another library list

on tuesday night, i went to my local city library branch and had one of those awesome moments when every book i came across seemed just right. the library (any library) has been a favorite location of mine for as far back as i can remember. wandering the shelves, amassing a pile, and checking out a stack of new-to-me books gives me a strange but special thrill.

often the subjects are totally unrelated, many of the books i never read from cover to cover, but always i am delighted by all the text and images and ideas and inspirations that a pile of books can offer.

here is my library list from tuesday:

+ alone in the kitchen with an eggplant (hilarious essays on cooking solo.)
+ the girl with the gallery (the title caught me, and the topic's held me.)
+ what i talk about when i talk about running (haruki murakami is fantastic.)
+ paris cafe: the select crowd (illustrated thoughts on the paris cafe scene.)
+ superman: the complete history (for an upcoming exhibition at work.)
+ armageddon in retrospect (kurt vonnegut is genius.)

what books are piled up on your nightstand at the moment?

clementine cupcakes

life has felt especially busy lately. but still good. last night, i made a batch of clementine cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting to bring into work today. perfect for a december birthday!

this recipes uses the whole clementine--skin and all. it makes a dense, moist cake with little flecks of orange and a tangy sweet taste. i think the rich chocolate frosting (my addition) turned out to be a perfect topping.

i started using nigella lawson's clementine cake recipe, but revised it with some suggestions from her web reviews.

except for the whole cupcakes-sticking-to-their-liners issues (how does one avoid that??), these turned out great.

clementine cupcakes
+ 5 clementines (about 1 pound)
+ 6 eggs
+ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
+ 2 1/3 cups ground almonds (or flour equivalent)
+ 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
+ 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

place clementines in a pot of cold water. bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for 2 hours. drain the fruit. once it's cool, cut in half, remove any seeds, and then pulverize the fruit/skins/pith. you can use a food processor for this--or a good knife.

preheat the oven to 375F. butter your pan of choice and line with parchment.

put the fruit pulp in a big bowl, and mix in the sugar and vanilla. add one egg at a time, mixing well. in a small bowl, combine the almond/flour and baking powder. then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet. mix completely, but don't overstir.

pour the cake mixture in your pan, and pop it in the oven. bake for 40-60 minutes until golden brown. enjoy!

:: photo from lillieinthecity / flickr

thanksgiving in los angeles : a day in photos

:: thanksgiving breakfeast with holiday magazines.



:: out for a walk - glorious cloudy blue skies.



:: crowds at the grocery store.



:: apron from grandma.



:: pie from nana. my first solo pie-baking : success!




:: sunset - more gorgeous clouds.



:: giving thanks chez schwartz.



:: and one more slice of pie.


see more photos of my thanksgiving day in LA at lillieinthecity/ flickr.

happy thanksgiving!

in my family, thanksgiving is all about the pies.
and today, i will be making a pie (or two) of my own!

:: images (top) from my mom and (bottom) from me

national day of listening

storycorps has declared the first annual national day of listening on friday, november 28.

each day this week, npr has been playing a story from a different person/place, and on friday, they will play stories throughout the day. this is a "call to action" for americans to take time on friday to sit down with someone you love, ask a question or two, and really listen. read more in this interview.

for today's story, george w. bush's sister doro interviewed the outgoing president and first lady about what they will miss about life in the whitehouse, and like most storycorps responses, the answers were surprisingly sweet.

video: fifty people / one question

what do you wish for by the end of today?



Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

sweet potato & butternut squash soup

sweet potato & butternut squash soup from nytimes

art: patrick dougherty

Dougherty's works allude to nests, cocoons, hives, and lairs built by animals, as well as the manmade forms of huts, haystacks, and baskets, created by interweaving branches and twigs together. Many of his works look 'found' rather than made, as if they were created by the natural force of a tornado sweeping across the landscape. He intentionally tries for this effortless effect, as if his creations just fell or grew up naturally in their settings. - Linda Johnson, Curator

currently on view at the LA arborteum & botanical garden. (via lacma unframed)

also on view at wheaton college in norton, ma. and more photos available ihere.


:: image from orngejuglr

more advice

from nana...

you owe it to us all
to get on with what you're good at.

