Half a gigameter of biking navigation in 12 countries in Google Maps for Android

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Whether you’re a seasoned century rider or a casual beach cruiser, finding the best biking routes can be a challenge. That’s why today we’re bringing mobile biking directions and navigation to the 10 countries where we launched desktop biking directions last month (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK). Plus, we’re adding turn-by-turn, voice-guided biking navigation to Google Maps Navigation (beta) in every country with biking directions. Mount your device on your handlebars to see the turn-by-turn directions and navigation, or use speaker-mode to hear voice-guided directions.
Turn-by-turn biking navigation in Copenhagen
We know there are lots of ways to get from here to there, which is why in 2010, we added biking directions to Google Maps in the U.S. and Canada, and continue to work to bring more biking features to more places. Today, there are more than 330,000 miles (equal to more than 530,000 kilometers, or half a gigameter) of green biking lines in Google Maps. Dark green lines on the map show dedicated bike trails and paths with no motor vehicles, light green lines show streets with bike lanes and dashed green lines show other streets recommended for cycling. Biking navigation even helps you avoid steep hills.
Bike layer showing recommended streets for cycling in Stockholm
Where Map Maker and biking directions are both available, riders can add bike trails, lanes and suggested routes to Google Maps, helping to create a more comprehensive map for everyone living in or visiting their community. Thanks to the contributions of members of the biking community like Todd Scott and our partnership with nonprofits like Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we’ve added bike data for hundreds of cities and trails to Google Maps in the past two-and-a-half years.

When you’re pedaling from Point A to Point B, we hope biking navigation will make Google Maps for Android more useful to you.

Posted by Larry Powelson, Software Engineer, Google Maps

(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)

Making exploration easier for people around the world with Google Maps

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Maps keep our spirit of adventure alive by making it easier for us to explore the world around us. That’s why today, we’re making Google Maps even better with new turn-by-turn navigation with traffic conditions, biking directions, Map Maker and new Street View imagery in more locations globally. These improvements are part of our ongoing effort to build the best map we can -- one that’s comprehensive, accurate and easy for you to use.

First, we’re expanding Google Maps Navigation (Beta) with voice guided, turn-by-turn directions in thousands of towns across India. Navigation is one of the most frequently requested features in this region and can be especially helpful when driving in densely populated cities like Delhi or Bangalore. We’re also adding live traffic conditions for major roads with estimated travel times to help you save time and to reduce stress on the road.
Turn-by-turn voice navigation in New Delhi, India
Biking directions and Map Maker are also now rolling out to New Zealanders. Local cyclists can access biking directions directly on Google Maps, and use Map Maker to add bike lanes and trails if their favorite route is missing or they discover a new one. Beyond biking trails, Map Maker can also be used to make the New Zealand map more accurate with details such as new road names, building footprints and more.

Biking directions from Remuera in Auckland to the local Google office
Later today, we’ll also release new Street View imagery for more than 150 university campuses globally. With classes just getting started, freshman students, transfers and even empty-nesting parents can now familiarize themselves with college campuses around the world, including UCLA in the U.S., Pembroke College in the U.K., McGill University in Canada and Sophia University in Japan. These new panoramic views join our growing list of universities whose campuses are already available in Google Maps.


View Larger Map Royce Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles
Finally, to celebrate all the places you can reach with Google Maps—all seven continents, the sky, the moon and even the depths of the ocean—we made a video that we hope will inspire you to keep exploring.



Keep exploring at maps.google.com/helloworld. Here’s to many new adventures.

Posted by Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth

(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)

Google Drive: Updates for iOS and Android

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Every day, more and more people are choosing to live online and get things done in the cloud. Helping to make this experience as seamless as possible, Google Drive is one place where you can create, share and keep all your stuff. Drive is available on the web, as well as Mac, Windows and Android and iOS.
Updates for iOS
Starting today, if you’re using the Drive app on your iOS device you can also edit Google documents, just as you can with the Android app. From your iPhone or iPad, you can create a new document, edit an existing one or format text. And, just like on your computer, you’ll be able to see other people’s edits instantly as they’re made.

You’ll also notice other new improvements to the iOS Drive app. For example, you can now view Google presentations on your iPhone or iPad, including speaker notes, full-screen mode and the ability to swipe between slides. You can also create new folders, move files into folders and upload stuff (like photos and videos) from your device directly in the Drive app.

