Before and After: Family Room

Before


After

Have you ever looked at your home and wondered how you could have neglected to notice an eyesore? The family room rug was just that for me. It was a given, until one day when I realized I could get rid of it altogether. A high traffic area for kids and pets, the seven-year-old rug had seen better days. Initially, we assumed we would go with bamboo, but after some research, it sounded as if it might be too soft and scratch easily for our foot traffic, so we went with Vermont maple. The result-- oh so much better.

On the Radio

I have a thing for the radio. Fiddling with the tuner, hearing a bit of static, adjusting the metal antenna offers a comforting nostalgia unmatched by the ipod. The idea of a radio that requires no batteries, no electric-- I swoon!! Perfect for the garden or a blackout, this handy crank and solar Eton radio also serves a flashlight and cell phone charger. And unlike the other one we tried, which will remain unnamed, this one actually holds its power long enough to finish a round of Car Talk and beyond. Get one for everyone you know!

The H2O Factor: Protecting Our Waters

Imagine putting champagne in your toilet. Ridiculous, right? And yet, that's what we do by putting drinkable water into our toilets instead of using grey or rain water. We take for granted turning on the faucet and having fresh glass of water to drink; however dwindling reserves of fresh water have become a global concern. With far too many areas of the globe finding themselves with contaminated water sources, it seems nonsensical to waste this precious resource. By taking a chance on dirty energy sources like hydrofracking and tar sands pipelines, we further imperil our most basic needs, which would prove to be far more costly in the long run in many ways. It was with pleasure to see March's Whole Living Magazine dedicated to conserving water. Not only were there practical water saving tips, there was this nifty Collapsible Rain Barrel featured. Since I am starting a kitchen garden this summer (dream big), I'd love to have a handy rainwater source. I'm asking for two-- one for Mother's Day and the other for my birthday.
The waterways got other good news today. The Senate voted overwhelming to send the BP oil spill fines directly to restoring the Gulf instead of putting them in the general environmental fund. This issue is of personal interest as our family went to DC twice to talk to our representatives, including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, about our concerns about the region. A big thanks to the Audubon Society for their leadership on this important decision. If you haven't renewed your Audubon membership, or want to support an awesome environmental group, please consider sending them a donation today.

Spring Cleaning

For me, springtime brings a new sense of purpose, and repurpose. Having spent the good portion of 2011 trying to discard, donate, and reorganize, last night I decided to dedicate a 40 min cleaning session to sprucing up the unfinished part of the basement. Normally a no man's land of storage bins and laundry detail, last year's labors provided me with newfound space. Whipping out a half-used can of paint, I tackled painting all of the cabinets and doors a cheery bright blue. The result made me wonder why I hadn't done it sooner. My tropical painting, Self-Portrait with Cat, a 1992 tribute to Henri Rousseau's Dream, was set above the washer/dryer, adding just the right amount of insouciance to my domestic duties. And who could forget the 50's bar stools? Perfect height for the workspace I had just cleared. Yes, it was a rewarding 40 minutes indeed.

Hey Charley!!

What can I say about Charlie Harper: An Illustrated Life except that I bought it as a gift and kept it. The graphics capture animals in the most minimal essence that it's hard not to try to live my entire life in such economy. Instead of the Taoist who shrunk man inside the magnitude of nature, Charley Harper turns nature into a Platonic essence. Bird-ness indeed!!!

Yoshitomo Nara at Pace

Yoshitomo Nara's exhibition of works on paper opens Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, noon to 8 PM
Sunday, March 11, noon to 6 PM at THE PACE GALLERY, BOOTH C-7, THE ART SHOW Park Avenue and 67th Street NYC
From PACE GALLERY:
The drawings, some made on the backs of envelopes and postcards, show his signature characters, sardonic children who possess a startling emotional intensity. One of the leading artists of Japan's influential Neo-Pop movement, Nara fuses Japanese visual traditions and Western Modernism with elements of popular culture ranging from manga to American pop and punk music, the lyrics of which appear in many of his paintings and drawings.

Into the Sea