What I Did Today, by Sarah Ryhanen

Today my mooks and i ran errands around the city, relishing every English-speaking minute of it. He took me out to lunch and even paid. And not with our business card. Walking through the east village I got to practice my "I think she's famous walk" for which I sort of cling to Eric's arm and walk sort of bent over looking at the ground wearing a large pair of sunglasses. I basically have perfected it so that everyone we pass stares. Oh god please help me to have a life.*

Perhaps more interesting is the show we saw at Postmasters called "The Future is Not What it Used To Be." Love the Second Life renderings of great artist performances (Marina Abramovic, Gilbert and George) by Eva and Franco Mattes, love the digital prints by Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung:

Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, Mohammad The Nightmare Journey , 2009

Even more interesting is the surprise I had when flipping though last months Bazaar. Have you, uhhh...seen it? No? Not had the chance? To uh...flip through? Perhaps in the hair salon? Or mmmaybe in line at the grocery? The one with...uh, you know...Helena Christensen and ED WESTWICK. FEAST MY CHILDREN:

You're Welcome.

*Not likely. Unfortunately I audibly uttered "Oh hell no" (albeit accidentally) while passing a young christian crusader passing out fliers on 14th street.

mastered risotto when dinner for 2 became dinner for 8 sunday night. it looks a mess, but was so good - leek risotto with lemon pepper squid and endive... sort of this recipe, but doubled, without the peas, plus some scallions, with a cup of whipped heavy cream folded in at the end. we just ate leftover squid for breakfast with an egg cracked on top. B-cause-that-is-how-we-roll.


I have to run - but you know we still have to talk about this:

all of marrakech: on the flickr

what you probably come here for:

Here are photos from a wedding we did the day we left 2 weeks ago. It featured cherry blossoms, ranunculas, plum branches, anemones, jasmin, wax flowers, eucalyptus, galax leaves, rice flower, and olive branches. It was at the Foundry in LIC.

out of africa

We had to leave morocco this morning, and are now laid up in a flee-bag in paris awaiting our early morning departure. the room smells like plastic strawberry shortcake dolls. follow me? but there is a strong WIFI connection so I am scurrying about on the computer answering email and loving every minute. drinking luke warm lipton tea from a plastic tea cup. it is too strong.

It has been a long, amazing trip. Eric and I have never really traveled abroad together. He is mesmerized watching a french game show next to me. I can't wait to see Nea, even though I hear the little shit has been giving Aaron a run for his money. we'll see if she gets her moroccan carpet..

There is so many beautiful little things and pictures here...i often wish i could take a picture to share with you using just my eyes...blink, click... most people here don't like to have their picture taken, and I am shy to bring out my camera. I've been yelled at a few times, a few days ago I walked into a Mosque on accident - and was hounded by the men inside (understandably). When I came out on the street an old Marrakechi woman was giggling at my mistake, which made me feel a bit better about it. I tried to take a picture of some snake charmers in the square - from very far away with a zoom lens. One of them spotted me and ran at me with his collection plate saying "You get picture, you give money!"

for Eli

Moroccans love their sweets - dates, figs, pastries, orange juice, sweet mint tea, etc. Their teeth seem to suffer because of this. In the big square, Jemma El F'na, you can find all sorts of goods and food for sale...and teeth (as pictured above)...and dentists. Peppered around like barber shops are "dentistes' where you can get that problem tooth pulled asap - passersby can peer right in to see clients being worked on. Nightmarish for me and my soft teeth.

Hello again. We are doing well, our last few days in Morocco. Eating a lot of greasy meats, which fortunately we love. So far the simplest, cheapest meals have been the best. Found ourselves in a kebab stall in the center of the Soukhs (Market stalls) yesterday (it looked a lot like the picture above) and had an excellent bowl of beans with...goat tounge? and chicken and liver kebabs. washed down with the best mint tea yet. For about $2. Things here are either very expensive or very cheap. A lot of Marrakech is tourist oriented. Authenticity is elusive.

Many of the stalls in the soukhs rely on tourists. There are tassels and carpets and simple leather shoes (babouche's), lanterns, tagines, pouffe's etc. All can be had fairly reasonably - haggling is essential. It's all rather overwhelming. Wandering though the mazes you convince yourself you need a little bit of everything. Buying things as souvenir's - just to have them makes me uncomfortable...but I have in fact left a fair amount of dirhams in Morocco.

Each day we get lost many times wandering around the Medina (walled city). It is so overwhelming, chaotic and beautiful here. Oranges grow on trees everywhere, the flesh is flecked with rubies like they've been crossed with blood oranges.

We are in Marrakech now - the internet is so spotty - but I will try to start sharing some pictures now. It's incredible here I will tell you more soon.

Eric and I are in Paris today. A milestone for me, and my carbon footprint.

cake face

My friend and neighbor Jenna John makes amazing cake - and cookies that involve fluff for god's sake! Lucky for all you brides she's started dabbling in wedding cakes. These photos are from a beautiful cake she did a few weeks back. You can get in touch: jennajohnbakes@gmail.com

animal nicknames morph so quickly right? nea. ss-nea. snee. snuggles. snuggs. snee mc'snuggles. mrs. snee mc'snuggles. snuggly snee. muggles. the great muggler. snee snuggly muggly. sugar muffin.