A Few Notes About Ciao, Chessa!

Did you have a nice weekend? Two weekends ago we had a blizzard, last weekend it was 60 degrees and this past weekend it was a torrential downpour that reached biblical proportions. To say that we New Yorkers are desperate for spring is the ultimate understatement. I took a long weekend and didn't even blog on Friday but we're back to regular programming now...So...

Would you like to advertise on Ciao, Chessa!? With my brand-new layout and amazing increase in readership (THANK YOU! Yeah, you!), I am now offering sponsorship space on my blog! I have a wonderfully wide, international readership and my rates are created with small businesses in mind.

If you'd like more information, please email me at ciaochessa@gmail.com

Also, did you know that I sell certain of my prints via Etsy? Well I do! Some of my popular prints are available in small sizes in open editions via Etsy and outside of Etsy! Also, because it would be nearly impossible to have every print in my Etsy shop, if you see something on one of my other sites, including this blog, let me know!



Happy Monday!

Today's Soundtrack:
Lady Gaga - Telephone featuring Beyoncé

Circles of Light

What do these say to you? I love the mystery of the urban lights, the anonymity, the dream-like quality, this strange, blurry, colorful world.

Lately I've been selling a lot of these types of images. I have made quite a few and I always find it so interesting when people are drawn to them. Maybe for the same reasons that I am.

You can find some of them for sale in my Etsy Shop.















Today's Soundtrack:
Kate Bush - This Woman's Work

Inspiration from Iceland - Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir

About four years ago when I first joined Flickr I came across the work of
Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir, an artist from Iceland. I wasn't the only one. She has had millions of views on her Flickr stream and many, many fans worldwide. I have spent hours looking at her images, studying them, deciphering them, wondering about her technique, marveling at her creativity. Her landscape photographs of Iceland make me want to get on a plane and go to this mysterious, faraway place. But, it is her self-portrait work that literally take my breath away. She seems to invent a new world with each of her nuanced images. They are so deeply imaginative and inspiring.

I am particularly excited to feature Rebekka's work here today because this Friday in New York City there will be a show from the recent Artists Wanted self-portrait call for entries that will partly exhibit her work - Rebekka is one of two artists honored with the People's Choice Award. Artists Wanted is a collaborative project between several New York City artists and creative organizations working to build new lasting opportunities for emerging talent.



I had originally planned on going to the opening night and meeting Rebekka in person, as well as seeing all of the other incredible works of the artists being honored but I'm going to be out of town. I'm hoping to make it there some time next week to see the show for myself. But, in the meantime, I'm enjoying them all
online and you should too.

The information for the show is as follows:

Friday, March 12th, from 7pm through 10pm

Self : Expressed

Open House Gallery
201 Mulberry Street, Manhattan



Be sure to visit her website and her
Flickr site - but don't say I didn't warn you...you will get completely lost in her world and not realize it until hours have passed.







Here is the text of Rebekka's Bio from the
Artists Wanted site.

My name is Rebekka, and I'm Icelandic. Although armed with a BA degree in visual arts from Icelands Academy of the Arts as of May '09, I'm largely self-taught in photography, which is my main outlet of creativity, along with good old-fashioned drawing, with pencil on paper. I've flirted with self-portraiture for several years. To begin with , this self-scrutiny was a means of healing a badly bruised self image. Over time, my self-portraits have evolved in several different directions. Spurred on by my love for the Icelandic landscape, an active imagination and stubborn do-it-yourself attitude, I work alone, preferably in uncomfortable conditions, often employing props I've made or found. I aim to create images which invoke the viewers curiosity, allowing their imagination free reign to create a narrative around the moment I've chosen to present. Some of these are sparked by emotional turmoil or personal experience, others are simply playful, surreal or disturbing images my minds eye has conjured up, and I feel a need to share with others. In addition to pursuing my artistic goals, I'm the mother of two boys, and design & knit sweaters for a living.






All images Copyright Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir.

Today's Soundtrack:
Mutemath - Typical

Of Baby Seals and Baby Bellies

Spring has sprung! Well, I hope. I'm not quite sure if spring is here to stay but it definitely looks like it here in New York. Of course the cynical side of me refuses to believe it since it was merely two weeks ago that the snow was coming down like crazy. But, in the meantime, I'm enjoying the sun and fresh air while I can.

This weekend we went out to East Hampton. We had lunch in our car with the windows open as we looked out at the ocean. We decided to go for a walk to stretch our legs and fill our lungs with the sea air. It was such a gorgeous afternoon. The baby was kicking and I have no doubt it was in response to my general good mood and the feeling of the warm air on my belly. Of course I was still bundled up - it was barely 60 degrees after all - but you can see how excited we New Yorkers get during those first days of spring.

On our walk we came upon a little baby seal that had beached itself. Well, actually I don't know if he beached himself - he was moving around and I think he was actually a bit scared of us but he did not want to go back in the water. There was another family there who had already taken charge and called animal control to come help the poor little guy. We kept a bit of distance from him and we waited for over two hours and no one came. This pregnant lady was a bit tired (and hungry again!) so the other family assured us that they would wait with the seal until help arrived.



I thought about the animal all afternoon. I also thought about spring and summer and how they bring new life and possibilities...this year more than ever.









