Art Is Healty

Art Is Healthy original handpainted 100% cotton t shirts are now available in almost every size imaginable at http://www.artishealthy.com/ so get yours now! Very cool hangtag, above, made by Lourdes, attached to each and every shirt. Onesies also on hand.

Ode To E-Z Pass

I love E-Z pass. Many of you remember, like I do, waiting for minutes, or sometimes hours at bridge and tunnel tolls in NYC, gathering dollar bills or the correct change to pass through the toll. Now, when I approach the Whitestone bridge on my way to Long Island, I just sail right through the toll! No waiting! No worrying about quarters! So, after my last pass, I was so overwhelmed with love and gratitude I wrote two poems, below.

Ode #1

Oh you
with your slight orange arm
light
lifting up for me gently
after my slow approach
you
never asking for money
only blinking
encouragingly
your red eye turning green
You
allowing me in just an instant
to pass over the threshold
that before took hours
saving
the search for dollars
quarters in the seat
reducing my carbon footprint
to a child's 4
You
Oh E-Z pass
It's you.

Ode #2

From a distance
I can see
you beckon, with your light so green;
the x that signals that you can
welcome my large minivan
So to your doorway
I slowly go
And hardly waiting
for a moment
Lo
You wink
And in an instant I seem
transported as if in a dream;
From one location to another
shifted
then we quickly part each other
Without consulting coin or wallet
I glide gracefully
with empty pockets
Oh E-Z pass
It's so thrilling
That we are finally done with dollar billing.

Good to Know About

This is my neighbor Sarah's bunny. Honey. She appears here for no other reason than looking at pictures of bunnies is never a bad thing.
Honey does not have an ipod, and does not listen to podcasts. She does not get bored driving around doing errands or going to long island or new jersey, which I am too lazy to capitalize. But I do. And maybe you do too.
So do you know about the Moth? The Moth is a storytelling event that happens once a week (live) in NYC and once a month in LA. The stories are told by famous people (Malcom Gladwell, Garrison Keilor, Adam Gopnick) and also regular folks. Most of the stories are riveting and fabulous, while also being entertaining and funny. Embarrassing high school stories, divorced parents at one's bar mitzvah stories, bad boyfriend/girlfriend stories, touching funny ridiculous tales of families just being themselves: crazy.
The great news is that The Moth produces a FREE weekly podcast that you can get on itunes or find at www.themoth.org/ where you can also learn more about the whole thing. This gets 5 stars from me HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Oh, and by the way, I redid my website, ALL BY MYSELF, and it looks so great, you should see it. www.julianascreations.com/ and yes, I did all the photography too.

Lemon Cream Cheese Poundcake for Saints

Sometimes you just have to reward people. Like if you had a friend who was also a the President of your Condo Board who put in hours and hours of her own time for the good of the condo. And then let's say this person managed to get a new better management company for the condo after her many hours of work, and that this would make life better for everyone involved. Well, then you might decide like I did, that she should be named a Saint, and should have a Saint Cake. See above. Now the real gift here is for YOU, with whom I am sharing the following recipe for Lemon Creamcheese pouncake, which, basically, is the best cake in the whole world. I grew up eating this and that is why I am so tall. Of course I can't eat it now because it has sugar, but you can. And I can make it for local Saints.

Lemon Creamcheese Poundcake

2 sticks butter

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 lemon juice and zest

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 cups plus 6 Tbs flour- sift before measuring

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven 275*

Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temp. Mix together. Add sugar.

In another bowl, put the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla

in third bowl, put the flour and baking powder, sugar.

Mix bowls one and two. Add bowl three.

Grease and Flour Bundt pan.

Pour in batter.

Bake for at least 2 1/2 hours or until done. (test by toothpick inserted in center.)

Yes, that is a long time, but it is totally worth it.

It's taken a while, but I finally figured out how to photograph earrings. White backround, white bowl, studio lights, one light directly on the objects, one light with the reflecting umbrella. Then shoot on the close up setting from slightly underneath the earrings... and tweak the whites on photoshop. Possibly could still get better, but this is the best so far!(nice reflection on the bowl I think.)

Marbled Paper

Another great thing to do, with kids or otherwise, is making marbled paper. To find out how just search google or go to http://www.about.com/ and search crafts. The great thing about it is you can't do it wrong, (or right either), and you never know what you are going to get, so it's surprising and fun for everyone. It can be a little messy, but a little messy can be a good thing.

I made a some of the best marbled paper into cards, which you can see at my etsy store.

Napkin Art Tutorial

Have kids home for the whole day? Think they've been watching too much television? Are they saying "I'm bored." Well, if you have cheap paper napkins on hand and magic markers, you could have an absorbing activity for the next few hours. Really?

It's Napkin Art. I think I invented it, mostly. I buy the cheapest paper napkins at the supermarket, and crayola markers (about $2, medium point). Put down newspaper to protect your furniture, and with the napkin still folded (see above) instruct the participant to make dots covering the napkin, but not allowing the dots to touch. To be sure the dot goes through all four layers of napkin, I usually suggest that the artist counts to three for each dot made (marker held down). When the napkin is full, carefully unfold it, and be amazed at the designs you get. With a little practice, these can become very complex and begin to look like medieval stained glass windows somehow. They can be scotch taped to windows, or to the refrigerator, for wonderful, and fleeting, decorative effect. They won't last forever, which means, it will soon be time to make more!