Now you see it...and you won't believe it...Hell's Kitchen...

What a night! While everyone in my building and beyond left the city...I stayed right here and I'm thrilled I did...I went to the Algonquin to see the new and improved Blue Bar. It does not open until June 5th. Almost...Not yet the hip crowd they are hoping for. Not even close...perhaps when the blue bar opens. Ugh. Blue Bar. When I was much younger my father's office was on the same street as the Algonquin. I loved going to lunch there, with him. 'They' loved him and I loved that place. Blue. Why?  I had a drink and moved on...to Hell's Kitchen...

First things first. A Goat in NYC. What? A GOAT! On a leash...of course.
Dinner at The Hourglass. Three floors. Ate on the second, at the bar. Very charming interesting place. Not hip just...charming??? Had pork sliders and my dear son had barbecue brisket sliders...yum.  I would go back...for a drink and appetizer and to gab.

Welcome to Fleet Week...!!!

A Smoking Sailor? Soldier?.....

Two Sailors and a mattress...

Fleet Week Sailor...ahoy matey...I'm sorry, I could not help meself....
Stopped at a wine bar near my son's apartment...for sherry and cheese...I'm stuffed AND  tired!!!
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY one and all...

xoxoJaneoxox

Last but not least...XO A CHARMED LIFE OX...

I am making silver (and gold, if you'd like) charms...working out the (major) kinks...but it's a start. My business, A Charmed Life, has been around for years, in various incarnations...finally, the name will make sense!!!

One Rattle for one baby mother...waiting, waiting, waiting....she's being induced today!!! Yay!!! A new baby in the family!!!

xoxoAuntieJaneoxox

xoxoacharmedlifeoxox

What came first.....?

What came first, the door in Hong Kong or the dress in??? N.Y.? L.A.???

The elevator door was beautiful, the dress...eh.

Hair and Fashion Day...a day CHOP TO OFF MY HAIR!

Today...I walked across town to return some things and then up through THE (very crowded and lovely) Park to a hair salon. Carmine Minardi is, for the moment, working out of Salih Salon, located at 20 east 67 street between Madison and Fifth avenues. Lovely. I had a do-over. New do. New color. I feel lighter...he is the best!

Minardi NYC

LONG, ALWAYS UP HAIR...

h

SHORT HAIR! I FEEL VERY BRAVE...

Now for the fashion portion of our show...

Big Green People..on 5th Avenue...they've landed in front of Prada no less...and they are UGLY!

SOLID GOLD... Pulse

Allison Williams in Ralph Lauren dress....

Solid Gold? And I thought gold was valuable...ugly gold, ugly.

The above copy names the dress-wearer and designer...the ONLY dress in the N.Y. Post article (of the above name) that ANY self-respecting diva would be caught alive in. There are 12 more pictured-one uglier than the next! And this for the Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations red carpet kickoff at the Costume Institute Exhibition at the Met!

I could not resist...UGLY UGLY UGLY... One cannot out-do Schiaparelli and Prada, so why not take a new tack with total lack of taste and style?

xoxoJaneoxox

P.S.

A RATING SYSTEM

xo=eh

xoxo=ok, just...ok

xoxoxo=really ok, really

xoxoxoxo=yes+I'd go back+I really like it, I really do

This morning in NJ...to the dentist.

Breakfast in New Providence...Lovely little place. Wonderful owner...who is about to be a daddy...awwwww.................a baby girl. Lovely

PANINI CAFE

ME...'QUICK'

The year I was born....

Three brothers.Two came before me; one after me. I was told "be a teacher". (There were some intervening years between birth and 'be a teacher' but that is not 'QUICK'. So I cut to the chase...two 'brilliant, special, walk-on-water brothers (and I don't, in fact, disagree), one lost soul brother, and the 'pretty', be a teacher, get married, girl-me. Life's tough. I became a teacher. (art and shop...no less) Not really my thing but I do Love children. Married, had three children...and Fresh Air Fund Children, Big Sister, Foster Children. Did I mention I love children? ADD was not on the horizon 'then'. My diagnosis came after three children and two years in therapy. Hah. Surprise...tried drugs. Hated drugs. What difference does it make especially when I'm not driving others crazy? (I only drive them crazy when I'm with them..but not ALL THE TIME!!!) Separated...for years now. (Still have 3 children) 


I have a million ideas...I've sold my 'things'.... Different things. Did I mention ADD? Lack of commitment and confidence. I do love my ideas. I love how they come to me. Any time any place. I close my eyes and 'see' things that aren't there or are they there? What do you see when you close your eyes? I've tried to get some manufactured...begged and pleaded, smiled and smiled some more. One guy even ripped off an idea...in his own crappy way...QVC no less. Jerk. Well...I give up. My ideas will appear here sooner or later because I'm NO business woman and I just don't know how...but I'm always game...


HELP! Here's what I need...Imagine a small box (2X2ish). You want to light up the inside of this box with small bright lights with a power source and switch. The switch should be outside the box, small and sweet. Any one out there? If you know your bulbs and switches
your my 'man'...

xoxoJaneoxox

Rancho...Soup Nazi? The only Soup Nazi was on TV

The nice patron at the table watched me cough coffee quite

a distance and his reaction was "....this happens to every

one." I found the friendliest place in NYC this morning!

