Me and King Cole

Christmas is in full swing here at 2FinCool on Cooper Street, Brooklyn: Thanks to the work of the recent snowstorm, my neighborhood of Bushwick looks like something from a Christmas card, while the snow has effectively muted passing cars blasting Latin music on the street below. The blustering cold outside did not deter me from setting out this weekend, however, as Scott and I ventured out deep into Brooklyn to get our craft-on. After eating a hearty meal on the cheap at La Flor del Paraiso on Atlantic Avenue, we sloshed our way to the Brooklyn Lyceum Craft Market. I had figured the event would be much like the Degenerate Craft Fair we had stopped by a week earlier - a cramped space with overpriced hipster artwork and desperate vendors. (I still think the one guilt tripped Scott into buying a photocopied one-dollar bill.)

Upon entering the toasty brick warehouse, I was surprised to see so many tables of unique crafts and free tastings of homemade foods. I especially enjoyed the blackberry peach jam from anarchy in a jar and the bitter sweet chocolate from Fine & Raw. Though a bit overpriced, the adorable handmade plush stuffed animals from Zooguu seemed to be a popular table. (I wanted the fat purple penguin, personally.) I left the event empty-handed, while Scott left with soft smooth hands smelling of lavender, thanks to a particularly forward soap vendor who allowed samples "just to touch cute guys." So help me, soap lady, I will rub Dove into your eyes.




Before we even made it to the event, we stopped by the dig garden shop and met two very nice gentlemen, the younger of the pair who had originally went to school for dance, but since became interested in the field of botany. I asked about a particularly ominous-looking plant whose dangling appendages resembled giant lima beans with an opening at the top. The older man told me it was actually a carnivorous species - I don't recall the name - that created a certain aphrodisiacal secretion in its sack, inticing flies to enter and fall into the sticky goo.

Not wanting to end our evening there, we took the L to 14th Street to see the tents erected for the Union Square Holiday Market. Scott bought me a delicious Viking Burger and a tasty chocolate-dipped belgian waffle from wafels & dinges. By far my favorite find at the Market, the hand-carved figurines at Mure Design were not only eye-catching for their many shapes - peace cranes, alligators, owls, etc. - but also for the material from which they were made. Tagua, a dried nut that is cultivated mainly in Ecuador, has the texture and look of ivory, and is often even called "vegetable ivory." I especially like this idea as it provides an alternative to killing elephants for their tusks and destorying rainforests for farming purposes.

Time lapse!

A weekend of fun, cut short by a cruel Monday and a train ride back to Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Though I've just boarded the train at Penn Station, I miss New York already. Yet, I'm glad to know that I got the most out of Christmas in the city, from the Chinese-Italian-Jewish parade in Chinatown to simply decorating my apartment with some festive garland and multicolored lights, this holiday has already turned out better than most others. For now, I look forward to napkin origami, the 2008 Best Travel Essay series selected by Anthony Bourdain and a good Christmas Day with the whole family.