Demolition Gods

I had a pretty laid back weekend, I finished watching the 1900 house from the PBS house series. Those shows are so good, I highly recommend putting them in your queue. We also finished watching the New York documentary which was at parts very disappointing especially to hear about the demolishing of the original Penn Station and old neighborhoods in exchange for high ways.

Hearing what Mr. Moses did to NYC runs deep into my very recent thoughts and sadness about America's (seeming) obsession with getting rid of the old and making everything new and sterile. Its maddening when I see people obsess over modernization which at times destroys the very heart and character of buildings where life once took place.

I heard recently about the same sort of thing happening to the university I went to. Taking down the old buildings and throwing up shoddily built ones at a fast rate in exchange. Who finds this appealing? Would Harvard be the same if they tore it down and rebuild it?

I'm not someone who wishes to dress in period clothing on a daily basis and wants to reenact the past, there is something very unauthentic (?) about the whole process. I defiantly appreciate the rights that being in 2008 allows, but surely people can see the beauty in pre-war architecture? That Jane Jacobs, activist and author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) she is my new hero.



The apartment I live in now was build in the early 20's and is very void of a lot of modern comforts such as a stable heating and cooling system, two sided kitchen sinks (at the very least), and a pretty shabby bathroom. But, it has history and there is life in the scuff marks and the cracks and the imperfections. I dream of living in an old farmhouse or cottage and allowing all of the charm show through.

We recently went to an art auction/craft sale here in Bay Ridge that was housed in an old prep school. Really old prep school, and after looking around at the art we started looking at the building we were in. We were mesmerized by the old soda machine and strange (to us) doors. Ancient and outstanding and lovely and we were touching everything. Its still up and running as a prep school. At the same time we both realized that outside of NYC this building would have been torn down long ago.

Saturdays with Tea

This past weekend was really nice, I had a chance to try out tea staining for the first time. Something I've always wanted to try and it was so easy, I just googled "tea staining" and found a lot of resources on how to do it.

I'll admit I started getting a little crazy and just threw a bunch of stuff in the pot. Shirts, doilies, and hankies. I thought it looked really nice. I showed it to Josh he wondered why I intentionally wanted my stuff to look old and dirty. Not sure, but I'll let you know what I end up doing with the newly old stuff.

Over the weekend I also watched Kids for first time, I think I avoided it mainly because I was 12 when it came out. And I was an overly paranoid and precautions kid, I could only imagine what sort of OCD behavior would have come from watching this movie. Anyway, it was sad and provocative. It's hard to believe the writer was only 18 when he wrote this.

We also watched Crash (1991) with James Spader, I had a hard time making it through this one. If you watch it you'll know why, but to describe it in a vague way it was about people who get off from car accidents. Needless to say I decided to make cookies while it was on and checked back in during batches.

going natural

I've had the nagging feeling lately that I need to start using natural products for my hair and body. Its not from one specific message or another, but maybe subtle hints here and there.

I tried an aluminum-free deodorant awhile ago from Adidas, but it never worked and I pretty much assumed that natural deodorants wouldn't work either. But, alas I tried another one that I found on etsy recently. Flame works is a store that makes their own vegan deodorant and natural products. I bought the lemon sugar scent and absolutely love it! When it arrived, I thought I'd give it a try before going out that night. For some reason or another I was really hot in the bar that I went to and it held up perfectly. And sure enough by the end of the night I still didn't smell. Which was confirmed by other people, don't ask haha. Anyhow, if you are in the market for deodorant that doesn't have aluminum or if you follow a vegan diet, give it a try:

Flame Works


I've also been curious about natural ways to wash my hair. I did a little bit of research on the stuff I normally use and it is full of chemicals. I use a lot of conditioner to the point that my hair just will not act "normally" without it. However, I thought about it and its so obvious! My natural oils will condition my hair. The shampoo is stripping my hair of all of the good stuff and then the conditioner is temporarily covering up the damage from heat and the shampoo. Why does the obvious stuff take the longest to get?

This blog really helped me figure out how to take care of my hair on less money and less chemicals, even though the words "no-poo" makes me cringe. I'll let you know how it goes.

Really Raw Honey

I like to joke with Josh that honey is the new chocolate. I love honey and after reading the sad news about the disappearance of honey bees I thought I would try to find honey that doesn't come in a bear shape.



I read an article in bon appetite recently about raw honey and the various types of honey from flowers. The one that caught my eye is from a company called Really Raw Honey. I bought a jar a couple of weeks ago and needless to say Josh ate over half of it. It was mysterious because I never actually saw him eat any. The honey is really good, the flavor is intense and the texture is creamy. Its almost granular which I like. It has not been processed, heated or pasteurized in any way. It still has pollen and bits of honey comb in it.

the old modern life

I spent a good deal of the day yesterday writing and learning adobe indesign. I took a break to go to the gym, which I have to say is a really nice way to refocus and re-energize myself. Sometimes around 4ish I start feeling like I need a nap and an energy boost, its hard to imagine how exercise can make a weary soul more energized, but its true: the more energy you give, the more you get.



