Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Anyone dressing up this year? Since our annual Village Halloween Parade has been canceled/postponed and there's no subway system to hit up to check out the freak fest that would have ridden it, I will be staying home and telling Toby to hush whenever someone rings my door bell. Because unless those kiddies want some hummus and baby carrots, I've got nothing for them.

P.S. How cute are Liz Climo's Halloween happy creatures? (via NPR)

Image: lizclimo.tumblr.com via npr.org

Hurricane Sandy

Hey all! Just popping in to say we've pretty much made it through Hurricane Sandy in New York City. There was a lot of damage along the shores including flooding and loss of power, but thankfully everything's okay on my end. I've spent the last few days quietly tucked away at home, reading, taking hot baths, and listening to the wind raging outside. Because I was in Europe when the last major storm came our way (here's looking at you, Irene), I was a little nervous about what might come especially once the city decided to shut down, but I barely felt a thing compared to others who weren't so lucky.

Most of us will be stuck in our neighborhoods since our subway system will take a few days to drain out and repair, but limited bus service will begin this evening. Hope everyone made it through the storm safely and without any major losses. Enjoy the mini break if you have it. Being a freelancer + slave to the Internet, I'm not as lucky.

P.S. Did any other hurricane survivors spend Monday just stuffing their faces? Because according to my Facebook newsfeed a whole lot of people just used Sandy as an excuse to gain 10 pounds in 24 hours.

Image: latino.foxnews.com

A Fall Weekend in the Catskills

Last weekend, A. and I went on a fall getaway to the Catskill Mountains. We'd been talking about it for a couple years so I was glad that we finally made it happen. Now, because fall foliage peaks at different times depending on where you go, I had been stressing over picking the right spot at just the right time. The Catskills sounded like a beautiful destination and located only two and a half hours from New York City, it'd be an easy drive up. Ideally we would've made our trip on Columbus day weekend so we could take part in the area's festivals and chair lift rides, but I couldn't be happier with our time there. Well, maybe if I wasn't sick the entire time we were away.

For our bed and breakfast accommodations, I picked the Catskill Lodge, a charming house located in Windham, NY along the northern edge of the mountains. Finding an inn that wasn't full during this time, was affordable, and didn't look like it was decorated by your great-grandma was a challenge (and truly there were so many pretty places, but they cost $140+ a night!), but I really lucked out with this pick. The seven-room house was cozy and clean and you'll feel comfortable living there almost straight away. As someone whose shyness typically keeps her from connecting with strangers during her travels, I was a bit nervous about breakfast the first morning. "There will be people eating at the table with us, too!" I whispered as I tried to stall in our room.

What on Earth was I worried about? Eating with other travelers was such a nice piece of our first stay at a b&b. We chatted through our meal with some older couples about the places we'd visited, local history, and what trails people had checked out in the area. Innkeepers Mike and Kellee Yount were absolutely wonderful. She shared stories of interesting guests they'd recently accommodated and suggested activities, restaurants, and scenic routes to check out during our stay. And with Mike throwing it down in the kitchen while we all got to know each other at the table, the second morning had me eagerly looking forward to breakfast time. (I'm still thinking about his pancakes on Sunday morning. He added in cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice to the mix and it was just out of this world. Delicious bacon, too.)

Because we'd arrived at the lodge late Friday night, our fall foliage viewing began with a drive down Platte Cove Road the following morning. We hiked a bit through a Long Path trail right off the road, but the rain from the day before made a stream cutting through the forest impassable without the proper foot gear. The trees were beautiful though. Many in the area had already shed their leaves, but there so many that were still basking in all their…yellowness.

As we kept driving down the road, I wished we'd made our way to the mountains a couple weeks earlier, but felt myself relaxing because the view was still so pretty and we were lucky to be able to experience it under such great conditions. Here A. and I were driving through the Catskills on a gorgeous warm fall afternoon enjoying each other's company. I was severely congested and yet completely happy.

And then the road turned a corner to reveal a clear view of the colorful expanse before us and I don't know how I didn't jump out the car window right then. I wanted to be enveloped by all that vibrancy and dance under that yellow canopy of leaves and light. You remember the double rainbow man? Well I wasn't that crazy, but I can understand how someone can be so overcome by the beauty of nature. Even now, looking at these photos, I can't believe what a show this earth can put on. If that road was all we got to enjoy during our stay in the mountains, I would've returned to the city entirely content. It was just what I had wanted.

