This weekend I was lucky enough to have my mom come visit me in New York. Albeit she slept on my futon and had to share my bathroom where you cannot even sit front-ways on the toilet, it was a great time.
We set out on Saturday in search of a few haunts to fill our thrifting quotient for the weekend.
The first was Pippin Vintage Jewelry, recommended to me by my co-worker at the gallery. Pippin is a great find. The interior of the shop is always crowded but the merchandise is worth maneuvering the small aisle. Favorites included old cameos, bakelite chains, sterling and turquoise belt buckles, and the collection of white gloves.
I am loving this new set of tableware designed by Diane Keaton, closet architecture and home enthusiast. It is a combination of graphic modernity and cozy home comfort. Read about Diane’s new line and its inspiration in the New York Times and pick up some of your own at Bed Bath & Beyond.
I am always on the lookout for beautiful design. Today’s treat comes to us from EF, a group dedicated to organizing student travel worldwide. Their newest campaign Living the Language caught my eye. Check out these awesome short videos on London, Paris, Barcelona, and Beijing. Voila! Click here for Un Link Magnifique Photo Credit Education First Photo Credit Education First Photo Credit Education First
Ok. So today I arrived in New York for an Easter Weekend jaunt. Once past LaGuardia and my very angsty cab driver it was up 5th Avenue to the Met. That place is in fact a maze. You think you are headed for the 19th Century Masters and bam! a towering portrait of Mao Zedong by Andy Warhol looms at the end of the corridor. No, really, it’s pretty scary. Photo Credit TravelerFolio.com
The latter of which I plan to return to and sketch.
So today in the Met more than taking in works of art I was on the lookout. For Italian people that is. If you aren’t familiar with the constant buzzing noise of New York it is a beautiful din that becomes background noise to locals, innumerable languages and car horns (though slightly better since the $350 honking fine). While in the Met there are no car horns, there are definitely languages.
I followed a disappointingly large number of Spaniards and South/Central Americans around the museum galavanting dangerously close and fielding the occasional strange glance upon which I would super stealthily glare at the closest painting. Until….”pizza, pasta, gelato”, ITALIANS!
I proceeded to chat them up for about a solid five minutes of which I am quite proud to say I barely fumbled on my words. They also happened to be from Florence where I studied in college which made the 007-style run-in even greater.
Now the reason this title says Friendly Non-Italian people is because for the rest of the evening I struck out twice. First at Serafina’s which I will get to later, with a red-headed Peruvian named Henry and then at Duane Reade with someone who was maybe playing dumb or actually Portuguese. I guess I don’t go running up to talk to people that also speak English. This is something to consider when assaulting the nearest Italiani.
Serafina’s! What a great spot. Well it seems there are several but we chose the one Madison between 79th and 78th. Check them out here!
If any of you have been up to Raleigh lately, let’s hope that you visited the newly renovated North Carolina Museum of Art, imagined by Tom Phifer and Partners, a green architecture firm out of Manhattan. I had a chance to listen to the Phifer’s (Tom and wife, Jean) at Davidson College in February. They are truly passionate about good design and green best practices.
So I have two favorite things about this new space.
1. The Rodin Courtyard: I mean, helllooo!, a courtyard of Rodin. And I thought we were lucky at Davidson to have our own Jean D’Aire in the atrium of the Visual Arts Center. Photo Credit Scott Frances North Carolina Museum of Art
2. The amazing outdoor space. Take your lunch along for post-art strolling in the park behind the museum. Photo Credit Heather Gillespie
So, if you are making a Raleigh trip be sure to check out the museum. You may find yourself like this little girl… Photo Credit Tom Phifer and Partners
RUNS WITH MARKERS 