Saturday, November 29, 2008

Fall Back Down...


living etc.

Fall is on it's way out...and winter is coming in. Today I heard more Christmas songs than usual, and it's not even December yet! With three more work weeks left before the holidays, it's going to be intense, and I'll be rushed off my feet I'm sure.
So for now, I'm sucking up these last few days of relaxing time for myself, soaking up the last of Fall and the slightly not so freezing weather before the ice and snow take over, even if I do loovvee snow!
Time for me to have a cuppa tea..... It's what we Brits do, init?!


I think this is Domino, correct me if I'm wrong!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Honey! I'm Home!




First off, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! NYC right now has that lovely holiday feeling, it's only a little chilly, and everyone has smiles on their faces. Today was my first day back in the city after my trip to Las Vegas with my Dad on our usual Thanksgiving tradition! But more about that in a bit... 

NYC

Although I LOVED getting out of the city, and I had an amazing  holiday with Dad, there isn't anything quite like coming home. That little speck of the earth you can call your own (even if you do rent it!).
So as I sat in the cab from the airport, driving over Manhattan bridge, I looked over the skyline I call home, the Empire State Building lit up in red, orange, and yellow for the holidays, and I smiled. Like most, I have a love hate relationship with NYC.. but it's still home, and because of it's own little ways, I love it more than I hate it!
Reveling in those moments, I thought of my cat Oscar, I know he'll be at the door meowing away before the key is in the door! Beaming, I can't wait to see the lil fella, holidays are for family, and my lil boy is very much part of mine.



Vegas with Dad this year was one of the best yet, we had such a great time!! We stayed in the hotel and casino 'Paris', and following in that theme, it certainly doesn't do it by halves! With the classic tacky Vegas twist, 'Paris' is my all time favorite...I love it there! Dad and I are even recognized by the dealers and pit bosses! Still, for us, the gambling is paying for the entertainment. The house does always win, so it's about having fun, rolling with the highs and lows and meeting all the great people (even if there are a few crazies too!) that Vegas unsurprisingly attracts! 
Above and below are a few pics of the 'Paris' interior, and you might just see what I'm talking about! Sitting down and having the Blue Cheese burger (which was heavenly by the way!) in the restaurant below, is like sitting outside on a street! To enjoy Vegas, you really have to embrace the high end of tacky too!! Ha!

Oh, and while there, I had a funny realization. Conversation in Las Vegas isn't so different as NYC ya' know. There are two questions you are guaranteed to be asked in NYC. They are; 'Where do you live?' and 'What do you do?'. In Vegas, they are; 'Where are you staying?' and 'How long are you in town?'. I just wonder what the two golden questions are for other cities in America!



And just one more thing for this Thanksgiving post......



Two years ago tonight, I walked into the restaurant and bar called Gusto on Greenwich Avenue. I was meeting a man there I'd only met once before, and that was after I'd imbibed a bottle of red wine and two cosmopolitans... so at any rate, and embarrassing to admit, I was unsure I could remember what he looked like.. but I did remember our first encounter back in September vividly.
I remembered the conversation, that I said "I don't know much about politics to say" and he replied with, "you know enough to have an opinion". I remember being surprised by that, that only in just knowing this man for a few minutes, he had already made me feel confident in myself, and for no apparent gain for himself. We talked about the Hopper painting in the bar too, and about art in general... I suppose thats why I have a softer spot for Hopper than I ever have before...and funny and telling that it should be Hopper too...
So Thanksgiving, months later, I text him. The next night (tonight), we meet at Gusto. I'm nervous as hell. I spoke to my friend Miriam with a last cigarette just outside the place before I ventured in, just as we girls do... Stepping in, my heart is pounding with nerves, questions running through my head, "do I look okay?", "will he recognize me?", "will I recognize HIM?", "am I early? - oh no, did I get here first??!"...... anyways, after arranging to meet at the bar, I didn't have to scan the tables at least. Expecting to see a man alone at the bar of course would be a helpful hint, or at least make my nerve ridden brain calm down a little and focus... But instead he was with the manager whom he knew, so as I walked to an open seat further down the bar, I yes...... walk right by him!!!! ARG! 
Flushed with embarrassment on him catching me, what else could I possibly do but laugh at myself?!! Seriously, it was way too typical and funny for me not to have some entertainment in my fumble! After that, my nerves were washed away.... his handsome smiling face came flooding back to me from months before, and we settled into drinking too many gin and tonics (for me) and vodka OJ's (if I remember correctly!) (for him).
Somewhere in the conversation, a metaphor for something else, he described two flies. One leaving California and the other leaving NYC...both buzzing towards each other and with the likelihood of them meeting up in Chicago... to which I added, "where they would buy a condo and live happily ever after!".... I will never forget that smile and laughter in his face....

