Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Wednesday, in which Wendy ponders spring, The frick'in Fricke, and well the highest of fashion



I am only going to whisper this, as I do not want to jinx things...

It hit +6C today!
Things were melting, including my cold heart.

Oh sure, rumour has it that we are going to get 6 inches of snow on the weekend, but that's the weekend, and this is well, almost spring...

The snow has made me very Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
For instance, right before my trip, the snow was at the bottom of those
four slashes of black on the lower part of the picture.
This is big news in these parts folks.
Cling to your families as surely this is very Walking Dead...

Well whatever.  We all have our "things".

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It seems there was a time when rich people built houses that were so excessive that they boggle the imagination.  No this is no Kanye and Kim K. tell all, this is The Fricke Museum.  We had never been and were not to be daunted by a mere blizzard.

For those unaware:

The Frick Collection is an art museum located in the Henry Clay Frick House on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City at 1 East 70th Street, at the northeast corner with Fifth Avenue. It houses the collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919).

Henry C Frick House 009.JPG


Mr. Fricke liked a fancy house.  And he liked to fill that fancy house with pretty things, so you get to get up nice and close to the Vermeers and Rembrandts he probably drank his coffee in front of each day.

and they decorated over the top!

I loved this museum, and we spent quite a bit of time there, before braving the blizzard for the ten block walk up to the Met. 

My favourite was this little room:

Sorry this is out of focus - my fingers were frozen!

 

Three cheers for Mr. Fricke and his avarice!

Tonight I made a lovely tomato tart from my A Kitchen in France cookbook by Mimi Thorisson.

Really, this should not be attempted except in perfect tomato weather, but I had spring fever and what the hell, I went for it!




This a good recipe!

If you go to her blog, you can find a pretty close approximation to the recipe here.  I think the one in the cookbook, with its basil pesto layer at the bottom is better.  and I made my own Pâte brisée , following her recipe, which was excellent.

I don't know about you, but I am still giddy over the surprise guests at the Valentino show in Paris:





 I adored Zoolander and have so many favourite quotes:

Derek Zoolander: I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is.

Derek Zoolander: So join now, 'cause at the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, we teach you that there's more to life than just being really, really, really good looking. Right kids?

The only thing that would have made it even better for me was if Bowie had suddenly popped out of the crowd...

If nobody has any objections, I believe I might be of service.

I'm setting my watch set for the countdown right now....

So that was my day.  How about you?

xoxo wendy

12 comments:

  1. Hilarious surprise guests! And I do like the look of that tomato tart.
    I so wanted to go to the Fricke when we were in NYC but they don't allow kids under 16 or so, that counted us out. It looks beautiful.
    Felt like spring here today and everything is melting melting. This is actually a really exciting time of year for us isn't it? I have some sort of plague-virus but I spent plenty of time outside in the fresh air with Fur rascal and it did me some good, that's for sure.

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    1. It is freezing here today - so cold and windy! Where did my spring go! The tart was divine!

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  2. My day is better now, now that I have read this charming post. I always forget about the Fricke museum and am going to put it on my "things to do with the boys next break" list. I smiled when I looked at the Valentino show and saw the surprise guests. Very cheeky!
    I also liked your & Other Stories recommendation. I will look for that as well. I didn't know it , and COS were H and M companies. I hope you are writing and relaxing, and planning to return here soon. Although- Florida does sound like more fun !

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    1. I didn't even bother to check the Frick spelling, so no complaint from me!

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  3. I have actually always wanted to go to the Cloisters but have never made it...haven't been to the Fricke either. I waited and watched workmen all day today. They installed Hunters shave mirror, our shower door, and a lovely piece of art I purchased for Hunter in our almost finished bath. Hunter made breakfast for dinner...life is good again.

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    1. T, I've never hit the cloisters either. Adding it to the list. We do one or two museums each time, and you'd think after 8 or 9 trips we'd have run out, but no...

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  4. I feel guilty saying this, but I've had the AC on as it was 87 yesterday! I receive daily photos of the homestead, buried in feet of snow, the frozen harbor, snowshoe-ers. Kayaking is on again today, I think, just about my favorite outdoor thing to do.

    The Frick is wonderful, quiet, a refuge; check your local museum memberships as you may have a program allowing entry for free.

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    1. I don't think Canadian memberships have sway in Canada, but will check for sure! Have decided to forgo Maine visit for Florida one - will be round for drinks tonight!

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  5. I've never been to the Frick. I'll have to put it on the list. I did visit the Cloisters many years ago, when I lived in NY. It was wonderful. Your tomato tart looks fab. How about a CA visit. All those beautiful rolling hills in Napa and the Pacific??'n

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  6. Love small museums where the art is in its natural setting. One understands better the collector and puts the art in context of that bygone era. So refreshing without crowds. Seeing The Goldfinch and Girl with Pearl Earrings at the Frick two years ago will stay with me forever. Need to check out And Other Stories with your thumbs up. Well done on the shopping in your previous post.

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Kindness is a virtue...