Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!






















Happy New Year!!! Hope 2009 brings you health, wealth, peace, love and happiness. I'm wishing for all five! Cheers!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Viva La Zoom


Ah... the wonder of zoom on the camera. This Christmas tree in the front is a block away in Gramercy Park and the Chrysler Building that looks so close in the background is 20 blocks away! My street Irving Place dead ends into the Park. I love my neighborhood!!! It's a little bit of calm reprieve in the busy world of Manhattan. Irving Place only runs between 14th Street and Gramercy Park and North of the park it's Lexington and gets busy and noisy and New Yorky. Two years before I moved here I used to come to NY for extended stays and would often take a cab from the East Village where I was staying with my pal Tom to go to Jenny's Studio on 19th Street. The cabs would take a right on Irving Place and turn left at 19th, I would think, this is a cool neighborhood, I'd like to live on this street. And... two years later after looking at 40 apartments in the middle of a heatwave August, this is exactly where I ended up. I've been here 11 years now and I still love my neighborhood and New York:)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Bodega Blooms




Amazing how even in the brrrific days of December the Bodega's in NYC keep us all cheered up with beautiful blooms. Almost every little neighborhood store has fresh flowers year round. Course the second the flowers get into my steam heat blaring apartment they start to get the swelter vapors, poor things. So, for the most part I enjoy them outside in their full color glory and cool storage.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Orange Shoes


I admit this pic was taken back in the Spring on one of my store window strolls but I just love those Orange shoes and wanted to post them, even tho I would never wear them as I have officially entered into the grandma footwear of comfort zone and these don't fall into that category by any means. I haven't posted lately and I haven't been out taking pics lately either cuz of the "elevator modernizin'". I'm on countdown to week 5 of elevator repair and in hibernation til the thing is working again! I meant to go out today, really I did! I also need to get with it with this blogging thang. I look at other folks blogs and they are great. I just haven't gotten into the swing of it all yet.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

80 Steps






















Yep, that's my building. And the elevator is still out for "modernization". And yes, it's "good for me" to walk up stairs. And yes, going on week 4, I'm kinda "over it".
"They", as in my management company said it will be 5 weeks of modernizing. I can see the lovely new buttons on the outside of the elevator door on each floor as I climb. I'm hoping it will be really swanky when they are done. Heck, I'm just hoping it's done soon and don't really care what it looks like! Til then I'll be huffin' and puffin' my way up 80 steps. Breathe!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!






















Have a "Faboolicious" Turkey Day Kiddos! Enjoy all the fun and holiday food. Here's cheers to being thankful for life, love, friends, family and all the trimmings!
xo,
Mz Cheryl

Photo By: Paula Settle
Styling By: Gregory Conover
Embellished Art By: Cheryl Phelps

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Coast to Coast Orange




I love this Orange car! I guess that's obvious since I took pics of one on both coasts, in SF and NYC. I have to get my color fix in man made objects now that Fall has flung the color to the floor. I love the addition of flora to the one in SF.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Goodbye Yellow


In New York I always say goodbye to natures big splash of yellow in the Autumn when the ginkgo leaves have fallen on 19th Street near my place. I didn't make it up to Central Park to see the Elm Grove this year. I love that place in the park where the elm trees make an incredible yellow tunnel. So, til I say hello to glorious yellow next Spring, when the daffodils arrive in Gramercy Park I'll be finding ways to use yellow in my artwork to get me through the Winter.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Stop The Car!



Ever wonder where old Coca Cola machines go to die? Well this stack is in Guntersville, Alabama. I screamed "stop the car" when I saw these and had to get out and take a pic. It was a Summer Sunday afternoon drive and after a deelish meal of catfish we were touring the Guntersville Lake area. It looks like an art installation rather than the last stand for soda machines. On a day here in NYC when the high is 30 something it's nice to remember some Summer fun.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Kewpie Doodle Do






















The things we do to amuse ourselves. Back in September Margot Potter of "Impatient Beader" fame had a Kewpie decorating contest on her blog. She sent out these very tiny lil' Kewpies and I got one from her to decorate. Thanks Margot! I'm tellin' you peeps, that Kewpie was so itty bitty I just couldn't get my art paws to decorate it the trad way, so I made friends with my Wacom and did this digi Kewpie version. Somehow I am loosing a lot of detail that is actually in the digi version in this pic post. It was fun to do and my entry appears on her blog. Ever more craftful talents than I won the contest. You can see the entries here. They actually could work that small!!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Coffee's Back!






















