bert & ernie_google

Bert and Ernie!!

today’s street view: bunny bandit

Bunny bandit stencil I saw near Union Square today at lunch

(image by: vivien chin)

cookie monster_google

Today’s GOOGLE image is Cookie Monster!  Happy 40th Anniversary Sesame Street!

bread shoes_r&e praspaliauskas

Shoes designed from bread by R&E Praspaliauskas.  The kid sized ones are the cutest-made from little buns.  Don’t think I’ll be eating them after they are worn, but I’ll feed them to the pigeons at least.

 

(images from Dezeen)

today’s desk view: 100s of dancing elves

Today dancing elves took over Union Square by the 100s.  I think they escaped from Santa’s workshop.  (or they are shooting an Office Max Commercial which is the rumor).  Yesterday it was dancing santas, today it was dancing elves and John Cusack-Say Anything wannabes.  I hope tomorrow is reindeers.

They start with a little break dancing and break out into large choreographed dancing (above).

They look like they are getting ready to dance Thriller, but instead break out into a howdown dance.

 

(images by: vivien chin)

today’s desk view: john cusack_say anything replay

Some guys who look like John Cusack from the movie “Say Anything”.  Cool classic boom boxes.

 

(image by: vivien chin)

today’s landmark views: chrysler & grand central

Beautiful day outside during my small fieldtrip uptown today. Passing Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station along the way.

(images by: vivien chin)

swagbucks update

Free money earned to date = $110. Just cashed in for another $5 Amazon card. New wii game here I come!

Here’s my referral link if you want to get started earning your own and help me earn some points too! (thanks for the help):

http://swagbucks.com/refer/vivchin

And just a reminder, swagbucks is a search engine where you get rewarded “bucks” for random searches. No surveys or gimmicks. No personal info, except where to send your redeemed prize when you earn them. Yay for free stuff!

***(Please see earlier post: “swagbucks = free $$$” from April 13, 2009 for more info on swagbucks)

dia de los muertos_skulls and pumpkin soup

Awesome sugar skull decorating at Dave and Hannah’s Dia de los Muertos soup night.  A night of friends, costumes, food, and tasty pumpkin soup with a kick from the chipotle.  Great soup night guys!  The blank sugar skulls ready to be decorated (above). 

The royal icing tie dye effect (above)

My decorated skull.  The eyes have a little bling in them. (above)

More skulls…(above)

Jeff’s skull.  Has a little henna-esque feel to it.

(images by: vivien chin)

today’s desk view: dancing santas

Group of dancing santas in shorts today in Union Square.  Strange and funny at the same time.

 

(image by: vivien chin)

hey jude

fun visual for this Beatles’ song lyrics.  Thanks Alison for the find.

today’s desk view: rain erased the empire state bldg

Where did the Empire State bldg go?…guess the rain erased it.  What a gloomy day…

 

(image by: vivien chin)

today’s desk/bench view: golden leaves

The leaves were beautifully golden today in Union Square.  Very nice

 

(images by: vivien chin)

sunset slit

the end of a beautiful day in the upper west side.

 

(image by: vivien chin)

who is that doggie in the window??…

Look at that face on the puppy.  Sooo cute.  Pet store window sighting today.

 

(image by: vivien chin)

chewbacca sighting

Saw chewbacca on my walk today.  Is it Halloween already?

 

(image by: vivien chin)

imagine

Beatles…classic.  Always nice to pass by here in Central Park.

 

(image by: vivien chin)

insert burger

Cute graphic I saw on a onesie. Shake Shack + baby clothes = fun

(image by: vivien chin)

central park reflections

View over the reservoir @ Central Park. On my stroll through the park to see the autumn leaves.

(image by: vivien chin)

mj mural

Mural I saw on the sidewalk today of classic Michael Jackson @ W 99th and Broadway. Cool.

(image by: vivien chin)

cooper union_morphosis

Passed by the new Cooper Union building by Morphosis today during my walk through the rain in the lower east side. Cool.

(images by: vivien chin)

this week’s desk view: fall colors start

Can’t wait till they turn orange

(images by: vivien chin)

swagbucks update

Free money earned to date = $105. Just cashed in for another $5 Amazon card. New wii game here I come!

Here’s my referral link if you want to get started earning your own and help me earn some points too! (thanks for the help):

http://swagbucks.com/refer/vivchin

And just a reminder, swagbucks is a search engine where you get rewarded “bucks” for random searches. No surveys or gimmicks. No personal info, except where to send your redeemed prize when you earn them. Yay for free stuff!

***(Please see earlier post: “swagbucks = free $$$” from April 13, 2009 for more info on swagbucks)

architecture tetris

architecture tetris!!!  always a fan of tetris related things and legos for that matter.

“Berlin Block Tetris” by Sergej Hein.

word of the day: scuttlebutt

noun. gossip; rumor

_Typed in “scuttlebutt” and this is the image that came up

(definition from dictionary.com)

swagbucks update

Free money earned to date = $100. Just cashed in for another $5 Amazon card. New wii game here I come!

Here’s my referral link if you want to get started earning your own and help me earn some points too! (thanks for the help):

http://swagbucks.com/refer/vivchin

And just a reminder, swagbucks is a search engine where you get rewarded “bucks” for random searches. No surveys or gimmicks. No personal info, except where to send your redeemed prize when you earn them. Yay for free stuff!