Updates for Android 
We’re also updating the Drive app for Android phones and tablets today. You can now add comments, reply to existing comments and view tables in your Google documents. And you’ll have the same new abilities to view presentations and organize your stuff as your friends with iPhones do.

More to come... 
Looking ahead, we have plenty more planned for the Drive mobile apps—including native editing and real-time collaboration for Google spreadsheets. Stay tuned.



Get Drive in the App Store for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and visit the Play Store to get the latest on your Android phone or tablet. To learn more about Google Drive, visit drive.google.com/start.

Posted by Anil Sabharwal, Senior Product Manager

(Cross-posted on the Enterprise and Drive blogs)

Introducing a new YouTube app for your iPhone and iPod touch

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For all you diehard YouTube fans out there who can’t get enough YouTube on your mobile, we’ve got some great news: starting today, you can download the official YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch from the App Store, bringing you more of the videos you love and more ways to share them with the people you care about.

The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience. Here’s what you’ll find:

Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.


New YouTube channel guide: Swipe your finger from the left edge of the screen to reveal a guide with your subscribed channels on YouTube, giving you instant access to everything from Alli Sports to YOMYOMF.

Find awesome videos faster: Get to videos like “Gangnam Style” faster with new search tools that give suggestions while you type, and let you sort through videos or channels. Flip through related videos, comments and more info, all while watching a video.

More ways to share with the people you love: Share that incredible video you found on YouTube on Google+, Facebook or text message in the app, as well as from Twitter and email.

There’s even more to explore with the new YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch, available for download from the App Store today. We’re working on an optimized version of the YouTube app for iPad in the coming months, and stay tuned for more details.
You’ve already shown us you love YouTube on mobile—to the tune of 1 billion mobile views a day—so we can’t wait to see what you think about this new experience.
Posted by Andrey Doronichev, head of YouTube mobile
(Cross-posted on the YouTube blog)

Getting America’s businesses online

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The web is where we go to find things—somewhere to eat tonight, someone to cut your hair or someone to come quickly to tend to your plumbing disaster. Ninety-seven percent of Americans who use the Internet—pretty much all of us—are looking online for local goods and services. Businesses need to be where their customers are. In 2012, that’s online.

Yet, more than half of all small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a website. Many of those businesses are completely invisible in the one place people are looking for them. The impact of being online is real: Businesses that make use of the web are expected to grow 40 percent faster and are nearly twice as likely to create jobs. Since small businesses make up half of the U.S. GDP and contribute two-thirds of all new jobs, the potential impact of getting these businesses (more than 15 million of them) online is enormous. We wanted to help spur a new wave of SMBs on the web, and change the perception that getting online is hard, expensive and time-consuming.

In July 2011, we went to Austin to get Texas businesses on the web. Texas Get Your Business Online helped any business in Texas get a free, easy-to-build website as well as a free, customized domain name and web hosting for one year. The tools and resources made it fast, easy and free for any business in Texas to get online.

The response from the small business community in Texas was tremendous—thousands of businesses started to get online at events throughout the state and on the web. So we decided to expand the program, going state-by-state to get businesses online. At the end of August 2012, we went to Alaska and Hawaii. These were our 49th and 50th states. Just over a year after our experiment in Austin, we’ve brought America Get Your Business Online to all 50 states, with help from ASBDC, Score, Intuit and over 500 local partners. We’ve had more than 20,000 small businesses attend more than 200 events throughout the country.



This is just the beginning of our commitment to get businesses on the web and succeeding online. Today, small businesses throughout the U.S. can get online for free at www.AmericaGetOnline.com. Businesses get a free, easy-to-build website as well as a free, customized domain name and web hosting for one year. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s free.

If you’re a small business, get your business online today. Or, if you know a great business that is not online, use this tool to invite them to the web. Getting America’s businesses online may very well be the fastest, easiest step we can take to grow our small businesses and our economy.

Posted by Scott Levitan, Director of Small Business Engagement

Google Maps shows how we spent summer 2012

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In the blink of an eye, summer is coming to an end. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was planning out all my summer activities as I eagerly awaited the start of long, sunny days and warm nights.

