Rainy Day in NYC - baking banana bread

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/



Banana bread in the oven and a cup of tea brewing. Not venturing out today until later this evening. Pouring with rain and can't even see the Empire State from my window anymore.
So far made, pork casserole, beef chill, butternut soup, thai green chicken and butternut curry, leek and potato soup and the banana bread. Productive day dans le kitchen chez Murray.

Currie & Wollensky

My coolest friend in the world is Murray Currie.  He has branched out and is part owner in Smith & Wollensky now renamed Currie and Wollensky.

Wednesday night saw 8 of his good friends enjoy dinner at his new establishment. Waiters complete with his name tag, the banner outside the restaurant not to mention napkins, matches & steak knives all embellished with the new brand name.

We will be using the boxes of matches & napkins for decades to come...

A fantastic continued celebration for his 40th birthday!

Sleep No More

I went to see Sleep No More on Saturday night and who should be in the audience but the singer Pink. She performed in the Mandalay Bar at the end of the night - see this you tube clip. She was fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZivtWrxqgM


The show is jaw dropping and to find out more about it here is another clip I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR0MPk69Iao

If you get a chance to see this show you should go. Hard to explain, based on Macbeth and a must see.

International Print Center New York

International Print Center New York

International Print Center New York was established in Chelsea in September 2000 as the first non-profit institution devoted solely to the exhibition and understanding of fine art prints. IPCNY nurtures the growth of new audiences for the visual arts while serving the print community through exhibitions, publications, and educational programs. IPCNY celebrates the art of the print by: establishing a permanent venue for the exhibition of artists' prints; creating access to a wide selection of new work through an ongoing series of New Prints shows; organizing and touring major print exhibitions; offering information services and educational programs focused on the art and technique of printmaking.

    Tomorrow afternoon I will visit this gallery and see the wonderful prints they have on exhibition.

Silent Watch: Contemporary Prints from Finland September 15 - October 27, 2011 Silent Watch is the seventh in a series of international shows organized by IPCNY throughout its eleven year history, and is its first presentation of Scandinavian printmaking.  The exhibition includes thirty-five outstanding printed works made in Finland in recent years by nine artists and one artists’ collective.

The Highline, Public Park NYC

 


Today  I will walk the High Line public park in Manhattan. Full of places to sit, beautiful views and open to everyone from 7am to 10pm.

Brooklyn Industries

One of my favorite shops in Brooklyn. Sells quirky T shirts and is made locally, artist owned co-operative. They pride themselves on being socially responsible, eco-friendly clothing and obsessed with quality.


®

• Live, Work, Create.

Gillian Laub Photographic Lecture at FIT

On Thursday I went to this excellent lecture at the Fashion Institute of Technology on 7th Avenue given by the photo journalist Gillian Laub. It was engaging, moving,  I cried through most of her tales in Israel and was astounded at the segregated School Proms held in this decade in Mount Vernon. The lecture was fascinating and so enjoyable and I am glad i made the effort to go.  Her new book looks fabulous and I will definitely buy it:

Beautiful Restaurant for the Shop Front Album

Harvest window for local eatery in Cobble Hill.

Old Shop Fronts New York

Am compiling my own album of old shop fronts in NY. There is a new book out called Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York that i am fascinated with. Will buy it but in the meantime I will make my own on my travels through this fabulous city.

The Greenwich Letterpress

Muz and I cycled over to Greenwich to check out this fab store called The Greenwich Letterpress. We were searching for these nifty business cards for him that state snappy sayings such as:

No Mercy

Tell Someone Who Cares

Please Be Quiet.

Muz at the Farmer's Market

Fort Greene fantastic Farmer's Market every Saturday for fresh produce, low food miles. Big into Slow Food and seasonal food here.

The Manhattan Skyline

Yesterday we cycled from Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge and into Chinatown, up thro Bowery and into the West Village. Visited the most amazing Tea House called Harney and Sons a Tea Emporium. Tried various delicious black teas and bought Ginger and Licorice, Earl Grey Superior, Eight at the Fort and Ginger's Oolong. This shop is as good as Fortnum & Mason for tea and that's saying something.

Harney & Sons SoHo 433 Broome Street New York, NY 10013

The Creator's Project - United Visual Artists

Last weekend in Brooklyn saw the Creator's Project. UVA who have worked with us at Aldeburgh Music for Tedx and Faster than Sound installed a 30 foot light installation in an old shell building underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. It is stunning at night with the colored lights shooting around the construction and wacky musical sounds emanating from. People walk right underneath it.  

More Card Designs & Ideas from the Workshop

String of Mittens Rubber Stamp $9.95

Do something creative every day

On Sunday i went to a fabulous holiday card making workshop with 4 other ladies. We learnt how to make gorgeous Christmas cards and tags and line our own envelopes. I was in my element!

Paper Source is a wonderful shop full of colorful paper and craft making ideas.


Have spent a small fortune and will go back before i leave to make sure i haven't missed anything.
We made cute mitten Christmas cards, learnt how to emboss, used buttons and twine to add embellishments and stencil cut. We were all on the same wavelength and didn't want the class to end. Wish I were here for here for the next one....

Their motto is Do Something Creative Every Day - and I am going to try to adopt this when home.

This great new class called Wrapture - learning how to wrap presents beautifully.

More graffiti

Yarn Bombing NYC

Found this fantastic knitting shop who had yarn bombed their outside bench. Am on the hunt for more yarn bombers around the city.

More fabulous doorsteps in Brooklyn

Hallowe'en Decorations are everywhere!

The neighborhood has gone to town on decorating the Brownstones and gardens for Hallowe'en. Its fascinating to see how much they do in preparation for Monday 31 October. From the tasteful gourds/pumpkins lining the steps with potted flowers to the kitsch ghouls hanging from trees and fake spider's webs and ectoplasm. Love looking at each street and seeing who out does the other. 

Graffiti Art in Brooklyn

Walked my socks off round Gowanus, Red Hook and Cobble Hill on Friday and discovered all sorts of fascinating graffiti by young kids from the local school and seasoned graffiti artists.

Took pictures to remind me how creative they look.