Yeah! Coffee's back! Even tho this is really a pic from my recent trip to SF. Greg and I were at "The Pork Store" a fave of mine for outside coffee brunch/lunch breaks enjoying a wonderful warm October day. Home, here in NYC I tackled the almost 80 steps down and back up to my 5th floor apartment, (still no working elevator), to buy some "Cafe Bustello" expresso coffee. So I'm back at my daily coffee cranked up level! Pity the people who have to chat with me right after that one cup a day kicks in!!! Used to do two cups a day, but had to cut that back when I went to French press brewing. This makes me want another cup but alas I must wait til the morrow... ahhhh coffee:)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Seats For Two
































Today I'm really wanting to be back in San Francisco. It's 37 going down to the 20's tonight here in NYC, it's 61 in SF. These pics are from my recent visit. Greg and I took a trek over the bridge to Berkeley and these great chairs were outside one of my fave shops "The Gardener". I'm not ready for Winter temps yet. My heat is steaming and my mind is revisiting warmer, sunnier days in lovely California.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Coffee!!!




















































Coffee, coffee, coffee!!! All I want right now is coffee! It's cold here today in NYC and I'm outta coffee! My elevator is being "modernized" and will be out for repair for 5 total "expected" weeks. We are starting week 3! I live on the 5th floor and my own laziness to climb all those steps has beat out my want for coffee. So, I'm amusing my coffee craving by revisiting my own pics of coffee's past. Ah... coffee.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

I Spy A Magical Alley
































































































































San Francisco always amazes me every time I visit. I love the spur of the moment surprises. This last trip Greg and I were going to Community Thrift on Valencia when we discovered public art in progress. The alley between Mission and Valencia and 17th and 18th Streets is full of wonderful murals. Artists were there finishing paintings before a weekend music/art event. This magical alley will give the Balmy Alley fans a 2nd great destination to see incredible public art. I love how San Francisco supports this thriving expression of it's artists.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Happy Autumn















































Autumn is one of my favorite times of year! The flowers, the skies, the farmers market full of pumpkins, gourds and apple cider... ah so delightful the burst of color before Winter sets in. Enjoy Autumn and all the colorful fun it brings you.

Friday, November 7, 2008

YEAH- A Brand New Day!

















Blue Morning Glorious! I'm just catching up today with this blogging thang. I screamed from my window Go Obama on election night when he won! NYC was loud with celebration. Horns honkin', people yelling, Times Square and Harlem were a sea of celebration! I only wish I had been out in the crowd! It truly feels like a brand new day! Positive possibility along with joy and hope that brighter days are ahead:)

Halloween A Week Ago













































































One week ago tonight it was Greg's Birthday Party and Halloween; that's a black cat on his head. He's a Halloween baby. He decorated the table, his pals and I cooked dinner. Great evening with dining, dancing and party hats!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Happy Day After Halloween
































Since I'm still visiting Greg in San Francisco I don't have access to any of my own pics, (I forgot to bring my camera cord to download my pics), so I'm posting a pic of Greg I took last year at the "Hubcap House" up near Calistoga. Since it's the day after Halloween and Halloween is Greg's Birthday and this has him and a Halloween Pumpkin in it I thought it was a good Happy Day After Halloween and All Saints Day.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Beach Chalet- Lunch Today























Lunch with Linda at the Beach Chalet in San Francisco. When I get back to NYC I'll post a pic of Linda with the amazing chocolate sand castle dessert we had.

My First Post












This is my first post. Mz Linda is helping me get blogging. Yeah Linda!!! Thank YOU!!!