Shake a Spear in the Park

Bridget, who is near and dear to me as we've been pals since I was erroneously calling her Brittany way back in the 7th grade, hosted her second annual Shakespeare Picnic in Central Park, and it was a resounding success! Festivities included eating, drinking, reading and performing the good man's work, and wearing white (which I failed at, as it turns out I don't own white clothes). There were also two rounds of "Who's On Your Face?" which Bridget might not have been so happy about if she knew she had the Biebs hanging out on her forehead.Bri and her roommate and co-host, Brooke, amped us all up through really well written and witty emails in ..kinda-Shakespeare-english.
Below-a sampling!

Dear fair maids and squires of the greater New York metro area,

But one annum has not yet passed since our last foray into the great art of picnic, and yet the summer wanes, bringing us, yet again, to our favorite time of year. We invite you most heartily to join us from noon until dusk in Central Park to continue our grand tradition with the Second Annual Shakespeare Picnic in the Park.*

For those of you new to what can only be described as the literary event of the season, some history is in order. It all started with the opening scene of Much Ado About Nothing. As we watched the white-clad Messinians lounging on a hillside, drinking wine, painting, and reading poetry, we asked ourselves "Doesn't that sound like fun?" And answered with a resounding "Aye!"

Bernard enjoying the festivities and chillaxing. It was really just one of those great days.This year Barbara and I were asked to redo our rendition of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. Her "english" accent always sounds like she's dying and I always laugh. We're not too good at acting. Kelly and Brooke (above) are much better.

Museum Mile

Every year the Museum Mile happens, and every year I miss it. I have always had something or another going on and can't meet up for the live music, the street performers, the open museums and Fifth Ave, clear of cars and full of chalk drawings. Every year until now.
I met up with these three fabulous ladies to czech it out, but apparently this was the worst Museum Mile ever! Having nothing to compare it to I just loved on it. We only made it into one museum, the Cooper Hewitt, which was SO crowded that it just wasn't worth it, even if the exhibit looked interesting. What I really enjoyed was the outside-ing.
This band is from the Czech Republic! They played really cheesy, yet traditional (I'm assuming) music. I liked it in a funny way.
And some teens, doing it! Play it!
There was this really cute girl making really adorable art on the sidewalk also.
And the school for kids who want to play music did a little demonstration. These kiddies did much better than I can do, so its safe to say I was impressed!
Or- Its safe to say I can't play a string instrument!
Culture!

Penthousing

Now don't get jealous. I just happened to be able to hang out, in a penthouse, in the Plaza, for work. For a couple of days. Its not like there was a party with a cool jazz band, lots of champagne and some of my favorite people there.
Who am I kidding? This was definitely a super perk of the job! And a great way to start off ICFF week, with a posh party. It left a good taste in my mouth for the next coming days.
This being my third New York Design Week, I can now don my "old hat" and not be as excited about a week of nonstop partying. Except when PARTIES AT THE PLAZA PENTHOUSE ARE INVOLVED.
I'm sorry, was that not classy enough for my surrounding digs? I do apologize. Indeed.Here we are, our company, hanging out on the terrace (which I kept calling a Terrance) overlooking a view most people never get to see. I took a small moment to remember how lucky I was to be were I was, and then I took some more photos to make you just a little bit more envious of our super plush and luxe lifestyles.


Judy and I's favorite activity, especially during ICFF, is to take goofy photos, its our way or engaging with the space. We shared this tradition with our lovely intern and new best friend, Carolyn.
Yes, there was a yoga room.

Judy, workin' hard, or hardly workin'?

More ICFF coverage to come, perhaps less silly in tone, though no promises.

Five Boro Bike Tour

Woooo! I just registered for the 5-boro-bike-tour! I'm totally amped and a wee bit scared. 42 miles! On a bike! I'm so going to suffer biker's butt.
So who's with me? Training in Central Park? Who wants to ride down FDR with me and no cars? Who wants to ride a mile uphill on the Verrazano Bridge? Who wants to touch all FIVE BOROUGHS in ONE DAY!?
Register here.

Jeanne Claude

February 2005, then a sophomore in college, living in Chicago, I had decided to purchase a plane ticket back to New York to witness the unveiling of The Gates, the newest work from Christo and Jeanne Claude. It was the only time in the entire history of me going to school that I came home for a reason other than winter break, but I figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

This inspirational and ethically bound artistic duo could do no wrong in my eyes. I was always flabbergasted, awe struck by their previous endeavors. Their massive scale installations always appealed to me on a primitive and purely aesthetic level, which as I delved into researching them, I found that's really all that they were striving to archive anyway.

I also found that they never sell their work, they recycle it when each project is done. It is for no one to own, just to experience. And they accept no money from the cities in which the pieces exist in. The pieces are all financed from the sale of their preliminary sketches (which I had the privilege to see at Art Chicago) independent from anyone else's money. They chose never to accept outside funding, because it may alter thier work if they have to appease other finacers. I know that The Gates took over 20 years to be realized, talks with the city, logositcs and fund raising, yet they never gave up.
So one very cold morning in Feburary I grabbed the 6 and took it into Manhattan, to the very North part of Central Park, and witnessed the unvieling of the Gates. The staff used long poles with hooks on the end to pull the curtians of safron colored fabric out of the shells, to hang draped between two poles along many of the paths in Central Park. Bystanders like myself were handed small squares of the fabric, samples which we could keep and touch, put in scrap books or throw away.
It hurts my heart to say that last night one half of this amazing duo passed away. Jeanne Claude has died at 74 due to a brain annuerism. I have been truly touched by the work her and her husband did, and the way in which they did it. Always an inspiration, forever in my heart, bonne travaile Jeanne Claude!

Sunning, Lazing, Sheep's Meadow

This weekend- basically out of nowhere- was the nicest weather in NYC in a hot minute (get it?!). Jordan, my number one lover, invited me to the park to just lay in the sun and do not-a-thing for the whole day. Of course I was diggity down.

High lights included
-meeting all the wonderful people like Will, Courtney, Maria, Maytal and Michael. And seeing Marina again, sober.
-the littlest smallest tiniest puniest dog ever, WITH A MOHAWK.
-watching Capoeria
-an ocean of hot (gay) men with no shirts on
-listening to Mariah Carey's best jams (Honey, Fantasy, Always Be My Baby)
-the Sun!
-Kyle saying "Look at this. I'm going to put this in my mouth." in regards to a massive sandwich.


Oh man, the tiniest doggel ever.


Maytal trying out the Capoeira


the Group of loverlies


Kyle- a good man.

I don't know what I was doing- lets just assume it was squishing your head.

SUPER MODEL!

Free Hugs, a necessity even over a fence.

I wore SO MUCH sunscreen.