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An Upcycled Craft Show in Gowanus

An Upcycled Craft Show in Gowanus published on

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This past weekend I participated in Build it Green’s Crafted at the Canal in Gowanus. ‘Twas really nice to take part in a show where all of the goods were made out of recycled materials. Not only that, but it was my first time in BIG’s new Brooklyn location. OMG, it is huge! I’d say that have it only about 30% filled with used building merch as they only moved in about a month ago.

Anyway, back to the craft show, which will be happening again this weekend: Dec. 17th & 18th. 10am-5pm.

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WoodKnot Design is a couple of extremely talented guys who know how to work old wood. It’s obvious the photos depict items made out of antique shutters and doors, but the medicine cabinet above was once an old swing set. Always impressive to hear about the past lives of objects.

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Bespoke Glass Tile gets a percentage of it’s glass through a commercial recycling resources, including Build it Green. They are a green company, right down to their shipping supplies and web host. Ellen and Lesley create beautiful glass tiles for backsplashes and house projects, but I love their gifty tile creations made out of cabinet doors and sewing machine drawers.

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I was severely crushing on these recycled t-shirt pillows by Tura Lura. This talented chick does gaw-geous crocheted and embroidered jewelry too, but she had me at hello with the old shirts. Darth Vader? Awesome. Superman? Who doesn’t want a Superman pillow?

So, y’all should swing by this weekend to support these and many other upcycled vendors (including myself). Need more persuading? Check out what Build it Green has on hand….

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Upcycled Crafty Stuff

Upcycled Crafty Stuff published on

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Build it Green’s Crafted at the Canal starts tonight! Come and get your free beer from 5-9pm courtesy of Brooklyn Green Drinks.

About 30 crafters are taking part in the 5 day show which is on all of this weekend and next.

These are some of my newer creations. Haven’t gotten them online yet, so you’ll have to stop by if you want them. 🙂

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It’s a First Dog Christmas at the White House

It’s a First Dog Christmas at the White House published on

This year’s White House Christmas tree theme, at least for the blue room anyway, honors the military. That’s wonderful and it’s the admirable thing to do because the military deserves our respect. But guess who got the oohs and ahs out of this gal? The dog.

Christmas has gone to the dogs in the White House this year and Bo’s approval rating is probably higher than his Dad’s these days. Wonder if Bo would let the Republicans keep him on such a tight leash?

Bo 2012!

Via Washington Post

 

 

Finally! Some Culture at BAM!

Finally! Some Culture at BAM! published on

FOOD FIGHT!!! TOGA! TOGA! TOGA! Yeah, you know it, baby! The Brooklyn Academy of Music is going animal. Not just that, but manimal too. Eight films by director John Landis include Animal House, American Werewolf in London and The Blues Brothers among others. There are book signings and Q&A on a couple of nights. See the schedule here.

Weekend Events

Weekend Events published on

The Fall Crafts in Chelsea is this Saturday, October 15th from 10am-5pm. The block long event takes place on W. 21st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. The semi annual show benefits PS 11. Etsy NewNew team used to organize it before handing it over to BK Craft Central. Yeah, I’ll be participating with my reclaimed stuff, so come visit!

The 33rd Annual Bed Stuy House Tour takes place this Saturday, October 15th, 11am-4pm, rain or shine. The event is brought to you by The Brownstoners of Bed Stuy, a group that was formed back in 1978 when Bed Stuy was Do or Die. Many homes in the neighborhood still have much of their historic detail intact as there wasn’t an influx of gentrifiers doing gut renovations. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 day of. Proceeds go towards college scholarships for students at the Boys & Girls High School and the programs at Brooklyn Academy High School.

Finally, the big weekend long event is Open House New York, when you can gain free access hundreds of sites, talks, tours, performances and family activities throughout the five boroughs. Private residences, landmarks, rooftop farms and sustainable skyscrapers will open their doors to the public. So, what’s the catch? The crowds. For $150 you can buy a front of the line passport. Or you can just visit these places some other time.

Occupy the Future

Occupy the Future published on 2 Comments on Occupy the Future

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After three weeks of the Occupy Wall Street protests, we finally got down there over the weekend. Of course, we chose to go to Zuccotti Park the day the protesters were occupying Washington Square. Back at Zuccotti, it was pretty much just the campers and some musicians left. And lots of media.

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The occupiers chose to camp at Zuccotti because it’s not a public park with city curfews. The privately owned plaza stays open 24 hours per day and although owners, Brookfield Properties, aren’t happy about it, there hasn’t been much they can do about it.

