a lovely breakfast on this Valentine's Day

While not a huge cereal eater, I've always found Kashi's Heart To Heart Cereal irresistible.  Am I the only one who sees those little circles as bicycle wheels amongst all those hearts!?

I incorporated Janet Attard's bicycle stencil with a photograph I took to create the image above. 

+ + + check out this super sweet Valentine via Mission Bicycles... a friend of theirs rode 27 miles around San Francisco (burning 1,135 calories i.e. 45 milk chocolate HERSEY'S KISSES) to create a bike ♥ heart ♥ map for his girlfriend using this GPS app...

chest of drawers by Raphaëlle Bonamy

French designer Raphaëlle Bonamy created this column of drawers which integrates the ♥ bicycle-chain ♥ as the  pulley mechanism to open and close each compartment. I also love how this totally evokes an image of a tall jewlery box overflowing with necklaces. Check out the video below...

via Daily Tonic

lovely links

In time for Valentine's Day... this nice little design comes as a set of two (temporary) tattoos.  Available at Tattly and designed by Jennifer Daniel. via SwissMiss

bike light writing

Check out this nice holiday greeting from San Fran-based Mission Bicycle Co. -- created with none other than a bike light!
Simple yet so magical... also here's a little history on light drawings including more beautiful and inspiring images by Man Ray and Picasso.

Thanks, Jefferson!

Fifth Avenue's Holiday Windows + bicycles (naturally!)

David Byrne's high heel bike rack at 5 Ave. and 48th St.

Last Wednesday, after watching a screening of the new and fantastic French silent film The Artist at The Paris Theatre, the holiday window displays along 5th Ave were awaiting me. If anything, the heavy wind and rain that evening made for even more beautiful reflections and no crowds!

First off, Saks Fifth Avenue's windows never disappoint. This year their kinetic installation features a spiky stiletto wearing mannequin pealing her way seamlessly from window to window on a high wheel style bicycle!!! So super awesome. I simply don't know why I didn't take advantage of my phone's video function?!?

In the window at Gucci an Italian bicycle and (high) fashion brand collaboration... the single-speed leather and chrome detailed "Bianchi by Gucci"...

Okay, so while not bicycle related, a few others... Bergdorf Goodman's life sized animal themed windows which are so incredibly detailed they are worth a lengthy visit to take it all in. Here is just a snippet...

Louis Vuitton opted for a non-holiday circus theme while taking advantage of their two story vitrines...

And the fabulous carousel theme at Tiffany's - so incredibly dreamy and well executed...

daytripping: Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Prospect Park West

These sunny and mild-weathered weekends have been simply amazing. Couldn't believe I had yet to discover something in Prospect Park (having lived in Park Slope for over 7 years) -- but, alas there was! Last weekend we stumbled upon the Lefferts Historic House Museum just off the road/bike path loop, tucked away near the carousel near the Flatbush/Ocean Ave. entrance. If your ever looking for a pit stop while on a leisure ride in Prospect Park, I recommend...

The Lefferts Historic House is one of the few remaining Dutch settlement period farmhouses in Brooklyn. Built in 1783 the house serves as a museum which has furnished period rooms and activities that reflect daily life in the 18th and 19th century. The grounds outside the house includes brick oven, a garden with common crops, and this awesome traditional Wigwam which the Lenape Tribe would use to house 1-2 families (from 900-1700). This one was built by students using local saplings... 

Being a fan of quilting, it was serendipity that our visit to the Lefferts House coincided with their 20 year anniversary quilt exhibition...

You can also check out these quilts, along with many more, when they move to Prospect Park's Audubon Center Boathouse for a reception and raffle on Saturday, December 10th from 4-6pm.

While there, we just had to pop in to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden (across the street) to check in on the magnificent bonsai trees...

deconstructed: Jacques Tati

I love little (bike-centric) surprises... like this post card from the Museum of the Moving Image of French film director Jacques Tati. Thanks to my husband!

