vacation. my parents are thinking about buying a smaller home, since my other younger sister will be leaving for college next year. sometimes i wish that i could be closer to home during all these changes, but i do my best to keep in touch while i build a life for myself here in the city.

before i forget...
congratulations to jas on a truly bizarre performance event last friday at the nhebraska noise fest. i am always inspired by his art work and i can't wait to see what he comes up with for the fall ITP gallery show.