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Right wing media outlets have been reporting that the protests are just a bunch of trust fund hippies. Left wing outlets point to the thousands of folks involved, including unions and churches. What we saw was something in between. Yeah, there are plenty of hippies! And there were older hippies too, those who protested back in the 60’s and just waiting for the day that this generation would wake up.

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Lack of diversity? False. Perhaps it started out as a young white-kid thing, but it is now a racially mixed group.

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Unsanitary conditions? Again, perhaps at first, but the campers have a janitorial crew and even a gray waste water system. It’s like a little sustainable village in that park.

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No clear message? The original message has expanded to include the liberal dream. Peace. Feed the hungry. You know, make the world a better place for everyone. Looks like people have had enough of the Entitled throwing their weight around. Their hope-or should I say-“our” hope has faded since the President is weaker than we had anticipated.

Occupy Wall Street is a bunch of fed up folks who want to change their future. As Elvis Costello put it, there’s nothing funny about peace, love and understanding.

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Halloween Performances

Halloween Performances published on

Forget those pedestrian haunted houses of our yesteryear. These days you have to be an Artiste to put on a Halloween spookfest in NYC. It’s more performance art and less kids-having-fun-with-make-up.

Third Rail Project presents Steam Punk Haunted House at the Abrons Arts Center Henry Street Settlement. The contemporary adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass”  is an installation, dance and performance art that takes place on three floors of the historic theater. Tickets start at $20 and the show begins on October 22nd.

Creepshow at the Freakshow is Coney Island’s answer to a Halloween haunted house. It’s an interactive play named “The Ride Inspector’s Nightmare” that takes place all throughout the landmarked Freak Show building. The show starts on October 7th and runs until All Hallow’s Eve. Tickets are $10.

Blackout NYC promises a sexual and violent experience. You must be 18 to enter, must enter alone and sign a waiver! Sounds pretty creepy to me! The midtown haunted house has already started and runs all month. Some shows are already sold out. Tickets are $35-$40.

Of course, if you want to do a zombie walk for a cause, you can always join them at Occupy Wall Street. That is free, as in Free-dom.

I’m a Mac.

I’m a Mac. published on 4 Comments on I’m a Mac.

Once in a while I veer away from this blog’s topic to post on an unrelated subject. I may not have ever had a blog and you may not have been sitting there reading this if it was not for Steve Jobs.

As a college freshman in 1984, I took a computer course. Hated it!! Do you kids know how scary computers were before Jobs developed a user friendly interface? Some C Drive/DOS crap. WTF?

I’ve been a Mac person ever since I saw that smiley disk face on a neighbor’s computer. Didn’t realize computers could be fun. I’ve belonged to the Cult of Apple for over 20 years now. I was disappointed that the iPhone 5 was not announced earlier this week and even more disappointed that it was not Jobs making the announcement.

Take a moment to stop and think how different your life would be without Steve Jobs. No, he did not invent the first computer, the first smart phone, tablet or digital music download. But he perfected each and every one of them so we can all use them. Chances are you have an iPod, iPhone, iPad or Mac that gets a massive amount of use. Or are you downloading iTunes on your PC? Are you using equipment that is based on Apple technology? Pretty sure you are whether you realize it or not.

Without the visionaries of the world, we would still be writing on the walls of the caves we live in. So, thank you Steve Jobs and those who have come before you. Hopefully .0001% of your genius has rubbed off on the rest of us.

To infinity and beyond, Mr. Jobs.

Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is…

Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is… published on 1 Comment on Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is…

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It’s not often I get a fun AND informative expense paid weekend. Once again, thanks to the Plastics Make it Possible campaign for inviting me along to the Solar Decathlon in DC. I was honored to be included among such bloggers of awesomeness as Jetson Green, Dwell, Shawna Coronado and Ugly Duckling House .

The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative, but we struggled through it like troopers. The first home we toured with Brooks Utley was the Caltech Compact Hyper Insulated Prototype or CHIP. I’m not gonna lie. The interior was nice, but this house was alllll about the exterior for me. Anything that looks like a space ship is fabnificent in my book. The CHIP does not have any insulation, not because they are from sunny California and don’t need it. It’s because that funky puffy “siding” acts as the outsulation, a word they are trying to get into the dictionary. CHIP’s skin is made of heavy-weight (24oz/yrd) recycled white vinyl. White was used to reflect as much of solar radiation as possible, reducing cooling load. The “siding” is highly durable and waterproof.

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Florida International University also had an impressive exterior. Their perFORM[D]ance House has layered walls designed to protect the house from undesired elements. Check out their website for energy performance on the walls and windows. It’s the louver system I want to discuss. The PVC and aluminum panels shade and protect the house as well as provide hurricane protection. Looks a bit nicer than the plywood or duct tape people were using here for Irene, no?

