The Cicadas Are Coming

Posted by Alison – May 20, 2013

As someone who has a childlike fascination with insects — tempered with a tendency to scream like Ned Flanders when they come anywhere in my vicinity — I have very mixed feelings about the 17-year cicadapocalypse that will soon be taking place. Friend or foe?  In my mind, they’re like tiny, determined zombies, crawling out of their holes to fulfill their existential crisis before dying a stinky, crunchy death — but the 17 year cycle is very Sleeping Beauty, no?

Needless to say, I’m captivated by the cicada’s invasion of our collective imagination. And as far as the 24 hour news cycle is concerned, I’d much rather hear about cicadas than Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy. (Though her floral gown from the Met Gala was pretty boss.) Here are a few stories I’ve been reading.

And the locusts sang, yeah, it gave me a chill
Oh the locusts sang, such a sweet melody,
Oh the locusts sang, their high whining trill
Yeah, the locusts sang, and they were singing for me

Delicatessen With Love

Posted by Alison – May 9, 2013

This is a story of grandmas around the world and their best dish. Entitled “Delicatessen With Love”, the project took photographer Gabriele Galimberti to 58 countries, where he photographed grandmothers with both the ingredients and finished signature dishes. The results are breathtaking.

Julia Enaigua (71) La Paz, Bolivia Queso Humacha (vegetables and fresh cheese soup).

Isolina Perez De Vargas (83) Mendoza, Argentina Asado Criollo (mixed meats barbecue).

Maria Luz Fedric (53) Cayman Islands Honduran Iguana with rice and beans.

Serette Charles (63) Saint-Jean du Sud, Haiti Lambi in creole sauce.

Inara Runtule, (68) Kekava, Latvia Silke €(herring with potatoes and cottage cheese).

Normita Sambu Arap (65) Oltepessi (masaai mara) Kenya Mboga and orgali (white corn polenta with vegetables and goat).

Marisa Batini (80) Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy Swiss chard and ricotta Ravioli with meat sauce.

Appealing to their natural cooking care and their inevitable pride in their recipe, common factors to all grandmothers in the world, Gabriele persuaded them to do their best in the kitchen. This means moose stake in Alaska and caterpillars in Malawi, delicious, but ferociously hot, ten-spice-curry in India and shark soup in the Philippines. (I’m most intrigued by the iguana, myself.) If my grandmother had been included, I’m not sure what she would have made: potato salad? Custard pie? Those are some of my favorites, at least.

[Via]

Tina Wisdom

Posted by Alison – April 30, 2013

Tina Belcher is my spirit animal. God, I love Bob’s Burgers.

[Via]

Abstracts

Posted by Alison – April 29, 2013

These days, abstracts really float my boat. I would fill my apartment with abstract paintings if I could — mellow abstract expressionist landscapes; wild, textural meditations, à la Jackson Pollock; and even housewares like Ashley G’s Char-Bea line of abstract home goods (that duvet!). I’m especially fond of Chen Williams’s resin bricks; they remind me of toffees, and I just wanna bite into them.

From top: Chen Williams; Lon Brauer Studios; Char-Bea by Ashley G duvet; Todd Hunter; scarf by Klara D; Ginette Fine Art; Chen Williams; Ying Li.

Grayson Perry’s “Map to Nowhere”

Posted by Alison – April 26, 2013

I’m finally reading Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, and I can’t put it down; when it comes to history, I’ve become a developed a bit of a royal obsession, and Henry VIII is one of the most fascinating. Narrated by Thomas Cromwell (who’s usually made out to be a bad dude and is eventually beheaded, spoiler), the book chronicles Henry’s break with the holy Roman empire to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn — and all the religious mayhem, persecution of witches and heretics, Lutheranism, and deaths that followed. It was a very provocative time to question religion, I’ll say that much.

Which brings me to artist Grayson Perry: inspired by Thomas More’s Utopia (who also plays a big part in Wolf Hall), he created his own version of the gorgeous, flattened Medieval maps of heaven, hell, and the earth like the Hereford Mappa Mundi — the largest medieval map known to exist. The result is a complex illustration filled with symbols, messages, and lots of tongue-in-cheek references. It also looks really cool.

As the British Council of Visual Arts wrote,

“Perry’s personal world view encompasses a cacophony of ideas and preoccupations, with ‘Doubt’ right at the centre. The artist’s alter ego Claire gets a sainthood, while people pray at the churches of global corporations: Microsoft, Starbucks, Tescoes. Tabloid cliches abound, each attached to a figure or building: ‘the new black’, ‘kidults’, ‘binge drinking’, having-it-all’… While Perry adopts a medieval confusion of scale and proportion, the diagrammatic style is as adamant as its religious forerunners. Beneath, there is a drawing of figures on a pilgrimage, set in a realistic landscape. They are at final staging post before making their way up to a monastery at the top of a mountain beyond, which is hit by a beam of light, coming from the artist’s bottom.”

