March Mini Post

Some dogs have great faces that can't be passed up. This one also has the perfect mini Mohawk!


I was very sad to learn this week that Debbie Fisher's retail store on Court Street has closed. I happened to walk by as they were cleaning up last weekend. The picture above is from last Spring. Her store was a favorite of mine and I purchased quite a few gifts for friends, family and myself here. I also enjoyed talking with Debbie and her sister when she was lending a hand in the past.

It will be sorely missed by many people in this neighborhood :(
It's a shame that the commercial rents in this and many neighborhoods in NYC are so very high that great little gems like this one disappear.



Fortunately, Debbie is still selling her beautiful jewelry wholesale to stores including Brooklyn shops; Cog & Pearl, Catbird, Refinery and The Clay Pot and NYC's ABC Carpet & Home and Barneys.
If you had a chance to add your name to her mailing list she may be inviting you for studio visits/ jewelry parties in the future :) I hope so! You can still contact her on her website.

In the spirit of the Oscars... Go Jeff Bridges!!! Here are a couple of photos I took at the New York Times Center in January. I've posted about the Times Center interview series in the past. I've enjoyed each one and Jeff was no exception.

*He was as charming and sexy as you'd expect!*

I'll end on another great face! This gorgeous dog was waiting for his owner outside of If I Were A Toy. I've been inside the shop painting some cute pics I'll be sharing here soon :D

Have a fun weekend! Enjoy the Oscars Sunday Night!!
xo, Allyn

Iggy Pop at NYTimes Center

Last night, I went with my friend Melissa Zexter to see an interview with Iggy Pop at The Times Center. Known for his influence on the Punk movement and wild stage antics, his new Cd "Preliminaires" is jazz inspired and more suited to the Cafe Carlyle than CBGB.

He was interviewed by The New York Times jazz & pop critic, Ben Ratliff whose latest book "The Jazz Ear: Conversations Over Music" was published in 2008. We were treated to an array of old film & tv footage of some of the greats in jazz & blues who have had an influence on Iggy. These included Louis Armstrong, Booker White, Bo Diddley (I loved this clip of "Hey, Bo Diddley" with Norma Jean Wofford or "The Duchess" on guitar!), Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin' Wolf and a fantastic live performance of "I Can't Stand It" by James Brown. I've linked the videos for these with the exception of Armstrong & Brown. It may take a more involved search for this particular version of Brown's "I Can't Stand It". His glittery coats & dance moves back to the mike make it worth finding. Pop also discussed some of his history with The Stooges and spoke about The Ramones (this link to sound check in Rome).

There was very little time left for questions from the audience. Iggy is incredibly knowledgeable and speaks so eloquently about music that I could have sat for hours watching and listening! I wasn't surprised at all by his charisma and knack for storytelling. I think I was surprised by just how thoughtful and articulate he is about his life and musical interests. Unusual way to conduct an interview, too-- promoting a CD, yet rarely if ever mentioning it by name.

As you can see, Iggy was a very gracious guest, signing autographs and chatting with audience members at the end :)

I recommend joining The Times Center mailing list for future guests. I've attended three so far, an interview with Julian Schnabel and one with Michael Caine, and all have been fun and interesting. The tickets are $30.00 with discounts often offered.

The Times Center is located at 242 W41st St. NYC 10018