Lauren X

It's the thought that counts, right?

2009-10-28T21:36:00.005-04:00

Like a lot of people this year, I won't be spending a lot of money on holiday gifts. Inspired by my friends over at Handmade Highway I decided to do a little window shopping of my own - the realistic/ non-millionaire if-money-were-no-object-this-is-what-I'd-get-you sense. After all, it's the thought that counts, right?☻

Here are my Etsy and Zibbet picks with imaginary money / a window-shopping eye. I'll continue to add to this post as I come across fabulous finds and decide which of my friends/ family they'd suit.

°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°°∞°

When I saw this ruffle scarf from Artlab, I immediately thought of my best friend, Boo, whose style is minimalist and elegant. I love how versatile this scarf is – it’s like a necklace that keeps you warm!

Artlab - $55

Next up, my dog, Banjo, who has a sensitive belly and is allergic to grain - so I’d pick these yummy-looking (and wheat- and corn-free!) dog treats from LeoandCompany. I really like how they also encourage the adoption of shelter dogs – they’ll even send you a free bag of treats if you adopt a dog from any shelter in the U.S. Woof!

LeoandCompany - $8

Next on my list are my friends over at The Hole Bead Shop. I think inaBAG's wire sculpture would be perfect - the terrified expression on the Snake Harmer’s face would really make them laugh.... for days at a time.

inaBAG - $25

I already have the stunning Pink Dichroic Glass Necklace from Jane Jewson, which a lot of my friends have admired, so I might pick up several pairs of her Dichroic Glass Earrings to gift to various friends.

Jane Jewson - $15

Create a font based on your handwriting!

2009-10-15T22:57:00.002-04:00

I just created a font based on my own handwriting - and for free, too! All you need are a printer and scanner and you'll be on your way. So cool!

Hop on over to FontCapture where you can create your own font in four simple steps - print out their template, which even supports various European language symbols like ¡ and ¿ and letters like ñ and é.

Of course, it's hard to get your handwritten font into cursive, but font geeks and creatives everywhere will be rejoicing!

Enjoy!

HTML is like IKEA

2009-10-14T09:35:00.000-04:00

I found myself comparing HTML to IKEA a moment ago. For anyone else out there who has a love/ hate relationship with either, I thought you might appreciate this comparison >:)

I think HTML is like IKEA: you know before you get there that it's going to be a nightmare, but you're excited anyway. Then you get there, and after a long winding path you find that some parts are missing. Then you find the parts - but when you come to put it all together it takes twice as long as you thought. But when it's all assembled, it's so satisfying!

Giveaway! flaurena™ Wire Lace Bouquet Pendant

2009-10-13T21:53:00.007-04:00

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was randomly selected using random.org. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Here's your chance to win a flaurena™ Wire Lace Bouquet Pendant in your choice of gold or silver!

Giveaway
One winner will receive a flaurena™ Wire Lace Bouquet Pendant approx. 1" in diameter and suspended on a 20” long chain. They will have a choice of either gold fill or sterling silver wire and chain.

How To Enter
Take a look at the listings in my Etsy Store . Then please give me your feedback either by email or via the blog comment form below by October 27th 2009. I’m interested in your thoughts on designs, prices, and anything else that may come to mind. Don't hold back!

How to Better your Chances at Winning!
- Become a Become a fan of flaurena™ on Facebook. (One extra entry.)
- Grab the “Who is Lauren X?” button code from my blog's homepage. (Two extra entries.)
- Mention me in your blog article and email me the link. (Three extra entries.)
- Tweet about me (@lorenamorena). (One extra entry.)
- Check out my Picasa Web Album and tell me which design/s you'd like to see more of. (Two extra entries.)
- Feedback that is particularly helpful (although not necessarily flattering!) may result in an extra entry, at my discretion...

Rules:
To notify me of your entry/ entries, please either leave a separate comment below for each entry or email me. A winner will be randomly selected on October 28th 2009. They will have 48 hours to reply by email or a new winner will be chosen. Open worldwide, but non-U.S. residents must pay for shipping and are responsible for any taxes or duties levied by Customs.

The Easiest Chocolate Souffle Recipe Ever!

