An Elegant, Quiet Christmas

We've been waiting for a while to use the next two images. We think, somhow, they epitomize the elegance of a NYC Christmas--a little melancholoy, quiet side streets that have nothing to do with the Rockefeller Center and 5th Avenue crowds, and an imperfection in the midst of artificial snow and jolly Saint Nicks.

A Christmas tree on the Upper East Side, December 2009

Jamie Wyeth, The Day After Christmas, from Life Magazine in 1971 via NIBS

Holiday in the City: A Lion in Winter

We've featured the window at Lion Brand Yarns before. This gem on 15th Street between 5th and 6th always has stellar windows, and this holiday season is no different with a larger-than-life, beautifully realized lion...every detail exquisitely knit. Their windows rival "the big boys" and in NYC, that's saying something!

Portraits of Admiration: LESC Bridge 2 Life Camp & Kid's Club

Walking by Angel Street Thrift in Chelsea, we were stopped in our tracks by a portrait of Obama. Though not popular with many these days, the President's likeness was full of hope, admiration and strength. We love primitives and naive art--children's art being a true favorite. There is something special about an innate sense of rhythm, color and composition. We ask ourselves when the last time we felt the joy of free, unhindered expression. A look at these works of art, portraits of people the kids admire (and available for a $50 donation to the Lower East Side Services Center), may give you pause as well.

On the Brighter Side...

The main house is coming along beautifully, and it's Hanukkah! Below is a "Before & During" shot of the dinning room, featuring some newly acquired Hanukkah presents.

"Before"

"During"

19th century portrait of a gentleman

19th century fence post finial

(the present was the stand, we found the finial a fews months back in Maine)

Home Improvement? Step #1 in Our Guest House Renovation

What was once a perfectly liveable (if not a bit twee) guest house has been, over the course of the last two weekends, transformed into a shell. Our mothers always told us that it gets worse before it gets better, so we've taken that to heart and are in the processes of "clearing the slate."

The living room this weekend

The livingroom in October

The kitchen eating area this weekend

Peaceful and "homey" back in October

The bathroom and cabinets this weekend

Back in October

Color, Texture, Africa

We've all seen the copies of ancient African tribal art in the flea markets around the city, but a few weeks ago we were able to see a collection of the real-deal at a collector, restorer and base maker's studio in midtown. Aside from being fascinated by the finished pieces, we were blown away by the detail of craftsmanship, use of materials and color palette. Inspiration found!

Hunting Season

While driving to the local hardware store this weekend, we came across an unusual site for a pair of New Yorkers: a gutted deer hanging from a tree in the front yard of a tiny Cape. Putting the circle of life conversation aside, the still reality of this beautiful creature brought to mind Henning Bock's Diorama Series in which, "the concepts of life and death, real and unreal are challenged by Bock whose unique approach to wildlife photography has resulted in an image that is strangely unsettling yet extremely intriguing."

Henning Bock, Diorama #8

Henning Bock, Diorama #1

Henning Bock, Diorama #4

Henning Bock, Diorama #6

Frosty Morning, NH Style

This weekend in NH also brought us our first signs of snow for the season. The ground was covered with the most delicate dusting and the trees were highlighted with winter white as if painted with oil. But what we noticed first was the frost on our windows as we woke up covered in down, looking at our mantel filled with some of the days most delicate finds.

Pop Goes New York

A few Sundays ago, we spent the day wandering around the city. A few shops, lunch and a museum make for an artful afternoon...

Calligraphic graffiti on Houston in Soho reminds us a bit of Mark Tobey

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A bit of sign language on 6th in the Village

Bike Path through a Lower East side park

New Converse store on Broadway in Soho

The School for Objects Criticized, Alexandre Singh at the New Museum

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Movement and Stillness, Americana

Last year we visited the MoMA to see, Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West. While our weekend trips keep us in the Northeast, the spirit of those images have really resonated with us as we travel through the small towns and villages of New England--from local fairgrounds, to tiny motels, to the inspirational people we meet along the way...each with an amazing story and an individual expression of boundless creativity.

Robert Adams Longmont, Colorado

Motel interior, Adamstown, Pennsylvania

Giorgio De Chirico, Irving Penn

Vintage quilt

Robert Adams Colorado Springs, Colorado

Hilltop Motel, Westport, New York

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Ezra Pound, Richard Avedon

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