Above is an absolute treasure of a speech, check it out. Also concerning the fictional wizard, he represents something in which every person should have in their lives.. someone looking out who is wise and kind and calming. I hope you have one.
Xo.
Fashion’s Night Out
So for the Third Annual FNO all of Manhattan and parts of Queens and Brooklyn celebrated Fashion Week with drinks, music, and of course, shopping… Various stores all over New York were a buzz and a bit packed with all kinds during this event. I chose to go to SoHo and Bleecker St. as it has the most shops packed into a rather small space, that way my friend and I could get the most out of our time. Most of the stores started their events at 6pm and ended around 10pm… So after work I changed and headed to SoHo with the lovely Nathalie. First order of business… Betsey !
These two girls were dancing in the window, although the one on the left stood still when she saw us taking a picture, they both looked as perfect as mannequins… Betsey Johnson was doing mini-makeovers (make-up and hair! with purchase), cupcakes, and yoplait yogurt ? was being handed out with neon pink spoons and napkins….
Now..we mustn’t forget the PINK champagne or DJ’s that look like little floating clouds of fluff and glitter..
Next we wandered next door to an Adidas specialty store that sold their lines of designer collaborations and shoes you could design yourself (design workshop)… we were free drink hunting (not difficult during fashion week)
<3 JEREMY SCOTT! <3
Ciroc and Moscato on ice.
I was surprised to find that most if not all stores were serving not only champagne but actual cocktails… of the ingredients I saw used some were.. limes, mint, bitters, anaise, and your promotions of new (some old) wines and liquors. After adidas we were headed to the Billionaire Boys Club to check it out where Pharrell Williams was slated for an appearance as well…. FNO BBC SHIRTS ! at any rate when we arrived there was a gigantic crowd out front..so we gave up on that. Luckily Benefit Cosmetics was giving out free swag so we hopped on that, we only had to drink what tasted like a sour apple juice out of little neon orange plastic vials and tell them our deepest darkest beauty secrets… ya… weird female initiation type stuff (hahah not really) mine was that I don’t shave my legs much in the winter, little did I know my friend said the same thing! hahah, the girl I told laughed. After that we wandered in and out of various places and headed to TopShop of course.
TopShop had a DJ, mini-make overs using their make-up line and a drawing for a trip to London Fashion week and a $1000.00 shopping spree…..why, certainly we entered that.
SWAGswagSWAGswagSWAGswagSwagSWAGsWaGSwagswagswagSwAGSWAGswAgSWag
Benefit- Mascara, mini perfume, make-up bag, gift card, tote bag and some samples
Mulberry AW 2011- Fox Mask with black ribbon, sticker sheet with lots of woodland creature illustrations, nail wraps in gold/black, Kiehl’s body wash, tote bag.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CdgftzjMSA]
As far as celebrity sightings go besides a few known rappers hanging around BBC (Billionaires Boys Club) … Kim Kardashian at her new store DASH (for about 5 minutes and it got MOBBED) and Pauly D at American Apparel (we only witnessed his car trying to drive away from yet another mob of screaming people running after it and practically climbing on top.. SERIOUSLY) I guess you just need to have no class and a reality show and you too can be mobbed during New York Fashion Week… geesh.. In all seriousness though the way these “celebrities” got bombarded it was borderline scary. I never want to be famous.
On that note… here is what I purchased from the night.. I was very well behaved..
#1- I love french fries.
#2- This eyeliner crayon in Equinox (a rose gold) is so easy to just swipe on and I get endless compliments on it… I had to buy more, its great for low maintenance t-shirt/jeans kind of girls
#3- Those shoes…..cost me…… $30 ! Originally $105 !!?? Really. They are the best fitting shoes I have found in awhile. Score.
Cheers my fellow Ladies and Gents, I hope all your dreams come true fashionably late-er- ON TIME. Good Night.
Post Script- A couple celebrity pictures… I think Daniel looks adorkable.
Hell is where the heart is.
