I love cats on the job and happened upon 14-year-old JJ at JJ Hat Center in New York City.
JJ Hat Center is New York's oldest and one of the world's most renowned hat shops. Here's JJ checking making sure that this hat is steamed correctly.
I was told that JJ was a bit grumpy, waiting for her supper. It was, after all, nearly 5 p.m. And guess what? The hat shop doesn't have a mouse in it. Good work JJ.
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Remember the robin's nest behind my house and those beautiful blue eggs? Well mom was busy and sat on them for the past few weeks and today the birds fledged. Here's the last one trying to get enough courage to take his first flight.
While in New York City, my friend Jen suggested we head to Tinsel Trading Company in the heart of the Fashion District.
And so we did.
This place is absolutely mind-boggling!
There were vintage bits of all sorts of things tucked into cabinets...
...antique linens and candlesticks too.
But mostly ribbon...
...and more ribbon...
...and spools of gold cording...
...and more spools of more wonderful threads.
And vintage tassels...
...and yards of cording...
...and more tassels, oh my!
I loved these vintage ribbons with place names.
And a wall of embroidered patches.
My niece Sylvie was shopping for silk flowers for her hair when she met a lovely hat designer, Ashley Burson, who was looking for inspiration for her hats. Ashley runs a place called "The Hatterie...for crazy people who like hats." Check it out. Really fun!
I just loved this place and wanted to move in.
While in New York, we had to check out the recently renovated Museum of Modern Art. One of the shows was performance artist Marina Abramović. I personally didn't want to spend much time sitting and staring at the artist, like some lucky soul was doing here, so spent much of my time on the fourth and fifth floors in the painting and sculpture section.
It was like visiting old friends; art I just love and usually only see in books. Like this Joseph Cornell...
...this Diego Rivera...
...Jasper Johns.
I just loved this Paul Klee kitty cat and bird.
MoMa encouraged photography, sans flash...
...and it was fun to catch all the people interacting with Matisse...
...and Mondrian.
Broadway Boogie Woogie, one of my faves, I hadn't seen since Grade 11.
Claes Oldenberg and his pastry. The best!
Picasso's classic Demoiselles d'Avignon...
...and Van Gogh's Starry Night. Wowza!
Jackson Pollock's classic abstract expressionist canvas...
...and hello Andy!
My sister, sister-in-law and two nieces met in New York City this past weekend. What fun!
Here's my sister Marci and her daughter Sylvie in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
We went up to the roof to enjoy the view...
...and to see the odd bamboo sculpture up there.
We found a seat and and had a quick coffee.
After an afternoon of taking in art, we left and found ourselves in the middle of an Israel parade with tons of people in the street.
We bumped into a young man trying to sell us a subscription to an Israeili TV station.
We saw some lovely architecture...
...love that Flat Iron building!
Great weekend!
Morels. These are not the white, button mushrooms you grew up with. As far as mushrooms go, the ne plus ultra has to be the morel. If you can't pick them yourself, they are available at many farmers markets in spring. While they're pricey, it's really worth picking up a few.
The best and simplest way to taste all the mushroomy, earthy goodness? Simply fried in butter until they get a little bit crunchy around the edges.
Here's a sneak peek at the summer issue of ATC Quarterly. Don't you just love Dot Pizarro's adorable sock monkey that graces the cover? This issue will be in mailboxes soon so start checking them in a week or two.
Sometimes the best thing about stopping at a chip stand is the signage. Check out this vintage folk art seen at Seguin's Patate in Cornwall, Ontario.
My sister Marci and I are constantly on the phone talking about food. She suggested I write about "100 Things to Eat Before You Die" and I thought it was a great idea. So here's the first entry.