It’s not just paper

art

It’s paper from Pingo van der Brinkloev on Vimeo.

I was wandering around on the web last night instead of going to bed (which would have been the responsible thing to do) when I found this incredible video of a whole bunch of crazy origami-like paper superhighway-feeling transportation hubs by Danish animator Pingo van der Brinkloev. Evidently, the entire thing was created on a computer, which is so beyond my comprehension that even when I read more about the technical details, I still couldn’t wrap my brain around the whole thing.

So I’ve decided to just keep on believing that there is some mad genius out there folding lots of little pieces of paper into trucks and airplanes and then sprinkling magic fairy dust over them to make them move.

Because sometimes it’s nice, especially as an adult, just to let yourself drift off into the land of make believe.

Going native

kids - style
natives for kids

The ultimate summer playground-to-beach shoe. (They come in adult sizes too!)

And then, suddenly, spring was upon us and we looked through our children’s pile of shoes and realized that last year’s water shoes are no longer serviceable. And flip flops, whist cute, are a recipe for disaster when it comes to climbing rocks and jungle gyms and fences.

These are the things one learns as one stumbles through the epic adventure called parenting.

“Fear not!” we say to ourselves reassuringly. “For this is the year that we finally upgrade to Native for this purpose. Sure they are made of plastic,” we muse. “But lo, these kicks actually have some support, are flexible, and should last all summer long. As opposed to some other brands-who-shall-remain-nameless that had to be replaced mid-summer.”

Here’s to many sprints through the sprinklers and hours on the shore.

Yesterday, at some point…

photography

nyc taxi

Here I am, in a taxi, on my way to my 30th high school reunion. I went to Spence, an all girls school on the upper east side of Manhattan, from grades 1 – 9. Didn’t graduate from there, sure, but I figure my decade plus gave me enough cred to join the party.

Which was lovely, if a bit weird, as I hadn’t seen some of my former classmates since we were teenagers.

We all seemed to have weathered the storms of our lives pretty well, which was inspirational as it can be tempting to feel like I am the only one of this particular crew who has had some rough patches. Nothing like a little wine, food and old friends to give a person a dose of perspective.

I’m looking forward to the next one, for sure…

A remedy for what ails you

food
remedy quarterly

Issue #11 of Remedy Quarterly is on select newsstands now.

I admit to having a soft spot for small magazines… especially ones that are related to food in some way or another. I love (and subscribe to) Kinfolk and Lucky Peach, I pick up and devour local editions of Edible wherever I see them piled up. There is really something comforting and profoundly enjoyable about reading about and learning from all of these great food writers, photographers, chefs, restaurant owners, grandmothers… the people who are motivated enough by their love of food to want to share the bounty with others. Plus I still find myself partial to looking at pages rather than screens.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I happened upon Remedy Quarterly, a small book-like magazine that bills itself as a collection of “stories of food [and] recipes for feeling good.” I bought it immediately, of course.

It’s been around for a few years, and the theme of the current issue (#11) is GROW. But you get all kinds of approaches to that concept. Sure we have the how to grow a gigantic pumpkin story, but there is also a piece on how San Fransisco’s Mission Pie grows it’s community, how one women grew an impressive collection of vintage American cookbooks, how a pregnant mama worried that her citrus cravings would result in her growing an orange baby. All compelling, and many with delicious recipes to try out as well.

There is also a lovely website and blog (it is 2014 after all) both of which I see myself returning to with some frequency.

The magazine is available at a few bookstores and foodie spots (like Marlow & Sons and Depanneur in Brooklyn) but a subscription guarantees you don’t miss out. Oh and they have a mother’s day special going on right now, so get on it!

Monday, Monday, or more links to potential Mother’s Day gifts

links - shopping

This isn’t strictly a gift guide, but I couldn’t help but notice that Mother’s Day is around the corner. 6 days away, to be exact. SO rather than share a bunch of links to various sites of interest, I decided that today’s links should all go toward potential gifts for your mom.

(If your mother were me, by the way, any of these things would be a home run in the gift department)

watering_can

If your mom is into gardening, upgrade her watering can with this blue watering can from gretel home.

red flower spice set

For mothers who love spices, Red Flower has put together a little kit of products sure to bring a bit of the exotic into your everyday via your sense of smell. And it’s on sale right now…

chocotape-3_1024x1024

This beautiful wooden tape dispenser is so much nicer to look at than the plastic ones. Plus you can get her refils of all the cool tape for next year!

susan cianciolo cookbook

If your mom is kind of a hippie and loves to cook, the susan cianciolo cookbook is just the thing in all of it’s free spirited glory.

platner earrings

Giving jewelry is a classic gift that never fails and earrings from Jill Platner are as good as it gets.

loren tote bag

If your mom is my mother, she can never have enough tote bags. So you should consider getting her this denim one from Loren.

slow cooker

They say having a slow cooker will change your life. And what mother doesn’t want her life changed a little bit, right? Especially when the item in question is so nicely designed…

biorb fish tank

Now if your mom is me, and she has her daughter’s fish in a drab little aquarium that makes her sad every time she looks at it but it was the least offensive thing at PetCo and only cost $25, you should definitely buy her this waaaay cooler fish tank by BiOrb.