Before we approach the official end of summer on September 21, our Google Maps team thought it’d be fun to see how those of us in the Northern Hemisphere have spent the dog days. To do this, we reviewed the summer search activity on maps.google.com in several countries between the end of May and the beginning of September. Within each country, a look at some of the top-rising searches and the often-searched landmarks on Google Maps gives us a sense of how people around the world spent their summers.

We’re honored that people rely on the comprehensive and accurate imagery in Google Maps to research, plan, preview and digitally experience distant as well as local destinations across the globe. Take a look and click through for a larger image:


North Americans sought out the best local beaches to help cool off from the summer heat. In comparison, many more people from Spain, Italy and France searched for community swimming pools. In cooler areas of the U.K. the rising Google Maps searches included many indoor activities such as squash, bars and going to the gym. And, as expected, travel was a clear choice for the summer, as indicated by a surge in searches for lodging in almost every region.

Many popular destination searches were located outdoors. National parks and Hawaiian islands were the most popular searches in the U.S., while local parks, zoos, gardens and playgrounds topped Canada’s and Europe’s list. Major landmarks such as the Empire State Building in New York City, Niagara Falls in Canada, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Taj Mahal in India also topped the list of often-searched places in Google Maps. And of course, with the Summer Games drawing in international audiences, Wembley Stadium and the Olympic Stadium were two of the most searched for locations throughout the U.K. this summer.

Check out the destinations that captured people’s attention this summer and see how your interests compared to others around the world. We hope you enjoy this look back to remember the fun places we all went with Google Maps this summer, and we can’t wait to help you find your next adventure!

Posted by Manik Gupta, Sr. Product Manager, Google Maps

(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)

A new way of doing things on campus

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Josh remembers the old days at college, when working on a group project meant trekking through the snow (uphill both ways, of course) to meet with his team in the library, followed by endless rounds of back-and-forth revisions (in red pen, no doubt). And by old days, he means last year. As Josh—a rising senior at Princeton University—heads back to campus this fall, he and his classmates will be getting a whole new experience with Google Apps for Education.

Princeton is just one of the many colleges and universities now using Google Apps. In fact, seven of the eight Ivy League universities and 72 of this year’s top 100 U.S. Universities (as determined by 2013 U.S. News and World Report’s ranking) have gone Google, too.

We’re also welcoming 14 other new schools to the Google Apps for Education family, just in time for back-to-school:

• Bates College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Georgetown University
• Princeton University
• Rice University
• Smith College
• Stony Brook University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of Dayton
• University of Mississippi
• University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences
• Vassar College
• Virginia Tech

By going Google, students and teachers have access to a whole new way of doing things: They can better collaborate in and out of the classroom; office hours can be held via hangouts; e-portfolios can be created and maintained in a Google Site; professors can give real-time feedback in a Google document (no red pen necessary); and group projects can take place across continents instead of side-by-side in a library.

And this is just the beginning. As more schools go Google, we continue to be amazed by the creative ways students and teachers are using technology to work better together, and we’re looking forward to the surprises in store this school year.


Posted by Miriam Schneider, Google Apps for Education

(Cross-posted on the Google Enterprise Blog.)

Celebrating teachers who make a difference with Google

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For most of us, there’s at least one teacher whose name we will never forget—that favorite teacher who made a difference in our education, whether they were our first grade art teacher or a professor in college. For me, that teacher was Ms. Taylor, my 8th grade science teacher. Ms. Taylor didn't just foster my love of science—she understood that 8th grade can be a tough time for students as they try to navigate social cliques and prepare for the pressure of high school. Ms. Taylor knew that taking the time to ask us if we were feeling okay was just as important as teaching us about geological formations. She didn’t just care about teaching us—she genuinely cared about us as people.

This Friday is World Teachers' Day, and we want to honor the teachers like Ms. Taylor who helped make us the people we are today. We’ve long supported education through technology, offering free tools like YouTube Edu and Google Apps for Education, and by developing cost-efficient devices like Chromebooks. But it’s the teachers who really make the difference by creatively incorporating that technology into their classrooms. As technology usage in schools increases, we hear even more amazing stories about how teachers and students are using our products to foster collaborative learning.

