It's Your Own Fault

"Something's always happening here. If you're bored in New York, it's your own fault."—Myrna Loy

Concentrate

“I’ve told you a million times not to talk to me when I’m doing my lashes!”—Jean Harlow in Dinner at Eight.

Concentrating is what I will be doing this weekend: on my flat (I've started the long process of redecorating/rearranging my place so naturally it looks like a disaster zone at the moment), on some work projects, and sleep. A lot to cram into two days but it's amazing what you can accomplish when you buckle down and concentrate. But first, it's "April in Paris" at the Met tonight with some La Vie en Rose cocktails at the Balcony Bar. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 

Cary Grant's Chest

Cary Grant in London, 1946.

"I loved sinking my head into Cary Grant's chest."—Jean Arthur.

The actress who starred with Grant in two films, Only Angels Have Wings (1939) and Talk of the Town (1942), must have been the luckiest woman in town. I mean, who wouldn't want to be in her place? And with that I bid you good night and have a wonderful weekend. 

Cup of Tea and a Biscuit

Caitlin Moran posing as Kate Middleton. Photo: Ian Harrison.

"Always remember that, nine times out of ten, you probably aren’t having a full-on nervous 

breakdown—you just need a cup of tea and a biscuit." —Caitlin Moran 

Isn't this so true? The next time I start to go into panic mode, I need to remember these words, take a deep breath, and go put the kettle on. Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

Would You Like an Adventure?

Michael Llewelyn Davies dressed as Peter Pan, the character whom he inspired.

 "Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have our tea first?"—Peter Pan

There's something so alluring about the word adventure. It conjures up all sorts of images: being on safari, speeding across a foreign country on a fast train, flying off to Neverland and battling with Captain Hook. Maybe because I haven't been traveling as much as I used to or because it's been so cold and dreary in New York, I've been dreaming about a new adventure. I'd love to take a trip to another country where I've never been but as that's not possible at the moment, I will have to settle for some smaller adventures like walking down an unknown street and exploring a new neighbourhood. How about you, dear readers. What adventures would you like to have?

P.S. The photo above reminds me that I should write a piece one day about the heartbreaking story of the Llewelyn Davies boys who were befriended by and served as inspiration for Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie. 

Certain Emotions

“There are certain emotions in your body that not even your best friend can sympathize with, but you will find the right film or the right book, and it will understand you.”—Björk

Spending the day at home looking through books and watching old black and white movies. The hours have flown by as I get distracted by a passage or scene. A perfect way to spend a grey Saturday recharging ones batteries. Have a restful weekend, everyone!

I Say a Little Prayer

Fay Wray 

"Every time I'm in New York I say a little prayer when passing the Empire State Building. A good friend of mine died up there."—Fay Wray, who played Ann Darrow in the original King Kong (1933)

How stylish is Fay in this photo? Favourite outfit of the week. Photo from here.

Thought For the Day

I couldn't resist posting; it just says it all. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some stuff to do. Back soon.

Be the Photographer

Lee Miller in Man Ray's Studio (1929)

"I would rather take a photograph than be one." Lee Miller

I feel the same way. I really have no interest in being in front of the lens. Speaking of which, this weekend is dedicated to photography. I'm planning on seeing the Robert Polidori exhibit "Versailles" at the Mary Boone Gallery in Chelsea and then heading over to the Brooklyn Bridge Park for Photoville, a photography festival that uses freight containers for exhibition spaces. Can't wait to be inspired. Be sure to check back here and on my Instagram account for coverage. Have a lovely weekend!

Choose Well

"Buy less, choose well."—Vivienne Westwood

This statement rings so true to me. I live in an extremely tiny flat that could give many hotel rooms a run for their money therefore I can't bring too much stuff into my place or I will start feeling claustrophobic. I thought I was doing a pretty good job but recently I've been feeling crowded in my own home. I'm tempted to just get rid of everything and start over, taking my time to choose only those items that I love. But that's not exactly realistic and so I shall have to be content with some serious spring cleaning and drooling over Pinterest boards instead. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Image from here.

Trade My Heart

"I wish I could trade my heart for another liver so I could drink more and care less."—Tina Fey

Oh so true, Tina Fey. I think I'll start working on the "drink more part" tonight. Have a great weekend, everybody, and until next time here are a few links you might like.

Happy to see a piece in the New York Times about the buildings and locations in New York/New Jersey where silent films were made. Olive Thomas was even mentioned. Read it here.

I'm a little late hearing about this news but did you know that the two candidates running against each other for mayor of Paris are both women? Could New York be far behind? Find out more about them here.

Jovanotti was someone whom I first listened to when living in Italy and decided to revisit some of his songs this morning. Take a listen here.

And speaking of Italy, when it comes to Italian food I'm partial to dishes from Venice. I recently picked up Polpo by the owner of the London restaurant and was happy to discover some great Venetian recipes. Check it out here.  

Finally, weekend plans include a Sunday trip to Film Forum to see the classic horror film The Tingler (1959) with Vincent Price shown in Percepto and Psychedel-O-Rama! Details here.

