Call Me On The Yacht

My Year in Cities, 2011.

2011-12-29T19:52:00.004-05:00

I'm going to round up another year the best way I know how: by travel. The list below doesn't include NYC (all boroughs), Jersey City and Hoboken because I'm in those places so regularly they don't count. So here (in no particular order) is My Year In Cities, 2011.

Milan, Italy
Bergamo, Italy
Zurich, Switzerland
Luzern, Switzerland
London, UK *
Southampton, UK
Liverpool, UK
Douglas, Isle of Man, UK
Peel, Isle of Man, UK
Beaumaris, Wales, UK
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Wales, UK
Conwy, Wales, UK
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tokyo, Japan
Bangkok, Thailand *
Hua Hin, Thailand
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Phuket, Thailand
Liberia/Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
Bergen, Norway
Stavanger, Norway
Flaam, Norway
Geiranger, Norway
Chicago, IL, USA *
New Paltz, NY, USA
San Diego, CA, USA
Coronado, CA, USA
Palm Springs, CA, USA
San Francisco, CA, USA *
Toledo, OH, USA *
Detroit, MI, USA *
Washington, DC, USA *
Portland, OR, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Boston, MA, USA
Seattle, WA, USA
Minneapolis, MN, USA

* Denotes multiple trips throughout the year.

** Most of my travels are on my own dime.

My Year In Cities, 2010.

2011-01-01T23:14:00.004-05:00

I'm going to round up 2010 the best way I know how: by travel. The list below doesn't include NYC (all boroughs), Jersey City, Newark and Hoboken because I'm in those places so regularly they don't count. So here (chronologically) is My Year In Cities, 2010.

London, England*
Edinburgh, Scotland
Brussels, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium
Chicago, IL, USA*
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Frankfurt, Germany*
Hamburg, Germany
Dusseldorf, Germany
Toledo, OH, USA
Orlando, FL, USA
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Lewes Beach, DE, USA
Cape May, NJ, USA
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Burlington, VT, USA
Tokyo, Japan
Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Las Vegas, NV, USA

* Denotes multiple trips throughout the year.

Chatting Biz Travel with Boingo

2010-08-10T21:18:00.003-04:00

Know what that is? That's an excerpt from a semi-interview I gave this week for Boingo's HotSpot blog. Boingo, for the uninitiated, is the world's largest network of WiFi hotspots. When I really need to get online, their WiFi has saved my tail in far too many airports and cafes to name. So even though you won't find me flashing my face all over the internet, when Baochi at Boingo asked me--in my role at Jaunted's editor--for some business travel tips, I was like "oh, totally."

The piece--check it out here--on my tips for making Biz Travel fun includes a couple pics of me and a little bio, and I stand by everything I've said there. I write what I know.

My Week in Work: July 12-16, 2010

2010-07-17T13:55:00.008-04:00

Where I worked this week: the room desk at the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia

I've had quite the busy last few weeks. This being summer and all, people are all over the world and I've been double-timing it with the stories. So, partially to back up my excuses for not writing here so much and partially to brag about how much work I did this week, I present: My week in work...

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

The Difference Between Travel and Fashion People

2010-07-15T22:47:00.003-04:00

Okay, internet. We need to talk. I am about to make severe generalizations, but this rant needs to happen. It keeps entering my head when I see particular examples of the below day in and day out.

Fashion people don't get Twitter. There's nothing sadder than hearing that so-and-so big fashion names, who are otherwise terribly interesting people, have joined Twitter and then seeing that their tweets are so uninteresting to the point of annoyance. It's even worse if they start using texting language ("lol," "ur"). Fashion PR people and some bloggers/journalists are the exemption; it just seems to be the fashion personalities who don't get it.
Travel people get Twitter too much. Sure, it's an excellent networking tool and a platform for getting your name out there and your travel stories read, but when your tweets contain hashtags up the wazoo, weeks of references to an obscure convention you attended along with maybe 12 of your 1,200 followers, and 30 rapid tweets that show one side of a conversation on travel tips, you suck. #unfollow.
Fashion people travel way more than travel people. I could probably scientifically prove this if I had to. Fashion people--those actually involved in the fashion machine--are all over the place, all the time, and jumping continents comes naturally quickly. Life is one beautiful trip from Paris to Milan to New York to Miami to Shanghai to Moscow to the wilds of Norway to Buenos Aires and beyond. Travel people, on the other hand, have their destinations. It's a trip and then home. Trip and then home. Unless you're doing an around-the-world, but even then you're still not traveling with the freedom of fashion people.
Travel people do the fashion thing with difficulty. A prime example is something I've been championing whenever possible--that travel shoes do not have to be ugly. I realize this is an uphill battle, that tourists will forever be wearing Kipling fanny packs and Teva sandals, but damnit at least try for some personal style? If you can plan a 3-week long Shinkansen tour of Japan, then surely you can put something better than Crocs and Nike on your feet. And buying an Alexander McQueen scarf in London or a Chanel bag in Paris is NOT what I mean; that doesn't count.

The Last Six Months in: Shoes

2010-07-03T02:05:00.021-04:00

Before it becomes almost six months since my last post, I will do some quick updating and then (hopefully) resume blogging here on a regular basis. Just so everyone is clear: I am a pro blogger at other sites, which takes up all my time and doesn't usually make me want to keep blogging in my free time. But alas.

My last six months in:

High Heels:
I almost bought these Proenza Schoulers
and these Givenchys,

but ended up buying these Christian Sirianos

and these Zaha Hadids.
Dress Flats
My love for Y-3 continues with these gold Washibas
Memories from Roma soccer games stream back with these Italy World Cup limited-edition Puma Tekkies

Boots:
The Barneys sale comes through again as I score the Prada Runway F/W 09 black garter boots

Let's Talk Fashion Week. Again.

2010-02-21T19:23:00.005-05:00

Another fashion week down, who knows how many more to go. This season, we expanded Racked into Racked NY and Racked National, and with more on the team, I was able to cool it a bit with the dashing from show to show, a contrast to the frantic schedule of last September.

Here's the final rundown of NYFW F/W 2010 for me:

Alice + Olivia
Badgley Mischka
Band of Outsiders
Carlos Miele
Christian Siriano
Davidelfin
Diesel Black Gold (attended, didn't do story)
DKNY
Ecco Domani winners (The Blonds, Prabal Gurung, Siki Im, Altuzarra, Salvor, Organic by John Patrick) (attended didn't do story)
Edition Georges Chakra
Monique Lhuillier
Nicole Miller
Norma Kamali (attended, didn't do story)
threeASFOUR
Yigal Azrouel
Y-3

And then let's not forget the few hours I shadowed Kelly Cutrone. Liveblog here and full photo gallery and video of that here.

The Inner Turmoil of Blogging: Credibility vs. Marketability

2010-02-10T22:20:00.007-05:00

It's Fashion Week in New York. Again. And I am getting PISSED OFF. Not only does this seem to be the year for everyone to plagiarize my work, but it also looks to be the year that blogs play right into the hands of marketers, and stay there. This is mainly happening with "independent" fashion blogs, who accept a stream of free packages from brands, and then promote the company via social media streams as a "thanks."

It is a drug to them. Once they've accepted a free pair of Nike shoes in exchange for a tweet, why not take a pair of exotic-skinned Jimmy Choos for a little blog post? And you can imagine how this snowballs until we reach the point we're at now--where most fashion blogs are simply paid mouthpieces for brands. Even though they've lost the innocence and objectivity that came before the glut of free stuff, the readers are still there; they just don't have a clue that their favorite blogger is only recommending a shampoo because he/she's getting a kickback for doing so. There are very very very few fashion blogs--ones that have been around for more than two years--that aren't exactly as I describe above. Refuse to believe me? Fine. No one discloses the swag anyways, so for readers--ignorance is bliss.

Back to how Fashion Week comes into this. If you are on the MB Fashion Week official press list as I am, then you receive all sorts of offers. Salons want to give me a makeover "to build a relationship" = you talk us up on your blog, and we'll give you hundreds of dollars worth of salon treatments. Jewelry designers offer to send me free pieces, and wannabe fashion designers try to lure me to their showrooms with the promise of free champagne and "a gift." Apparently bloggers will be the celebrity billboards of this decade.

NO THANK YOU. All this business gives me the creeps. And I am extremely fortunate to write for a fashion blog (2 years and counting) that has a contract that forbids me from accepting these offers, just in case I am ever tempted. If we receive advance copies of books to review, we review them without bias and then do a giveaway of the book for our readers. We fight the good fight to retain credibility and build authority. And it's working.

And about the bloggers that accept everything that lands on their doorstep--we get the same pitch emails you do, and when you tweet or blog about your hot new kicks or that trip you just took, or when you wear the ill-gotten goods to the same events and we see you bragging...we know that you are a sucker for it. Minus one point credibility. You are compromised. It's only too bad your readers can't see it from this angle.

Dear Suzy Menkes, please put all this into better, Brit-accented words for me...

On Fashionblogs from Mary Scherpe on Vimeo.

