Eye | Vera Wang on Ice | Eats: Nashville's Catbird Seat | Easeamine @ 2Ps in a Pod

The designer Vera Wang at the Standard Hotel’s ice skating rink. Marvin OrellanaVera Wang Ice Queen

The designer Vera Wang shares her love of ice skating at the Standard Hotel’s 3,000-square-foot rick hear the Highline in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district.  Hotel guests and locals like take a spin on the ice every winter, writes the NYTimes.

Competing in the 1968 US Figure Skating Championship, Wang hoped to win a spot on the US Olympic team. When she didn’t make it, fashion design became her next passion. She went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne and then to Vogue. As is so often the case with Asian kids, her stratospheric rise to excellence began the day her “Beijing-born father, Cheng Ching Wang, took her to the sailboat pond at Central Park and strapped two skates on his then 6-year-old daughter.” Read on at NYT

Dinner is Served Nashville Style at The Catbird Seat

Image by Anthony MatulaYELP reviewers write that Nashville’s new restaurant The Catbird Seat exists in that rareified league of Charlie Trotters, French Laundry, Per Se, and Alinea.  The food is simply gorgeous in this come dine in my kitchen, prix fixe dinner that brings pairs co-executive chefs Erik Anderson and Josh Habiger with guests. 

“We think that in a normal restaurant setting, the chef plays such a removed role from experience of the diner. Our relationship with the person eating doesn’t stop when we are done plating the food,” Anderson explained. “It’s funny, but we were kind of jealous of our diners. We wanted to become part of the experience,” Habiger added. via NYTimes

Image by Anthony Matula

Marco Brambilia’s ‘Civilization’ at The Standard

Marco Brambilia’s ‘Civilization’ at The StandardBecause it’s Christmas and with our recent launch of 2Ps in a Pod, Anne’s unique new writing collaboration with Bro. Dennis, the vision behind Easeamine anti-aging skin care products, any mention of the Standard Hotel recalls Marco Brambilia’s splendid installation ‘Civilization’ in the elevator of the hotel.

A collaboration between the artist and Toronto-based Crush studio, ‘Civilization’ is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and simulates an ascension to heaven or descent to hell, depending on your direction in the elevator.

Watching the video again just now, Bro. Dennis’ words to Anne truly resonated.

2 Ps in a Pod | The Paradox of Profound & Profane

In striking a psychological, emotional and tactical alliance to further Easeamine’s nonprofit initiative by selling an extraordinarily effective collection of anti-aging skin care products that Anne has used with very visible results, both Bro. Dennis and Easeamine’s president Paul Menard positively embrace the beauty of intelligent sensuality expressed on AOC.

Walking where angels dare not tread — and not without criticism over their decision — Bro. Dennis’ observation to Anne that the profane and profound are often intertwined is certainly expressed in the ‘Civilization’ video.

As Anne, Bro. Dennis and Paul map out the expansive range of their blogging collaborations — already joined by another Teresian Carmelite monk Bro. Solomon — we take this moment to share Bro. Solomon’s thoughts on a third ‘P’ known as ‘paradox’.

The acceptance of paradox is given to us by one of the earliest Christian writers St. Paul who said, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15” This leads me to reflect that when we do something that we hate, in the terms of morality “bad”, it defines not who we are but what we do, and often times we are way too hard on ourselves.

Anne’s love of the ‘Civilization’ video has always been grounded in this understanding about paradox. With this strange twist of serendipitidy or divine intervention — depending on your point of view — the paradoxical message about sensuality and morality of her favorite ‘Civilization’ video will express itself forcefully at Anne of Carversville in 2012.

2 Ps in a Pod Anne’s unique new writing collaboration with Bro. Dennis

Bro. Dennis, coauthor of 2Ps in a Pod blog, written with Anne Enke