Gaga's Workshop Barney's New York

I still have more New York holiday photos to post, but the internet here in Glen Ellen is too slow to upload too many at a time. 

Here are the windows at Barney's- Lady Gaga designed them!  Whichever marketing manager decided to have Barneys' holiday theme "Gaga's Workshop"- complete with a whole holiday shop full of Gaga accessories in addition to the windows- must be a marketing genius.  Really. I saw Gaga's Workshop shopping bags all. over. town. 

I didn't actually go inside because I visited the windows around 11PM so the store was closed. I did, however, successfully avoid the crowds, so I could see everything up close and personal! I put in my headphones and listened to"Born This Way" for the full cliche effect.  And, of course, it was gently misting outside. Can we get any more perfect than that?!

Gaga's Boudoir above was made entirely out of hair.  Everything- from the walls, to the chair (the legs and frame are braids), to the person.  Probably the only thing that was not made of hair was the mirror. 

I like how you can see the city streets reflected in Gaga's crystal cave. Madison Square Garden pictures coming soon! 

Last 2 Weeks in New York

The last two weeks I had in New York were an incredible flurry that made me finally, truly, irrevocably fall in love with the city.  What I love is that you can do anything, be anyone, at anytime and anyplace, and nothing and no one will stop you.  For me, not only was this exhilarating, but incredibly freeing.

Although I didn't find a full time career option before it was time for me to come home for the holidays, I know this isn't the end of my time in New York.  I recently met for the first time with Greta Eagan, a woman whose client I work for.  Greta runs her own eco-fashion business called FASHIONmeGREEN and works as a consultant on independent projects related to this topic.  One of her projects is TantesHaus, for which I am a contributing weekly writer. As we sat in the 4 o'clock light the Crosby Street Hotel, sipping on verbena mint infusions amongst plush jewel tone seating and hushed lighting and floor to cieling windows- she told me two things that really stuck with me.  The first was this- New York will always be here. It will always be here, waiting for you to come back.  It won't leave.

Although this may seem like she was pointing out the obvious, it somehow comforted me.  When I decided to leave New York (just a few days before my departure date), I was excited to see my family for the holidays but disappointed to be leaving a place so soon, right as I was starting to get the rhythm of it, as I was starting to build upon connections, as I was starting to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. Greta reminded me that none of this is lost, New York will still be there for me.

The second thing that Greta told me was related to my career.  When I was discussing with her about my thoughts and opinions and options (over another glass of fresh mint infusion tea), she looked at me for a minute, then asked, "What did you like to do when you were 8?"  Nobody had asked me this before, and I didn't really remember very well.  She told me to ask my parents, grandparents, friends and family and see if there was a common theme to their responses. She said that oftentimes, how we are in the world as children- things and activities and ways of being we are naturally drawn to- are indicators of our true passions and interests. Come to think of it, I don't think she is too off base here.  It has been some of the most simple and clear-cut career advice I've ever received. So, to all you people who know me very well- what did I like to do when I was 8?

And just so you all know- I wore the coat that was passed down to me from Nana- the 'rich bitch' coat as we lovingly call it. Tea length, princess seams, double breasted, huge fur collar and cuffs in all of its glory- was worn to afternoon tea with Greta, to a bus ride on the Greyhound, and to an early dinner with friends. All with jeans and a tee shirt and boots I could pound some pavement in.  Because if I wore it to the opera, or wore it with a dress, or wore it with some little velvet heels, it would be too easy. Because in New York, you can dress like rockstar if the mood strikes you!  

More Christmas in New York City

It has been very cheery and holiday like here, even if the weather doesn't quite seem like Christmas is fast approaching! 

The holiday fair at Union Square. 

Macy's at night, and the Macy's windows! 

A million lights and red ornaments decorate the inside of Macy's...much too crowded to actually shop for me.  More of a spectacle than anything else! 

Holiday market at Columbus Circle. 

Central Park on a glorious early winter afternoon with Lia. 

Beautiful origami Christmas tree at the Museum of Natural History. Look at all of the animals they created with paper! Pretty amazing...

Inside the natural history museum.  Lia and I thought it would be pretty awesome to have a wedding reception here. If you don't like small talk, dancing, or cake, you can look at dead animals.

Ocean Grove

I also never posted about Ocean Grove- the most charming little historic town along the Jersey Shore where I went on a chamber music retreat.  

This is one of the rooms where we practiced chamber music.  A sun-filled room with a balcony overlooking the ocean playing soul-soaring Coleridge-Taylor from one of the most romantic eras of classical music. Geez, can we say idyllic?!

The view from my chair.

This was the huge balcony where all meals were held. 

Beautiful victorians in cake-frosting colors.

I took a little stroll about the 1-block town to see the historic architecture...

And then the beach at sunset, of course.  In this setting, who wouldn't be artistically inspired?

We all crammed in close and played a little chamber orchestra music on the balcony.

And here is our final performance space- at the edge of the meal balcony. 

Me performing a Mendelssohn quartet...

And me performing the Coleridge-Taylor clarinet quintet. 

The weather during the weekend was particularly beautiful- slightly chilly, but not cold- just crisp enough to make the ocean in the autumn light just that much sharper. 

"Nous York"

I don't think I ever really wrote about Nous York, the French film I worked on.  Here are some photos from that whirlwind week...

I can't believe I drove a 15 passenger van around New York City.  But they handed me the keys and didn't blink an eye, so I told myself, "alright, guess you're going to do it!"

We filmed in Central Park on a beautiful fall day.

Isn't it awesome when the city puts up no-parking signs, but you get to park in the no-parking zone?!

Here is the scene- it was about some French 20-somethings taking a trip to New York.  Here they are hanging out in Central Park. Everyone was specifically dressed- even all of those people in the background.

After a long day driving around Brooklyn, I was so happy to see, "Welcome to Manhattan."  On my way home!

A gorgeous quiet morning driving over the Brooklyn Bridge to go pick up the designer...

New York is really beautiful in the early morning....

...and of course, late at night too :).