2009-10-12T21:42:00.002-04:00

This is the easiest Chocolate Soufflé recipe that I've ever come across. Here's one I made earlier, decanted into a coffee cup.

Ingredients

30g (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons + 120g (4 oz) granulated sugar
150g (5 oz) unsweetened chocolate, chipped, chopped or chunked
5 eggs, separated into 5 whites and 3 yolks
Icing (confectioner's) sugar (optional, for dusting)

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).

Coat all sides of an oven-proof dish measuring approx. 10 x 19cms (7½ x 4") with the melted butter, and put it in the fridge for a few minutes.

Take the dish out of the fridge and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar, coating evenly. (If you miss this fridge step, you will end with a sweetened buttery sludge which will congeal only on the bottom of your dish, and it's important to coat all sides!)

Melt the chocolate. I cheat and melt mine in the microwave for a couple of minutes. The traditionalists amongst you can melt your chocolate using the bain marie method.

Add 60g (2 oz) of the sugar to the chocolate, blend, then whisk in the 3 egg yolks.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff moist peaks. If you have a hand-held electric mixer, use a medium-high setting. If, like me, you do not have such a wonderful gadget, you will have to lovingly beat your egg whites for a good five minutes or more. (But hey! it's good exercise for your arms!

Then pour the remaining 60g (2 oz) sugar into the egg whites and continue to beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Like fresh mayonnaise!

Using a rubber spatula, blend the egg whites into the melted chocolate, one egg white dollop at a time, until no streaks remain. Be gentle! And don't over-mix.

Pout the mixture into your lovely sugary-butter-coated soufflé dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Resist the temptation of opening the oven door to peek, as the change in temperature will cause your soufflé to collapse.

Dust with the optional icing (confectioner's) sugar, and serve immediately. Better than flourless chocolate cake!

Ginger Martini Recipe

2009-10-08T00:13:00.010-04:00

This recipe makes two Ginger Martinis.

Ingredients & Equipment

Standard shaker (capped with a built-in strainer)
Jigger (aka measure)
Two martini glasses (though any other glass will do)
Sharp non-serrated knife
Small plastic juicer
Bucket of ice

3 Measures of Gin (75 ml or 3 oz.)
1 Lemon
1 Fresh stem of ginger
3 Heaping teaspoons of light brown sugar (any granulated sugar may be used)

Instructions

1. Chop off a chunk of ginger about the size of your thumb and dice it into coarse bits.
2. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze each half into the juicer’s expectant receptacle.
3. Fill the shaker with ice. No, I mean fill it to the top. Don’t be stingy.
4. Pour 3 measures of Gin into the shaker.
5. Drop in the ginger.
6. Splash in the lemon juice (you may dash in a few bits of lemon pulp if you prefer a tart drink or add more Gin if you prefer a drunk tart).
7. Toss in the sugar.
8. Shake vigorously. Now shake harder.
9. Place the shaker in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. (This step is essential, as it allows the ginger to infuse the Gin). Do not let your impatience take over. Show some restraint, please!
10. Remove the shaker from the refrigerator and pour it into the martini glasses.
11. You may add a twist of lemon as a garnish, if you’re into that sort of thing.
12. Drink.
13. Repeat.

Now the pedant will protest: “Sir, this drink is not a Martini, it’s a Bradford. A Martini should be stirred, not shaken.” To which I respond: “Well, my dear old man, this drink is not for you.” Besides, who would want to drink a Ginger Bradford? Some claim that shaking the drink “bruises” the Gin, embittering the cocktail. Well, I ask you: “Can anyone be bitter while looking into the eyes of Ginger?”

To assuage your feelings of remorse after downing a few of these, remind yourself that studies have shown that ginger oil prevents skin cancer in mice. If you’ve had more than 3 Ginger Martinis, remind yourself that you are not a mouse.

If you find yourself staring at an empty glass and thinking: “That’s it, I simply can’t have another,” gain some confidence in the fact that ginger has a sialagogue action, stimulating the production of saliva. The next one will slide smoothly down the gullet.

Ten Easy Steps to Make an Origami Box with a Lid

2009-10-06T14:01:00.004-04:00

Here's a great way to store or gift-wrap jewellery or other small items: make an origami box!