After walking for 1/2 hour...fast...as fast as one can walk with lights at every corner and after going to Staples I was really hungry so...I stopped at the big sign that said breakfast served here..Rancho. The gal that waited on me was AMAZING! Could not have been nicer.  I ordered The Champion BUT with changes. I should just give up but I cannot. We want what we want. Right? Over easy, 1 egg got me eggs scrambled.

  

The 'you cannot miss me' awning to the entrance.

I've passed this place a million times...this is 

finding nice people in...fun, places.

They did leave off the cheese and left the ham...! Scooped out...almost. I asked if there was 

decaf. I thought she said yes. She did not. I drank MORE coffee...never good. But the 

place was clean, the service polite and friendly and the food ok. For $4.60 I got 2 scrambled eggs/ham/bagel/coffee....3rd Avenue...NW side of street...between 

55th and 56th St...I think. You can't miss the awning!

xoxoJaneoxox

A Charmed Life and other matters...

I started three 3 III blogs! This is the one 1 I... I will pursue...The others, xoacharmedlifeox  and
Now You See It...Before You Didn't (see it!)

and A Charmed Life

will only exist in my imagination and on this blog, for the moment. Get ready for my imagination...bring yours!

Now You See It refers to scenes like the one in this picture. LOOK AROUND! The HEART is on the GROUND! All AROUND there are interesting shapes to be found! Look UP and DOWN (perhaps not while you are texting or driving or reading e-mail...that's enough to get you killed!) and LEFT and RIGHT, interesting scenes are in your SIGHT.

(Oh, I do love rhyming...so do kids...be a kid...)

xoacharmedlifeox™(and A Charmed Life) will, I hope in the nearish future be a website on which I will sell...charms, necklaces, etc.! Yes...another jewelry site. Mine is better. Stay tuned...More food, photos and...more.       

Have a lovely day! xo                                                       
oxoxjanexoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It's raining...Lunch at the John Dory Oyster Bar...

John Dory Oyster Bar
http://thejohndory.com/info.html

My son and daughter and I stopped in for lunch. I think I might have been looking, for a change, at apartments, in the neighborhood.

You have to love the floating-in-the-air fish tanks. I think my kids liked the oysters. Tall tables, young, fun area....Check out the restaurant and the bar at the Ace Hotel, next door...

An oyster bar...

The other side fish tank...

Cafe Jia 

37 W 46th St

(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-jia-manhattan

Well...I asked for one egg scrambled on a scooped out toasted sesame seed bagel (only in NY!!!) I got two eggs scrambled on a toasted un-scooped toasted sesame seed bagel. I repeated the order 3 three tres times! The counter guy looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. I guess I was! The upside: $2.45 WITH a small cup of coffee. Can't beat that...Oh well...This place was filled with cute guys in hard hats and, I imagine, is a zoo at lunch time as they offer tons of options.

Some of what they offer...tons of choices here....

I am writing in green so you will see this post...I must branch out. I have 16,000+ photographs that I've taken. Many in NYC and elsewhere in this great and glorious world. I love to fiddle with Photoshop and I am sure that within the next couple of decades, I'll be fairly well versed in it. I LOVE digital everything! I love technology! God bless APPLE!!! (He/She has...haven't they...) Life is not just about food...and I wonder why not??? xoxoxoJ

A slice of heaven in Califon....

Visit Bex Kitchen

Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
908.975.3334 for directions, etc.

A charming little bistro in a beautiful part of the world. The service is warm and friendly as are the owners. Leave NYC behind. Relax. I went today, for brunch. DELICIOUS! Fresh food. Fresh air.

Joan, an owner and the loveliest waitress
west of NYC!

A YUMMY PLATTER....

FRESH BAKED GOODIES...I drool....

Drive around this part of New Jersey...you won't be
disappointed. It's not called the Garden State for nothing!

If you come Monday through Saturday (I hope) you can eat AND buy lumber right next door. Sunday...you just eat. You know that's what you want! Oh how I love lumberyards!!!

The MUMU

I don't know if MUMU is correct; is it MUMMU? HMMMM...no red line under either spelling. Too ugly to face. Let's use two M's. Done. BRING BACK THE MUMMU. Diane, we need you. A beautiful MUMMU to throw on when I come home wet from head to toe... not a caftan. Caftan/Kaftan:
1. caftan - a woman's dress style that imitates the caftan cloaks worn by men in the Near East
kaftan
dress, frock - a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice
2. caftan - a (cotton or silk) cloak with full sleeves and sash reaching down to the ankles; worn by men in the Levant
kaftan
cloak - a loose outer garment

WAIT: It's a MUU MUU!

Muumuu
The muumuu or muʻumuʻu (English pronunciation: /ˈmuːmuː/) is a loose dress of Hawaiian origin[1] that hangs from the shoulder. Like the Aloha shirt, muumuu exports are often brilliantly colored with floral patterns of generic Polynesian motifs. Muumuu for local Hawaiian residents are more subdued in tone. Muumuu are no longer as widely worn at work as the aloha shirt, but continue to be the preferred formal dress for weddings and festivals such as the Merrie Monarch hula competition. They are also frequently worn as a uniform by women working in the hotel industry. Muumuu are also popular as maternity wear and with obese people because they do not restrict the waist.

Hawaiian Origin. Brilliantly Colored. Floral Patters...There is a lot to work with (and sweat/glow in)!

Come on ladies of the fashion world who are over 50. Help me! xoxoxoJane