No Longer a Virgin Atlantic Virgin

2010-01-30T11:43:00.010-05:00

So above we have what is a very rare photo of me. I am only posting it because it's one of those rare occasions where the story behind the image is just so damn good, you can't simply throw onto Flickr and make it "private." Here I am in the restrooms of the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Clubhouse at JFK Airport, where there is a full wall of mirrors. It's about one hour before my departure on Flight 046 to London-Heathrow, and I am in heaven already.

You see, I enjoy midcentury modern design and the style of the jet age. I have been known to pick up Atomic Ranch magazine and even Airways magazine. Virgin Atlantic happens to have a similar aesthetic and thanks to the crack PR folk, I was able to punctuate my trip with visits to three of the slickest airport lounges, ever: New York-JFK, London-Gatwick and--the flagship--London-Heathrow.

I'll spare you the details, since I've already expounded at great length on them over at Jaunted, but let it suffice to say that now, I don't see how I can fly economy on Virgin Atlantic, knowing what there is on the flip side in Upper Class. I've been in first class lounges before and flown business in the past, but damn. I really can't find the words. So let's have the pictures! *Remember, you can click any of the pictures on this blog to see the larger size, hopefully.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE - JFK (full gallery of pics here)

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE - LGW (full gallery of pics here)

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE - LHR (full gallery of pics here)

And, in case you're curious about the flight experience, here's the account (and yes, more pics) of VS Flight 046 from JFK to LHR. Thanks for putting up with my sporadic blogging, but you know--a girl about town has got girl about town stuff to do these days.

Somewhere Between Edinburgh and Newcastle

2010-01-23T07:22:00.006-05:00

...is where I am. You see, this train I'm on to London-King's Cross (the 10:30am
East Coast out of Waverley) has free WiFi, and it's a freaking dream. Zipping by fields
of sheep, green hills with leftover snow drifts, the occasional peek of coastline (such
as in the video above), and I've got a table and outlet to boot. It's times like this that
drive me closer, bit-by-bit, to assuming the expat life in a country that has its
transportation shit together.

...And Now I'm in the Clouds Above Edinburgh

2010-01-22T10:31:00.006-05:00

Climbed a mountain this morning...or really, a dormant volcano in the center of
Edinburgh. "Arthur's Seat" is what it's called, and thanks to our choice of a less than
ideal descent route, I landed on my own seat quite a few times as well. Ha--bad joke.

Oh Yea, I'm In London Right Now

2010-01-18T17:39:00.004-05:00

Yes, that's the Tate Modern museum as seen from the Millennium Bridge. I'm in London and other European parts for the next week, for work and for fun, because travel to me is the essence of fun.

London hates free WiFi, I love blackcurrant food items, and the weather loves me. The snow that dumped on the country in the last weeks has melted away completely and now we walk miles and miles each day, holding our Oyster cards for emergencies like "oh crap, I need to be on the Gatwick Express from Victoria Station in 30 minutes and I just woke up!" Everything is awesome except for the exchange rate from USD to GBP; that is the opposite of awesome.

Channel Tunnel tomorrow!

Worlds Are Colliding!

2010-01-10T01:15:00.003-05:00

Look what advertisement occasionally pops up on Jaunted! If you're on the site as much as I am (because umm I'm the editor), then you'll even be privy to seeing the full range of Louboutin ads. How did they know...?

I remember the day that Bergdorf Goodman started advertising on Racked; it was a confirmation that if you mention Linda Fargo enough and continuously shoot their amazing windows, that eventually she starts noticing. No discounts or special treatment though; blog advertising has nothing to do with us writers (at any of my blogs, at least).

In Which I Prove Materialistic

2010-01-02T15:14:00.005-05:00

Is this not the most awesome watch you have ever seen? Well, that's how I feel about it at least, and when I first spotted it a couple years ago on some website or another, it was wrist lust at first site.

I printed out its picture and specs, and taped it within easy view in my office at the time. At $500, I wasn't about to run out, buy it and slap it on my wrist; no, it was a dream of ultimate multi-timezone design perfection. More an inspirational image than anything else.

And then I got this boyfriend. And this guy (I'm thinking) understands or at least flatters my infatuation with international travel, and for Christmas this landed on my wrist. Granted it's been a few years, so the price has come down as the deadstock hit online auctions and such, but I doubt I still would have made the jump to buying it on my own; that's how elevated this product had become in my psyche.

The good news is that it's everything I ever dreamed it would be; it blends so well with my style and is shockingly more understated than my other watches, a Turin Olympics-edition Swatch and a concrete grey Alessi piece with a dead battery. And the even better news is that now I have a little connection to New York City, London, Dubai, Hong Kong and Los Angeles--the cities I chose to occupy the five faces--on my wrist, instead of declaring allegiance to just one. It's the best aspirational product ever.

My Year In Cities, 2009

2009-12-29T22:42:00.005-05:00

I'm going to round up 2009 the best way I know how: by travel. So taking a page from the playbooks of TheVole and Kottke, here (chronologically) is My Year In Cities, 2009.

Toledo, OH*
Chicago, IL*
New York, NY (also Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island)*
Jersey City, NJ*
Hoboken, NJ*
Philadelphia, PA
Boston, MA*
Hong Kong, SAR*
Macau, SAR
Atlantic City, NJ*
Detroit, MI*
Baltimore, MD
Berlin, Germany
Los Angeles, CA
Milwaukee, WI
Grand Rapids, OH
Saint Lucia, West Indies
Worcester, MA

* Denotes multiple trips throughout the year.

For 2010, I'm definitely scooping up London, Bruges, Edinburgh, Reykjavik, Las Vegas and possibly Dubai, Oslo, Stockholm.

Celebrating One Year Of Being Free From Office Work

2009-12-19T22:56:00.006-05:00

...Technically over one year and three months, but who's counting? So when I'm not ignoring this, my personal blog, I'm posting up a storm over at three other sites and, before I start up here again, I'd like to give them their proper due. So bear with as I show off a few of my favorite stories from the last month or so.

Just do understand that when I blog--as Editor at Jaunted.com, and almost two years as Contributing Editor at HotelChatter.com as well as a contributor at Racked.com--I put research and time into it and usually my own photos and video. What I'm getting at here is that it's not personal stuff, like some sort of LiveJournal, but work and I've been frustrated lately with those who flat-out plagiarize my articles.

Keep in mind that I do tons of timely and newsy pieces everyday, but the following are the fun features that end up taking off. Now on with the show:

At Jaunted:

At Racked:

At HotelChatter:

A Masstige Not For Me: Reflections On Jimmy Choo for H&M

2009-11-13T21:12:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow, with the release of their Jimmy Choo collaboration, H&M can cut another notch into their masstige bedpost. Personally, I think this is the second-to-worst collab from H&M, with Madonna's tracksuits more than earning the bottom rung. For the first time in several seasons, you won't find me outside an H&M tomorrow as I think each and every piece is far too clubby/LA and far overpriced for being a hair above Zara.

But these beliefs didn't stop me from doing my job of checking out the products at the H&M 5th Ave as they sat, guarded, in the window. After some "ha"-ing to myself over what hype they've managed to generate from such not-that-great stuff, I walked up a block before turning around to head south to my subway stop. It was when I walked by the H&M this second time that a cute little scene played out in my path, and now sticks in my head.

Scene: (Fifth Avenue sidewalk, rush hour at dusk)

I am dressed in all black and walking south at a fair clip, navigating the tourists on Fifth Ave when I approach a clearing at the entrance of H&M. I hear a man calling out "Bunny! Bunny!" and the odd name causes me to glance to the source of the voice. It is an older, well-fed man in a tailored black suit, with whisps of grey hair that calls to mind Bernie Madoff. He is holding open the rear passenger door to a black towncar, parked at the curb directly outside of H&M's doors.

Standing on the sidewalk, frozen squarely between the towncar and H&M's doors is a an older woman with excellent posture, poised to take another step towards H&M. She has silver hair, pulled back into a tight and perfect ponytail, and she's dressed in a well-tailored black skirt suit, with a little swing to the skirt. It suits her excellently and she just oozes money. I look from her back to the man at the town car, and then back to the woman. In this second, her indecision is palpable; whether to ask the husband to wait a moment while she inquires about the Jimmy Choo in the window, or to retreat and go home.

The woman does exactly what I expected and hoped of her. She briskly turns on her heel and climbs into the towncar, essentially wiping away her curiosity of the Choo and H&M connection. That is all, and that is how I too feel about this--meh.

Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 [Was] Upon Us

2009-09-09T22:46:00.014-04:00

...and it's travel-themed! I have to admit that my heart fluttered a bit at this fact; are they appealing directly to my sensibilities? Thank you IMG Fashion for this theme; my eyes will be drinking it in all week.

[Update: Fashion Week is over; the full list of my attendance is below. But won't you read alll the lovely stories and liveblogs over at Racked under Fashion Week Spring 2010.

Speaking of this week, I'm going to use this post to keep tabs on my show attendance. Won't you follow along? I'm covering Fashion Week for Racked.com, as I've done for the past several seasons as well, considering as how I've been writing for Racked for almost two years, a length of time surprising in the blogosphere. If you'd like to see the stories, liveblogs, and tweets that accompany these shows, you can find them there and @racked and @jetsetcd on Twitter.

