Tumbleweed House, Now with Motion Pictures!

A while back, I blogged about the 96 Square Foot Tumbleweed House. Recently, a video has been going around that show off the interior, the designer (and occupant) as well as his reasoning behind a life like this. He and his wife are expecting -- think they can stay? Answer at the end of the video.

Tax Lot Photographs

If you're a fan of "old new york," you might get a kick out of the City's "tax lot photographs," which are now are now available for sale. For $80 total, you can have a black and white 8x10 of your building of choice taken around 1940 ($35) and a color 8x10 taken in the mid-80s ($45). There is also mention of being able to view low-res images of the Manhattan collection for free if you make a visit to the archives.

From the site:

Between 1939 and 1941, and again in the mid-1980s, the city photographed every house and building in the five boroughs. Photographic prints of these unique images are now available for purchase.

Link: Tax Lot Photographs

The Municipal Archives is located at:
31 Chambers Street, Room 103 · New York, NY 10007
Open to the public Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday 9 AM to 1 PM

Manhattanhenge 2009

You may remember when Columbia first told you about Manhattanhenge, when the setting sun falls directly inline with the street grid that is New York City. While there are 2 days a year when this magnificent event occurs, in truth, for several days around each set day are also breathtakingly beautiful.

2009's 2nd and last 'henge of the year is July 12th at 8:25pm.

Be sure to check out Hayden Planetariums's page on the phenomenon that is Manhattanhenge to satisfy all of your sun-worshipping curiosities.

What's New in New York City: BurritoVille Reopens!

I think I hear the angels singing in heaven: BurritoVille is open again! At least the one on Water Street is, according to Eater.com. When Columbia first wrote about their closing, we never thought we'd see our old friends again. The wiki on them reports many more will be opening soon:

The Financial District location (36 Water Street) that re-opened on July 6, 2009 is just the first of several planned locations in New York City and throughout the country. In NYC, many of the new locations will be at or near the old stores. (Planned locations are 226 West 23rd Street and 36 Seventh Avenue).

I'm crossing my fingers for the one on West 72nd Street to open again. Pumpkin needs a Vegetarian Sloppy Joe with tofu sour cream! (Or at least her Mama does. ;)

Haaaave you met my friend Alice?

I may have a new love in life (don't worry Columbia). Her name is Alice. She could make my life easier. Let me explain:

Today is the launch of Alice.com. It's a merchandise site, but there are some interesting twists.

• FREE SHIPPING. No matter how much or little you spend.
• Good prices.
• Coupons - not the ones in your coupon binder, but ones you don't even have to search for. The site has connected with manufacturers that offer coupon (extra discounts) on their products.
• They will remind you when you are close to running out of supplies if you want them to.
• $10 0ff of your first purchase. If you order a few items around $10 to try out the service you will be getting them for FREE!
• Budget tracking. Alice will keep track of your purchases for you. If you need a little help with budgeting, Alice can do this for you. (For your household expenses anyway.)
• They have an affiliate program so you can earn money when your friends (or lovely blog readers, ahem =) sign up through your link or referral email. Those you refer also earn $10 site credit when they spend $50.
  
  

I am always intrigued by a service that is willing to deliver items for free to my door. In this city, lugging is a way of life, but one I would rather avoid. Especially with Pumpkin. In the winter. Sludging through slush in 8 layers.

We initially used Amazon.com's subscribe and save service for diapers. It was a decent deal for 7th Generation and we didn't have to think about when to buy them or having to lug them home. When Pumpkin was a newborn with sensitive skin, this was a huge help. But... the cost isn't worth the advantage for us anymore. We are happy enough with Target's store brand diapers and they are not that frustrating to get home now that Pumpkin is bigger (and as Columbia will carry them for me).

Here's how Alice compares with Amazon for 2 products you don't want to haul around NYC:

7th generation Diapers Size 4

Amazon S&S 4 pack w/15% discount: $37.39 (no shipping cost as it's over $25)

Alice: $10.19 per package = $40.76 for 4 (shipping is always free)

Result? Amazon wins!

Iams Proactive Health Dry Cat Food 4lb bag

amazon's 5 pack deal: $47.36

Alice: 8.47 per bag = $42.35 for 5 bags
Result? Alice wins!

So while Alice may not beat amazon on their subscribe and save deals, there does seem to be a savings on other items. And not just in storage space if you don't want to buy the mass quantities to save on shipping from amazon.

