I was thrilled to attend the press preview for the new exhibit "Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends" last Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am a big fan of the work of John Singer Sargent, and this nice size exhibit, about 90 paintings and drawings, is a real treat for any fan.  I tried to photograph the paintings that really spoke to me, in person, and when I got to the end of the exhibit, most of them were available for sale on postcards. I felt I picked the right selections to give you a little taste of this wonderful exhibit at the great Metropolitan Museum of Art ! 

The artist was known to put notes on the paintings to the subject he was working with, and you can see one here on this painting. 

The detail in these paintings is really so amazing, I can look at his work all day! 

The frames on these paintings are quite interesting all in themselves. The person who was talking at the press preview said they could do a whole presentation on the history of the frames! I bet it would be quite interesting to listen to indeed! 

His most famous and controversial painting, Madame X, is one of my most favorites. That gown could be worn today and look very classy on any lady! 

A real beauty here, the colors just pop off the canvas, and the frame is just as amazing! 

The exhibit takes you through various times of the artists life. 

The gift shop at the end has some really lovely items, makes for great gifts or souvenirs for yourself. 

I love anything with the Gilded Age, and am looking forward to the new show by Julian Fellowes titled The Gilded Age, about New York City during that time period. Should be magic. 

These gorgeous earrings came home with me. What a great piece of this exhibit to hold onto and enjoy each time I wear them! If you are in New York City during this exhibit, be sure to add it to your "to do" list!

Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends

June 30–October 4, 2015

Exhibition Location: Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, Gallery 999

The exhibition is made possible by The Marguerite and Frank A. Cosgrove Jr. Fund.

It was organized by the National Portrait Gallery, London in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Unique Packaging at Eataly

We are back at the amazing Eataly in the Flatiron district. This place is so cool, if you have not visited and you love Italian foods, run immediately. You can purchase wonderful items from Italy here, or have a bite to eat. What I have found time and time as I visit is the fabulous packaging on display. It makes the USA packaged items look very boring and plain. The pasta above looks great with the photo of the Italian lady who started the company. 

Love love these little candy boxes. Are they not the prettiest designs? The company Leone was established in 1857 and seem to have a knack for great design too. What a great gift these would make, don't you think? 

love these jars 

more great products from Leone 

Torrone, “nougat” in Italian is quite yummy and their boxes are just beautiful 

Venchi was founded in Torino in 1878 when the Maitre Chocolatier Silvano Venchi opened his first laboratory of sweets. These chocolate cigars would make any guy or gal quite happy! 

Neat packaging here too but this is a must for any kitchen. Tomato paste in a tube is wonderful for when you just want a little bit in your sauce or chili. I hate opening a whole can of paste and only needing a little at the time. Most gourmet super markets now carry this item, if you see it, give it a try. 

lovely cookies here These items would make for a great gift basket for your family and friends 

Baratti E Milano's famous gianduja spread is a fusion of finely ground Tonda Gentile delle Langhe IGP hazelnuts and smooth chocolate cream. Spread on toast for a sweet elegant snack! 

Kind of like Nutella, but look at the adorable containers! I would not be able to throw them away when finished. 

there is a lot of selection of cookies here and they are very unique flavors 

Another great tin from Leone 

 I really loved these jam jars, they could be re-used very easy once you are done with the jam itself. All of Albergian's preserves and jams are made from mountain-grown fruits in the region of Piemonte. I have to pick up one of these on my next visit. 

I hope you enjoyed this little shopping tour in Eataly and the artwork found on these products. Eataly also now sells online which makes it very easy to put together a basket on your own and gift it to some very lucky people. 

EATALY NYC

200 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Entrances on 23rd Street between 5th & 6th Avenue and on 5th Avenue between 23rd Street & 24th Street

Today's Words of Wisdom: Life is About Learning 

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My New Cell Phone Case from NYC Pretty and RiBirth

Back in February, I had entered a contest from the great website, NYC Pretty, for a custom phone case. I have been having such issues with finding a cool case for my Samsung Galaxy III phone it was unreal. It seems everywhere you look, they are always for the iphone. I understand apple products are popular, but the business people are missing out on profit from us Samsung users!  

The company is RiBirth, and owned by Sherri, these are some of the cases she has made in addition to mine. Just fabulous, no ? And she makes them for many phone brands, which is a very smart move.  

Love these two as well, such detail on each one! She has some cases already made up that you can purchase, or you can go custom. She also works on tablets, nooks, ipads, compacts. Pretty much anything really which is oh so darn tootin' cool. 

This is my custom case. Coffee. Italian. NYC. Taxi Cab. Shopping. Food. 

I told her what my interests and likes were and had her check out the blog to see what she could come up with. The case is so gorgeous, the stones really sparkle. I like the fact that the top part has the stones on the side only, not on the top, which makes it easier to not knock any off.  

A HUGE Thank you again to NYC Pretty ( do check out her site, it is FAB) and RiBirth. A great way to start the spring season with a "bling" case of my very own. 

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