New Years Ever

Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven.. no WAIT! All night false alarms rang out as fools started the countdown early, at least twice an hour, even after actual New Years happened. My favorite fools. The fools of the century.
Despite the rain, and two of my favorite friends being out and about with dudes they like, this new years was one of the best ever, really.
New Years, generally a high pressure night, is almost always over rated unless, of course, you're partying with me. Then you know your night will turn out swimmingly. The key is not too many people, and never thinking about taking a subway or cab. Oh- and champagne and good jamz don't hurt either.
Three of my most favorite Chicago buddies came out to count down with me, and one of their lil sisters. Plus two New Jersey folk (I know, I know...), my brother and his pal, TOM! spent the night. Throw in my roommate and her boyfriend and New Years brought a record 11 people crashing that night in the Color Me Cannon APT!
Usually for the count down we head over to Grand Army Plaza and watch the fire works and drunk park slope moms get their game on, but due to the inclement weather, my apartment worked just fine.How did you ring in the New Year? Did you have a blast or was it a bust?
And most importantly, what did you wear?

AH! Real Monsters!

When I was in Chicago Kirsten and Becky brought me to an under-the-radar gallery show. The artists had, ahem, helped themselves to the "FREE JOB LISTINGS" and "HOMES AND CARS" mailboxes that litter the city streets. While in the artists' studios, the mailboxes were able to express themselves in their truest form, as MONSTERS!

This was by one of my most favorite lady killers ever, 18andCounting.

TEWS set up the show, and dressed to match his mailbox monster.
Peter also came, and met up with his friend Peter. We were curious how this Dane knew the craziest person in all of Chicago...but didn't dwell on it for too long. For the record, crazy Peter had a bike with a fridge on the back.
KA-CAW!

Animal Print Day

Just for giggles, and because Halloween is mostly the best holiday, and who doesn't love dressing up with their best friend (?)- Kirsten and I declared the day before Halloween to be dress up Animal Print stylin'. Which thusly got us 5 dollars off at the Buffalo Exchange because we were "in costume" and led to getting a bit drunk at the Skylark.
I think we can declare that day a success!

Oldies but Goodies

Chicago has these wonderful parts that are still decaying in this really fantastic way. Unlike major cosmopolitan areas of NYC which are almost all kinda glossy and plastic, or the opposite, deep in neighborhoods in the boros where there is no, what I like to call fabulous economy, is alot of decay and old school feeling, Chicago has done a decent job of blending, although making me nervous with all the independently owned coffee shops turning into banks... and don't get me started on the Loop-uh, I mean shopping mall.
These signs are just from Milwuake between Damen and Division. I'm kinda in love with them, and I'm sorry to see it rapidly turned over for shiny. There is something to be said for a worn history in a city. There is an archaic beauty in it.

Chola

Hopefully y'all remember when I was all excited about my genius Halloween costume? Finally photos to show off the genius. Fake nailz, mad lip liner, penciled on brows- and not pictured were black low top cons.
Hellz to the yeah, papi.

Thrifting in Chicago

I finally received in the mail the memory card I had left in Chicago, so now I can overshare with all y'all. Like this time time Kirsten and I went thrifting. We stopped in a furniture store because I just can't help myself. So what if I can't take it home?
Aren't the walls crazy awesome? I mean, yes, the colors are kinda barf-y, but the idea is super sweet. I could see this done with tone on tone, or pink on red...that might be a bit much.... whatever I'd probably love it.
And then I was really jealous of anyone who could buy this chair in Chicago. Its like an Eames lounger, but cooler because it isn't. Its a one of a kind and unique and I like that.
Look at all these adorable totzkes you can get for your place, if you live in Chicago. I have to say New York City thrift stores are really picked over. These sorts of things are not common place.

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!

Chicago Industry

Finally I brought my camera into the office- so I can tell a tale or two about Chicago. Riding my bike from Pilsen to the West Loop brought me to this industrially beautiful place. Right here, this is something you can't always find in New York, though near the Gowanas Canal it gets pretty close. I can't get over the expanses of space all over the city, the industry that is another world. It existed the entire time I was in Chicago, and I never interacted with it more than an observer and a voyeur. Yet I must have known there is a whole community whose world revolves around the industry. A whole hidden history, a hidden world.
Once, while still in college, I took my video camera out to Bridgeport, Back-of-the-Yards Chicago to record the industry, the empty. I never did anything with the footage, but its proof the space always intrigued me.

