Archive for October, 2007

a weird week

i have to tell you that i feel bad and need to apologize to you. i do not know why i had such a hard time this past week with my writing. i had an odd mental block, and barely eked out a post a day last week. my goal is to do 3-4 per day, so that didn’t quite work out. it was some kind of weird plateau, or maybe just life stuff that occupied too much space in my head. have you ever had one of those weeks? or maybe you didn’t even notice and i should not bring it up…

today though, i am tanned, rested and ready (okay maybe not the first two things) to show you more interesting art, home and style gems! let the fun begin!

jacques torres chocolates

if jacques torres tells us to eat more chocolate, maybe we should! this award winning french master baker has had sweeping influenceÂ in his craft around the world, and continues to be a dynamic force in the industry, especially in his current role as the dean of pastry studies at the french culinary instituteÂ in new york. jacquesÂ has a scrumptious line of chocolates that are terrific for giving or keeping. yesterday when i was at bittersweet i came across them and had to share (and will if you come to visit!).

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look how beautifully rich and stylish this packaging is, from the satin ribbon to the font choice. accessible flavors like white chocolate key lime, espresso and chai tea, in addition to the superior traditional truffle, set the standard and tone for quite a delicious and memorableÂ experience. and do i need to tell you that these little pieces of joy feel like silk on the tongue?

assorted boxes of chocolate start at $18 and can be purchased at his websiteÂ or atÂ his shops (66 water street in dumbo or 350 hudson at king in manhattan). enjoy!

niki in the garden part three

okay, one last look at niki in the garden at the garfield park conservatory in chicago through october 31st. these vivid fiberglass and ceramic tile sculptures by french artist niki de saint phalle are exuberant, playful and absolutely interactive – see for yourself (some local schoolchildren helped me out with this important photo shoot – thanks guys)!

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niki_de_saint_phalle_nikigator

niki_de_saint_phalle_grande_oiseau_de_feu_sur_lâ€™arche

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niki in the garden part two

french artist niki de saint phalle was born in france in 1930. after becoming a fashion model, marrying harry mathews and having two children, niki had a nervous breakdown and spent time as an inpatient in a hospital in nice. it was at this time of crisis that she decided to become an artist. she was heavily influenced by the work of architect antonio gaudi, and spent copious amounts of time throughout her career collaborating with sculptor jean tinguely, the man who would become her second husband. she passed away in 2002, but her amazing artistic legacy lives on in the tarot garden in garaviccio, the niki museum in nasu and exhibitions like this one, currently at the garfield park conservatory through october 31st.

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niki_de_saint_phalle_grande_step_totem

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niki_de_saint_phalle_23_basketball_player_detail niki_de_saint_phalle_19_baseball_player_detail

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niki in the garden – part one

i went to see niki in the garden, the fabulous exhibition of large scale fiberglass, stone and ceramic sculptures by french artist niki de saint phalle, a few days ago and took so many photos that i will have to present this in a few parts. this is a special exhibition that is currently at the garfield park conservatory in chicago until october 31st. you will not believe the kaliedoscope of color, enormous sizes and sheer joy that exudes from each and every one of these pieces. i truly hope the photos do them justice!

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niki_de_saint_phalle_3 niki_de_saint_phalle_4

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more to come…

jill malek wallpaper

look at these gorgeous wallpapers from brooklyn graphic designer jill malek. this collection is called frequencies and was inspired by the fluctuating patterns and cyclical events found in nature.

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