In the video below he explains his ideas for the “Map to Nowhere.” P.S. Grayson Perry also curated the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman exhibition at the British Museum — I wish I could have seen that!

Folk Model

Posted by Alison – April 23, 2013

This handmade folk art wooden railroad tower (and coal shoot!) has working levers to raise and lower each shoot door. So cool.

The Elusive Keds Pointer

Posted by Alison – April 8, 2013


I’m on a hunt for retro Keds, and so far — well, it’s not going so well. The Keds Pointer is just the perfect 1960s beach bum kinda shoe (especially in white!), but they appear to all be sold out. Boo! At least there are a few other options (though all in animal print or with jute). Still on the fence, but the summer shoe hunt continues!

Ye Olde Pinterest

Posted by Alison – April 8, 2013

Just in case you weren’t aware, I’m over on Pinterest and I’m more than a little obsessed, especially with Napoleonic bee references (more on that later) and recipes that include cheese. Check it out.

Chanteuses on a Sunday

Posted by Alison – April 7, 2013

My current musical repertoire is all torch songs from the ’60s. Dusty Springfield is basically my queen, so no surprises here. However, Sandie Shaw is new to me, and I can’t believe I’ve never heard this version of “Always Something There to Remind me.”

Nat Geo Found

Posted by Alison – March 26, 2013

I’ve been a little bored with the internet lately. Everything kind of seems the same, you know? Stripes, maxi skirts, etc. But then I ran across Nat Geo Found, a curated Tumblr from National Geographic’s archives showcasing rare photos from the last 125 years. The thing that really makes me stampy? (Read: Excited enough to stamp my feet and make the neighbors mad.) They’re selling prints! And they’re affordable! Seriously, wow. I’m personally a huge fan of the seahorse above.

Beads

Posted by Alison – March 25, 2013

I really love these raw, beautiful necklaces. They’re composed of kiln-fired enamel on a leather cord. So gorgeous.

Phoebe Wahl

Posted by Alison – February 26, 2013

I recently ran across Phoebe Wahl’s illustration, and I was immediately smitten with her style — it’s so familiar and seems like something out of a folksy 1970s storybook. I also love the many woman-positive pieces; I wish I’d seen her Valentine’s Day illustrations — which read “Be your own valentine” — a few weeks ago. Always a good message.

Antique Russian Rings

Posted by Alison – February 18, 2013

Looking at jewelry is always fun, but when it comes with history and provenance — then, I’m down for a few hours of poking around. Enter, Romanov Russia. This company deals in antique Russian jewelry and pre-WWI Fabergé, as well as rare items from the Romanov Dynasty and Nicholas II (also known as the cutest Russian czar. Just one of my many history crushes.) Personally, I’m most intrigued by the unusual men’s rings, especially the laurel leaf diamond band and the circular-patterned diamond trio above. Many of the more “imperial” looking pieces were actually given as gifts by the royal family, which is quite cool.

Via the amazing Jean Jean Vintage.

Our Wedding

Posted by Alison – January 16, 2013

So, I married my sweetheart and it was pretty amazing. Read on for more photos and the story behind our wedding.

More…

New Year

Posted by Alison – January 1, 2013

The turn of a new year is a time for introspection, fresh resolutions, and hopes for the future. (Also, massive, brain-splitting hangovers.) As you hatch new plans, know that the mistakes and failures of the last year are not to be regretted: they’re opportunities to learn and try harder.

On today, and all days, I defer to the wise words of Emerson:

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

Thanks so much for reading my little slice of the Internet. It means so much to me. Here’s to a happy and productive 2013.

Photo by Wolfgang Tillmans.

Smart Spiders

Posted by Alison – December 27, 2012

Scientists in Peru have discovered a species of spider that builds self-referential “spiders” out of twigs and dead insects. Whoa! They use these decoy spiders to trick predators. Pretty smart.

According to WIRED:

Believed to be a new species in the genus Cyclosa, the arachnid crafts the larger spider from leaves, debris and dead insects. Though Cyclosa includes other sculpting arachnids, this is the first one observed to build a replica with multiple, spidery legs.

Scientists suspect the fake spiders serve as decoys, part of a defense mechanism meant to confuse or distract predators. “It seems like a really well evolved and very specialized behavior,” said Phil Torres, who described the find in a blog entry written for Rainforest Expeditions. Torres, a biologist and science educator, divides his time between Southern California and Peru, where he’s involved in research and education projects.

“Considering that spiders can already make really impressive geometric designs with their webs, it’s no surprise that they can take that leap to make an impressive design with debris and other things,” he said.