Alice will not beat the sales at the chain stores, especially when you can match up the sale with a coupon, but they do have good prices. If you are a "my time is worth more than the money I will save in the hour it takes me to cut out and organize the Sunday coupons" type of person, Alice is definitely the place for you.

After the initial $10 purchase I do not know home much we will use Alice. Every penny counts for us at this point and as I am home with Pumpkin I do have a bit more free time than the average person. Columbia is a champ to lug our groceries and household supplies. Still, in those cold months of slush and bulky clothing, I could see free cat food delivery as a MAJOR perk.

Here are 2 giveaways around the blogosphere for Alice: Sorry, both giveaways have ended.

Northern Cheapskate is giving away 5 $100 gift certificates and all you have to do is enter your info in a form. She also was a beta-tester for Alice and has a 1st hand review of using the site.
Brazen Careerist is giving away 5 $100 gc's to Alice also, but you have to leave a comment telling how you automate your life to make it easier
And if you should want a link to find out more about Alice, please allow us: Alice!

NYC is Safe (Until You're A Victim)

I came across a piece the NY Times put together called the NYC Homicides Map. You can look at murder data mapped out across the city, each grim event appearing as a pinpoint with correlating data (victim/perp age, method used, date, etc). It's not pretty to look at, but it is incredibly informing. If you are willing to understand this as a reality where we live, you might not avoid the data, but rather try to find a use for it. Just as you could get hit crossing the street or end up with a cessna flying into your bedroom, danger can happen anywhere. This data doesn't say that you'll be murdered in one particular area; it just shows where to go to increase your odds.

My immediate application for this map was to help me understanding relative safety of neighborhoods with which I'm less familiar. One such neighborhood is East Harlem, said to be one of the last good deals in Manhattan Real Estate. So we bought in to the hype, and visited an open-house that looked promising. Outside the very charming apartment, my comfort-level was challenged (especially in thinking about my girls), and this was during daylight hours. I thought maybe the map could help inform me: was it really unsafe or just my lack of knowledge of the area?

Neighborhood of the open house:
Each dot represents a murder at that location (Since 2003)


For comparison, I looked at my neighborhood.


While it's true that where we live is very quiet and safe(comparatively speaking), it's affirming to know my sense of discomfort in East Harlem had some grounding in reality.

For the a God's eye view, here's the big picture of NYC:



The map and data is really interesting and slightly disturbing all at the same time. We've already looked at other areas where we are (were?) considering buying and are wondering the following:

1. Will we let this information effect our home-buying decision?
2. Is the "sense of the neighborhood" more meaningful to us than these statistics?
3. Is there any way we can keep our families from finding this map?

Link: NYC Homicides Map [via StreetEasy Talk]

The True Cost of a Membership

Just about a year ago, JC and I decided that it would probably be worth it to buy a membership to the Central Park Zoo. We looked at the price for the two of us (Children under 3 are free) to get in and it was $20. We decided to get the Individual Premium membership, which would pay for itself in 4 more visits on admission alone. For $90, we'd get free admission to all five WCS wildlife parks (including the NYC Aquarium at Coney Island) for one adult and a friend plus unlimited access to Bronx Zoo attractions. We also have had a membership to the Museum of Natural History, which is a stones throw from our place. With both memberships coming to a close, and our plans for an upcoming move by October, the idea of renewing these memberships has been brought to the budgetary table.

We decided that the zoo membership would be worth it for admission. The AMNH membership is a little more difficult to value, since a non-member can enter via a donation. In trying to crunch numbers and be wise with our money, I have to remind myself about the value from which we benefit with a membership:

1. Unlimited Access to The Collections
Want to see dinosaurs today, gems tomorrow, and maybe a deciduous forest on a whim? Do it. It's already paid for, so use it as much as you want. Zoos, museums and the like give us a view of something we don't have access to otherwise, and it's an exciting way to learn for Pumkpin and ourselves.

2. Significantly Shorter Lines
The next time we went to the Zoo after getting our membership (Labor Day Weekend maybe?) we almost turned around because of the lines to get in. It was bright out, and our pasty pumpkin would have looked like a cooked lobster before we even got through the gates. I thought, nay - I hoped! -- that maybe, just maybe, there was a members' line. Sure enough, there was. We went from a line of about 75 to a line of none and walked right in. I remember thinking at the time, "that just made the membership worth it." That line has been a very nice perk, and saves us time waiting on line that could be better be spent admiring the new Snow Leopards.

