The Cake Studio

These are cupcakes and cakes. All edible parts, cakes! Jill Adams is the genius behind The Cake Studio, based here in Brooklyn that custom designs these amazing and yummy works of art. I found Jill while searching locally for a cool grooms cake. I wanted something completely personal, funky and fun since it was a complete surprise for John. I haven't been on Jill's website in a while, so I was thrilled to see all this new stuff she's done. I am in love with the little frog prince cupcakes, but this tea set is my new favorite. Jill is quite the talent and is such a lovely person. Read more about Jill and her artistic background here. See more of The Cake Studio's crazy-yummy creations here.

Loving Loeffler Randall for Target

I've had a soft spot for Loeffler Randall ever since I found out that an art director from my old ad agency is married to the designer Jessie Randall and is now the marketing director for them. He was such a nice person - and there were many uglies there.

But I'm a little behind on this one. It took my sister living in London to remind me that Loeffler Randall was coming out with a line for Target. Staying on top of fashion trends is not my strong suit. Having an appreciation for them and $39 bags like this, however, is. I ran my sick self over to Target this weekend and picked up this beauty. It's huge - which is great for me and the 5 books and med kit I seem to carry with me at all times among other crap - and makes me feel like I'm carrying something fancy. I am increasingly impressed with the lines that designers create for chains like Target and love that they can make great design accessible for everyone. Check out Loeffler Randall's other goodies for Target here.

Winter Warmland

What the heck? I was supposed to wake up to a snowy drift outside my window, the sound of scrapers on windshields and boots crushing fresh fallen inches, and feel all warm and cozy under the covers. Total disappointment! Where has winter gone and why are the weathermen lying to me about Severe Snow Warnings - and on Monday morning, too!

The picture above is from a real winter wonderland in Lake Placid, NY. I miss snow.

January 10th

I can't seem to think of anything else to write today but the obvious... which is that today marks the 10th anniversary of my mom's passing. It's a day I dread every year - and not only because that day forever changed me, but also because it means one more year has gone by without her - and that means distance. And distance is scary when trying to hold on to someone who is no longer around. My memory of her physical presence has become blurry, and I have to pray for dreams to bring her back to me. I know there will come a day when I will have lived more years without her than with her - something I can't wrap my head around without aching inside.

But that's not today. Today, I want to hold on to and share a few things about my mom. Things like how she never let me leave the house without a hug, no matter how late I was or how hard I rolled my eyes - there had to be a hug. The way she answered the phone "Good Morning!" instead of hello. The time she left her bowling team to bring me my field hockey stick that I'd forgotten at home - she was not happy, but did it anyway. The way she always laughed at my dad - and even though he was the one telling the jokes, she was the one who taught us all how good it feels to laugh. How she would bring me and my best friend black jelly beans (our favorite) to all of our lacrosse games.

I miss my mom every day. And because this longing feels very real to me and makes her memory very real, I hope it never goes away.

Blogging at the Met

One of my New Years resolutions is to love New York City a little more. Get out and see and do more. We live here, for goodness sake! and I can't tell you the last time I was at the Met or the Whitney or walked through Central Park.

So, in looking up the current exhibitions at the Met, I came across this very interesting one: blogmode: addressing fashion. The exhibition shows some forty costumes and accessories dating from the eighteenth century to the present and invites visitors to share their reactions online or from a "blogbar" of computer terminals in the exhibition galleries. Some of these images are not to be believed. I'm definitely checking this one out! See a bit for yourself here. The exhibit runs through April 13.

[photo courtesy of the Met; Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci]

Shibboleth

While in London last week, John and I checked out the Tate Modern. I always look forward to the exhibitions in Turbine Hall - the large entryway to the museum. The last time I was there, the hall was filled with glowing light from The Weather Project. This time, I found the floor cracked from one side to the other. A football field length of cracks into the solid concrete. Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth was pretty powerful. Without knowing anything about the artist or her work, I felt shaken by this seemingly fragile and volatile ground beneath my feet - that some great unknown force has come in here and disrupted the place. I love when something allows me see it in a whole new way.

To read more about Doris Salcedo's work, click here. And to see more images of Shibboleth, click here.

...and we're back!

Wow! It feels like we've been gone forever, and I have to tell you, that feels pretty nice. But it's always good to be back and sleeping in your own bed. For the past 2 weeks, John and I were in Pennsylvania and Lake Placid around Christmas and then in London for the past week visiting my sister and her family of now 6! She had a beautiful baby girl, Hope, just 2 1/2 weeks before we arrived. So cute! Below are a few snapshots:

John and Kinglsey snowshoeing in Lake Placid, NY

My nephew Luke at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London

Doris Salcedo Shibboleth at the Tate Modern, London