Now the list of what I've attended and covered:

- Jenni Kayne (presentation)

- Target/Anna Sui Pop-Up (Party)

- Ports 1961 (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Yigal Azrouel (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Cynthia Rowley (Runway, Gallery)

- Nicole Miller (Runway, Gallery)

- Cynthia Rowley After-Party

- Charlotte Ronson After-Party

- Rag & Bone After-Party

- Christian Siriano (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Band of Outsiders (presentation)

- Y-3 (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Custo Barcelona (Runway, Gallery)

- Carlos Miele (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Jill Stuart (Runway, Gallery)

- Thakoon (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Badgley Mischka (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Willow (Runway, Gallery)

- Alexandre Hercovitch (Runway, Liveblog, Gallery)

- Anna Sui (Runway, Gallery)

- Norma Kamali (Runway, Gallery)

- threeASFOUR/Yoko Ono (Runway, Gallery)

And other shows I've been involved with covering:

- BCBGMaxAzria

- Charlotte Ronson

- Brian Reyes

- Max Azria

- Nanette Lepore

- 3.1 Phillip Lim

And the list of observations:

- You might be in the middle of Manhattan, but nowhere seems to have any good 3G or even cell reception. As a result, I have said "fuck" far too much and too loudly today.

- Apparently if you want an endless stream of catcalls, just wear heels.

- Model's thighs do touch; I watched it happen when the screens showed the Rosa Cha show

- Older men who get to enter the Fashion Week tent because they are sponsors or something, are most likely there to prey on the Asian trendspotters who speak little English. It's gross to watch.

- Free stuff is a burden. Actually I learned that last season.

- Fashion parties are not too different from regular private lounge parties, except that the guests are usually wearing a higher percentage of black clothing with more zippers and leather.

- The tents are often more full of aspiring stylists and hangers-on than they are with actual clients, press, and established fashion people.

- One of the reasons I always look forward to the Y-3 show is because it's a breath of fresh air. The characters of the tents aren't there, the venue always has plenty of space and organization, and they use a really wide selection of models, of all ethnicities.

- There are people that work in fashion who do not know how to pronounce designer names like "Max Azria," "Herve Leger," and "Anna Sui."

- I think I might be the only person (aside from the rest of Team Racked and already established fashion folk) are aren't trying to foist a portfolio or business card into the hands of people who look influential.

- I'm definitely one of the "I'd rather be heard and not seen"-type of bloggers. That does not mean I'm ugly. This could be a whole other post entirely.

Steak Dinners And 'Famous' Rooms: NYC Of The 1950s

2009-09-06T17:26:00.005-04:00

Update: I did the series, and as promised had fun with it. I don't think the Jaunted half went near as well as the HotelChatter half, since I've continued on with HC posts on the topic even after the week of stories. You can check out the series here:

VINTAGE NYC HOTELS --HotelChatter

NYC IN THE 1950s -- Jaunted

Just a sneaky peek inside of this amazing NY Tourist brochure from 1953 which my uncle sent to me for my birthday just passed. (Click the picture to see in detail). It makes me thirst for Canada Dry ginger ale more than I normally do.

With this brochure, and its very chic little ads inside for everything from lobster and steak dinners to dancing in the Rainbow Room, I'm working on a series of stories on Retro NY tourism for Jaunted and HotelChatter. It'll be great, it'll be be visually interesting, and it'll hopefully be inspiring, Mad Men-fever and all. Stay tuned for a huge reveal of this booklet of vintage fun...

Canal Street Counterfeiters: The Bane of My NYC Life

2009-08-16T21:07:00.005-04:00

Just over a year ago, I snapped the above picture of a policeman in the doorway of a Canal Street perfume shop being raided for selling counterfeit goods. My resulting story of watching the raid is here, and since even before then I have been resistant to walking through this area.

Some days however, I find myself having to confront Canal and the unrelenting black market bagmongers who crowd the corners and stealthily say to you "miss bags louieweetongucciprada louieweetonguccipradachannel?"

Since I'm typically the girl who charges down the sidewalk, face stonily set with a "don't fuck with me" directness, any obstacle in my path makes me extremely annoyed. I can forgive strollers and confused tourists, but not these bag men.

Today, for the first time, I talked back to one of them. As I attempted to make a right turn on the sidewalk, he blocked me to release his stream of "louiewuittonchannelpradagucci" and I loudly replied with a deep and pained "Nooooooo." A second after, leaving him in my dust, I realized how powerfully cathartic this exclamation had been.

Generally the rule in dealing with these counterfeit street salesmen is to be silent and continue walking, or reply with a simple "no." But today's heat, and the sidewalk crowding of Canal that always forces me to walk in the street, with traffic, kicked me to a new level of annoyance. Not to mention that I am also offended that the salesmen would look at me and think that I would be interested in their wares. Like I've said before, I've seen fakes in the slums of Shanghai and I've seen the same conditions behind the scenes in New York, and this whole business is deadly.

If all of a sudden my face appears on a milk carton or on a missing persons flyer, you should start by questioning any number of the gangs that operate the counterfeiting business in Chinatown. I plan to continue talking back.

Want v. Need: July Edition

2009-07-19T01:20:00.004-04:00

Starting now, I am going to do a monthly round-up of five random items that I come across online, which deserve a small spotlight as life-improving things or events. Nonetheless, can't have everything, so I've got to make decisions...

Want: To see the "Kodachrome Culture: The American Tourist In Europe" exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in DC.
Want: Nice furniture inspired by graffiti, like this dripdrop sideboard that takes Krink's work and adapts it to somehow be both minimalist and contemporary--not to its expensive appearance.
Need: The patience and attention to detail that made it possible to turn an Italian beach into a sand castle ode to Dante's Inferno.
Need: A compact camera that is waterproof, drop-proof, temperature change-proof, and sand-proof, and yet takes HD video and 12.1 megapixel pics with face detection and shake reduction. Lord knows I take a load of pics everyday for the blogs, in all conditions (almost ruined my old cam with Saharan sand, even, but then it succumbed to the surf in St. Maarten) and I am the perfect person to put this Pentax to work.
Want: If I had a backyard (or any yard), a eco-pod would be an ideal home blogging office, not to mention a hammock oasis during inclement weather. But at £17,630 plus VAT, people might as well just buy a small second house in a bad neighborhood.

Me: Now Available In Print

2009-06-27T16:23:00.006-04:00

Well, I'm now available in print, but only if you rode London's Tube system on the 23. June and picked up a copy of one of the city's free rags: thelondonpaper.

Thanks to some great connections through blogs, I was able to write up one of my favorite additions to the New York scene: The High Line. My article joins coverage of the newly-opened Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam and the Acropolis Museum in Athens to form the paper's weekly section on travel. Read it below! Ok, I'm kidding, you can read it here and see pictures, video and more coverage of my High Line adventures here.
P.S. - London seems to like me. Earlier this year I was chosen as the winner of a photography competition sponsored by Flickr and The Design Museum. The interview that resulted can be found here.

[Photos via edscoble and more ILoveQ8]

Happy Branding or: How I Would Drink This Milk Despite Lactose Intolerancy

2009-06-13T19:22:00.009-04:00

What's the deal, Target brand Archer Farms? No new redesign love for soy milk? I see how it is.

Like any good girl living in a city during the age of Apple, Method and Design Within Reach, I've developed a soft spot for product design with a particular sensitivity to branding. Brand New, Lovely Package, and YourLogoMakesMeBarf are on my RSS and Muji accessories dot my desk, so I don't take it lightly to proclaim that Archer Farms' new packaging blows me away.

So what if it resembles the Bahamas logo? I want to lick the cereal boxes below something fierce. These changes, a turn to the simplistic, hearken back to the days of being a kid and playing "kitchen" with mini wood rolling pins and dented kid-sized muffin tins with a few heartwarming rusty spots.

It's like your mom's old cookbooks from the 1960s and 70s, filled with recipes for lemon squares and swedish meatballs and sporting some primary colors atop slowly yellowing pages. Not to mention the pastoral hints; one can imagine these items plopped onto a circular wood kitchen table in some picture-perfect country house during breakfast. They evoke visions of wheat fields and Scandinavian sunrises.

Since I live NYC, and wheat fields (let alone sunrises) are hard to come by, I kind of want to spend all my money on these packages just to have them lining my countertop and cheering me up with their visual appeal. Especially the turtle macaroni & cheese; that turtle is so mine.
Images and more at: Lovely Package

How To Fly For Less Than The Cost Of A Flight

2009-06-13T18:08:00.010-04:00

I've been a naughty blogger. I went to Berlin. I had a great time, stayed slightly within my means, and left this blog hanging while I funneled the content into Jaunted.

If you'd like to see what went exactly went down overseas, some of it is here, but now I'd like to tie up the loose ends of my last post by dissecting exactly how I managed to go to Berlin without bankrupting myself. It became a three-step process, one that I highly recommend

for those who can do it. Shall we begin?