It should be mentioned that JC finds the non-members' lines to be very mild during the off-peak weekday hours, so this might not be a huge factor for stay-at-home-parents, or zoo-goers with non-traditional work hours.

3. Energy Savings
With a little more groundwork, I could put this into dollars, but I'll say this: Last year one hot month with two air conditioners running left us sweating a $300 electricity bill. Since the home is occupied during the day now, we use more electricity than if the house were empty; the hotter months exacerbate our electricty use. Turning off all the lights and AC for an hour a day while walking around the climate-controlled AMNH can only have a positive effect on our wallet.

4. Free Parking
While we've only benefitted from this once, but the membership to the Zoo came with 4 FREE parking passes for the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium. A free parking pass at the Aquarium saved us $12 while were we galavanting around on four wheels.

5. Developing Curiousity and A Love for Learning
Definitely an intangeble, but really priceless to me. I wonder how much Pumpkin picks up at the AMNH, but I do believe she knows that it's an important place with experiences she gets nowhere else. She's just starting to love the Central Park Children's Zoo, and is excited just to explore its grounds. At 15 months old, her curiousity and cleverness makes it clear that before long she'll be asking to go pet the animals, see the big whale, and asking the favorite question: "what's that?". I honestly can't wait!

Our memberships run out around the end of june, at which point we will hopefully be narrowing down on our future home. It sad to think that we might lose accssibility to these excellent resources if we leave our nabe', but I'll have to remind myself that similar options exist throughout the city and beyond. So until July 1, we'll party like it's the Mesozoic Era.

* Pumkin explores a "Sea Turtle's Egg" on May 30, 2009. Picture by Columbia.

What's New in New York City - the June 9, 2009 edition

Today the long awaited High Line in open for business or rather park-ness. It's a little sad that the weather was not more cooperative. Maybe all of those thunderclaps and lightning flashes were really just part of the celebration of the train line-turned-park, and greening of an eye-sore. While their are many places to access the park, an elevator is located at 16th & Washington St. for the handicapped and those of us with strollers.

Yesterday marks the start of an open air art installation in Central Park known as the Central Park Sound Tunnel. It's located in the tunnel by the Central Park Zoo's Tisch Children's Zoo and plays every half hour for 20 minutes from 8am until 8pm. As it plays so often (and for so long) and runs through September 10, 2009, it seems impossible not to hear it if you're anywhere in the area. That doesn't really stop me from wanting to run over there as soon as the weather clears. =)

New York Bagels for 7¢

About a month ago, Lifehacker linked to an article about "groceries that are actually cheaper to make at home" food items: Bagels, jam, etc. As someone who asked for "Better than Store Bought" for my birthday one year, I was of course intrigued. So intrigued in fact, that I dropped hints to the resident baker (JC) at every conceivable opportunity. Last night JC said to me, "I was thinking about homemade bagels for tomorrow's breakfast. Are you interested?" Ummmm... okay!

So we rushed over to the A Home in the City Test Kitchen with the bagel recipe she'd found online. (The only variations were: a substitution of whole wheat for some of the white flour, 10 bagels instead of 8, and the use of a kitchen aid stand mixer instead of hand-kneading.)

Once the dough was made, she formed balls and let them rise. We used the "make a snake and wrap" method, but I think next time we might try the "punch a hole in the ball" method.



Then we boiled them (1 minute each side) and let them dry on a towel.



And then into the oven, then cooling racks, where they cast seductive glances at me for the entire cooling period.



Voila! While the first attempt lacks a little of the cosmetic finish you'd find at the corner bagel store, the taste was nearly spot-on.

So were our efforts frugal? Absolutely.

Recipe Cost (made 10 bagels) 2 cups white flour = $0.22 per recipe (from 25lb @ $8.88)
2 cups whole wheat flour = $0.44 per recipe (from 5lb @ $2.50)
1 T sugar = $0.01 (from 5lb @ $2.50)
1.5t salt = $0.01 (from 3lb @ $1.99)
2t yeast = $0.03 (from 2lb @ $5.00)

Total cost per recipe: $0.71
Total cost per bagel: $0.07 (electricity/labor/rent costs not factored)

To put this into perspective for us, our local bagel shop charges $0.85 per bagel for fairly decent bagels, before any toppings. The neighborhood's fanciest bagels (H&H) are a little too rich for our blood -- $1.30 a piece. For us, these ones we made at home are pretty spectacular, and gives us a more affordable way to enjoy this New York tradition more often.

Eating out for $2 IS Possible... who knew?

Columbia's burger - delicious and the fries were made right on the spot. Oh, so good!

