Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Happy September!
Thursday, September 01, 2011Can't believe it's September already - September always means the beginning of fall, slightly cooler weather, and my sister'...
Can't believe it's September already - September always means the beginning of fall, slightly cooler weather, and my sister's birthday. Yay! And this year, it also means my sister and I are off to Atlanta to visit our cousin Jenni! We've been planning this trip pretty much since right before Memorial Day Weekend, when our whole family was in San Francisco for another cousin's wedding. I. Can't. Wait! I've never been, and am so excited to eat (and then swim laps in her pool to work off all that Southern-delicious-but-fattening food), sunbathe (and soak up those last rays of summer...), possibly visit the aquarium, and maybe go jetskiing. Yay!
Any tips for while I'm there? Things to do/see/buy?
[Image]
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's
Wednesday, August 31, 2011Given my recent foray in drawing, I just saw these images from a Daily Mail article about Karl Lagerfeld's collaboration with Macy...
Given my recent foray in drawing, I just saw these images from a Daily Mail article about Karl Lagerfeld's collaboration with Macy's and had to share!
I absolutely love that even though he is one of the top fashion designers in the world, he draws like this! They're cute and fun and also really convey the vibe of Macy's Impulse line - very fun and young. Can't wait to see the collection in person!
Monday, August 29, 2011
SO I PICKED UP DRAWING AGAIN...
Monday, August 29, 2011I'd been dying to start drawing again, and I finally did this week! A few of my practice sketches, along with the original photo that I ...
I'd been dying to start drawing again, and I finally did this week! A few of my practice sketches, along with the original photo that I copied it from (which all came from my September issue of Lucky):
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| My first attempt after a long hiatus...forgive me! |
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| An attempt at drawing glass... |
(Please forgive poor photo quality - I took all of these with my Blackberry!)
Eventually I'd love to get good enough to draw from "real life" - I remember I once drew my strappy prom shoes during senior year Art AP - how awesome would it be to have drawings of all my shoes? (Really awesome!) In the meantime, I really need to pick up more markers (hate the grainy texture from color pencils - I'd love to have smooth color throughout!), which I will do this week, and keep practicing to improve my technique...I will graduate to drawing patterns and textures one day...!
Yay! Drawing makes me happy.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
WHO CAN BELIEVE IT'S AUGUST?
Wednesday, August 03, 2011As a kid, August always made me feel a certain way - the end of summer is coming, school is starting relatively soon, and my birthday is com...
As a kid, August always made me feel a certain way - the end of summer is coming, school is starting relatively soon, and my birthday is coming up!
This year, while not feeling nostalgic for school the way my sister is, nor dreading the end of summer (it's been HOT this year...I think I'm ready for fall weather, although I do love the clothes I get to wear in summer!), I am busy trying to figure out what to do for my birthday.
Last year was fun, but I was away from my friends and family that weekend, and this year I'd like to do something much more fun! My friend's wedding is the Sunday after my birthday, and I have to drive upstate to get there, so I guess I can't be drinking too much (definitely want to enjoy her wedding, and be able to drive there with no problems)!
So far am thinking dinner in Mercer Kitchen with about 10 of my nearest and dearest, and then going to a bar somewhere and inviting the next 30 people I know in New York!
Hmmm...guess I'll be doing some more research...
This year, while not feeling nostalgic for school the way my sister is, nor dreading the end of summer (it's been HOT this year...I think I'm ready for fall weather, although I do love the clothes I get to wear in summer!), I am busy trying to figure out what to do for my birthday.
Last year was fun, but I was away from my friends and family that weekend, and this year I'd like to do something much more fun! My friend's wedding is the Sunday after my birthday, and I have to drive upstate to get there, so I guess I can't be drinking too much (definitely want to enjoy her wedding, and be able to drive there with no problems)!
So far am thinking dinner in Mercer Kitchen with about 10 of my nearest and dearest, and then going to a bar somewhere and inviting the next 30 people I know in New York!
Hmmm...guess I'll be doing some more research...
Monday, July 11, 2011
THINGS TO DO FOR FREE
Monday, July 11, 2011I love shopping, I do. But after that shopping spree in VA and paying a hefty fine & towing fee earlier this week (NEVER not looking at ...