Flexibility. Since my employment is somewhat fluid, I was able to utilize that magical travel booking engine feature of searching +/- 3 days. After posting my last, emotional entry on trouble with such sites, the heavens opened and I stumbled across my dream $381 roundtrip direct (including taxes and fees) on Delta from JFK to TXL.
I booked the shit out of that, even though they barely had a seat for me on the plane and it was, in the simplest way I can put it, a shit flight.
Humility. Look, in the immortal words of Sheryl Crow: "This ain't no disco; this ain't no country club either." This is a last-minute trip on less than a shoestring budget. I booked this baby 4 days prior to departure, and whipped out a Priceline voucher code for $50 off a name-your-own-price hotel stay, a deal I magically got on Twitter.

Since I was due to meet up with my guy-friend for the last 3 nights of my stay, I opted to name my own price for a 5-star hotel in the Tiergarten district, which returned with the Marriott Berlin. That added another $150 onto my trip total. The humility enters the picture for the first two nights, when I bit the bullet and shacked up at Jetpak Hostel, which boasted of Free WiFi and rented me a bike for a whole day for 5 Euro.

It was on this bike and at Jetpak that I was able to quickly get a feel for the city, while befriending the amazing Miriam, one of the hostel staff who has now also taken up travel blogging on an Italian site. The hostel was about another $35, but factor in a few more dollars for all the 1 Euro cappuccinos I consumed while happily working the mornings away in their cafe.
Localizing: Sure I wanted to shop, and have a nice meal at a fancy al fresco restaurant, and take a side trip, but that's because those are the urges one has when exploring a new destination. You wouldn't be doing those things if you actually lived in Berlin, and so I thought--what would I be doing tonight if I lived here?

Eating 3 Euro currywurst from a corner Imbiß and chasing it with 75 Eurocent beers in bed while watching Bernd, das Brot. Or taking a free stroll through the Tiergarten to the Siegessäule. Or recycling--an action made so much cooler when a barcode-reading, bottle-eating machine is involved.

At the end of the trip, I realized that I had only shopped for one thing: a 3 Euro magazine on modern European Architecture from Pro QM.

All in, I'm looking back at a 5-night/6-day trip to Berlin that cost about $600 total. Damn, I'm cheap (and good). Considering that flights for the same route--when searching around the web--were averaging $800, I think this trip was a flippin success. Not to mention how cozy it was that my tax refund arrived prior to this. I won't be getting one of those next year, so I better travel the heck out of this year; am I right?

Cynthia, travel dork: 2* Economic downturn and lack of sustainable income: 0

(2 because I traveled to Hong Kong in February using these 3 steps)

Straight Trippin: To Berlin Or Not To Berlin

2009-05-16T17:58:00.004-04:00

Since last post, I have hopped down to Atlantic City, steeped for a week in the Midwest, and bolted to Baltimore--all the while cycling memories of Hong Kong in my head like Viewmaster slides. Not to mention the fact that I have taken on more responsa-blog-bility.

And again I am off...or so I hope, if I win my battle with booking websites. There is simply nothing more frustrating than to watch airfares drop, form a cozy budget in your head, find fares that match or undercut it, and then have those fares disappear or return with "sold out" just before confirmation. Am I perhaps getting what I deserve for snagging that bargain-basement Cathay direct to HKG earlier this year?

My tendency to follow fares, like a broker eagerly watching a stock ticker, both causes and solves many problems. Currently, the mercurial nature of travel sites flaunting Memorial Day pricing is driving me to drink (Red Bull for the first time in many years, even though I was handed it on the street).

To the point: Am I or am I not flying to Berlin in exactly a week? Having already covered nearly 80% of southern Germany, it's about time I pay attention to what lurks north of Frankfurt; I hear they even have German food up there! (ha)

On one hand, if I go, I drop down into that pit of "perhaps I can pawn this," from which I have just recovered after HK. This is the only downside, for the rewards of risking quality of life for time abroad are too many to count, but here are a few: soaking in the city, its architecture, street art, design, food, new German phrases, the style of the locals and how they go about mundane activities like ordering a cut of meat from the butcher.

These are the details I absorb, to the end that I can easily chameleon into them and make of Berlin another home port--another stepping stone in my global garden, if you will.

Is it not extremely fulfilling to learn how to use and navigate another city's public transportation? How could one not relish pronouncing a new word, and not just saying it, but saying it correctly and knowing its meaning and usage, and knowing that you'll now always remember it. That even 40 years from now, you'll be sitting down to a bowl of minestrone in your kitchen and suddenly a word like "Überraschung" comes to your lips, and you smirk with the dusty memory it elicits, of buying Kinder eggs at FRA and wondering what's inside and then never finding out becase you will give them all away back in the States. And you're old, and eating unremarkable soup in your average kitchen, but no--for a moment you are back in the airport and remembering the sweet anxiety that comes with powerwalking to your gate for a transatlantic.

I digress.

As for Berlin, it is now a matter of cost versus culture, and as always I'm choosing culture. And beer.

[Photo via Flickr]

In Gotham: A Hearty Helping of Brunch 2.0

2009-03-26T17:56:00.005-04:00

Take 8 young NYC creatives of different ethnicities, sexualities and um...absurdities, and dump them into a circular white pleather booth for Sunday brunch at Perry St. Stir. Simmer for a few hours and serve while snarky.

This is what I have taken to calling "the brunch club;" banal as the name may be, our weekly gatherings continue to grow in size as well as Michelin star rating of the destination. I may be a starving member of the "emerging media," but I will never deny an invitation to nosh on fancy-pants pancakes.

Aside from the excuse to drink 4-5 cups of coffee in a row, these meals serve as a good sounding rod for opinions on current hot topics and exchange of inside jokes. You'd do well to eavesdrop on us, marketing peoples, with recent topics such as these:

What's the first song that alphabetically appears on your iTunes? Consensus says: Aaliyah "Are You That Somebody?"
What've you got lingering in your Netflix queue? Me: La Vie en Rose
If you had to pitch an infomercial product to everyone at the table right now, what could you sell the pants off of? Me: the Yuletide Fireplace DVD
Did anyone get around to making New Years resolutions? Answer: no. But what about New York resolutions? Answer: yes. (get out to Flushing this year, avoid the NRQW, etc)

Ah, the lazy conversations of the creative class. One day I shall look back and scoff at that term and these topics.

Straight Trippin': Atlantic City and Endorphins

2009-03-18T00:15:00.004-04:00

I am in Atlantic City. In March. On a Tuesday. Deduce what you will from that, but one thing's for certain about my brief jaunt here: I'm thinking up a storm.

The wittiest quips and true clarity of thought usually come to me during brisk walks around urban environments, and although I was encased in a glass dome today, hitting the hotel fitness center on full power caused a vortex of vision. I had several treadmill revelations: my average walking speed is classified as "valley jog," I enjoy random judo-chopping, and running in striped pajamas is just as good as in spandex. I experienced stationary bicycle inner peace: damn, I'm good at this. And lap pool nirvana: why are they taunting me by playing only the music of "Rock the Casbah?" Whatever, I'm down.

Ever since my own personal recession set in the second I set foot in NYC, I banished my old Crunch membership and their 3-story atrium tube slides and Vitra furniture from my memory. Then I said a temporary goodbye to my big bike, which had for several years been carried up and down 3 stories of stairs by me on a daily basis, and which has successfully pedaled me through two marathons and given me the endurance to complete the "Hustle Up the Hancock." Now, with the exercise endorphins racing, I resolve to return. Chicago, I will see you in July for L.A.T.E. Ride.

[Image via Flickr/bluedonkey]

My Fashion Aesthetic, In Summary

2009-03-14T00:17:00.013-04:00

So it all began in Hong Kong. While my friend J and I perused the eccentric and awesome wares at Joyce, I came across a pair of Rick Owens S/S 2009 Foldover boots and was immediately struck dumb. They. were. everything. I've. ever. dreamed. of. and. more. If it weren't for the price (about $1,250), I'd be clodding all over town right now in these babies.

This kind of shopping experience, where I fall so hard for a single item, happens so rarely that it required some reflection. J and I tried to peg our individual styles down to a few designers, and I had some definite favorites named right off the bat. So for my pleasure just as much as yours (not like you really care), behold my five favorite designers whose designs I would actually wear:

Yohji Yamamoto and Y-3: I already own quite a few Y-3 pieces, but I hunger for YY
Rick Owens: Damn. Just damn. I covet it all.
Diane von Furstenberg: Already own some, but have to admit the "Foreign Affairs" Collection to be most me.
Donna Karan: Gorgeous, fantastic, sexy, chic...blah blah blah
Comme des Garcons/Rei Kawakubo: This is for when I let my freak flag fly.

[Rick Owens boots image via Browns Fashion; All other images via Style.com]

Remembering A Most/Least Glamorous Fashion Week

2009-02-25T21:31:00.008-05:00

Ah, Fashion Week. Now that you are over, I feel that my thoughts have settled enough to write a little in remembrance of you. As it was, I practically stepped off of my flight back from Hong Kong and straight into the Bryant Park Tents, so the last 3 weeks were as hectic as they were intriguing. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. So let us skip the collection reviews and various other stories, which I've already covered to death over at Racked, and instead get a little more personal with My Top 10 Most/Least Glamorous Fashion Week Moments.

