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Weekend Events: NYC & Beyond

December 11, 2008 RH

Yeah, I know it’s only Thursday. I’m giving you time to plan ahead!

Transcending Boundaries Art Show. An exhibition of mosaic murals by Jessica Dias

With Renaissance Woman Anne Pope mixing global-eclectic beats

Portion of proceeds to go to Sustainable Flatbush
I see the invitation on Facebook but not on Sustainable Flatbush so I just cut and pasted.

WHERE:
Visions Restaurant & Bar
752 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn NY
(Coney Island Avenue and Cortelyou Road)
Subway: Q to Cortelyou Rd

WHEN:
Saturday, December 13, 2008, 6 pm

20% discount on food and drinks courtesy of Visions Restaurant & Bar

Mega hipster craft show at The Metropolitan Pavillion, 125 W. 18th St.

But don’t go to that…come visit me at Gifted! Or do both.

The 13th is Second Saturday in Beacon, which means loads of galleries and shops will have openings. On Friday the 12th, Fovea photography gallery will hold a benefit auction. Behind Bars (see photo above) is currently on exhibit.

Thursday Linkorama

December 11, 2008 RH 1 Comment

New Take On Street Art: City Room

Loves Saves The Day Closing: Jeremiah’s Vanishing NY

Gift of the Magi: Treehugger

12 Days of Christmas: Gardening Nude

Budget Bathroom: This Old House

Buying and Selling Art Online

December 10, 2008 RH 2 Comments

There are many websites where artists can upload their work to sell on their own without having to hand over half of their earnings to dealers. Here are a few….

Wooloo. “Self Portrait with Figs” by Emilia DeVitis (Yes, the same Emilia I work with)

Starving Artist Gallery. “Cycle” by Melissa Ellen Moore

Yessy. “Rainbow Robo” by Mike Capp

Artbreak. “Primary Game_6” by LGW

10 Things I Can’t Live Without

December 10, 2008 RH 2 Comments

I’d like to pay homage to some of the greatest inventions that I can’t live without. Whether they’ve helped me through a DIY project, a photo shoot or a cold winter’s day, they are things I need in my life.

Without further adieu…. A List:

1. Gorilla Glue “For the toughest jobs on earth.” Word.

2. Power Drill

3. Howard’s.If you don’t have the patience to sand and restore a piece of furniture, just apply some of this magic restorer.

4. Vinegar

5. Swiss Army Knife. Never leave home without it on a photo shoot. Screw driver, scissor, pliers, saw and of course….cork screw.

6. iPhone. Not because I’m obsessed with my email and internet. Not because I love having a camera in my pocket at all times. Not because I can listen to music or watch videos. The applications that can be downloaded are endless…GPS, tip calculator, flashlight, level, tape measure, dog whistle and fake calls to get you out of awkward situations.

7. Staple Gun. Reupholstery was never so easy. Backing frames. Bang! Bang! Who cares if it’s a crappy job? It’s sooo simple.

8. Bungees. They can take the place of clamps and hangers in a pinch.

9. Duct Tape

10. Hand Warmers. Saved my life last Sunday.

Brooklyn Flea Heats Up In Dumbo

December 9, 2008 RH 1 Comment

The Brooklyn Flea is moving indoors for the winter! The last day of the outdoor market in Ft Greene will be December 21st. It will return in April as the weather warms up.

Since Brooklyn can’t live without her antique and vintage goodies, Jon Butler and Eric Demby (flea fathers) have decided to launch a temporary pop-up market in an empty storefront at 76 Front Street.

The Dumbo flea location will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, 11-6 and runs from January 10th to March 29th. Hours and dates may shift due to unforeseen events or indeciciveness.

There will be approximately 30 antiques and vintage vendors and this heated space with electricity will be a bit more upmarket than the Ft Greene location.

Gothamist

NY Mag

Other Online Handmade Shops

December 9, 2008 RH 2 Comments

We all know about Etsy and how fabulous it is. But are there any other online venues in which to buy and sell handmade goods? Your intrepid reporter found out.

