What's Happening Here?

Come back soon to find out. You're going to love it.

Anne Pasternak

Here in a very 'public' way, Liberty Post exhibits the genius talent of this art curator. Anne Pasternak is the mastermind behind Creative Time in NYC. Creative Time presents the most innovative art in the public realm. From their base in New York, they work with artists who ignite the imagination and explore ideas that shape society. They initiate a dynamic conversation among artists, sites, and audiences, in projects that enliven public spaces with free and powerful expression.

During Pasternak's tenure, since the Fall of 1994, the organization has increased its commitment to artists working with untried media and has offered established artists fresh opportunities to experiment and engage new audiences. Renowned projects under her artistic direction range from exhibitions and performances in the historic Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage, new sculptures in Grand Central Station, paintings in Coney Island and skywriting over Manhattan to the Tribute in Light, the twin beacons of light that illuminated the former World Trade Center site six months after 9/11, in honor of the lives lost there. Pasternak has been committed to initiating projects that give artists the opportunity to innovate their practice, celebrate New York life, and reflect on contemporary society while engaging millions of people with art that permeates everyday urban life. In addition to her work at Creative Time, Pasternak curates independent exhibitions and contributes essays to cultural publications. She lectures extensively throughout the United States and Europe.

Egypt 'Snoopy'

This is Snoopy. He is a camel who gives rides near The Great Pyramids. That is my 'Egypt Girl'. I think she is going to find life back home rather dull.

Kids in Parades

Is it me or do you also see the funny side of most everything? I try not to, but it always rears it's funugly head from time to time. Here, at the most prestigious small town Santa Parade, I once again seek out the quirky analysis. Are they frightened to death, embarrassed, having a blast or completely confused? If you want a good giggle, click on the photos to enlarge to join me in my quest for the holiday truth. Oh, how I love kids in parades.

This is waiting too

Just for you. To enjoy with your hot chocolate. O.K. I'm telling a little white lie. But can you resist this holiday cake from Dean & Deluca? I say not. (tell me....is the price inflated for these economic times? I'd like to hear your opinion.)

Potluck Parade

Today is a big day here in Wasaga Beach. The Santa Claus Parade kicks off at 2pm. It's a darling ordeal. I say ordeal because truly it is agonizingly cute to watch all the home-made floats and costumes. It really has a small-town flavor. My favorite of course is watching all the little faces light up when they see Saint Nic. Wish you were here to join us for our post parade pot luck at my Mom's. I'll have a hot chocolate waiting for you! Ho Ho Ho

People Before Things

“The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists.” - Ernest Hemingway

Orchid Class

I've lived this

Exactly. PRESS PLAY ABOVE LEFT

Mumbai

It's all so lovely here. The snowflakes are floating to the freshly soft and white ground. The air is still all but the waves that are rocking up against the icy shore. My home is warm and cozy. I'm enjoying a delicious cup of coffee with lots of cold milk. My slippers are dangling off my toes. The dog is curled up beside me. I am blessed. I am safe. I'm planning my next art project. I'm creating. I'm dreaming. I am lucky. As I watch CNN tonight, I am making wishes for peace and hope and safety and hugs for the people in Mumbai. Loving each other is the greatest thing we can do to solve all this. Love, tolerance and understanding. Some will whisper in your ear, 'Ah, it will never end. The extremists will always be with us.' I don't want to think like that. I want to do my little part and send it to the next person and the next and the next. And so on and so on. So love each other tonight and let that love wisp out the window towards your neighbour's home and then across town, over the state border and jump overseas. Directly to Mumbai. Directly into their hearts, minds and arms. Mumbai, we love you.

Clay Love

These pots make my heart sing. It's the colour that gets me every time. I am a 'blue' gal all the way. Blue, blue, blue.

Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts

Succulents, cacti and herb gardens. DIY, affordable and green baby green. No bail-out required. (doesn't need much water) Makes perfect economic sense. No credit required. Cash and Carry. Thyme to think fresh & flora. Have a happy holiday time with your family and friends. xo

The Blue Zones

A New York Times Bestseller! With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What’s the prescription for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. And in this dynamic book he discloses the recipe, blending this unique lifestyle formula with the latest scientific findings to inspire easy, lasting change that may add years to your life. Buettner’s colossal research effort, funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, has taken him from Costa Rica to Italy to Japan and beyond. In the societies he visits, it’s no coincidence that the way people interact with each other, shed stress, nourish their bodies, and view their world yields more good years of life. You’ll meet a 94-year-old farmer and self-confessed "ladies man" in Costa Rica, an 102-year-old grandmother in Okinawa, a 102-year-old Sardinian who hikes at least six miles a day, and others. By observing their lifestyles, Buettner’s teams have identified critical everyday choices that correspond with the cutting edge of longevity research—and distilled them into a few simple but powerful habits that anyone can embrace.

Discover The Power of 9

1. 80% Rule (stop eating when you're 80% full)
2. Plant-Power (more veggies, less protein and processed foods)
3. Red Wine (consistency and moderation)
4. Plan de Vida (know your purpose in life)
5. Beliefs (spiritual or religious participation)
6. Down Shift (work less, slow down, rest, take vacation)
7. Move (find ways to move mindlessly, make moving unavoidable)
8. Belong (create a healthy social network)
9. Your Tribe (make family a priority)

I really enjoyed watching Oprah today. So eye-opening! The book here.

Red Sea Scuba Diving

Crystal clear blue love and fingers crossed seeing these pics of my Egypt Girl under water. Yikesters! glub glub glub

WARNING: Deer Car Crashes

I am not dissing 'Doolittle'. I am reporting the facts. Just the facts. I am Sgt. Friday after all. I am having a spooky wildlife existence right now. Where I am sitting writing to you, I look out onto Shore Lane. The road is snow covered with 2 ft. snow banks. Every day without fail I witness animal crossing or jaunting or dancing or hopping or running. They tease me. Too quick for me to get my camera. You have to trust me when I tell you these tall tales. I have seen every one of those above animals. The majority of my sightings are deer. This is where the 'warning' comes in.

October, November and December are the worst months for deer strikes. It's mating season, and the big animals are on the move, particularly during the hours around dawn and dusk. The number of white-tail deer — the most common kind regionally — has grown because hunting is limited in populated areas and deer have no natural predators here. Deer have adapted quite well to suburbia. Metropolitan parks and other woods offer havens for deer displaced by urban sprawl, and they're happy to survive by raiding backyard gardens and feasting on nut and fruit trees. Traffic has grown. Add in the region's hilly terrain — which limits views of the road and cuts reaction time — and deer strikes become even more common.

So, what can you do to prevent these accidents? Be aware: If you see one deer, expect others may follow. After dark: Use high-beams if possible. They illuminate the eyes of deer and provide more time for motorists to react. Don't swerve into another lane to avoid a deer. The greater risk is hitting an oncoming car. Drive defensively from 5 p.m. to midnight and during hours shortly before and after sunrise when deer movement is most frequent.

Until tomorrow, my animal loving friends.

Thanksgiving Placecards

You will go turkey over these distinct and nostalgic vintage cards. Your guests will love them too! Just select your favorites and print them on heavier stock cards. Voila! 205 images to choose from.

$20 Recession Skin Care Regimen

You might not know this, but I know a few things about skincare. I've worked for Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Loreal, Aloette, Artistry, Avon & Mark. (retail, training, business development, management etc.) All incredible companies, but we are in a recession now...so ladies (and gentlemen) what can we do?

Skincare really is all about 3 simple steps (or 4 if you add in one more step)

Cleanse, Exfoliate and Moisturize. That's it. And if you want a treatment serum that goes on before the moisturizer. (so it would be cleanse, exfoliate, treat and moisturize). Packaging increases the dollar value. So do fancy digs and retail space/staff. You can get exceptional basic skincare at any drug store or box store.

