simple of blogs

Friday, January 28, 2011

Where climbers spend the night

In the 50 years of last century with climbers became fashionable to dwell in makeshift camps right on the cliff.It looks scary, but I would not have refused to try to sleep in a place - maybe you can get a lot of impressions.

Have we had enough snow?

Photo courtesy of my Dad.

This is quite similar to my commute down to Tribeca yesterday. We've had a lot of snow this season in NYC (understatement). Here are some fun accessories to help you get through this hard time in our lives called Winter.

DVF has the greatest winter accessories. This is the modern cool girl version of the dorky 90's turtle fur neck-warmer; a snood. The Alyssa Snood.

I'm almost always cold so these cute cable knit arm warmers would be great! Roxy Arm warmers from DVF.

After ruining a few pair of Uggs, I got these amazing boots made by Sorel. They're like snow boots and Uggs, and rain boots all in one. Not to brag but I've had about 5 people ask me where I got these! You can get them at Zappos for $150.

Marmot makes the cutest and warmest hats. I got one for Christmas with a big pom pom on top and LOVE it. It's kept me warm in all these crazy blizzards. This cute hat is only $32!

And back to interior design...and FUR. I will make a fur throw part of my life if it's the last thing I do. This pic from this awesome lady's blog. I think I'd just sit around and touch this fur all day long.

So are we sick of snow? It seems to just keep piling up here in NYC! At least I don't live near Syracuse anymore, which has had 10' of snow this winter. That's A LOT. I love seeing all the snowmen randomly built on the sidewalks though. Have ya'll had a lot of snow this Winter? We're due in for another mini storm here--get ready.

Alicia B.

PCA SKIN

What does skin care have to do with design? Not much but I was just online here ordering product and love this stuff so much I thought I'd share the love with you.

I've struggled with blemishes for years and nothing helped. I won't list everything I've tried over the years, but believe me, I tried just about everything. I was obsessed and even considered becoming an esthetician at one point because I was so enthusiastic about finding a remedy for break outs. That is when I met Linda, a very talented esthetician who was as passionate about solving the mystery of bad skin. I became her test rat and we started a journey using only PCA products and my skin got better so of course I'm a big fan.

Do you have a product you love for your skin? What is it? {I'm still a geek for skin after all!}

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Breakfast and singing under the trees - country town Australia Day

I've come to Melbourne for a week or so, to celebrate some family birthdays.
My country had a birthday too, and here is one of the parties, in the old goldrush town of Kyneton.

Golden girls from the RSL made us all an Aussie battler breakfast, on the barbie.

I just rolled out of bed, wandered down the street with the gang: my sister Sharon, Doc, and Kelly the WWOOFer from China. We all ate with my new family - the entire town of Kyneton.

Lots of farmers, with their beautiful little blessings

Children get so enthusiastic, and enliven the rest of us

Look at this!
I get enthusiastic too.
See, I told you that success in life might be closely connected to naming things well. If its good enough for quick-draw fire fighters, it can't hurt having well-named towel cupboards.
Getting the little things in order reduces the burden of decisions and searching, frees you up for more important things.

Like raising curious, have-a-go children.
Some people do it.

Swimming in a sea of flags with grandpa

Nanna's jewel

These little wonder women have achieved something I haven't yet worked out how to do, and brought a few more Australians into the world.

These guys had us singing, and gave us a good patriotic cry, with the Seekers song "I am Australian'.

Here are the lyrics, from the All Down Under Website,

I came from the dream-time, from the dusty red soil plains
I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame.
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come.
For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian.

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains.
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come
I'm a bushy, I'm a battler, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira, I paint the ghostly gums
I am Clancy on his horse, I'm Ned Kelly on the run
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains
I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky, the rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian
I am, you are, we are Australian!

We are one ….. We are many ….. We are Australian!

I'm going to keep on thinking about this song.

The reason it touches people might be that it tells a strange truth, that our boundaries are set a lot further than we think.