Feats Per Minute spins... records

Such a fun concept by group of Dutch designers -- who rigged up a record player onto a bicycle's rear wheel! Video below. As they point out, you need a steady cadence to have it properly play... oooh, they could partner up with BBOX Radio and broadcast a show with guests 'spinning' their favorite records!!!

More about the project via their website:

What if you would be able to generate music by the simple act of riding your bike? This project started with that question. We have build the first prototype and thanks to Jeffry Sol and Vincent Beijersbergen we were able to do so in a month. And yes it was pretty difficult, but loads of fun…. the idea is pretty simple; basically, a wheel and dynamo work the same way as a record player. But it was not as easy as it looks. First, we had to come up with a solution for the wheels; how can we change the records? The fork was blocking the wheel. That’s why we changed a 30 year old bike into a lefty bike; and build a construction that would still support the weight and would be strong enough for people to ride on it. The biggest challenge of all was to make sure that the needles would stick to the record and follow the grooves, without skipping too much. Therefor we bought two vertical record players and took them apart, to see how they worked. Also; we wanted our bike to be as low tech as possible; that’s why the only “extra” energy we used was a 9 volt battery to support the amplifier. In order for the records to run smoothly, we also had to change the crank of the bike and the chain. After that, we build our own horn, to have some extra volume, and we sprayed the whole bike black. We had some sponsors like bike stores, handy people and DJ’s and that’s how our dream in progress turned out to be real… Here’s to the crazy ones; thank you guys, you rock. - Merel, Pieter and Liat

video via Adverblog / image source of record player
THANKS, Michiyo!

view from a Manhattan Bridge bike commute: UVA for The Creators Project

This photo is one of the reasons why I bike - just can't get enough of magnificent views and serendipitous moments. For the past few evenings, while biking over the Manhattan Bridge's south side bike path, you've been able to get a glimpse of magnificence... not only of the glowing Brooklyn Bridge and Jane's Carousel (the glass jewel box housing the newly restored 1922 carousel), BUT what really took my breath away was that red glow to the right. It's the view into open air Tobacco Warehouse where the UK collaborative UnitedVisualArtists (UVA) installed a gigantic interactive LED cubic sculture sponsive LED cubic sculpture as part of The Creators Project -- which hosted a bunch of live concerts last weekend in DUMBO. The photo above doesn't it do it any justice so check out THIS video!  

image via thecreatorsproject.com

Tulip Fun Fun - the bendable bike rack

images via Keha3'

Just cracked open this week's New York Magazine and came across Keha3's 'Tulip Fun Fun' designed by Margus Triibmann. Yeah, FUN! The Estoni-based designer developed the rack from metal cable, covered rubber hose, and hot galvanized metal plate -- allowing you more options when locking up while also protecting your frame with it's rubber coating. Love imagining tons of these racks installed in the city, bending like wheat in a field. You know?! Well, anyhow, while looking at some of  Margus' other designs, I recognized the 'Sea Buoy' which I've admired in the past for it's cleverness, 'vandal-proof/impact-proof housing', possible indoor/outdoor applications, and after all it's waterproof. While not bike specific, it would be awesome to carry around in your bike basket (like so)!

images via Keha3'

scenes from the Brooklyn Bike Jumble

Yesterdays Jumble proved to be fun as always! DARGELOS was there with a nice new bright orange version of their belt/pouch (which I missed out on photographing). Some snap shots from the day...

found it hard to pass on this vintage saddlebag

 

Taliah Lempert's beautiful silkscreen (love that pattern with bike) / collection for Fishs Eddy / and a selection of her limited edition Japanese textiles

 Cleverhood the new Rhode Island-based outerwear brand was on hand with a waterproof cape prototype - including nice reflective detailing on a woven version above

NYC's very own Flying Pigeon distributor

image via DARGELOS

some other spottings...

until the next Jumble... Spring 2012