I love shopping, I do. But after that shopping spree in VA and paying a hefty fine & towing fee earlier this week (NEVER not looking at street signs again...stupid mistake! And costly!) I'm putting myself on a budget for the rest of the month. In the meantime, I came up with a list of things to do for free, or at least very low cost.
1.
Go to the park. Or beach.
(Depending on where you live.) Play frisbee/go tanning/read/relax.
2.
Journal.
I just started a newer handwritten journal after not journalling pretty much my entire time in NYC, and it's so cathartic.
3.
Go to the library.
Borrow a book, books, or DVDs. I normally come out there with a stack of books that will keep me occupied for quite a few days!
4.
Draw/paint/create.
I always tell myself I want to, but never do. I have all the tools, but lack the inspiration, and make up excuses as to why I don't do it, rather than just sit down with a sketchbook in front of me and a pencil in hand and just draw!
5.
Make a collage.
I love magazines so I have quite a few laying around - I could definitely put together a collage if the mood strikes me.
6.
Go through your clothes/closet.
It's always good to clean stuff out, try stuff on, and put together new outfits.
7.
Read.
Books, magazines, articles online, blogs. Anything. You really don't have to spend money to read!
8.
Add things to wish lists.
I do this a lot whenever I find myself on a self-imposed budget. I'll even go as far as adding certain items I want into that website's shopping cart, and then just leaving it. (And I never feel guilty for it, and on the plus side - if I still really want it later, it's usually either on sale, or at that point I know I really want it and will make the cost-per-wear more than worth it!)
9.
Exercise.
I know, I know...it's hard to get the motivation sometimes. But just think about how good you'll look while sunbathing in the park (see number 1) - and all you have to do (especially since it's summer) is just head outside and run, jog, take your dog out for a walk, ride a bike...and you got to do something both good for your heart, and your wallet!
10.
Blog about 10 things to do for free when you're on a budget.
Of course.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
D.C. RECAP
Thursday, July 07, 2011As much as I love living in NYC, it sure is nice to get away every once in a while! Quick recap of my July 4th weekend in D.C.: Friday ...
As much as I love living in NYC, it sure is nice to get away every once in a while! Quick recap of my July 4th weekend in D.C.:
Friday pm:
I picked up my sister and her friends in the city, where we proceeded to take an hour to get through the Lincoln Tunnel (why is it always such a nightmare to get in and out of the city via the Lincoln Tunnel?), and we drove straight to dinner at Bistrot du Coin, a really cute French bistro that looks tiny from the outside but has an enormous ceiling height inside - view from the top:
We sat upstairs, and all had delicious food (steak frites for me - rib eye!) before crashing nearly as soon as we got back to my sister's friend's apartment.
We sat upstairs, and all had delicious food (steak frites for me - rib eye!) before crashing nearly as soon as we got back to my sister's friend's apartment.
Saturday:
We got up and went to brunch at Vinoteca, which had bottomless mimosas/bellinis/kir royales for $10, although I opted for a cappucino since I was still a little weary from the day before, and ordered a delectable eggs benedict on this thick, chewy toast instead of english muffins, that was covered in melted gruyere and then a poached egg and hollandaise on top. Yum. (For a full review, click here.)
Afterwards, we went sightseeing:
Good news is, we saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial all in one go - the bad news is, it was like 100 degrees and boiling, and I probably didn't appreciate everything for what it is since I was too busy feeling uncomfortable! We got refreshments at Starbucks, and then, fully rejuvenated, went to the Portrait Gallery, which was blessedly air conditioned! (I don't normally use words like "blessedly", but that's how grateful I was.)
Good news is, we saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial all in one go - the bad news is, it was like 100 degrees and boiling, and I probably didn't appreciate everything for what it is since I was too busy feeling uncomfortable! We got refreshments at Starbucks, and then, fully rejuvenated, went to the Portrait Gallery, which was blessedly air conditioned! (I don't normally use words like "blessedly", but that's how grateful I was.)