Well… sort of… actually I live in a place.. called Michigan, and within that mitten shaped state a place called Hell. Hell Michigan, and yes its a real place, near Ann Arbor, which is near-ish to Detroit and Ferndale and Royal Oak and all the places of my old stomping grounds. I moved there when I was 18 from a suburb of Detroit. This weekend I was able to go home and it was lovely, so here is a quick picture diary, come, hop a plane with me…
Moving side walks.. I have always and will always love them..at least until the day as an old woman in an airport my cane catches and I fall face first in my orthopedic shoes into the moving vertical lines… but.. even then I will probably still like them..
Dorothy had ruby slippers, well I have my own version.
A neighbor near by (as in way down the road) had a little stand up in their yard, you leave money in the can and bag it up yourself. Yes, I lived in apple pie town, where people are pretty trusting and the Mcdonalds is even really nice. This type of stand is not unusual and reminds me of why I like home so much, I could have taken a million pictures…
When I was 18 I worked in Hell. It was probably the only place that would hire me actually seeing as I had neon pink hair at the time… this is believe it or not a decent tourist draw and biker hang out (weird mix) and I was actually flashed a couple times by some biker “babes” ( I use that term loosely) in the store much to my abject horror. Ohhh, bikers. The store is a mix of lots of random halloween stuff, t-shirts with clever Hell puns and.. icecream.. really good icecream actually, and I ate it all day long. So of course first stop off the plane was ice cream in Hell.
This is rather accurate.
Afterwards we went swimming….
It was probably the last nice day of summer and unfortunately as they say Labor Day weekend is the last summer weekend.. my heart sinks a bit at the thought. (Even though Fall is my favorite its followed too closely by the W word…)
The following day we had a huge BBQ and bonfire with the majority of my family which was nice but quite a bit of work for my parents.. but they are total sweethearts and made it happen. I also got to see my kitties ! They are both Sphynx Cats and everyone thinks they are aliens or the cutest cats ever. I think both. I love my alien cats. I hope everyone else had a nice weekend too ! Happy um… Tuesday? Back to work I presume? Well then.. HOP TO IT !
(This frog hitched a ride on my jeans, little suction cup fingers…)
Figures.
Just when I was going to book a weekend stay here because well, its wonderful, this happens. )=
The Chelsea Hotel is closed until further notice. Here are various articles about the Hotel and its current state.
So long old friend…I remember your art filled lobby and legendary tales…
Fish Guts
So yes, I tend to spill my guts a lot, in a nice big messy pile on display for bystanders to see. Why? Am I an exhibitionist? Am I a masochist? Do I enjoy committing social suicide? I am unsure. Am I too honest and open? yes, probably. While I don’t see it as a negative, one must be cautious. It seems there are many sides to the die, as Weezer attests to (12 sides and more!) and in relation to people you may not like or expect every side. I have learned not to trust so easily (unfortunate) because people are not very nice after all… I have learned a lot so far in my 27 years and mostly how important it is to guard your heart. People will rip it to shreds given the chance. I am weary of this, I am down trodden and tired of experiencing this in myself and observing it happening to others. How and why do people become so.. I’m not even sure one word can sum it up.. Selfish? Cruel? Immature? Self Centered? Judgmental? Pretentious? For me this is the ugly underbelly of human nature, sure I believe people are good to a point, but I meet, like each of you have, people from time to time that test this belief. I also realize that it seems all of humanity is lurching and groping for some sort of connection, answers, LOVE. When Lennon and McCartney penned the lyric “All you need is love” they were quite right. Its simple, its true. However we have made a mess of love. It seems to me I see a lot of empty souls wandering these streets and some of them have hurt me but I know, I know, I only feel sorry-for them and secondly for me.. because Ladies and Gentleman we are in a sad state. You are much more valuable than you can imagine. If you’ve ever been in an atmosphere of turmoil and then been lucky enough to experience one of harmony/caring/kindness then you know the difference. If not, I’m sorry, your one of the many who needs to experience a revolution. One in thinking, in atmosphere. People are lonely; dissatisfied. Why? What’s filling your void? We’ve all got one and at least for me I know what fills it. Love. This can come in many forms. Don’t buy what the world is selling. Find your worth, it will change your life. Don’t give up even if people seem to keep pushing you down, after all, the night is darkest before the dawn. (and yes I stole that from The Dark Knight)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4p8qxGbpOk]
Now please, try and treat each other better.
