At the risk of sounding like too much of a booster, I just have to spread the word about Oska, the European based but new to Montclair NJ clothing company on Church Street. Distinct shapes (trousers that feel, for all the world, like you just need a cane and moustach to channel your inner Chaplin, comfy, flowy but designed well enough that you don't have to feel like a hippie wearing them.  Loving sized to make everyone comfortable.Another shop I'd like to try if I can get into NYC for one of their pop ups is New Form Perspective. Slightly more descronstructed approach to similar challenges in women's cloths.  Check them out too.

This weekend is the annual Harvest Fest in downtown Bloomfield, and this year the town has even more to celebrate, as the final piece of the redevelopment puzzle across from the NJ Transit Train Station has been acquired.  Food, music, local shops and kid's events on tap both Saturday and Sunday, September 29th and 30th, on and near the green (which dates back to the early 1800's, when Montclair and Glen Ridge were all part of Bloomfield. Get you pumpkin on and celebrate!  For more information visit http://www.bloomfieldharvest.org

Have two free guest passes for the Museum of Modern Art.  It's going to be September before we know it -- no better time than now to check out the new shows and grab a bite at their much better than you would expect cafeteria.
I've been joining MOMA for the past few years -- it's one of those crazy "I live too close to NYC not to" things I like to do, and at $25 a visit, a membership ends up being a fantastic bargain.  Not only can you check out the permanent collection, but there are always 5 or 6 special exhibits.  Right now, the amazing stop-motion puppeteers the Quay Brothers and Century of the Child, Growing by Design, which covers 100 years of design specifically for children.  Hard to believe, but prior to 1900, kids needs just did not figure that much into the design gestalt. Times, they have changed!
So, would you like my passes?  Just send an email to jenniferley @ sothebysrealty.com (take the spaces out) with your name and mailing address, and I'll get them out to you.  Happy to share!  (I only have 2, so first come, first served).  See, it pays to be reading a blog in the middle of August.

Ugh -- forget about 366, or 350 or 320?  May and June evaporated.  I'm sure if I pulled out my calendar, I could tell you where 61 days went. Today, no exception. From the list: package oversized stuff animal gift, check.  Edit and print detailed feature sheet for new listing, check.  Grab signs, flyers (designed yesterday and flash printed in Minnesota, then overnighted), check.  Start contract for house offer, check.  Field phone calls about new Montclair tax rate, check.  Go to mandatory 3 hour ethics training class where I learn being a realtor makes me a defender of American democracy and the right to own private property, check.  Take call from client who thinks I'm reclining on my couch in air conditioning (I wish), check.  Recommend tank removal personnel, check.  Consult on timing of tank removal, check.  4pm -- see roiling thunderstorm approaching, decide to run home to grab an umbrella and flip flops before going to 5pm house showing, check.  Thunderstorm, check.  Get impossibly wet showing house but we get to see the sump pump works, check.  Field text messages about Montclair tax rate and "catch up" payments, check.  7pm, home for night? No. Go back to office to finish writing up offer, check.  Write cover letter, get pre approval, check.  Submit offer, check.  Answer more text messages about a mortgage commitment and home inspection issues, check.  Agree with customer that Chris Christie has not helped the property tax situation in NJ, check.  Did I say I had no idea where May and June went?  This was just one day in, oh man, it's already past the middle of July.

Wait, it's almost over?

Tomorrow is the last day of the Montclair Film Festival -- say what? Makes me so sad. With the trolleys running around town, banners everywhere, balloon arches in front of the theaters, yellow shirted bumble-bee like volunteers buzzing about, not to mention a clutch of search lights stabbing the night sky too cloudy for us to see the super moon has made Montclair feel downright Hollywoodesque.

Tomorrow is a huge day for the festival -- with events in 5 different venues -- some sold out but many not.  I'd need to clone myself to see everything I'd like to see.

Last Call at the Oasis -- Water, Fidelity claims it's a coming commodity, this film will show you why

The Atomic States of America -- Do you know how much NJ relies on nuclear energy?

Michael Moore On Film & Community-Building -- the man, in person

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster -- not a Spinal Tap style doc

Calvet - Street Kid to Gangster to Artist

We're Not Broke -- Corporate taxes, paid? Or not?

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty -- Simply put, gorgeous

My favorite so far?  Kumare.  You don't want me to tell you about it.  You really want to see it.

Weekend Itinerary Suggestions for the Montclair Film Festival

Thinking about making a weekend of it at the Montclair Film Festival?  It can be daunting to decide where to start.  Having spent the past few weeks pouring over the schedule, here are three suggested Saturday itineraries, all of which as of this writing, have tickets available through the festival website.

For a full day into night Saturday showcasing the variety of dramatic story lines living under the rubric "Documentary", start off with

11:30 AM

Flat Daddy

Clairidge Cinema 2
When American soldiers go abroad, their families cope with "heroes on a stick." In person: dirs Nara Garber & Betsy Nagler.

2:00 PM

Unraveled

Clairidge Cinema 2
Wall Street crook Marc Dreier looks back on his crimes while under house arrest. In person: dir Marc Simon.