To make a box with a lid, simply cut a second square of paper ½ cm (3/16") smaller for the base - the larger square of paper will be the lid. I like to package small items I sell in my Etsy Store this way.

Start with a square piece of origami paper, pattern/ colour of your choice:

Fold the paper in half on both diagonals, so there is an X-shaped fold.
Place the paper pattern-side-down and bring all four corners to the centre of the X, so you form a smaller square. Like this:

Now fold the paper on the parallel so that you bring the outer edges of the square to the centre line. Rotate 90° and repeat. Like this:

Partially unfold all the creases you have made, like this:

Now follow the creases you have made to fold your paper like this:

Now here comes the tricky part. It's easy when you 'get it', but it's hard to describe and even trickier to photograph (especially with one hand!). You need to "raise the walls" of your box. My fingers in the above photograph are touching one side of the box: lift up that side, then raise the perpendicular side, which currently ends in a triangular point. You'll find that there is a fold which will guide you - this fold is on the inside of the box, made from where the patterned side meets the unpatterned side. You'll see what I mean. Here's a photo showing all four of these tricky folds:

Next, bring two of the folds together and make them lie flat:

You'll really see your box beginning to take shape! Fold the triangular point over the folds you've made (in the above photo) and bring the tip of this point into the centre of the box, like this:

Repeat for the other side, and here is your pretty little box!

Frugalista Tips:

Use origami paper for ease and convenience, but you could also use paper from a glossy magazine, cut to size. (Newspaper is a bit too flimsy.)
With or without lids, these little boxes are a great way to hold beads/ paperclips/ other small items and jazz up your workspace area at the same time - for pennies!
Don't forget, when making a box with a lid, the base paper needs to be ½ cm (3/16") smaller.

Fruit Cake Recipe

2009-10-03T18:07:00.007-04:00

My mother dispenses rather unusual yet excellent advice. She once told me "Never learn how to bake". I consider myself a competent cook but I am a lousy baker, probably because of this advice.

However, I do want to share this relatively healthy and oh-so-delicious fruit cake recipe with you. After all, despite my patissière short-comings, if I can successfully bake the following fruit cake recipe time and again, so can you!

N.B. Originally an English recipe, some words are British-English and the measurements are metric; where appropriate, as indicated by italics in parentheses, some words and measurements have been translated for the benefit of my American readers.

Ingredients

750g (3 cups) roughly chopped mixed dried fruit, e.g. raisins, apricots, prunes, dates, figs, morello cherries.
175g (6 oz) unsalted butter
200g (7 oz) sugar
The zest and juice of an orange and a lemon
100ml (3½ oz) brandy
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
85g (3 oz) ground almonds
85g (3 oz) chopped nuts
½ tsp baking powder
1 dessertspoon (3 tsp) each of cinnamon and nutmeg
200g (7 oz)of plain flour

If using larger fruit such as prunes, dates, apricots or figs, cut them into quarters using a decent pair of kitchen scissors.

Grease the loaf tin (loaf pan) all over using a little butter on kitchen towel (kitchen roll) and line the bottom of it with greaseproof paper (wax paper).

Put the butter, sugar, fruit, zest + juice and brandy in a large saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes or so.

Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F) - or 130°C (265°F) if you have a fan-assisted oven.

Stir the eggs, nuts and almonds into the fruit mixture and mix well.

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the mixture and stir gently until no traces of the flour can be seen.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and shake it gently until it all settles down.

Bake for 45 minutes and then turn the heat down to 140°C (285°F) - or 120°C (250°F) for fan-assisted oven. Cook for a further hour.

Insert a skewer or knife into the middle to see if the cake is done. The skewer should come out clean.

When the cake is cool, carefully run a knife around the edge and tip out onto a board.

The cake will keep for a long time if you wrap it in aluminium (aluminum) foil.

Mmm... I'm as nutty as a fruit cake when it comes to fruit cake...

Frugalista Tips:

If you are in the U.S., Trader Joe's has a great selection of dried fruit and nuts at reasonable prices
Buy the cheapest possible brandy - my bottle cost $11, and although I wouldn't use it in a cocktail, it's fine for cooking.
I like to double the quantities when I make this recipe - it really does keep very well, especially if you store it in the fridge!
I've been known to substitute 2 generous spoonfuls of apple butter for the orange and lemon, and it's delicious!