It’s Only Rock N’ Roll
SO…. First Saturday off in nearly a month… the weather is perfect.. what is one to do? Well being a girl, why not Calgel? What is this gel you speak of? Well… its only the perfect solution for low maintenance clumsy girls such as myself (and perhaps you too??) I had heard of Sakura Salon for these popular japanese nails they offer (one of only a few in all of Nyc! tisk tisk) I have always wanted some fun nails and here was the perfect start! So a riding I went to the Lower East Side and had myself a nice little day … I wandered around a bit pre-nail appointment and here are some of my little serendipity moments along the way…
I parked next to the now defunct Mars Bar… It is littered with spray painted I miss you’s and “The Last Summer”… The first time I came here it was solely because a friend and I were seeking out the dirtiest punk/dive bars while on our visit, this one came up on the list pretty easily, and so it was that I used the bathroom (which reaked of pure ammonia and was not much bigger than an airplane bathroom) simply to conquer what was known as the dirtiest bar in Nyc’s bathroom.. images of Trainspotting briefly crossed my mind but I was too busy not inhaling to fully regale them….. So not only is this place closed but also John Varvatos has taken up residence in the old CBGB’s.. (another landmark I was fortunate to have drank in years ago). I went in and talked to one of the sales people whom informed me that all the walls, floor, etc are original, they even took large sections of the wall (which was covered in flyers, stickers.. ahem.. etc..) and basically put big frames over them museum style sealing them off for preservation. Of course the store is beautiful, but it is a sad beauty, for what once was and what is. I appreciated the attempt at preservation however, and apparently they have music nights the first Thursday of every month where musicians perform in ……store (I don’t like calling that building a store but… alas)
They also have records for sale as well as old amplifiers, speakers, record players… I rather liked that bit too. Next up, in my search for sustenance !.. I found The Juice Press
Its Vegan and raw and DELICIOUS! And it is how I am aiming to eat because I feel wonderful when I do, they are also opening one near my work.. this could mean trouble for my pocket book….. last but not least… I did a run thru of Patricia Field because it was nearby and I still had more time to burn.. I behaved and bought a pocket sized amount.. (;
OH! I almost forgot I stumbled upon a nice little coffee house/poetry theatre and URBANOLOGY. An interactive game put on by The Guggenheim and BMW? Check the link, it was educational in a fun way… don’t believe me? Play online.
… And finally…. Sakura.
I was greeted warmly by the receptionist who offered me a drink while I waited (Hot tea!) and I was left to browse thru numerous magazines, mostly japanese, which I couldn’t read but they have the best pictures to make things up to… Anyway once my nail tech was available she sat me down and we discussed design. I had only booked an appointment for what they called a glitter gradation, anything else further requires more time and more $$$. We decided a couple fingers solid glitter (next time black w/leopard print and pyramid studs!) she then prepped my nails and began the process which was roughly one coat clear calgel then calgel mixed with the glitter of my choosing and finally a top coat. Between each application you place your hand under a UV lamp to quick dry them and harden the gel. Maintenance requires a new topcoat once a week to keep it fresh, otherwise they last up to 3 weeks and are not to crack, chip, or peel off. This is ideal for people such as myself that are rough on their hands. The atmosphere of Sakura is that of a spa, calm, tranquil… almost too much because as this is a time consuming event (nearly 3 hours) I started to fall asleep only prompted awake by my technicians prodding.. “Are you ok?!” ahahah. yes. Afterwards they massage your hand/fingers with aromatherapy lotion and off you go! This no doubt costs a pretty penny… about $60 plus tip.. however you get what you pay for. I shall see how this holds up but so far I love it!