But we kept driving on. The rain from the day before would guarantee that the nearby Kaaterskill Falls would be gushing so after sharing a sandwich and fresh smoothies at Maggie's Krooked Cafe & Juice Bar, we made our way down Route 23A for the falls. Landing a parking spot in the tiny lot off the side of the road was a nightmare, but once we did, we climbed our way through the rocky wet trail along the side of the waterfall. It was a fairly easy-to-moderate hike (and I was fighting through my illness as best I could) that took just a little over an hour to complete both ways.

Once we made our way back to the side of the road, I requested we sit on the the metal barrier so I could catch my breath, watch the hikers pass us by, and enjoy the sun starting to set behind us. But mostly, I just wanted to stop time for a while and simply absorb the moment.

That evening, we had dinner at Millrock Restaurant and while A. didn't think his salmon and penne pasta was that good, I really liked my baked shrimp. Back at the lodge, we popped open our complimentary champagne (a little bonus if you're celebrating something at the b&b) and toasted to A.'s 30th birthday and my general awesomeness.

There was no way we were going to rush back into the city and leave all this breathtaking nature behind so quickly so after bidding farewell to our hosts, we drove to North-South Lake in the Catskill Forest Preserve. It was chillier that day (so thank goodness we squeezed in all we did the previous day), but we were happy with taking the day slowly and wandering around. We walked to a lookout point and from there were treated to a view of the Hudson Valley spreading out below. We cuddled on a bench and talked about our ideas, personal wishes, and where we want our lives to take us. It's hard not to be inspired or want to take on so much more when you're sitting on top of a mountain.

My big wishes for this trip were to enjoy the fall foliage (check!), spend time with my boyfriend at a cozy bed and breakfast (check!), and stop into a local farmer's market for produce and some cider. Before we left, Kellee suggested a visit to Vinnie's Farm Market, which was conveniently located on Route 32 and on our way back to the New York Thruway. The place was filled with fresh fruits, veggies, rows and shelves of baked goods and jams, and such kind service. We walked back to the car with our arms full of cider, apples, banana walnut bread, applesauce, cider donuts, and pies filled with strawberry rhubarb (for me) and pumpkin chocolate chip (for him), satisfied with how we capped our fall weekend retreat in New York. It was the sweetest way to celebrate my favorite season.

What Kind of Music Turns You On?

A couple days ago, while A. and I were enjoying dinner at one of our favorite Asian restaurants "Let's Get It On" came on the radio (because naturally that's what you'd expect to hear while munching on dumplings). When I half-jokingly asked why we don't ever listen to this kind of music when we're being intimate, he simply answered, "Because it's cliché."

So true. We'd probably just goof through the whole thing instead of getting turned on by it. But then yesterday, Spotify sent over a study that backed up that very cliché: people still get it on to Marvin Gaye's track (and, of course, his "Sexual Healing") among others. You'd think people would be tired of these tunes being part of their bedroom soundtrack, but A. offered up a good theory as to why these songs keep topping lists. There probably are lots of other interesting songs being offered up, but the votes don't pile on for those as they do for the iconic ones.

Played out or not, I love listening to music and have a few that are pretty special to me in this relationship. Ben Folds Five's "Brick" was playing the first time I whispered I love you to A. I remember sharing my headphones with him in a California hotel room so we could listen to "Wonderful Tonight" and then falling asleep holding hands. When Adele's "One and Only" comes on, I quietly sing it to him and even though he doesn't have the best voice, laying in bed with A. while he serenades me with Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" or Yeasayer's "I Remember" is one the most romantic things he could do to me.

Does music play a role during your intimate moments? Which ones are your favorite?

P.S. Spotify members can listen to playlists of the top 20 tracks to play during sex and the 20 that'll serve as foreplay.

Image: jennkingphoto.com via rocknrollbride.com

Tatzu Nishi's Discovering Columbus

While A.'s mom was in town we took her to see Tatzu Nishi's Discovering Columbus public art installation. The Japanese artist created a living room around Manhattan's Christopher Columbus statue that was erected in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the explorer's journey to the Americas. Feel as you wish about the man, the monument has been an icon at Columbus Circle, just yards away from Central Park, and the fountained area serves as a little piece of repose as the traffic and crowds rush around you. Nishi's latest installation attempts to provide a more intimate perspective to a statue that has marked that spot for the last 120 years - or at least it would be if a stream of viewers weren't constantly marching into the room along with you.