And that usage is growing quickly. As of today, more than 20 million students, faculty and staff worldwide use Google Apps for Education. In addition, in the last year we announced that:

• 400+ universities are posting lectures and/or full courses online using YouTube Edu
• 600,000 staff from the Philippines Department of Education will now be using Google Apps
• Universities across the continents are signing up for Apps, including schools in Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Africa
• More than 500 schools and districts went back to school with Chromebooks this fall
• Seven of the eight Ivy League universities and 72 of this year’s top 100 U.S. universities (as determined by 2013 U.S. News and World Report’s ranking) have gone Google with Google Apps for Education

As a tribute to the educators who are putting these tools to work, this week we’ll be highlighting a few amazing teachers on our Google in Education page on Google+. To kick off the series, we want to celebrate Ms. Kornowski—a science teacher at Kettle-Moraine High School in Wales, WI, who is using Google Forms to bring her students together.



To all the Ms. Taylors and Ms. Kornowskis out there—thank you, both for the positive impact you have on your students and for letting Google be a part of that experience.

Posted by Cristin Frodella, Google in Education

Communicate more easily across languages in Gmail

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Finding the right words can be difficult, especially across languages, and once you choose them, finding a way to type them can be even harder. Try emailing family in Germany, chatting with friends in China or adding a Russian business partner's name to your contacts and you may find yourself limited by the language of your keyboard.

That's why today we’re adding more than 100 virtual keyboards, transliteration and IMEs—collectively called input tools—in Gmail. These tools enable you to type in the language and keyboard layout you’re accustomed to, making it easy to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers from any computer. You can even switch between languages with one click.


To try it out, check the box next to Enable input tools under Language in Settings.

Once you’ve enabled it, you’ll see the Input Tools icon next to the Settings button in your toolbar, and you can turn on and off any Input Tool from there.


With these new virtual keyboards, Gmail supports typing in 75 languages—a big jump from the five languages that were initially supported when we introduced Indic transliteration in Gmail in 2009.

Gmail’s users are from all over the world—and language should never get in the way of a good conversation. If you'd like to use Input Tools in other places, try out the Chrome extension, the Windows desktop client or the Android app.

Posted by C. Andrew Warren, Product Manager

(Cross-posted on the Gmail and Enterprise Blogs)

Bringing history to life

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Today you can discover 42 new online historical exhibitions telling the stories behind major events of the last century, including Apartheid, D-Day and the Holocaust. The stories have been put together by 17 partners including museums and cultural foundations who have drawn on their archives of letters, manuscripts, first-hand video testimonials and much more. Much of the material is very moving—and some is on the Internet for the first time.



Each exhibition features a narrative which links the archive material together to unlock the different perspectives, nuances and tales behind these events. Among others you’ll see:

• Tragic love at Auschwitz - the story of Edek & Mala, a couple in love who try to escape Auschwitz
• Jan Karski, Humanity’s hero - first-hand video testimony from the man who attempted to inform the world about the existence of the Holocaust
• Faith in the Human Spirit is not Lost - tracing the history of Yad Vashem’s efforts to honor courageous individuals who attempted to rescue Jews during the Holocaust
• Steve Biko - a 15-year-old’s political awakening in the midst of the Apartheid movement featuring nine documents never released in the public domain before
• D-Day - details of the famous landings including color photographs, personal letters and the D-Day order itself from Admiral Ramsay
• The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - an account of the 1953 Coronation including color photographs
• Years of the Dolce Vita - a look at the era of the “good life” in Italy including the fashion, food, cars and culture

As with the other archives that we’ve helped bring onto the Internet, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, you can zoom in to see photos in great detail and search through millions of items for a specific country, person, event or date. Watch our video for some guidance about how to find your way around the exhibitions.

The historical collections are the latest chapter in the work of the Google Cultural Institute, following the Art Project, World Wonders and the Nelson Mandela archives. We’re working closely with museums, foundations and other archives around the world to make more cultural and historical material accessible online and by doing so preserve it for future generations.

You can explore the many exhibitions at www.google.com/culturalinstitute. You can also follow us on our Google+ page. What you see today is just the start, so if you’re a partner interested in contributing your own exhibitions, please fill out this form.

Posted by Mark Yoshitake, Product Manager, Google Cultural Institute

A Mother's Day Gift To My Readers

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www.jujubeandlolo.com (They have instructions on how to make it!)