Back then, I didn't realized how my life would change on agreeing to meet him that night. I never expected any of it, I never thought I would find someone like him, and I never thought I could, or would, feel anything so great.
My life was opened up to me, and through my own doing, but I would have never seem the possibilities of my life without him. I am grateful every day for even just having known him. He is one of the best men I have ever met, kind, generous, intelligent, and full of those flaws we all love to put up with! But sometimes, there still has to be a goodbye.

And even though I will probably never rest my eyes on his smile again, I wish him my very best wishes and the greatest of thank you's... Happy Thanksgiving.


Gusto Interior and Bar

Friday, November 21, 2008

VEGAS BABY!!



The time has finally come!!! Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn (and I mean the crack of dawn!!!!) I'll be making my way to JFK to jump on a plane for 5 1/2 hours to arrive in LAS VEGAS at about 10:30 am (LV time!).... and..... I. CAN'T. WAIT.!!!!
Seeing Dad again will be just fantastic, It's been wayyy too long as it is. It's also been wayyy too long since I got a break from NYC (even if I do love it here!)
Also, we're staying in my all time favorite hotel "Paris" with its cloud painted ceilings and faux cobble stone pathways... HaHaHa!!!

So maybe I'll get to meet Lady luck again, and even if I don't, hanging out with Dad again will be absolutely perfect, and really, I couldn't ask for anything more than that.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!!! I wish everyone a most wonderful holiday, whatever you do!!!


Blog find!



I just love it when I stumble across a blog that I totally fall for! Today it was Leah Hennen's blog "More Ways to Waste Time". It's probably one of the best blogs I've seen!...And now to take place on my daily reading list! A feast for the eyes, and with serious amounts of inspiration, I love it. She also has an Etsy site showcasing all of her Etsy favorites...what a great idea!!

Thank you Leah!

Lotus Love...



Talking of lighting, one of my all time favorites is the Lotus Flower Chandelier....I totally adore this. So beautiful, so feminine, so delicate, and such a show stopper!!

The light is created by artisans combining hundreds of hand-cut capiz shells edged in metal together into large pearl and smoke colored spheres. When lit from within the pendants shimmer and shine like stained glass and look just stunning. Available in different sizes from Vita Terra or Graham and Green.

I am in lovveeee....



Light Bulb?


Ernesto Gismondi

I LOVE this Miconos light series designed by Ernesto Gismondi for his company Artemide. I like the twist it plays on the conventional light bulb fixture. It's simple, clean, beautiful, and so powerful in it's presence too... I want one... hey, I want all three! But maybe thats overdoing it... Ha!




take. a. breath.



More from Jen Gotch... Because I should remember to do this much more often.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

puff...



It's time for my morning smoke break (and yes, the quitting smoking thing is going, well, so-so). During my morning blog surfing I came across Jay PH's Photostream on Annie's Relish Small Pleasures blog. So I thought I would post his smoke a little further along the blogging lines for a further shout out!
They're so beautiful.... shame my cigarette smoke doesn't look this good! Ha!!




Coveting Cavalli...



Heavenly Roberto Cavalli

I lovveeee Cavalli.... It's getting colder, and with it, out comes my own Cavalli fur! Which by the way I addoorrreee!! (especially when it gets really cold and I team it up with my Shearling beehive hat!)
I really like the above Cavalli fur suit, slick as you like! Below I've hit it up with some stunning interiors which are inspired by it...


Living Etc.

House to Home



House to Home


Living Etc.

