the arts

Starting off the day with a few wake up calls from Jake while my alarm was buzzing for over twenty minutes I finally realized if I didn't get out of bed I was going to miss Sugarland's concert in Central Park. Thursday night I asked my new friend Jake, a recent graduate from Hendrix who moved to NY only 14 days ago, if he wanted to go to the GMA Summer Concert Series the next morning. His enthusiasm got me pumped up and excited to return to the beloved Friday mornings of music. This week was Sugarland, a popular country band from across the South. Going to the concert was like a blast back to college. If my friend Jordan and I were stressed or just needed to get off campus we would jump in the car, roll all the windows down, pump the volume and keep Sugarland's album Twice the Speed of Life on repeat while we sipped on frozen Coke's from Burger King. After Friday's early morning concert I have a few more good memories including Sugarland. Jake and I plan to go to a few more of GMA's concerts this summer.

Lead singer and guitarist of Sugarland.

After the concert Jake headed to work and I went home to pack for my trip to Kansas City and then by 11:00 a.m. I was seating in the theater awaiting Sex and the City 2 to begin. Don't worry, I know it is still early and everyone hasn't seen it so I won't give any spoilers, but I will say hands down Liza Minelli was hilarious and just might be my favorite part of the sequel.

I met a few friends atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art to enjoy a cocktail as well as view of the city. The new rooftop sculpture is fantastic. Doug and Mike Starn have created a Bamboo installation that will be a work-in-progress throughout the summer. The excerpt below is from metmuseum.org.

More about the Exhibition
Big Bambú is a growing and changing sculpture―a vast network of 5,000 interlocking 30- and 40-foot-long fresh-cut bamboo poles, lashed together with 50 miles of nylon rope. It will continue to be constructed throughout the duration of the exhibition. The first phase of the structure―measuring about 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 30 feet high―was completed by opening day, April 27. The artists and rock climbers are continuing to build up the eastern portion of the sculpture to an elevation of 50 feet. By summer, the western portion of the sculpture will be about 40 feet high. An internal footpath artery system grows along with the structure, facilitating its progress. The evolving state of the work is being documented by the artists in photographs and videos.

I arrived in Kansas City a little before 9 a.m. this morning and have already indulged myself with a Boulevard Wheat (with a lemon) from the local KC microbrewery, Boulevard Brewery.

Not a lot has happened in the past few days but there are many events coming up that are keeping my excitement levels high. Saturday morning I am leaving for Kansas City to reunite with a few wonderful friends/designers. Of our college design group Annie will be the second to get married. Her fiance, Matt, is a great guy and put up with a lot of gibber-jabber about design and more than likely still does!

I will be in Kansas City until Tuesday morning and then I'm back in the city for a while. I am looking forward to another summer in New York. Today was the first "hot" day we've had. It 90+ outside and very sunny.

I am looking forward to free concerts, movie nights outside in the middle of Central Park, fresh gelato and street fairs. Mom gave me a tip to check out the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn next weekend (June 5-6). I checked out their Web site and it looks right up my alley. Vendors include some of my favorite bloggers and online artists, including Etsy. Check out the list of over 300 artists that will be there. My birthday is the week following so I'm hoping to find a new piece of art for my apartment or a few knickknacks.

Speaking of my birthday, my Mom has decided to come visit for a few days over my b-day. We already have a few things planned, including the American Ballet Theatre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and dinner at Little Owl. Mom has been trying to get into Little Owl over the past two years and still hasn't been there, but third times the charm because I was able to snag us reservations the first night she gets in town. There is also a new exhibit at the MET: "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" that both of us will really enjoy. Below is an excerpt from the exhibit summary:

"...the first Costume Institute exhibition drawn from the newly established Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Met. It explores developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940 and how they have affected the way American women are seen today. Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition reveals how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation. "Gibson Girls," "Bohemians," and "Screen Sirens," among others, helped lay the foundation for today's American woman."\

If you follow this blog regularly then you know that I am basically obsessed with Alice's Tea Cup, which I must say for the record... my Mom discovered the "scone gold-mine" first and I just happen to stop by as often as possible. Olive & Bette's and Anthropologie are sure to be stops for shopping along the way as well as lunch at Balthazar the day we're down in Soho. I haven't decided where to go to dinner for my birthday, which I need to figure out soon so I can make reservations, but I'm not sure yet. Heard of any new, fun places that I should try? All suggestions welcome!

queso in new york? finally.