Then, catch an early dinner or late lunch and a little shopping in downtown Montclair, or nip over to the Montclair Art Museum for their classic film poster exhibition (you could probably do all three) before going back to the Clairidge for

7:00 PM

Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie

Clairidge Cinema 2
Examining the history and legacy of the "father of trash TV." In person: dirs Seth Kramer & Daniel Miller.

Or, if you feel like a full day and night are a bit more than you want to tackle, here's a performance-centric dance and spoken-word 1/2 day menu. Start off with

11:30 AM

First Position

World's most promising ballet students compete for scholarships. In person: dir Bess Kargman. Bellevue Theater

Grab lunch and/or shop in Upper Montclair before returning for 

4:30 PM

Lemon

Bellevue Theater

Three-time felon, one-time Tony Award winner, Lemon Andersen is an acclaimed poet who broke out on Broadway in Russell Simon's Def Poetry Jam.

I'll post ideas for Sunday tomorrow!

When did I become a Jersey Girl?

It was like pulling teeth, getting me out of the Village, west of the Hudson, putting those new license plates on my Karmann Ghia back in 1987. Telling people I lived "just outside NYC" when traveling, or "12 miles from the city".
But times have changed. We're urban-suburban. Really quite hip, thank you. Our property taxes -- well that's another story, but we have great public schools and we don't pay sales tax on clothes, a bonus any clothes horsie will kill for.
And, starting tonight, we have one heck of a film festival to call our own.  The Montclair Film Festival debuted at Kasser Theater at MSU with a screening of The Oranges, a wry suburban story of friendship and adultery, followed by a live chat between one its stars, Oliver Platt, and local NY Times writer David Carr.

It's hard to explain just what it is about a film festival -- but any worries the industry had that VCRs, then DVDs and cable could kill off theatrical films, first voiced 30 years ago, seem to be unfounded.  People like sitting in the dark together sharing emotions.  Film is celebratory in nature.  It explores our collective consciousness (un and otherwise).
Hats off to everyone who made this happen.  Hats not off to Governor Christie, who by cutting the tax credit for films shot in NJ, made a film about the Oranges cheaper to shoot in New Rochelle.  Every dollar a film crew spends working in the state creates many more dollars for local businesses.  Maybe for next year's NJ budget, we can get that detail right, especially once the Montclair Film Festival shows just what film and film making can do to build community and support local business.  That's a Jersey girl talkin'.

Shepard Fairey in Asbury Park

I hadn't been down the shore since an Interpol concert last summer, and somehow I missed the press about muralist Shepard Fairey's new music-themed installation in Asbury Park.  Found these (and a photo shoot of Ice-T's wife Coco in a turquoise bikini & white high-heeled pumps riding a beach bike), along with roller derby girls, great Cuban grilled octopus and flowered beach fauna this past Saturday.  The murals (not Coco or the flowers) already look wonderfully weathered -- like Asbury itself.

Only a 45 minute drive when the traffic cooperates.  I'm just sad we had to leave before the roller derby.

Staging is about telling a story ...

I have a theory about staging a home.  It's not about making the house look "lived in" with less clutter, it's about telling a story. A story well told evokes a response from a reader in subtle and symbolic ways, a staged home can do the same for a buyer.
Almost every house is going to suggest its story to you if you're paying attention. My favorite homes to sell are often the ones where the story is almost hidden, where I have to do a bit of detective work to find it. Unearthing, and then fine tuning the narrative, is always half the fun.
My new listing at 95 Hazelwood has a story to tell. Half is real and half imagined, and started with some old water skiing trophies I found in the basement.  It evolved as I got to better know the people who had made the house a home over the years. It comes on the market Weds, April 25th with an open house this Sunday, April 29th from 2-4pm at 95 Hazelwood Road in Bloomfield.  I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

9 Days and counting ...

The Montclair Film Festival is now only nine days away, and it is going to be amazing.  As I volunteered to help with niche marketing, I’ve gotten to know more about the films and events taking place May 1 - 6.  I have some favorites that might slip by you in the 50+ films on the schedule.  They are:

The Atomic States of America -- I didn’t realize over 50% of our energy comes from nuclear in NJ, did you?  This urgent & probing documentary looks at Indian Point and other reactors. Directors Don Argott & Sheena M. Joyce plan to be present.

Unraveled -- Wall Street crook Marc Dreier looks back on his crimes while under house arrest. In person: Director Marc Simon.

We’re Not Broke -- but don’t tell that to us in Essex County, right?  Perhaps not.

Citizens rise up to hold corporations accountable for not paying taxes. In person: Directors Victoria Bruce & Karin Hayes.

Trishna -- a modern day Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Freida Pinto ("Slumdog Millionaire") plays an Indian beauty transported from a village to the mega-city of Mumbai.

Michael Moore -- in conversation with Thom Powers. The Oscar-winning director discusses film, politics and his experiences running the Traverse City Film Festival at the Montclair Art Museum.  This event is close to selling out.

Lemon -- Have you ever stayed up to watch Def Jam Poetry? Three-time felon & one-time Tony winner, Lemon Andersen stages a one-man show. In person: Director Beth Levison.

Last Call at the Oasis -- From the producers of "Food, Inc" comes a powerful film about the world's water crisis.  Water is a closed system.  We do not have enough of it.

