As a book lover, I'm always picking up new books that are creative and inspiring. I recently saw the book "All the buildings in New York" and loved the illustrations.
James Gulliver Hancock is an illustrator and started a blog to draw all the buildings in New York. His drawings are amazing and he has been commissioned by all the major publications. So, the book deal was next on the list, and it does not disappoint.
Country Boy and I ventured up Madison Ave to take in the sights of the Rich and Famous.
Along the way, we saw the new Barneys Roy Lichtenstein windows and went inside to take a peak.
As a (sometimes (OK, let's face it) practically never) blogger, you aspire to be as great as some of the amazing Bloggers, Designers, Stylists out there.
Enter Mrs Lilien.
She is a talented & uber stylish Author, Graphic Designer, Stylist, Blogger, Extraordinaire
My grandfather had a General Store and I grew up as a Kid in a Candy Shop.
He had candy and treats and best of all...Ice Cream.
Hence my love for ice cream began.
So now that Spring is here and Summer is approaching I thrive for that
delightful dessert, that makes me feel like a kid again.
In NYC, there are tons of ice cream options, but Van Leeuwen is top on the list.
It's an Ice Cream truck for Grown Ups!
Van Leeuwen
They are an Artisan Ice Cream establishment using only the freshest ingredients and all natural flavors. The Flavors are absolutely pure and delicious.
Van Leeuwen
They Van Leeuwen truck was parked outside my office the other day and I ran to get some ice cream, unfortunately it was a private event, so they wouldn't serve me. :(
But that's OK, I'm destined to have my ice cream fix very soon.
Do you love ice cream as much as me?
Have any favorites in the city?
~City Belle
All images via Van Leeuwen
CBCB is not affiliated with Van Leeuwen or profiting from this post
Black Sabbath will make a huge return in June with 13, their first album with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler since 1978's Never Say Die! What's more, today marks the 43rd anniversary of the original U.K. release of their debut album, Black Sabbath, and the band is celebrating by releasing this glimpse into their studio as they record the new album. "You can't always repeat what you've done, you've just got to go on," says Butler in the clip. "It'll be today's version of where it was 40 years ago, I suppose.
April 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, Black Sabbath threw a super secret private party for a hand-picked group of media members and VIPs to get the first listen to their upcoming album, ‘13.’
The event began with Jack Osbourne, who welcomed the crowd and showed a mini-documentary about the making of the album. After the film came the preview. In total, eight of 13's songs were played, and, based on their perceptions – both of which were very positive – here is a track-by-track breakdown of what can be expected when it is released on June 11.
‘End of the Beginning’ — At eight minutes, it’s a little long for an album opener. Still, the “understated, melodic eeriness” of it, coupled with the musical interplay of Geezer Butler and new drummer Brad Wilk over some vintage Tony Iommi riffs, make it a winner.
‘God Is Dead?’ — This was the song featured in the 27-second video of the album art. The lyric concerns “a bleak future and questions the existence of a higher being, given some of the hard times on Earth” and also scored points for its B-section, with a riff reminiscent of ‘Holy in the Sky.’
‘Loner‘ — A “more traditional rocker” in the vein of ‘N.I.B.,’ with Iommi and Wilk singled out for their work on it.
‘Zeitgeist‘ — The mellowest and, according to black-sabbath.com, weakest song of the eight played, who finds it “evocative of Planet Caravan.” However, Ozzy Osbourne‘s vocals and the “stark and desolate imagery” were noted by Loudwire.
‘Age of Reason‘ — Arguably the album’s strongest song, and one that the entire audience loved. It features several time shifts, a breakdown and a killer guitar solo.
‘Live Forever’ — A good song, but not great, with another lyric about mortality (as if that’s a shock) and several “fist-pumping, headbanging moments.”
‘Damaged Soul’ — Black Sabbath doing what amounts to a nearly eight-minute heavy blues jam. Your feelings about the song will be contingent upon your willingness to hear that.
‘Dear Father’ — This was featured in the video of the band in the studio, where producer Rick Rubin asks Osbourne to do another take. One riff evokes the song ‘Black Sabbath,’ which could be deliberate. The song ends with the sound of a thunderstorm and church bells...just perfect.
Following the preview, the three members of Black Sabbbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler – appeared onstage and thanked the audience for attending.
"It's different altogether now," Butler adds later. "We have much more of a thing going than what it was [in those] days." Ozzy also feels invigorated with their current incarnation, which features Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk as replacement for Bill Ward (who dropped out of the reunion in May). "I wanted to sound current," says Ozzy, "yet still have that Sabbath vibe." 13 will be released in June and is produced by Rick Rubin.
Hey y'all! It's Country Boy and just wanted to let you know I've lived in the City for 1O years, and have watched in vain the runners who gallop throughout this concrete jungle. I always sort-of laughed at them in a way. Thought they were nuts ya know? But times are a changin' as I am down 5O pounds....from running. But the 1st thing you must do is invest in your foundation(feet). I rec something like this:
Nike+ has a neat app that allows you to compete w/ fellow runners/friends and keep track of your times, distance and calories burned. It even tracks and maps your elevation. It's super intense and it's basically the reason I'm typing this.
The psychologically addictive nature the app provided was enough to motivate me to become a better runner, and in they process a better person for having accomplished my goal.
They give you medals for goals you set. Like 24 miles a week. It's up to you as to how hard you want to push yourself. Yes, it's very addictive. Download the app here.
