Following Rabbits Blog

Sun tea is the epitome of summer for me. Now that I have a sweet makeshift veranda (i.e. my fire escape) I've been brewing batches in the afternoons while I kick around my apartment. 

I can't begin to count how many batches of sun tea we made in my nana's backyard back in the day. My nana is British, and I grew up drinking cups and cups of tea with her at the kitchen table. In the summer though, it was too hot to sit around inside drinking hot tea and eating cookies. We would move everything outdoors and make sugary sweet batches of sun tea, patiently waiting for it to brew in the blazing Cape Cod sun. Just like my nana always had cookies in the cookie jar, my grandad always had a box of ice cream cones and at least 3 flavors of ice cream. Grandad would scoop ice cream for all of us, and we'd keep checking on the tea. In the meantime we'd steal sugar cubes from the bowl on the table to give to the neighbor's horses that came running when we whistled.

When the tea was finally ready, we'd divide it up among at least half a dozen glasses, washing down our melting strawberry and mint ice cream. Such good times I had with my family, and this is great tea that still brings me back to those days. Miss you guys!

 street art in Colombia, by jerm IX 

SEE IT: art and photography I fell for this week
While some see it as vandalism (and oftentimes it can be) I'm actually a big fan of and advocate for street art and graffiti. There are a lot of artists who give it a good name and create art with a message behind it. Jerm IX is one of those people. His inspired messages appear all over the world. Check out his flickr gallery for more.

Sunday there was a total solar eclipse over remote parts of the Pacific. Check out some neat photos from National Geographic here.

WATCH IT: videos I peeped this week that you should too
Jarbas Agnelli used a photo of birds sitting on wires and translated it to sheet music and played the melody. It's actually pretty beautiful.

An exploding birthday cake at a party full of beautiful ladies in Marie Antoinette-period costumes leads to a serious food fight in this Acid Girls video.

HEAR IT: songs I downloaded this week
1. New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down by LCD Soundsystem 2. Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear 3. The Scientist by Coldplay 4. Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap 

2009 Siren Music Festival, photo by Jonathan McPhail

DO IT: things to add to your calendar
The New York Philharmonic will be playing tonight at Prospect Park, followed by a fireworks display. There will also be fireworks after the Brooklyn Cyclones game down in Coney tonight.

The 10th Annual Coney Island Siren Music Festival is tomorrow from noon to 9p. Two stages, DJs between sets, food, drinks and sunshine. Admission is free! For a schedule of bands, click here.

The {NewNew} will be having their weekend handmade gifts fair at Governors Island, both Saturday and Sunday from 10:30a-6p (running every weekend through September 5). For location details and a list of vendors, click here.

Last week I won a great set of moleskine journals from sfgirlbybay. She had a giveaway on her blog asking for people's favorite quotes, and awarded journals to her favorite three. Here's my quote: 

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

This quote was my mantra this spring as I went through a transitional phase and was dealing with a lot of changes and upset. Writing has always been my outlet of choice; I've been keeping a journal since I was in 5th grade. I keep favorite quotes, photos, letters, my day to day, and of course some secrets and stories about boys. I've got my most recent 7 journals here in NYC (3 years worth); the rest are in boxes at my mum's house.

I really enjoy going back and reading them, reliving old memories and moments in my life. Plus they're such a legacy to leave behind (assuming my children and grandchildren will be interested in reading them). I would be really amped to get a peek at my gram's diary from her youth! 

Here are some of my fave journals available on the web:

NYC Notebook - $12, Pink Paris Notebook - $10, Quotable Journal - $14.95 (these are the ones I use! I get a different quote each time), White Rabbit Journal - $19

I bought a ticket to see KT Tunstall on a whim yesterday morning, and it was one of the best shows I've seen in NYC. I love the intimacy of ballroom shows, and Hiro is a really beautiful place. KT performed a solo acoustic set, promoting her new album slated for September, Tiger Suit. The album got its name from a recurring dream she had as a child, where she would go outside to her garden and find a tiger there, which she was able to touch. Upon later reflection, a young KT decided that if the tiger didn't eat her in the dream, it must have been because she was wearing a tiger suit, fooling the tiger.

With no opening act, the crowd was amped for the show when she came out at 9p. Using looping pedals to record 2-4 tracks of percussion and backing vocals before each song, she put on an amazing solo show. She sang One of my favorites of the night was a fabulous mix of Other Side of the World, from her last album:

She gave us a good taste of her new album, singing Push That Knot Away, Still a Weirdo, and Fade Like a Shadow (which will be the first single). Since it was just KT on stage, and the crowd was relatively quiet, she was able to tell stories and interact with the crowd between songs. Getting herself set up with the backing tracks before each song took a few minutes, so she provided a lot of silly commentary in between. Here's my favorite:

"So much has happened since I last put out a record, it's terrifying! I was looking for something to wear for this new campaign, and thought maybe I'd get some roadkill to put over my face..." {pause}{pause}{pause} "...you know I'm talking about Gaga."

Absolutely hilarious. Her sense of humor, down-to-earth demeanor, and- most importantly- her kickass voice and stage presence made me an even bigger fan than I was to begin with. I love when you go to a show and the sound you get is a quality above and beyond the album. KT's talents as a vocalist and a musician are incredible. Singing a song titled Madame Trudeau (about the Canadian Prime Minister's wife who ran away with the Rolling Stones... true story), KT was rocking out so hard that by the end she only had 2 strings left on her acoustic guitar. Now that's passion.

She closed the show with a 2 song encore. First up was Black Horse and the Cherry Tree which morphed into a mashup with the White Stripes' 7 Nation Army... involving a kazoo. It was absolutely fantastic:

Finally she sang LCD Soundsystem's New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down. I looove that song, and she sang it beautifully. She ended with a final "New York- I love you!" I'm so looking forward to her new album. It's going to be great- keep an eye out for it in September, and if you ever get a chance to see her live, jump on it!

In my adventures around SoHo this weekend, I stumbled upon Papabubble-- makers of the sweetest little candies I've ever seen! They make their hard candies by hand in the shop, and have samples out for you to try. I hesitantly tried their watermelon, salt & hot pepper flavor, and was surprised that I liked it so much. It was a mostly watermelon flavor with a zing of spice when you bit into it. The back wall of the store is lined with shelves that hold jars upon jars of sweets:

Most of their candies bear tiny illustrations or words; a jar of candies that say "thank you!" would be a unique way to show someone your appreciation. They also offer customized messages/colors/flavors that would be perfect for baby showers, weddings, birthdays, or just 'cause. I left with a jar of the mixed fruit candies, after not being able to pick a favorite. They're so yum!

Their store is located on Broome Street, and they're open from noon to 9p Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6p Sunday, closed Monday.