Pickles and Persimmons

I’m generally not a huge fan of installation/video art. So, when I try to explain the beauty of artist Jim Campbell’s work to my friends and family, I completely understand the instant look of disinterest. Yet, I don’t know a single person who has seen a piece of his in person or a YouTube clip online and not been instantly mesmerized. His pieces have the haunting presence of a Bill Viola video, but the ingenuity of eco-friendly machine built by a genius.

Campbell’s newest piece, “Exploded Views” in the atrium of The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is no exception. I was disappointed when I missed his similar installation in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Luckily, Campbell has decided to recreate the magic for the next couple months in San Francisco. Watch this short clip above created by the museum of an interview with the artist and how this piece came to fruition.

Best, Lauren

*For more information on Jim Campbell and videos/image of his work, go to Hosfelt Gallery’s website.

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The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread - Rêve de Miel Lip Balm

If you’re anything like me, the fluctuations in temperature and climate that are characteristic of this time of year are murder for you skin, nails, and hair. This fall, in particular, I have experienced dry and chapped lips like no other. I have tried the usual recommendations of Burts Bee’s, Chapstick, and a litany of other products that promised to hydrate and restore. In short, they all failed or needed to be reapplied asap. I was greatly disappointed until I found Rêve de Miel lip balm!

Let me tell you, this non-tacky, smooth and emollient salve is just what the doctor ordered. The balm is gentle enough to be used on children but substantial enough for a single application every few hours. I love the hint of honey and grapefruit in this natural, preservative and artificial flavor-free product. Although it’s on the more expensive side of the lip balm scale ($21), one pot, if you can hang on to it, will last you quite a while. The only downside, in my opinion, is there is no SPF in this balm. Nonetheless, as usual, I highly recommend.

Why are the French always right about their products??

Best, Lauren

*You can order Rêve de Miel lip balm here

Making Vanilla Extract at Home:

It recently came to my attention just how easy it is to make vanilla extract at home. You can make a big jar of it and it keeps for years. Additionally, making it yourself cuts out the sugar syrups or additives that store-bought versions usually have.

What you’ll need:

• 6-12 vanilla beans (depending on the amount of vodka you use)
• Vodka
• 1 air-tight canister

Depending on how tall your jar is, you may need to cut your beans in half as I did. The canister I used allowed for the entirety of a 750mL bottle of vodka. Simply place your beans in your jar, pour the vodka over them till they’re fully submerged and stop when you get near the top. Seal and place the jar in a dry, warm space for at least a month and what do you know…you’ve got vanilla extract! When you’re ready to bake, make sure to give it a good shake before measuring out the liquid. Then, as you use your extract, you can occasionally pour more vodka in or add a fresh bean and it will just keep going.

Best, Lauren

p.s. this can be a great make-ahead holiday gift for the cooks in your life!

I am SO that girl that buys pretty silk scarfs with little or no clue about how to wear them. I give it about a week, and then the little beauty is relegated to the depths of my closet and forgotten till the next attempt. I saw this post on the blog Keiko Lynn and thought, ‘I can do that!’ Lynn has a way of making really daring hair and makeup ideas seem really achievable. I highly recommend reading her blog for other ideas as well.

Best, Lauren

*all photos are from the Keiko Lynn blog

Best of Street Art Sites

I’ve loved the abundance of sites that are dedicated to street art around the internet. But, sometimes I get a little overwhelmed. I came across this article about the six best sites devoted to street art at My Life Scoop by writer Alice Yoo. Yoo listed sites that are dedicated to showcasing the best of street art.

Banksy, Graffiti Removal, 2008

Yoo’s List:

• Wooster Collective
• Unurth (happens to be my favorite as well!)
• Arrested Motion
• Warholian
• Brooklyn Street Art
• Vandalog

Best, Lauren

A Little Monday Morning Humor….

This song is currently part of the newest Kourtney and Kim take New York commercial. It’s called Wild Heart by Sabi and I can’t stop listening to it! Unfortunately, it’s not available for download yet on iTunes so YouTube will have to do.

Best, Lauren

Steve Jobs Memorial Images

The past few days have seen an outpouring of memorial images in remembrance of Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs. Jobs had an immense impact on so many intelligent and creative minds which is evident in the images that have been created in response to his death. These are just a few of some of the best I’ve seen around the internet this week. RIP Steve Jobs.

Cover of the Oct. 17, 2011 issue of The New Yorker

Tokyo, Japan - Hiro Komae / AP Photo

Boing Boing memorial design, Original Mac OS Interface

Thanks, Steve - Jonathon Mak Long, Hong Kong

Best, Lauren

Facts About the Sistine Ceiling

Although of late I’ve been involved with contemporary art from a professional and personal standpoint, it was Renaissance art that truly drew me into the study of the history of art. At one point in time, I was lucky enough to spend a few months living in Rome and while there, I spent nearly all my time studying art - particularly the works of Michelangelo in Rome.

Recently, I was going through some old blog posts from my time abroad and stumbled upon a quick post I wrote about the Sistine Ceiling. At the time, It occurred to me that so many people know of the the artist and the famous chapel but know little to nothing about how it came to be or what it’s about. I had such a great time re-reading this post that I decided to re-post it here in the event that you too may find this as interesting as I do. 

• The lowest band of paintings were done by several famous Florentine artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, and Ghirlandaio. These were painted in 1481-1482. At this point, Michelangelo had not painted the famous ceiling frescoes and the ceiling was a dark blue sky with bright gold stars.
• The ceiling cycle and the last judgment wall were painted almost 30 years apart.
• The ceiling itself can be divided into two halves. This is because Michelangelo stopped working on it for about 6 months. During those 6 months, art historians believe he underwent a stylistic change in his painting.
• Michelangelo did everything in his power to get out of painting the Sistine Chapel. He thought he was a terrible painter. In fact, he experienced mold problems with the fresco at first.

