One of the best things about living in New York (besides the food) is the ART. There are so many opportunities to look at art and since I just moved to Brooklyn, I'll be checking out the art scene in Bushwick.On Sunday I went to the Armory show. They filled two of the piers with art. I spent 3 hours there walking around and I thought my head might explode! To be honest, I preferred some of the pieces from last year's Volta show, but it was great to go. So many interesting pieces and overall I was very inspired.A few pieces from the 2010 Volta Show~**2011 Armory Show~**And that's only a sampling of what I saw! One of the things I loved, was the use of glitter and butterflies! hehexo 

As you know, I love flowers. I love their bright colors and the way they just make me smile, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to go to the Botanical Garden.Plants are so amazing to me. I wish more people would stop to look at all of their tiny details. The tender curls and swirls of vines, textures for protection against predators eating them, and beautiful gradients of colors they provide naturally (take that PowerPoint backgrounds!) It all makes me wish I could be a magical butterfly making my way through a forest of these treasures. Instead, I'll daydream, take photos, and perhaps paint and write children's stories of them! Also, I' m not sure how I'd fair living a rainforest, as it's rather warm and outside of my four degrees of comfort (mid-high 70's).Here are a few photos from the gardens, more will be on my flickr page.**the beautiful arches of the orchid show...**Venus Fly Traps are so cool that I bought one for my desk at work!Hope you all had a great weekendxoxo

The latest painting in progress, pardon the blur - these were from my phone in last nights class.Wouldn't it be fun to visit this place?** Happy March!Bring on the Spring!xo

Today was a beautiful day. Lots of sunshine and warm enough for a lighter coat.I had brunch with friends at a Filipino pop up place in the east village. The idea of pop up restaurants is that existing places can try out new cuisines for a limited time. Less risk for the businesses and provides new things to try. Resto Leon is a French restaurant during the week, but is trying out the Filipino brunch on weekends through April 1. And it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I'm usually not that adventurous with food, but since moving to New York it's impossible not to try new things and its one of my favorite things about living in this city.Another are all of the flower stands on every street corner. These were some of the flowers that were by the restaurant today on the corner of 12 street and 1st ave.The Oscars are tonight! There were lots of great films, but hopefully some of my favorites go home with awards!Xoxo

Clouds from this mornings walk to volunteering as seen through my iphone. Wisps and feathery patterns.Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend!xoxo

My friend, Sean, is participating in this fun flickr group photo project and I decided to join. Basically, each week the group picks a theme and people can enter their photos taken within the week that fit the theme. It's a great way to keep your eye looking for new things.This week's: The view from here...Here are some of my different viewpoints from the long weekend.cat sitting...btw, it was definitely NOT warm this weekend as I'd originally hoped. Friday was so deceiving, bringing 60 degree temps but dropping to 30s Saturday and Presidents Day brought a blanket of fresh snow....which the kitties enjoyed...waiting for our friend to arrive...and many angles from a sparkly view!**Hope you all had a splendid weekend! :)xoxo

Live musicBlurry iphone photos taken while swaying to sweet songs*thanks for the tickets frank!*Backstage instruments and sparkly ceilingsGlitter keys making lovely sounds and steel strings sliding for harmony*thanks for letting me take photos*Hipstamatic catsFurry and acrobatic and oh-so-darling!All parts of this week's bliss!****Happy Friday folks!Have a fantastic weekend!xo

Last week was one of those long, rough weeks with way too many thoughts swimming around my head. By the time the weekend came around, I was ready for a break from the city and my brain! Hayden and I ended up taking a little day trip adventure to Connecticut.To be honest, the town we went to wasn't that thrilling. It was full of wires, churches, and had a feel of a cute "historic" strip mall. Still, we parked the car and wandered the streets for a couple of hours. We were amused by curators at a museum and this little store full of Holland treasures where we tried strange licorice and I bought some cute glass figurines. I wished for warmer temperatures and more sunshine and we laughed as we drove up and down the street looking for the road to the beach. I laughed even harder while driving towards the colorful sky, when I thought of how miserable we could have been in a dark, cold park or beach and how we would have missed the breathtaking sky.Needless to say, we got back to the city feeling refreshed and excited for spring....the days are getting longer after all!***sunset photos taken by hayden*Hope you're all having lovely weeks as we get ready to welcome the weekend! It's going to be almost 60 in New York. Enjoy the weather, I know I'll be out!xoxo

...and not the film (although, I did enjoy that!)I saw these cute fishes swimming around when I was picking up some sushi. They were so pretty I had to take photos, but I have to admit I felt kind of weird about it considering our dinner choice.That said, I rarely eat fish sushi, which may seem silly, but I'm trying to maintain a vegetarian diet (without fish) five days a week. It's really the best thing you can do for the environment! And I'm just not a huge fish person. I prefer to just watch them swim.

I used to dread Monday's something fierce.When I was a kid, I hated Sunday nights. It was an awful reminder that Monday was around the corner. Monday meant school and homework and whatever else scared me at that age...the thing is, they don't tell you that they are equally dreadful when you are an adult.If only we had three day weekends:day 1: recuperate from the weekday 2: play!day 3: relax and prepare for the next weeksounds heavenly, doesn't it?Since three day weekends are not in my short term future, I decided to find something to love about Mondays. Actually, it didn't happen like that -- it just so happened that I signed up for a painting class that is on Mondays.And it just so happens that the class has been everything I need.And what a perfect start to the week.It's allowing me to work on some pieces that have been hanging on my wall for over a year...(this is ALMOST done...)Play (literally - sometimes i throw it) with paint...and try something completely new --yes.I was terrified of this class, but it has been so inspiring, I'm creating, and it feels so good!Thank you Julian for pushing me to do it.<3!