Kumaré -- Posing as a guru, the filmmaker raises probing and hilarious questions about faith and identity, virtual and otherwise, complete with a fictional web site. In person: Director Vikram Gandhi (aka Kumaré).  This film is close to selling out.

Tickets are available through the festival web site.

So, if you’ve always wanted to go to Sundance but couldn't spare the time, or missed out on the recent Tribeca Film Festival because it was just too crazy to get in and out of NYC, the festival has come to you.  I’m really happy for Montclair!

Quick work ... so very few calories burned ...

Well, I can't say I burned too many calories finding the cleanse I'm going to try next week -- unless, yes, I think my wrists are a little thinner this morning, and there's definitely more muscle tone in my typing fingers ...
Having never done this cleanse business before, I decided to go light and just try a one day encounter for my first go.  And while d-Fit Studio in Montclair is offering some very nice cleanse options -- at 3 days and over $240, I figured I'd get my lips wet first with Love Spring from Organic Avenue.  So -- April 26th (after a night hearing Squeeze and the English Beat in Red Hook) -- all manner of little bottles are going to be showing up at the Sotheby's Realty office and then from what I've heard, I just have to get sipping.  Wish me luck!  I'll let you know how it went.
Here's the "menu" from their web site.  Sounds very green!

• Chlorophyll
• Orange Juice
• Green LOVE
• Turmeric Tonic
• Veggie Vibe
• Coconut Water
• Spicy Avocado Soup

The Cleanse, the interior Spring Cleaning

Ok, we had that crazy hot spell when it should have been winter, and we all broke out our summer clothes and took that long hard look in the mirror you tend to take after a winter of comfort food.  Except wait, it was really never winter, so how much comfort food did we really consume?  I have to admit, I was feeling pretty frisky back in early March, not like I was going to have to Atkins-up or something else drastic before summer came.
Oh cruel March!  Because, when the cold air rolled back in again, something in me snapped and it felt as though I really needed to make sure I didn't miss out on winter fat goodness (as Anthony Bourdain might call it).  Somehow, April doesn't find me quite as smug as the thermometer rises.
So what to do?  Oh, we all know what to do, but how to make it a bit more fun this year?  Then I remembered, last spring I saw some gorgeous photos of juices from Organic Avenue, who package up a great cleanse (cleanse is now the code-word for 'drink your diet for a few days and hopefully, flush toxins and fatty bits out of your system') or, at least kick-start your metabolism.  Mine needs a placekicker for the Jets, but never mind.  I digress.
As I can't pick up juices in Manhattan every morning, my late-night friend Google to the rescue, I found what I was looking for much closer to home.

Next:  my report on the search for the perfect cleanse, or how to burn calories figuring out how to burn calories.

Staging to Sell -- Real Homes, Real People

What are the top ten things you need to do when you stage a home?
1. Reduce the eye magnets -- I rarely use the word "declutter" -- I'm going to tell you to limit the eye candy.  Buyers want to see themselves in your home, not your photos, collection of Lladro or your sports memorabilia.

2. Light.  Wash the windows, get rid of the drapes, put away the florescent bulbs.  You want daylight itself, or at least daylight bulbs.

3. Fresh linens are essential.  Put up new towels, change the sheets/make the beds with quilts and coverlets from your prop closet.  Don't have one?  Get one.

4. Flowers and fruit.  A bowl of fresh apples can be as effective as a vase of flowers and they leave a crisp, clean scent. On candles and other home scents:  I try not to use anything too sweet or too spicy.  Lavender is a good fresh aroma.  Fresh air is magic.  If it smells like you're trying to cover up a smell, well, it will smell like you are.  And don't bake cookies or bread.  Not everyone likes the smell of yeast/sugar.

5. Welcome.  Get a new door mat, have throw rugs handy if it rains. A wreath is a nice touch.

6. Art direct the closets and cabinets.  People will look and it will seem like there's more space for storage if the storage isn't crammed full.

7. Speaking of storage, if you need to rent a storage room/compartment, do so.  Don't put a Pod on your driveway.  They're hard for buyers to maneuver around when they're checking out the drive and yard, and they really do look tacky.

8. Landscaping -- trim the grass, plant a few flowers, sweep the drive and edge the sidewalks.

9. Thinking to have luncheon during your realtor open house?  Don't.  I can't tell you how many kitchens I have not been able to really see because the best of welcoming intentions just ends up stuffing your seller's kitchen full of people.

10. Music?  Really?  I don't assume I know what everyone likes to listen to and it isn't like shopping in a fashion boutique, Mozart's Sonata in B Flat doesn't ever make me want to rhapsodize about a home afterwards. I just feel like you're trying to drown out the traffic. Or the neighbors. 

Nuff said.

Time, Planetary and Otherwise

It was hard not to notice the conjunction between the Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the early night sky last month -- Venus was like a beacon, pulling Jupiter along in her wake.  Time was, we all watched the planets and stars for portents and clues, and our clocks celebrated our skyful watch. Happy April 1st. May the stars be kind.

