NYC Marathon

Woman considers gender issues and carries her nationality, as Christ carried the cross, while running the NYC Marathon. Being French obviously means more than liking pomme frite and foie gras. It's sort of funny but losing those toe nails won't be! (Carrying the eiffel tower for 26.2 miles! Think bang, bang, bang, bang, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch.) And I thought me toes hurt from wearing 2 pairs of wool socks! At one point we heard that Lance circled this person with his arms in the air fist pumping and shouting number 8, number 8! 

(See more photos of the marathon here by Whimsy & Spice)

An Ode to the Great Peeler Dealer

Joe Ades demonstrating the use of his $5 vegetable peeler outside the Union Square Greenmarket. Mr. Ades, known for his memorable sales pitches in his English accent, died on Sunday at 75.

If you've ever been to Union Square in NYC on a bright sunny day you may have run into Joe Ades selling his vegetable peeler on the south east corner of Broadway and 17th St , he was hard to miss with his authoritative fast-talking English sales pitch and captivating voice - straight out of a Dickens novel! I can recall his voice even now, he will be missed!

Read the article in the ny times here.

Also...
I hope you had a great nutella day- I sure had my share! My favorite way to eat it is to get it nice and cold in the fridge, this gives it a great fudge like texture!

Guap guap!

Maira Kalman- The Inauguration. At Last.

I love the artwork of Maira Kalman and was thrilled to find her work via the NY Times Opinion section entitled "And the pursuit of Happiness" The Inauguration. At Last. Check it out online! An illustrated version of the inauguration and events surrounding it.

Paris Couture- Ahhh Chanel

I love these paper headpieces by Katsuyo Kamo for Chanel Couture 2009, beautiful!

Cathy Horyn of the NY Times writes in todays paper, "Lagerfeld was like a fly that dropped onto a leaf and then surveyed all. But the leaf told him everything."
read more here


images found via the new york times and whitelightning

Week in review

Things of note from this last week (which I haven't had the chance to mention already!):

PBS's airing of "Cyrano de Bergerac", (Anthony Burgess translation of Edmond Rostand's play) directed by David Leveaux and starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Gardner. A play about how apperances can distort true substance. I wanted to see this production when it was at the Richard Rogers Theatre in NYC. Kevin Kline's performance is outstanding, even now re-reading the final scene I'm moved at the recollection of his performance.

image source and review

CYRANO (reading):
'Roxane, adieu! I soon must die!
This very night, beloved; and I
Feel my soul heavy with love untold.
I die! No more, as in days of old,
My loving, longing eyes will feast
On your least gesture--ay, the least!
I mind me the way you touch your cheek
With your finger, softly, as you speak!
Ah me! I know that gesture well!
My heart cries out!--I cry "Farewell"!'

ROXANE:
But how you read that letter! One would think. . .

CYRANO (continuing to read):
'My life, my love, my jewel, my sweet,
My heart has been yours in every beat!'

Also, Holland Cotter's excellent article in the NY Times entitled "In the Gloom, Seeing Rembrandt With New Eyes" here.
Once again making the claim that great art can rise out of difficult times. (Rembrandt had lost everything due to the economic crash, a result of Hollands war debts, yet still continued to paint and made some of his greatest works. )

Rembrandt's "Girl with a Pink" early 1660s

And finally this darling illustration I found on Gemma's blog Illustration is Good by artist Natalie WS. I love the shapes and movement created by the direction of the lines and of course the little kitties!

image source

Have a great weekend everyone!