It might be that my little life is still being run by all those collective ancestors. Its pretty certain that their anxieties and survival machineary are a part of the fabric that made me. Maybe I could say 'thanks, but not thanks guys' when the emotions they bequeathed me start sending me down outdated paths.

But maybe I could jump onto their hopes and dreams, and see where they lead me. Hoping and dreaming is what ancestors were good at - they had little else.

Today is a very good day to be strong and free and alive in Australia, and I'm enjoying a rare burst of patriotism today.

CPARS Part 2: The VALENTINE PEACE PROJECT

Federico Hewson in Amsterdam on Feb. 14, 2010

Holidays are moments filled with all manner of ceremony and traditions passed on for generations. Since talking last week a bit about Contemporary Performance Art Rituals and the fact Valentine’s Day is close at hand, I thought it would be great to focus on how one individual, Federico Hewson, is leading the cause to redefine (and ReBegin) the way we perceive the tradition of giving out flowers on that special day (and others) with his non-profit initiative, The Valentine Peace Project (The VPP).

Imagine walking down the street and suddenly coming upon a group of people passing out free Fair Trade produced flowers. Attached to the stem is a refreshing poem about world or inner peace that was written by school children or famous authors submitted to The VPP website. It isn’t about forcing a religious perspective, but about raising awareness of peace, conscious practices, and Fair Trade products. I love it for it’s simple, refreshing take on a ritual that has been mass marketed as a romantic event and excuse for selling sugar and flowers that leave a massive carbon footprint.

Federico and a happy flower recipient in Amsterdam 2009

I’ve participated in handing out the flowers on many occasions since its beginning, and the response from people can be so amazing. I’ve had several experiences where the receiver of the flower was filled with joy by the receipt of the flower, or was moved to tears by the poem. One lady gave me a hug because she had never received a flower on Valentine’s day before. Being a giver of flowers is so rewarding, and there is definitely an energy transfer that takes place as you hand out flowers imbued with messages of peace. In time, with enough people participating in this new type of Contemporary Performance Art Ritual, it could bring about a real transformation in our relationship to peace.

with Rochelle Palkowitz at the Downtown LA Art Walk on Feb 14, 2008

Federico shares the following about his labor of love:

The Valentine Peace Project started as a community project in 2005 to open up the definition of February 14 as a day to not only celebrate romantic love - but love in all its many faces - friendship, basic human connection and community, and to underline the work of peace building. Love and peace is normally a cliche 60s slogan - but what does love mean outside of romance and next to spiritual practice? Where is peace in our relationships, in our hearts, and where can we locate it in a global community still plagued by deadly violence?

Moving into the 21st century the Project is now evolving into a social enterprise to be a vehicle for many of our 'symbols of love' to 'work for peace' via products or gifts of love giving to conflict resolution on many levels - a business with a social development goal.

But this is about The VPP as a performance ritual - a ritual that started by writing a poem or message of peace - rolling it into a scroll and giving it away or wrapping it around a flower to handout on the streets. With thousands of Fair Trade roses donated in the Netherlands together with thousands of poems the city of Amsterdam has been and will be blanketed February 14 in citywide peace performance art with individuals making cards, passing out flower poems, performing music and folding origami to leave on cafe seats or hand out to tourists.

Children participating in Peace Education project in Amsterdam 2009 that includes putting the poems on flowers before handing them out

"Make something beautiful and give it away. Energize, underline and help manifest the true integrity of love."

Flowers, poems, cards, thoughts of peace - tied with a ribbon or wrapped around flowers or chocolate or shared virtually - these have been the rituals of the Valentine Peace Project for five years now- reflecting, promoting and acting upon the work of love and the promise of peace in today's connecting world.

SO…Take action - write or find a favorite poem on love and pass it around this February- and check out the website at www.ValentinePeaceProject.org to become involved!

More pictures of The Valentine Peace Project in action can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/geminirise