A Short Story about Karma

2009-10-01T17:39:00.006-04:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody."

And this got me thinking about my own recent karmic story.

Last month I received a very generous gift from someone I don't even know that well (I think she might be embarrassed if I identified her, so I will just refer to her as Kay): two large boxes brimming with crystal, semi-precious, Ghanaian, vintage and antique beads in a dizzying array of colours, along with a fine selection of clasps and other jewellery findings. As someone is just starting out in the business of being a gem artist, this was a very generous, thoughtful and helpful gift.

My eyes fell out of my head, and I was speechless for a good ten minutes - something of a personal record! As I slowly unwrapped each little package inside, it was apparent to me that the selection presented to me had been based on my materials and colour preferences - a lot of thought had gone into this incredible gift. And when I say I had to literally rearrange my tiny studio to accommodate a veritable Aladdin's cave of treasures, I do not exaggerate!

Kay told that someone had done something similar for her once. And now, like the movie, it was her turn to 'pay it forward'.

Of course, I thanked Kay and sent her a small token of my deep appreciation. I didn't know how else to thank her, except to vow that I would recognise any future opportunity where I could do a little paying forward of my own.

Interestingly, the following week Kay was the beneficiary of someone else's paying it forward. And she, too, was initially dumb-founded by the kindness she'd received. That Kay should help me out and then be helped by another must be karma...

I'm a firm believer in people doing what they can and when they can, but I do not believe in karma in the direct cause and effect way that most people seem to think of it - e.g. if I do something good/ bad, something good/bad will happen to me.

Instead, I think of karma as beautiful concept which aptly describes an almost magical sequence of unrelated events, like a domino effect. We are individuals, yet we are all connected by our actions. I've always thought that people who set out to change the world are scary. But if each of us, regardless of our differences, tried to better our communities, that would change the world. We're not always going to succeed at being kind, but we can damn well try. I think karma in this sense is what Emerson meant when he wrote the lines that open this blog post: simply, pay it forward.

My flaurena™ Portfolio

2009-10-01T01:11:00.006-04:00

Enjoy these slideshows of my work - click to start!

Wire Lace Collection - hand-wrought, organic designs:
- Read about my Wire Lace pieces.

Strung Bead Necklaces - elegant designs with wit and whimsy:

Earrings, Rings, Bracelets - smaller versions of my necklaces:

Past Commissions - see examples of my previous work:

Charitable Donations - designs donated to charities I support:
- Read my posts on Cecily's Fund and Playwrights Horizons.

See what's currently available for purchase in my Etsy Store:

Blog Guru Shout Out Part II

2009-09-30T18:15:00.002-04:00

If you're looking for a one-stop site about tweaking your Blogger template then look no further than Blog Bulk.

In addition to a visually pleasing/ colour coded layout, you'll find tutorials on:

how to make each post a different colour,
how to add icons to your post title,
how to make the first letter of your post larger than the rest of your post, newspaper style!
how to temporarily hide the Blogger Nav Bar, peekaboo style - most sites just tell you how to remove it!

Thanks, Blog Bulk! You rock!

Motion Painting from David Ellis and Blu

2009-09-27T00:27:00.004-04:00

I am in utter awe of these urban artists. I love their bold vision, their zaniness, the soundtrack, their ability to go with the flow, the temporary nature of the art and the artists' confidence to paint over something in transition. It's gritty and beautiful, a match made in time-lapse heaven. OK, if I try to describe it further I'll end up sounding pretentious. Just watch and swoon!

Christina Ricci's Body Double

2009-09-25T20:00:00.013-04:00

"I am Christina Ricci's body double."

I never thought I'd say these words, because, at over 6' tall, I am almost a foot taller than she is! But, here's how it happened... I was randomly searching for acting/ voice over gigs on Craigslist, and saw the following ad:

I need to find a caucasian model in her 20-30's that is extremely skinny. This is a visual fx shoot. We are transforming a major indie/hollywood actress into a corpse for one of the scenes and need to composite a boney chest plate on top of her... You would be credited in the film as a body double/model.

