Free is Good for Alkies

My sassy scientist friend Carolyn recently informed me of:

http://www.myopenbar.com

and

http://www.freenyc.net

Both sites feature free events, open bars, drink specials, secret showings...etc
How I never knew of these sites is beyond me. I've already found a bunch of things to do this week- but I'm DYING inside because tonight is a free signing of the OZ dvd at Tower Records featuring CHRISTOPHER MELONI! and I CAN'T GO! (stupid school!!!!)

I'm sure it would've resulted in a restraining order anyway...

Am I Really That Poor?

The answer is YES. I still haven't received my loan check. I'm running on empty!
Anyway, I need to collect all these articles/brochures/press releases for various classes for school. I really need about 10 of those magazine caddies. The container store has them for $6/each! They are about that at Target, and $3 /each at Ikea for cardboard ones (not to mention I don't live near an Ikea.) So basically, that's $30-60 just to organize my stuff. So I decided for now I'll have to make one. Like some Girlscout project, I used an old cereal box. I wish I had some fancy wrapping paper to cover it (or any at all), but all I could find were these giant printouts of criminals that were given away for free at the Whitney Biennial. Very scholarly. I cut the box into a "Caddy shape" using scissors, then using a craft glue stick, covered it in glue then wrapped the printout around it. Lastly, I trimmed the wrapping. It actually looks pretty good! Now, I need to eat more cereal.....

Museum Secrets!

My Art History Prof. just let me in on a secret I could've used long ago. Join the American Association of Museums. As a student, for $35 a year, you can have unlimited access to many museums around the country! This is great for students like me, I can pop into a museum just to study a certain work, then motor out of there. I wish I'd known about this before my $10 Met trip.

So Inspired

I saw this room at the Met yesterday. I must somehow incorporate it into a project. It is just Victorian scenes in chiarroscurro drawn onto the wall. Man, I love museuming.

I See a Brown Duck and I Want to Paint it Black...

For now. Yay? Nay?

GARBAGE

I just picked this out of the garbage. It's super heavy. What color should I paint it? The cats hate it and kept batting it.

Making Something out of Nothing

Wednesday night I went to an outdoor free opera at Central Park. My loan checks haven't come yet, I'm living on the little savings I had from Philadelphia. So I kind of panicked. We were meeting up with a lot of people, my roommate's friends, and their friends, basically a whole bunch of people I didn't know. So I couldn't exactly show up empty handed. My fridge was seemingly empty, so I had to get creative- and did I! I even impressed myself.
My mom bought me a picnic backpack a few years ago. It's great- includes place settings for four, glasses, cloth napkins, corkscrew, a cutting board, refrigerated food and bottle section. FINALLY, I got to use it. With the most minimal ingredients possible (I literally had 5 slices of bread), I created this menu:

-roasted corn off the cob salad with fresh tomatoes, roasted canellini beans, fresh
basil in a vinaigrette
-crust-on tea sandwiches with salsa sour cream, avocado, roasted red pepper and basil,
-couscous salad with sesame/soy tofu, grilled onions and peas

The picnic was a hit! paired with some red wine and Cate's basil lemonade, blankets and (the most important thing) CANDLES, it was a perfect evening. Summer is almost over! I'm going to be picnicking as much as possible!

Yo Dudes.
I have a new New York City only blog- just places and things that I visit/like that are cheap. Check me out http://www.zizzlernyc.blogspot.com

I'm Decoupaging AGAIN

I've been told that I decoupage too much. Well, I'm sorry. Get over it. Because I've done it again. For my parents' first wedding anniversary, they received a card table and folding chairs set. It lasted in great condition for about 15 years, when little Zizzler turned 6 years old. First, I colored the entire underside of the table with crayons. Then, I did a million art projects on the surface. Then, I used the surface as a cutting board, shredding the vinyl covering. What a jerk. Twenty years later (jeez, I am old), it has come back to me.
Now that I'm in my new place, I want to have a cocktail party. My space is much bigger, but table space is rare. Sure, I could've thrown a plastic table cloth on the shredded topped table, but that's not the Zizzler way! Project time. I neatly (and sadly) trimmed and removed the table of its 1970s vinyl top. The beige legs had to go, so I spray painted them black, along with the top. I stopped in the bargain section of Barnes and Noble and bought a thick art book of Japanese Prints by Hokusai for $4.99. Sure, it's a great book, but it will make an even better table cover! Barnes and Noble always has the best art bargain books. I cut out geishas, koi fish, Japanese fisherman and lotus flowers. Then I got out my trusty ModgePodge glue. After arranging the cut outs, I coated the table top with ModgePodge, replaced the cut outs, then coated the top with a layer of ModgePodge. After a few hours, I put another coat of ModgePodge on the table. So simple! and I think it looks much better than a putting a crappy table cloth on it. What I once ruined, I've resurrected into something useful, and stylish. Sorry Mom!