Bella Brooklyn

Since late last year I have been taking screen printing and weaving classes at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn , a 20 min walk from home.

The Center is fantastic , they have such good facilities and equipment all for Textile Arts.

We work in a beautifully purpose designed  sunny studio, with great tutors and staff all passionate about textiles. As you can imagine I'm in my element.

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I met an an artist there recently who does great work with rubber bands and suggested she enter The World of Wearable Art in NZ, and she has , look out for Margarita Mileva .

Mean time my weaving progresses. I now have a new camera a Canon G12 and process my pics using Lightroom , so pics are clearer and colours more dynamic

Little zig zag details

Endless choices for colours

Before the big snip

My next length of fabric will be yellow , blue  and white.

Up state adventure.

We have just had a weekend of total luxury staying at our new Friends; Keryn (Titahi Bay, NZ) and Cathy's (Alberta, Canada) up state cottage aptly named "Tuiloon" the Loon being the Canadian national bird, we all know about the Tui .
The cottage is in the Berkshires , up State NY next to the Vermont and Massachusetts borders. These gals are flash.
Here's  what we did , talked , laughed , made more friends with a bunch of crazy local older gals, walked a little, ate well , swam in the heated lap pool , sizzled in the sauna , glowed in the steam room, took in some sight seeing around the area , and watched drifts of more snow land on the peaceful countryside from the comfort of their beautifully renovated cottage first built in 1820 . Ahhh what a life.

"Tuiloon" , cottage, guest house , pool room, frozen pond.

Best bathroom ever with stunning views and a steam room shower for two.

Dog hostess Belle

Junior dog hostess Tui

The Chevy resting site.

 

-12 c never looked so pretty.

Edith Wharton's Estate "The Mount"  Open for inside visits May to Oct, we where the only folk around to take in this stunning property in peace and quiet.

The Barn on the estate.

Revisits

Central Park

Bethesda Fountain Central Park

Bryant Park

Bryant Park

Coney Island

Coney Island

January Retrospective

Since November we have been living in Cobble Hill , Brooklyn , this is the apartment we have done the house swap with , with Danielle. Its  2 flights up a back apartment that faces south west , which means we get the sun all day , so even if its -3 outside we are always toasty warm ,basking in the sun like lions.

We live on one of the 2 main shopping/ restaurant streets , so easy to pop out for strawberries any time of the day or night. Right at out front door is the Chocolate shop , next to that the Cobble Hill Movie Theatre and just across the road  Union Market a combination deli , fruit and veggie , fish, meat and bread market and beer.  We are a hop skip and a jump away from the sub way , Kirsty only has to catch 1 train -the F train- to get to school in mid town Manhattan.

The view from the 6x6 meter kitchen , living , dining  room window. We are surrounded by all these apartments it  reminds me of Hitchcock's Rear Window , no bodies in suitcases yet, I'll keep you posted.

A week after returning from Mexico we had a big snow - view from bedroom window- , 19 inches overnight , NY had a snow day  - the 8th since 1987- which meant kids didn't go to school and a lot of businesses didn't open. It was the most glorious day, I took myself off to Central park.

Our hood , the side streets are lined with classic brown stone apartment buildings , 15 minutes walk from the Brooklyn Bridge. Down Town Brooklyn as the old time locals call Cobble Hill was one of the first  Brooklyn suburbs , populated in the early days by the Irish.

Slush a few days later. Even tho it's cold  I love living in the snowy times , its such a novelty.

I had to give way to these guys as I made my way around the lake - other side of the fence - on the Snow Day at Central Park.  The Park was chocker with people enjoying  the snow . Wouldn't it be great if every so often on a lovely sunny midweek day in NZ the powers that be said ok you guys no work today , out you go and have some fun.

A bit more Oaxaca