Barbie!!!!

Can anyone tell me why I am so excited about this??
I don't know but I got the postcard in the mail and I was squealing like a little girl!
Check out the new MAC Barbie Cosmetics here.
I love that pink lipstick!

This past week I have been craving Anderson's bbq roast beef sandwiches,and have indulged in them twice-- once on Tuesday, I had a bbq beef on a soft roll with a chocolate milkshake (don't tell the rabbi!!). Today, I had the same sandwich with a loganberry and curly fries. This is quintessential Buffalo summer fare. Maybe I was feeling the need for summer this week! It's so weird for me to be craving meat though!!

The other thing I have been obsessing about-- locating the nice vegetable peeler I have packed up in a box from my old apartment. I would like to give this veg. peeler to D. because his, one of these days, is going to take half my finger off!
And after rummaging around for a bit, I found it! Yeah-- I think it's funny that I'm planning on staying in Pittsburgh for awhile and the biggest thing I'm worried about is a carrot peeler.


Notice the new header!! I had to go through a few tries to get it to work. I wanted to make it wider but I couldn't figure it out! I love it though! I have this very adorable mini Japanese calendar from 1998 that has tiger pictures (that's where the picture is from) then I added the title and altered the background color and added the pink dots. The flower was originally blue.

Layering and layering and layering

Ok, after some finagling I finally figured out how to put this neat-o video clip onto my blog!! Yay, I'm so behind with technology.

So this is a film of Picasso painting and it is really incredible to see all the stages he goes through, the ease of his line as he initially draws, the sense of experiment and playfulness he uses with color. I liked seeing how he laid down big blocks of color and then broke them up and repainted them and just kept experimenting. This makes painting look so fun! It makes me want to see this movie, and make some paintings.




Also, I had the good fortune to watch Oprah today. It was all about living well, and party planner extraordinaire Colin Cowie was the guest. The clips they showed of these weddings he designed were just so ornate, lavish, and over the top-- it was crazy! In fact, it kind of made me a little sick- I can't even imagine how much these two couples spent on their separate weddings-- one in Capri, and the other had a party on the stage of the Met and then a garden party themed wedding.
Anyway, after the totally over the top wedding clips, they went to Colin Cowie's Manhattan apartment and he took us on a tour-- it too was totally incredible in a sort of sickening way. Here he is in his immaculate highly organized kitchen.


His closet was probably the size of my dining room. with sections for each type of clothing which were hung according to color. Now those of you that know me well may know I have a thing for closet organization and wooden hangers- and the potential boutique-ness of the closet- so part of me was salivating and then the other part of me was questioning this dichotomy that Oprah sets up by being so popular with stay at home Moms, yet elevating all these costly, luxurious, seemingly out of reach asthetics as standards to live your best life. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE OPRAH. But was anything that I saw today REALLY attainable? Unless you are picked to be on the show and have a makeover--home, clothing, or whatever, can the average American household do this kind of stuff?? Maybe a lot of people can. I just know that as I'm sitting back watching all the luxuriousness, I feel like it's happening in a world that's not entirely in touch with reality.
Then again, Oprah's underlying message is to dream big and live your passion, etc. etc etc.

Oy, I'm giving myself a bit of a headache thinking about it.

Please enjoy the vid.

Little Treasures

I couldn't wait to see what was in this tiny box Ellis gave me in thanks. I carefully unstuck the special tape so as not to tear the paper. I slowly slid the box outside of its lovely wrapping.

I examined the Japanese characters on the sticker affixed to the gold-flecked box with a red bottom.
I opened the box.

I peeled the delicate tissue paper apart.





And inside I found eight gorgeously sculpted candies to be eaten while drinking green tea.

My favorite is the crane whose feathers fan out behind his graceful neck and who has the tiniest pinkish red dot above his beak.

These are too beautiful to eat! I will treasure them!

Thank you Ellis!

Sketchbook

Sketches from Pittsburgh:
the chandelier in D's dining room
my latte
fellow patrons of the 61c cafe.

New Work

Hello, here is a sneak peek at a new project I'm working on. It's in the beginning stages....but something I have wanted to start for a looooong time.
I have been looking at a lot of design websites- especially design*sponge. It has led me to all sorts of interesting diy types, which interests me.
I've been pretty inspired while visiting the burgh-- Today, D and I went to Lulu's Noodles for lunch and then to this really cute Crepe Parisiennes-- they don't have a website or I would link it. We ate a dark chocolate crepe topped with whipped cream and walnuts. It was divine. We also had delicious coffee -very rich. I made some changes in my website-- so please check those out too!