new york in the 80's

I found these fantastic pics of New York from the 80's a few days ago. I absolutely love looking at vintage photos. Steven Siegel has been documenting NY for three decades.

"When young people today look at my shots from the 1980’s, they are aghast. To them, New York of the 1980’s is almost unrecognizable. And they are right.

Some older people are nostalgic for 'the good old days.' For example, they remember the Times Square of the 80’s…And what they remember is not so much the danger but the grittiness and (for lack of a better word) the authenticity. Yes, there was sleaze, but there were also video arcades, cheap movies, restaurants, and weird places. These same people resent the 'Disney-ification' of Times Square and the gentrification of virtually all of Manhattan and many areas of the boroughs, and the loss of cheap housing and local stores everywhere.

Others’ reactions to these same photos could not be more different. If they’re over a certain age, they remember the high crime, the twin crises of AIDS and crack, the racial tension, the lurid tabloid headlines about the latest street crime. They say: It was a nightmare, and thank God it’s over."

 all photographs by Steven Siegel

lost in translation

After talking about awesome words that don't translate into English with Annie and Paul the other day I went on a search for more. Turns out the Japanese have the BEST words!

Tsundoku
Buying books and not reading them; letting books pile up on shelves or floors or nightstands.

Wabi Sabi
A way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.

Komorebi
The sort of scattered, dappled light effect that happens when sunlight shines in through tree leaves.

Nito onna
A woman so dedicated to her career that she has no time to iron blouses and so dresses only in knitted tops.

Jibaku      
The act of unintentionally or inadvertently demolishing your own argument in the process of defending your view.

Age otori
To look worse after a haircut.

And my favourite...

Mono no Aware
Fleeting moments of fading beauty. Like that bittersweet moment when you are reading a really great book you don't want to end. Or looking at beautiful trees or flowers in their last days of blossom...

twin peaks

This post is for all my Twin Peaks obsessed friends. Enjoy :)

The wooden brooches are from Kate's Little Store. The others are by Dana Damki.