Many of you are probably familiar with Jonathan Harris.   He is, in my mind, a genius.  While he has created a number of fantastic projects, he seems to have gotten the most press for We Feel Fine, an interactive exploration of human emotion, which also just recently became the We Feel Fine book.  If you haven’t checked it out, do.

More recently, he created a series of vignettes titled World Building in a Crazy World, which are based on a talk he gave at UCLA as part of the Mobile Media Lecture Series.  When I first came across them, I was in a cozy hotel in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome wrapping up a two week vacation and mildly dreading heading back to NYC.  After reading them, my mind shifted; I wanted to dive back into the projects I was working on and see how I could make them better.  I became “less concerned with how the world is, and more with how the world could and should be.”  As Jonathan sees it, the series is about the current state of the digital world.  As I see it, the vignettes are about life and how to be more conscious of how we live it.

Think about his points.  Soak them in.   Apply them to your life where it feels right.  I did and I’m a better person because of it.

Seriously, Leica?   Does it get anymore gorgeous than this?   This classic M7 35mm gets the special treatment with a silver chrome finish and thanks to Hermes, a choice of either orange or tan calfskin leather.   Orange please!  This beauty can be delivered to your doorstep in a linen-covered, silk-lined box for a mere £8,550 (about $14,250).

*via engadget

The NYTimes has a great story about the gaining popularity of Bento Boxes.  One of the bento creators they feature is “Bentomom” who posts the photos of the bentos she makes for her kids on Flickr.  Her attention to detail is amazing and so cute.  You can see more of her clever creations here and the full NYTimes here.

On a recent trip to Portland, we made an evening out of a delicious dinner at Clyde Common and a late night photobooth session next door at The Ace Hotel.

Dinner:
-pork belly served on top of a fried green tomato, pocha beans and piccalilli
-roasted beets with potatoes, boiled eggs, pickled carrots and touch of fennel
-grilled flatiron steak accompanied by a smoked tomato relish
-roasted peach shortcake with a maple-bourbon ice cream and a dollop praline cream

Cocktail of choice:
East of Eden: Bombay Dry, lemon, elderflower liqueur, Gewurtzraminer reduction and an egg white served up

Summer perfection.

Last week we had the opportunity to spend the day up at the Storm King Art Center.  Storm King is a sprawling 500 acre museum filled with sculptures by Alexander Calder, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Mark di Suvero, Richard Serra, Ursula von Rydingsvard and many others.  Imagine rolling hills, birds, wild flowers and the ability to wander and explore from all angles.  Regardless of the cloudy skies and sprinkles, it was a perfect way to spend a day.  We’ll no doubt be back again soon for a picnic and more wandering.

I love the small coincidences in life.  I came across these intricate and gorgeous terrariums at Paula Hayes’s studio on East 13th street in NYC.  When I went online to see more of her work, I discovered that in addition to her terrariums, bird feeders and silicone planters, she also happens to be a fellow Skidmore alum.

Paula has designed landscapes and gardens for a few lucky ones including renowned designer Jill Stuart and gallerists David & Monica Zwirner (who coincidentally represent Marcel Dzama.)

Enjoy the playfulness of Paula’s website here.

My dear friend Bryn over at paper tastebuds did a lovely post about Diana Yen and Lisel Arroyo, the masterminds behind The Jewels of NY, a blog that beautifully intersects their talents in cooking, photography, design and just overall gorgeousness.  Included with the photographs are recipes for those who want to try and create their magic.  Here you can find the recipe for the Chocolate Pots de Crème with Rosemary Whipped Cream pictured above  and below is the recipe for the beautiful Flatbread.  Enjoy!

Caramelized Fennel and Tomato Flatbread
Serves 2

1/4 ounce package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup for kneading dough
1 large egg
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 to 4 campari tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 of a fennel bulb, sliced, reserve about 1/4 cup fennel fronds
2 cloves of garlic, mashed into paste
1/4 cup fontina cheese, grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
fleur de sel to serve

In a small bowl stir together yeast and warm water, let stand for about 5 minutes.

Beat together egg, 1 tablespoon of oil and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, add in 1 1/2 cups of flour and create a well in the center of the flour. Add yeast mixture into the well then add the egg mixture. Using a fork or your hands combine mixture until dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until stickiness is gone and feels smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into a bowl, place dough in oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a large skillet over moderate heat melt butter then add in the fennel, salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir occasionally until tender and golden, about 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F

On a floured surface, knead the dough and roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 19-by 10-inch rectangle cast iron skillet. Brush dough with remaining olive oil then evenly distribute garlic paste, cheese, caramelized fennel, tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice and fennel fronds. Bake flatbread for 35 minutes until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve warm.

It is very rare that a day goes by where I don’t feel blessed, fortunate or lucky.  It is only 3:28pm on this Monday afternoon and I have already felt that feeling a handful of times; it helps that I woke up to gorgeous sunny skies.  After opening the curtains, I made a delicious breakfast of fresh ricotta, thinly sliced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of aged balsamic on toasted whole wheat bread.
But I’m not here to tell you that I’m in a good mood or had what I deem the perfect breakfast.  What I’m here to write about is how damn lucky I am to have so many talented and amazing friends.  Tonight, after an event at The Eldridge with the Dining and Libations Society, I’ll make my way out to Williamsburg to cheer on Au Revoir Simone, an amazingly talented group of musicians.

Our friend, Erika, who plays in the band, graduated with us from Skidmore College and we’ve been fortunate to stay in touch with her since then.  Tonight they are surprising people and doing a small show in Williamsburg.  Then they head off to Europe to release their new album, Still Night, Still Light.

Congratulations lovely ladies.  This is an amazing journey to watch from the sidelines!

You can preorder the album here.