Most/Least
10: Grabbing a town car to take me from the Tents to the Rag & Bone show / Grabbing a spicy cod roe kimbap roll at Kinokuniya, only to have it stink up the inside of my bag.
9: Hitting the McQueen for Target Preview Party / Being hit on at the McQueen for Target Preview Party
8: Knowing that the dresses I'm seeing will be on magazine covers yet months from now / Knowing that my boobs will never fit into said dresses
7: During small talk, saying "Oh yes, I just got back from Hong Kong" / Being back from Hong Kong
6: Actually being recognized as a blogger and getting assigned seats this Fashion Week / Sitting in the 9th or 10th row while magazines like Cookie and CN Traveler get on the runway.
5: Spending entire days in my rare pieces of designer clothing / Spending entire days hiking up my underwear as my leggings had unnatural control over them
4: Walking down the steps in front of the Tent in my Costume Nationals and hearing a bystander call out: "Now those are some heels!" / Going around the corner and ashamedly switching to flats
3: Sharing an elevator up to Leifsdottir with [VP of Bergdorf Goodman] Linda Fargo / Sharing a long wait at a Chelsea Starbucks with Linda Fargo
2: Sitting front row at Carlos Campos / Sitting front row at Carlos Campos
1: Chatting with Jason Wu at Band of Outsiders / Being accidentally caught in the background of a Sartorialist snap

Thank you, Thank you. At least I avoided any porta-pottie mishaps, unlike some other unfortunate fashionistas. Until September, I'm signing off on #NYFW.

Live From HK: "I Could Do This Everyday"

2009-02-08T10:34:00.007-05:00

Hong Kong is outside my window, beneath my feet, and in my head. I am in freaking love with this metropolis (can't call it a city because it's so much more than that). Everything from the elevated network of sidewalks--you could go about your normal daily business for a while without having to touch the ground--to the supremely clean and efficient public transportation is delightful.

I freely admit to being a "city person," and yet I am often disillusioned with many aspects of Chicago, New York, etc. In Hong Kong this past week, however, I have only been uncomfortable with one thing: how slowly everyone walks. I know I know...trivial crap. BUT I've been all around these islands and seen all sorts of areas and even the cow hearts freely being touched by shoppers in the meat markets, and for some reason I cannot reconcile this bustling capital with its slow-moving population. OK, enough with the negative.

I want to move here. Like faster than now. Only another trivial thing stops me from putting the cogs into motion: the horrible heat and typhoon season of summer. The only other time I've been to HK, which was for 8 hours during a layover and I actually did manage to go outside, the humidity was stifling and it was only April. Nonetheless, upon my return to NYC in a few days, I know that I will not be able to shake the feeling that I belong in HK, and so if there are any employers looking for a fall-winter HK employee or an expat guy who wouldn't mind having an extremely independent and seasonal girlfriend...you know where to find me.

The only slight bit of "engrish" I've found

Straight Trippin': BRB, I'm Heading to HKG

2009-01-31T22:52:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's almost been one year since my last trek overseas to Asia. That time, I spent over two weeks getting acquainted with the cities of Seoul and Shanghai, whose awesome urban heartbeats have kept me daydreaming since. So - I've all of sudden randomly decided to hop back. The difference is that this time I'm heading to Hong Kong and Macau for slightly more than a week and attempting to envelop myself in the culture.

If anyone lives in HK or has friends in HK who are down from some dim sum or water crab congee with a stranger, then absolutely hit me up. Until I return for Fashion Week (if only I didn't have to return), you can always catch my updates from the Orient here and here.

What New York Needs Is a Freelancer Salon

2009-01-14T19:52:00.008-05:00

This city does not have the infrastructure to support the recent glut of mobile freelancers. There are simply too few coffeeshops with free wifi, too few solo tabletops, and way too few outlets around New York City. At 2pm on a Wednesday, I found myself having to skip from cafe to cafe, desperately searching for a nook where I could file some posts.

I understand that, like myself, much of the city's creative underclass has turned to freelance and left their heat off in their apartments this winter, but there is no reason that one should have to spend precious time trekking to five or more coffeeshops before giving in to a wifi McDonald's. We need a place; a place that is not Starbucks or Think. Somewhere that is calm, comfortable and inspirational; we need a salon.

It would take the focused atmosphere of an Ivy League library and combine it with the furnishings of a Hungarian confectionary and the refreshments of a Mediterranean passenger ferry. Oh yes, we're talking liquor license and arancini; I am so sick of yogurt parfaits.

Settling into the clean banquettes could be New York's young and expansive minds. Far too often, they are the ones living in hovels in Bed-Stuy, spending their days editing and twittering from the last available chair (the one right next to the bathroom) at a mega-Starbucks. The salon would hold select events, but very few and none musical; it's not the local college coffee roaster's amateur hour.

Inevitably, the salon would be something of a secret in order to keep the tourist families (the ones who drag tables together at coffeeshops as they rest from their Century 21 spree) and bums out. It should have a password (emailed monthly to members) entry and outlets galore. Patrons can fill out a simple application online and pay a monthly fee (like $20 to cover costs) and never feel harassed for staying and working six consecutive hours.

But how will it make money? By not trying to. Sadly, the world has no more Peggy Guggenheims, but a philanthropist's support would be essential for the space. A successful salon would function almost on its own; refreshments need not be expensive because so many would sell anyways, and a grateful member base could generate beneficial projects and hopefully remember the salon after achieving their goals.

The Think Coffee on Mercer by Washington Square Park comes closest to this ideal, except that it plays really loud music and the place is always packed with NYU journalism majors who could just as easily be in the NYU library. If only Mercury Dime wasn't so diminutive.

Starbucks' concept of being a "third place," something between work and home, doesn't work for freelancers. New York needs to foment the idea of a "free place," somewhere between home and play, where people can develop their unconventional careers and connect in person with others whom they already follow on social networks. I know I need this, and I'm pretty sure the legions of furious typists I see cowering in coffeeshop corners do too. Create the space and the creatives will come.

What I Have Against Louis Vuitton

2009-01-10T17:16:00.008-05:00

(Screengrab via NOTCOT)

After this last week full of stalking mentions of LV's new Stephen Sprouse collection, I was left wondering why I felt so detached from and unattracted to the line despite my neon and street art leanings. While what seemed like everyone else and their moms were screeching their desire for the bags covered in faux graffiti, how was it that I didn't give a flying fuck beyond the curiosity I have for collaborations? You see, I've never bought into the Louis Vuitton brand because I've bought into it, ya dig?

I was born lacking the gene that makes one crave "It" bags, but one day in October of 2006, I fell for a wallet. It couldn't be just any wallet, of course; it had to be the $275 coin purse from Louis Vuitton's limited "Groom" collection, hearkening back to the days of the Grand Tour and commemorating LV's old bellboy ad and of the 1920s. The artwork was TinTin-ish, which attracted me, but it was the challenge of the motto which clinched my obsession: "Montre-moi tes bagages, je te dirai qui tu es," which translates to "Show me your luggage and I'll tell you who you are."

Successfully seduced by the vintage, first-class appeal of the piece, I headed straight into Louis Vuitton on Michigan Ave in Chicago and plonked down $275 + 9.25% tax for something which didn't even fit paper money (I tried, it always got stuck in the zipper).

I stared at the disk of my undoing for 13 days, and on the 14th day I took advantage of LV's 2-week return policy and returned that shit. Not quite. I exchanged it for the $200 yellow credit-card holder of the same collection, even though the orange of the coin purse held more appeal. At least, however, I could use this one.

So I proceeded to use it as normal, like a wallet. It only took a few jealous and inquisitive cashiers and some refilling of my transit card to make me extremely conscious of the attention this wallet warranted. I had meant it as a purchase for myself, a kind of secret indulgence, but then a friend bought the same one and mine continued to attract unwanted attention.

A hate for the blatant LV logo, which had previously to the wallet purchase been only apathy, really took hold when I went to Shanghai and visited those dens of iniquity, the underground fake shops. More than a year and a half after the Groom collection had sold out of stores, there they were. Naively, I had thought the Groom collection's small range and extremely limited release time would keep it under wraps. The embarrassment and shame of my first coin purse purchase returned with avengeance, and spoiled me forever from liking logo-covered products. (Thank God) I reserve the ability to respect some luxury brands who yield to the popularity of be-logoed items, but LVMH will always be outside of it.

Now, you ask, how do you get through Fashion Week and other events without a big, honking leather bag in your grasp? I still buy the occasional luxury item, but they are completely under the radar. A purse from 10 Corso Como, for example. Its provenance and cost will always remain my little secret, and it doesn't set me up as a target for mugging.

There is a major advantage in investing in classic bags such as this: they resist being dated to a certain season. Walking down the street, I know how long ago people bought their Fendi Spy or the perforated LV Speedy. It's not fun for me and I assume it's no fun for them, trying to maintain their rich appearance with a Murakami multicolore which was marketed at 16 year olds with high school graduation money in 2003. I'll stop now before I hurt someone's feelings.