• No two bodies on the ceiling are in the same position. 
• Michelangelo was greatly displeased with the final product. Pope Julius II (who commissioned the ceiling) made him reveal the work too early. It is unclear what else Michelangelo would have added. 
• During the most recent cleaning and restoration project, many of the details applied after the fresco dried were lost. In addition, Michelangelo himself said that he always intended for the ceiling to darken due to soot produced during conclave (when a new pope is chosen). So, are we now seeing the ceiling the way we think it should look or the way Michelangelo intended it to look?  
• It was around this time in his life that Michelangelo began experiencing deep depression which he was incapable of escaping for the rest of his life.

• The principle series of nine panels running down the center of the ceiling are supposed to be in chronological order according to Genesis. However, the third to last scene, The Sacrifice of Noah, is technically in the wrong place. According to Genesis, the scene of the Drunkeness of Noah and the Sacrifice should technically be switched. Why would Michelangelo do this? Clearly it couldn’t have been a mistake….he was working in the Vatican.

Best, Lauren

In Need of Some Pool Time

It’s windy, it’s rainy, it’s dreary…it’s fall. So, naturally I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on what I yearn for most at this moment - a sunny, bright pool spot. These architecturally stunning and exotic locations have a serious drool-factor built in. Imagining stepping into one of these babies, with the sun warming my face, will hopefully be enough to get me through the next seven months of winter - or at least until my next vacation.

Best, Lauren

Solo House - Pezo von Ellrichshausen Architects: Take a meditative swim in this open-air concrete cube.

Villa Mayavee Phuket Thailand - Tierra Design (http://www.tierradesign.com/index.htm): Channel your inner Jesus as you walk on water around your Thai villa.

Casa del Flora Resort, Thailand - VaSlab Architecture (http://vaslabarchitecture.com/): The sand-haters spot.

Ubud Hanging Garden Resort, Bali - An Orient Express Hotel (http://www.ubudhanginggardens.com/web/pubu/ubud_hanging_gardens.jsp): It’s not Babylon, but it will do.

Residential Complex in Singapore - Safdie Architects (http://www.msafdie.com/#): You can fly through the air with the greatest of ease.

*All images were found on the site http://www.blessthisstuff.com/

Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind. I think all music lovers alike can appreciate the impact of this album on both music and culture. This is a great article by writer James Montgomery for MTV News about the immense impact Nevermind had on the music world.

As Montgomery says, “The album would go on to usher in rock’s great renaissance, cause a seismic shift in popular culture, bring the underground to the mainstream and make unwilling stars out of three rather scruffy guys from the Pacific Northwest (OK, so Dave Grohl was technically from Northern Virginia, but he lived in Seattle while they were making the album).”

Best,

Lauren

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, my family and I decided to take the architectural boat tour of the Chicago River. Whenever someone is visiting the city and asks what they should do for the afternoon, hands down, I always recommend this tour and I’ve never found a single person who came away unhappy.

In October of 1871, the Chicago Fire ravaged the city leaving the entire central business district devastated. In response to the wreckage, architects young and old flocked to the area in hopes of taking part in the reconstruction. This event, in conjunction with the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, cause both the city’s population and skyline to soar.

I happen to love Chicago’s skyline because of its amazing combination of Classical, Greek Revival, Art Deco, and Modern architecture on display. Architectural greats such as Mies van der Rohe, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Graham Anderson Probst & White, Bertrand Goldberg and more left their permanent mark on the skyline through their demonstrable ingenuity and innovation.

I highly recommend taking the architectural boat tour if you’re ever in Chicago. Rain or shine, the architecture always stands out.

Best, Lauren

I love the way stamps can allow you to ad personal touches to seemingly ordinary items. I came across these lovely stamps from the Extase shop on Etsy and I’ve been trying to decide all morning which one I would choose. In addition to stamps, Stephanie, the artist behind Extase, also creates hand-spun, hand-dyed yarns, prints, and drawings. If you’re hunting for a great little gift for yourself or someone special, or you need a unique piece of art for a space in your house, head to Extase for some excellent options.

Also, if you’d like to know more about Stephanie and her work, click here to read an interview with the artist on the Petal + Handmade = Love blog.

Best, Lauren

Patagonia and eBay Team Up

There are very few brands that have the power to become more coveted as its products get older. This is particularly true of any sort of athletic or performance gear in which innovative technology is the name of the game. That being said, I’ve noticed over the years that Patagonia products have a unique, almost cult-like following of those who want to get their hands on rad 80’s fleeces and perfectly worn-in jackets. 

As part of its Common Threads Initiative, Patagonia has launched another great tenet to an already outstanding brand entity, an eBay powered re-sale site. Now, Patagonia enthusiasts or novices have a chance to get their hands on items that range from gently used to completely retro at a far lesser cost than buying products new (yes, I am familiar with the term “Patagucci”). I think it says a lot about an apparel company as a whole that would encourage consumers to utilize a secondary sales market in the name of conservation. This is another great opportunity for customers to use the power of their dollars to make big changes.

*As Unkle Buck would say, this fleece angers people - I can’t be without my 90’s pull-over fleece and neither should you.

The site is set up to look almost exactly like the Patagonia shopping site you already know and love. Head to this site and register as you normally would to be an eBay seller. Then, get to rummaging. Or, simply browse the already available items on sale.

Best, Lauren