Very cool. Via Kottke.

Folk Songs for Christmas: The Seeger Sisters

Posted by Alison – December 19, 2012

When it comes to Christmas music, I’m typically a Vince Guaraldi Trio kind of lady. This year, I’m enjoying this collection of Christmas folk songs by the Seeger Sisters.

A collection of Christmas folksongs by Ruth Crawford Seeger, selected and performed by her daughters Peggy, Barbara and Penny, with children from the South Boston Music School. This compilation of less-commonly known Christmas songs represents a variety of folksongs that find their origin in European and British Isles Ballads, as well as several African-American spirituals, hollers and chants from the slave era that express a deeply spiritual celebration of Christmas. Liner notes include history of each song by Charles and Peggy Seeger.

2012: The Year in Volcanic Activity

Posted by Alison – December 17, 2012

The earth is a beautiful, violent mistress, and to think otherwise is foolish. Check out the year’s volcanic activity, in photos, on The Atlantic.

A History of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree

Posted by Alison – December 16, 2012

On Christmas Eve 1931, with the nation mired in the Great Depression, a group of construction workers erected a 20-ft. tree on the muddy site of what would become one of the city’s greatest architectural and commercial monuments. (Note: Today’s tree is seven stories high.) The tree’s decorations have come a long way since 1931, when tin cans and scrap paper replaced garlands and glass. In 1934, organizers festooned that year’s evergreen with 1,200 colored lights and ornaments shaped like dogs, horses, giraffes, sailboats and stars. A public-address system also piped in holiday tunes, creating the effect of a singing tree.

In 1944, in keeping with wartime blackout regulations, the trees remained unlit, as did every other outdoor Christmas tree in the city that year. After the war’s end in 1945, organizers more than made up for the previous years of darkness by using six ultraviolet light projectors to make all 700 fluorescent globes on that year’s tree appear to glow in the dark. The 1950s saw a white spray-painted tree, the return of garlands made of cranberries and popcorn (or, at least, plastic balls that resembled the festive foodstuffs) and 10-ft.-long aluminum icicles that turned treacherous in high winds.

The unique history of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree just makes me love it more. To think that it was there before the building even stood — insanity. See more photos from the tree’s history in this Time Magazine slideshow.

Those Colors!

Posted by Alison – December 12, 2012

These antique feather and coral earrings really pop. And against a simple white dress? Damn!

From Erie Basin, of course.

The Twenty Four Woman: Calendar Edition

Posted by Alison – December 8, 2012

A few months back, I wrote about Scott Lenhardt’s quest to make his page-a-day nude calendar a reality. Folks, I am here to say it is here, it is for sale, and it is so damn charming. Behold, the Twenty Four Hour Woman! She installs air conditioners, she works a visor, she sells twist cones at an ice cream stand — all in the very endearing nude. (Because who doesn’t love turnip-shaped boobs?)

But how did this little lady come to be? Scott explains the Twenty Four Woman’s origins as such:

Twenty Four Hour Woman is a one-a-day calendar not unlike the popular Far Side calendars of the ’80s. It’s a simple idea that is meant to celebrate the woman caught in the act of whatever it is she is doing, one day at a time. This nude series started as an exercise a few years ago in my studio as a way to warm up my brain, get my hand moving and help ease any seriousness that might have been floating around. Each day of this 5″ X 4″ (approx.) tear-off calendar contains a different little drawing of a naked lady doing something different for every day of the year. I have spent the last year-and-a-half illustrating the limitless list of activities and tasks and have done my best to do so with love and honesty.

I’m so excited to greet each new day of 2013 with the Twenty Four Hour Woman.

Morbid Anatomy Holiday Fair

Posted by Alison – December 8, 2012


Last minute, but I gotta plug the most excellent Morbid Anatomy Holiday Fair, which takes place this weekend in Brooklyn. Find all kinds of gifts for your alternative holiday needs, like taxidermy, waxworks, anthropomorphic insect tableaux, and all kinds of odd goodies.

This year’s event will feature the taxidermy of anthropomorphic mouse taxidermy class teacher Sue Jeiven; the artisinal wax works of artist Sigrid Sarda; the insect shadowboxes of Daisy Tainton; taxidermic curiosities by Katie Innamorato and Amber Jolliffe; photography and deaccessioned books and artifacts from the Morbid Anatomy Library, “Andean goodies” from Alastair Noble; anatomical throw pillows by Elizabeth New; and the oddities of Mark Splatter, all accompanied by music and beer provided by our sponsor Brooklyn Brewery.

December 8 – 9, 2012
Time: Noon – 6:00 PM
Admission: Free
Location: Observatory; 543 Union at Nevins, Brooklyn (enter via Proteus Gowanus Gallery)

For more information, visit Morbid Anatomy.

