Last weekend, we took a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge and checked out some exhibits that were part of the Festival of Ideas for the New City.

Some cool stuff.

Every day should be a festival of ideas, however small they may be. (Like: Walk more, drive less. Brilliant!)

Did you have any good ideas this weekend?

Nature at it’s finest, at the Sakura Matsai cherry blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden this weekend. Gorgeousness everywhere I pointed my camera—it was nearly impossible to take a bad picture. Photobomb, flowerbowb, cherry bomb!

While in Baltimore a few weeks ago, I went to check out the American Visionary Art Museum.

Anything can be art, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, right?

“Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself.”

In other words, things created by visionaries, geniuses, amateurs and random crazies, in most cases never intended to be art.

Which makes it all the more interesting. Plus points for a great restaurant on the top floor.

The Visionary Art Museum is located at the base of historic Federal Hill, adjacent to downtown Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and is open 10:00am – 6:00pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Good luck, outside the Baltimore Tattoo Museum.

Crabcakes, everywhere.

The Chesapeake, in the Chesapeake Bay.

Waiting.

Ice, custard or happiness? I know what I would pick.

Be open.

Perfect mashed potatoes.

“From the Land of Pleasant Living.”

A few things in Baltimore that inspired me.

I was very inspired by all the great lettering and signage I saw all over (what little I saw of) Baltimore. Painted, carved, drawn, rendered in neon, on wood, on concrete and on stone. Sometimes deliberate, sometimes unintentional. Always present.

I spent the latter part of this week in Baltimore, new territory for me. One cold and overcast afternoon I went to explore the Fells Point neighborhood.

Like much I saw of the city there were piers, boats and great old hand painted signage on brick buildings.

Amazingly rich visual texture everywhere you look.

In an attempt to brighten things up underneath the colorless sky I wore my favorite orange coat (which is actually bright orange), bought in Toronto two years ago.

We could have traveled to Fells Point by Water Taxi, but the New Yorker in me enjoys her walks too much.

Even though I am not a big fan of seagulls, they undeniably add a certain ambiance to it all. There were no other people around… perfect picturesque serenity.

Gorgeous video for Dannijo’s Fall ’11 collection, shot by my friend Petter (who is now in Russia, visually documenting inspirational artist John Forté’s From Brooklyn to Russia With Love! tour—so cool).

Love the “little rich hippie girl on the prairie” vibe. Oh, and the jewelry looks pretty fab too.

This is one of the shows I wish I would have seen live—just to see the movement of the fabric. I’ve written about Costello Tagliapietra before, commending their use of the waterless AirDye technique. They also won the CFDA/Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge a few months back.

I love the bright colors, simple cuts and slight Mad Men-goes-disco vibe. These talented two have a very bright fashion future ahead of them.