I've been getting a lot of emails from very well-meaning fans who threaten to fall into some kind of horrible looming depression that cannot be cured by anything but a sneak peak of Requiem or a sequel to Before I Fall. Sadly, neither one of those things is going to happen--but I think I might have fold a partial solution.
As some of you already know, (and the rest of you must now be kicking yourself for forgetting), today is Mother's Day. I've got a great mother, a really excellent super awesome one, but in many of my books, moms are notoriously absent. thinking about my books I realized that there is a notable absence of good mothers hanging around!
In Delirium and Pandemonium, Lena's mom impacts the story partly as a result of her absence. And so, dear readers, I thought as a special Mother's day present, and to help tide you over during the long wait forRequiem, I would share some of her thoughts with you. Here is an exclusive scene from Lena's Mom's POV!
When I was a girl, it snowed for a whole summer.            Every day, the sun rose smudgy behind a smoke-gray sky, and hovered behind its haze; in the evenings, it sank, orange and defeated, like the glowing embers of a dying flame.            And the flakes came down and down—not cold to touch, but with their own peculiar burn--as the wind brought smells of burning.            Every night, on TV, my mother and father sat us down to watch the news. All of the pictures were the same: towns neatly evacuated, cities enclosed, grateful citizens waving from the windows of shiny new buses, as they were carted off to a new future, a life of perfect happiness. A life of painlessness.            “See?” my mother would say, smiling at me and my sister Carol in turn. “We live in the greatest country on earth. See how lucky we are?”            And yet the ash continued swirling down, and the smells of death came through the windows, crept under the door, hung in our carpets and curtains, and screamed of her lie.
Is it possible to tell the truth in a society of lies? Or must you always, of necessity, become a liar?And if you lie to a liar, is the sin somehow negated or reversed?These are the kinds of questions I ask myself now: in these dark, watery hours, when night and day are interchangeable. No. Not true. During the day the guards come, to deliver food and take the bucket; and at night the others moan, scratch, and scream. They are the lucky ones. They are the ones who still believe that sound, that voice, will do any good. The rest of us know better, and have learned to live in silence.I wonder what Lena is doing now. I always wonder what Lena is doing. Rachel, too: both my girls, my beautiful, big-eyed girls. But I worry about Rachel less. Rachel was always harder than Lena, somehow. More defiant, more stubborn, less feeling. Even as a little girl, she frightened me a little—fierce and fiery-eyed, with a temper like my father’s once was.But Lena...little darling Lena, with her wide eyes and her flushed, chubby cheeks: she used to rescue spiders from the pavement to keep them getting squashed; quiet, thoughtful Lena, with the sweetest lisp to break your heart. To break my heart: my wild, uncured, erratic, incomprehensible heart. I wonder whether her front teeth still overlap a little; whether she still confuses the words pretzel and pencil occasionally; whether the wispy brown hair grew straight and long, or began to curl.I wonder whether she believes the lies they told her.I, too, am a liar now. I’ve become one, of necessity. I lie when I smile and return an empty tray. I lie when I ask for the Book of Shhh, pretending to have repented.I lie just by being here, on my cot, in the dark.Soon, it will be over. Soon, I will escape.And then the lies will end.

JOIN THE RESISTANCE! (New Facebook App!)

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Wow!
I could not be more happy or excited to announce an amazing super fun new way to immerse yourself in the world of Delirium!
Now on Facebook we have a new Pandemonium game! Join to rally the people for the cause, and try to become a leader of the revolution.
Fight for Love! Fight for Humanity! Fight for truth! Fight for Fun! 
Join the resistance at https://www.facebook.com/deliriumtrilogy/app_346071285441526 ! 

The Awkward Writing Challenge!

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Now THAT is awkward.