Every time I go to a museum, I always leave feeling like I should pick up art again and do something creative - I love it! Sadly, I don't make the time for it...but regardless, my favorite piece was this:
Electronic Superhighway, by Nam June Paik
The TVs in each state depict certain stereotypes and images representing them - for example, California's was flashing images of an aerobics class led by OJ Simpson, and several 0's and 1's flash across the screen representing binary code and the IT boom, among other images. So cool.
Sunday:
We had brunch at Founding Farmers, which was as amazing as my sister promised! A good friend who lives in D.C. met me and we caught up over eggs benedict - I had the benedict arnold one, which was made with sausage instead of ham, and gravy instead of hollandaise. It was SO GOOD. (Sadly I didn't take a photo of it!)
Afterwards we walked around Georgetown, which was super cute, although it was both hot AND humid - it felt like Hong Kong in the summer, which I'm definitely not used to anymore! We just missed a thunderstorm by sitting it out at Leopold's Kafe, which served up lychee & rose sorbet, the most adorable little tea sandwiches, and plenty of cake for our group!
Monday:
We went shopping.
It was delightful.
(One thing to know about me is that I LOVE shopping. Especially in air conditioning.)
That's all.
We drove home to this:
And that was that.
[All images by my sister, except for the last one and the one of Electronic Superhighway, which were both taken by me with my super snazzy Blackberry Bold.]
Thursday, June 30, 2011
HAPPY WEEKEND!
Thursday, June 30, 2011I'm off to our nation's capital, which is appropriate, given that it's Independence Day weekend. So excited! Hope everyone has ...
I'm off to our nation's capital, which is appropriate, given that it's Independence Day weekend. So excited! Hope everyone has a fab 4th of July...especially my friends across the pond. ;)
[Image: Jasper John's American Flag 1954]
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
ROAD TRIPPIN PLAYLIST
Tuesday, June 28, 2011Summer is the best season for a road trip, and the US is the best country for it (in my opinion, anyway, although the road trip my fami...
Summer is the best season for a road trip, and the US is the best country for it (in my opinion, anyway, although the road trip my family did one summer around France was lovely as well!).
I am going on two short trips this month, D.C. this weekend, and then Boston at the end of the month. From NYC, both drives are roughly 4 hours. I currently only have a playlist for 1 hour's worth of driving time, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the car is gonna throw food at me if they hear the same songs four times in one sitting. (Plus, I'm already kinda sick of that playlist!)
On top of that, I feel like summer incites a different kind of playlist - it isn't about the Top 40 (which I have to confess that I love), it's about capturing that feeling that is uniquely summery. For example, Weezer's Island in the Sun, or Nikka Costa's Everybody Got Their Something, both of which I love every summer, no matter how old they get! And then there are the road tripping songs - I like to listen to some Red Hot Chili Peppers (like Crys did on her road trip to Oregon last weekend - she found our college mix!), and then mix in some Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and the like.
Now I just need to get on with it and come up with the actual playlist! (I'm open to suggestions...)
[Image]
Monday, June 27, 2011
HAPPY MONDAY!
Monday, June 27, 2011I had such a lovely weekend this past weekend! Saturday I had to work some in the afternoon, but it was pretty chill and it went well anywa...
I had such a lovely weekend this past weekend! Saturday I had to work some in the afternoon, but it was pretty chill and it went well anyway, and my sister had come to meet me so on the drive home she was chattering my ear off for the whole hour (typical). At one point I was laughing so hard about something she said that I could barely see, and I had to keep my eyes open real wide so that I could drive! Little sisters...guess that's what they're for!
Later that night I went to my new favorite bar, and met up with a friend from my uni days, Anisa! (I went to school in England, so I really don't see my old friends from there that often.) I got our other friend to come meet us, and the three of us spent the night drinking delicious NYC Cocktail Week cocktails and reminiscing about college and getting new gossip on people we all knew...heehee!
Sunday was the perfect day - for those of you who live in New York, you know how gorgeous it was outside! I met up with Anisa in Sheep Meadow at like 11:30, and we lay out and talked for about 2 hours when the clouds started coming in, and decided to go to Forty Carrots for their yummy bunched lunch (I LOVE the carrot soup!). Throughout the course of the day we talked about everything - from old boyfriends, to how annoying it is when people assume we have boyfriends (happens to her too!), to where we want to live/work, fashion...everything. haha So much fun.