White, yellow, spinach, no spinach, thick, thin. Call it cheese dip, queso, Velveta & Rotel, or blanco queso. Regardless of how you make it or what you call it, I finally had real cheese dip in New York. Mexican is my favorite cuisine and it has always included cheese dip. I understand that it is an American addition to the genre, but come on, who turns down melted cheese?

Not this native Arkansan.

This past weekend I dog sat Huey P. Long while a friend

was surprising her Mom at her college graduation.

Thursday, I met her to get a set of keys, go over Huey's schedule, etc. After taking the dog out, Brooke mentioned she had to go to DSW to look for a pair of shoes. I hadn't been to my old stomping grounds, the Lower East Side, in quite a while so I tagged along. After having little success in the shoe department, it was after 9 and we were both starving. She mentioned a place nearby that served cheese dip. I almost didn't believe her because I have NEVER seen queso on a menu in New York! Well, she was right, and it was awesome.

She led me to Tortilla Flats in the West Village where we indulged on Mexican beer and homemade cheese dip. Two thumbs up for sure and a promise that I will visit again.

Huey P. Long

After work on Friday I headed to Dumbo, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, to stay with Huey. I had to work quite a bit over the weekend but Hugh and I had time to take some pretty fun walks, especially on Sunday morning. The weather is so nice right now. It is almost unbelievable. Dumbo below the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and is right on the East River, which makes for incredible views. I'm contemplating moving when my lease ends in July. Maybe Dumbo is in my future? Who knows? Stay tuned.

Pictures below are views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan, architecture and sculptures around Dumbo, etc.

cover story published

I got home from work yesterday and at my door was a package from my old internship. I was so excited to see it because that meant that the May/June issue of Boston Common is printed! The last project I worked on was the cover story of Brooke Shields. Since I was working in the photo department I contacted people and companies who hold the rights to pictures and ads of Brooke Shields and asked to use copies for the story and/or purchase the rights to use the images.

I am attached to the design of the layout. Notice the background of the two spreads is a larger image of the intro spread.

Story by Tina Sutton

Photograph by Ruven Afanador/Corbis Outline

i lived to tell the story

Let the trip begin. I sat out by the truck with the dog, Tucker, while Camille packed everything up in the apartment and Derrick loaded the truck. This is what the truck looked like when I got there. Thankfully, all of this got moved to the truck-bed after the food was delivered to make room for Derrick in the driver's seat, Camille and Tucker riding shotgun, while Jake, Angela and I sat in the back. Believe it or not it wasn't cramped, and Tucker even had room to climb back and forth!

We're ready to go! Guitar in tow, fishing poles tied down, and enough food to feed an army. The smart New Yorker, Bri, made the best decision by ordering all the food we would need for the trip and having it delivered before we left so that we wouldn't have to stop. Brilliant idea.

An ode to Mom and Dad. A poor man's air mattress. Thank you for my raft. While people slept "comfortably" on the floor of their tent or plushly on an air mattress, I slept on a swimming raft. Before Dad and I met in Baltimore a couple of weeks ago, I told him to pick up a raft at the grocery store because prior to Memorial Day weekend, swimming rafts come dime-a-dozen. Thanks for picking up one with a whale on it. After putting up my tent but before having dinner, I sat on a stump and used my lung power to create a bed, and honestly, it worked great!

Angela and Jake by the fire after we got to the campsite, setup our tents and started cooking.

Camille and Tucker. Haven't ever seen a dog happier than Tucker on this trip.

Look at that great orange tent back there. Yes, that's mine. I was able to put it up in the dark by myself until the directions called for an extra set of hands, hence Derrick stepped in to help. Sunday morning, as the wind kept us on our toes, I took my tent down and fit it back in the little pouch in under ten minutes, by my self.

Camille, me, and Bri with Tucker and Lexington. The sun started to come out after the guys set up the tarp over the picnic table.

Hot dogs and turkey dogs. Mmmmm! Nothing beats a dog fresh off the grill.

Oh, by the way the guys pushed over a tree while we were out hiking by the lake. While the girls watched the dogs the guys fished around the bend. Using hotdogs as their bait, as you can guess, they did not catch much, but did get a few nibbles.

Can't have a fire without s'mores, and Camille found the BIGGEST marshmallows we had ever seen. Two, side by side, were bigger than my fist!

Derrick played the guitar by the campfire Saturday night. Good friends, good music, good times.