Artfest looks like an older, not-so-hip site. I’m not sure how current the listings are as the blog hasn’t been updated since 2007.

En Dawanda is Europe’s answer to Etsy. Even the software is similar. Watch out! They have some very nice stuff.

Electronic Cottage may look a bit outdated, but the site is easily navigated and they have some cool vendors.

Lov.li is an easy-to-shop worldwide site.

Mintd looks like a shop for hip young thangs who have some great stuff to offer.

I discovered most of these from an old post on Read Write Web.

Market Report: Braving The Cold Pays Off

December 8, 2008 RH

Yeah, I set up my booth at the Brooklyn Flea yesterday in those arctic temperatures. The sun was scarce, the wind was fierce, hey I rhymed!

Less than half of the outdoor vendors showed up, which meant less competition for those of us who did. Ah, but would the shoppers show? Well, there weren’t crowds of people, but those who were out there weren’t doing it because it was fun. They were there to shop. Or they didn’t realize there was an indoor show going on as well.

The photo above is of Gifted, the indoor show. I went into the Masonic Temple briefly to use the facilities. After suffering the cold all morning, I felt like a homeless person crashing a lavish party. The place was packed. People were hanging out, smiling, shopping. They were warm! I did my thing and returned to my freezing spot.

Did I make money? Yes! People bought things without too much bargaining because I earned it after working outdoors all day (They said so!). Would I do it again? Nah. I’m a wimp. I’m going indoors for the rest of the season.

But hey, if you want to pick up some extra money with your crafts or vintage items, here’s your chance to grab a spot at the Brooklyn Flea. It ends on December 21st and reopens in April, when spaces will be harder to get.

If you’re a shopper, please support those brave vendors who are sitting out there freezing their tokheses off. They’ve earned it!

Shocking Sidewalk Deaths

December 8, 2008 RH

Ever since I heard about a dog being electrocuted by stray voltage on a city street, I’ve been careful to keep my own dogs away from lampposts. It happens more often than you might think, although the numbers have declined since Con Ed and the DOT took responsibility after a person was killed.

Last week the NY Times reported on an Upper West Side dog named Sebastian who was killed by electrical voltage. The article links to Street Zaps, an informative website that maps out areas where voltage has been reported. You can contact them to report an incident. They list utility contacts in PDF as well.

Street Zaps’ safety tips list dog booties as ineffective; even more dangerous than bare paws because they could get waterlogged. It says to keep your dog away from any street lights or sidewalk metal. And you probably want to avoid them yourself.

Dear Santa,

December 5, 2008 RH 4 Comments

I know I said gifts were evil, but since I didn’t have anything else to write about today I came up with my wish list. Please do not hesitate to help me out here. I’ll accept any generous offer. Oh, and thanks in advance.

1. Flip Video

2. 3G iPhone. I have the older one. I’m jealous when I see people with the new model.

3. New pair of MBTs. They’re pricey! But they are all I wear these days what with my old lady feet and all.

4. Heater for the flea market.

5. New wardrobe that I don’t have to shop for and try on. Preferably vintage.

6. Massages every day for the rest of my life.

7. A vacation. Without the family.

8. A personal assistant. Someone who can do everything from the laundry to renovations. To massage.

9. Heck, an entire household staff. I want a chauffeur, a cook and a cleaning person.

10. New old house to work on. I’m bored with these.

11. Tickets to the inauguration.

Friday Linkorama

December 5, 2008 RH

Brooklyn Art Bus: Bed Stuy Blog

Meaningful Inspired Holiday Ideas: Creative Times

Top 10 Green Building Materials: Charles & Hudson

Eco-Friendly Washing Machine: Eco Gadget

Winterizing Yard Tools: This Old House

Why Meateaters Are Killing The Planet

December 4, 2008 RH 4 Comments

Photo by Dave Wild

I have my “Why I’m A Vegeterian” list of reasons prepared for when people ask. My husband gives some great scientific examples such as rain forest destruction and water consumption while I say “It’s icky to eat dead things.” He’s also better at the “Why we don’t have kids” argument. My best reason is “I’m not gonna carry that thing in my belly for 9 months and than squeeze it out my vagina!” But I digress…..