Gifts for Humans

Posted by Alison – November 27, 2012

When it comes to gift-giving, I’m not a guru; thoughtful, just-so gifts are hard to come by, especially when you wait until the last second to find them (ahem, me). However, one thing that everyone can agree upon and enjoy is FOOD. I ran across New York Mouth on Twitter last night (thank you, Kate!) and immediately knew it was the answer for so many people on my list: handcrafted, small batch food from independent businesses, put together into convenient little gift packages. And forget the sweets: sign me up for the pickle-of-the-month subscription.

I know I sound like an infomercial right now (this is not a sponsored post, I don’t do that), but I’m actually just so psyched about a pickle subscription, so I thought I’d pass along the good news. And to my sister: sorry to let the cat out of the bag, but now you know what you’re getting.

Snowflake Crystal Holiday Cards

Posted by Alison – November 25, 2012

I’m so in love with these snowflake crystal holiday cards. (Bought them immediately, in fact!) According to seller Jeremy Rendina, “This collage of snow crystal micro-photographs was originally taken in the 1920s by Vermont farmer Wilson Bentley; individual snowflakes were caught on black velvet and photographed before melting.” Gorgeous.

Care For a Pretzel?

Posted by Alison – November 24, 2012

This portrait of a woman, circa 1870-1900, is identified as Marie Stover of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. She’s holding a cake, wearing a loaf of bread as a hat and a dress adorned with donuts, cookies, and pretzels. Presumably, she is advertising a bakery.

Giving Thanks

Posted by Alison – November 21, 2012

We’ve reached the time of year where reflection runs high — Thanksgiving, the holidays, the cusp of a new year. In all honesty (and I’m about to get personal here), I’m pretty rough on myself most days, putting on the metaphorical hair shirt and just running with it: “You should go to the gym more, stop buying ice cream sandwiches, update this blog more often, call your grandma, curb your taxi addiction, volunteer at the animal shelter, take a class, quit being a flake on plans, stop letting the kale go bad and actually make those grand salads you’re always planning, investigate the merits of various anti-aging face creams, and why haven’t you gone to the MoMA this year? Or last year? And shouldn’t you be running a marathon or something?”

There are a lot of things I could do, it’s true. But there are a lot of things that are good now, today, and they need to be enjoyed without ruinous worries about the future or what I could be doing alternatively. “Don’t ruin the cake mix,” as they say.

I’m so grateful for my always supportive and awesome husband (still getting used to that word!), my family, purring cats, my health, handmade socks, Pendleton blankets, libraries, candles that smell like woodsmoke, oysters, a creative career where I get paid to do stuff I actually enjoy, custard pie, bonfires, The New Yorker, homemade pasta, aimless drives down country roads, and fresh fallen snow. And I feel so lucky to be in New York; it’s not the easiest place to live, but somehow that makes me value it even more.

Now, to surround myself with all of these ideas (like a cashmere sweater!) the next time I am tempted to put on the hair shirt. Be gentle with yourself. That’s the best advice.

Lia Melia

Posted by Alison – November 12, 2012

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Painter Lia Melia is a master of the abstract landscape (my favorite). Paintings of an ocean? I’m all over that. So beautiful.

Julie Cohn Jewelry

Posted by Alison – November 12, 2012

I’m seriously digging Julie Cohn’s organic designs. Check it out.

Seen and Heard

Posted by Alison – October 22, 2012

Yoko Ono: A Reconsideration

Posted by Alison – October 21, 2012

Yoko Ono is not pretty, she is not easy, her paintings aren’t recognizable, her voice is not melodious, her films are without plot and her Happenings make no sense. One of her paintings you are told to sleep on. One of her paintings you are told to burn. One of her paintings isn’t a painting at all — it’s you going outside and looking at the sky. Most of her stuff is not even there. This is why I love her.

We need more impossible in our culture. Go out and capture moonlight on water in a bucket, she commands… It takes an enormous lack of ego to not put your imprint on everything you do, to not employ your learning and position. To stand back, to hold back, to keep your mouth shut. To yell with your silence, when you know you very well could make soothing and welcomed sounds at the drop of a hat. She could sing; she knows how. And being a Beatles wife could have been a magic charm — but she wasn’t interested. It takes willpower to overpower the will to power. To be accepted, to be thought nice, is traditionally woman’s power. That is something Ono doesn’t need.

I very much enjoyed Lisa Carver’s (yes, that Lisa Carver!) recent essay on Yoko Ono as a “difficult” artist. I admire the fact that Ono makes no attempts to be conventional, nice, or accepted by mainstream culture; she’s as weird as she ever was, and making no concessions as time goes on. Though I make no attempt to say that I understand her work, I appreciate impossibility just the same. Here’s to being a difficult woman.

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