Arts and Eco-Living

Story of Our Life

2010-07-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

Coming July 21

2010-07-13T19:01:00.000-04:00

Jazz Camp in Romania

2010-06-22T19:02:00.002-04:00

The DIY Beauty Recipes - Avocados

2010-06-12T23:37:00.003-04:00

Something I was planning for a while now - starting a DIY-for-the-girl-on-the-run- beauty-solutions series.
Who am I to share these – let’s just say that I started cooking when I was eleven – that is almost thirty years experience. Around the same age I started reading my mom’s collection of beauty books, and also trying on whatever I found useful for my skin type. That makes more then twenty years of continuous experience in natural cosmetics – more than I can say about any other current activity of mine…
A few years ago I was telling my friend Ana that my cosmetic shelf is in my refrigerator. She didn’t quite get it at that time – she is the kind of person who lived on the country side but uses the most conveniently artificial ingredients… Nevertheless, I still care for her… :P

Not only that I am in favor of all foods as close to the raw state as possible – without being a fanatic, though – but after years of using supermarket products I developed intolerances that conducted me to my current cosmetic kit – pure oils and flower extracts. Of course, when it comes to make-up - the more mineral, the better.
Fantastic in salads (whoever avoids them for diet reasons should first drop the chips, candy and ice cream they can’t live without), avocados are an equal blessing as cosmetics. You don’t have to sacrifice them as food, though. Just use the peels of a very ripe one as a leave-in-two-in-one make-up remover and moisturizer. I use them when I take a shower because I like to use them as a hair conditioner, too. After I rub the inside of the peel onto my face, neck and décolleté, I massage them, rinsing the excess in the same time. The face remains hydrated, tender and fresh; just use an optional mist of rosewater afterwards and you’re good to go.
You can find more elaborate DIY beauty recipes with avocado here.

About the many uses of rosewater, in a future post.

Crazy about shopping

2010-05-28T01:41:00.001-04:00

Crazier about shopping, originally uploaded by soranatarmu.

I found this cart apparently abandoned on a public lawn in Venice, California.

Late Spring

2010-05-17T22:46:00.000-04:00

Organization: Ecochoice

2010-04-27T23:32:00.001-04:00

Organization: Ecochoice

Posted using ShareThis

Oceanic Boa Scarves

2010-04-07T19:21:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T01:00:00.001-04:00

In love with a song again

2010-03-21T21:23:00.000-04:00

March Amulet

2010-03-02T02:32:00.002-05:00

The only kind of snow I long for from yesterday on

Woke up this morning II

2010-02-27T01:02:00.001-05:00

Frogs Photo, National Geographic Photo of the Day

2010-02-26T04:08:00.001-05:00

Auspicious home decor

Llorando... por un mundo sin Lhasa de Sela

2010-01-05T04:18:00.001-05:00

Brilliant movie by Radu Mihaileanu

2010-01-04T03:51:00.001-05:00

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From my dear friend Maria Peters (Voichi)

2009-09-13T01:58:00.001-04:00

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Ilezia (poem) by Peter Cooper on AuthorsDen

2009-08-06T22:07:00.001-04:00

Talking about preserving cultural diversity: there is a kind of grandmothers that is about to go extinct. And that is the Eastern-European village grandmother. I can only talk about the Transylvanian village grandmother, for I had one, too, once. But I will talk about mine later.

Ilezia is one of these miraculous beings. Another such memorable grandma was the one who was buying literature books from a book fest, as a birthday gift for her grandson.

Maybe it is a matter of the unique heritage that is lost with each generation, as the humanity lives too under the doom of entropy.

But, boy, why do I have the feeling that these grandmas are the bearers of a most precious legacy that will disappear forever once they are gone?

Ilezia (poem) by Peter Cooper on AuthorsDen

Hector's Lounge

2009-07-29T23:29:00.001-04:00

is relaunching under http://www.soranatarmu.com. Jazz, arts, music, cultural events. All essays and other literary attempts in Romanian are moving under http://hect0r.wordpress.com. Hector’s Lounge will also approach issues of sustainable development and “green” lifestyle options, since its author holds a Masters degree and work experience in Environmental Sciences. Digital artwork and graphic art projects will be displayed under http://elisedeury.artblog.fr.

