tea time: Jugetsudo on 95 Rue de Seine

jugetsudo on the rue de seine in saint germain, is a great quiet getaway for a lovely and authentic cup of japanese tea. the tea is presented beautifully on the milk stained japanese cedar wood counter, which they clean every night with milk. small matcha, green tea and sesame cookies accompany your choice of toasted rice or smokey tea or any of the assorted japanese teas. by xy

photographer / furniture designer willy rizzo: everything AND the girl

the willy rizzo gallery on rue de la verneuil

girl by rizzo, not included*well this one slides open doesn’t it mrs. rizzo? approximately 10,000 euros in white

my parents had a silver and black circular bar when i was a little boy that swung open* to reveal a mirrored-interior filled with crystal glasses and decanters. very shag i must say…. i saw this piece by italian photographer and artist, willy rizzo in paris and got all excited but rizzo’s wife kindly extinguished my flame by telling me that ours was “probably a knock off” as rizzo’s originals did not open… oh well i had no idea who willy rizzo was til yesterday,  but i must say i find him fascinating and will surely look into his work in the next decade of my life… that is if i make it out of paris alive. by xy

guns. no bitches no bling

established in 1526, beretta is an italian family-owned store in the upper east side.  providing a great selection of rifles, shotguns, knives and hunting attire in a three-story townhouse, dangerous things are being sold there with elegance and genuine interest. by ak

quote of the day

“character is indeed rare in this world, and it takes only a little intelligence to trim your course as circumstances might require, for who is there to point our your mistakes?  thus in politics, realism is always right, even if it is morally wrong.”

-Combat “Intelligence and Character” August 29, 1944


help them beaches: hurricane sandy recovery effort

In hopes to help in with the Hurricane Sandy relief effort, NYSEA has started the ‘NY BEACH RELIEF FUND‘, contributing 100% of all proceeds and donations to New York surf and beach communities through the non-profit ‘SURF FOR ALL’. These are the communities that make up the heart and soul of NYSEA. We wish everyone the best on this long road to recovery.

We sincerely appreciate any and all purchases or donations. We understand through these times one may not be able to contribute monetarily, however you can still support and make a difference by simply sharing this page on the web!

Our hearts go out from everyone at NYSEA to all affected by Hurricane Sandy. The energy created between the two giants we live in, the city and sea, has met and showed us something we will never forget: total destruction between these uncontrollable forces. New Yorkers stay tight and ban together in these times of need. New York will come back bigger and stronger than ever!

We are in it with you!

a great effort being put forth by locals for locals of NY beach communities. please support if you are able to: NY BEACH RELIEF FUND. by jr

OR JUST BE YOU

favorite quote from an interview for a book i’m oddly compelled to read…

why is france such a poor market for contemporary art, compared to london, new york and LA?

because the french have a more refined sense of taste and self-worth and are therefore much less suggestible to hype and mediocrity. i try to avoid the country as much as possible.”

– charles saatchi

maybe it’s the biblical format for words on the art world.  kl

New Year Plans?

sail down the amazon in style. adventure travel company aqua expeditions has created a 147-foot-long floating hotel that rolls down the amazon river in peru. each room has a floor-to-ceiling window, private deck, and lounge area for visitors to take in the amazon sites and sounds or relax in the tropical sun. with panoramic views of peruvian trees, birds, and the occasional anaconda, this cruise offers an elegant trip down one of the the world’s most famous rivers. by cp

anne sexton

completely brilliant but partially insane poet anne sexton was a master of language, and quite the absolute beauty.  her birthday being last week, i have had her on the mind, and the struggles she went through as a mother, writer and human being.  sexton attempted several times, and finally took her own life; however, before that tragedy she left behind a remarkable world of honesty.  embracing topics that very few had sought out before her, sexton was undoubtedly a paragon of sorts.  a few lines from her poem, as it was written:

All in all, I’d say,
the world is strangling.
And I, in my bed each night,
listen to my twenty shoes
converse about it.
And the moon,
under its dark hood,
falls out of the sky each night,
with its hungry red mouth
to suck at my scars.


by sv