- w.h. auden (1907-1973)

i whole-heartedly agree.

sick days & comfort foods

i was home sick today and indulging in some much needed sleep and comfort foods. my non-medicinal cure-all's include: campbell's chicken noodle soup; stouffer's macaroni & cheese; and cold ginger ale. whether it's my stomach or my throat or my head that hurts, any combination of these make me start to feel better, take care of myself, and slow down.


:: campbell's soup by andy warhol

dahl fashion

charlie bucket stared around him in astonishment.
this was the craziest lift he had ever seen.
- charlie and the chocolate factory


british vogue had a roald-dahl-inspired photo shoot. love it.
at fashion week daily (via annplified)


:: image from british vogue

advice

work hard. play hard.
create something amazing.


- advice to sink in slowly

wish i was at: SMFA art sale

InsideOut: The Museum School Art Sale, November 19–23, 2008

For 28 years the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA) has hosted the annual December Sale, an art sale and fundraiser for student scholarships. Featuring work by hundreds of established and emerging artists each year—including internationally known SMFA alumni and faculty, current students, and affiliated artists—the Sale has become the largest public art sale in New England... more info

School of the Museum of Fine Arts
230 the fenway | boston, massachusetts

diy: geographic lampshade

think of your favorite place each time you turn on the light!
map lamp how-to via chez larsson


:: image from chez larsson

recipe roundup: autumn edition

recipes that are catching my eye now have taken a decidedly autumnal turn.

- banana cranberry bread from joy the baker
- roasted pears w. lemons, nuts & honey from apt therapy
- pilgrim's punch from cocktails.com!
- unfussy apple cake from 101cookbooks

hopefully i can test out some of these myself soon.
so many sweet ways to give thanks!


:: images by joy the baker [left] and faith hopler [right]

art: penelope dullaghan

artist to explore: penelope dullaghan
her prints are available in her shop.

penelope, please print this golden goldfish.
i want to take him home!

via stephanielevy

art history: woman drawing

young woman drawing, 1801 by marie-denise villers

i think of this picture unusually often. something in her look, the leveling gaze. i remember standing in front of this painting and considering it on more than one occasion during field trips in college. and now when i revisit it, i wonder, why? certainly pretty--mostly quiet and simple, almost plain. but there's something in that gaze that keeps making me remember. and so, worth sharing!

[ new series: art history / images & thoughts ]

photo: blazing sunset

it's 90 degrees in november, the full glory and perennial curse of southern california on fierce display. devil winds, hill-hopping infernos, smoked mansions, torched trailers, barren freeways, and brilliant sunsets lingering in low-hanging canopies of burnt dreams. (latimes)

:: image from our kitchen window tonight, myflickr

in the city: a visit to the nursery

hoshimoto nursery
1935 sawtelle blvd
los angeles, 90025
hashimotonursery.com


:: images from myflickr

shop: kiosk & americana

kiosk is an online/nyc shop that is "the antidote to over-design."

they offer products in geographically-themed colletions, and each item celebrates the simple, sometimes mundane, always well made, and surprisingly unique.

the latest collection explores americana, focusing on new england with lots of massachusetts in the mix.

i love necco wafers and balsa gliders.

photo: all i want to be

another 20x200. think-make-think by clifton burt.

i really should have bought a print of this as soon as it posted--because now i'm very bummed that within hours they are sold out!

photo: colorful but controlled

balloons by juliane eirich--available at 20x200

quote: the power of art

in unsettling times like these,
it would do us good to look at art
and talk about it,
because of the power of art
to console and lift our spirits and
its ability to teach us a thing or two
about our imperfect nature.


- edward goldman for kcrw / please, mr. president, take us on a date

video: it's a new day

:: video by will.i.am / dipdive

tikkun olam

tikkun olam | repair the world

this keeps coming up in my world in the past few weeks: work, news, movies.

one of the best things about judaism is called tikkun olam. it’s the idea that the world has been broken in pieces, and it’s up to us to gather them and put them back together.


- nick & norah's infinite playlist

around town: artbites

another card picked up at the local coffee shop... artbites: cooking art history.
sounds like magic, huh? "think rachel ray meets sister wendy"


link: artbites.net

shop: terrarium, dwr

i still have a fixation with terrariums. simple little worlds.

available at dwr.

a year of mornings

a recent addition to my book collection: a year of mornings: 3191 miles apart.

at the beginning of 2007, two friends started a photo blog, each sharing an image from their morning. one friend in portland, maine, the other in portland, oregon, 3191 miles apart. their photos capture quiet moments in the early day--and since they started, i've loved the moment in my day when i visit their website. (and along with many coworkers/friends, i started my own daily habit of using their photo pairs as my work&home computer's desktop background.)

now their morning photos have been published in this book.

and this year, they've continued the tradition with a year of evenings.