Putti in Paterson

This morning found me in the completely surreal world of one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, the Brownstone in Paterson.  Brunch was actually quite good: fluffy scrambled eggs, small crunchy/soft squares of cinnamon French Toast with strawberries, as well as fresh fruit, pastries, biscuits and a darn decent cup of coffee.  I don't know that I was awake enough for the decor, which is decidedly over-the-top -- when did you look at putti dancing over your head before 10am unless you were in Italy?  I had to snap a shot of the view:

The occasion?  The West Essex Board of Realtors annual Circle of Excellence award breakfast (before inflation took hold in the 21st century, this used to be the Million Dollar Club). So now when my out-of-state friends want to know what it's really like to live in New Jersey, I can tell them -- "even without all the eye make-up and high heels (I wore my Balenciaga oxfords, actually) rather yummy!

Everyone needs a great tailor (for now, forget the tinker, soldier or spy)

I was on a favorite online forum tonight sharing fashion finds with others similarly obsessed when one of them mentioned that the coat she'd just scored at 70% off turned out to be a bit on the long side, and she was nervous about finding a good tailor to adjust it.  Now, this gal is in NYC so no doubt she could sort that out without a train ride to Montclair, but I immediately thought how lucky I am to have found Anna several years ago, after having some very expensive pants butchered by the "tailoring" at a local dry cleaners.
Anna (of Dino and Anna Tailors, 544 Valley Road, Upper Montclair) is a godsend of major proportions. She's gotten me (and my Prada and Elie Tahari trousers) through several size changes, and her considerable skills have allowed me to shop sample sales secure in the knowledge that her magical needle can resculpt a size or two off anything I find: pants, a fitted blouse and skirt, she's even rewoven snags in one of my sweaters and found soft suede patches for the elbows of my husband's favorite cashmere pullover.  And all for very reasonable prices.

Remembering a Balinese Feast

I could rant a bit about the lousy customer service at Alain Mikli at the Short Hills Mall, or the retina specialist whose staff is so inept they took 4 days to respond to my request for more information, or ... oh bite me!  I may have missed last night's Taste of Montclair (which a colleague tells me was very tasty indeed), but that does not mean I have to miss Montclair Restaurant Week while kvetching about things ocular.
However, in my woulda, coulda, shoulda list of new restaurants I wish would open in Montclair, #1 would be something Balinese.  Probably the best two meals I've had in many a moon were served up on the island this past January (yes, that's why I had guest bloggers!).
The first, a homemade traditional meal made and cooked by my amazing guide's mother in a bale overlooking the Ayung River Gorge.  Those are rice baskets we wove (well, ok, the mom wove) that day.

The second, at French chef gone native's amazing Mozaic, a gourmand foodie destination located a stone's throw from where Eat Pray Love was filmed outside Ubud.

Bad Blogger Repents with Great Find

What can I say, it's a crazy spring market.  And the weather ... what is with this wonderful warm March?  Makes me want to sing, dance, go to the beach ....
Something else that makes me want to sing is a serendipitous find on Facebook, The Tutu Project.  Little girls at ballet class, you ask?  Renoir on a rampage?  No, it's a man.  In a tutu.  In the world. A wonderful, poignant photographic fundraiser for breast cancer non-profits, inspired by photographer Bob Carey's wife's battle with breast cancer.  You need to see these pictures -- they're stunning.  I won't spoil the surprise any more than that.
Ok, so ... here's a taste:

Green Ideas

It's daylight savings time again -- one very green idea, as it extends those delightful "before you turn the lights on" evening hours.  But generally speaking, when you think March and Green together, you're thinking of St. Patrick's Day.
It's been unseasonably warm, which means this year even Mother Nature is putting on the Green.  It all got me thinking, what other things can one do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, other than the obvious parade and pub crawl?

A few ideas:
The Montclair Animal Shelter is hosting a special reduced-price adoption afternoon on Saturday from 2-4pm at 77 North Willow -- Erin-Go-Bark/St. Catrick's Adoption Event.  (Ok, so it's a little heavy on the word play, but everyone's heart is in the right place).
Or as the temps are still dipping in the evening, how about an Irish fisherman's knit sweater from Irish & More, a local shopping institution for all things from the Faire Isle, at 16 Church Street.  Follow that with a stop at Raymond's for some of Joanne's limited edition Irish Cream Marshmallows and green sugar-edged cookies if tippling isn't on your menu.

Spring means it's time to be nice to those feet again ...

One of the things I truly like about my job is that, in the course of going to realtor open houses several mornings a week, I tend to drive by new businesses I might not have noticed otherwise. The bad thing? There is never enough time to do everything I'd like to do.  One that I'll have to make time for, however, is to try out the intriguingly named Foot Spa and Tea Bar that I noticed in Verona on my way down Bloomfield Avenue.  A quick trip to the googlesphere (what *would* we do without Google?) yielded quite a few reviews of this year-old business where the focus is on traditional foot reflexology. 

1/2 hour and hour sessions available, all for a lot less $$ than you would think.

Jane's Addiction brings Dave Navarro's Pecs to NJ

I think I stepped into a time warp tonight at the Wellmont.  Jane's Addiction rolled into town with their 10 foot tall statues of well-endowed buxom lasses, their real-life buxom lasses (at one point on trapezes with microphones and 15 foot long hoop skirts, at another in, imagine, bondage-style outfits and gasp, riding crops).  Dave Navarro brought his perfectly sculpted pecs and Perry Farrell wore Rick Owens.  Film clips showed stripping 50's pin-up girls.  Wow, large bosoms before implants.  Imagine.

