this past christmas, j’s present for me was extremely thoughtful, and proof that he knows me very, very well — he found and purchased us admittance to a letterpress class!  so, in january, we took the amtrak down to the city for a day at the arm nyc.  the arm, a public access letterpress studio, teaching facility and commercial print shop, is located at 281 north 7th street in brooklyn, and is easily accessible by subway.  their classes are open to anyone interested in printing, and for the beginner class that we took (letterpress on the vandercook and c&p pilot), no experience is necessary.  we learned the principles of letterpress printing, the parts of the presses and how they operate, and how to print from metal, wood and photopolymer plates.

we learned A LOT, and had plenty of time to experiment and create.  i’ve always loved letterpress, and after taking this class, i have a newfound respect for those who do it! now that we’ve learned the basics, we can head back and use the presses during open studio time.  unfortunately, we’re three hours away, so we can’t take advantage of that option too often, but we’ve already decided that we will definitely plan a day here and there to go back and print.

here are a few pictures from our day at the arm ::

shop dog, henry, is awesome, and spent his day greeting newcomers and sunbathing.

of note :: we had an amazing lunch at best pizza – plan to pick up a slice or two during break time!

for those of you who can’t get to the arm, or don’t have access to a press, check out this app from the itunes store.

yesterday we headed out for some snowshoeing in celebration of my friend, amy’s, birthday (and the fact that we actually have snow!) at the omi international arts center sculpture fields park.  the center is located at 1405 county route 22 in ghent, ny, about 45 minutes from albany, and just outside of chatham/hudson.

from their website ::

omi international arts center is a not-for-profit arts organization with residency programs for international visual artists, writers, musicians, and dancers. the 300 acre campus is also the site for the fields sculpture park, a public exhibition space with nearly 80 contemporary sculptures; architecture omi, exploring the intersection of architecture, art and landscape; and arts education programs for children.

here are a few pictures from the blue sky day in the sculpture fields ::

this was an awesome place to snowshoe, with lots of unexpected surprises along the way (far more than i photographed or posted here).  in addition to people snowshoeing, we saw cross country skiers, hikers and dogs checking things out. i’d love to go back this summer for a relaxing day in the sun.  of note, there is a visitor’s center on the grounds with a small cafe and bathrooms, hours of operation can be found here.

happy birthday, amy! :)

a few things to check out as we roll into 2013:

• recycle your holiday cards and help kids with cancer!  actually, you can recycle much more than just holiday cards – full details are at the link.
• turn a quote into a masterpiece.
• very happy to say that 2012 brought me a job that allows me to experience every single item on this list - eight signs you’ve found your life’s work.
• listen to the band live at mountain stage, thanks to npr.
• pura vida bracelets help provide jobs for local artisans in costa rica.
• 101 creative resolutions.

15 things kurt vonnegut said better than anyone else ever has or will, including:
“i urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘if this isn’t nice, i don’t know what is.’”
and,
“peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from god.”

green island fritters over rice and verde guacamole from the lunchbox brunch.
i’ve not yet made this, but it looks amazing.

red robin song guest house, a vegan b+b on the nys side of the berkshires.  going to book a room once winter rolls in and do some snowshoeing/relaxing/good eating here.

the good bite kitchen is an AWESOME veg cafe in lake placid, ny.  check them out at
2501 main street.  it’s a sweet little spot with smart, simple, inspiring decor.

the menu is written on a role of paper that hangs from the top of the wall as you walk in (rolled out, ripped off and re-written daily).
black iced tea // ginger peach soda // roasted sunflower seeds
soup: black bean and sweet potato with cilantro pesto // lentil, spinach and feta hand pie
dip: roasted carrot and cumin with homemade pita // roasted peppers and parmesan quiche
blueberry crumb cake (should’ve bought the entire stock of these!)
lemon raisin cookies
all of this DELICIOUS, colorful and healthy food was under $30!