The fully-furnished living room, which sits atop the statue's granite column at more than 75 feet above the street, houses the 13-foot-tall statue and makes it seem as if it's just part of the contemporary décor of some well-to-do couple's home. A collection of books on various topics line the bookshelves, the flat screen TV is turned to the news, and the wallpaper is detailed with American pop culture references that Nishi gathered from watching Hollywood movies and television as a child.

As someone who's only rushed past the statue her whole life barely stopping to squint up into the sky for a better look at it, it was cool to see the marble piece from so close and in such a different environment. The column rises up through the wood floor and the room is built around it, but it's so seamless that it looks like someone cut off the statue and placed it on top of the table. We sat on the comfy couches just inches away from his feet pretending that we lived in a fancy home that could house such a giant art piece and provide such an amazing view of the city.

Discovering Columbus will be on view through Nov. 18 after which the enclosed space will house workers as they restore the statue during the winter months. For free timed passes visit publicartfund.org.

Blog, Inc. Q&A with Joy Cho of Oh Joy!

A couple weeks ago I attended a launch party that Joy Cho hosted in New York City's West Elm for her new book Blog, Inc. The handbook, which contains advice on starting and growing your blog, finding your voice, design tips, attracting readership, and interviews with established bloggers, is good for both newbies and those who want to take their site to the next level. I only wish I had this book when I started out five years ago, but have already gleaned ideas from the first few chapters.

At the book party, we were not only treated to hors d'oeuvres, fizzy cocktails, and chats with fellow (and future) bloggers, but Joy also had a question and answer session to address some of our blogging concerns. I have to say she gave so much thought to each question and is such a doll in person that you can't help but admire her. So from nailing down a topic and beating writer's block to turning your blog into a full-fledged career, here are some of the tips she shared with us.

How do I find my authentic voice and know what subject to blog on?

I think this is the thing the intimidates people about starting a blog because you feel like there are millions and lots of them are so awesome that you wonder well what am I going to add to this awesomeness that's out in the Internet? Well I feel everybody has something to say, everybody has something to contribute. There's something that you're interested in whether it's something that you do for a living or maybe it's something that you do on the side as a hobby or maybe something you wish you did on the side as a hobby and those are things that drive the content of a blog. It's something that you're really interested in, that you're passionate about, and that you can think of something within that topic that you can blog about regularly.

Now what ends up happening is a lot of people have 10 things they're interested in and they're like okay, so how do I narrow it down? Basically you narrow it down by the things you think you can talk about most often, the things you're most interested in, and also the two or three things that can work well together.

Do I blog about one very specific niche thing or do I have a broad combination of things?

In my blog there's a combination. There's food, fashion, a little décor, and a little of my personal life and that's pretty much how I started. I've stuck to that along the way, but now I think it's a little bit different. If you're starting a blog now when there is so much out there, I would really try and focus on a niche if you can, if there's one specific thing that you absolutely love and that you absolutely have to talk about at length every day or every other day. But if you really do love a mix of things as long as they can kind of live together and they feel like a cohesive lifestyle, there's still a story that can still be told in that.

There's no rules. If anything, when people are just starting out, I say just blog a bunch. If you like a few different things, blog that, see what continues to feel good for you, what feels easy, what feels natural and it'll start to evolve from there.

How do you balance your life as a mother, wife, and entrepreneur?

For me it's about getting help because you look at people online, people on TV, you look at celebrities who are moms and you just think that everybody's doing everything so perfectly. You think that everybody's wearing heels while they're sweeping the carpet and while they're cooking a beautiful chicken for their husband and nobody's doing all that. I certainly am not and for me it really is about getting help, choosing your battles and choosing what's most important. Certainly once I had my daughter a year ago there were a lot things that I was like you know what? Those things are not going to happen. Luckily, people in your life are understanding as well, but it's about choosing what's most important and it's also about getting help.

I have an amazing part-time nanny who helps watch my daughter so I can work focused part-time during the week and other times I'm with her I work during naps. I basically use that time knowing that my life has changed to really focus on quality over quantity and I wish that was something that I learned sooner even before I had kids, but this has really helped me to prioritize things in my life.

At what point did it click for you and say, "I can do this to support my family?"