And the winner is…

people - style
Evelyn Cunningham

Evelyn Cunningham, civil rights reporter, special advisor to Nelson Rockefeller, women’s rights advocate and incredible dresser.

So I recently set out in search of my own personal style icon. Mostly, I just find myself inspired by my friends, but I knew there much be some more public figures out there for me to look up to, even at my ripe old age.

And then I found her. Or rather, I re-found her. I’ve been an admirer for years without ever knowing much beyond the photos in the Style section of the New York Times. My search is over.

In terms of personal style, Evelyn Cunningham is the woman that I most want to be when I grow up. She covered hard news about civil rights in the 60′s for the Pittsburgh Currier, a nationally distributed African American paper, she was a special adviser to Governor and then VP Nelson Rockefeller, she fought for women’s rights her entire life, and she looked incredible the entire time.

What I most love about her is that while she was out there in the world, fighting the good fight and clearly making a difference by helping to make the world a better place for so many people, she still had the energy and the sense of fun to dress with true flair. In a sea of black tuxedos, she rocked a hot pink floor length gown like nobody’s business.

The ability to see and understand all of the complexities and difficulties in the political and social universe, while also being able to acknowledge some of the beauty and fun that can be found through dressing up is the mark of a truly well rounded individual. We can all be forces for good whilst wearing bold prints and big earrings, damn it.

Shortly after Evelyn Cunningham died, in 2010, the iconic photographer Bill Cunningham made a little video tribute which is lovely to watch. A little inspiration for a spring weekend.

Bird at 15

shopping - style
mayle and Cornejo for Bird

Two pieces, designed by Jane Mayle and Maria Cornejo from the Bird 15th anniversary capsule collection.

Ok first of all, hats off to Jennifer Mankins for opening a little boutique in Brooklyn called Bird and sticking it out for 15 years. And she didn’t just stick it out, she thrived. She has built (with some help from her family and friends) a tiny but powerful empire of three stores, each one a jewel filled with colorful and life enhancing treats in the form of clothes, accessories and a bunch of other stuff like wallets and stationary and art by her friends.

It is a joy to visit, though very difficult to leave empty handed.

But, and here’s the kicker, she also had the foresight to cajole four of her favorite designers into creating special pieces just to celebrate her being around for so long. So there is now a special Bird 15th anniversary capsule collection with pieces by Maria Cornejo, Jane Mayle, Rachel Comey and Tsumori Chisato. The clothes are all amazing, which sucks for me because I want them all, which is totally unrealistic.

I also find this whole situation particularly exciting because not only have I admired Jane Mayle and Maria Cornejo’s work for, like, ever… but I have been lucky enough to count them amongst my friends for a good little while as well. I was heartbroken when the Mayle store shut down (and forced to drown my sorrows at the Zero Maria Cornejo sample sale) But now everybody is back, and right in my neighborhood in special limited edition glory. Beautiful colors and patterns and fabrics that are perfect for what looks to be the better-late-than-never arrival of spring we are experiencing today.

I suggest you all drop everything and go check out the goods if you are anywhere near a Bird store. Or, as it’s 2014 and who goes to brick and mortar stores anyway, you can always take a look online.

I myself am planning on doing both.

What spring?

kids
The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring, by Lucille Clifton with lyrical drawings by Brinton Turkle

The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring, by Lucille Clifton with lyrical drawings by Brinton Turkle is perfect for both the season and the kid who is an emergent reader.

Today it’s in the 40′s and raining. I have my winter coat and scarf on. I really really was hoping never to have to see them again. But it is clearly not yet time to pack up the cold weather gear.

So I’m suddenly feeling a bit more sympathetic towards King Shabazz, the main character in Lucille Clifton’s book The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring. Because right about now, I’m having a bit of trouble believing in it myself.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/945690.The_Boy_Who_Didn_t_Believe_in_Spring

It’s a beautiful world where flowers come floating out of the abandoned cars that rest precariously atop junk piles…

But maybe if I moved into that perfectly drawn 1970′s universe and had white glasses and a best friend named Tony Espolito, and maybe if I scrambled around in an empty lot and came upon some yellow flowers busting through the rubble… Then maybe, just maybe, I might begin to believe that warmer days were on the horizon.

I’d better go out and look right now!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/945690.The_Boy_Who_Didn_t_Believe_in_Spring

These people (on the back cover) look like they need to see some little yellow flowers, too…