2008: A Year in Influences

2008-12-31T18:05:00.017-05:00

As we are a mere six hours from 2009, please allow me to reflect for a moment on a year that proved very influential for me. As in, I owe much of my development this year to constant exposure to new environments, media, and ridiculous goals.

And so, without further ado, my strongest influences from 2008 in pictures:

- Korea - My two weeks there (and in Shanghai) earlier in'08 did more than just fulfill a heart-wrenching desire to hit up Asia, but intensified it. My mission to chillax and soak in the local life was partially successful, as almost daily I find myself drifting into warm memories of friends and raw squid at pojangmachas at 3am. It cannot be denied, however, that actually living there is in my future, although I don't yet know if it'll be soon or far in the future.

- PSFK - Technically I am in love with trend, design and advertising blogs in general, but the fact that Piers Fawkes occasionally links to my Racked posts gives them precedence in my RSS feed. I can always trust in them to post at least one amazingly kickass item daily, a difficult task in a blogosphere clogged with copycats. Plus, I am totally feeling this post on people like myself versus the traditional job market.

- Japanese Design - 2008 was the year I was able to latch onto various Japanese labels which, before, I had to ogle from afar. MUJI's NYC proliferation, Uniqlo's domination over my wardrobe and touches of CdG and Yohji allowed me to indulge my avant-garde leanings and penchant for great design at economical price levels.

- Art without walls - Pop Art is what really oils my gears, but I came close to melting with pleasure throughout this year of outdoor exhibitions. Jeff Koons on the Met's rooftop, Chanel's Mobile Art, Banksy's Soho love, and the various interactive fun in city parks really reminded me why I'm in NY.

- Transportation - To make things simple, I would say that my greatest love is for travel. Digging a little deeper, I have to confess to being hot for transportation. 2008 threw the QEII into my lap, Jetblue's Terminal 5, several long-haul flights on Cathay Pacific, countless hours of bus and Amtrak trekking and even some actual driving in a car across state lines. Most of all, I am thankful that this year brought me images of Dakis Joannou's Jeff Koons-designed yacht, Guilty. When he resells her years and years from now, hopefully I will be on the buying end; it's my new long-term goal. When I switch from being influenced to influencing, she will be mine.

The Best Story This Week: Philippe Starck Goes Shopping at Big Lots

2008-12-17T18:52:00.005-05:00

The minute this story hit my feed, I wanted to immediately comment on it. Well, it's been a day and I've simmered down from the original tizzy in which this story had put me. Nonetheless, it is a must-read and omg the pictures! I almost lolcat-macroed all of them, but restrained myself. Some notes:

The LA Times took Philippe Starck to a Hollywood Big Lots for some recession-friendly shopping and *gasp* he put together a place setting for $5.50! I'm pretty sure that I've got him beat though, since my nightly place setting is usually a 40-cent clearance plate in the shape of a Hibiscus flower that I bought at a Walgreens last year.
Starck is no stranger to discount big-box retail; his Target collection of many years ago was a hit, even though it featured much in neon yellow/green. I have the letter opener and can vouch for its functionality (makes a great fingernail cleaner, ah hem).
In the underwear aisle, he picks up a pack of boxer shorts for himself saying: "so when a man takes off his clothes, the girl will not laugh." But let's be serious here for a sec, bro: with those pants you wore to Big Lots, you don't have to worry about the girl laughing after you take them off.
He buys a bra! He digs the sidewalk chalk! He springs for a folding table! Oh man, I both have and can always afford those things. Am I part of the design elite yet?
The best advice for a recession-impacted 2009 comes out of this shopping spree at Big Lots: "Look for the bowl that looks most like a bowl." When people start buying etched-crystal gravy boats again, we will know that the recession has passed. For now, just use a plain damn bowl.

Words to live by, people. Whatever, you know you would kill for a Starck gun lamp. And so, one final comment: in PSFK's post about this story, they repeatedly misspell Starck as "Stark." WTF...just wtf?! I digress, as usual.

How I Spent My Semi-Unemployment

2008-12-12T22:33:00.009-05:00

5 am outside of NBC studios: my friend sits on a mat made of cardboard pieces as we wait for SNL tickets

I bought something beautiful today. It was definitely on sale and yet it reigns as the most spectacular thing I own. Of course it is an Issey Miyake full-length Pleats Please jacket, with an ornate map print design. This post is, however, not about shopping in a sad economy, but rather about surviving several months as an unemployed person in New York through the power of escapism (and reserves which were meant for my (postponed) trip to Dubai).

As a newish part-time member of the wifi workforce, I enjoy the ability to wander wherever I want, whenever I want and still barely make rent. Because of the new freedom, I briefly allowed myself to entertain the thought that perhaps now was the time to become a travel writer or move abroad again (Malta, Shanghai and Seoul are my current loves), but today's purchase was the final straw.

I've subconsciously re-anchored myself to here, and so I must put my future on hold and hope that someone hires me. Oh lovely unemployment, we had some good times:

Sleeping on the street in 30-degree weather for SNL tickets
Traveling 30 hours on Amtrak at the drop of a hat
Working the historical election in a controversial precinct
Riding back and forth on the SI Ferry on blustery days
Giving the QEII a proper farewell and Mobile Art a hearty welcome
Spotting Mario Batali and Andre Balazs within 10 minutes of each other

So now I've got this fabulous jacket, both a reminder of and end of the past several months of thinking that I had many paths from which to choose. Too bad I'm optimistic to a fault, so we'll see.

RIDILUX: Billionaire Couture's $50K Umbrella

2008-11-25T13:22:00.006-05:00

Yes, I know that it has been a while since I've broken out the "Ridilux," or ridiculous luxury, posts on here. Believe me, I haven't slacked on them due to a dearth of things to feature, rather the opposite.

Today, however, I ran across this Crocodile Umbrella from the brand Billionaire Couture, which more than qualifies for Ridilux. The Croc Umbrella symbolizes everything that makes me slightly ill when it comes to bad products: excessive use of exotic skins, zero practicality or function, ugly-ass design and a pricetag to get you kidnapped regardless of country. $50,000 will get you a single useless umbrella; heaven forbid it gets wet! Only Farnsworth Bentley could sport this (on loan) and get away with it. I rest my case.

[Via Born Rich]

Swingin Pad: A Shower to Shout About

2008-11-21T18:45:00.005-05:00

Occasionally I find myself wandering over to check out the various design-y loveliness at Trendir.com, only to have my soul curl up in coveting. Today's feature of the "Why Only White (WOW)" Collection of shower backdrops brought out the rare domestic side of me, the one that maybe in forty year wants to have a house to (tastefully) fill with cool crap.

Should you come to my first housewarming party in the year 2048, you may gawk at my awesome shower, which will have the math pattern shown above. Of course by then showers may be 360-degree and instant, but in that case I will have a math-patterned 360-degree instant shower (or Bisazza, since they will probably always be around).

On the Lickability of Covers

2008-11-16T14:02:00.007-05:00

Checking out this very colorful, scrumdidillyumptious AM NY cover from last week, I am reminded of an old Jezebel post on the licking habits of the editor of Cosmopolitan.

It went a little something like this: "My sense of a good cover that will sell is if I want to lick it... and the Beyonce [December 2007] cover I licked several times... before the sun came up."

Now reconsider this AM NY front page. It has gourmet donuts with an added bonus of chocolates, a hot couple nuzzling on a picturesque beach, Daniel Craig looking dashing, something about Madonna and something for the sports buffs. If there is one thing I have learned about print and online media, people will read anything about multicolor baked goods, be they overpriced cupcakes or rare macarons. Now add some great graphic design to the mix and you have a very lickable issue.

What's more is that everyone can identify with Cosmo's linguo love; I, for one, want to lick almost every page of every issue of Monocle. This is especially true for when they break out the illustrations in the retro style of Miroslav Sasek, or when they put a Frankfurter on the cover. I remain a reluctant fan of Tyler Brule, however, as his articles are so heavy-handed and pretentious. Like we get it, you love Toto toilets and Valextra. Anyways, I digress. Go lick some print journalism while its still around.

[Image via Urbanite]

After All the Hubbub: Chanel's Mobile Art

2008-10-31T23:45:00.005-04:00

I dutifully attended my 1:15pm ticket reservation for Chanel Mobile Art in Central Park on Monday, October 27. The day was beautiful; one caught between other days of rain and drear. Having scored one of the very few time slots available online, my friend and I queued up and cast pitying glances back at the long, long line of standbys. Reading blogs kept me out of the wannabe line and I found myself swiftly ushered into the lovechild of Zaha and Karl.

A few notes: When we interacted with any of the Mobile Art staff, they were so extremely gracious that we'd say the service mirrored that of sales associates in the Chanel stores. Although we did (hilariously) catch one of the dudes grumbling about how all the tourists go crazy for their uniforms (black windbreakers with white Chanel buttons), he personally thought they weren't all that nice.

While we actually relished the Soundwalk guide, WAY too much time was spent gazing down into the hole with insect projections; we would have preferred to peek longer inside the shipping container with S&M bear or watch more of the video inside of the powder compact, where girls were full-out gunning down Chanel bags on a shooting range.