And I thought to myself, "Special FX are cool! And I've spent almost three hours in mud and make up to play a pirate demon serial killer, so I'm down with a bit of CGI... Just as long as they're not looking for someone who is skinny in an anorexic sort of way, I might be in with a chance..."

And an hour and a half later, I found myself in a post-production facility in Chelsea whereupon the FX dudes apologised for the real ~~live~~ dead ox tongue in the corner (they explained that slashed cattle tongues make for realistic looking wounds in special effects) and told me that this was for a movie called After.Life and the Hollywood actress in question is Christina Ricci.

So there I was, in a little studio being photographed in my jeans and a bikini top, sucking in my stomach, jutting out my ribs and arching my back to give 'em a good outline of my bones so they can superimpose my torso on Christina Ricci's. Wot larx!

This is what I love about my life right now: every day is different!

Cecily's Fund Necklace Donation

2009-09-25T19:23:00.012-04:00

I just finished making a necklace and wanted to share its story.

I lovingly hand-wrought three sterling silver discs which are connected to sterling silver chain and clasp. This sweet necklace is embellished with six Swarovski crystals and, at approximately 18" long, hits just below the collarbone.

I've donated it to the Cecily's Fund / Crazy for You evening, and it will be one of several raffle prizes that you can win on October 17th in London. Raffle tickets are only £5, so if you are in the U.K. please consider buying one for your chance to win as well as supporting such a worthy cause!

Cecily's Fund is a non-profit organisation which raises money to educate Zambian orphans and other impoverished children. It was founded in memory of Cecily Eastwood, a school friend of mine who was tragically killed in a Zambian road accident the year before she was to start university.

Etsy Treasury Dramatic Beauty

2009-09-23T12:54:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited, so forgive the shameless boasting: my Wire Lace Bouquet Pendant designs made it into an Etsy Treasury! Talk about a feather in my cap!

Etsy Treasuries are like temporary art exhibitions, curated by artists on Etsy. Each has a different theme, and BySaraLynn chose my Bouquet Pendants as part of her Dramatic Beauty Treasury. How fabulous!

It's wonderful to get such recognition for my designs, so thank you BySaraLynn!

Henri Salvador Juanita Banana

2009-09-23T00:30:00.007-04:00

I love Henri Salvador. Singer, song-writer, visual artist, avant-garde, before his time....

I discovered him through his enchanting song Vagabond, and then learned that he has this incredibly goofy side. (He even did his own cover of that "Mah Na Mah Na" Muppet song under the title Mais Non Mais Non.) I'll probably blog more about him another time, but for now check out this little vignette, Juanita Banana. Although it was filmed in the 1960s, it's still really fresh - it's not just another man in drag singing in falsetto! It's so tongue-in-cheek you don't have to speak French to really understand the story.

My Little Sister and Our Music

2009-09-14T15:21:00.012-04:00

This morning I was sent a track by my little sister, Bubs, who simply said that I should check it out because it reminded her of the music I listen to:

Paul Kalkbrenner - Aaron

So I checked it out. And she inspired me to write this blog post.

Bubs and I sadly only see each other on average once a year - she's in Spain; I'm in NYC. It's hard. You learn to savour the little things. Like, we already have 'Our Song' - Wake Me Up When September Ends, by Green Day. But something tells me Aaron, by Paul Kalkbrenner might become another one of Our Songs...

Because in New York, a city of constant confrontation based on sometimes cultural / sometimes cutthroat misunderstandings, she really cheered me up by sending me this piece of music.

Not just for the usual "Saw This and Thought of You" or "Wish You Were Here" reasons, but because, despite our almost-14-year age gap, she really 'gets' who I am. She's so cool.

Highline Park, followed by tapas at Tia Pol

2009-08-28T16:34:00.010-04:00

The Highline Park in the Meatpacking District is the ultimate upcycled project.

It used to be a set of railroad tracks for freight trains, which, in 1934, were raised thirty feet above ground to minimise street-level collisions. No trains have been running on those tracks since 1980, and it was eventually decided to preserve this historical structure in some way. In April 2006 construction began to convert The Highline into a public park, and it opened to the public in June this year.