I actually do a few other things in addition to blogging. There are a lot of bloggers who blog full-time and that is their thing, but I think I'm one of those people that likes to do a lot of different things and I don't see myself just yet only doing blogging. I'm a graphic designer and for a while I had a lot of design clients. I design various products with licensers. I also write books, of course, and I do consulting so for me I like to have my head in a lot of things. As a self-employed person and as a blogger, for me it took a few years to click. I started my blog and my business in 2005 and the first year or two I'll be honest, I was struggling. My husband was in med school, I was just starting my business, we were totally racking up credit card debt because neither of us gained that much money, we'd moved to a new city, and it was one of those times in your early 20s when you're really figuring things out. I love that I went through that time because I can appreciate this time more when we got through that hurdle. It's much better.

I think for me it took probably about three years for my business as whole before I went oh my gosh, this thing can really work. Within the first six months to a year is when I decided to do it and I saw the potential. Because I don't have a job where someone's giving me a paycheck every two weeks and I don't have health insurance from a job and so you really want to feel like things are going pretty well to feel confident about it. And to be honest, it's one of those things where you can never rest in laurels. Tomorrow people could stop reading my blog, people could stop hiring me to do consulting or freelance work so you always want to be pushing.

How do you manage all of your different social communities?

So there's a lot of them and I'm sure everybody's so overwhelmed with all the social media that there is. For me, it's about choosing my favorites. So in addition to my blog, I love Twitter. Twitter is one of those things where I can just say something, it can be an image, it can be about a thought, and those are the things that do best because it's something I can do quick. I don't have to think about it too much. Some other bloggers prefer Facebook because that's a way they can communicate with their audience in a different way. They can show outtakes from a style blog or they can show behind the scenes from some other type of post.

If you're pretty new at blogging and you need to choose one other thing, choose which one just feels most comfortable to you. I think people feel a lot of pressure to have their hands in everything. Don't feel like you need to start all those things all at once. Slowly add in what feels comfortable. I would join all of those and if you just came up with your blog name, I would reserve that name for all of those different social media portals, but I would use them freely and see which ones stick.

Would you say that you're an extrovert and is that important as a blogger?

I would actually say that I am not. I think that people view a lot of bloggers as being extroverts because you are like, "Hey, look at my outfit! Look at my life!" The funny thing is a lot of bloggers are actually not like that in person. It's easier for us to type things out, take pictures from the comfort of our own families or our friends and put that out there, but I do understand that people that are a little more introverted are probably a little bit shy about it. A lot of people say to me, "I want to blog, but I know that it's good to show your life, but I'm really shy and I don't really want to show myself." And so I think you show what you're comfortable with. If you don't feel comfortable showing yourself at all, then don't, but I do feel like these days people do like to connect with the person.

For the first couple years of my site, I didn't show any photos of myself. Nobody really knew what I looked like unless they went to my About page, but now I'm there pretty regularly, at least once a week, and I found that people really do want to connect. It's kind of like watching reality TV and even though you know it's so bad for you or you know that your life is not like theirs, you connect with these people and you watch it because all of a sudden you start to know their life, know their personality, you know their good sides and their bad sides, and everything in between. So the thing that in a more positive and less trashy way you want to bring to your site is that connection because people really enjoy that.

As an artist should I be worried about people copying my content?

It's a catch-22. I think the nature of the Internet is such that somebody who's a little-known artist could become super well-known in a matter of a month or a couple clicks. It could catapult somebody into a huge career because somebody discovered them online. You could be the next whomever because you put your artwork on a blog and somebody finds it. So it's sort of that risk that you take. Now can you copyright your artwork? Sure, there's plenty of legal things you can do and there's a section in book where I talk about the various ways that you can copyright, but on same side sometimes people are super protective. Photographers especially is an example where people will want to watermark their photos and you understand why they do it, but it does take away from the image. So it's one of those things where I feel like the risk is worth it.

I know that for me the things that I've put out there I've certainly seen some of my images or even my posts on other sites. Most of the times it doesn't happen. It will happen from time to time, but usually I find that the risk of the exposure is worth the potential small percentage of somebody copying from you.

Has blogging ever become a chore and if so, how do you get excited about it again?