Yoko Ono's "wish tree" installation was interactive, sure, but damn there were a lot of very shallow wishes on those things. But then what should we expect in going to a luxury-branded museum?

Aside from the aforementioned Chanel shooting range video, my favorite piece was most definitely Lee Bul's "Light Years" room, whose walls directly mirrored the famous Chanel stairway inside of their Rue Cambon address. Sitting in the middle of the room was a pile of light topped with leather scraps from bag manufacturing, all the while tempting you to touch it.

So my tour lasted exactly 45 minutes and concluded unceremoniously...actually I wasn't even sure it was over until there was no where else left to go. Oh yes, and the New York issue of the program is SO not as well done as the first Hong Kong one. Whatever Karl, I see how it is.

Abomination On The Street

2008-10-13T15:55:00.004-04:00

There are no words. I believe the many ironies present here speak for themselves. Let me know if you'd like a diatribe.

Shot a few nights ago on West 9th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

In Today's News: I Made a Sandwich

2008-09-21T00:27:00.005-04:00

Isn't it beautiful, sitting there in all its plastic-plated glory? Note the addition of prosciutto!

This is the result of my watching two hours of Food Network shows today, half of which was Bobby Flay throwing down lots of fried chicken. I was inspired; maybe if my countertop space was larger than a TV tray I'd have made something truly incredible. For now, I am loving the sandwich.

In related news, there is an apple in my fridge that has been there for OVER A YEAR. It's a granny smith, and granny just turned 14 months old. It is not rotten or squishy or discolored; it is simply bionic. We are at a stalemate currently, as I'm beyond the point of eating it but too curious to throw it away.

(Note on my fridge contents: Lu biscuits from a Fashion Week gift bag, mini vodka hiding behind the lime juice is also from FW gift bag, and check out the IKEA lingonberry jam propping up the notorious apple)

How Do You Say "Waste of Money" in French?

2008-09-20T23:40:00.009-04:00

I know how to say it in pictures: the Colette x Gap pop-up shop AND Swarovski's fall collection. In addition to being huge wastes of money, they are also both eyesores up on Fifth Ave and Madison Ave, respectively.

On Colette: In the interest of full disclosure, I have never been one to have heart palpitations over new Colette collabs, and am heavily skeptical of their image as a tastemaking store. Still, I was willing to give their GAP shop a chance because of my fascination with pop-ups.

Immediately after entering the store (around 7.30pm on a weekday), I was struck with how un-special the space looked. It didn't make you want to shop; the place was way too bright and none of the displays looked inviting. While I am fully aware of the Colette Paris shopping experience, and how it is not meant to be typical in any way, I was still terribly turned off.

I picked up the shoelaces - egh. I sniffed at the Comme des Garcons - nothing I haven't already gotten from Barneys. I almost took a closer look at the keychains and pin until I overheard a sales associate quote the pin price to another customer: $110. If I won't pay $320 for a truly spectacular skirt at J. Crew because then I'd be paying $320 for a skirt at J. Crew, then I sure as hell am not going to find a $100+ GAP keychain to be a necessary accessory.

Then I passed the erasers and pencils. This is the crap most people will be purchasing, just to have participated in the collab. A small, yellow foam duplo-looking block with the Colette logo was puzzling; it had no function except to cost $16.

My overriding impression of the store came as a whispered exclamation as I glared down at the post-it notes: "It's like they ordered stuff from a promotional items catalog and just had their logo applied." Then I left.

On Swarovski: Go to any mall's Claire's store and ask to see the "prom jewelry" in the locked plexi cases. Then add two zeros onto the price of each item and voila - it's Swarovski.

I was just wandering around Madison Ave as usual when I walked by their horrendous fall collection, whose muse could be none other than Ashley Alexandra Dupre. I mean, didn't Victoria's Secret have that weird crystal tie thing in their catalog five years ago? Anyway, I've put the images below for you to form your own opinion.

A Bit of Barneys Buzz

2008-08-17T22:08:00.010-04:00

So as a little gift to myself for my birthday, I've hopped a jet to Chicago for the week. Since you'll easily be able to find my exploits elsewhere, I'll only update a few trivial happenings.

Since my last post, I have ...

Fled to Boston for a weekend only to eat a lot of Korean food and continue north to Maine for the outlets. I am a person raised on road trips; every June we would drive 10 hours to hang out in a hotel pool and maybe go "gold mining" in Gatlinburg. Those were the days...I was 10 and memorizing rations of travel pamphlets from the local Carlson Wagonlit.

Done up New York Restaurant Week and peer-pressured others to join me, as usual. Rarely am I to be found in Midtown unless cheap gourmet dining is involved, or I feel like sneaking up to my personal piece of the sky: a condo rooftop where I've learned the secret of access.

Waxed loquacious about many things, among them being the craze-tastic Barneys Warehouse Sale. Due to an impending trip tightening my purse strings, I successfully resisted the lure of ultra-discounted designer duds until yesterday morning. A Saturday update got me at my weakest: relaxed and surfing on the beginnings of a flight high, as I was due to depart straight from the sale to the 312. And so....

I scored this dramatic F/W '08 Rodnik "Horror Show" trench ...

... even though I had been drinking in the sight of these YSL Getty wedges since the first day. I even had them in hand to purchase, but decided that the money would be better used on future airfare. Plus, I've already got some red patent Prada cork & bamboo wedges, but shhhh. (Photos via Rodnik and Neimans)

LV Holds In Your Junk

2008-07-21T01:57:00.006-04:00

Things I've turned up in my random strolls around teh internetz...
It holds your junk...
(not LV, but VO? and it makes me happy on many levels)
via Kanye West Blog

...and it holds your junk.
(Remy Ma probably had a seamstress cut up an old Speedy or something. Kind of like Scarlet O'Hara.) via 7Days7Nights

What Would Betsy Ross Think?

2008-07-11T00:59:00.004-04:00

(Click to enlarge)

Since I got over being political after doing a Presidential Classroom program my junior year of high school, I will only be so again for a second:

This dress above (displayed because of the recent Fourth of July holiday) in a Garment District shop on West 38th Street would have been awesome on Hillary (even though I'm down with the 'bama). Well ok not really, as she doesn't have the stature and svelte little waist that the stripes seek to highlight (and having met her in her senatorial digs once, I sure felt about a foot taller).

In any case, I totally remember seeing a picture of her waltzing with Bill at his first inaugural ball in 1992 while wearing a purple crystal-encrusted gown. I remember not so much because it was gorgeous (which it was not) but because it was just a lot of purple and sparkle and I was young. The older me is now attracted to primary, bold colors and thus I am strangely drawn to this ode to America.
Just one question: what is up with the tiara? Loyalists!

Les Touristes de Nouveau Yorque

2008-06-29T23:21:00.005-04:00

(Click to enlarge)

As you walk down West 34th, wondering what the hell brought you up there in the first place, you are surrounded by the tourists with their various plastic bags of souvenirs: hot pink leggings from H&M, cork wedges from Nine West and a silk bejeweled tunic from Zara. None of this is New York, but they will delight in telling their friends back home that it's from "oh, some little hidden boutique in the east village." Note that this recently happened for a friend of mine, whose acquaintance purchased a leather journal and fountain pen at Barnes & Noble as a souvenir of New York (wtf?)

Well, these are the names of those heretofore unnamed tourist passers-by, according to the cheap mini license plate stock: Pierre, Mitch, Kelsey, Kari, Katheryn, Pablo, Marc, Lori, Pepe, Neil... it's all a smattering of outre Europeans and American suburbanites. It looks like the least popular names (meaning most plates leftover) are Peggy and Judy - because ladies with those names are probably sensible enough to be in Disney World on vacation, getting engraved crystal Epcot Centers.

Let's end things on a high note:

Anyone who purchases one of the shirts below knows what they've gotten themselves into. Especially that green one - I mean, NYC, Starbucks AND it's American Apparel? I want to hang out with the person who takes that back to Liege, Belgium and shows it off at his local pommes frites vendor. Yes, sir.

Comics to Redefine Comics

2008-06-14T23:38:00.007-04:00

Among the things that get me through every day are, surprisingly, comics. Aside from a brief 7-issue collection of the physical comic book Catwoman: When in Rome (see picture top right) my daily departures have been of the web variety. On the top left there we have my highest recommendation: Eliza Frye's "The Lady's Murder," a mystery of beguiling images which are drawn and painted and instantly scanned to reveal the story one page per day.

And then there are the hilarious quips also doled out daily by Married to the Sea (bottom left) and Wondermark (bottom right). Is the turn to web comics a piece of the dilapidation of print media? Sure, why not. But then everyone wants to turn a hard profit, thus Wondermark found its way into The Onion and Eliza Frye is searching for a printer. When/if these series end, what will I read over dinner? Oh, books - yea those.