Thanks to everyone who entered my “Awkward” writing challenge! I got so many great entries, it was almost impossible to showcase only three. Weirdly, it was really a pleasure to read through all your depictions of this incredibly awful feeling. Additionally, I was inspired by the fact that many of you embraced awkwardness as a positive thing.
Check out some of my favorites below. Thank you again to everyone who entered, we will post another challenge soon. I can't wait see what you all come up with next!
“Awkward”- By Ainsley Shay
 Pick me. Pick me. Pick me.My hand can't get any higher, and I’m sure my crossed fingers are wrapped so tight they’ll have to be surgically separated."Miss Bailey, you seem quite eager. Why don't you be our first presenter?" says Mr. Sputnick.Instant terror descends and settles comfortably in my belly. Just get it over with. Two minutes, that’s it, then instant relief. Two minutes. Taking a deep breath, I gather my notecards, my courage, and head to the front of the class. I’m not going to throw up. I’m not going to throw up. Just picture them all naked, isn’t that what everyone always says? Oh, God, Tim Riley, so don’t want to imagine him naked. Ugh!After the last word is said, I let out the air that's been trapped in my lungs for what seems like eternity. The taste of relief is sweet until I look up and see twenty mouths gaped open.What? Why are they looking at me like that?"Ah, um…thank you, Miss Bailey. That was…educational, but the topic was propagation as in spreading beliefs into a new region, not propagation as in the act of reproduction.”Being first sucks.
What I really liked about this one was the pacing. Despite its brevity, it was a real story with a beginning, middle, and an end. . .with a great punch line. What's also great about this story is that it portrays awkwardness in two different ways. I love that the narrator's initial nervousness about giving the presentation misleads the reader, so that the ultimate reveal--which shows the truly awkward moment at play here—is a surprise. Great job!
Untitled⁃  By Kate Picard: http://www.sithereandread.com/
I stare down at my naked, shivering body and groan.Mental note: Get towel before shower.I tiptoe from the bathroom, down the empty hallway. Stacey’s room is afew feet away. But just as I take two steps, I hear a voice coming upthe stairs behind me.I make a quick decision and burst through closest door. I press my earagainst the cool wood and listen as the voice fades away. Just as I amabout to continue my journey, I hear a shuffling noise.I turn slowly to see the sleepy eyes of my biggest crush and Stacey’stwin brother, Connor, laying in bed. His eyes widen and he graciouslyturns away.Holy crap!I scan the room quickly to find something to hide behind until I seehis open closet. I trip over my fumbling feet and fall face down—orass up, onto the carpet.“Are you alright?” Connor says, with a hint of a smile in his voice.My face flushes. “Yes,” I say meekly. “Just give me a sec please.”“You can have as many secs as you need,” he says. “Er, I mean. Wellyou know what I mean.”
Hilarious, Kate! Again, this is a very short story that still conveys a great and distinct sense of different characters. Even though we only get two lines out of his mouth, we can tell that Connor is a basically good guy, with a good sense of humor (so basically perfect!). It's funny, relate-able (I ALWAYS forget a towel when I shower some place new!), and really. . .well, awkward!
Untitled⁃  by Sallie D. Mazzur
My eyes refuse to open. I am standing in the middle of the courtyard on campus, wearing my favorite white summer dress, delicate sheer lace detail lining the trim. My fingers grip the sides of the tray in front of me, knuckles straining against the plastic, practically numb from holding on so tightly. I feel it dripping slowly through my hair, down the front of my dress, sliding further down to pool around my feet, becoming drenched in it. I’ve become a live wire encased in liquid, fearing an explosion, trying to refrain from letting it escape, scratching at the insides of my chest, clawing its way out into the open. My composure slipping, I feel tears begin to add to the already cool water flowing down my body, showcasing my embarrassment. I feel their eyes on me, painful goose bumps forming on my skin as if their gaze was causing an allergic reaction. A chill runs through my body as I hear gasps surrounding me. I drop the tray and wrap my arms around myself, laughter and cat calls ringing in my ears, slicing through my self-control and shredding any dignity I could muster up. I cursed myself for not wearing a bra that day. 
I love that this one emphasizes awkwardness as a feeling, not just a set of circumstances. Sallie describes each moment, each physical aspect, in excruciating detail, with some inventive language and vivid metaphor. It's also great that she defuses the tension somewhat at the end of the paragraph by adding a humorous detail. It makes it even more relate-able, and all the more traumatizing!