the light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion;
the tunnel is.
- unknown

a few weeks ago, we headed to portsmouth, nh in search of relaxation and beer!  we found both of those things, as well as a fantastic stationery shop, cupcakes, and more. (what else do i need?!)  here are some highlights ::

smuttynose brewery ::  very cool spot, laid back, the tour included lots of fun facts (including the story of the two older gentlemen on the IPA label), and lots of samples.  as a thank you for stopping by, you receive a coupon for a free pint at the portsmouth brewery — nice way to keep things going!  brewery tours are only offered a few days a week, so plan accordingly.

throwback brewery ::  according to the folks at smuttynose, a former employee started this small brewery that makes their beer using almost entirely local ingredients.  their beers are hand bottled and not filtered.

redhook brewery ::  the biggest brewery in portsmouth.  redhook originated in washington state, and in 1996, the east coast outpost was built in portsmouth.  tours are offered every day of the week.

portsmouth brewery ::  great spot to stop for lunch.  they make their own beers, and carry smuttynose and other craft beers, too.  we tried the spicy nut brittle off the snacks menu as an appetizer — different than anything i’ve ever had and definitely worth a try! there are several veg entree options, which i always appreciate!

the library ::  while the library only has one veg entree, what really drew us in was the ambiance and the history.  the restaurant is located in the rockingham house which was originally built in 1785.  the dining room is extremely ornate and full of bookshelves and books.  according to their website, the dining room ceiling was built by pullman car woodworkers in 1889, the paneling is hand carved spanish mahogany, the lighting fixtures are all original, and all the mirrors in the dining room were imported from france. several noteworthy historical figures have eaten and/or stayed in the building, including george washington, theodore roosevelt and john f. kennedy.  at the end of the meal, your bill is presented in a book!

gus + ruby’s letterpress ::  great stationery shop, named for the owners’ dogs.  bins of single cards to pour through (several of which made me laugh out loud), boxed cards, candles and lots more!

finally, we stayed at the ale house inn, a destination that had been bookmarked in my safari browser for two years.  finally made it! prior to the ratification of prohibition in 1917, the building that houses the inn was a warehouse for the portsmouth brewing company.  according to their website, “thousands of kegs once rested here as they underwent fermentation”.  when booking your room you can request that beer, champagne, cupcakes, etc. be waiting for you upon arrival.  they also offer the use of beach cruisers which provide a convenient way to check out the town outside of the main shopping district.  here are a few pictures ::
real room keys ::
cupcakes upon arrival (made at popovers on the square) ::on the bedside table, reading about reading, and music, and food ::

common area (you can’t see them in this photo, but there’s a stock of unlimited bags of chips in this room) ::
ALE ::

i would definitely recommend a trip to portsmouth.  there’s lots to see and do (and eat and drink!), but not so much that you’re running around trying to squeeze it all in. spend a weekend here — you’ll enjoy it.

cheers!  :)

the first question which the priest and the levite asked was:
“if i stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
but then the good samaritan came by, and he reversed the question:
“if i do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
- martin luther king, jr.

the picture above is of the martin luther king, jr. memorial at boston university’s marsh chapel.  a paperweight featuring a drawing of this monument (a graduation gift from my parents) sits on my desk as a reminder of my time at bu .  it thrills me to know that i attended the same university where martin luther king, jr. earned his doctorate in theology.

i remember meeting with classmates once in the mlk, jr. reading room on the third floor of the mugar memorial library.  as we sat at a table chatting about a project, personal correspondence and artifacts from mlk were on display all around us.  that was really kind of unbelievable to me; it still is as i sit here thinking back on it.

if you’re inspired by mlk, jr. as much as i am, stop by the library the next time you’re in boston.  it contains papers he donated to the university in 1964, the year he received the nobel peace prize.  here’s a link to information on the reading room, which is open to the public monday through friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

i made my first trip to the troy-based design shop, design it together, last week, and it was an all-around awesome experience.  for those of you who haven’t heard of them yet, here’s a quick “about us” from the design it together website:

“Design it Together is a studio, store, and performance space that is the result of the ongoing creative collaboration of Taylor Gillis, BenKN, and their friends & partners.

