I returned to NYC in April to celebrate my 50th birthday. I stayed at another hostel and saw more plays and movies and took a tour of SoHo chocolatiers.
On the way to NY, I stopped in Washington, DC. My first trip.
The purpose of my trip to NYC in December 2007 was to reality check a career change.
I flew from Austin to JFK via Jet Blue (highly recommend) and stayed for $35/night at the Big Apple Hostel in Times Square (noisy but convenient). The hostel offers female only rooms, and I shared a room with women from France, Japan, and Sweden--none of us spent much time in the room.
I was exploring what it would be like to go to culinary school. The week-long masters course in chocolate Is one of several offered by The New School. My experience with Chef Bruce Beck and several native New Yorkers was wonderful. These are photos of the cakes and molded chocolates that we produced on the last two days alone.
I was looking forward to seeing the Broadway debuts of Claire Danes in Pygmalion and Jennifer Garner in Cyrano de Bergerac. I found that what I like about Claire Danes, her subtle style, was lost on stage and in the emoting character of Eliza Doolittle. Jennifer Garner was charming in her supporting role as Rosalind to Kevin Kline's Cyrano.
But the play I liked best was off-Broadway at the Acorn Theater: Ethan Hawke's directorial debut of Things We Want with Paul Dano, Josh Hamilton, Zoe Kazan, and Peter Drinklage. The intimacy of the venue contributed to this story about three brothers coming together after the death of their parents.
In the end, I decided not to pursue a career as a pastry chef. My hands were not happy with the time spent gripping a whip or spoon and stirring. Ouch!
If a picture's worth a thousand words, what is a video worth? Here's video recently featured on Threadbangers about the vibrant craft community in my adopted city. The Sublime Stitching clip shows the storefront of Pink, my So-Co hair salon.
I really must get my priorities straight...I missed two really terrific craft events: Maker Faire/Swap-o-Rama and Stitch Austin. Check out photos of the Stitch fashion show (includes photos of Jenny Hart in a sock monkey bikini).
I was able to make it to the knitting night with Vickie Howell at Craft-o-Rama. We worked on ribby wristlets made out of her new Vegas yarns. Nice, rich colors with a hint of sparkle. Yummy.
Sublime Stitching's Jenny Hart lead a rockin' embroidery workshop at Austin's Craft-o-Rama. She told some great stories, showed us tips and tricks, and brought her original portrait of Marianne Faithfull for inspiration.
Jenny began working in embroidery in the summer of 2000. Her lavishly embroidered portraits have since appeared in exhibitions and publications throughout Europe, South America, Mexico and Japan. She's a fine artist known for portraits of Iconic stars such as Iggy Pop, Marianne Faithfull and Detroit's White Stripes.
Jenny Hart's portraits have appeared as illustrations for magazines such as BUST, Nylon and Venus. Her works are included in the collections of the Roger Miller Museum, actress Carrie Fisher, comedian Tracey Ullman and Elizabeth Taylor.
Jenny is also the founder of Sublime Stitching (Hip
Patterns and Kits for Crafters) and author of Stitch-It Kit and Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-To (Chronicle
Books). Her mission is to bring embroidery to the masses. Her passion is infectious.
Her website: www.jennyhart.net
Sublime Stitching Kits and Patterns: www.sublimestitching.com
I'm also revisiting the 90s, 12-stepping, and my inner child with The Artist's Way which I find a little too dogmatic/OCD for the 2000s. But I shall take what I need and leave the rest.
In support of my figure drawing class, I'm getting into The Natural Way to Draw. That I didn't already have this one in my library was surprising.
My work with more self-help titles has been postponed, so It's All Too Much and Fat, Broke and Lonely No More have been shoved to the side.
Someone suggested that we read Kafka on the Shore. Any comments?
My movie meetup group and I went to see Across the Universe last Saturday, and in our discussion thereafter, I found myself [once again] thinking, "What is this generation going to remember as the great songs of their youth? It's all rap. It's all noise. It's so sad." Yes, I've become my parents. I find myself getting a tear in the eye whenever I hear John Lennon or any of the early Beatles tunes. They were just babies. Sniff.
Then, on second reflection, I think that the only really good original song that I've heard lately is what I could only call The Old Navy Sweater Song. With a little web surfing, I found my new favorite song/artist: Ingrid Michaelson, singer-songwriter from Staten Island who had several songs featured in last season's Grey's Anatomy. The songs are sweet and memorable and singable. Singing--what a concept!
Sidebar: Isn't she cute. She could be a vox-er.
Who's the coolest culinary celebrity?
Julia Child, the mother of them all.
A little ditty to learn before my Paris trip.
J'aime les ukes d'Hawaii Dm7 G7
J'aime les ukes deTahiti C C7
J'aime les ukes Beltona Dm7 G7
J'aime les ukes Kamaka C C7 (C)
J'aime tous les petits , ukulélés
Les plus rares , les plus recherchés
Les premiers construits par les portugais
Qui sur l'île maori ont un jour échoué
J'aime saliver sur les Martin
J'aime flaner vers Vérot Dodat
Les commander aux luthiers
Les enchérir sur Ebay !
J'aime les ukes Chevalier
J'aime les ukes « banjolélé »
J'aime les ukes résophonic
J'aime les ukes en plastique
Si vous en vendez un, ne cherchez pas plus loin
Vous en vendez deux ?...c'est encore mieux.
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Ms X said:
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