Posts categorized as DIY

Much of my art is rooted in food—as a result of my fathers innate creativity, my Italian upbringing, the joy I find in gardening and all that weirdness that has transpired in my life thus far. Remember Butter Village? And my jello art adventures from last summer? Food play has always been part of our creative wiring. As kids, we instinctively lined up peas, made carrot stick people, and constructed dramatic mashed potato mountains with exploding gravy lava until we were screamed at, right?  It’s all art. Brown bin composting is now mandatory […]

Last week in my class at Rockaplay Social Club, we had a blast building snowpeople! The idea sparked when Emily Arikian’s son Harrison saw packaging peanuts at his home, he said, “Let’s make a snowman!” Recycled materials are always first thought for me (and Harrison!) when creating art. Keep costs down and our eco footprint low.  As I was planning and gathering the rest of the materials for the sensory craft project, I wondered, “How long have humans had the urge to build snowmen?” The answer? A very long time. The […]

The Rockaplay Social Club opened last week—congratulations to co-owners Emily Arikian and Corinne Sommer! As moms, career professionals, Arverne residents, and founders of this women-owned and operated space, they’ve created something truly special with a much-needed children’s play center on the peninsula. Like many of us, I’ve been following their build-out journey on Instagram (@rockaplaysocialclub). The design and branding are spot-on, and the play space is absolutely adorable, featuring a bodega, an ocean-themed cubby, a construction play zone, and more! Here’s a great idea, support Rockaplay and give an awesome gift to […]

Knowing how passionate I am about my Butter Village refrigerator installation, my thoughtful Godson Jake, gifted me sculpting tools last Christmas. I’ve been eager to use them and now the time has come. I’m in the midst of sculpting buttered lambs — in preparation of Easter Sunday, which I host every year. I’ve discovered that sculpting with butter requires a delicate touch and precision to shape the creamy medium effectively. The variety of tools has provided me with the opportunity to create interesting textures and details. The possibilities are almost overwhelming if […]

Can you hear the chirps? Can you smell the hint of spring? I can. The earth is stirring from its slumber. Springtime in Rockaway and Jamaica Bay becomes a bustling hub for migrating birds, as these many species embark on their long journeys northward. Our coastal home offers a vital stopover point for birds traveling along the Atlantic Flyway, providing abundant food sources and habitats for resting and refueling. Birdwatchers flock to Rockaway to witness the spectacle of thousands of birds in transit, including the American oystercatcher, piping plover, and various […]

I just returned from the Villa Roma. This is an old-school resort where mostly Italian people from Brooklyn and Lawng Islanders gather to eat mountains of food, gamble, generally indulge, and most importantly, spend time with la familia. My Grandfather Ralph found the place and we had gone a few times when I was a tween. My sisters had the idea of going back, and we have reintroduced the tradition since my godson Jake was three years old. He’s turning 18 on March 23rd! My nieces, nephews, sisters, husbands, and parents adore […]

The inception of this project was formed a year ago during the Thanksgiving season. It wasn’t a single, pivotal moment that gave rise to the vision of Butter Village. Instead, what remains vivid in my memory is a collection of moments and experiences that played a role in molding the concept of the Christmas village: I saw a carved, butter turkey in Stop & Shop. I remember picking it up and looking at it for several minutes. It resonated with me. At this time I was working on an intense 2 1/2 […]

This year I wrapped all of my Christmas gifts in newspaper and paper from an old caroling book. Why? Because it’s cheaper than buying five rolls of wrapping paper for $7.99 each. It’s fun, creative, and most importantly… it reduces waste. Pages from an old book work nicely as wrapping paper for a holiday or birthday present. Here, I used a song sheet from an old Christmas caroling book. I swear I thought of this brilliant, eco-conscious holiday hack before I saw the Sanitation Foundation’s IG post (@sanitationfoundation). It alerts […]

At this point in the season, many of your gardens are past full boom. Leaving these shrubs and flowers can offer many benefits. There is a natural beauty and texture to dried or faded flowers that adds a unique and rustic charm to your garden. Keep them even through the winter for visual interest when many other plants have gone dormant or lost their leaves. Birds will feed on seeds from dried flower heads—a very important source of food for our flying friends. Dried flower heads in your garden will […]

Three circumstances came together that inspired this column. I attended a baby birthday party over the weekend. I found an old “kids” book on the shelf. And the guest room switch-over to my art studio/office is complete. Levi and Noah, my BFF’s kids turned 2 this weekend! The party was held the Rockaway Beach Brewery. I’m sitting at a table eating a delicious vanilla frosted cupcake, with my dinosaur party hat on, observing the little rugrats. I noticed their energetic movements, their curiosity and creative play. It was a breath of […]