So not ready for it to be Monday today...the good news is that I have DC to look forward to this weekend, and next weekend one of my best friends is coming to visit, and I may be going to Boston at the end of the month as well. I love having things to look forward to.
Conference call time...have a great week!
Later that night I went to my new favorite bar, and met up with a friend from my uni days, Anisa! (I went to school in England, so I really don't see my old friends from there that often.) I got our other friend to come meet us, and the three of us spent the night drinking delicious NYC Cocktail Week cocktails and reminiscing about college and getting new gossip on people we all knew...heehee!
Sunday was the perfect day - for those of you who live in New York, you know how gorgeous it was outside! I met up with Anisa in Sheep Meadow at like 11:30, and we lay out and talked for about 2 hours when the clouds started coming in, and decided to go to Forty Carrots for their yummy bunched lunch (I LOVE the carrot soup!). Throughout the course of the day we talked about everything - from old boyfriends, to how annoying it is when people assume we have boyfriends (happens to her too!), to where we want to live/work, fashion...everything. haha So much fun.
So not ready for it to be Monday today...the good news is that I have DC to look forward to this weekend, and next weekend one of my best friends is coming to visit, and I may be going to Boston at the end of the month as well. I love having things to look forward to.
Conference call time...have a great week!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
NEW YORK SKY
Thursday, June 23, 2011I love this. The creator, Mike Bodge , literally takes a photo of the New York sky every 5 minutes, posts it, and somehow simplifies the co...
I love this. The creator, Mike Bodge, literally takes a photo of the New York sky every 5 minutes, posts it, and somehow simplifies the color to get an average color of the sky at that exact moment. It sounds boring, but look at the way the gray progressed to the blue to the purple to the darker blue to the darker gray...plus, when you hover over a color block, it reveals the actual photo of the skyline at that point in time.
A quote from him on NY Mag:
"My desk at work looks out onto a great view over Noho and the East Village. Every day I'm wow'd at not just the view itself, but also how quickly it changes hour by hour. I think a lot of New Yorkers draw inspiration from the skyline itself. I do a lot of small internet 'art' projects and the basic idea of tracking the sky popped into my head one day. It took a few iterations to boil it down to the simple form that it is in now of just the color blocks. It's something you can just look at and get it immediately."
Part of the reason I moved to NYC was just to be a part of all the creative energy, found in bits and pieces everywhere, and this is a great example of exactly what I mean.
[Click here to the get to the site.]
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
Wednesday, June 22, 2011Do you have a best friend? I remember being back in elementary and middle school, wishing for a best friend, someone to understand me and j...
Do you have a best friend? I remember being back in elementary and middle school, wishing for a best friend, someone to understand me and just accept me for who I was, no questions asked, and enjoy my company just for that, without any of the girl drama. My wish finally came true my freshman year at college, when I met Crystal.
Crys is the kind of friend to laugh with (for no reason whatsoever), to make fun of, to go for drives in the middle of the night while pretending to be in an air band rocking out to Incubus and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; the kind of friend who made me a "locker" when I practically moved into her dorm room, who I can trust with anything, and she is the one person outside of my family who supports me through everything, big or small. (I don't think we've ever even had a disagreement about anything.)
Although we haven't even lived in the same state since my freshman year, whenever we chat either online, through Facebook, texts, or on the phone, I still feel like I'm 18 years old, sitting up in her bed and chatting late into the night about poetry, family, our dreams, surfing, life, and of course, boys.
She's my family of choice, and it's because we continue to choose to be friends that I am eternally grateful.
(Excuse my cheesy first entry, but I know she would love it just for the cheese-factor!)
(Excuse my cheesy first entry, but I know she would love it just for the cheese-factor!)
[Photo: Me and Crys at her wedding, Aug 2010]
Monday, June 20, 2011
TEST POST
Monday, June 20, 2011Just to see what everything is gonna look like! I'm excited. Are you? :) Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Just to see what everything is gonna look like! I'm excited. Are you? :)
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
