Japanese Way Of T-Shirt Folding

The many cute and clever ways of the Japanese, and they always do it with art.

This video demonstrates an artful way of folding shirts in just 3 seconds. This is so cool and I think everyone should learn this because it makes folding so easy and fast. I've learned this more than 10 years ago.

A Peek Inside Morimoto

"Hello Moto"


Every teacher has that one student—the one who learns, disappears, then comes back years later to take him on.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa has just seen the return of his.

Masaharu Morimoto, who trained under Nobu as his executive chef, is back for the first time in almost a decade to open Morimoto.

Entrance to Morimoto Along Chestnut Street

Morimoto restaurant is developed by noted restaurateur Stephen Starr, this project consists of a high-quality tenant renovation of a restaurant on two levels in the Chelsea Market in New York City. Architecturally exposed concrete, a signature element of Tadao Ando's work, is dramatically visible in a series of concrete columns and floating stair. The space is further defined by a static "waterwall," a steel curtain holding nearly 20,000 illuminated bottles of water.

Beautiful Interiors by Tadao Ando

The Dining Area

20,000 Bottles of Water used...

Illuminated on the wall

Jazz Night

Last Saturday night my family along with some friends went to NYC to watch Hiromi Uehara at the Blue Note Jazz Club entitled Hiromi's Sonicbloom,
and
it
was

AWESOME!!!

The celebrated Blue Note is one of the world's most famous jazz nightclubs having held court for Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, and recently hip-hop impresario Mos Def's pop excursions into jazz.

It's always fun to watch her because of her high energy. I love her cute facial expression when she's performing and she's always smiling. She's a jazz composer and pianist born in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Hiromi's Trio
Hiromi's trio initially consisted of bassist Mitch Cohn and drummer Dave DiCenso. In 2004, she recorded her second album Brain with fellow Berklee alums bassist Tony Grey and drummer Martin Valihora and has been recording and touring with them ever since.

Hiromi's Sonicbloom
On October 19, 2006, the trio added guitarist David Fiuczynski in a performance at the Jazz Factory in Louisville KY. He is also featured in the albums Time Control and Beyond Standard, and is currently touring with the group.

Hiromi plays the Yamaha C3 grand piano and the Nord Lead 2 keyboard.


This video is a live performance by Hiromi Uehara Trio entitled "Love & Laughter"

Part 1



Part 2

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

I was watching the movie "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou"

in the wee hours. It's sheer uniqueness, eccentricity and whimsy is very entertaining. This is actually the second time I've watched this movie. I like it and it's humor. My son who's also an artist wants to add this to his collection of movies.

It's like watching a cartoon but it's not. I like it for it's brilliant, psychedelic surrealism. Very artistic.

Oh and if you have not seen this movie, there's an element of surprise.... watch it and see for yourself. ;-)

Bill Murray stars as Steve Zissou, an eccentric oceanographer and head of "Team Zissou." The story follows them as Zissou sets out on an illegal mission to track down and kill a "jaguar shark" who ate his documentarian partner on a previous sea adventure. Zissou must also deal with a beautiful journalist (Cate Blanchett) who is working on a story about him and with a new member of the team who may actually be his long-lost son (Owen Wilson).

I also like this one particular guy (Seu Jorge) in the movie who always plays the guitar and sings Brazilian songs. I love Brazilian music especially the bossas, sambas and Brazilian jazz. Some of the songs he sang in the movie where covers of David Bowie classics.



Here's a clip of the movie....

Seu Jorge was born and raised in the favelas of Rio like the characters in Cidade de Deus.

His album "Samba Esporte Fino" became the 1999 album of the year in Brazil.

His musical talents adorn the soundtrack for "The Life Aquatic" with covers of David Bowie songs Rebel Rebel and Starman and many other innovative tracks.

Here's a nice video of Seu Jorge with a few actors in the movie having bit parts...

Elle Decor

Elle Decor is one of the Interior Magazines my husband and I subscribe to. In this video is the transformation of a Parisian apartment for a photo shoot for Elle De'cor. Watch how the interior unfolds.... fun...

I'm Feeling Very Yellow Today

I love Yellow...

My collage of yellow images...

Yellow makes me happy.