Some things don't really improve with age.  Or maybe, some things just seem dated, regardless.  If there was any tongue-in-cheek to the retro misogynist vibe, I guess it was lost on me.  The band did sound tight, Farrell's voice had presence and his dancing some intriguing moves, but this was not a night at the Wellmont I'll need to remember.  Strike the pose, anyone?  Rock Vogue.

The Business of Extraordinary Living ...

... is the name of the micro-site Sotheby's International Realty has placed in the Wall Street Journal's online edition.  We were talking about the site today, which has all kinds of wonderful eye candy, from auction calendars and results (so you wanted to know what that fine bottle of wine might go for at auction?) to videos of recent preview installations, to articles on unique houses around the world.  It's like a mini magazine -- and updated every six weeks or so.  You can even browse upcoming auction catalogues on line, and register to bid.  SIR also just released the newest version of their iPad app, which let's you search live for houses in whatever neighborhood you'd like while it  maps local shopping, restaurants and more to keep you, well, living extraordinarily!

Tasting Montclair

What could be better than restaurant week in Montclair?  What if the restaurants involved held a tasting night where you could sample their wares without having to worry about making a reservation -- where you can take your culinary palate on a journey from pizza to penne, toffee to coffee, salad to sandwiches, fish to fowl and everything in-between, a mix of high-low food styles so varied that whatever your mood come March 19th, you're sure to find something yummy to eat?  If this sounds inviting, you'll want to get your tickets to Taste of Montclair, sponsored by the Rotary Club and many other fine area businesses to raise funds for food charities.  One $40 ticket (through March 14th, $50 after that) gives you entrance to the inaugural non-profit event -- with a growing list of Montclair area eateries participating. You can buy your tickets online, or at a variety of local venues.
After that comes restaurant week, where you can satisfy your new found cravings in depth.  Some of my favorite Montclair restaurants and food vendors participating include: Ah' Pizz, CulinAriane, Ruthie's BBQ and Pizza and Miss Nicky's Gourmet Toffee.

Make that 350 days in the life .....

Well, one of the things I can categorically state about being a real estate agent is that, all good intentions aside, there are times of the year when you are lucky to have an extra ten minutes, let alone time to be artfully blogging. The last two weeks have been one of those times.
Here's the inside scoop:  sell one house and one townhome, do home inspections, do follow up inspections, discuss inspections, list new property, take pictures of new property, design flyer for new property, price another property, show homes in Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, West Orange, South Orange and Verona. Spend much too much time making appointments to show these homes when people don't call you back or don't like the time you want to come. Answer feedback requests from other agents, ask for feedback requests on your listings. Keep current with blossoming new inventory due to lack of snow (early spring market). Help train new agents. Explain the difference between a condo and a coop. Explain that when the doorman said that dogs are not allowed, but if you own a dog when you buy into the building, you get to keep it, he was wrong. Explain visiting dog policy. Feel guilty that you stop answering your cell phone after 7:30 for one night. Print sign to put above your desk that says "Breathe".

This Sunday, 2 - 4pm, open house at 1283 Valley Road, unit #5.  Wouldn't you like to live in a renovated 1 bedroom condo that allows dogs, even after you move in and haven't brought a dog with you as original furnishings, and has a large shared yard to walk said non-original dog, within 3 blocks of the New York direct train with a Montclair mailing address and low Clifton taxes for less than it would cost to rent and have a tax deduction?  Confession: I had to go back and add commas to that sentence, as I'd already forgotten to breathe. And while my cell is still off, I did send a text.

All Me -- the Life and Times of Winfred Wembert

I opened my email this morning to the newsletter update from the upcoming Montclair Film Festival to find a shout-out for MAM's Thursday night free screening of the award-winning documentary film All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Wembert.  An African American artist who grew up in the segregated South, the film opens a window on a not so distant, and frankly, disturbing past. Montclair resident and film producer Mark film director Vivian Ducat, Urman and Wembert will host a question and answer session after the screening. 7pm *tonight* Thursday February 16th -- the Montclair Art Museum is located at the corner of S. Mountain and Bloomfield Avenue, with ample parking behind the museum across from Whole Foods.  I'm excited!

Valentine's Smiles ...

It's here -- that day when husbands and boyfriends and girlfriends and wives the world over try to figure out just how to make a manufactured holiday (well, not really, there is good old St. Valentine) special.  As I find them today -- here are some of my recommendations:

Fairies in a jar.  Posted on Facebook by PinkFlamingo61 DIRECTIONS: 1. Cut a glow stick and shake the contents into a jar. Add diamond glitter 2. Seal the top with a lid. 3. Shake.

Joanne's Red Velvet Marshmallows.  Homemade and available at Raymond's on Church Street.

Not for sale but, who can (except the allergic) resist kitties?  Posted on Facebook by Miru Kim, an amazing Korean American artist.

I'm taking suggestions, too!