Design it Together was born in 2010 when Ben and Taylor launched a design studio as an umbrella for their freelance work, and also to assist their friends’ record label, Do it Together Records (D.I.T.). Since that time, Design it Together has grown to include their own original line of apparel designs and poster prints, in addition to offering a host of design services.”

how i ended up there :: it was the birthday of a dear friend, and i had something in mind that i wanted to give her.  i had seen a print by design it together at last year’s larac festival that said, “now is the perfect time” — it immediately reminded me of my friend. admirably, she takes a lot of care and effort to be here now, so i wanted to give her this print as an acknowledgement of how awesome i think she is.

so, i called down to the shop to make sure they had the print in stock since it’s a 45 minute drive from my house.  the guy who answered said the print was actually out of stock, but that he could make me one right then and there.  this is the moment when design it together went from being a cool print shop that i wanted to check out, to a cool print shop that i will be seeking out and supporting for many years to come.  i’m a sucker for good customer service, and an even bigger sucker for a freshly made print, inked especially for me (or in this case, for my friend, the birthday girl).  i thought this was really awesome, and i appreciated it very much.

here’s the print, which was ready and waiting when i walked into the store:

there’s lots of creative and fun stuff to check out at design it together — cards, prints/posters, t-shirts and more.  here are a few shots of the shop:
i also stocked up on printed cards while i was there.  here are my favorites:

there are lots more awesome designs to check out, so stop by their website or the store (located at 291 river street in troy ).

now i need to check out the music side of design it together.  hopefully that’ll happen soon!

creative designs + awesome prints + music + good customer service = awesome!

“there is no formula for success except, perhaps,
an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.”
- arthur rubinstein

my christmas present from j (it works – even came with extra ribbon!) ::
the matching gift i purchased for myself at design it together.  expect a post on my visit to their shop later this week! ::

while browsing around online a few months ago, i saw this cartoon from the new yorker. yesterday, i found it printed on a card, which i promptly purchased.  it’s fantastic.

i’m declaring a motto for 2012, and it is . . .
!!!  i just found it (letterpressed, even!) in ian coyle’s project, 73 letterpress.  for 73 days, coyle printed one thought a day on his 1950′s letterpress and this was the end result. they’re all cool and some are particularly inspiring.  here are a few more of my favorites ::

if you ever find yourself on the upper west side of manhattan (so for us tourists, most likely during a trip to the museum of natural history), please, please make the short walk to levain bakery.  a friend had mentioned it to me and provided the address (167 west 74th street).  apparently this place is a huge deal and very well known to city dwellers, but, being from out of town, i never would’ve wandered down that street or noticed the tiny downstairs bake shop if it wasn’t for my friend’s suggestion (thank you, jen!).

i went in and ordered the chocolate chip walnut cookie, and, this was, simply put, the best cookie i’ve ever had. absolutely amazing.  it was huge, hearty, a little crunchy on the outside, with melted chocolate chips on the inside, so rich, delicious — it got better and better with each bite. it was honestly like no other cookie i’ve had before.  i know you’re probably thinking, “really?  it’s just a cookie,” but, i’m totally serious.  this was the cookie to end all other cookies.  totally deserving of its own blog post.

levain bakery also makes bread, scones, and flatbread pizzas.  we had an artichoke flatbread which was also delicious, but . . . the cookies!

i was quite excited to see that you can order their stuff online and have it shipped to you, and i’m pretty sure the day will come when i disregard the overnight shipping fee and just go for it.

so yeah, the next time you’re in the city, go get some!  you won’t be disappointed!

(photo source :: levain bakery website, because my cell phone shots did it no justice!)

i found this six pack of adirondack magnets made from recycled bottle caps while christmas shopping, and picked them up for j’s stocking.  when i saw them, i assumed they were made locally, but after looking them up when i got home, discovered they’re actually made by kate grenier designs in seattle, washington.  there are tons of six packs to choose from — locations, teams, hobbies, foods, causes, political views and more. they’re well made, charmingly packaged, and at $18 per six pack, an affordable way to give someone a personal and fun gift.