Zen Gardens

The simplicity of a Zen Garden is just beautiful.



Zen gardens (枯山水, karesansui) or rock gardens, are created with little plant material, and have neither pond nor river. This garden has only rock, gravel, sand, and perhaps a few pieces of moss or grass. The dry garden dates back to the Muromachi period, the fifteenth century. Its physical form represents Zen Buddhist philosophy, Zen self-examination, spiritual refinement, and enlightenment. The Zen garden originally was created as an aid to meditation and to teach the principles of the religion.

The reduction of materials concept in the Zen garden to its absolute minimal reflects the Japanese attitude toward the sensitivity to art, beauty, and spaces, in which are often implied rather than stated: The spaces in Zen garden are to be sensed more than viewed!


Zen gardens are regarded as representational of Zen discipline, because the garden is regarded as expressions of individual worlds of thought, therefore, copying was strictly forbidden. Their true meaning lies in the viewer's imagination and interpretation of the abstract symbolism landscape.


The main components that are used in the Karesansui or "dry-landscape" gardens are earth and natural elements. Every stone, plant, wood, or sand spread has meaning and representation in its placement.


In addition to natural elements, some man-made architectural elements can be added. Bridges, pathways, and lanterns are usually found in Zen gardens. Wooden and stone lanterns are chosen over metal because the main focus of a Zen garden is to create a natural atmosphere, a peaceful, balanced environment that is quiet and meditative.


The Japanese Zen gardens often are not to be entered, especially the sand areas of the garden. In the Zen garden, sand represents water, and these areas often were preciously racked into circles that signify water ripples. It is to be viewed from a designated distance.

A Very Unique Billboard

This is a GodSpeaks Billboard on the side of the road in Texas. I like the humor...

Kitchen By Ernestomeda

I love modern kitchens. When I build my own kitchen I don't even want it to look like a kitchen. Here's my featured kitchen today by Ernestomeda.

Seeing Upside Down

When I was a little girl I often spent hours on my bed imagining our house upside down. And I'd walk through every room in the house in my mind. I have a very active and at times weird imagination which made me read less because to me reading was a total waste of time. I'd rather spend my idle time in my own dreamland which made me happy. I said to myself that one day I'd design a house that way.

I was 6 years old when I set my mind to become and Interior Designer one day. I had an uncle who was an Architect and I'd always let him draw interior perspectives for me and I'd keep them in a box along with the other interior clippings I had collected.

This Boutique I'm featuring today by Viktor & Rolf brought me back to my childhood days. I still find it fun. Viktor & Rolf turned things upside down and it's gorgeous!

Viktor & Rolf's Upside Down Boutique In Milan

The Dutch design wizards' first signature shop just opened in Milan with an upside-down decor that has oak parquet on the ceiling and chandeliers sprouting out of the floor.

The boutique has the welcome mat on the ceiling!, and chandeliers bloom from the floor (below).

The upside-down neoclassical décor includes upended columns, archways and even the front door.

Tadao Ando

I will be featuring my husband's favorite architects. Being an architect himself these great names and their timeless designs are a big influence to him. He calls them architectural prophets. Their simple and modern designs are just ageless. I will start with Tadao Ando.

TADAO ANDO
Tadao Ando was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1941. He was the first born of twin boys. From ages 10 to 17 Ando spent his time mostly making wood models of ships, airplanes, and moulds, learning the craft from a carpenter whose shop was across the street from his home. 1962-1969, by his early twenties, Ando had decided on a self-directed course of architectural study that took him throughout Japan to visit temples, shrines, and tea houses, to Europe, Africa and to the United States. He was studying architecture by going to see actual buildings, and reading books about works of architects such as Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, Frank Lloyd wright, and Louis Kahn before returning to osaka at the age of 28 to open his own studio, Tadao ando Architect & Associates. Tadao Ando has been a visiting professor at Tokyo University, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia.

The Modern Art Museum Of Forth Woth Texas

21 21 Design Sight, Tokyo


Water Temple


Historical Meuseum


The new building for the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts is the first public structure in the United States by Japanese architect Tadao Ando.


Times Building, Kyoto


Hyogo Prefetural Museum


La Collezione


Church Of Light