Making Art Affordable

The Montclair Art Museum has a mission -- once a year, they host a juried sale of art works by regional artists, all with price tags under $500.  Applications are now being accepted for this year's show, which will take place on Saturday, June 2nd.  The application deadline is April 2.
The fair itself is a free event, with museum admission waived for the day as well.  Just exactly how do you think most collectors got started?
To inspire you, the Museum's new show, Look Now, Modern and Contemporary Art from Private Collections just opened Sunday featuring works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Louise Bourgeois, to name a few, that are rarely available for public view.  Get your Guggenheim on!

Flowers Healing Arts is not Healing with Flora

I have to admit, I've been driving by the sign in the window at 460 Bloomfield Avenue for months, wondering to myself:  What is this business going to be?  Montclair has always seemed to have at least one foot in the camp of alternative modalities.  I remember seeing notices about Starseed, and their shamanistic drum headings, in the summer of 1994. But I was confused by Flowers Healing Arts.  Was this healing with plant essences? A new type of florist? An arts group bent on Japanese ikebana?
Driving home from dinner tonight, I saw that the paper sign had changed to a real one in that distinctive script, and that a picture of a Buddha was visible through the window, a reception desk beckoned.  Whoever they were, it looked indeed as though Flowers Healing Arts was open for business.
Google quickly satisfied some of my curiosity:  Flowers is a Dr. S. W. Flowers, and Healing Arts are what he offers. And not just any healing arts, but according to their web site, a host of truly holistic treatment options from the "first Board Certified Medical Specialist in the US to obtain Board Certification Acupuncture and Herbology".  I'm intrigued, aren't you?

Feeling Royal?

You don't have to be HRH to to shop at the newly opened Duke and Duchess on South Park Street. I'm sure I wasn't the only person pushing my nose to the glass in late December as Aldrick Bradley and Antony Hine worked to get their new fashion-forward Montclair boutique open to the public. The minimalist and urban-edgy interior and elegantly spaced clothing racks beckoned, and, having stopped in last Saturday to check out the threads, I can report there's now a place for the Barney's crowd to pick up a top or frock and at much better than Manhattan prices. A welcome addition, if you ask me, and more in keeping with the Montclair I remember before Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie brought their studied chain store artsy-ness to town. Have you ever wondered how all the clothes in Anthropologie cost about the same? What is up with that $128 price point, anyway? Is that the perfectly researched profit margin price?

Speaking of threads, however, if you're interested in supporting local boutique talent and your esthetic runs more to a Cape Coddish/Martha's Vineyard weekender, do check out Thread on Watchung.  We don't really need small business Saturday to get us to shop local, do we?

Keeping a Breast ...

I didn't have to come back from SE Asia to catch all the buzz about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure short-lived decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood projects (while signing on for pink shot gun shells as a fundraiser, mmmm) but what I did find (and I'm a big fan of solutions, not just idle internet griping) is alternative avenue to support breast cancer research for those so inclined.  Street art bad boy Shepard Fairey has family members with first-person experience with the disease (his mother is a breast cancer survivor) which helped guide his selection of the Keep-A-Breast Foundation for a limited edition T-shirt campaign.
Other current Obey Clothing campaigns support Urban Roots, which introduces school kids in urban areas to actual hands-in-the-dirt farming and Dark Wave/Rising Sun -- Japan relief efforts.
What does this have to do with Montclair?  We're a humanitarian town, that's what!

How to Have an Artful February

Yes, I  know, it's Super Bowl Sunday -- and with the Giants playing, I probably should be opining about football. But I figured I'd take the road less traveled and point out to anyone who is looking for an artful Valentine's Day gift that the Montclair Art Museum is having a sale at their very most excellent gift shop through February 10th. Montclair has always been an artist's town and the museum has a long history of hosting quality exhibitions. On view now, George Inness: Private Treasures, showcases work by the former Montclair resident who has been hailed as the father of American landscape painting. With a historical collection that spans several centuries and a noted Native American collection, the museum also hosts contemporary work and intriguing workshops and seminars, as well as houses the Yale School of Art with classes for children and adults. If you haven't stopped by lately, you really should.

What happened to winter?

So, I left town for a few weeks thinking I'd have a cat sitter knee deep in snow plus a totally POed cat when I returned, as that's generally what happens around here in late January.  The next thing I know, I'm checking the whether from Java, getting ready to pull out my puffer coat only to discover while it may be only 8 degrees in Frankfurt (where we transit) it's in the 40's and 50's here at home.  Ah home!  Amazing how good that sounds when you know you're not likely to have to soon freeze to death.

Now, here it is Saturday morning, and I just know this nice woman is not cooking breakfast down the street (or at least, not here in New Jersey) so I need to cast about for other breakfast options.  Does anyone know where to get a good Indonesian breakfast (funny how you can develop a real love for friend rice in a few weeks).  I'm all ears.  Meanwhile, I'll probably drop by my favorite Raymonds if I can squeeze in past the weekend brunch rush.
Thank you to Melissa and Nicolette for guest blogging while I was away -- it's always fun to read your friends' take on the town!

How much is that kitty in the window?

Montclair Animal Shelter on Willow street in Montclair is offering an early Valentine’s Day gift for those looking for love: reduced adoption fees for one day only, on Saturday, February 4.

