predictable final four: all four #1's made it to the semis of the big dance. even though i have kansas taking it all, i would have liked to see the cinderella, davidson go further. oh well, go jayhawks! star sighting of the weekend: dame helen mirren and hubby director taylor hackford. i literally had a freak out. she is the first dame i've seen up close afterall. i had to check myself in the midst of my sighting. i was with a group of pals and i tried to get their attention to get a glimpse of her. she and hubby were crossing astor place on st. mark's holding hands. stopped to check out chickpea on 3rd avenue. my bff had the great idea to keep a tally of celebs i've seen since i've moved, so here goes in chronological order as good as memory serves: 1.) lucy liu (there was april from ANTM, but i'm not counting her since she is a reality celeb) 2.) claire danes 3.) jon stewart 4.) michael cera 5.) peter dinklage 6.) paul rudd 7.) brooke sheilds 8.) helen mirren
forum for the artsy fartsy:adaa's collector's forum - "is the killer art market killing art?" how better to start your saturday morning than a discussion of art commodification. yeah, when i got into moma's titus one auditorium, i thought this was going to be way over my art 101 head but it was eye opening and refreshing to hear the thoughts and opinions of gallerists, curators and critics. lots of good points were brought up by a stellar panel including: Paul Schimmel,Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Gavin Brown,Gallerist, Gavin Brown's enterprise;Connie Butler, Chief Curator of Drawings, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Roberta Smith, Art Critic, The New York Times; Amanda Sharp, Co-Director, Frieze Art Fair;and Gordon VeneKlasen, Gallerist, Michael Werner.
points i took away in no particular order: - collect art that's cheap and no one likes (roberta) - lots of artists making art that shouldn't be made (roberta - this raised an ovation) - is the quality of experience affected by popularity? (ie. the change in viewing art. art hung higher because of the crowds around a piece) - popular exhibits draw in first time visitors, but do they come back and view the permanent collection again, letting it become the fabric of their lives. (connie)
must exhibit to add color to your day: color chart at moma. after being disappointed by thedesign and the elastic mind exhibit, the color chart exhibit was exactly what i need to brighten my spirits. it's playful and simple. i especially loved the huge color swatches and of course the dan flavin piece to the right.
only in new york moment: saw some girl in union square with a "free hugs" sign while leaving tj's and i had to get me one. plus like 50 people passed her without a single hug. that's just sad. i hope my hug started a string of hugs for her. p.s. mel she was wearing your orange coat.
jac, gloria and i had lunch at lumas to view the sexy sexy prints. there were quite a few intriguing pieces, notably michel comte's nude of model/french chauntese carli bruni, watery underwater studies of howard schatz, and the blurred photographs by jens nagels. the later were very reminiscent of in the mood for love in that its images evoked the smoky and slow pace nature of the drunkenness that comes with unrequited love. the exhibit just opened last night and goes until june 10, so check it out.
best video to get you into the sexy sexy mood: black kids' "i'm going to teach your boyfriend how to dance with you"
isn't it fun? i hope to see them soon in may. they are playing studio b and bowery. it shall be the dance party of the spring. i'm afraid the hipsters are going to backlash against them soon, so i hope to see them before the crazy hating engulfs the blog sphere.
must battle to be won: being green in new york. i know new yorkers hate when sf kids talk about how we got our priorities straight but recycling and the like are difficult here. when i first got here i really wanted to recycle my bottles and cans, but you need to get these clear trash bags. i finally got those. what happened to bins? bins are good and they are all sorted and lovely.
then, there are plastic bags. they are a pet peeve of mine. they just multiply and multiply. i have my own hemp grocery tote that i got from my old work, so say no to bags on my trips to fairway and tj's. i also say no to plastic bags or any bag in general, but then i get the look. you know like that the what eff look. i try to smooth the bag rejection by saying i'm saving the earth, but i get the smirk. a girl can't win can she.
reason to revolt: the end of polaroid film. my pal andy clued me in this sad, sad news last month. this is a polaroid portrait of my dear friend. quite fitting for the occasion, no?
i blame the digital revolution for the demise of my pal polaroid. apparently, the ol' school cameras just can't keep up with those fancy screens and the new instant pixelly photography of it all. i don't have a digital camera. i've always loved the tangible quality of photos. the excitement of going to a photo shop to pick up newly developed pictures. polaroids were even more fun because they were instant. shake it...ahhhhhhh...shake it like a polaroid picture. alas, they will be discontinuing the film by the end of year, but do not give up hope here is a site dedicated to saving polaroid. this kinda reminds me of when i was 7 and thought i could not enjoy the fun of instant picture tangibility. my dad had this kodak instant camera, but they lost the patent war. we still have the kodak instant camera, but no film. dad got a polaroid camera and i was appeased. over 20 years later, i must deal with that same feeling of loss. i think i'll go buy some polaroid film now.
best easter trip: rockaways! mel had the brilliant idea to head out to far rockaway to get some good ol' beach time. here's a little photo essay of the trip.
yup, it's freezing, but i can't help but dip my toes.
i took this one of mel on the jetty. she was afraid to get to the edge.
here is a number i found. guess corrine never got called. :(
best rockaways soundtrack: bon iver. his falsetto seems to go perfect with the crashing waves. check out this video from sxsw.
star sighting of the weekend: dame helen mirren and hubby director taylor hackford. i literally had a freak out. she is the first dame i've seen up close afterall. i had to check myself in the midst of my sighting. i was with a group of pals and i tried to get their attention to get a glimpse of her. she and hubby were crossing astor place on st. mark's holding hands. stopped to check out chickpea on 3rd avenue. 
my bff had the great idea to keep a tally of celebs i've seen since i've moved, so here goes in chronological order as good as memory serves:
