Be Kind, Thrift and Rewind

Halloween In NYC

October 3, 2016

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My Halloween was rather quiet actually considering I was in NYC. I didn’t go to the parade but I walked around it. If one wants to go to the parade they have to get there very early and with me being petite in the past I have had to stand on the police barriers that are a bit removed from the front lines since they get packed quickly. I didn’t think that was a good idea for my foot just yet since it is still healing from surgery. I did go to Café Reggio and sit and eat. I was able to see lots of costumes from there as people strolled by on their way to the parade. Afterward, I walked up to Union Square. Unfortunately, the police closed it early this year. Last year it was packed after the parade with people in costumes. Still, it was fun to see while it was open.

I didn’t get a good full photo of myself since my friend stayed in Chinatown trick or treating with her son. I managed to get small bits and pieces photos of my Harajuku Gal Décor look. Otherwise, I took a handful of photos of others I saw and it was an enjoyable evening. This one homeless man I saw dressed for the evening in his costume has such a great sense of style. A woman and I were discussing this after I asked him could I take his picture. He did not respond so I didn’t. The woman then said he gets aggressive sometimes so to be aware. I figured that might be the case so we both stood there admiring his outfit. He, of course, realized this and started to assume a couple of poses so we grabbed the opportunity. He is the fella on top of the garbage can and in another photo his back shows his black and white jacket. The previous day I had walked by Union Square and saw him wearing his great grunge outfit. His green army pants were very torn with black leggings underneath. He is definitely rocking in stylish looks.

I really liked the group of young people I ran into in their baby doll outfits with their one friend in black and white. They looked so awesome. There were many fun outfits. I barely touched on the Harajuku Gal Décor theme of outfits I like. Perhaps I can do a separate post about that. I often see Alanna Durkovich, of Xander Vintage in her post wearing outfits that show some influence of the Harajuku Gal looks. At the end of the post, I am inserting two Pinterest photos of the Décor look. It is a Japanese Punk look. I really hope to incorporate some of it into my weekend attire since it obviously is too wild for work. I like it since it is fun and playful. I always enjoy some zaniness added into life. There are so many things to be serious about we need to have some fun sometimes. When I was at Trash and Vaudeville buying my shoes the other day I saw an elderly man who must have been close to 80 wearing a full punk outfit. Good for him.

Well, I hope you enjoyed Halloween this year!

Halloween

rainbow tights for harajuku decor

harajuku-gal

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Upcycling Links for September, DIY and Shopping from Etsy

September 25, 2016

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This month’s upcycling links feature a variety of houseware items and three clothing upcycles. I like the shadow box upcycle for the reason that it reminds me of my wooden typography drawer which I have had for many years. It used to belong to a friend of mine who was the President of the Typographical Union at the New York Times years ago. In lieu of having a wooden typographical box this would be a great way to create a similar type of wall unit that can hold small knick-knacks and collectibles. Particularly helpful is that you could decide how high you want your shelves to be, for instance in the photo of the one holding various CD’s.

The gage dress upcycle I found posted at the Felted Fox blog. Apparently Nicole Prestholdt isn’t currently blogging but she had some great ideas in her previous posts. My favorites so far are the gage dress upcycle and her wrap crop top made from a men’s shirt. Both of them could be worn in fall with a sweater. If you are searching for a new fall/winter clothing item to upcycle you might want to consider her African Print Sweatshirt DIY, which offers a stylish, unique look, and you get to choose if you want very colorful African fabric or earth tones. She posted it as a spring item but I say carry the bright colors into fall and enjoy! Either way a sweatshirt will keep you warm on a chilly day.

If you are looking to buy upcycled clothing instead of making your own, you might want to check out the Etsy shop GarageCoutureClothes. Erin, the designer, made this steampunk harness and vest piece from recycled ties.

The piano bookshelf is a beautiful piece of furniture. It is a great idea if you have an old piano around and would like to recycle it. The mahogany finish is stunning. The bookshelf looks as if it has another long life span ahead of it. That is the whole idea behind upcycling, especially if the item is solid such as furniture.

Steampunk harness by Erin of GarageCoutureClothes

http://www.recyclart.org/2013/01/piano-bookshelf-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Recyclart+(Recyclart)

The upcycled drawers turned into side tables are another good idea. Simple and no advanced carpentry skills needed. A bit of imagination and paint can turn old drawers into a handy side table, or as the linked post shows, you could stack the drawers to create a bookcase. I have a couple of stacks of old wooden wine boxes used that way in my apartment.

The wind chimes made from old bottle caps are just so cheerful and unique looking. I particularly like the ones made with multi-colored caps. They didn’t give DIY instructions but it seems rather obvious how to put them together.

Upcycled drawers from Hometalk

I found some robot sculptures made by assemblage artist Jen Hardwick. Her Etsy shop has a line of robots that can be used as Christmas ornaments, as well as other crafts, such as found object jewelry and art work. The photos I attached link to her shop and are among the robots that I like so much. They sure are adorably cute and cheerful.

Well I hope you enjoyed this post about upcycling links. I am hoping to make this a monthly post going forward. There are a lot of great upcycling ideas out there and many artists and crafts people making them!

