Tricking, Treating... or just EATING

Image courtesy Sweet Cupcakes

Most people funnel all of their creative Halloween juices into coming up with snappy costumes. I, however, like to focus on the SNAX. You'll be excited to learn that Oliver and I are year-round Halloween candy consumers. A long time ago, we discovered that the aptly named "fun size" candies are perfect for post-dinner chocolate cravings. Who needs an entire candy bar? But if you do, just eat a few more of the fun size guys! (I've been known to consume more than my share.)

Our quaaludes jar is stocked, dude:


There are a plethora of topics to write about around Halloween – harvest-y tablescapes, snappy jack-o-lantern designs, poking fun at those (not so) sexy Sesame Street-inspired costumes –

Srsly?

...I'm going to stay focused on the food. Dessert, specifically. Eye candy. Literally. Get it? Check out some of my favorite tricked-out treats.

Everything Bakerella makes looks outrageous. My mouth waters every time she updates her blog. Those little spiders are hilarious – and, I imagine, not so easy to make.



Sweet Cupcakes has some cute spooky-themed ideas for Halloween sweets:


Amy Atlas never disappoints. Those ghostly little cake pops are so flippin' cute!



You can always count on Martha to produce perfect holiday treats:



Country Living has some deliciously clever ideas. Although I'm not sure how I feel about rodents on my baked goods, even if they're made of cake:





Not to be a Negatory Nellie, but Real Simple did a little feature on which Halloween candies are healthier. UMMMMMM.....way to take the fun out! I know obesity is problematic these days, but really? Is there a point in comparing the nutritional value of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups versus Snickers? (Snickers is a better choice, according to Real Simple, by the way.) Obviously, they're both "bad" for you. Everything in moderation, folks! I'm a firm believer that home-made treats are "healthier" than those you buy at the store, since they're likely not pumped with preservatives, corn syrup and a bevy of un-pronouceable ingredients. Baked goods aren't an acceptable giveaway to trick-or-treating tots, but they're certainly delish for having around the house!

Have a great Halloween weekend, everyone! xoxo

Time-Lapse/Stop-Motion Wedding Video

We opted out of hiring videographers for our wedding (too expensive, wasn't convinced we would ever watch it again, wasn't sure if I wanted to see myself on video in 30 years...eep!) but Design Sponge recently featured one that makes me wish we'd thought to do this – a time-lapse and stop-motion wedding video from Bayly&Moore!



The videographers even included the recent wedding photo prop du jour, balloons. (My sources tell me photos taken in or around trains and railroad yards are the upcoming engagement/wedding photo craze, so look out!)

I predict time-lapse/stop-motion is the next big thing in wedding videography – mark my words! Of course, we will probably see a slew of poorly produced copy-cats, while this one is top-notch in terms of editing and production quality. The fact that the couple is cute, photogenic and has great taste doesn't hurt!

Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby film frames are captured at a rate much slower than it will be played back (think videos showing a lunar eclipse, or the blooming of a flower). The first use of time-lapse photography dates back to 1897 and was further pioneered in feature films of the early 1920s.

Stop motion animation techniques, which essentially make inanimate objects look as though they are moving, can also be traced back to the late 1800s/early 1900s, with clay animation (claymation) following quickly. Stop-motion was widely used from the 1960s through early 1990s, with clay, puppets and origami. GCI (computer-generated imagery) has all but rendered stop-motion obsolete as a special effects tool, but it's unique quality makes it perfect for certain creative applications. It is a really fun, easy animation technique that requires not much more than a digital camera and a computer with some video editing software (like Apple's imovie or Quicktime Pro).

Not to toot the old husband horn, but Oliver made a fun (if a bit disturbing) stop-motion video for a school project once, using tomatoes and some of my leftover foam core.

Howdy, ya'll!

We have been keeping this little secret for a while now, so I'm excited to share it with all of you. After five years in New York, we have decided to explore a new city! Our recent trip to Austin sealed the deal for us, and in a month we will pack up and head out for our next adventure. Look out Austin: Frisson and The Studiolo are headed your way!

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UPDATE: In case I wasn't clear, The Studiolo is coming with us to Austin! We will continue writing about all things design from out new home, so please keep in touch!

Storm King Art Center

Oliver and I recently journeyed upstate to Storm King Art Center in New York's Hudson River Valley with friends. It was a warm sunny day, perfect for a picnic before an afternoon of wandering around the vast grounds. A permanent collection of large-scale sculptures, Storm King consists of 500 acres of walkable landscaped lawns, fields, ponds and woodlands featuring 125 sculptures, many of which are site-specific. Fall is obviously a beautiful time of year to visit, but I imagine, with the changing seasons, there is not a bad time to see the sights.


See? BIG.


I'm sorting out the map. Very busy. 

Notable sculptures captured by our Nikon D90:

Endless Column, by Tal Streeter


For Paul, by Ursula von Rydingsvard
Undulating sculpture of stacked and glued 4"x4" cedar wood, rubbed with graphite


Alexander Calder


Storm King Wall, by Andy Goldworthy
A 2,278 foot long serpentine wall constructed out of stones found on the Storm King site



Schunnenmunk Fork, by Richard Serra
Highlights the changes in terrain and levels at Storm King


Storm King Wavefield, by Maya Lin
Not as impressive as I expected it to be. It seemed a tad contrived, considering such undulating situations occur in nature and we can actually walk on them. Why so fragile, Maya Lin?


