(Video link here.) A friend sent us this video of Domenico Modugno singing Volare – Nel blu dipinto di blu, a song we’ve heard (and disliked) a million times; we just couldn’t get with Dean Martin. But Modugno’s 1958 version of the song HE wrote is pure joy. It made us look up translations of…
Read MoreSummer Fun Ideas for the Last Sweet Weeks
While we’re off for this last sweet week of summer, we thought we’d leave you with a round-up of some of our best ideas for your own summer ramblings, even if those ramblings are just in your head.
Read MoreTime Off…via George Booth and Yoko Ono
Sometimes Improvised Life is like this George Booth cartoon. RELAX A LITTLE, yells Improvised Life, in its well-meaning, demanding way. Then we saw Yoko Ono’s lovely sign
Read MoreHow to Discover Unique Flavor Pairings (with a Trove of Recipes)
When a friend tasted the wild plum that had been fallen in pine needles, she “got” plum and pine and by association ROSEMARY. I’ve used the technique of tasting foods that sat side by side “just to see” for many years to discover new and often unlikely flavor pairings. Here are 10 favorites, including a Plum and Raspberry Crisp with Lavender.
Read MoreDIY Rain-Activated Signs, Images, Graffiti
Seattle artist Peregrine Church of Rainworks discovered a readily available spray that allowed him to stencil invisible signs and images on the sidewalk and walls, that would magically appear when it rained. It’s a beautiful effect that we’ve discovered we can do ourselves.
Read MoreInspiring Messy Workspaces of Famous Creatives
(Video link here.) They Might Be Giant’s just released their new song I Made a Mess, which is a sort of homage to something we strongly believe (#12 in our Manifesto): Making a mess is an essential part of improvising. Here, then, is our visual ode to wondrous in-flux workspaces of some spectacular creatives to view while you…
Read MoreHidden Art + Reminders on a Medicine Cabinet Door
When we installed a tall, narrow 13-inch-wide sliver medicine cabinet in our newly renovated and very minimalist bathroom, little did we know that it would do more than provide storage for essential toiletries. The mirror door is backed by white-glazed steel, a perfect “clean slate” to which we could affix signs, reminders and images that…
Read MoreReminder: Turn Everything OFF Once in a While
Our friend Karrolyn Belkis, who went skydiving when she turned 80, clearly has a forward-thinking view of life. Still, she isn’t crazy about what technology and our always-on lifestyle is doing to us, making it difficult to just BE without always having our eye on a screen. Although she uses a cellphone and a laptop, she believes that sometimes…
Read MoreCopper Pipe Room Divider, Towel Rack, Furniture
Warsaw firm Mamastudio enlisted Polish architect Mateusz Baumiller to design the Autor Rooms in its new hotel to showcase furniture and artwork by Polish designers. The favorite big idea we got out of it: thick copper pipe to create rooms within rooms, like the sleep area at top. It’s a lovely way to define a big space, and…
Read MoreAfter We Pass, What Kind of Memorial, or Not?
Recently, we came across this extraordinary Memorial to a Marriage by artist Patricia Cronin. We don’t know when we’ve seen such a tender “real” memorial of and for a couple. It made us think about just what form our own memorial might take. We’ve discovered there are a lot of interesting options IF you shift your view .
Read MoreHow to Fix Your Computer (Love Means Helping You Do-It-Yourself)
When my 5-year-old-laptop bailed on me, I reacted like any strong independent woman with a brain and an alarm clock; I handed it off to my husband and said “This is broken, please fix it”. Seriously. Being the feminist my husband is, he said NO…….
Read MoreLouis Armstrong’s Secret to A More Wonderful World
For us, this image of Louis Armstrong playing his trumpet for his wife Lucille at the Sphinx during their trip to Egypt in 1961 describes “sublime”. It reminded us of that feeling when everything is rich with pleasure, without worries, fine.
But what about those times when things turn in a moment and bad things happen? Armstrong had a powerful answer .
Simple Sublime: Peaches with Crushed Raspberry Sauce
For many years La Merenda, a tiny restaurant near the Cours Selaya market in Nice, was considered by many to be one of the city’s finest bistros, renown for the simple preparation of perfect ingredients. There long ago, I tasted as lovely a dessert as I have ever encountered: an ordinary sounding “compote” of raspberries…
Read MoreA Cheap Chic Hardwood Floor Solution
When we saw this Parisian flat in Design Milk, we were intrigued more by the floors than by the slanted shelves built into each “space” of the sprawling apartment. Short lengths of hardwood flooring are almost always less expensive than longer lengths, but, when laid out in the traditional, end-to-end pattern often LOOK cheap and…
Read MoreSkydiving at 80: ‘There is More + the More is Wonderful’
When our friend Karrolyn Belkis turned 80, she said was so full of joy, she felt like LEAPING. “Wherever I was, I just wanted to jump around and say YESSSSS. Isn’t it beautiful????” She thought people might think she was crazy if she leaped for joy on the streets of New York City. “I had to…
Read MoreThe Ugly Practical iPhone Holder I Can’t Live Without
When I wore my iPhone stuck to a velcro forearm band to a friend’s house, she said “How can you wear such an ugly thing?”; it’s terrible!” Terrible? Lighten up! It is actually an amazing device. I workout hard, cook, and do chores with it and it has yet to come off. It’s like a big Apple watch whose serious advantages trump its looks. As with everything I buy, I hacked it a bit, and pushed its limits.
Read MoreHow to Survive a Heat Wave
All over town we’re seeing signs of people felled by the stunning heat wave, sleeping on benches under shady trees, lounging lethargically on the grass in parks. We’ve found ourselves working at partial power, desperately needing to nap and recuperate. We’ve found two unexpected antidotes.
Read MoreTravel to Cuba Now Before It’s Too Late
When photographer Ellen Silverman first visited Cuba in 2010 little did she know that the visit would change her life/ Just as Cuba is on the verge of its own big changes, Ellen will be leading a tour there. It is a rare opportunity for just about anyone who wishes to visit private homes in Havana and engage with their owners. Here’s a glimpse:
Read MoreQuick n’ Easy Interval Training You’ll Actually DO
We’re big into interval training because it seems like a really efficient way to exercise. But the question still remains: how to get yourself to actually do it? A new iteration seems to accomplish that. The promising research is outlined in the New York Times’ A Way to Get Fit and Also Have Fun. Although…
Read MoreGuerilla Signage: Why Not?
It’s curious how bright red stickers with the words why not? and Do. have been appearing around town, in the subway and on lamp posts. They’re our new Improvised Life stickers. We wonder who the guerilla(s) is/are that are tagging things and spreading the word?
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