Rainy Day Thoughts For Rainy Day Things

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Image courtesy of ffffound.com

I don't know how the weather is for everyone else, but here in New York, it is DREARY. I'm really starting to believe that the rain picks up to monsoon levels of downpour only when I am forced to leave the house. As much as there are things I love about rain (another list for another time), today the damp and generally sludgy quality of the day is making me super grumpy! Now I KNOW it's important to think positively, but today my thinking is positively foul...and I'm rolling with it. They say misery loves company, so here is a list of the basically minor but really irritating things that always put a storm cloud on my mental horizon. And hey, share the misery! I want to hear what gets you gruff and grumpy!

1—COSTUMER SERVICE CALLSI could write a whole special sub-section just for the cable company. Things that especially frustrate about me about dealing with any kind of customer service telephone number include a) not being able to talk to an actual human being, b) the ever-changing and completely confusing menu options and c) that hold music!
2—UNPACKING AFTER A TRIPI don't know why it seems like more work then just putting away your laundry, especially since most of what you brought home just needs to get dumped in the hamper. (Actually, I kinda hate putting away the laundry, too.) My record is letting a still half-packed suitcase chill in my bedroom for a solid two weeks.
3—WHEN YOU OPEN A BOTTLE OF SODA AND IT EXPLODESEspecially when you don't have handy access to a sink. Stickiness!!!
4—THE NOISE OF AN ALARM CLOCKNo matter what the noise actually is, I will come to hate whatever sound drags me out of bed in the morning. That includes birdsong, and is the reason I never set one of my favorite songs as an alarm! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am NOT a morning person!
5—WAKING UP, MAKING COFFEE, AND REALIZING THERE'S NO MILKVariations on this include forgetting to buy a crucial ingredient for a baking project, getting to the store and realizing you've forgotten your shopping list/money/re-useable bags, and accidentally buying the second book in a series before the first.
6—TAKING THE TIME TO BLOW DRY MY HAIR AND THEN REALIZING IT'S RAININGThis happened today. It's one of my biggest pet peeves, and also sounds like it should be a line in an Alanis Morissette song.
7—BADLY DESIGNED WEBSITESWhen it's hard to find the information you need, or when you have to sit through a three minute long animation just to find out what hours a restaurant is open. That's when I start yelling at my computer. My poor computer...

   8--MONDAYS
   Enough said!

Live-blogging the Pandemonium Ap!

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For the first time today I finally had the time to try out the awesome new pandemonium app that I blogged about some time ago! (find it here! https://www.facebook.com/deliriumtrilogy?sk=app_346071285441526&requestID= ) I thought I would live-blog some of my thoughts as I went through the app. Please bear with me as I inevitably struggle through this... I'm not known for my computer prowess!

Right off the bat, I'm having a hard time picking out an image to represent me. I'm deciding to go with the simple slogan "JOIN THE RESISTANCE &; SPREAD THE DELIRIA." I love the graphic; it for some reason reminds me what a title card would look like for an old movie.

The game allows you to share images and recruit friends to the cause. You can only send invites to 50 people at a time, but if you return, you can send out additional invites.When I go back to my homepage, I see that the picture I chose has been posted on my timeline, along with text urging people to join the resistance.

What I love about this app is that it really mimics the tactics used by real grassroots movements to spread information and rally people to a cause. And isn't Love a good cause to rally around? Even if we don't actually live in the world of Delirium and Pandemonium, our world is filled with dissension, anger, and negativity. It feels good to make a push for Love!

The Unexpected Beauty

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There is something so surprisingly beautiful about something so unexpected....





Let's face it, how many of us would have the courage and vision to upholster a 19th c. Os du Mouton settee in faux cheetah (at least I hope it's faux cheetah!)?

But that's what separates the weak from the strong, the meek from the bold, and the mere mortals from Boston based interior designer Charles Spada.

Have a wonderful weekend wherever this post finds you.

www.disegnoKarinaGentinetta.1stdibs.com

New Beginning

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I cannot believe that it's been already a year since that fabulous Elle Decor party launching the grand opening of the 1stdibs floor at the New York Design Center (200 Lexington Avenue, NYC) on February of 2011.  Indeed, it has been a year of growing and learning for everyone involved (from 1stdibs to NYDC to us dealers).  For me, especially, new into this whole amazing world of design, NY has been somewhat of a culture shock -- in a fantastic kind of way.  Being the only one on the 1stdibs floor from New Orleans (actually, the only one south of the Mason-Dixon line for that matter!), it has proven to be quite the challenge.  But I'm loving every single moment of it.

