One of my favorite places in the whole world is a beach in Sagaponack, NY called Gibson Beach. The parking is very limited, so it never gets too crowded, and the expanse of sand and sea is so magnificant that even the most annoying city-life issues seem to melt away as soon as I crest the hill from the road and feast my eyes upon the ocean.

Forgive me for sounding a bit romantic about this place, but I really would marry it, if such a thing were at all possible. And I was there this past weekend, with my family, enjoying what was probably the last real summer feeling day of 2010. Desperately trying to hoarde that easy lazy summer feeling before the fall really sets in for good. Sigh.

But I digress, because what I really wanted to tell you all about are these amazing beautiful anonymous sculptures that some magic fairy person builds on these shores. Mind you, this was in July, and I have been meaning to blog about this for, well, months now. But they are still a wonder, these delicate constructions of bamboo and shell, and I find them incredibly inspiring as they are truly sculpted by someone who just loves making beautiful things. And sharing them with the rest of us.

So this entry is a thank you, to whomever the person is that made these creatures and left them for us to marvel at, one sunny afternoon in July. Please make them again next year.

My not-so-secret wish is that I get to catch you in the act and thank you in person…

I made it back to Union Square on friday and was thrilled to see that the above pictured “Fractured Bubble” by Henry Grosman and Babak Bryan won the Sukkah City People’s Choice award. Not that I have any special links to these designers, but they do hail from Long Island City, which is a mere stone’s throw from my own HQ, so I feel like we’re family.

Congrats to you both, whoever you are, and may you continue to make thoughtful and expansive pieces of art for us all to enjoy…

So I’m rushing theough Union Square on Monday and am stopped in my tracks by a bunch of amazing structures cropping up all over the park. I love NYC for this kind of thing– even going grocery shopping can lead to a mind expanding cultural experience.

What I stumbled upon, it turns out, was the final stage of a contest in which hundreds of architects and designers from all over the world were invited to reimagine the sukkah, a ceremonial and temporary structure traditionally built to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. A celebration of the harvest, these structures are for sharing meals, contemplation and rejoycing and are put up for one week each year. Out of 600 entries, 12 finalists were selected and built in Union Square to stand for 2 days. A winner was chosen by the people (there were forms to fill out) and it will stand for the rest of the week as a magnet for discussion, meditation and, well, just to be something amazing to look at.

I’m hoping to get back to Union Square thiws afternoon to see who won–

To see them all and to learn more about the project, check out the offical site. NY Magazine also has a great one page view of all of the pieces here.

I wanted to put up a few more shots of the other ones that I particularly liked here, but I seem to be having technical difficulties with uploading images, so this will have to do for now. Here’s hoping it’s an easy fix! I’ll keep you all posted…

The best hair cuts I have gotten by far have been from an old friend of mine named April Barton, who has a salon in the Chelsea Hotel called Suite 303. They can be a bit nervewracking, because she sort of dances around your head and does a lot of talking while she casually chops away at your hair, but the end result is always spectacular and holds up for months. Or years, in my case. I’m now trying to be a bit more regular with my visits as I ease my way slowly into the world of the responsible adult who goes to the dentist and gets regular pedicures. Now that I have a kid, I have no excuse.

But between haircuts, I need my own tools to keep my somewhat crazy locks under control. And I must say that the above pictured comb makes even getting through my mane an enjoyable experience. Handmade out of wood by the Groetsch family (in Germany, of course) since 1898, unfinshed yet as smooth as silk, they make you yearn for the days of fountain pens and handmade clothes. Until you realize that unless you find yourself at Kiosk on Spring Street in SoHo, you will probably need the modern convenience of a computer to go online to order one.

Which I suggest you do, ’cause it’s back to school time and we’ve got to put our best feet forward…

I, for one, am putting my best foot forward by restarting this god damned blog and being a bit more regular about the entries. This summer ended up being very hectic and something had to give.

But no longer! I am back in the game.

So you can all breathe again…