:: image from a year of mornings

a new day

"i have never been more hopeful." - president-elect obama


:: image from the boston globe

vote.

today is one of the most important political moments in modern history. so wherever you are, whoever you are, go to your local polling station and make your voice heard.


and after so many months (and so many years),
i think, i hope: our time is now.



from sooo many months ago, remember: yes we can.


:: images from [top] nikki mcclure and [bottom] www.designforobama.org

art: carleton watkins

recently saw dialogue among giants at the getty center.
carleton watkins and the rise of photography in california.

in the city: silverlake salvage

a new-to-me LA discovery is silverlake salavage where i found an incredible collection of everything and the kitchen sink--old cabinets, tables and chairs, moldings, hardware, windows and doors, tubs, and on and on. the place is HUGE, and the collection endless and constantly changing.

i didn't come home with anything on my first visit (a bit overwhelmed by possibility), but i will definitely be heading back soon.



Silverlake Salvage
1085 Manzanita St.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323-667-2875
open daily, 11-6


:: images from myflickr

welcome november

this is november in LA.


:: image from myflickr

family photos

my cousin took these photos around our family cottage in maine.
he just turned seventeen. aren't these photos beautiful?

recently reading

in the offline world, i have been catching up on my reading.

+ cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things
a manifesto for a new [sustainable! creative!] industrial revolution

+ the namesake by jhumpa lhari
the journey of this indian family broke & mended my heart

+ interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lhari
i couldn't stop reading these short stories

+ the chosen by chaim potok
a great coming-of-age novel from the high school reading list


and what are you reading this fall?

links: in the kitchen

last night i made a simple whatever's-in-the-fridge salad that turned out to be surprisingly sweet & colorful--a mix of mango, red & green peppers, and cucumbers. and tortilla chips for scooping.

a few recipes that i've collected and hope to make soon...
+ honey ice cream from orangette
+ any-fruit cobbler from the kitchn
+ favorite vegetarian chili from make it
+ best ever yellow cake & frosting from bake/shake
+ easy cinnamon muffins from joy the baker

do you have any new recipe finds to share?

beyond my imagination

still, there are times i am bewildered
by each mile I have traveled,
each meal I have eaten,
each person I have known,
each room in which I have slept.
as ordinary as it all appears,
there are times when it is beyond my imagination.


-- interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri

apartment decor - on the cheap

two great articles in the nytimes this week talk about creative apartment solutions on a budget with a slideshow of new yorkers' ingenious home hacks and creations .

check out...
+ a wall of drawers and a bartered bed
+ on the cheap - design lessons from students

the drawers-turned-shelves [right] are such a fun idea, especially sweet with the plant spilling over the edge and the sunglasses hanging off the handle.

and i LOVE the turquoise & rose color palette [left]. it's the exact combo that i've had in mind for my room for the past few months. gotta make that happen.


:: images from nytimes

happy weekend

when i saw these photos from katy elliot, it made me miss fall weekends in new england. all those colorful leaves! thinking about yard sales and cinnamon donuts with coffee and all the apples crisps a girl could want!

but for now, there's still plenty of beauty on the west coast. super hot weather this week. like an eternal indian summer. and now it might rain this weekend. i'm up for anything!

happy friday to you!


:: images from katy elliot

art in odd places

in the month of october, art projects will be tucked around new york city for pedestrians to stumble upon. see art in odd places.

my favorite...

free books by erin doeinge

A box of books labeled "Free Books" is deposited at various 14th Street locations. A seeming act of generosity, the artist has removed the last few pages from each book. The alteration will only become apparent to the reader after he or she has nearly finished the book, converting the cast-off into a statement of art.

Time/Location: Ongoing throughout October. Four undisclosed locations on 14th Street.

[i once tore the last page out of a danielle steele book and put it back on a communal book shelf. now i feel all the prouder of that little act of rebellion.]


:: image from art in odd places