See you soon!

About Hector's Lounge latest menu. And Hector lives on jazz street.

2009-04-17T22:02:00.004-04:00

Funny how Hector's Lounge was an idea that burgeoned independently in three people's minds, namely my husband's, Uca's and mine. Jazz club and guest house, artist community hub and cabaret, diner and bakery. In this endeavor, I definitely came with the name. Of course my lounge gets crystallized wherever I go, but for a while it comes to life, little by little, here, in the pirates' lair of Harsimus Cove.
When you arrive on 3rd Street, if you are lucky, you can see and hear Ken playing his soaring sax on the brownstone steps of his home. A block away, George Coleman's son plays his infectious grooves (you can definitely hear his drums from the outside!) And just across the street from us, our lovely neighbors Chelo and Maribel, animating The Grassroots Community Space, where we party every Sunday.
And not to forget the Stockinette Knitting Cafe just around the corner! So chic and warm.
Speaking about coffee, my husband had this brilliant name idea of a vegetarian diner called "The Gourmet Goat". We're both creative chefs (when I stop cooking like a woman...), so we incorporated this concept of diner/bakery/deli under the umbrella of ...my lounge. Vegan and vegetarian as usual, Hector's Lounge is lately welcoming friends at a mild but stirring Nicaraguan coffee, a mate tea from Argentina, prepared with Agave and vanilla soy milk, Egyptian licorice and mint, or a Thai Delight tea. Light meals as sandwiches with home-made hummus and avocado, steamed vegetable with rice, garlic sauce spinach and tamarind hot sauce. Or Hector's unique mango and feta sandwiches. And the choice is ever expanding.

About other Harsimus Cove delights, a bit later.

One of those magical encounters

2009-03-21T01:13:00.004-04:00

We met the L.A. based mythical violin player at a friend's studio, for a recording. He had trouble finding the address, just like us. Musicians need a GPS most of all people, I guess.
If I had any reminiscent second thoughts about the violin in jazz, they were pulverized after listening to his exquisite live playing.
And a solar, benevolent and communicative presence, too. A true privilege knowing him.

New headquarters - osul de sepie

2009-03-18T10:01:00.004-04:00

...in the historic district of Harsimus Cove, la o aruncătură de băț de Manhattan. Curios cum e îi e mai ușor să obțină dubla cetățenie cuiva a cărui vis e să devină apatrid, undeva în mijlocul sălbăticiei. Patria mea e natura sălbatică pe care o port mereu în mine. Sau cum zice Uca: nu-i e dor de casă celui ce își poartă casa în suflet. Să fim ca niște melci cu cochilia în inimi, dar, rătăcitorilor. Țigani locuind în propriul ghioc...

Last.fm: Eldad Tarmu & "Banatul" Philharmonic in Timișoara

2009-01-21T09:18:00.004-05:00

A concert that crosses jazz, world and classical music in original compositions and arrangements by jazz vibraphonist Eldad Tarmu. Featured artistis: The "Tabac" String Quartet, Johnny Bota - double bass, Lucian Nagy - saxophone, Victor Miclaus - electric bass, Tavi Scurtu - drums, Cristina Pădurariu - flute and voice, Maria Chioran, Claudiu Mirea and Sorana Tarmu - backing vocals. Conductor - Pedro Negrescu.

read more | digg story

We mourn...

2008-12-07T15:24:00.003-05:00

Anca Parghel is among us no more...

Roberto Menescal's delightful song

2008-11-01T16:40:00.006-04:00

Vocea braziliana cu cel mai elegant timbru din cate am auzit: Wanda de Sa. Si un cantec care va intra in repertoriul trupei despre al carei turneu voi scrie curand.

Back to the land of the setting sun. For the whole summer.

2008-06-20T18:28:00.005-04:00

Inapoi la bulevardul porumbelului care nu e decat o alee, la casuta de turta dulce de la Trader Joe's a Galyei (apropo, nici nu am iesit bine din avion ca ne-am si repezit intr-un Trader Joe's ca sa ne aprovizionam cu bunatatile dietetice carora le-am dus dorul trei luni). In primul slideshow din stanga sunt picturile Galyei.