Chicago makes me happy

I just got back from Chicago, after being away for three days from the office I'm swimming in lots of work. And tomorrow sounds like a whole day away from the office running around on a special top secret mission. Look out for me in the city... and maybe Queens. These posts will be short.
My camera is at home, sleeping after being exhausted during its trip. And also, maybe I forgot it. So short, and photoless.

Highlights of my trip:
-Halloween, duh
-Meeting Kirsten and Becky's new roommate, Bill, a championship swimmer who wakes up at 3AM every weekday to go swimming, still wears his retainer 7 years later, and Barbie is the name of his girlfriend. This dude was totes amazing.
-Riding bikes with three other ladies in costume through the Chicago streets on Halloween night, hooting and hollering, and being hooted and hollered at.
-Spooning Becky and Kirsten
-Two dollar PBR's at the Skylark
-Tews and Sean Web djing so good
-Sleepwalking for the first time ever
-Eating Caprese Eggs Benedict at Orange, TACO BURRITO KING, homemade potato chips at Jerrys', and a veggie burger plus caramel milkshake at Earwax
-Thrift shopping, in an all leopard print outfit with Kirsten in an all zerba print jumpsuit. Animal Print Day.
-Seeing some amazing people, loving them, having long lifetalks
-Chicago Bike Messengers make great eye candy
-Getting drinks with my favorite Chicago EIC, at the ballerest cafe in Chicago, and exploring Southport
-Riding the El and the buses in general
-Running around the O'Hare terminal like a crazy person with no shoes on and hands full of tenthousandthings flailing about, "Hi can I skip you my flight is in just minutes! Okay? OKAY! thank you sooooo much!"- just making my flight by a hair.

Chicago is amazing, and this trip was fabulous. So much more to come.

Your wonderful brain

Hello all- I'm off to Chicago, because I love it. I'm going to be a Cholo in Pilsen. Suck on that.
Here it is, your wonderful brain.


TRU LUV FOREVER!

Outta townahs!

I love love love having friends come to visit. I've said it before and I'll say it again- I could be a tour guide for the unorthodox visit. This city's cup over floweth with good things to eat, fun things to do, and interesting people to spend time with. What more could you want!?
So when Emily and Evan came to make a NY visit- I was very excited to show them my home 'hood, the BK! Emily is totes in love with the city, but Evan is on the fence, so my job was to help him fall head over heels with the place.
Since our time together was short, we did a small tour of the park and then over to a very cool 7th ave bar that I never stop inside but have always wanted too. Of course, dear readers, I already don't know the name.
They got a taste of my apt, Prospect Heights, the Park, Park Slope, and the long wait for the F train. We were waiting so long, and since they were en route to meet a friend, they called using-get this- the phone in the subway station! A NY First! Even I've never done that!
This weekend our mutual friend is coming to the city. This kid loves adventure. Not necessarily "posh bars New York nightlife adventure," more like "climbing mountains in Montreal in inappropriate footwear adventure!" I'm going to take him bike riding and to Governor's Island for sure. I can't wait!
TONIGHT- Fashion Week's last night... can I make it? We shall seeee...

A room full of TVs makes life good

I just had to bring Kirsten to the hall way of televisions at Webster Hall. Webster Hall is not usually my favorite hang out place, but this bizzare-o hallway definitely is. Especially when we get strangers to take photos with us.
Like this guy, way enthusastic!
And here is the Isreali who picked me up, I didn't know that was happening. Kirsten was happy about it though.
These guys!
Hey! Its lets wear only clothes from Nora's closet-night!
A direct Kirsten quote "I've never wore a side bun before!"


The night was "fun." But this actually was. We managed to turn New Jersey and Long Island's favorite Friday night hangout to a place us New Yorkers (and a Chicagoan) actually wanted to be. Well long enough for a photoshoot anyway.