I look so enormous in this photo! Granted I am six months pregnant but even the small parts of my body get lost in the lusciousness of this coat. This coat was my great grandmother's and then it was my aunt's and now it's mine. I adore it. It's over 60 years old - I like to imagine my beautiful, Italian great grandmother walking around in it. I feel like she's with me when I have it on - which this winter is all the time since it's my coat of choice thanks to how roomy and warm it is.

Today's Soundtrack:
Rogue Wave - Love´s Lost Guarantee

Today is International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. It is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places IWD is a national holiday. What a wonderful way to celebrate the accomplishments of women all over the world and to recognize all the women in your life who have made a difference.



Head over here to see a wonderful collection of images commemorating the day.

Image via Flickr Library of Congress.

The Armory Show - New York City

Are you in New York City this weekend and don't have any plans? Escape the cold and get yourself over to The Armory Show.

The Armory Show, held this weekend until March 7th at Piers 92 and 94 (12th avenue and 55th Street), is America's leading fine art fair devoted to the most important art of the 20th and 21st centuries. In its eleven years, the fair has become an international institution. Every March, artists, galleries, collectors, critics and curators from all over the world make New York their destination during
Armory Arts Week.

The Armory Show has taken this opportunity to launch its first ever series of public programming in celebration of the City’s unparalleled artistic communities in a different neighborhood each night. Events include special receptions, open studios, art tours, museum discounts, performances, panels, artist discussions and parties.

To see a full schedules of events click here:
Armory Arts Week





Photos via Armory Arts Week.

Today's Soundtrack:
David Bowie - Life On Mars?

Yes, herMajesty.

Oh how I love social networking. Yes, you make fabulous business connections and learn about an endless amount of opportunities - in fact, many of the shows that I've been in came as a result of networking and many of the honors that I've garnered including prizes in contests and online features all came as the result of networking, putting myself out there and learning about all of these opportunities.

But beyond all of these wonderful professional contacts sometimes you make personal contacts and form friendships. In my view these are even more valuable than building your professional network. I had such an experience recently when my SIL introduced me to a friend of hers via Facebook. His name is JP and he is the lead vocalist and guitarist of an incredible band based out of here in New York.

Let me introduce you to herMajesty. Elegant, enchanting, aggressive, and suffused with longing, Images from the Vanishing Night, the band's most recent album, is a window into the city after dark. When asked to elaborate, JP says on their label's website, “I am fascinated by the club scene of the city, and, more specifically, how seemingly disparate needs feed into the experience of clubbing. I mean really, how does anyone reconcile a wish for affiliation, desire, craving, not to mention having a good time and forgetting?”

JP and I struck up a conversation and he recently invited me to create a slideshow of images to be showcased on a screen during the band's latest listening party. In order to prepare the show he graciously sent me a few of the tracks. I haven't stopped listening to the music for the last two weeks. The music is haunting and evokes a sense of nostalgia that takes me back to my room in high school listening to Roxy Music and David Bowie. Yet despite that, it still has a fresh and unique sound that I can't quite compare to anyone I have ever heard before. Granted I'm no music expert but I am a music lover. Be sure to visit their MySpace page and take a listen. And, check out their
Facebook Fan Page.

Check out these photos from their listening party. You can see one of my images on the screen.









Here's the band...

JP- Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, programming
Vanessa- Keyboards, Backup Vocals
Jerome- lead guitars, programming
Dave- Bass, Backup Vocals
Chip- Drums

A Vacation in My Mind

Sometimes you make plans and they just don't pan out. Such is the case this week - we're supposed to be on vacation but life and work happens. We're in the middle of rescheduling for next month (we really want to get away before our girl gets here) but in the meantime I'm mentally going on vacation today and revisiting these images that I captured on my last few trips to Paris. Some of them I've shared here before but to me they are so magical that I can't help but look at them again and again. I hope you feel the same!

This post was originally published earlier this year as a guest post on
The Beauty File. Incidentally, Lisi, the lovely gal behind TBF is a sponsor of Ciao, Chessa! so please be sure to show her some love...

One of my favorite modes of procrastination, other than stalking photography websites and fun, stylish blogs is to dream about travel. My number one indulgence is taking vacations and luckily I married a guy who shares this passion. Ever since I was a girl I've loved to look at maps and study cities and roads in different countries. I'm the girl with the guidebook in her face reading about the big sites and the hidden gems, the girl looking for the fabulous must-try restaurant, trying local food and drink and looking for the fabulous shops. And, of all the places I've visited, the one that we keep going back to is my beloved Paris. I left a piece of my heart there when I studied and lived there while I was in college. I've never quite been the same..Paris does that to you.

Of course it's freezing there right now too but I'm dreaming of sipping a cafe au lait (and if I wasn't pregnant a delicious, pre-dinner Kir Royal) in a lost corner of the Latin Quarter, wandering around the Île Saint-Louis enjoying a Berthillon sorbet, lounging in the Champ de Mars and looking up at the Eiffel Tower, eating and shopping my way through Les Champs d'Elysees and the Latin Quarter, strolling through the Jardin des Tuileries, people watching pretty much anywhere, strolling along the Seine, window shopping in the Place Vendome, the Galleries Lafayette, and the trendy Marais and walking through the long halls of the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay or the Picasso Museum, my favorite museum in my favorite foreign city. Le sigh...

What about you, dolls? What's your favorite destination and procrastination go-to place?

All images taken by me on previous trips to the City of Light.

























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Today's Soundtrack:
Carla Bruni - L'Amoureuse