Well, my top 10 anyway.

The Obamas watching election coverage. This came from Barack Obama’s Flickr page. How cool is it that our new President has a Flickr page?  I’m so psyched! Is that word too 80’s?

Jessie Jackson on election night. There were a number of images and videos that made me teary eyed, but this one really stands out.

A woman with tuberculosis is comforted by her mother inside their home in Ngcina, Swaziland. It’s a great image but the main reason it caught my eye is because it’s one of the few black and white photos I’ve seen this year.

An Afghan woman feeding her one-month old baby. The remote, mountain region of Badakhshan has the highest maternity mortality rate in the world. I’m not a huge fan of religious art, but I’m liking the Madonna and Child thing. The lighting is incredible.

The photo tag says these are real people….actors promoting the release of Chuckie’s 20th anniversary DVD. Only in New York do people not pay attention to little doll murderers swinging meat cleavers around.

Kenyan boy screams as he sees policeman with baton approach the door of his home. Hundreds of police moved into the shantytown and did a house to house search for protestors after they clashed with supporters of Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga.

An earthquake struck south-west China on May 12 killing over 55,000 people. This woman was searching for her daughter and husband among the rumble.

A relative carries the body of a 4-year-old girl during her funeral in Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. This was from the most recent “troubles”.

Michelle Williams at Heath Ledger’s memorial service in Australia. To celebrate his life, everyone jumped into the ocean.

One of my own iPhone shots. My mother sitting by my father’s hospital bed as we waited for him to die. I was across the room looking out the window when I separated myself from the scene and snapped the photo as an observer.

The last image I have of him looking at the camera (iPhone) is up on Flickr but it’s too haunting and depressing to put here.

Um, Happy New Year.

Me at Coney or Nellie Bly. I know…I’m adorable.

Fucked in Park Slope was inspired by NY Magazine’s “Reasons to Love NY” and wanted to do their own version on Brooklyn. Why is Brooklyn so badass? Here are my reasons:

1. Stoops! I loves to bullshit. What better pastime is there than hanging on my stoop shooting the breeze with my neighbors?

2. Eccentrics! The big scary looking dude with the fuzzy bunny slippers. The woman with no teeth who’s always smiling. The guy who tells worst jokes in the world but makes me laugh anyway.

3. Coney Island! Astroland may be gone, but Coney Island is a state of mind. Coney. Brighton. This is REAL Brooklyn. See “Eccentrics”.

4. Diners! Forget Starbucks and trendy coffee houses. Sit for hours, listen to the jukebox in your booth, have 10 cups of coffee and tawk to real New Yawkers.

5. Food Delivery! I’ve come to appreciate this more since I spend much of my time upstate. Pick up the phone. Get a meal. It’s something I took for granted all those years.

6. Bargains! Flea markets. Architectural salvage. Ikea. Weisman’s on McDonald. Domsey’s on Broadway.

7. Sahadi’s! I’m not throwing this into a “Grocery” category. Sahadi’s is in a class of it’s own. It’s that good.

8. The Brooklyn Museum! Second only to The Met. Well, maybe The Met and MOMA. But then it’s definitely third to none!

9. Prospect Park! I think I would enjoy it even if I didn’t have dogs, but my dogs asked me to include it because they LOVE going.

10. It’s my home! No matter where I roam. No matter where I live. I AM Brooklyn and you can take the girl out but….you know. My friends and family are (mostly) still there. It’s where I grew up and where my heart remains.

I check my Craig’s every morning looking for that Basquiat someone is selling for $15. There’s always some funny stuff listed, like waterlogged cigarettes or half used soap. But today I saw something that I just had to pass along.

It’s real estate in Putnam Valley, listed under “general”. $1600 will buy you and your loved one your eternal resting place. Yes, my friends, you can now buy cemetery plots on Craigs. Act now…it’s discounted!

1. Times Square. The obvious event. In all of my 43 years growing up in NYC, I’ve never once gone to Times Square for New Year’s Eve. It just seems so crowded and touristy. But hey, don’t let me stop you! It’s free and I’m sure it’s a high energy, fun event.

2. Midnight Run. NY Road Runners does a 4 mile course through Central Park. Party, fireworks and costume contest. Haven’t participated in this one either, but I’ve been in the park on New Year’s Eve. Just not running. Actually, you pay to run. But it IS free to watch. Or to run on your own.

3. Time’s Up Bike Ride. Meet up in Brooklyn or Queens and head to Central Park on your bike or skates. Potluck/party/fireworks.

4. Fireworks in Prospect Park. Been there, done that. There’s a party at Grand Army Plaza as well. So you can do the free Brooklyn thing.

5. Concert for Peace at Saint John the Divine. Reserved seating is 55 bucks, but general admission is free. Concert begins at 7pm.

6. Bridge Walks. Guided Brooklyn Bridge tour is $60 with NY Talks and Walks but nobody is stopping you from crossing any bridge for free. Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg all have walking paths. And the Brooklyn Heights Promenade ain’t too shabby for viewing fireworks.

7. Polar and Ice Bears. Ok, so this is New Year’s Day, not Eve. Coney Island. Go. Bring a camera and a bathing suit or change of clothes. Just do it. You won’t be sorry. See you there!

*Please excuse bad iPhone photos. Forgot the camera.

I take it you all enjoyed your holiday. We didn’t have any major plans so we just ended up working most of the weekend. Got some stuff accomplished, at least.

Yeah, we’re still on the living room in Bed Stuy. Let’s see, what did we get done?

Finished stripping the wainscoting. Yeah! Break out the champagne!

Demolition of the window surround at the front of the house. Years of water damage lead to rotted wood and loss of brick mortar. There’s  much to take care of in this little area, just like the back of the house, which had the same problem on all 4 floors.