This cat is addicted to Calgel sniffing !
Cheers!
It’s Only Rock N’ Roll
SO…. First Saturday off in nearly a month… the weather is perfect.. what is one to do? Well being a girl, why not Calgel? What is this gel you speak of? Well… its only the perfect solution for low maintenance clumsy girls such as myself (and perhaps you too??) I had heard of Sakura Salon for these popular japanese nails they offer (one of only a few in all of Nyc! tisk tisk) I have always wanted some fun nails and here was the perfect start! So a riding I went to the Lower East Side and had myself a nice little day … I wandered around a bit pre-nail appointment and here are some of my little serendipity moments along the way…
I parked next to the now defunct Mars Bar… It is littered with spray painted I miss you’s and “The Last Summer”… The first time I came here it was solely because a friend and I were seeking out the dirtiest punk/dive bars while on our visit, this one came up on the list pretty easily, and so it was that I used the bathroom (which reaked of pure ammonia and was not much bigger than an airplane bathroom) simply to conquer what was known as the dirtiest bar in Nyc’s bathroom.. images of Trainspotting briefly crossed my mind but I was too busy not inhaling to fully regale them….. So not only is this place closed but also John Varvatos has taken up residence in the old CBGB’s.. (another landmark I was fortunate to have drank in years ago). I went in and talked to one of the sales people whom informed me that all the walls, floor, etc are original, they even took large sections of the wall (which was covered in flyers, stickers.. ahem.. etc..) and basically put big frames over them museum style sealing them off for preservation. Of course the store is beautiful, but it is a sad beauty, for what once was and what is. I appreciated the attempt at preservation however, and apparently they have music nights the first Thursday of every month where musicians perform in ……store (I don’t like calling that building a store but… alas)
They also have records for sale as well as old amplifiers, speakers, record players… I rather liked that bit too. Next up, in my search for sustenance !.. I found The Juice Press
Its Vegan and raw and DELICIOUS! And it is how I am aiming to eat because I feel wonderful when I do, they are also opening one near my work.. this could mean trouble for my pocket book….. last but not least… I did a run thru of Patricia Field because it was nearby and I still had more time to burn.. I behaved and bought a pocket sized amount.. (;
OH! I almost forgot I stumbled upon a nice little coffee house/poetry theatre and URBANOLOGY. An interactive game put on by The Guggenheim and BMW? Check the link, it was educational in a fun way… don’t believe me? Play online.
… And finally…. Sakura.
I was greeted warmly by the receptionist who offered me a drink while I waited (Hot tea!) and I was left to browse thru numerous magazines, mostly japanese, which I couldn’t read but they have the best pictures to make things up to… Anyway once my nail tech was available she sat me down and we discussed design. I had only booked an appointment for what they called a glitter gradation, anything else further requires more time and more $$$. We decided a couple fingers solid glitter (next time black w/leopard print and pyramid studs!) she then prepped my nails and began the process which was roughly one coat clear calgel then calgel mixed with the glitter of my choosing and finally a top coat. Between each application you place your hand under a UV lamp to quick dry them and harden the gel. Maintenance requires a new topcoat once a week to keep it fresh, otherwise they last up to 3 weeks and are not to crack, chip, or peel off. This is ideal for people such as myself that are rough on their hands. The atmosphere of Sakura is that of a spa, calm, tranquil… almost too much because as this is a time consuming event (nearly 3 hours) I started to fall asleep only prompted awake by my technicians prodding.. “Are you ok?!” ahahah. yes. Afterwards they massage your hand/fingers with aromatherapy lotion and off you go! This no doubt costs a pretty penny… about $60 plus tip.. however you get what you pay for. I shall see how this holds up but so far I love it!
This cat is addicted to Calgel sniffing !
Cheers!
Am I MAD enough for you?