***(Please see earlier post: “swagbucks = free $$$” from April 13, 2009 for more info on swagbucks)

where the wild things are_the movie

scenes from today’s movie viewing…

friday’s desk view: gloomy sunrise

 Friday was a very gloomy, cold morning.  Where did summer/fall go????  Late night at the office = watching the sunrise from my desk instead of being in bed.  La de da

otto

Tried Mario Batali’s restaurant, Otto, near Washington Square park recently.  Thought the food was really great and really cheaply priced which is always a plus for NY.  One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is the flipping train schedule (seen above).  If you are waiting for a table you are given a ticket with a city name on it and your ticket name flips up on the board when your table is ready just like in a train station.  Thumbs up. 

Delicious food to try:  Penne Con Noci e Zucca (penne, succa, hazelnuts, and ricotta); Swiss Chard and Goat cheese pizza; for appetizer they have daily special bruschetta.  I had the Otto Lardo which if you are up to it you will love.  It is toasted bread with a slice of pig’s fat on top.  It is buttery and delicious.  I loved it.  Funny story, the girls at the next table thought I was eating bread with cheese on it, but the waiter informed them of what it reall was and they were turned off.  I say don’t be turned off because it was very yummy and you should try it.  It was the Friday Bruschetta.

I’ll definitely be going back sometime soon.
Otto Restaurant Enoteca Pizza
1 5th Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-9559

bossy bear_mimobot

The best of both worlds.  Bossy Bear plus mimobot.  I love it.  Already have some mimobots, but would love to have Bossy Bear too!  I love Bossy Bear.  Thanks moi for the find.

 

(image from Mimoco)

kung fu panda….kinda

Passed by this giant panda in a fighting position today in Chinatown on the way to dimsum with Dave and Hannah today. It’s the mascot for some fast food place I’ve never seen before. Cute

save trees, use your sleeves

best napkin ever

(image by: vivien chin)

today’s desk view: flowers

(images by: vivien chin)

union square peeler_joe ades

“Why didn’t I get a peeler when I had the chance??”  As I was in need of a vegetable skin peeler the other day, that’s the first thought that came to my head.  I’m in particular thinking of the peelers sold by Joe Ades (above).  I saw Joe Ades every day in Union Square as I walked to work, or at least 3 days a week when the Farmer’s Market was set up in Union Square.  But since Joe had passed away awhile back,  I unfortunately won’t have the opportunity.  He really was unforgettable.  Anyone who has passed through the park when he was still alive has probably seen his set up at the north end of the park.  Everyday he was armed with a bag of peelers, plastic bins, some veggies to show off the peeling abilities of his product, & and his spunky upbeat routine and personality.  I heard his peelers were the best.  What a great old man and character!  I feel most people in NY know who he was and people have written about him in magazines.  A well known personality for sure.

(image from NYtimes)

night walk_juilliard (DS+R)

Passed by Juilliard and the Alice Tully Hall the other night. Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s addition and outdoor seating area was very nice. It was chilly and windy the day I passed by so I didn’t take advantage of the outdoor space. I’m sure the outdoor seating area is much more enjoyable during the day. Thumbs up for public spaces!

(image by: vivien chin)

putting lot….the end

The end of the putting lot…2 Sundays ago.  Got in 2 more games with the gang before it was disassembled.  Great job Dave, Justin, Hannah, Laura and Jeff!  Fun times.

(images by: vivien chin)

sunday brunch w/ some live tunes @ moto

Met up with Jeff and Laura for some absolutely delicious brunch food at Moto.  This was my first time having brunch here.  Always seem to just make it out for dinner.  (see earlier post on 4/13/09 on Moto).  This is really one of my favorite restaurants to go to.  Great atmosphere, delicious food and live music.  The music is always good there.  Really makes for a good time.  The pic above is of the guys we had the pleasure of listening to on Sunday.  I think they are the “BJJ Trio” if I remember correctly, but not 100% sure.

Food to try for brunch:  Baked Ham and Cheese Egg with Grilled bread and salad greens (yum…soo good I want more); the freshly made donuts with some cinnamon are the best;  and the Date Cake with warm toffee sauce and whipped cream (always a must get and not just a dinner dessert menu item).

That’s just what I had, everything looked great so you can’t go wrong.  Can’t decide which is better, brunch or dinner at Moto.  Love them both!!

394 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 599-6895
http://www.cafe-moto.com/

(image by: vivien chin)

pride and prejudice and zombies

There are some books whose opening lines stick in your head.  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” 

Oh sorry wrong book…This one actually starts with “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains…”

Just finished reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.  Definitely give it a thumbs up.  I really liked it and found it really entertaining and funny.  I think whether you are a Jane Austen/Pride and Prejudice fan or not you’ll still like this book.  The writing style is still very Jane Austen, but the way the topic of zombies is incorporated into the story line seems very natural and it works.  I had added amusement when reading it because I have read the original “Pride and Prejudice”, so looking for the variations on the original content was pretty funny at times.  And as an added surprise…ILLUSTRATIONS!!  This is a fun read and I recommend it.  I was hooked from the first page.  Great twist on a classic!

today’s desk view: gigantic frog

Yup….that’s a giant frog.  very fluorescent.

(image by: vivien chin)

dinos & bones

ROAR!!! Blast from the past at the Museum of Natural History.  Definitely one of my all time favorite museums to go to.  Dioramas a plenty there….

 

 

(images by: vivien chin)