Last month I saw a deal on dealhack that got me curious. I'd heard of restaurant.com before and how you could get a $25 gift certificate for $10, but dealhack had an 80% off code for the site. That meant a $25 gc for $2!?! I decided to take a look. There were tons of restaurants in our area that were offering gift cards, but there were SO many restrictions. Then I found one neighborhood restaurant without restrictions: Roth's Steakhouse. Columbia had taken me there once for a birthday dinner (pre-Pumpkin) and I remembered it being fantastic. I checked out their menu and we could easily eat lunch or brunch their for $25. I bit. And then I bit again. I ended up getting 4 gift cards. Then I felt buyers regret. What if it didn't work? What if I just wasted $8. Ugh.

BUT IT WORKED!

We went for brunch. They were pleasantly not busy and we were able to sit outside where Pumpkin could be entertained by the passerby's. They were very kind about us having the gift certificate and were very familiar with it. We did end up spending a little more than $25 gc covered but we wouldn't have needed to. The portions were huge (Pumpkin could have shared with us rather than ordering her the side of grilled asparagus but it was delicious!) and the food was fantastic. We had such a fabulous time and are anxious to use a another of our gift certificates (because of course we still have 3 left).

One of the best ways to get the deals at restaurant.com is to sign up on their site. They send out a lot of emails but the I think the treat of eating out for cheap is worth it. Also, you print out the gift certificate at home so there's no waiting for them to send it to you. Quick, convenient, a guilty pleasure without the guilt... I think we might have to head to Roth's again this weekend. =)

Here's restaurant.com's latest deal:

This ends May 25th 30th (offer extended!), but there's sure to be another offer after that. They seem to restock gc's at the beginning of the month so the best deals can be found towards the end of each month.

Uncluttering Christmas with Thoughtful Gifts... not just buying 'stuff' so you have something to give

Pumpkin bargain hunting at a craft store.

Yes, yes, I know, last year Columbia wrote a post on uncluttering gift ideas but I love that the topic is becoming more and more popular. Also, who can't use more ideas for thoughtful gifts that don't take up much space?

This is why I salivated all over Northern Cheapskate's post on 7 Gifts for People Who Have Everything. It's not just 7 gifts, by the way, it's 7 amazing ideas that don't just speak to buying for those hard-to-buy-for-friends-and-relatives but also elaborates on being especially thoughtful in your gift giving. It will not surprise you to know that Columbia and I are a big fan of #6: Experiences. This has always been a favorite gift to give each other. A night away to a B&B, a frugal but fun weekend in Boston, a 'Saturdate' with all the trimmings, or tickets to a favorite show or game have showed much more thoughtfulness than just a gift wrapped under the tree. I may have even liked them better than jewelry (Columbia, when you read this, know that this is true but I do absolutely love the above mentioned sparklies).

If you are finding yourself more and more drawn to DIY, then Sew, Mama, Sew has ideas for every person on your gift-giving list. Sew, Mama, Sew is also posting great ideas submitted by their readers, like this one on homemade Irish Cream (scroll down - Yum!), so check their site daily for more ideas.

I have been inspired so much this year that I am not sure how I am going to get to all of the projects I have planned. Putting up Christmas decorations might be a good start, though...

Keeping your Math Skills Sharp and Your Waist Thin... or attempting to, anyway

Last night Columbia was jonesing for some cookies. Trying to please (appease?) my DH and avoid him running to Duane Reade to splurge, I checked out the cupboard. It occurred to me that a quarter batch of oatmeal raisin cookies wouldn't ruin our efforts at losing the last of the baby weight (8 1/2 months later...) or take too much time.

As any dieter knows, 1/2 an egg is one egg white. Making my own baby food for Pumpkin has taught me that 2 tbsps is 1/8 cup and 3 tsps equals 1 tbsp. And my former 2nd graders would have been proud to hear me realizing, If a quarter cup is one fourth of a cup then 3 of those would be one fourth of 3 cups! Math skills, I've still got 'em!

The batch made 9 cookies: 3 for both Columbia and I last night, and 3 for Columbia's lunch today. This is definitely a trick I'll use in the future... but hopefully not again tonight.

Photo used under creative commons license from Flickr user Ruthieki.

Anyone still remember Thanksgiving?

Is Christmas coming earlier than ever this year? I don't ever remember hearing holiday music before Thanksgiving, but it's being piped in already. It's a shame that Thanksgiving kind of gets overlooked.