University of Maryland First Place in Solar Decathlon

The winner of the 2011 Solar Decathlon was the University of Maryland with their Watershed project. They best utilized sustainable design for running the entire house.

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Check out the home’s control panel with an easy button thrown in for good measure.

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The dehumidifier is a work of art. The Innovative Liquid Desiccant Waterfall (LDW) system was developed by Maryland’s 2007 LEAFHouse team. A high-saline solution absorbs humidity from the air as it falls through back lit plastic “jellyfish”. It’s beautiful AND smart.

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My personal favorite was New York’s Parsons School of Design. Not because I’m partial to NY (I am). Not even because I thought the house had the best overall design. It’s the story behind it that I fell in love with. The EmpowerHouse is a Habitat for Humanity home and of all the houses we toured, this one felt like a HOME. It’s probably because the lucky family who are inheriting the house were there on hand. Their photos were on display. This was actually someone’s home and I got a little verklempt when I met them.

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My own honorable mention and the winner of the People’s Choice Award is Appalachian State’s Solar Homestead. Whereas some of the entries felt a bit cramped, this home had space and style. Once again, it was the exterior that blew me away.

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The modular porch with outbuildings is kept dry by a bifacial PV canopy that acts as a net zero energy source for the home. The technology allows each 195 watt panel to collect sunlight bounced from below as well as above.

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But honestly, the had me at the bark siding. Yes, this is durable and water resistant as long as it’s not sitting in a flood zone. The bad news is that it’s expensive.

Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on some other innovations I saw and easy DIY techniques we can steal for you kids to try at home. The bark included. Yum!

 

Tennis for the Youths! Bed Stuy

Tennis for the Youths! Bed Stuy published on

Forgive me for the cut and paste I’m about to commit….

2nd Annual Bed-Stuy Open Free Youth Tennis Jamboree

 On October 1, 2011 the Kings County Tennis League (KCTL) will hold their Second Annual Bed-Stuy Open Tennis Jamboree in the Marcy Playground on the corner of Myrtle Ave. and Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn. The Jamboree is completely free for youth and parents residing in Bedford Stuyvesant.  Students from the organization’s two local teams, Marcy and Tompkins Tennis Clubs will also be completing in their new team jerseys.  Every participant will receive an award.  The event includes trophies, donated prizes, barbeque, and live music.  There will also be a voter registration table and outreach by Black Life study.

KCTL is a registered 501c3 non-profit located in Bed-Stuy whose mission is to use tennis as a vehicle for positive mentorship and community building.  They literally bring tennis to the children of Marcy and Tompkins Houses using portable tennis nets, donated equipment, and young inspired volunteers.

Over 60 youth are planned to participant along with 20 volunteers.  More information may be found at Marcy Tennis Club and on Facebook.  Jamboree will be held on Saturday October 1st.  Registration begins at 12:30.  Jamboree runs from 1:00-3:00.

 

Dining Out For A Good Cause

Dining Out For A Good Cause published on

Hey NYC, still feeling guilty about kvetching about how lame Hurricane Irene was only to find out that upstate was devastated? Well, here’s your chance to redeem yourselves. And don’t worry, it doesn’t involve donating your favorite pair of shoes or picking up a hammer. It’s something we all love to do….dine out!

Dine Out Irene means that this Sunday (yeah, today) participating restaurants will donate 10% of sales to aid local farmers who were hit hard a few weeks ago. Not enough notice? Check the list. Some restaurants are running it tomorrow as well. Annnndddd….there are a few joints outside of the city, so if you’ve got some spare change in your pocket, you really don’t have an excuse not to do this now, do you?

 

 

Weekend Events

Weekend Events published on

The Dumbo Arts Festival starts Friday night and goes all weekend long. Visual art, video and performances take place indoors and out allll around the waterfront neighborhood.

The 7th Annual Vendy Awards are taking place on Governors Island this Saturday. Come with an empty stomach because this event honors the street food vendors. General admission has sold out, so hurry up and buy your tickets now. They ain’t cheap, but the splurge VIP could be worth the $165 price tag.  Table service, no lines.

While you’re on Governors Island, check out the awesome art fair that runs every weekend in September. Go early. There are about 4 four story buildings to get through and you don’t want to miss any of these talented artists.

Here’s an estate sale in Weston, CT that looks worth the trip. It goes the entire weekend starting this morning (quick!). Artwork, furniture and decoratives! But the best part is the “barn full of antiques”.

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