Holiday Wish list

After a few years of great feed back here in my annual wish list for the Holidays. I don't discriminate, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas- it's all good! Here in no particular order are what I'd love to receive. Oh and ps- if you want something special just email me and let me know!

1. Beige perfume by Chanel
2. Gardenia perfume by Chanel
- these are both exclusive fragrances that have to be bought at the store or at a Chanel make-up counter. The scents date back to private perfumes Chanel made for her friends and best customers. SOoooooo amazing!

3. Mexican art work. I like day of the dead, or those cool tin cut outs called mlagros. Plus they're pretty cheap which is always a plus in this economy. Check out this site for some ideas.


4. If you have a few grand laying around I would dig a Cartier Love bracelet

5. A gift card to Amazon.com, American Apparel, Saks...... just about anywhere with books or clothes.

6. Japanese Cell phone charms- I want them all!

Kiichi Tsutaya Coloring Pictures

Just when I think i know everything awesome about Japan another amazing tidbit comes out. The Tenri Cultural Institute of NY happens to be wedged between my class buildings. On my way from one class to another I saw the most beautiful illustrations in the Tenri Gallery. Turns out its an exhibit on Nurie- Japanese picture coloring. Nurie is the phenomena that lead to what we now know as Anime or Manga. It originated during the Meji Era when the government decided to incorporate western culture into Japan. Just as young children were encouraged to trace Japanese characters and learn their alphabet, they were also given coloring books to trace with fabulous "western" pictures. These pictures were usually of sweet faced young geisha and girls, with westernized large eyes as idealized by European drawings.

One of the best nurie artists was Kiichi Tsutaya. He drew girls with large heads, foreshortened bodies and chubby legs. This may sound odd- but just as Michelangelo's "David" is anatomically incorrect but looks good- so does Kiichi's girls. His coloring nurie books sold like hot cakes, typically selling 1 million books a month. I would encourage everyone in Manhattan from 9/25-10/3 to give this exhibit a look over. the art is beautiful and a nice flash back to a time before photoshop and the politically correct blah of today.