Meat. Oh yeah…Did you see the NY Times yesterday? Direct quote: “The trillions of farm animals around the world generate 18 percent of the emissions that are raising global temperatures, according to United Nations estimates, more even than from cars, buses and airplanes.” It goes on to say that this is not the case in the United States. Not for a good reason though. We just produce such high levels of emissions in other areas that this pales in comparison.

Wealthy, environmentally conscious countries (no, not us) have started experimenting with Beyond the Thunderdome solutions. I’m tellin’ ya, that Mad Max writer was a prophet!

Anyway, read the article if you want to get the facts. Stop here if you just want my opinion on why vegetarians are superior and should rule the earth.

How Do These Etsy Mofos Do It?

December 4, 2008 RH 4 Comments

So, as I reported yesterday, I’m taking much of my salvage and vintage flea crap and upcycling it for the winter season. I’m doing this partially because I only have one more outdoor day at the Brooklyn Flea and partially because, well, it’s the holidays and nobody is buying furniture as gifts.

Ok, so I woke up at 5am and got right to work. A few distractions here and there, some breaks, but by quittin’ time, I had only finished five pieces. WTF? Am I a dimwit or something?

What I want to know is this: How do people find enough hours in the day to produce several pieces, photograph them, measure and write text, then upload them to Flickr, Etsy and other stores? And I think some of these people have full time jobs!

And don’t get me started on the days I have to ~~cook~~ get take out, clean, do laundry and pay bills! Who are these superpeople and how can I become one of them?

So, hey, come bring me hot chocolate at the Brooklyn Flea this Sunday where I’ll be freezing my ass off. The following 2 weeks I get to do the Gifted show because I bitched and moaned and he just wanted to shut me up. Squeaky wheel gets the oil!

Brooklyn Has A Hall of Fame!

December 3, 2008 RH 2 Comments

Hey, Brooklyn has a Hall of Fame! It’s new and only online at the moment. I don’t know if they plan to have a physical museum. There doesn’t seem to be any info on their blog. But you do get a chance to vote on the first inductees! It’s all like, real people, not John Travolta and Adam Yauch. Oh, but in due time…

The blog is fun too….Al Capone was Brooklynite of the week and Weegee had the image of the week. Check it out!

Craftin’ The Night Away

December 3, 2008 RH 3 Comments

My disorganizational are amazing. The plan this week was too organize my crap and work more productively. As you can see from the photo above (my living room floor), it ain’t happening.

I’m trying to make the shift from falling back on selling vintage pieces to doing more hand made items for the holiday crafts scene. It’s tons of fun! But only if you have your act together.

I tried separating doorknobs by spreading them out on the floor. I’ll make some coat hangers and such out of them.

I took apart this clock to add the photo only to lose the screws. Now I can’t put it back together. Pathetic, huh?

Ok, this was fairly simple and I managed to accomplish something. I bought these irregular concrete tiles last year and they’ve been sitting in my basement ever since.

Add cork to the back and they are coasters! I left the numbers because I kinda like them.

This key holder/shelf would’ve taken less than a half hour to make. Too bad I couldn’t find screws, then I broke one of the glass knobs, then I couldn’t get the screw out of the replacement knob, then I couldn’t find the Modge Podge, then I couldn’t find the scissors…..I took this photo while the glue was still wet on side “hooks”. You can see them starting to slide down.

Local Handyman Service

December 2, 2008 RH

When we finished our Bed Stuy duplex renovation we got Today’s Maid cleaning service to come in and tidy it up for us. Two gals came and spent a few hours for $350 and the place was spotless and dust free. They weren’t available for our more recent tenant move out.

Today’s Maid is branching out. They’ve just started offering a handyman service. I can’t find the exact rates, but they have three pricing structures: hourly, monthly service package or job estimate.

So for all of you lame asses who can’t unclog a drain or change a light bulb, this is for you! But really, if you’re gonna call, watch and learn. Also a good idea for those lacking in the time department. I’d love to put together a to do list for someone else to take care of. Hey, what a great gift idea for your blogger buddy!

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