May Day

"As full of spirit as the month of May."—William Shakespeare

It's May Day, traditionally a curious mix of protests and festivities. Speaking of the later, take a look at these kids celebrating May Day in Central Park in 1908. Notice the mistake on the sign?

After living in New England for years, May for me means the departure of thousands of students for the summer and the arrival of spring flowers. It also signals, hopefully, some of the best weather of the year. So welcome May. Stick around as long as you like.

Photo from the Library of Congress.

April Comes In

"April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers."—Edna St. Vincent Millay

That Vincent sure was blunt but I'm all for the strewing of flowers. This month should be productive and busy with a trip planned, arts events to attend, a stack of books to read, and loads of tales to share. Let's just cross our fingers that those famed April showers are kept to a minimum.

Image: New York Public Library.

Spring Treat

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming."—Pablo Neruda

Spring may have officially arrived last week but New York didn't seem to get the message. So imagine my joy a couple of days ago when on my way to the Jefferson Market Library I turned a corner and was hit with a wave of colour from the florist shop. Buckets of hydrangeas, tulips, hyacinths, were all waiting to greet me with their vivid blues and purples and reds and pinks. And as if on cue, the sun came out. What a lovely sight.

It put me in such a good mood that I decided to stop by the Bee's Knees Baking Co., located behind the library (confession: I would have gone in, good mood or not, because I wanted something sweet). I had never been before but as a fan of the 1920s how could I not love its name? I got a coffee and a cake cup to go. That's right, literary cake in a cup. I chose the chocolate salted caramel, which was chocolate cake with a layer of caramel topped off with pecans. Absolutely perfect. To see all of the flavours, visit here.

So welcome spring. Please stick around for a while and don't let your cousin summer come rushing in too soon. 

iPhone photos by Michele.

Keep Away from Idiots

Dorothea Tanning by Robert Bruce Inverarity (1948)

"Keep your eye on your inner world and keep away from ads, idiots and movie stars,

 except when you need amusement."—Dorothea Tanning

This was painter, sculptor, and writer Dorothea Tanning’s response when asked about advice for good-looking artists (in her memoir she had written that in her day it was seen as "unnatural" if an attractive young woman wanted to do something serious) but I believe her words apply to anyone who is trying to be creative, regardless of their looks. Stay focused and don't allow yourself to be distracted (unless the movie star is, say, Jon Hamm, then by all means, keep your eye on him!).

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Be the Heroine

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”—Nora Ephron

Among the many words of advice that the wonderful Nora Ephron left us, these are perhaps my favourite. They're from a commencement address she gave to her alma mater, Wellesley College, in 1996 and are a powerful reminder to all women, not just graduating seniors, that we all need to take charge of our lives. It's a line that we should memorize and repeat to ourselves whenever we're faced with a challenge or even when we're just having a bad day and feel like throwing in the towel. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend.

To read the full speech, go here. And to read a very moving piece by her son, Jacob Bernstein, go here.

Gorey Doodle

“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.

B is for Basil assaulted by bears.”

So begins the opening of The Gashlycrumb Tinies, just one of the many brilliant books by Edward Gorey. Born on February 22, 1925 in Chicago, this tall man who liked to wear fur coats and tennis shoes, has long been the writer and illustrator of choice for fans of the macabre and gothic.

His house in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts is now a museum and although his beloved cats are gone, it still looks very much like it did when he lived there, filled with his books and collections of various objects. I visited a few summers ago and have a large dried leaf on my bookshelf that came from the magnolia tree in his back garden.

Today Google is honoring Gorey’s birthday with his very own doodle. Be sure and check it out and have a wicked weekend. 

Beautiful Words

"The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so."—Gore Vidal

I know that it is not the thing to gloat. I know that one should strive to be gracious and modest. Yet, sometimes, you just need to say "I told you so." It really can be so satisfying.  But back to being nice. I would like to say a big thank you to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln for being born in February, allowing me to have a three-day weekend. I plan on seeing more of the 1933 series at Film Forum, looking at some art, and catching up on some much needed sleep. Have a great weekend everyone! 

Here Comes the Snow

View of the Flatiron Building, 1905.

“A few feathery flakes are scattered widely through the air, and hover downward with uncertain flight, now almost alighting on the earth, now whirled again aloft into remote regions of the atmosphere.”—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Right now it's raining in New York and the wind is picking up. But by this afternoon snow will be falling and tomorrow the city will probably look like this photo (minus the horse-drawn carriages). Here comes Winter Storm Nemo. I plan on staying in and writing a bunch of tales for the blog (I'm afraid I've been falling behind with my goal of writing reviews of shows and exhibits before they close). And if it's not too bad, I might venture out and catch some of the 1933 films screening at Film Forum. Have a wonderful and warm weekend everyone.

This and other turn of the century New York snow photos can be found here.

Winter's Pretty Lousy

Summer makes me drowsy.

Autumn makes me sing.

Winter's pretty lousy,

But I hate Spring.

—Dorothy Parker

Right you are Mrs. Parker. Winter is pretty lousy (although I disagree with you about spring) and this recent blast of cold is just a reminder that next year I have to take a winter break someplace warmer. For now I'll distract myself by trying out a new camera lens tomorrow and seeing an exhibit I've been dying to go to on Sunday. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!