James Victore

I'm a huge fan of James Victore; he's one of my favorite people on the Internet. He's an awesome designer and teacher. Whenever I feel uninspired or stuck in a rut, I go to his Youtube channel and browse his videos. He gives great advice. He's witty and clever. He's awesome.
I was excited when I saw he's featured on The Great Discontent this week, you should take a few minutes of your time, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the interview; it's fantastic!

P.S. You should follow him on Twitter, for inspiring and/or funny tidbits.

Self Improvement by reading

A few months, I got a Kindle as a gift, and I love it so much. I used to read a lot when I was younger, but for some reason I've stopped doing it. Since I got my Kindle, I've been reading everyday; I've started reading the Harry Potter series (I'm now reading the fourth book, so obsessed! ), and a few classics like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre.

I usually read at night, in my bed, and I found that it relaxes me and helps me takes my mind off worries (real or imaginary). I read until my eyelids feel heavy and then I just close my book and drift to sleep. Before, I'd turn and toss thinking about to-do lists, projects, ideas, and that would keep me up for hours and hours.

I also like to read when I take the train or bus to NYC; the 1 hour ride would get me impatient, specially when the trains are delayed. Now, I just bury myself in whatever book I'm reading, and before I know it, I arrived at my destination.

An added bonus of reading on a e-reader, it's that it comes with a built-in dictionary, so if you want to know the meaning of a word you just click on it, and it tells you what it means. I'm forever in awe with technology!

So, reading has been a nice change of pace for me; I've been sleeping  better, learning how to being patient and improving my vocabulary.

Do you like to read? Do you prefer digital books or paper books? Do you have a favorite author or book? Share your recommendations!

Wuthering Heights

Have you seen this version of Wuthering Heights? It's directed by Andrea Arnold. The story is, of course, a classic, and I admit I tried to read the book once, but couldn't finish it because I found it so hard to read.
This book has been made into movies a dozen times; but I decided to watch this version because it looked interesting.
I loved this movie so much because of the cinematography. The mood and lighting is exquisite; the movie itself is rather slow, and there are many scenes where the characters just stare at each other without dialogue. I always found this type of direction difficult to watch, but even without action going on, this movie is eye candy.

The cinematography was in charge of Robbie Ryan, and I found an interesting interview where he discusses his work in this movie: read it here.

New York through my lens: May

May is already halfway through.  2013 is going fast, fast, fast. This month, I took the E train all the way to Queens to visit the museum MOMA PS1. I was also excited to try the food at the M. Wells Dinette inside the museum. The cafeteria is set as a classroom, the menu is written on a chalkboard and you sit on a communal school desk. 

See more pictures here.

Previous months: January, February, March and April.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm planning to feature more outdoor places on NYTML: an historic outdoor market in the Lower East Side, an island that used to be a military outpost, and a bike ride to my favorite neighborhood in the city (where Truman Capote lived). Can you guess where I'll be going? Come on, it's easy-peasy! The answer is in the question.

Please, feel free to make suggestions, I'd love to discover hidden gems in the city!

Knot Magazine

Recently, I discovered this wonderful magazine: Knot, and I'm smitten! Beautifully curated, Knot is an online magazine that mixes the DIY cooking, fashion and decoration around a theme.

Read it here.

A quick dinner with Polenta and Mushrooms

I love polenta so much, but I had never made it at home before. Turns out, it's the easiest thing in the world. I was looking for a recipe with polenta that was a meal in itself. Hungry Nation came to my rescue with this wonderful Polenta with Mushroom Ragu and a Poached Egg.  The ragu is rich in flavor (I used red wine instead of chicken broth), but it's the poached egg that makes this humble dish so hearty and satisfying. I was a little afraid of poaching the egg, since it was my first time doing so, but I gather enough courage and it was a success! I showed that egg who's boss.

Recipe: Hungry Nation

Image: Monica Aguinaga

New York through my Lens: April

April came and went so fast! I waited until the last possible minute to post April edition of my photography project: New York through my lens (It won't happen again!). I wanted to see the Cherry trees at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and I thought it would be perfect to celebrate the much anticipated arrival of Spring! This year, the trees bloomed a little later than expected, but you still have time to go see them.

Ok, go over to NYTML to see more pictures.

Previous months: January, February and March.