One of the most fun things about living where we do, is waking up Thanksgiving morning, grabbing a bagel and heading out to the Macy's parade. Since it starts at 77th and Central Park West (which is 40 blocks or about 2 miles) from Macy's, the event is still exciting but a little less "showy" than what you see on TV. The stars don't sing, but the floats go past, the dancers and musicians are giving it their all, and of course, the balloons are the stars of the show. It makes me feel like a little kid each year, and it's so exciting to see and hear the (um, actual) children voice their amazement.

Our locals' tips:

1. Bring a knosh. Bagel, coffee, egg sammie... gotta fuel up before hand.
2. Don't even try for the park-side of Central Park West -- in fact, I have no idea how to get there if I wanted to.
3. Go to a wider street -- 72nd has always been good to me. Because the street is wider, you get to see the balloons for a longer period of time, and it helps alleviate any claustrophobia...
4. Get there at least 15 minutes before start time on a cold morning, a little earlier if it's unseasonably warm. Although one rainy year, we showed up at go-time and walked up to the street.
5. Go the day before.

What?? What does that mean, "go the day before?". Watch the balloons get blown up on 77th and 81st streets between Central Park West and Columbus (the side streets to the American Museum of Natural History). The earlier you show up, the better, as it gets PACKED just after work. It is one of those wonderful things we found out about by accident. Take someone who's never gone to the Macy's Parade "behind the scenes."


This is Columbus Avenue at 79th street, 8:30pm in 2005. Two blocks to go in these throngs before we see the first balloon (the yellow star in the distance, left).

I realize that the economy isn't necessarily driven by Thanksgiving, though it might help out the travel industry, and turkey (and tofurky) farmers. Any holiday where you're expected to eat stuffing seems deserving of my attention. Well, at least until International Bacon Day gets officially recognized.
(I had to look. Of course there is one, and of course I missed it this year. Rats.)

link: Thanksgiving Day Parade [on Macy's site]

The AMNH Climate Change Exhibit: become more educated & renew your personal commitment

I took Pumpkin to the American Museum of Natural History today on a whim. It's rainy here in nyc but I wanted to get out of the apt. We haven't been to the museum in quite a while so I björned up Pumpkin and headed off.

I also went to the Climate Change exhibit on a whim. It's free for members (one of the 2 special exhibits that are and I was not impressed with the other previously...), since Columbia and I are members, I decided it was at least worth a walk-through.

I wasn't expecting what I saw. Not only is the exhibit extremely well crafted visually, but it's chalked full of information for all types of learners and personalities. It also doesn't dwell purely on the negative (of which many already know a lot about because of Al Gore), but offers a multitude of ways to improve the current problem both globally and personally. Seeing so many ways in which I can make a difference renewed my desire to live a greener life.

One 'greener' idea that I've been toying with for a while is getting some drying racks and having Columbia rig a clothes line in the bedrooms. It will save us a lot of money, add humidity to a very dry area of the apartment and save energy. How can we go wrong? In fact, I've decided that this is what I'm going to put on my Christmas list!

JC's Christmas Wishlist

1 - laundry rope

2 - two drying racks

3 - a large bag of wooden clothespins

4 - hooks to rig up the clothesline and a willing husband to execute said rigging

While the exhibit is free for members, it's a pretty penny otherwise. If you plan on visiting the AMNH frequently in the next year, I'd highly recommend a membership as it's mostly tax deductible and full of great perks - this exhibit being on of them.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular... if only there was an even better word to describe it

I love, love, love the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Go ahead and call me cheesy and sentimental. Or mental. It really is wonderful, though, and guaranteed to give you chills and put a smile on your face. It might even be responsible for making NYC a kinder and gentler place during the holiday season.

"Okay, okay", you say "But why blog about it today? There are still 47 days until Christmas." Today is the first show for the 2008 season! Really. And as any savvy New Yorker knows, it's the early bird that gets the good deals. Check out their schedule and use promotion code 54ORCHWEB to get 25% off. This may only apply to non-peak days (those whose lowest price seats start at $42). If we find another code we'll let you know. If you know of one, please email us or leave the info in the comments section.

I can't wait until Pumpkin is old enough to enjoy this! It really is one of those New York City musts.

UPDATE!!! (12/3/08)
I just got an email with a code for 50% off tickets! Use code DECBOGO and you can find the elligible perfomances here.

Amazon takes away your pain, gives you money.