Last night I baked brownies (i know, i know!) and watched another episode of Carnivale. I'm really hooked into the story, its just brilliant and visually inspiring. It's one of those things I wish I would have discovered sooner, but not sure if I would have appreciated it as much as I do now. I can see where this show may not appeal to many people especially perhaps the faint of heart, but there is something so unique and curious about the story being told. I am fascinated with life during the dust bowl (and prior.) I find myself wanting to create a balance between modern freedoms and rights with simplistic pleasures of the past in my own life.

days like these

I'm still working out the kinks on a productive work schedule for myself. Working on my own terms is very gratifying in the sense that I can dive into work for a few hours at a time moving from one project to another all while listening to Duke Ellington. Break for a long walk to the park, make dinner and eat while watching Carnivale and then back to work. No 30 minute commute each way, no office politics, no useless stress. And I feel like I'm actually learning new stuff everyday, something that doesn't often happen in an office setting. Photography lessons here, photoshop lessons there.

I've been working on some projects lately and hanging them on the wall as I finish them. Most recently the sculpey moth that I am calling ghost moth. The key is mounted on a sculpey plaque and the umbrella is a print idea that I've had in my head for awhile now. It reads "I've got you covered". I plan to work on more of these as prints for the opening of my etsy shop.



I've been a little obsessed with baking and food styling lately. I don't know where this curiosity will take me, but the learning process is really fun. Although I will say its very hard to bake all the time without having people to actually eat it. The whole thing makes losing weight very hard, hmph. Its true though, most of the time I want to bake and bake for hours, but I really would rather not have the stuff around for long after. Just let me photograph it first and sample a little bit and I'm okay to give it away. I joined the Daring Bakers (a group of bloggers who make and post about one baked item a month) recently to learn more techniques and to challenge myself more.



This is the banana bread that I've been nibbling on since yesterday. I had some very sad looking bananas in the kitchen that wanted to be baked into banana bread. The photo isn't too great, I just used my point and shoot to quickly get a picture before I ate it all. Thats how it goes around here.

snickerdoodles for a smooth transition

The weekend was really nice, yesterday I made some delicious snicker doodles (a highly underrated cookie by the way!) and then we went out to dinner and the movies.

I've made a big life change recently, I went from having a full time job at a non-profit to self-employment almost overnight. The range of emotions that I've experienced since this decision was made has ranged from scared, nervous, excited, anxious and hopeful. What I hope it means: more time to pursue my creative dreams. What I hope it doesn't mean: not being able to pay the bills. And that is where hard work comes and a lot of initiative on my part comes in.

It seems as though I'm shaking things up a lot in the life department lately, self-employment, a big move to the country very soon and getting married to my favorite person. I just don't have a lot of time to ponder my fears, in fact I believe that a change in attitude is one positive step towards achieving my goals. My thoughts have gone from "I think I can" to "I know I can" to "I must" pretty much overnight.

vanilla sky

It never occurred to me that I could make my own vanilla extract. I filed it away as something I buy, but certainly never make. Its too mysterious for me. I've always regarded the vanilla bean as a new level of seriousness in the kitchen. Serious bakers use vanilla beans!

Of course, all of these notions came crashing down when I realized just how easy they are to use and vanilla extract is simply...are you ready for this? Just vanilla beans and vodka (or bourbon.) And so I've become a girl on a mission to obtain vanilla beans in the masses and start putting vanilla beans in everything. This mission was temporarily cut short when I realized that at most stores two vanilla beans cost about ten dollars. After a few internet searches I quickly realized that I wasn't the only one looking for vanilla beans at a good price. Thanks to a little sourcing I am now the proud owner of ten 7' organic Tahitian vanilla beans and they smell delicious.

The vanilla extract recipe that I used is very simple: 1 cup vodka (probably should use top shelf) and 2 vanilla beans. Place them in a jar and tuck them away in your pantry for about a month and a half, giving them a shake every week or so.

Making time for tea

beautiful layers: a new chapter

Welcome to the new chapter of my blog! After much time, thought, debate and a little agonizing I decided to turn over a new leaf around here. Love you deer, has been sorely neglected for some time and I figured that this would be a good time to change gears starting with a new blog title. I chose Love you deer shortly after moving to NYC unsure of my direction and just wanted a place to randomly write. I don't feel as though the blog title and content truly reflect who I've become over the past (almost) two years and the new path I've started clearing for myself. And thats where the change comes in...

Beautiful Layers is about documenting life and discovers as I navigate my way through the creative world. Regardless if it is photography, cooking, design or art the learning process is an invaluable part of the journey.

Please book mark my new site and settle in, updates will be daily.

Thanks for stopping by! Lorrie