Happy Valentine's Day!p.s. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Happy Friday lovelies! Whether or not you have a Valentine this year, I hope you remember that love is all around! Without sounding to "self-helpy" or whatever, it does start with you -- so give yourself a big squish! :)One of my favorite things is sharing love in creative ways (although, I wonder what my office mates think!) I plan on making some squirrels and leaving them around the city this weekend!Have a happy weekend.

i fell asleep at 10:00 last night and woke up to everything covered in ice.here are some photos from my morning commute...dizzying because i almost fell while taking this...

My class started last night! I think it's going to be great -- and now makes me look forward to Mondays - instead of the Sunday night dread (remember that from childhood?) Not to mention I get to work in a HUGE space instead of my shoebox apartment!It's an abstract painting class with a very "loose" syllabus -- he just wants us to paint. Which is perfect -- since I just want to create. Still, there are things that I want to work on including my impulsive reactions to just "add things here and there" without really thinking through it. But I also know that I have several paintings on my walls that I've been staring at for a year. I hope to find a balance!The great thing is is that I can take these pieces in and work on them.My goal - take them in and finish them.Here are some pics from last night - pardon the blur - they are from the phone. I was so nervous at first that my hands were shaking!stepping back to look at the piece. and not just backing away from it, as that's just "making the piece smaller", but turning around and looking at it after you've walked away. And imagining what you'd see if you saw the piece hanging on a wall. dried paint tray art! and here's where i left it - for now...My favorite thing about this class so far, being able to paint and zone out to music.Enjoy!

I keep raving about this movie, but you have to see it - Wasteland. It's so eye opening and makes me want to make everything out of trash - or shoot it all into space. Imagine if we created rings for our planet out of trash or garbage moons? It sounds crazy, but it could be kind of neat!Anyway, since I can't really shoot anything into space, I suppose creative uses for things will have to do.Hayden got some plants this weekend to spruce up the apartment (which I'll be moving into very soon!!!). To avoid a forest on top of the microwave, he wanted to put them on the walls, but didn't want to buy a bunch of shelves.I suggested using a book.The results?Books and floppy disk shelves for plants!to make your own - just drill screws and L-shape shelf pieces into your item.So cute! I may have to submit these to Project re-style!**Another "upcycling" project -- dried flowers for potpourri!!Remember these beautiful flowers? Now they are a little freshener at my desk!In the next couple of weeks I plan on making coasters or bags out of old things with my Art Explorer's kids!Hooray for upcycling and creating!

...It started with my Art Explorers class, where we taught the kids about circles and designs.and continued when we (terribly) played pool...in this neat place in Williamsburg with a fun lamp...and ended with some smiles in the photo booth with my best friendHope you all had a fantastic weekend!xo

To keep myself motivated and painting, I decided to create some mini paintings and turn them into postcards.  It's a good place for me to "sample" some painting ideas I have before jumping into the canvas.My goal is to create one a week and to send them to people.Here are the first couple...If you want a postcard, email me your address and perhaps you'll receive some greetings from New York!xo

yeah. that's right. i got the "hipstamatic" app for my phone and have to admit, it's pretty fun. i figured this will be fun to play with until i get myself a diana or holga camera. right now i just can't decide which one i want! all i know is that i love the dreamy look from film photos.pardon the grain on some of the darker photos!3D glasses...Karaoke in Harlem -- actually, quite fun.new york got another snow dump yesterday, which means another day of trudging through this disgusting "soup" (per Julian) as the snow melts.at least it was pretty this morning...if only i had time to make this snow pile a snow castle like the sign! ;)oil and snow rainbows are actually quite pretty...**i won't lie, these gray days have been getting me down, but i have been trying to beat the winter blues. so far the best medicine has been good conversation, laughing, films, vitamin d, and starting new projects.in fact, this weekend i plan on starting something inspired by the movie, Wasteland, and my silly imagination.and the most exciting thing yet - my painting class starts on Monday. I'm excited and a little nervous, but mostly I just can't wait to create.maybe i'll paint myself a little paradise!have a wonderful weekend!xo

Happy Friday...and..Happy Birthday Jenna!Happy Birthday Andrew and Roy!And to any other January birthdays!I hope you have a colorful...(unless, of course, you hate color) Flowery...(if you like flowers) Day!Happy Birthday friends and happy weekend to all!xoxoxo

i had a thought.i have many. i often think too much.but this thought. is perhaps, an explanationyou see. i am a words person. i often overlook actions. awaiting words.growing up my mom used to shower me with words of affection- tied nicely in strings of threes ~i love you (almost all of the time) i miss you (after a day of school) you are wonderful her ailing body didn't leave much room for actions i could only offer help with IVs of lipids run around hospitalsthe action i remember most is her death.poof.just like that.people die. they leave us. things change. i am equally terrified as i am excited about change... for i know it can bring many wonderful things.but however many years later, i've managed to become so afraid of loss. it's still in my bones. makes me feel. lonely.and sometimes i dismiss the lovely actions people show me now. instead, waiting for words...but actions do speak louder....so maybe this thought. this oh-so-uncomfortable-thought for i hate thinking of death. and that loss. this realization.this... space.will help things make sense.**if only i had the open roads of iowa to drive on to clear my mind.