I saw it for myself the first time last night, and went with my friends Boo and Blue. We thought it would be a lovely thing to do before sharing some tapas in a local restaurant. I was the first to arrive, so took a couple of photos of the entrance on Gansevoort Street:

We strolled along the concrete slabs admiring the beautiful flora, which was a variety of young trees, bushy weeds and sunny wild flowers. Every so often the original train tracks peeped through the foliage:

Near these old tracks are some very smart wooden recliners and benches, upon which people were happily lounging in the sunset. Blue joked that we must be in Bali or something!

Right now the park only runs as far north as 20th Street, and ¡jolín! those 6 blocks went by fast. Still, it was time to eat...

A few blocks north on 10th Avenue is Tia Pol, the tapas bar that I had picked from several Spanish options in the area. I chose it because the tapas menu had classic dishes, was reasonably priced, and didn't seem stuffy.

The word tapas comes from the verb tapar in Spanish, which means 'to cover': originally slices of bread or ham which were used to cover one's sherry glass to keep flies out, nowadays tapas are little bites of food served at bars. Some of my favourite tapas are to be had in one of the many bars in my mother's village in Andalucía, and the ones I had at Tia Pol were just as good.

We shared some tortilla (potato omelette), patatas bravas (roast potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce), paquititos de jamón con alcachofa (Manchego cheese and artichokes wrapped in Serrano ham), brandada (like a Spanish fish pie), and piquillos rellenos de ensaladilla rusa (roasted peppers stuffed with potato salad and tuna fish). It was all delicious.

The menu and wine list are small, but precise - I wasn't familiar with most of the wine options but was pleased with my choice, a white Monterrei from Galicia. The presentation was confidently rustic - there no fussy arrangement to disguise compromised flavours, like other Spanish restaurants I've tried in this town...

The vibe is busy, but not rushed - Boo, Blue and I sat at the bar for several hours, talking, eating, drinking. It wasn't authentic in a traditional sense: tapas bars in Spain don't have menus (daily offerings are on display at the bar) and they do have cigarette machines and the woody carcasses of pipas (sunflower seeds) on the floor... Instead, Tia Pol reminded me of a young, hip tapas bar you might find in Madrid.

I've found my little taste of Spain in New York.

One Pot Cooking: Roast Chicken

2009-08-23T00:54:00.005-04:00

Andalucía, Spain's largest and most southern region, is one of the main places I grew up. My English mother and Belgian step-father live in a typical white Spanish village, whose surrounding hills are abloom with all sorts of flora, including wild thyme.

When I lived in London, I could bring some home with me, wrapped tightly in a plastic supermarket bag to keep it fresh for as long as possible. Now that I live in the US, international wildlife restrictions apply, so I have to buy my cultivated thyme in a supermarket these days.

I love this roast chicken recipe for its Mediterranean influence of flavours. I usually make it with thyme to remind me of home, but you could also use rosemary. Use the whole sprig of the fresh herbs - if you pull the leaves off first your mouth will end up with annoying bits. Or, as in the case of rosemary, little woody needles!

Although my mother cooks instinctively (she declares she's never made the same recipe twice) she must be credited with the following roast chicken recipe; not one to waste a single scrap of food, the idea to make a stock out of the carcass is my step-father's.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, giblets removed, rinsed under kitchen tap
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced into discs about 0.5" thick
6 carrots or other root vegetables, e.g. parsnips, sliced into 1" lengths (and, in the case of parsnips 0.5" thick)
Sprig of fresh herbs, e.g. thyme, rosemary
1 unwaxed lemon, scrubbed and then cut into half
Glug of liquid - it doesn't matter whether it's beer, wine, orange juice or something else

Place the chicken into a 2" deep baking dish and drizzle olive oil over it, rubbing it into all the creases. Season with salt and pepper.

Surround it with the onions, potatoes and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Add fresh herbs and lemon.
Herbs: on the chicken, at either end, and stuff some into the chicken too;
Lemon: squeeze the juice all over the chicken and veggies, and stuff the chicken with the two halves

Drizzle more oil over everything, and then add the liquid - just a glug. The oil and liquid combine with the chicken juices to form a gravy!

Mix the veggies around to coat them too

Bung in the oven for 75-90mins at 220°C (425°F) - every oven is different, so you may have to adjust temp/ time. You'll know when the chicken is done because you should be able to pull off a leg easily.