I <3 Coffee



Good Morning World.... It's early on Thursday morning.. a little chilly outside, but inside I'm hugging a hot cuppa coffee, listening to Nina Simone, and enjoying this time out before I hit up another day at work.... I hope you all have a beautiful day! xo

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Cha-Ching!



I've got three days until I hit up Vegas with my Dad for our Thanksgiving... and seriously, I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! I'm dying for a holiday, and seeing my Dad will be so good I can't tell you!

Funny thing is, Lady Luck came for a Vegas style visit over the past weekend while I was sitting in front of a slot machine! I couldn't believe my eyes, I was left completely and totally speechless!!! 

Now here's wondering if she'll be coming with me on Saturday!!!  

(and to answer a question, and clarification! It was my friend that won the jackpot-I was just in front of the machine!!!)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

My kind of Humor...

I'm in the mood for some humor... And I just love these two!! HaHa!!!


www.kartoen.be


www.someecards.com (the best, funniest and most entertaining ecard site in the world!!!!)

The Life in Rose...


Its another beautiful Sunday morning...I'm up very early again. I'm watching the sun creep up over the buildings.. and so what could be more perfect than a little bit of Louis Armstrong singing 'La vie en Rose'?

Friday, November 14, 2008

Stunning Fashion Photography...



I flicked through an old copy of Elle Decor (UK copy!) I had lying around, and coming across Tim Walker's Photography, which I've browsed before, I couldn't help but do a quick post of my favorites!
I'm sure we've all seen the above photo somewhere or another... it is oh-so stunning! His fashion photography is something else, whimsical and dramatic, I just LOVE how feminine they are, how they are so flattering and beautiful, the sets are so carefully constructed and yet he makes it all look so effortless..... Stunning!!









Click This....


I've just been flicking through Jen Gotch's Photography website, and I love it all!!! Even just to click something is fun...so go check it out and get clicking!
I really like, and appreciate in my own personal and little way, the above photo of Jen's...from her 'personal work' section...

To Dream...


Standing in the sea, looking out...how I feel in so much of my life


For a few weeks now, I have had a very strong desire to get the hell out of New York. It seems like an age since I stepped outside of these cement boxes... and this week has been the icing on the cake. November could really be working better for me....
Maybe it's because it's so close to the holidays, and next weekend I'll be off to see my Father for our usual Thanksgiving tradition of visiting Las Vegas! Yes, I know, not exactly 'getting away from it all', but I can't wait to see my Dad again!!

So instead, while I dream of a week other than this one, I think about what I would do if I walked out of NYC right now...where would I go? What would I do?!
First things first....I would paint! I would spend my mornings drinking coffee, blog much more often, and paint paint paint away in my studio, sell my work, visit flea markets on weekends...the whole thing... I swear I've put so much time into thinking about all of this, I just wonder whats holding me up from actually doing it....

One thought I've had since I left university in England, if not before then too, is to have my own lil store. Nothing so fancy, but something I can show off and sell the things I love, my artwork, and somewhere where people would love to visit....maybe it would have a little coffee shop too..
When I saw the below pictures on Flickr, all of those thoughts came flooding back to me, and these two inspired me further in wondering what I would like it to look like... I love the wood, the painted white brick, the clean vintage-y feel, and I just adore the chandelier! This is the 'Loafing Cafe' on Victoria Park Road in London, see the Flickr site with more info on it here!
I would do a few things differently to make it mine and with what it'll have, but it's a start, and one for the inspiration boards....I even have a name, but I'm not telling you!!




Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Dior to Decor!!



When I saw the above image from John Galliano's Dior Fall Winter '08 '09 fashion show, I fell deeply in love.... Sometimes Dior just makes my jaw drop...
So I'm going to try something a little new here, something I think that will test my eye, and challenge me... something I'm going to borrow (I hope she doesn't mind!!) from Coco+Kelley! I've always loved how she does this, so I thought I'd see how my own eye fared! 
And on a hunt I went, through my all of my interior images, for some which I felt were inspired by this dress..... so...how did I do?!! ;)


living etc

house to home

house to home

Pretty in Pink...



Roses..... I just received this bundle of pale pink buds, and I looovvee roses. I adore their smell so much, they just make me think of my dream English Rose garden, which I swear I'll have one day.... but until then, these few are beautiful!