Vibia Rhythm Chandelier at Carvi Hotel NYC - Cool Work Stuff

About a month ago or so, I spent my Saturday morning doing work stuff outside my home. It is not unusual for me to do a little work at home on the weekends but so far I had never had to go to a job site on a weekend.  The work involved Vibia's Rhythm chandelier which is one of our newest and more versatile pieces. I wanted to show if off to you guys because I absolutely love it and can't wait for more people to start specifying it in cool installations like this one at the Carvi Hotel here in NYC. Anywhoo here are some images I took during our site visit which I hope do justice to this great product.

Graffiti in Motion

First off I would like to apologize for my prolonged absence. May has proven to be a much more hectic month than I anticipated. Between baby showers, my mother's visit, work and more of the usual domestic stuff I have been hard pressed to find time to write, but here I am again. Today I wanted to share these pictures I took during some of my misadventures.

It seems that this should be a natural place for my graffiti post to have begun, as it is well known that during the late 70's and early 80's no new york subway train was spared this treatment. However I have started noting a resurgence of graffiti onto all modes of transportation lately. These pictures are just the ones I have been able to capture since it is not easy to get a good picture of a graffitied truck in New York traffic unless you are an expert photographer (which I am definitely not). Hope you enjoy them.

Hopefully by Monday I will be able to share with you some pictures of the stuff that had kept me away from blogging. I have been doing some knitting lately for some very anticipated babies. Anywhoo I will be back tomorrow with some other great local vendor finds.

Bioluminescence on Exhibit

My daughter and I just got home from the American Museum of Natural History absolutely fascinated by their newest exhibit: Creatures of Light - Nature's Bioluminescence. The exhibit deals with this particular trait displayed in both animals and plants, and its many ramifications. The exhibits were well done and full of interesting information which is the trademark of this institution. You will walk through a maze of incredible replicas of creatures and plants with great lighting effects. I have certainly learned some things today which is to be expected any time you visit this place.

This museum is another place that is near and dear to my heart because back in 1999 to about 2002 I was a volunteer there, and it is also the place where my daughter took her first steps (right on the fourth floor at the dinosaur exhibit). When we moved back to the US last summer my husband and I decided to get a family membership because I thought this would be a great place to go to instill a curiosity for science for our little one and also a great refuge for activities during inclement weather. This is another one of those memberships that is absolutely worth its price many times over. Not only do you get to go to the museum as much as you want during the year, but you also get great perks like limited complimentary tickets for the space show and the butterfly exhibit (Butterflies from the Bronx Zoo are housed in a special enclosure at the museum during the colder months) as well as access to some of their special exhibits throughout the year (like the Bioluminescence exhibit) absolutely free of charge.Did I mention you also get discounts at any of their cafes and the food court as well as any of their shops? Well you do so this is a win win situation if you are locally based and have children or are just a great big nerd like I am when it comes to science and nature.

For anyone planning a visit to New York City this museum is is an absolute must see. The Bioluminescence exhibit opened on March 31 and will go on until January 6, 2013. If you would like more information on this or any of the other exhibits go to the museum website.

*Images are from the American Museum of Natural History Website

Unknown in New York - Belvedere Castle

I have considered myself a New Yorker for a long time. Wither this is appropriate terminology is still debatable, because it is just until now that I have truly lived within one of the boroughs of the city, earlier I have lived on towns in New Jersey that lay on the shores of the Hudson river (like Jersey City and Fort Lee). However I had always worked in the city and am therefore very protective of it as well as proud of its defiant nature. With that stated I am also ashamed about how little I know about this place despite the decades I have spent here. Point in case Belvedere Castle. I had absolutely no idea that within the confines of Central Park there was a beautiful little castle. I came to find out about it after browsing through a deck of cards for suggested city walks designed to include children (I will get to these cards on another post).


Belvedere castle is a little known gem at the heart of Central Park. It is a place that toddlers will enjoy no matter if they are girls or boys, because the boys can pretend to be knights and the girls can play princess. My daughter liked the narrow stair cases (which require parental supervision to ensure little ones do not get hurt while being silly) and the fantastic view from the top. The easiest way to get to it is to enter the park from the east at the pedestrian path just below the Metropolitan Museum below 79th street. I suggest getting yourself a map of the park via their website so that you can navigate form there. If you combine the visit with either going to the Metropolitan Museum or Central Park Zoo you will have a full day. It was a really great find and another opportunity to get to know this city I love so much. It is also a testament to the fact that you can walk up and down New York for decades and still not know every nook and cranny of it, which is why living here always feels like the greatest adventure.