Serve and enjoy!

Frugalista Tip:

When the chicken is nothing but a carcass, you can make it into a stock for soups and other dishes - fry celery, carrots and onion with salt, pepper and herbs in a cooking pot, and then add chicken carcass - the whole thing. Add water, bring to a boil and simmer for a few hours. Strain, and refrigerate when cool until chilled, whereupon you may skim off the fat if you are so inclined. Ta-da!

Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool

2009-08-16T11:23:00.010-04:00

In April 2009 I found myself underwater but dry as a bone: Swimming Pool is an ingenious two-level interactive art installation from Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich.

From the upper level, a smart wooden deck, it looks like a normal swimming pool - that is, until you spot someone walking, not bobbing, around on the pool floor. You might marvel at this optical illusion a while before curiosity gets the better of you - once you've descended the wooden steps into the room below you see that Erlich has carved out an empty swimming pool, with blue paint, lights and ladder, and whose ceiling is super-duper strong acrylic which supports a few inches of water. The only thing missing is the smell of chlorine.

I was with a few people, including a 5-year old boy who zoomed around the pool floor pretending to be a fish, an octopus, a ship, a pirate... For once, we didn't need to see something through the eyes of a child to appreciate its novelty, charm and magic, but having a kid with us was a great excuse to linger a little longer as we played at hydronauts.

My friend, Boo, took this picture of me pretending to be a mermaid. I hadn't experienced such underwater wonder since I took my first underwater breath learning to SCUBA dive back in '96. So, go! It's on view at P.S.1 in Queens until October 24, 2009.

(And for those of you who can't get to NYC in time, you might enjoy this Build Your Own Swimming Pool link!)

A Native American Folktale about Dogs

2009-08-15T10:23:00.009-04:00

The second time I lived in New York was back in 2002-2003. I entered the country on a J-1 visa (a/k/a "The Internship Visa") which gives the holder permission to be in the U.S. for 19 months and work for 18 of those months.

Knowing that my time then in NYC was temporary, I collected all sorts of scrapbook paraphernalia - business cards of restaurants and bars I frequented, photos, maps, stickers, flyers, theatre tickets... These were the days before Facebook, after all!

But one pasted piece of paper is rather incongruous nowadays: it's not related to my being in NYC, nor is there a note to say where I found it, and yet I glued it into my scrapbook for some reason other than just because I stumbled upon it whilst I was in NYC. It's a Native American folktale, a simple and beautiful fable about the bond shared between humans and our dogs.

The earth trembled and a great rift appeared, separating the first man and woman from the rest of the animal kingdom. As the chasm grew deeper and wider, all the other creatures, afraid for their lives, returned to the forest - except for the dog, who after much consideration leapt the perilous rift to stay with the humans on the other side. His love for humanity was greater than his bond to other creatures, he explained and he willingly forfeited his place in paradise to prove it.

I Heart Frozen Yoghurt

2009-07-31T20:12:00.012-04:00

I am proud to say that I have visited all 5 boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island) of New York City over the past month, which is something of a rarity for probably quite a lot of people, especially given that Staten Island is accessible via car, express bus or ferry - but not subway.

In my experience, most Manhattanites baulk at the idea of travelling into the other four boroughs. I seem to hear more from those of us who live in the "outer boroughs" (how Manhattancentric) about visiting the other four - most of which aren't more than an hour away by subway, which is only an extra 20 minutes or so than if you live in Manhattan. (Boring fact: I used to live in the East Village and my commute would take 35 minutes to get to 33rd and 10th; but commuting twice that distance from Park Slope to Columbus Circle takes 45 minutes.)

I am definitely guilty of not exploring the city more. Visiting The Cloisters has been on my To Do list for a while now, and I have two friends who practically live across the street... And yet I have every incentive because every time I do travel to a less familiar part of town I always chance upon something either interesting or delicious!

For example, yesterday I went to visit a foodie friend of mine and her sweet eight-week old baby in the Bronx. It took less than an hour from Brooklyn on the D train to get to 161st Street, home to the magnificent new Yankees stadium which looks like a giant two-storey minimalist Colosseum. I know nothing about baseball, but near the stadium and right outside one of the subway entrances is Juice Factory, which serves this really great frozen yoghurt blended with fruit.