Here is my $20 Recession Skin Care (night time) Regimen:

STEP 1: Pears Soap First introduced to me by my Grandmother (and now as a Bubby myself, my little ones are given bars as gifts), Pears is an old brand of transparent soap, first produced commercially in 1789 by Andrew Pears at a factory just off Oxford Street in London, England. This long-lasting & affordable soap is a natural way to attain clean, healthy looking skin. It contains high quality skincare ingredients like glycerin and natural oils of thyme & cedar. (Oh how I love the smell of the lather) Pears Original Soap is especially made to take care of even sensitive and delicate skin, cleansing thoroughly, yet gently and rising clean. It is hypo-allergenic, contains a mild cleansing formula and no colorants. It is non comedogenic, so it won't clog pores. (which I have a problem with) Each bar is mellowed and aged for three months until it reaches a pure transparency. (looks gorgeous photographed with the sunshine behind it....try it some time!) This special aging process has been followed hundreds years! Cost $1.29/bar

STEP 2: Clearasil Pads Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate. You need to sluff off all those layers of dead skin cells otherwise they act as a barrier and no moisturizer will be able to penetrate it. This product contains salicylic acid (2%), a proven anti-acne agent and exfoliant. (So if you have blackheads or little breakouts this will take care of that too!) $4.00/jar

STEP 3: Jamieson Vitamin A C E Cream. This retinol renewal night cream is fortified with anti-wrinkle firming nutrients and a gentle level of Vitamin A (C & E too) that helps stimulate the natural skin renewal process and reduces the signs of aging with regular use. All ProVitamina products offer the unique benefit of phytohydration — a combination of pure Vitamin E, protective antioxidants and protein moisturizers — designed to nourish the skin and refresh the complexion. Antioxidant-rich formula reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, restores radiance, hydration and improves skin texture. Numerous clinical studies have shown vitamin E can reduce DNA damage and enhance epidermal hydration while reducing skin roughness. $11.99/jar

All for $20...including taxes !!!

(Avon & Mark are also affordable luxuries for your skin and beauty needs)

Spooning

Yet another reason to get online. You'll learn new words. You will stay abreast of popular culture, slang and the urban dictionary. Case in point: Spooning. One of those little embarrassments. Hearing a word or phrase and smiling like you know what it means, but inside you know you are a complete vocabulary fraud. You don't know what it means so just admit it. If you are too stubborn then head on over to google and look it up damn it. Spooning: "A form of affection between a couple. Where the man lays front to back with the girl. They fit together like spoons." And if you didn't already figure it out. Spooning leads to forking. (ah, just go look it up)

Annie Leibovitz at Work

NEW BOOK ALERT: Annie Leibovitz describes how her pictures were made, starting with Richard Nixon's resignation, a story she covered with Hunter S. Thompson, and ending with Barack Obama's campaign. In between are a Rolling Stones Tour, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, The Blues Brothers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keith Haring, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Patti Smith, George W. Bush, William S. Burroughs, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth. The most celebrated photographer of our time discusses portraiture, reportage, fashion photography, lighting, and digital cameras. I want it. I want it. I want it. (please) So if anyone 'out there' is thinking of getting me a teensy weensy gift this season, this truly is all I want. (you can get it here...at a discount even)

Learn How to Knit Video

I've tried. I've cried. I've failed. What's a girl to do?

From the Free People Girls.

I Love Dirt

This book is my new obsession. I think all parents, grandparents (or parents to be) need a copy. How incredible in this day and age to get families off the couch (away from the TV, game units & computers) and out the door. Deep breath. I can smell the fresh air from here.

***See the Top 10 Books of the last 15 years here. Very interesting. Poor J.K.Rowling

Poinsettia Paradise

My Aunt and I spent 3 hours in Terra Greenhouse's holiday wonderland. I had never seen blue and lilac poinsettia plants before. They were literally flying out the door. Poinsettia is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico, and native to the Pacific coast of the United States. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1825. The alternative names for the poinsettia are: Mexican flame leaf, Christmas star, Winter rose and Stella di Natale (in Italy). The plants' association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. In the United States, December 12th is National Poinsettia Day. My challenge is the care and feeding of poinsettias. That's why I love cacti and succulents. More on that tomorrow.