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NYC Snaps Photos and Furniture

NYC Snaps Photos and Furniture published on

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What happens when a photographer/design consultant teams up with a furniture designer and reclaimed timber expert? “Made of New York” furniture happens.

John-Michael Ekeblad is the photographer. He builds the frames around the images as well. His work is snippets of NYC life. The cockroach is kind of our mascot, isn’t it?

The reclaimed wood furniture is pretty awesome. Prices aren’t crazy for the quality of work and materials.  Just check out some of the stuff for yourself!

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Black armchair: $1150.

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Dining O-Stool: $290

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Dresser: $990.

Via Cool Hunting.

Coney Island 1/1/11

Coney Island 1/1/11 published on 1 Comment on Coney Island 1/1/11

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Happy 2011! We made our annual trek down to Coney for the Polar Bear swim. Apologies for the photos in advance. Arrived too late to get the 1pm “Everybody into the water!”, then realized my lens filter was shattered and stuck on the lens. So, some artsy “cracked lens” technique going on here.

New Year’s Day Polar Bears 2009

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Check out the shot of me photographing this guy!

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A Decade in NYC. Final Chapter

A Decade in NYC. Final Chapter published on 2 Comments on A Decade in NYC. Final Chapter

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The 2009 event to remember was another plane crash, but this time with a happy ending. Captain Sully became our hero when he landed the downed plane safely on the Hudson and saved everyone aboard.

And finally, it’s 2010. I’m confused as to whether or not this is part of the oughts or part of the new decade, but in any event it looks like Armageddon. Tornadoes, blizzards, even a local earthquake. Nothing compared to Haiti’s earthquake, for sure.

Guess we should stop whining about a bit of snow and be happy for what we’ve got.

Happy New Year!! Bring it!

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A Decade in NYC. Part I
A Decade in NYC. Part II
A Decade in NYC. Part III

A Decade in NYC. Part III

A Decade in NYC. Part III published on

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2006: Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashes his plane into an apartment building on 72nd Street, killing himself and his flying instructor.

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Also in 2006, legendary Bowery rock club CBGB closes it’s doors. The final nail in the coffin of old school NYC.

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By the end of 2007, the bed bug epidemic swept the city. Three years later, we’re still dealing with it.

Times Square Celebrates Obama

2008 was the year of Obama. New Yorkers took to the streets to celebrate in every borough (including Staten Island, but they were evidently McCain supporters).

A Decade in NYC. Part I
A Decade in NYC. Part II
A Decade in NYC. Final Chapter

A Decade in NYC. Part II

A Decade in NYC. Part II published on 2 Comments on A Decade in NYC. Part II

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The day the lights went out in NYC. August 2003. Where were you? I was upstate. Oddly enough, I missed the black out of 1977 too because I was at a bungalow colony with my family that summer.

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In 2004, the Republican National Committee decided to hold their convention in our little liberal paradise. WTF? They were met with some resistance. Go figure.

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Finally, the end of 2005 brought us the transit strike.  Right in the middle of winter. Fun.

A Decade in NYC. Part I
A Decade in NYC. Part III
A Decade in NYC. Final Chapter

A Decade in NYC. Part I

A Decade in NYC. Part I published on 1 Comment on A Decade in NYC. Part I

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The oughts are almost over and the teens are just around the corner. Since I just realized this today, I’ll be grouping up on my look back at each year of the decade. Today: 2000-2002.

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Back when we were partying like it was 1999, some were concerned about Y2K. The millennium went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, a year and 9 months later, we got a front row seat to what disaster looks like. Obviously, September 11, 2001 is New Yorkers’ most unforgettable event of the decade and possibly the century.

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My special NYC moment of New Year’s eve 2002? We said good riddance to Mayor Guiliani! Complain as much as you want about Bloomberg, but Guiliani was the devil.

A Decade in NYC. Part II
A Decade in NYC. Part III
A Decade in NYC. Final Chapter

Snow Day!

Snow Day! published on

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Wow, thought I’d get out and take some snappies of the snow this morning. I couldn’t walk more than half as block as nothing is shoveled or plowed yet. These are images of Verona Place and Macon Street. Fulton is a-ok.

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Most importantly, check out my car! I didn’t have to clear it. The wind blew the right way. I know, I know…I’ll be plowed in later.

We couldn’t even open the door to the back yard and the dogs didn’t want to go out on our tiny path in the front. Hubby had to climb down from the second floor window to shovel an area in the back for the finicky pups. Little bitches.

Wanna Hear My To Do List?

Wanna Hear My To Do List? published on 2 Comments on Wanna Hear My To Do List?

Feb 20 (Day 51): To Do List

No? Tough. Now that we’re all moved back to Brooklyn and have the finances to seek help from a pro, I’m making lists, baby! We’ve been living out of tote boxes for 7 months now, ignoring the mess until Gifted is over on Thursday.

Anyway, here’s the to do list:

1. Hallway Privacy! Yes, we still share a communal hallway with the upstairs tenants. We took over the parlor floor with intention of having garden/parlor duplex. It will get done (this week!) but in the meantime, we’ve been making sure the coast is clear before running upstairs in our jammies. It’s pretty pathetic.

2. Closets! Oops, maybe I have too many clothes. And all I ever wear is a single pair of Levi’s. We need to change the laundry room closet shelving into a hanging clothes closet. There aren’t even doors on it at the moment. But oh, how luxurious it’s going to be! The laundry room is right outside our bedroom. Bed. Laundry. Closet. Perfect for the lazy person.