After having someone tell me not to leave my shoes too close to the fire when I went into my tent at night because there is a chance they can melt. Erica told me this because it had happened to her when she was camping once before. Well, don't try this either: sit by the fire and prop your feet up on the edge of the pit to use as an ottoman, the soles of your shoes do melt off. Still wearable but certainly not runnable. Always take old shoes when you camp.

My first camping trip was a success and I foresee another camping trip in my future, but first I have to take a few dozen showers. Thanks for such a wonderful trip Camille and Derrick, I had a fantastic time!

the camping virgin

No technology, no plug-in's, no computer for 48 hours. Feelings are mixed between bliss and withdrawal. Friday evening I will embark on my first camping trip. Who would have guessed that it would take moving 1800 miles away from Arkansas to go camping. I've been to overnight camp in Arkansas, but apparently indoor plumbing isn't a part of the "real camping experience." My friends Camille and Derrick have set up a camping trip for about 15 city dwellers to leave the confines of our concrete playground to get some fresh air.

I don't think they know what their getting themselves into, better yet, I don't know what I am getting myself into. I finally found out the location of this excursion and that will be Clarence Fahnestock Memorial Park on Canopus Lake in the Taconic Region.

When I think of "camping," the picture to the left quickly comes to mind. Well, that and being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

I don't know what the bug life will be like, besides my Mom telling me that ticks are sure get me, but I did my research, and even though the largest black bear population is not within a few hundred miles of our campsite, in 2009 more than 10 were found in the area we'll be in. Cross your fingers my Mother's Day gift isn't "Mom, a bear chewed off my arm!" Just kidding, well, sort of...

Being a camping virgin I have no idea what camping etiquette includes, what to wear or what to bring. My first question that has yet to be answered is, "Where do we shower?" (I'm hoping I hear the answer to that before I leave my "bubble" in Manhattan).

Second of all, the forecast is calling for rain on Saturday. Only 40%, but still, the SwissGear tent I invested $35 in claims to be "all-weather friendly," and "waterproof." I'll believe it when I see it. Due to the chance of rain, it is supposed to be rather cool while we're camping so swimming is pretty much out all together, which means I have to dig through the ten vacuum sealed bags that enclose my winter wardrobe, just to find a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. I have my old sneakers set out and a pair of flip-flops. I can't need more footwear than that, right?

After I dig through the Space Saver bags, I should be able to find my winter running pants, gloves and turtleneck that is water resistant. That should be enough right? I have a rain coat with a hood, so the best I can do otherwise would be buying a poncho or something. Do you think I should invest? I believe this is the first nearly ignorant post I have written as I have no idea what I am getting myself into. My apologies, but only good stories can come from this adventure.

I saw a commercial for this new insect repellent product that I think I might invest in. Have you heard about it? It's the Off Clip On Mosquito Repellent. The picture is to the left. Now, I don't know what the mosquito situation will be like, but this is pretty cool.

Another question, does regular bug spray prevent ticks? If you have any suggestions as to what I should bring or prepare for, please, oh please let me know. So far I have a tent, a sleeping bag and a cooler.

**Have I mentioned my Mom edits my blog.

taste the freshness

Another local favorite in New York is the corner fruit stands. Between my seven minute walk "commute" to work each day, I pass three fresh fruit and vegetable stands. Usually passing the first one I can't help but pick up a couple of bananas and a carton of blackberries for $2.50.

I haven't found a grocery store with better prices, even while living in Columbia. A head of lettuce: $1; bell peppers: 2 for $1; a large quantity of broccoli: $1; as you can see, the prices are pretty good. And seriously you can't beat the quality. In the middle of New York, where there isn't much room for farming on the island... the produce that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, right outside the front door is fantastic. If I ever move, I know it will be one the top of my "what I miss most" list.

The pictures above are from the produce stand right across the street from me, and the ones below are from the stand five blocks down from me that I pass on the way to work. You don't have to look at a $1 menu to get cheap eats!

a picture is worth a thousand words

If you are ever in a bad mood or just having a lousy day, there is one thing that makes everything better, and that is your friends. I was in Brookyln this past weekend visiting a friend and I decided to call my friend Brooke to see if she was around the neighborhood. And what do ya know... she and her boyfriend, Pittman were and after having a semi-lousy day, they knew exactly how to bring my spirits back up. Check out this amazing picture that Pittman took on my camera. As Brooke said, "we look superimposed into this amazing background." Pittman, maybe you should be an photographer on the side?

Back to work today, but wanted to give you an update of life. All is well in New York. I've been here almost a year and here a few other pictures of friends of mine whom I've met while living here. Believe me, they're keepers.

Brooke and Pittman

Anna and I