Einstein the Greatest

I must have seen this video close to 30 times and it still makes my cheeks hurt afterwards. I had 3 parakeets as pets when I was younger and they brought me tremendous joy. Einstein though is a whole other level and although she is no longer with us (Einstein passed away a few years ago) this video is going to bring joy and laughter forever! Enjoy!!!

 

Eats

I'm new to Groupon and LivingSocial.  The concept seems great, get the stuff you were going to do anyway but pay less for it. Or if you always wanted to try something new like fly a helicopter or kayak and never wanted to spend the money, some of these bargains make it very hard to pass up.

I recently claimed this deal for a NYC restaurant called Bacco Restaurant and Bar. It's new to me, the reviews are decent and it's a perfect spot for our recurring girls night out. Here's the link to the deal Bocca $60 worth of food and drink for $30.  I find that the older we get the harder it is to just spontaneously meet up for tons of drinks, food and a good night out. Now the plans have to be arranged and planned ahead of time, but when we do get together, watch out NYC.

So we'll be going to Bocca next week and I'll have pictures and reviews of the food to report on. In the meantime if you want to pick up the deal I did go here.

DIY sneak peak

I'm excited to share a sneak peak of the first DIY project I'm working on. It is going to hang in my dining room and it involves drinking lots and lots of wine. Hehe.
Here's a little preview:

Private tour of Governor's Island

Governor's Island has to be a hidden gem in the jungle of steel and concrete that I call home. I've taken the ferry with my bike to the island a few times, but we never visited the part I was able to preview yesterday. Who knew that there is a real and functioning high school. I certainly didn't have the option back in the day.

There are art exhibits sprinkled throughout the gardens. Old houses built almost a century ago which housed officers and their families. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go inside but I took lots and lots of beautiful pictures of the outside. Here they are!

Governor's Island

A day in the office today will be spent setting up a garden for a school that's moving to Governor's Island. The details of the project are somewhat vague at this point but it involves taking a ferry and being outdoors which I usually never get to do so I'm game all the way. Oh and somehow I wound up being the photographer for our group. More details and pictures to come later...

Vintage Hair Combs

I am currently looking/window shopping for my wedding accessories. I've got about 8 months to go until the big day but I'm already looking. Rumor has it that some hair pieces can take as long as 3 months to make. Incredible!!

At first I was overwhelmed by the choices out there but I'm starting to find my voice. And it's saying vintage! Actually it's screaming VINTAGE. I'm loving this Etsy shop Luxe Deluxe. Everything is so unique and intricate. And yes I do realize it's vintage inspired and not really old but I don't care, it's exquisite.

Here are some of my fav's:

Obsession: Ballpoint Art

Today's feature is a 29 year old from Portugal: Samuel Silva. His paintings just happen to be done by a lawyer who is passionate about drawing and not a trained artist. Oh and by the way every single drawing is done with BIC pens, no other materials just your regular ballpoint pens. I have never seen anything this amazing.

Redhead Girl by Samuel Silva - 30 hours to complete

Tiger by Samuel Silva - 20 hours to complete

Margay Cat by Samuel Silva - 10 hours to complete

Girl With a Pearl Earring by Samuel Silva - 45 hours to complete

Jaguar by Samuel Silva - 15 hours to complete

Palace garden in Kyoto, Japan by Samuel Silva - 20 hours to complete

Bald Eagle by Samuel Silva - 8 hours to complete

Cat Face by Samuel Silva - time to complete uknown

Sitting Toad by Samuel Silva - 12 hours to complete

I'm also including a section from his profile that addresses some of the FAQ's:

FAQ: Due to hundreds of questions and my lack of time to answer them all here are the answers for the most frequently asked:

Q:How many colors do you have and what pens are these?
A: I have 8 colored Bic ballpoint pens, for this I used 6 of them plus black. They are just common everyday ballpoint pens.
Q: Where do you get them? I have never seen them.
A: Staples, Ebay, Amazon, and pretty much any good office supply store, just because you haven't noticed them before doesn't mean they don't exist.
Q: Do you use any other medium mixed with the ballpoint pens? 
A: No, I just use ballpoint pens for these drawings. Everything is 100% ballpoint pen.
Q: How do you mix the colors? How do you blend them? 
A: I don't mix them nor blend them. Ballpoint pen ink dries instantly and can not be erased. I just cross hatch the different colors in layers to create the illusion of blending and the illusion of colors I don't actually have.
Q: Are you a professional Artist?
A: No, I'm just a lawyer, art is just a hobby for me, although it takes from 5 to 50 hours to finish each drawing. I started drawing when I was 2.

These literally knocked my socks off!!!

For more images or to become a fan of his work please go here.

First Lady in Chief

Michelle Obama hit another home run during her DNC speech last night. Although her Tracy Reese gown was custom made and an identical one isn't available, I was able to find two very worthy alternatives also by Tracy Reese. The pumps are Everly from J. Crew in rhubarb.

Shop her look here:

Goo goo for Gaga

September 2012 issue of Vogue features my favorite Lady GAGA.  That woman is fearless!

source

source for all Vogue pictures

photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot