Paris, Munich and Berlin!!

Back from Europe and Breaking a 102 degree Fever!!

Unfortunately, I'm back without the ability to swallow painlessly. Twenty four hours after stepping foot on North American soil my body physically collapsed. I spent most of this weekend burning up and Sunday morning in the emergency room. Don't know if it was being around 53 Spring-Break-therefore-sleepless-high-schooler's on a boot-camp-style regimen of museums and tours in less than favorable weather (snow, rain, hail and ice cold wind), let alone that some of those 53 were complaining about 'Strep' throat and other mysterious ailments. Well, some antibiotic-filled-hours since, I'm finally able to face the keyboard and share SOME of the 750 photos that I took with you all! Mind you my aesthetic sensibilities lend for some alternate type of photos. It was my third time in Paris, second time to Munich and first time to Berlin so as we travelled through those cities expect to see not only some of the typical tourist images, but some of my quirky, graffiti, dessert and color-filled images. Since I can't possibly share it all at once expect this to be the subject of choice through out the next few posts. I hope you enjoy the images and words!!!

Blogging from Paris

The shot above is one of my pics of the Eiffel Tower & of the peace monument that is located at the end of the Parc du Champs de Mars. The glass walls of the monument have the word "peace" written/etched onto the glass in many of the world's languages. The monument is called Le Mur de la Paix (The Peace Wall). It was made by Clara Halter, the wife of famous writer/painter/philosopher Marek Halter and officially erected in 2000.

The image to the right is of Gregg as he looks through one of the glass panes of the peace monument.

Don't ask me who named this cafe- but I think its brilliant. Most definitely one of the places I would love my fictional characters to have an impromptu romantic meeting - the problem- readers would not find a little cafe called 'You and Me in Suede' believable!!!

Rent-a-Bike and leave it where you like! Why, oh why? can't every city in the US have these?? Well, I can tell you why NYC can't have them - the parts would be sold off instantaneously...or maybe not - I'm done being the Ye-of-little-faith-person I want to believe its possible!!

Can you tell what's wrong with this pic? No, the building is not melting.

In most European cities when they are doing construction on a building they cover it with a sheeting that has imagery on it - like mega-banners. The images are usually of a building itself to disguise that construction is even happening. Sometimes there will be something quirky happening in the image like in the building windows or there will be elegant large scale advertisements on the sheets. This time they took a Salvador Dali cue and distorted the image of the building. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Me in the Marriott Rive Gauche/Paris Lobby (click to see larger)
So let me know what you think and stop back by in a few days to see some more of Euro & Me!!!

My Handmade Laptop Bag and Life Questions

This was my back-to-school-craft that I made at the end of summer. Like the students its hard to get excited about returning to the school year. I am in love with Japanese craft books and I found book like this one:

The books are not in English but the imagery, layout design and quality transcends translation and is exceptional. Click on the book to get order information!

As you may be able to tell I miss living in NYC; my birthplace and families home outside of Puerto Rico. I can't say that I regret moving out of NYC, because I don't. I simply miss it.

Most of us tend to learn early on that we should never live life with regret. Fortunately, I usually don't cater to regret at all. Still, I find the following questions intriguing, because we still often catch ourselves saying "I wish I hadn't done that." What I do regret, was not being more mindful of the importance of a community before my husband and I purchased our first home out here in the dune docks of hunting country (we're not hunters).

So here are the questions:

• If you learned you would die in a few days, what regrets would you have?

• If you were given five extra years of life, could you avoid those same regrets five years hence?

I realize the answers to these questions may be too personal and complex to share here with me, so I added another question from the Book of Questions for you to ponder and share with me!!!


• If you had the choice of one intimate soulmate and NO other close friends, or of no such soulmate and many friends and acquaintances which would you choose?

Since marrying and moving out of NYC this is more or less where I have found myself...with a soulmate and not many local friends - but I didn't really have a choice. If I had a choice (as this question implies...) I'm not sure I would change anything.

Whats in Your Bag?

While I was in Portland Oregon, I discovered this awesome book entitled Me in My Bag at the famous Powell's Bookstore (a megastore unlike any other bookstore I have ever step foot in - perhaps it would be better to call it a small planet!)

The book is in English and in Chinese. The author Yi Ying Wang is a graphic designer and she worked with fellow photographers, Hiromi Iguchi and Will Farrow to compile a major creative project, the bag book! This project is about photographing the contents of 100 Londoner's bags!!! In seeing the contents of one's bag you get to know a person quite a bit and it is a deeper reflection of who the person is, beyond that of a simple portrait. The book itself is designed like a bag with a plastic cover and handle straps!

A little bit fashion/design/Voyeurism and creative expression the book has a unique fold-out layout in which the bag owner's are first photographed and their image unfolds to reveal the photograph of the bag's contents. In addition, there was a number allotted to each participant and a form they got to fill out in anyway they liked.

The question on the form are:

• Name: Amarettogirl

• email:wwamazon@aol.com (in other words 'WonderWoman' was already taken!!)

• Webadd/blog: You guys know this already! Just look at the address bar above!

• What do you do? Visual Artist/Writer/ Art Educator (teacher).

• What does your bag mean to you? Wow, well it means a lot because its an extension of how I express myself...plus if it weren't for that gift certificate I would have never been able to afford that TokiDoki Le Sportsac bag that all design world appreciators were pining over! But I'm working on not identifying so deeply with material objects...we'll see how that goes.

• What's in your bag today? See for yourself! My laptop, my work folders, my mimobot usb, my ipod, oooh my camera is missing I had to use it to take the pic, but I never leave my house without my canon! My I'm-bored-with-this-mtg-so-i'll-crochet project, my coffee-cup change purse, hand purifier, my self-made accessory holder, my pencil case, sketchbook...yeah this bag can pack a punch!

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I want to be #101!!! So you think I'm crazy? Well guess what! It seems I'm not the only one! Apparently, there is a Flicker photogroup all over this What's in Your Bag -question! Click and check them out! I'm not a flicker member yet, but I may have to join to be a part of this pool! In addition, Instyle magazine also has a page dedicated to photos of what's inside people's bags!

I want you all to join me! Answer the questions and tell me what's special in your bag!! Is there anything in there that might surprise us about you??? Share!!!

Guilty Pleasures (for the Crafty & the Non-crafty)

So I've been mulling the idea around to post some of my seasonal guilty pleasures. They're called guilty pleasures because they are those things that are so good you feel guilty just being privileged enough to live a life in which they are accessible. I say 'seasonal' because depending what I'm into at any given moment my guilty pleasures change (although there are always some constants). Mind you, this is different than an 'I'm thankful for' list...it really has to be a little guilty. For example, I know some people who have a shoe guilty pleasure, a handbag guilty pleasure, latest-electronic-gadget-of-the-month guilty pleasure and I know others who have all three of those gp's at once. It has to be that thing that either costs a little too much, or consumes a bit too much of your time, or distracts you from what you should be doing too often!

This Craft mag is pretty pricey but it ROCKS and fortunately it isn't in publication too often so it doesn't break the bank.


This is some sure fire decadent ice-cream. In fact it is so decadent you only get four or three in a box!!! Its definitely for those days you really need a "I had a hard day boost".

I am addicted to Japanese Craft books and it is most certainly what I spend the most of my hard-earned cash on. The aesthetics and quality of the workmanship, as well as the imagery are spectacular. In fact these books and crafts are so good that you need not know how to read Japanese to learn how to make the objects featured, although I still wish I did. There is a fantastic Japanese Bookstore at the Palisade Mall in Rockland County and I frequent it once a month!


Jamba Juice Tagline 'Your body is the temple of your soul, so don't put trash in it' (or something like that) Need I say more?

Dancing With the Stars. I have to admit that as malignant as reality tv has become to the state of the theatrical arts I LOVE watching Dance shows!

Gregg and I have to say that our 'Just-Got-Paid-Feel-Good-Food' is Sushi and if you give us bean cakes and bubble tea with that we're in heaven!

Young Adult Fiction - Right now it's Twilight- but soon it will be something else like a graphic novel...actually the next book is Persepolis!

Pistachios -Not only are these babies pricey their high in fat too (but I think its the good fat - hopefully?

Project Runway - I cannot believe the season just ended - I'm going through withdrawal now...I think need some Haagen-Daz.

Lost - thank the heavens the writers strike is over because I really needed to be exasperated by more questions, confused by more story lines and racking my brain on the what-is-going-on theory! Still we can't stop watching!

All Things Oprah - I can't help it - I think she's brilliant.

Here is another one of those pricey ($15) magazines that does come out more frequently than Craft, but Somerset is luscious for the anything-paper artist! They also have an entourage of other amazing titles under their belt like Art Doll (another one of my faves), Life Images and countless others.

Largest guilty pleasure of them all, BLOGGING - man have I been procrastinating since I've started this!!


I have more gp's but I think I'll stop there for today since I just realized I've been indulging in a guilty pleasure for a while and my other GP's (the dogs) are needing some attention! So tell me YOUR GUILTY PLEASURES!! I'm dying to know!!!

Celebrating Creativity @ The Oscars

This is a picture of a miniature model that I discovered while going out to dinner at a Spanish restaurant called EL CID in Paramus, New Jersey last weekend. The details in the model are incredible - Cheers to the artist or artists who continue to go unknown to me.

Behind all the fanfare and star-struck glitz of the Oscars (which many of us will be watching tonight) are the humble, model-makers, story-board artist's, art director's, musicians, costume designers, set-designers, writers, sculptors, prop-designers (along with countless other creatives...I can't seem to name this Sunday morning) that go unflanked by spotlights and paparazzi on the red carpet. So tonight, as you watch remember those who are instrumental in creating a genre of artistic expression that moves us regularly at box offices and in our DVD players. Good luck to phenomenal artist, designer extraordinaire, Elsa Mora and her Beau Bill the Hollywood Producer who will be attending the Oscar's tonight and the work he did on Lars and the Real Girl and The Kite Runner!

With all that said, let it be known that my favorite category is ...the ANIMATED FILM SHORTS!

We have some wonderful pieces being nominated tonight that are not big studio shorts and these are always my particular cup of tea. It takes a very special kind of artist to deal with making an animation; understanding how to create believable characters consistently and sequentially, pacing, composition, writing, sound, layering. I am in awe of the genre and hope to one day create something beyond my current youtube tests.

I have embedded part one of Moya lyubov (My Love) a Russian animated short that is one of the nominees tonight that I am particularly interested in, since it was done by painting onto glass!!! Check it out!!

To me this is an exemplary feat. It is the visual arts at its finest. This piece transcends translation, the way most universal works of genius do!

To see some of the other absolutely amazing nominated animated shorts go to TickleBooth who has done much of the online searching for us!

Loose the Plastic Bag...the Beautiful way!

These are my reusable shopping bags, that I bought In Portland, Oregon made by the BlueQ co. I love these bags so so so much, that I ordered more and now have a total of 5 awesome shoppers! Enough to go bonkers in the supermarket, carry clothes for an overnight slumber party and a bag to pack flat in a suitcase on my next trip!

So can we please stop taking plastic bags at the grocery store?? BYOB!!! And if you have already been so gracious to be doing so, can we now take this opportunity to self-define, be creative and make that Shopper BEEE--OOO-TEE--FFULL?

According to the NY times, it is estimated that the US uses over 100 billion plastic bags a year. That is sad. What are we doing with all those bags? Building houses? I would like to think that we as a country are beginning to take the steps necessary to stop using plastic bags (since the Europeans have been practicing the waste-not BYOB for years) and we're usually not that far behind. Yet, when I was in Portland this summer taking a 'glass class' at Bullseye, I was sideswipe with how eco-conscious Portland was, I mean NO STORE gave a bag without first asking! Yikes, I felt like we are slow to the mark back here in New Jersey. Grant it, around my parts the supermarkets have started selling those small reusable photo-sharp dollar bags, Yipee! And Whole foods has just made using reusable bags official. I have all the faith in the world that we here in the Garden State will indeed get there. When we do, there is another 'creative' side to the 'Plastic or Paper, Actually Neither-thing' and that is DESIGN.

First, we have to ask, "Now, What do I do with the 1000 plastic bags stuffed in my pantry?" You CRAFT them!! Here are some of the things I've been doing with my plastic bags:

What's that I heard? You don't sew, crochet or latch-hook? NO WORRIES!

DDIYers (Design and Do-It Yourselfers) are rising to the challenge and creating beautiful alternatives to the shopping bag for YOU! Like Etsy seller and designer Lima Bean who makes great re-usable canvas shoppers, and Monk Rock Creations makes eco-friendly shopping bags. Say you really want one of those awesome crochet out of plastic bags bag, go see My Recycled Bags by Cindy who creatively places recycling at the forefront of all her designing. Warning these are FABTASTIC crocheted bags and you may want to purchase more than one!

Whatever you do, self-define yourself and BYOB.

Dia de San Valentin

This is a ceramic drape-mold wall piece that I made as a wedding gift for a friend.

Well -today is that lovely day of tugging on someone's shirt sleeve and reminding them that you celebrate your LLLL OOOOO VVVVVV EEEEE for them. And no worries if that person is not an intimate partner, but instead a person who has simply lit up your world with "I'm there for you always-buddy".

For example, yesterday I received a phone call from a florist trying to make a surprise delivery of flowers. Since my hubby insisted they were not from him, all I could ask myself was "Who could they be from???" I asked this question over and over until the delivery arrived. Honestly, I was kind of excited, yet nervous about having the prospect of a secret admirer lurking in my midst, especially one that wasn't my husband. Could someone else find me special???? What if it was someone creepy? Having an anonymous crush can be amusing, but only for a bit. So the flowers were delivered and I was spared all the mysterious-secret-spy-movie-stuff and was deeply relieved and moved when the card read "From MOM, Happy Valentines Day!" So please at least take out a moment to call Mom or Dad today. Or if yor mom is anything like my mom, you'll never hear the end of it:-)

I received some wonderful stories and words from people - so thank you to all - YOU know who you are. I encourage visitors to this blog to read these fantastic little stories that my guests have shared. Stories of burnt overflowing rice and parental love that lasted through the ages. Life is great and regardless of the commercialization we can't deny what makes it great is love.Would you like some wine with this cheese?

Love Story With No Words

Well, here we are one day away...

I have received some awesome feedback to my blog questions and I'm going to post those responses as tomorrows special VDAY BLOG! So its not too late to add your responses to those last two blogs.

Also here's an awesome tip- if you're running out of time and need to do some serious lovenote gifting go to this awesome PHOTOJOJO site designed with us creatives and photographers in mind. You are going to love these easy peasy ideas. Just click on this little arrow:

pRECIOUS mETAL loVE

Today's love note goes out to all my students for all the love I get from them on a daily basis...enough to keep me at my job!

This piece of jewelry is made out of precious metal clay (pmc) and what an awesome material this is! Invented by the Mitsubishi corp. PMC is fine silver that has been ground down into a powder and mixed with starch to make it pliable - like clay. When you are done sculpting it- you fire it and VOILA your left with 99% silver - not sterling silver but pure silver! Sweet huh?

I made a few of these word necklaces for holiday gifts a couple of years ago.

So here is today's request, you favorite 'love' word is...click on post a comment and let me know!!

Its not to late to leave me a funny VDAY story in the last post comment slot - I want to post them on VDAY!

Love is in the Air

This is the week with one of the most reviled and adored reasons for being romantic that there is- VD...oh no, I mean Valentine's day.

In honor of this week, and all the crazy things I have done in the name of love. I've decided to do a-blog-a-day in the name of that dirty little word 'love'. But don't worry thats just four days!!

So for today, Monday Feb. 11th, I have posted 'Falling For You' and embroidery piece that I made, on red satin. I made a series of 'drawings' on the sewing machine with the dog-feed down so I could move the fabric around at will. I ended up really liking the bobbin side (the wrong side of the fabric) as opposed to the top-stitch side. For this particular piece I placed the satin as the bottom fabric- hence, you're looking at the back of the piece.

Here's a funny vday story: I anonymously sent 14 rhyming and paper-engineered valentines beginning on Feb.1st to my now husband when we were barely dating and just co-workers. He had absolutely no idea at the time who these 'secret-admirer' valentines were from and he started visiting the school psychiatrist and principal in fear they were from a student (we work @ a school). I revealed who I was in the last valentine (on the 14th) via a scavenger hunt card, complete with landscape arrows that led him to a basket of gifts and a pop-up card revealing my pic! Boy was he relieved!

It may be difficult to see (the post button below here) but write me a comment and share one of your NON-DEPRESSING vday stories!!!