Honestly just like any job, I'm sure there's nobody here who's had a job and said oh my gosh, I love my job every single day of my entire life and if you do then you're like the luckiest person ever. I feel lucky that I do love my job 95 percent of the time, but certainly there are times when I wake up the next day and maybe just haven't gotten my post done in advance. I try and do them at least a day or two in advance and some days I don't get to it. Maybe I'm too busy or maybe I'm just tired or something in life just pulled me away and it happens. Sometimes I feel bad because I'm like "Ahh! People are waiting for whatever I'm going to post that day."

For me it's really about thinking outside the box, going outside of my comfort zone, and doing something different. I say in the day-to-day life if you need a change, if you're feeling burned out, step outside your comfort zone and do something different. I sit at my computer all day long and I'm so used to it, but you know sometimes I cannot sit in front of that computer anymore. I need to go outside. I need to go look at things. I need to remember there are libraries out there. There are museums and there are places where you can go for inspiration that are not in front of your computer and I have to remind myself of that, too. So within those times I do that and it's not necessarily always art-based or creative-based. Maybe I just have to go to the gym or do something that takes my mind completely away from what it is that I'm struggling with or what it is that I'm trying to do. Usually something like that or a series of things like that helps to bring me back.

How did you choose your blogging platform?

I use Typepad, but there are a plethora of ones. There are so many of them that are similar in so many ways and based on what you need there are usually two or three that might serve your needs and I usually recommend doing a trial period. You can kind of test it out, you can see okay, how does this work? How do I upload images? How do I insert text? Does it feel intuitive or is it something where I need to know HTML? And depending on your HTML knowledge or not various ones are better for you.

Typically I recommend Typepad or Squarespace or WordPress. I think that those are three of the strongest ones unless you're going to build your own site from scratch, of course. I think that Blogger is one of those sites that is a default site for a lot of people because it's free and is one that most people know about, but I find that people tend to switch later on because they get frustrated with HTML or they don't necessarily know coding and they find it harder to navigate. Also, Tumblr is really great for image driven sites. So there's probably about five or six that are the most common ones and so within the book I talk about it in more detail and you just have to see what's right for you.

When you started your blog in 2005 social media wasn't what it is today so how did you go about growing your blog?

Well at the time I didn't think about growing my blog. I wasn't purposely trying to grow it because I didn't know what it could become and I think now it's a little different because people know the potential of blogs so I always recommend you start small. Think about it as having a new business. How would you tell people about your business? You would tell your coworkers, you would tell your friends on Facebook, you start to tell everybody that you know. And then with blogging you reach out to bloggers. I know that it sounds like one of those things where people feel intimidated to write to blogs they think are so well established and be like oh, those people won't read my site, but you never know. It's worth it to send a short, sweet, and polite email to other bloggers you think would like your blog and just have them check it out.

So start small, reach out to other bloggers, and also via Twitter, Instagram and various social media networks you'll find other people who are also trying to grow their sites. A lot of times you guys can support each other and link to each other. You're all finding other sites that you really like and then you support and help to grow each other.

{Happy Friday}

Happy Friday, my little monkeybutts! What are you doing for the weekend? Today A. and I are heading up into the Catskill Mountains for a fall weekend getaway at a cute bed and breakfast. We've been talking about it for two years so I'm glad we're finally making it happen (the fact that I'm currently sick and it's raining won't dampen my spirits). I hope to sleep in, stroll into farmer's markets, and enjoy the changing season. We've started wearing our favorite jackets and cuddling under our duvet and last night, we enjoyed some homemade caramel sauce with apple slices and over vanilla ice cream so I think we got this whole autumn thing locked.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend. Here are a few links I loved this week:

Caramel apple coffee cake.
A simple and sweet costume based on The Red Balloon.
A modernist dollhouse.
Have you ever said these crazy things to your children?
DIY striped notebooks.
A tent for sale!
I want this lamp for myself (or this one that's a bit more mature).
Parcel inspired social icons.
Love letter napkins.
A free art sharing project in San Francisco.

Image: ucreative.com via Roni Dé on pinterest.com

For A. From Us: A Collaborative B-day Surprise

The Welcome to New York City goodie bag wasn't the only thing that kept me busy the last three weeks. With A.'s 30th birthday coming up I wanted to surprise him with something big again and after Thailand's New Year's Eve scheme, I was pretty confident I could pull another one over on the man. Enter this idea for a book of tiny envelopes filled with messages and goodies from A.'s family and friends. Did you ever read The Jolly Postman when you were a child? Well it's reminiscent of that and a similar project I made when I was younger.