MTAS is once again partnering with Montclair Feed & Pet Supply to celebrate Valentine’s Day with reduced adoption fees on all dogs and cats during the in-store event. A number of the shelter’s adoptable pets will be on site at 191 Glenridge Avenue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with dog adoption fees reduced to $70 and cat fees to $50. The fee reductions will also apply to all adoptable pets at the shelter. The shelter will also open an hour earlier for the event on February 4, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Station Square Building

I found online this old postcard of Bloomfield Ave (circa 1925) and thought it would be fun to compare then and now. The building with the turret is the Station Square Building in Montclair, standing across the street from the old Lackawanna Terminal building and having once anchored the center of downtown, before more of the action moved west up the hill in the background.
Built in 1892 with Queen Anne and Romanesque elements, the Station Square Building has housed a bank, a convenience store, a hip-hop jewelry store ("Mo' Better Jewelers" - really!), and a café, among other things. A gentleman named Jesse H. Lockwood is credited as the architect.

Perfect Day for a warm piece of bread . . .

Cold and rainy days are the perfect time for comfort food and Nicolo's Italian Bakery and Deli (www.nicolosbakery.com) is the place to indulge.  I don't remember a family occasion that hasn't included bread from Nick's - we place large orders for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter and treat ourselves to stuffed spinach bread on football Sundays.  From warm loaves of thick Italian bread to soups full of vegetables, Nicolo's has it all.  I am particularly partial to the small pizzas and to the fresh mozzarella, broccoli rabe and peppers.  Run by the Zecchino family since 1967, the small store is part of so many families' traditions.  Closed on Monday and only open until 1:30 on Sundays, they are worth the trip.  Just another of Montclair's little treasures.

Got class?

One of the amazing resources I've discovered locally is the Adult School of Montclair. Offering a broad range of classes at a great price it is hard to pass up.

So what classes have caught my eye? Introduction to Flamenco Dancing and Bollywood Dance top the list followed by Food and Wine Pairings and Artisan Bread Making. How's that for fun!

Registration for the spring 2012 classes starts Feb 1st.

Happy Chinese New Year!

This year Chinese New Year falls on January 23, 2012, when we'll be ringing in the Year of the Dragon.

In 2012, Chinese New Year's Day will be celebrated on January 23. The New Year festival will start from January 22 (Chinese New Year's Eve) and end on February 6 (Lantern Festival). 2012 marks the 4710th Chinese New Year, and this time it is the year of the dragon according to the Chinese zodiac calendar.

The dragon is the 5th sign of the Chinese zodiac and it is regarded as an auspicious symbol which stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness.

So how can you celebrate this year in Montclair? Grace Grund at Terra at the Isabel Rose Cafe at the Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue, has loads of activities planned.

Monday, January 23, Chinese New Years Day
Lunch Specials will include "jiaozi" (dumplings) and "Niangao" (New Year's Cake)
Reservations recommended, 973-744-6600.

Sunday, January 29, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Oolong Tea Tasting & Gong Fu Cha Demonstration
Cost: $5 per person. To reserve a spot, please call Terra, 973-744-6600.

Monday, February 6, 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.  
"LENG TENG" (Lanterns) AND DRAGONS
The 15th and final day of the New Year Celebrations, is Lantern Festival
Day. Join us for Lantern Making, story telling, tea & snacks.
Cost: $3 per person. To reserve a spot, please call Terra, 973-744-6600.

Giving things a new home - painlessly. . .

A new year always brings with it the desire to reorganize, clean out and repurpose parts of my home.  This year is no different.  A snowy Saturday provided the perfect opportunity to clean the basement and recreate it into a home office for two working adults who each need dedicated work space and a place to escape the chaos of "upstairs."  Sorting through the storage resulted in several items that no longer are needed in a household of teenagers - child's karaoke, train wallpaper borders, art supplies for the younger set and board games.  Then I remember one of Essex County's wonderful resources (nationwide really but ours seems to be very active) - Essex County Recycle and Reuse.  Just posting in this group's page brings you several people who are happy to take your gently used things and give them new life in their lives.  So the board games went to children in Montclair, the karaoke to a singing 4 year old and the wallpaper to a crafter who uses whatever she can to create.  Just another gem of our area. . .

Montclair at night

Recently after having a great sushi dinner in upper montclair with a friend I was surprised to find out that  what used to be the upstairs portion of the sushi restaurant had been transformed into a swank nyc style restaurant offering new american cuisine and a full bar. In talking with the owner they said they haven't advertised the restaurant at all and just let business come through word of mouth. I haven't eaten there myself yet but it's on my list...
Check out Upstairs

Walkability a plus . . .

Jen hit the nail right on the head when she decided to write about the Montclair area.   Full of beautiful neighborhoods, shopping, excellent restaurants and tons of entertainment - this section of Essex County has a lot to offer.  But for my money, the sheer value is in the walkability of the area.  An example - I work from home about 80% of the time and sometimes just need to take a break and step away from the computer screen. So, the other day I decided to run some errands. Armed with just a tote bag and my iphone,  I managed to get Italian bread for dinner, pick up two prescriptions, buy a dog toy, have a chai tea and browse in the bookstore.  I walked home through Brookdale Park and made a final stop at a surprisingly well stocked Brookdale Liquors to round out my work "break".  The added bonus - 10000 steps of daily fitness without even noticing.  Sometimes the best things about our neighborhood are those that we simply take for granted.