Untitled, by Robert Grosvenor
A black-painted weathering steel sculpture mimicing the rise of a mountain beyond (not pictured)

Sunday in the Park with Mom & LexLuxe

Yesterday was GORGEOUS. Of course, I didn't have the good camera with me (just the little guy I carry around to photograph construction progress at jobsites), but it was one of those sunny, warm fall days that has a hint of crispness. After a delicious breakfast with Oliver, I met my mom at Columbus Circle for a little wandering around in Central Park. We listened to some music, watched an acrobatic guy flip down an aisle of people for about half a mile and eventually made our way up to 81st and Columbus Avenue, where we happened on a little outdoor art fair. There were a ton of great vendors, but my favorite was LexLuxe, classic modern jewelry designed and hand-crafted by Alexis Russell, who was on-hand selling her wares.


The pieces were displayed thoughtfully in simple cases that made looking, touching and trying on very easy, and the varied designs back up Alexis' keen eye for merchandising. My pictures of the booth don't even kind of do it justice (wrong light; wrong camera), but Alexis' branding is great, too. Note the banners hanging at the bottom of the jewelry cases:

It was a little dark for photos, but Alexis' work speaks for itself. 

I loved the use of sand and slate tiles to display different pieces. Layering natural elements on the wood and metal cases simultaneously warmed up and beautifully offset the golds, silvers and gemstones:



I was immediately drawn into the booth by these woven metal earrings:

Photo courtesy Alexis Russell Design 

Then I was quickly distracted by a few pieces involving rough stones and light, airy hammered gold hoops:


I ultimately settled on this lovely branch necklace with a chocolate diamond, an impromptu gift from my generous mom (I love it - thank you!!):


More of Alexis' unique pieces are viewable on her website. Two of my favorites:


Photos courtesy Alexis Russell Design

Alexis, who is based in Buffalo, NY, sells her lovely pieces at the various gift fairs around New York, but if you're not in the New York area, you can find her work at several shops throughout the country as well as on etsy. Alexis will also work with individuals to create custom pieces. Contact her to get the process started. I look forward to seeing more work from this talented (and super nice) designer.

Sojourn to Governor's Island

Photo by A.C. Frieden

Last Saturday, I met up with my friend Kate and we ferried over to Governor's Island to spend a day tooling around before it closed for the winter season (boo).

The ferry ride takes, like, three seconds (it's only 800 yards from lower Manhattan, and even closer to Brooklyn), althought is quite beautiful. Kate was prepared with bagels and the juiciest Asian pears, so we munched and chatted and voila! We were there!

Map courtesy GIPEC

The 172-acre island, originally called Noten Eylant (Dutch) then Nutten Island, assumed the name Governor's Island in 1784, which stemmed from the British Colonial assembly, which reserved the island for the exclusive use of New York's royal governors. Fancy! For nearly two centuries, the island was a military base, first home to the U.S Army (1783-1966) then to the U.S. Coast Guard (1966-1996). From 1996 to 2003 it sat vacant, but, as always, there were grumblings underfoot: in 2001, two buildings on the island (Fort Jay and Castle Williams) were deemed National Monuments, and in 2003, most of the control of the island was transferred to New York state, with 13% transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior as the Governor's Island National Monument and the island was opened to the public. In 2006, New York's leaders called for proposals to redevelop and preserve the island. A year later, the submissions by architecture firms Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rogers Marvel Architects, along with urban planning and landscape architecture firm, West 8, were chosen to design three signature open spaces. Further development is progressing, but 22 lovely acres are walk-or bike-able now on summer and early fall weekends.

We first passed Castle Williams, (currently under construction), which is considered one of the best remaining examples of American coastal fortification. During the Civil War it held Confederate prisoners of war. Apparently, it only took four years to complete, which must be the fastest project ever done in the history of New York City (wink).



Here's what it looked like many moons ago – a formidable site for oncoming enemies, no?


Then we roamed around Colonel's Row, admiring the grounds and stately homes, built in the 19th century:


Some of the homes could use a little attention, but we were still able to imagine the Colonels' wives getting the homes ready for entertaining or lolling about on weekend mornings, sitting on the front porch waving to neighbors as they walked by.


Colonel's Row has retained it's bucolic look and feel – here it is in the early 1900s:

Photo courtesy NYPL

At 350,000 square feet, Liggett Hall, designed by the beloved firm McKim Mead & White, is the island's biggest building. It was built to house all facilities for an entire regiment, and it is quite a site to behold!


In the winter:

Photo courtesy The Trust for Governor's Island

Then we headed to the Nolan Park houses, built between 1857 and the 1890s and occupied by officers - aren't they charming? Apparently, the design of the homes are standardized plans out of the Army Quartermaster Corp., and the "French Yellow" is a custom color right out of the Quartermaster handbook.



The Governor's Manse, built in 1810, ain't too shabby:

Photo courtesy The Trust for Governor's Island

In this photo, Manhattan's skyscrapers, visible in the distance, create a stark juxtaposition against the wood homes and breezy tree-lined walkways:


Some of the homes were open to the public. We had a blast poking around inside and checking out various interior details, like pocket door hardware and fireplace etchings:



We also spent some time wandering along the water:


As it turned out, there was an Oktoberfest celebration going on, but we took one look at the miles-long line for what we assumed would be cheap, flat beer and said, "forget it! Let's hit the beach!"



After enjoying a drink (with no line) and battling for territory with a few feisty yellow jackets, we called it a day and hopped on an afternoon ferry back to the city:

Can you believe that sailboat? Does it not look like it just came out of a bottle?!


The Staten Island Ferry chugged on by:


And we prepare to dock:


It was a splendid day for a visit!