Amazon has launched a "Frustration-Free Packaging" initiative to save you frustration and money. Get a load of this: In the spirit of the lazy environmentalist (“I'll be green, just don't expect me to alter my habits”), Amazon worked with manufacturers and has found a way to:

• ...give you the same great quality products
• ...let you order the same (same shipping, same process)
  
• ...deliver these products in packaging that results in less waste
• ...get rid of "did-they-make-this-barbie-%#@$%ing-secure-enough!?" twisty-ties
• ...get rid of "I-need-a-boxcutter-to-open-this-boxcutter" blisterpacks
• ...even save you a few pennies at the same time

Check out this video that shows two adults who have pirate ship fetishes. The time savings is less motivating to me than the savings in sanity (I hate blisterpacks) and the reduction of waste. Saving money is never a bad thing either!



Check out Amazon's full list of frustration-free packaging. I'm telling you, one of these days I'm going to come home and find that Amazon.com has sent me some cookies and a homemade blanket. What a sweet bunch of folks...

The Great Pumpkin and our little pumpkin

Yahoo! "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is on tv tonight at 8:00 on ABC. I was just thinking that this dreary, rainy day was proving too wicked for my Halloween preference. This classic cartoon was just what the day called for... of course, I could always just watch it on YouTube.



Here's the first third to tantalize you!

Halloween Updates on our little Pumpkin:
Update #1: Costume chosen, and in the process of being made. Yep, made. There's a good post about this coming up... as soon as the costume itself is finished.
Update #2: Still no pumpkin for Pumpkin. We may have to forgo cheaping out, umm... I mean, being frugal, if she's going to have a pumpkin for her first Halloween.

A Free Pumpkin - The Search Continues

For those who attempted to brave the rain for Saturday's Halloween Fest in Central Park, I hope that you made it out with a free pumpkin. We, on the other hand, waited for the rain to break a little, and arrived just in time to see street cleaners sucking up the last bits of straw from the "pumpkin patch." The early bird certainly got the worm. To add insult to injury, beautiful and fun jack-o-lanterns brilliantly lit up the walkways around the Mall, with volunteers scurrying to keep the flames alive.



It was a fun event, but alas, no free pumpkin for Columbia & Co.

Pumpkins have been given away for free at nearly every Halloween-themed event this year... Heck, it almost seems disrespectful to our fair city to pay for one. We, however, still don't have a pumpkin, and we can't find another event to score one of those hallowed gourds (or should it be hollowed?). If you know of any last-chance events, please tell us in the comments.

On the plus side, JC began work on a costume for Pumpkin. We'll post pictures on Halloween, but even in its early stages, she looks adorable in it!

The Divine Halloween Extravaganza

Creepy organ music, a smoke-filled room, incense filling your nostrils, ghostly shapes floating above as horrific creatures creep and crawl around you. Yep, it's nearly time for the Procession of the Ghouls at St. John the Divine! Attending the Halloween Extravaganza had been a Halloween tradition for Columbia and I, as did getting our pictures taken with the ghouls afterwards. When Pumpkin is old enough (and able to sit through the silent movie that begins the event...) we'll find a way to include it again. While not free, it is worth every cent of the $15 for admission. It's always the Friday leading up to Halloween, which is Halloween this year! Tickets are still available for both the 7pm and 10pm show, but won't be for long. So click on over to their site to get yours.

**Break out your phantom mask! The silent movie that starts the extravaganza is going to be "The Phantom of the Opera" this year. A bit long, but sooooooo good.

Last Day for Free Admission to Cooper-Hewitt

Target is sponsoring design week at the Cooper Hewitt this week, and tomorrow (Saturday) is the last day for free admission. The Cooper-Hewitt is a really fun museum to go to, and you don't have to get out your snobby glasses to enjoy it. Yeah, you know the ones I mean.

The Cooper Hewitt is a design museum, and they present shows that feature great design. I always enjoy the shows that look deeper into the industrial design of our culture -- think of a room with things designed more intuitively, beautifully and ergonomically than the ipod. Well, let's not get out of hand, but you get the idea.

There's currently an exhibit on the connection between Children's Wallpapers and Books, and another on Curators Select: Recent Acquisitions (2003–2008). The recent acquisitions features pieces "from all four of the museum's collecting departments: Product Design and Decorative Arts; Drawings, Prints and Graphic Design; Textiles; and Wallcoverings."

Admission is normally $15, so take a friend or that cutie you're trying to impress and enjoy good design for the price of two subway tokens. :)

Posted picture used under creative commons license from Flickr user Bwillen.