One sugar or two?

Walking down Bloomfield Ave one evening this past week I was surprised to see that Cafe Eclectic had closed down. As many in the Montclair area know Cafe Eclectic was the long standing art cafe hangout. Upon first moving to Montclair about a year ago I had visions of spending leisurely sunday mornings there sipping lattes and reading the paper or catching up with friends. Now of course this was not to be.
My disappointment however only lasted a brief minute as I spied just down the street an open doorway with people crowding inside. Wandering inside I found that the newish coffee shop in town, Trend Coffee was having an open mic night. I ordered a tea and the waitress sat me and my friend right in front of the area being used as an impromptu stage. There was a great atmosphere watching the performers as everyone there was very enthusiastic and supportive. I felt like I had walked into Glee or High School the musical. All in all for the price of a cup of tea it was great entertainment. Maybe soon I'll have a latte there on sunday.

Are you a Cat person or a Dog person?

My guest bloggers are one of each.  By way of introduction, my friend Melissa Secondino who, like Dr. Cameron, a veterinarian of epic proportions whose father started Cameron Animal Hospital at the turn of the last century, is a great rescuer of feral cats.  From her Facebook page ...

How to put a former feral cat into a cat box:
Lure cat into small room with treats, trap cat in room with box. Chase cat around room for a half hour while comically deploying the use of chair pillows to guide cat into box. Realize cats are really good at jumping vertically when needed. Remove cat box from small room and place in living room where other non feral cat will then voluntarily climb into box to hang out while former feral cat runs around box playfully batting at toys. Leave.

More High Wire Days ...

So not *in* Montclair but, the beauty of living so close to the City is that there are so many amazing places nearby to see and hear music.  Picked up tickets tonight to see the Psychedelic Furs at Maxwell's in Hoboken on March 24th.  Also upcoming, School of Seven Bells at Mercury Lounge February 28th and March 1st (new record drops on the 28th), Arctic Monkeys with the Black Keys at Madison Square Garden March 12th, and the Ting Tings in April at Webster Hall.
After all, we can't all fly out to Coachella now, can we?

Celebrating 3 years ago --> Montclair to Siem Reap

Three years ago, I visited a project in Cambodia with drawings done by Montclair and Bloomfield elementary school students. Since then, I've watched with absolute awe as two women, one Cambodian, one American, turned a fledging non-profit education organization in Siem Reap near Angkor Wat into a force for change for young people in Cambodia. Ponheary Ly, who survived the Khmer Rouge to become an advocate for education in rural communities without electricity and running water a mere stone's throw from the burgeoning tourist hotels of Siem Reap, and Lori Carlson, a Texan with the heart and determination of a tiger, are showing what action, not just protest, can do to change lives. 

Lori just posted a video project created by a 17 year old Soy Sen about water wells in his village. When you follow this link, realize this project exists where three years ago the Ponheary Ly Foundation was just starting a project to install solar panels so that some of the schools could have power.  The idea that any of these schools could have computers, let alone a computer program, where children could learn to shoot and edit videos was almost inconceivable. That Soy and his classmates have made such an articulate vehicle speaks volumes.

Whither to NYC, my Sweet?

Today my friend Nicolette Salerno, who'll be guest blogging for me later this month, mentioned in a Facebook post that she was truly proud of driving by herself in NYC -- to quote "sometimes, it's the little things."  I can relate.  The how to of reaching and moving about in that shining cultural magnet on the horizon is often fraught with choice, none of which seem perfect.
I'm not a fan of driving in the city myself.  Did it when I lived there and owned a Karmann Ghia convertible (seat belts? heck, I sat on a big red cushion as I've never been that tall in the torso) those were earlier times.  You could still find a place to park on the street in the Village.  Imagine.
All of which reminded me (furtherance of "it's the little things") that we now have train service into Manhattan on the weekends in Montclair.  True the train doesn't run its full route, starting at Bay Street but here's a little known fact -- there is a ton of long-limit metered parking near the Bloomfield train station, a quicker and cheaper trip.
If you do choose to drive, check out Icon Parking for discount parking coupons.  Offered all over the city, you can often park for as little as $15 -- perfect for those late night events.

Understanding the Montclair Reassessment

So, getting serious for a second, here's an update for all Montclair property owners. The company that conducted the reassessment is starting to post data to their web site.  One of the more intriguing pieces of information is a list of real estate sales from 2011 (which seems a little incomplete, but perhaps short sales didn't make the list?) with actual sale prices and assessments as of 2011.  The new reassessments mailed in the past few weeks aren't certified yet, so that information is not public knowledge -- but it should be as soon any informal hearings requested by homeowners are completed and the town certifies the 2012 assessments.  Suffice it to say, assessments are coming down, but the tax rate will have to go up.  The goal?  Put a lid on all the tax appeals, which were costing the town a fortune and making it very difficult to figure out a yearly budget, as the last reassessment was conducted at the height of the market in 2006.
Confused yet?  Just be glad you're not moving here from a state like California -- it would make even less sense!  I'd be happy to shed some light on this one on one; I attended a seminar Steve Rubinstein from Realty Appraisal Company held last December.  And you thought I was just going to blog about rock shows!  Hah!