There were actually two ongoing problems that caused damage to the house. The gutters were full, causing water to flow directly down the building. We haven’t fixed the second issue yet, but we must before our new work gets destroyed too. The ground pitch in both the front and back of the house leads rainwater to the basement instead of away from the house. Not a fun job, but then none of this is.

Anyway, back to the interior. So, hubby was repointing bricks this weekend. He’ll then replace rotted wood, including old termite damage. Oh yeah, and all the molding, etc. around the windows. All rot. We saved the shutters though. My job is to paint them.

My other job is to paint the “sink cabinet”. It’s going to be gold. Totally against the husband’s wishes, but that’s what happens when he doesn’t pay attention. I told him months ago what my plan was. Now he’s acting shocked. I primed it with an oil base because I want it to last. I also added a yellow tint to the primer because that gold paint takes about a thousand coats. I just learned recently that orange paint or primer under gold is the way to go since it will glow from underneath. The hardware store around the corner only had a peachy orange, so yellow it was.

Since most of this is pretty much stripped and sanded now, my job will be to paint as the husband closes off areas. I know it doesn’t look like it from the photos, but we’re getting there! No, really…we are!

Have a good weekend. See ya Monday!

I stumbled upon Haute Nature yesterday. Maybe I’ve been there before. I don’t know. I have no memory. Anyway, I was like a kid in a candy shop. Check it out….

These recycled belt tiles from Ting London are both brilliant and beautiful. I personally wouldn’t use them because being a strict vegetarian, I don’t do the leather thing. I know it’s recycled and I’m insane, but maybe I have issues walking on dead animal skin. Bad karma. No, I’m not in therapy. Anyway, the more practical reason I cannot have these is because they cost $75 per square foot.

Israeli design student Naty Moskovich makes furniture out of these plastic crates. I absolutely love it even though it sends me back to my starving artist days. This was totally how my house was furnished! Ikea? Couldn’t even afford that. Actually, I’m so old, I don’t think was even in the USA yet.

These plastic bottle curtains were used in Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. That’s a big space. I can’t see it working in a home. It would look kind of nutty. BUT!! Here’s an idea. If you cut the bottles into little pieces (different shapes), it could work. I’ll try it one of these days. Let ya know how it works out.

‘Tis my day off so I’m just going to do yet another cheater post and go back to sleep.

I received the following email from Vintage and Modern. It fills us in on what’s hot and what’s not and gives us an outlook for 2009. Interesting.

And take it away good ole’ cut and paste…..

“2008 YEAR IN REVIEW:

The product that sold better than any other piece of furniture on-line was… The X-Brace Low Bench in Steel with Chrome finish and Black Leather upholstery used in front of beds

The collectible category that made the most ground was… Palissy ware ceramics and Austrian ceramics

The Furniture item that lost the most value… 1950s mass-produced designers like Paul McCobb

The paint color that got the most play in interiors was … Grey

Some of the slowest selling furniture on-line was … “Brown” Victorian style furniture

The product that flooded the market the most on-line was… 1940’s-1960’s Italian glass table lamps

The product that dropped the most drastically in selling popularity was… Mirrored Furniture

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR 2009:

One of the big trends will be…

Japanamation….Asian will be taking another turn in the spotlight. It will be a bold Pop graphic Asian and 80s Mr. Roboto Asian. There will also be more interest in black lacquered items.

The Serious Furniture Collector will want… Memphis style furniture from the movement that brought Pop and De Stijl to the 70s-80s, as well as mosaic ceramics from the likes of Antonio Gaudi assistant, Jujol.

The Hot Collectible will be… Very large scale Italian colored glass, American designer art glass of the 80s and early Italian industrial design.

The most overused colors for interiors will be… Black and white with pops of red (or the transitional alternative grey and white with pops of red)

The largest change in attitude will be… Moving away from the luxury trend of the early 2000’s to a sensible VALUE oriented (not cheap but correctly priced!) 2010’s.”

Bronx-based non-profit, The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDCo), just launched an interactive website to help furnish apartments for low-income and formerly homeless families.

The Intervale Green housing complex will open next month to 127 families – several currently living in city shelters. Reclaimed materials and water/energy saving appliances have been used in the building. And here’s where I cut and paste: “The building utilizes smart growth elements, including proximity to public transportation and tenant-accessible green roofs and courtyards for gardening and exercise; it promotes community and economic development with 4 new ground floor commercial spaces, plus free computers and low-cost internet service for tenants; it brings more than 35 new trees and a public park to a former brownfield site; and it saves energy and reduces storm water runoff, all while creating a beautiful new landmark in a formerly vacant lot.” 

Through the MovingDay.org website, people can donate to fit their budget – from a single lamp to an entire furnished apartment. Gifts can be made in honor of someone for the holidays.

The disease has spread to the hallway.

Once again, I’ve spent my week finding salvaged pieces around the house looking to make something useful out of them. This coming Sunday is my last market of the season (Gifted) and then my life and this blog goes back on track for a few weeks until I show up at the Dumbo market.

Here’s what I came up with this week.

Some guy from Manhattan Fruitier came up to me at the flea market and gave me this box. I painted it and put some felt on the inside bottom and now it’s a golden beauty.

Yeah, been there, done that. I’m getting bored with these door knob hooks already, but buyers aren’t and I’m a ho for the dollar. I got my hands on some nice glass knobs and detailed back plates, so I’m groovin’ to these. How do you like my molding on top? No miter. Just by eye. It sucks, I know.

I experimented with some 6×6 parquet tile flooring. I love the way these frames look, but I need to figure out what to do with the back because the mesh alone is not strong enough. Ideas? The images below are parquet flooring also.

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