Now, I've heard that frozen yoghurt is lower in fat than ice cream, but as someone who will always pick the high fat version over the 'lite' version of something I've always been suspicious of ice cream alternatives. I'm not militant about it but I like my food to be as unprocessed and additive- and chemical-free as possible. (Why have revoltingly bland Tasti-D-Lite when you can have Ciao Bella gelato?)

Anyway, I trust my foodie Bronx-living friend, who, it is worth mentioning at this point, had just treated me to a picnic of scallops with chimichurri sauce, beef tournados stuffed with mushrooms and spinach, a tomato-free salad (bless her, she's never forgotten that I am allergic) and a side of spicy corn: when she said she wanted to treat herself to something low fat and delicious, I believed her that such a thing *actually* existed and, salivating in anticipation, off we skipped to the Juice Factory.

We were greeted by Tony who chatted aimiably with us about the various fruity options and toppings (his personal favourite is Captain Crunch cereal). We plumped for a simple blend of raspberries, whose pleasing tartness contrasted with the sweetness of the yogurt. It is a fabulous concoction!

L-R: Fro yo menu; My raspberry frozen yoghurt sans one bite; Tony

Metal Leaf Art

2009-07-26T00:43:00.009-04:00

Here is a photograph of my first (imitation) gold leaf canvas (measuring 30" x 40") which hangs in my living room.

I love the warmth and the glow of the earthy red and gold colours and how they bounce off the surrounding walls - some of my friends have asked me to create something similar for them too, and they could tell you that silver also looks terrific against a royal blue, and copper is charming against a viridian green.

Metal leaf is extremely delicate, many times thinner than alumin(i)um foil and easily torn with a fingertip. Its fragility is captured in how it lies on the canvas, and these irregularites offer visual interest. It's kind of shabby chic with a Moroccan twist.

Bouquet Pendants

2009-07-08T00:38:00.013-04:00

I've been making smaller versions of my Wire Lace necklaces, in the form of pendants for flaurena™.

These floral-inspired pendants look like little upside-down bunches of flowers or topiary trees, hence the name 'Bouquet'.

Each handmade pendant is lovingly wrought from gold fill or sterling silver wire (your choice) and suspended on a matching chain which is finished with a simple spring ring clasp.

Update: these designs were featured in an Etsy Treasury entitled Dramatic Beauty, curated by BySaraLynn

Interview with artist Neilah Meyers

2009-07-05T21:26:00.008-04:00

Neilah Meyers is a Los Angeles-based artist whom I interviewed for Tokion magazine in February 2009. Below is the article I wrote, but you can also see how it appeared in Tokion's March 2009 issue by opening this PDF.

Vivacious Los Angeles artist Neilah Meyers has never been intimidated by scale: the first piece of art she ever sold was Ginger, a 6 x 4 feet charcoal sketch of a sprawling Great Dane puppy. That was ten years ago; since then Meyers has continued to create big and now works on life-sized sketches, sometimes even adding extra paper around a work so she can continue her sweeping lines. Meyers, who studied the Philosophy of the Sublime at NYU, likes to draw girls, animals and skulls, experimenting with different angles, texture and especially color, and throwing bursts of spray paint or acrylic into the mix. Born to an artist mother, she was introduced to the endless choices of art materials at an early age, but charcoal remains her preferred medium. "For some reason, working small has always felt too precious to me," she says. "Charcoal's nature is bold and strong. For me, to have a sense of tempo, it doesn't feel natural on a smaller scale." Meyers is also a paper aficionado, and binds her own sketchbooks in preparation for her art; their existence alone becomes a part of a work in progress. She has her eye on the goal, but the creation process is just as rewarding: "Whether it's a human or an animal, I always start with one eye. It just makes it real: when you have a connection to whatever this piece is about, everything else falls into place." It's true that her subjects' faces anchor a subtle, intense life in the work, but it is their often blurred bodies which capture the movement. This intrigue of motion is perhaps another reason she loves charcoal, which Meyers confesses she gets all over herself. "Sometimes I come home and find I have a Cro-Magnon shadow on my forehead, because no one has said `Hey! You have something there!"' she says, laughing. How sublime.