Today was the opening party for Banana Republic’s Mad Men Collection. Even though it was originally slated to be released with the series premiere (which has been pushed back) Republic decided to release it anyway. So all over the city at certain locations they were offering up free drinks and hors d’oeuvres… I promptly filled a tiny plate and sipped two vodka cranberries while I roamed the store. I must say it reminded me a bit of an upscale gap… I have a feeling they are going the way of the Gap, all these large name stores are becoming dinosaurs… So I assume like Target and their designer team ups Banana is attempting the same. If nothing else I scored a nice pair of high waist cigarette pants and a skinny leopard print belt….. and a ton of discounts for a later return visit (still more mad men I lust for) So there is that. Over all it was a nice time and where else but New York can you catch a buzz while listening to 60’s music shopping for fedoras?
Pictures were not to be taken inside the store… I tried to sneak.. but alas…
Also in keeping to the theme.. as a former bartender I have always favored a good Old Fashioned, turns out so does one of the shows main characters, Draper.
- 2 oz. Bourbon Whiskey
- A dash of sugar
- A splash of orange juice
- A bit of sugar
- Cherries and Oranges (mashed)
Muddle the fruit on the bottom with the sugar, add ice, pour in your bourbon of choice, a couple drops of bitters and a splash of orange juice, shake and enjoy!
I found this ad.. interesting… also if your trying to kick the smoking habit then you should not watch Mad Men… they light a new one up in practically every scene, but this is a fact that rings true for any movies of that era and beyond, people just did not know or want to know the risks so it remained prevalent in hospitals, hollywood, etc…
Here is a post to amc about the collection—-> Time Warp!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtMfzasLbu8]
Am I MAD enough for you?
Today was the opening party for Banana Republic’s Mad Men Collection. Even though it was originally slated to be released with the series premiere (which has been pushed back) Republic decided to release it anyway. So all over the city at certain locations they were offering up free drinks and hors d’oeuvres… I promptly filled a tiny plate and sipped two vodka cranberries while I roamed the store. I must say it reminded me a bit of an upscale gap… I have a feeling they are going the way of the Gap, all these large name stores are becoming dinosaurs… So I assume like Target and their designer team ups Banana is attempting the same. If nothing else I scored a nice pair of high waist cigarette pants and a skinny leopard print belt….. and a ton of discounts for a later return visit (still more mad men I lust for) So there is that. Over all it was a nice time and where else but New York can you catch a buzz while listening to 60’s music shopping for fedoras?
Pictures were not to be taken inside the store… I tried to sneak.. but alas…
Also in keeping to the theme.. as a former bartender I have always favored a good Old Fashioned, turns out so does one of the shows main characters, Draper.
- 2 oz. Bourbon Whiskey
- A dash of sugar
- A splash of orange juice
- A bit of sugar
- Cherries and Oranges (mashed)
Muddle the fruit on the bottom with the sugar, add ice, pour in your bourbon of choice, a couple drops of bitters and a splash of orange juice, shake and enjoy!
I found this ad.. interesting… also if your trying to kick the smoking habit then you should not watch Mad Men… they light a new one up in practically every scene, but this is a fact that rings true for any movies of that era and beyond, people just did not know or want to know the risks so it remained prevalent in hospitals, hollywood, etc…
Here is a post to amc about the collection—-> Time Warp!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtMfzasLbu8]
Who put the fun in funded?
So you wanna do a creative project but find your pockets coming up empty? Well look no further ! This little gem of a site has helped fund many a project and it is certainly fun to browse thru all the different proposals and even YOU, yes you, stop hiding… can become a backer, just pick a project and donate. I saw that One Day On Earth was funded thru this and I thought that very cool. Link up here—> Kick me!
Also I’ve been perusing thru my own ambitions and I have decided to join the 3rd ward. It’s in Brooklyn and basically houses space for you to create and classes! I can’t wait.. here is a short description:
3rd Ward is an incubator for innovation and possibility. Our members come from all walks of life to realize their potential and find additional meaning in their lives through our supportive community and top-of-the-line creative resources, including photo studios, media lab, jewelry studio, wood & metal shops, and a huge education program.
I think maybe I will try to kickstart my funds to pay for all the classes I want to take…. hmmm….