On Friday, I flew up to NYC for the day and with the enormous help of my friend, Sandy Foster, who unsolicitedly took the day off to drive to the city, pick me up from the airport and spend the entire day helping me do the work of at least 4 strong men (which we didn't have!), to redo my entire gallery at the NYDC.

Sandy managed to get us one of those industrial dollies from the loading dock downstairs and the two of us lifted and pulled and moved all the furniture into my new space.  We worked until the lights went out and walked out with the sales team who wondered what kind of vitamins two skinny girls in 3 inch heels took to be able to do what we did that day.

We were so down to the wire that I did not have time to snap any photos of my new space, other than these two "action" photos that Sandy took with her cell phone (probably by accident) before we were done.  But at least it's a bit of a sneak preview.   I cannot wait for my White Feather Murano Glass Chandelier to arrive from Italy next week to complete the look.

 Adding a sheepskin throw on the back of my gorgeous 19th c. Louis XV Serpentine Back Walnut Sofa.


Very chaotic at this point but you can get the jest of it.

Needless to say, I was near comatose yesterday and every one of my muscles (muscles which I did not even know I had) ached.  But it felt so good!!!!!

So here is to another year at 1stdibs@NYDC.  If you haven't already done so and you happen to be in Manhattan, stop by and visit.  The 1stdibs floor (on the 10th floor) is open to both the trade and public Monday through Saturday and the sales team there (John, Nancy, Blair, and Stefania) as well as general manager Louise Tanis are ready to help you find that absolute perfect piece for you.

For any of the pieces you see in these photos, please visit my 1stdibs store at www.KarinaGentinetta.1stdibs.com

Have a wonderful day wherever this post finds you.

Elegance and Decadence

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Don't you just hate it when you find out about something that you really would have loved to have seen but are about 3 years too late?  I just learned of a gorgeous art/design/textile exhibition in Venice that took place at the Palazzo Fortuny (Textile god Mariano Fortuny's home and workshop) that I would have loved to have seen in person.  Living in New Orleans where elegance and decadence (not to mention Masquerade Balls and Carnival) are events de rigueur, I have always had an affinity for Venice.  So when I saw these gorgeous images of the Roberto Cappucci exhibition at the Palazzo Fortuny, I pinned them all over my studio for inspiration.

For those of you who, like me, missed the event that ran in 2009, here is a private cyber tour of the exhibition.  Like all good tour guides, I am compelled to tell you the significance of this exhibit and give you a little bit of a background into the two great artists behind this event.

Mariano Fortuny was painter, stage designer, inventor of lights and costumes, a true “shaman” of the printed fabric; Roberto is also an artist – architect, creator of convoluted shapes for his exhibition designs, his creations are weaved as clothes but thought as sculptures. Two cultivated and sophisticated artists able to navigate the world of fashion leaving the permanent signature of genius. The Foundation “Musei Civici di Venezia” paid tribute a couple of years ago to Roberto Capucci with an extraordinary exhibition organized at Palazzo Fortuny, Mariano’s house and workshop. Thirty dresses/sculptures realized between 1978 and 2009, are able to describe this specific period of the Master’s development. From the famous Column dress, breaking point of his relationship with traditional tailoring, to the Fan dress a symbol for untamed creativity; we can also admire his creation from the Eighties, with decorations of all shapes and surfaces: flat, tubular, flower-shaped, squared or resembling capitals…- one of the most remarkable is Fuoco (Fire) with an explosion of volume and waves stretching aloft.

Without any further ado, let's start with the gowns....


This gown takes my breath with the drama of the colors and ruffles.

A side view.


The famous red fan wedding dress.

Side view


Imagine the stares you would get walking into a ball with this dress.


The perfect Purple, Gold and Green Mardi Gras gown.

 The masked face on the waist would be topic of conversation at a cocktail party.


These two ladies seem very much made for each other.









The barrister in me loves this black gown with the dramatic green interior sleeves.  The masked face on the waist is simply surreal.









This gown is absolutely stunning, almost angelic.  The perfect way to end the tour.
Roberto Capucci at Palazzo Fortuny

Hope you enjoyed this mini-trip to Venice.  And, as always, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, wherever this post finds you.

www.KarinaGentinetta.1stdibs.com