3. Molding. Our 6 peeing cats are still locked in one room because the hallway isn’t ready. We need to make all cat areas pee proof. That means finishing up the baseboard that we haven’t bothered installing in the 5 years we’ve owned the house. Baseboard + caulk=less pee seepage into floor boards.

4. Light fixtures. For the past 16 years we’ve been renovating one house or another. And for the past 16 years we’ve been living with those light bulb pig tails until a house is ready to sell. Well, I’m determined to enjoy this house! Fabulous light fixtures and all.

5. Basement. We had a kitty hang out in our first house in Park Slope. We didn’t lock them down there, but we made it a comfy area so they would want to stay. The food and litter… basement. We had sealed concrete walls and floor with drains so we could just hose it down. It was a dream to clean. The plan is to recreate that here in Bed Stuy.

Feed the World

Feed the World published on 2 Comments on Feed the World

Remember Band Aid back in 1984? Then the Americans tried to do a version of it which sucked. Anyway, I was just reminded of the Live Aid show in 85. Check it out…Sting was still hot. Freddy Mercury and that guy from Big Country were still alive. Bono had a mullet. Paul Weller didn’t look like a scary old lady with frosted hair. We knew the name of that other guy from Wham.

Good times. Good times.

50 Years Ago in Park Slope

50 Years Ago in Park Slope published on

Many of us weren’t even born yet in 1960, but most of us now know what disaster looks like when a plane smashes into a crowded neighborhood. Such was the case in Park Slope 50 years ago today, when a United Airlines flight came down on 7th Avenue and Sterling Place.

It was the deadliest air disaster at the time, killing 134 people. One boy survived, only to die the next morning. Of all the people who perished that day, Stephen Baltz puts a human face on the disaster. Please read these two wonderful articles….

“A Little Brother Remembers” appears today in the NY Times written by William Allen Baltz, Stephen’s brother.

In 2002, Wendell Jamieson wrote a piece for the Times called “The Day The Boy Fell From The Sky“. He writes of Stephen’s rescue and introduces us to the nurse who stayed with the boy in the hospital.

10 Reasons to Shop Gifted

10 Reasons to Shop Gifted published on

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Gifted starts today at 11am and runs through December 23rd. Why shop Brooklyn Flea’s Gifted? LIST!!!

1. It’s indoors and heated.

2. A million subway lines plus the LIRR will get you there.

3. Support small businesses.

4. Nothing made in China. Unless it’s an antique.

5. Most vendors accept credit cards and if not, there’s an ATM in the building.

6. Who doesn’t like hand made??

7. Plenty o’ food for the foodies.

8. Have ya seen The Williamsburgh Savings Bank? It’s friggin gorgeous!

9. Maybe the Christmas music won’t be so bad (no promises).

10. I’ll be there. Space G-69 in the back room. Blog posts may be sporadic this week, so you’ll have to come for in-person updates.

Goodbye, Dream Home

Goodbye, Dream Home published on 2 Comments on Goodbye, Dream Home

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In a few hours we’ll be closing on the sale of our Beacon house. Don’t get me wrong, I’m elated that I’ll have one less headache. You know the saying “The more you own, the more it owns you”. We’ll take weekends off instead of working on the house and we’ll buy toys for ourselves because we won’t be paying two mortgages. It’s all good!

I can’t help but feel a bit melancholic though. This was our dream house and it took us a long while to arrive at a place where we were able to afford our perfect house. We thought we would stay forever. We stayed for six years.

So, goodbye huge backyard. Goodbye spectacular antique woodwork. And stained glass. And awesome wrap around porch. So long, pocket doors. Turret.

It’s not you that we’re leaving, House. Don’t feel bad. As of today, you’ll get a fresh blast of love from someone new. If we could transplant you to Brooklyn, we would. But alas, it isn’t to be. We needed to be back in the city at this time.

We are fortunate enough to be living in another architectural dream of ours: The Brownstone.

But between you and I, House, Queen Anne Victorian trumps narrow brownstone living any day of the week.

I’ll miss you! 🙁

PS: I’m keeping the logo.

RIP Zig Zag Records on Avenue U

RIP Zig Zag Records on Avenue U published on 1 Comment on RIP Zig Zag Records on Avenue U

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Yeah, it still existed up until recently. If you grew up in Brooklyn, you probably frequented  Zig Zag Records throughout your teens, rummaging through albums, imported 45’s and back issues of NME. And chances are, like me, you haven’t been there since the 80’s unless you’re a vinyl aficionado.

To tell you the truth, I was under the impression that Zig Zag closed years ago. I’m never on Avenue U and I hardly even buy CD’s anymore, no less vinyl.

Ah, but back in the day! There were two record shops worth traveling to Avenue U for. Titus Oaks and Zig Zag. Titus Oaks, which shut down years ago, was the larger of the two. They were major! But Zig Zag was cooler (IMHO). It seemed more “cutting edge” and “under the radar” so to speak.

Zig Zag opened it’s doors in 1977 and had a large punk and new wave following at the time. By the 80’s, it kind of went heavy metal. I only discovered it in the 80’s during my own British Invasion phase and there was enough punk, ska and new wave to satisfy me. Never got into the metal thing.

I found that this guy bought out the collection. What’s next? Bleecker Bob’s?

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