For A.'s book, I reached out to so many loved ones, friends I'd yet to meet in the states and overseas, people he'd never even seen in person but had bonded with thanks to the Internet. I sent out Facebook messages, emails, and mailed out with small gift card-sized envelopes that I wanted them to fill in any way they wished. I was thrilled by how excited people were to join in (one of his favorite authors even emailed a little quote for me to include) and felt like it was Christmastime every time I opened the mailbox and saw that another self addressed stamped envelope had made its way back home.

People sent along notes, photos, money, creative treats, and random affections, even larger gifts that I had to sneak into A.'s apartment. It was fun to watch him open up an envelope and then go around the room opening drawers and cabinets to find things that were hiding there all along.

I was nervous that someone would spill the beans in their birthday message to A., but thankfully I was able to keep it under wraps until he, his mom, and I went out for a nice dinner at Dylan Prime (amazing filet mignon by the way). Right before dessert, I told A. I had something for him and soon into my little speech about my love of sweeping gestures and surprises he got really nervous.

"Chill out, I'm not proposing to you!" I laughed.
"Oh good," he exhaled with relief. "I can relax now."

First, I presented him with a letter opener because, I said, I'd asked for help with this present and that he'd now need help to open it up. Then I made him close his eyes and placed the thick black book in front of him. By the time I was done gluing in everyone's messages, which were still coming in at the last moment, the book wouldn't even close. Over one hundred red, white, and black envelopes made their way in. It was such a wonderful feeling to see A.'s reaction to the gesture, I almost teared up along with him. He was so overwhelmed, so overcome, that he didn't know what to say. So he just took the letter opener and started tearing into the envelopes one by one smiling, laughing, and in disbelief that people would go through the effort to show how much they care. That and the fact that his girlfriend is so damn sneaky and completely in love with him.

A Countryside Photo Shoot: Part 3

My favorite summer outfit this year was this simple black H&M romper. It was so comfy I barely felt it on me and with all that leg for show it could easily be dressed up for a sexy night out. The only issue I had with it is typical of all rompers: when nature calls, the whole thing needs to come down. I like to pair it with these black and gold tasseled flats from Aldo and some funky jewelry to jazz up the all-black ensemble. The Bantu Girl lent me this yellow beaded necklace from Kenya that happened to match quite well with the photo shoot's locale.

Picasso at the Guggenheim Museum

As someone with a bachelor's degree in architecture you'd think I would have explored the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum long ago, but nope! The $22 entrance fee had always kept me from going farther than the lobby, but since A.'s mom was interested in checking it out and none of us had ever visited the art museum we went for an after-brunch cultural dip.

The current exhibition on display is Picasso Black and White which showcases the artist's work with black, white, and grey media. We started at the top of the circular ramp and slowly worked our way down, standing in front of each work and pretending to understand the point behind the misshapen faces and nudes staring back at us. By the time we were halfway through, A., the Bantu Girl, and I were forming rap songs based on the various titles we came upon. (Watch out world, we'll be dropping "Two Nudes in a Studio" and "The Farmer's Wife" on iTunes soon.)

While I was happy to mull over the finer details in Picasso's work like the brush strokes and paint texture rather than figure out what he was trying to convey through all these lopsided boobs and crazy eyes, I was more interested in experiencing the museum space itself. I'd already learned about Wright's design in school long ago, but wanted to see firsthand how the museum managed around the curvature in the walls. How did they hang the paintings and how would one exhibition flow into the next when it's all one continuous spiral? The answers: the paintings tilt away from the curved walls (and lie flat against the straight partitions in between niches) and Picasso's exhibition extended from the rotunda floor all the way to the top. Ongoing exhibitions of artist Wassily Kandinsky and the Thannhauser Collection are tucked away in smaller galleries in the adjacent annex building.

I really like the lines the ramp created as we looked across the rotunda and the soft lighting cast in from the skylight. It's a beautifully designed space that looks out of context when juxtaposed to the adjacent angular buildings outside, but the curving interiors of Wright's last major project soften the space and glows with its own pulse. In his cockiness to design a building that would present difficulties to actually perform its function, Wright managed to create his own piece of sculpture that would compete against whatever the museum manages to hang upon its walls. As someone who relishes creative use of space and structure much more than abstract colors on a canvas, I can appreciate that.