Upcycled wind chimes from Astute Homestead

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Robot ornaments by Jen Hardwick

Robot hanging decor by Jen Hardwick

Jefferson Market Garden In Greenwich Village, NYC

September 20, 2016

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Jefferson Market Garden is on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich Village. It is at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and West 10^th Street. During the early 19^th century there was an open farmer’s market at the location. The garden was named after this market, as well as Thomas Jefferson. From 1833 to 1873 there was a jailhouse at this location, as well as a police court and firehouse. In 1873 the jail was torn down. In 1877, the location became the home of Jefferson Prison, which was right next door to the Third Judicial District Courthouse. Architects Frederick Clarke Withers and Calvert Vaux designed the two buildings in the American Gothic style. In 1927 the courthouse survived the Jefferson Market’s demolition and the site became home to a branch of the New York Public Library. The site that is now the Jefferson Market Garden was home to the Jefferson Market Prison from 1931 to 1971. It was known at the time as the New York Women’s House of Detention. Recently while I was at the garden a woman volunteering there told me she was growing up when the prison was still there and she remembers seeing the women looking out the windows.

During the 60’s the City was thinking of tearing down the courthouse. The community gathered and requested that the courthouse be used for a local library and then asked for the prison to be demolished instead. The general consensus in the community was that they wanted a garden at the location. In the spring of 1975 the first flowers bloomed and the garden became a haven for the community.

The garden is open to the general public Tuesday through Sunday from April to October, weather permitting. The garden is run by a group of volunteers. People are welcome to come in for a stroll, take pictures of the flowers, sit and read, bird watch, or gather with friends in the garden. There is a koi fish pond to sit near and relax. There are field trips scheduled for school children throughout the gardening season. In the fall the garden hosts a Harvest Festival for children.

If you are in the area, or traveling from out of town, the Jefferson Market Garden is a lovely place to stop and enjoy the greenery.

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Drawing of the library by Nick Golebieweski from Flickr

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A Few Pictures of Old City Philadelphia and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

September 10, 2016

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I have been to Philadelphia several times the last few months and each time I thoroughly enjoyed its lovely old architecture. The historical buildings such as City Hall, the Philadelphia Contributionship and the Union League of Philadelphia are all beautiful, as well as the old houses in Old City Philadelphia.

I don’t know much about these buildings – so far my visits have been focused on just exploring and shopping at vintage shops – but I wanted to share some of the pictures with you.

Philadelphia’s City Hall is one of the largest municipal buildings “in the United States and one of the largest in the world.” (1) It has 700 rooms and was designed by the architect John McArthur, Jr. It was built between 1871 and 1901 with a construction cost of $24 million. It is a truly beautiful building, built in the Second Empire Style. I have walked by and through the exterior a few times and even that is an awesome experience to see how lovely it is. One particularly hot, humid day mothers had brought their children and small toddlers out so that they could run back and forth in joy where the spurting shoots of water spout out. The children were giggling and thoroughly amused. Musicians were playing under the archway where you walk from one side of the building through to the other.

During the 1950’s, a few of the major city officials briefly thought about tearing down City Hall and replacing it. They discovered through estimates that to demolish the structure would bankrupt the city due to the extensive masonry construction involved in building it. I, for one, am very glad they kept it. In 1976 City Hall was named a National Historic Landmark.

The Philadelphia Contributionship was built in 1835-36 for the purpose of housing a fire-insurance company for homes. It is the oldest property-insurance company in the United States. It was built in the Greek Revival style.

Along the side streets and alley walkways you often see small signs stating that some houses were built around 1794. One thing I did not see such an abundance of in the Old City area was flowers along the streets and fronts of houses. The architecture is beautiful though and it is great to see such old history, along with simple elegant structures alive and well today.

That is all in this post about the architecture. If I get a chance to go again and have a trip where that is my main focus then I perhaps can do another post with more history about more of the various structures in Old City Philadelphia.

On South Street, the creative and artistic area of town, there is a large piece of “public artwork” by Isaiah Zagar. It is now called the Philadelphia Magic Gardens . It is a very large mosaic piece made from all kinds of recycled materials. Zagar began this piece in 1994, near his studio at 1020 South Street. He had been busy in the entire area since the late 60’s with various projects and adding his mosaics to walls on either private or public land. The area was in need of renovations and had many abandoned lots. “The Zagars (Isaiah and Julia, his wife), along with other locals revitalized the South Street area into an ‘artistic haven.’” (2) In 2002 the owner of the vacant lots Isaiah had transformed wanted to sell the land his artwork was installed upon. The community assisted Zagar in a legal battle, which they won in 2004. Once they were able to keep the land, Isaiah’s work was named Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, and the space became a nonprofit with its aim to preserve this particular site as well as the rest of the South Street neighborhoods’ mosaics that Isaiah had worked on. Once this was under way, Zagar continued his work by “excavating tunnels and grottos” and proceeding to add his mosaics all around the structure.

In 2008 the Philadelphia Magic Gardens opened to the public and began to host various activities and tours. Concerts, exhibitions and private rentals for special occasions are now available. Zagar has mural workshops available and many other creative programs. He has created over 200 murals in either Philadelphia or other places in the world. I have attached a link to a youtube video if you would like to find out more about his work.

My daughter was the one who first told me about the South Street area. The first couple of times I went to Philadelphia I hadn’t headed over behind the old historical structures. When I ventured there I absolutely loved the area. It reminds me of the way the West Village was before 9/11 and before so many corporations leased the retail properties in the area. There are corporate stores on South Street, yet also a large amount of small privately run businesses. The artistic vein of creativity is very much alive in this area of Philadelphia. I am looking forward to going back there this fall at some point once my foot heals from my recent surgery.

I hope you are enjoying the last days of summer. I will have another upcycled links post ready for you very soon!

contribution building