Laughing Quietly to Myself on the Subway

2008-05-22T22:04:00.004-04:00

Just as I'm sure that if you're reading this you know about JetBlue's new jetting campaign, I trust that you'll join me in being extremely entertained by their ads. The other day, while rambling along underground on the F train, I squinted up at the JetBlue "timeline," throughout which pleasant little quips are made about the olden days of air travel. I read the whole thing, which took about 30 seconds out of my precious staring-into-space time, and found myself quietly tee-heeing by Broadway/Lafayette. Here I share with you my favorite two, but admittedly the one below really left me with a private smirk. Oh my god, I am such a dork.

Whatcha Got There?

2008-05-18T17:14:00.003-04:00

(Click to expand)

Ah yes, the photo of a person's bag and all the junk normally contained within. How very original, how very telling, how very whatever. So I've submitted to a curiousity I've had for a while, of what my usual everyday crap would look like given the same treatment as the crap of famous designers and people. You know the spreads: Japanese bag company Porter does them for their seasonal "Perfect Book," Monocle copied off of Porter and now features them in every issue, and there's Sophia Calle's contracted-out Chanel project of buying people's bags straight off of their arms and then displaying the contents.
Above is my contribution to the trend, and it is very true (aside from the cat).
1- A laminated map of NYC, covered in stickers to disguse that it is a map of NYC
2- Oscar de la Renta sunglasses in a case (got them cheap)
3- $16 Marc Jacobs business card holder (with business cards!)
4- Generic coverup purchased at a Walgreens in LA
5- The latest issue of Monocle which will take me all month to finish
6- Flight 001 camera case with a 6 yr old digital camera
7- Keys and various discount cards
8- An issue of L Magazine from a few weeks back
9- MUJI antibacterial wipes and Lipsmacker strawberry balm
10- Comme des Garcons wallet
11- Freitag bag in the Cooper style
12- Cell phone with Seoul metro card attachment (I'm part of the proletariat - no iphone)
13- Netflix DVD waiting to be mailed back, and a cat toy (the cat put the toy there, I swear)
14- Cat (not mine) sitting on a Japanese ferry journal (mine), and a Venetian murder mystery
15- Viagra pen I've had since high school and my Path train smartcard

From this, I can deduce two things about the owner (myself): She is lazy (didnt bother to get the recent L Magazine, takes forever to read Monocle, hasn't yet returned netflix, won't play with playful cat, doesn't put on more makeup than chapstick) AND she is miserly (won't spring for a new camera or iphone even if it will improve her quality of life tremendously, luxury items pictured all purchased on deep sale discount, doesn't have an "it" bag). Yet, I couldn't be happier with it all.

In Gotham: A Dash of Sartoriality...Reality

2008-05-07T23:35:00.011-04:00

Image via The Sartorialist
Just a quick observation. There are days when nothing happens. And there are days when I spot Chris March and the Sartorialist, and I buy awesome fresh guacamole from West Side Market.

For instance, the Sartorialist's photo above is proof. A few days ago I hopped over by The Maritime to do this story, and passed by as this photo happened. I watched the mysterious cyclist enter the hotel after leaving this position. And I only noticed because of the way he was dressed. The commenters over at the Sartorialist's blog have it right:

Nice bike. Overall, the look is a bit affected. And no socks with that type of shoe is not very attractive.

This dude reminds me of that period months ago when everyone was having Owen Wilson spottings around town, as he zipped about on a blue bike and generally tried to assume carefree airs. All this is also happening during the week of the Sartorialist's being cut from the GAP campaign AND of the PostSecret card - with which I completely identify:On to today! Taking the train this morning, I noticed something amiss with the sartorial-ness of the guy across from me. There was a HUGE TAG hanging off of his sleeve. I noticed it first, and through the 10-minute ride, I caught the mildly amused glances of others. Who buys a leather jacket just when the weather hits 78 and sunny? A smart man does, because on the flip side of that tag is probably "Clearance $49.99." Check out my hazy cameraphone pics below.

In-Flight Addictions Have No Cure

2008-04-30T23:30:00.002-04:00

Remember a few weeks back when I found myself in-flight for over 24 hours because I stupidly (actually, awesomely) scheduled two stopovers in HK and Taipei between here and Seoul? Oh no - you don't recall? Well I sure do, and what's more is how I'm still feeling the effects of those flights.

We aren't talking a simple case of jetlag, no. Instead, I found myself completely and utterly obsessed with the Cathay Pacific "Studio CX" entertainment system; it was so enthralling that I abandoned sleep in favor of hours and hours of teaching myself Mah Jongg and playing a British version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" I now know that the Queen Mother grew up at St. Pauls Waldenbury, thank you very much.

So now, because I love it, is a countdown of...
THE TOP FIVE IN-FLIGHT ADDICTIONS:

5. Airshow/ LiveMap
You know you love it; you tingle at the knowledge of being 33,000' over Tulsa, Oklahoma where the ground temperature is a balmy 85 degrees. The thing is, Cathay Pacific takes it a step further with a live camera underneath the nose of the plane, which becomes an entire channel. Zone out to your hearts content at sunrises (below) and the black horizon at Earth's curvature. Livemap is especially effective on long-haul routes, as focusing on it for an extended period of time almost doubles for sleep - or at least you'll have produced the same amount of drool.

4. Episodes of Flight of the Conchords
Because a red eye is no time for Def Comedy Jam. Airlines know they have to go heavy on the comedy shows. Ever watched CSI or the Sopranos in-flight, and thought to yourself: "jeez, I hope no one looks over at my screen during this part." Flight of the Conchords gives the perfect dose of dry humor, off-color jokes and new york location to make it a hit in the skies. And I'm pretty sure I caught my seatmate, a little Asian grandmother, glancing over during "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous."

3. Battleship
It's simply quite an awesome, classic game. It requires little to no focus (perfect if you've hit the airport bar), you inherently know the rules, and sinking someone else's ship feels great. An added bonus: the Cathay Pacific Battleship game has a satisfying metallic "ddrrumpp" sounds when you place your boats.

2. Duty-Free for you and me
Shopping the friendly skies isn't just about flipping through SkyMall or ignoring the flight attendants when they pass through the cabin with boxes of Dunhill; in some parts of the world it is an anticipated event. Ok, this is mainly in Asia. Browsing through the Lotte Duty-Free Mall (yes, a mall, and there's more than one) in Seoul practically gives you a tan, what with the hot lights from banks of cosmetic counters and the mega-watt smiles of eager perfumers. It's not for me, but the ensuing craziness is fun to watch. Indispensable tip: If you purchase from the Lotte Duty-Free Mall, be sure to arrive extra EXTRA early for your flight at Incheon because the claim area for Lotte Duty-Free usually has a nightmare queue.

1. Episodes of My Super Sweet Sixteen
You know, I had never seen this show before I moved to NY. It was only during the moving process, with multiple roundtrips on JetBlue, where I became inconsolably addicted to the drama behind screechy teens and their leathery-tan parents. I'm sure I watched an entire season while 24,000' above Pennsylvania. This is the show to have on if you want to start a snarky dialogue with your seatmate.

...Now go book a flight to somewhere interesting. You might just catch a rousing episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay."

Live Octopus: Not Just for America's Next Top Models

2008-04-19T22:29:00.007-04:00

OK so I didn't update while away. I'm back now - from what was a most awesome trip to Seoul and Shanghai with brief stopovers in Taipei and Hong Kong.

The week before I left, a video hit the web like crazy - making it all over the blogs and whatnot, and created a small buzz about South Korean food. Apparently America's Next Top Model Season 1 contestant Elyse Sewell ate live octopus and recorded it here. This is something I already planned on for my trip - and I completely did it up - Elyse Sewell be damned.

We got the octopus straight out of the tank at Garak Fish Market, had it chopped, and ate it upstairs in the Fish Market's cafeteria. And we went through two of the containers shown above! AND our octopus tentacles were kicking and spiraling rather than just twitching. So good - my favorite food of the trip, and I had quite a number of things with no English translation (at least none I've discovered).

It is worth noting that I also had another most amazing night out with friends at a pojangmacha (mobile street tent restaurant) eating live squid (moving about just like the octopus) and downing some kind of spiky red sea lump with copious soju.

Why the Delay and then Off and Away

2008-03-26T21:38:00.008-04:00

Sorry chickies! If you've been checking back here every so often hoping for updates and finding only the Marc Jacobs skunk yet again, please bear with me as I've got good reason. Two reasons actually:

ONE -
I'm a Contributor for Racked.com - which has always been one of many blog addictions.

TWO -My tax refunds arrived and I'm running with them before my college loans gulp them down whole. For the next two weeks starting today, I'm traveling very jetset with only a carry-on to various points in Asia. I promise, if everything syncs correctly, to blog updates from the orient. As it stands now, I've jotted pages of recommendations from friends and favorite blogs on how to do as the locals (including where is the best chargrilled squid leg-on-a-stick). Looky here let's get this straight-- I'm no tourist. I got museum-heavy jaunts and backpacking out of my system in Europe years ago. I've grown into leisurely absorption of culture through immersion and complete giving over of myself. Is it possible to go native in 2 weeks? I am sure as hell going to try.

IN GOTHAM: Marc Jacobs skunk looking lonely

2008-03-17T22:46:00.002-04:00

In an effort to welcome spring (or more specifically, the money you're spending on spring clothing) and herald the return of the tourists, the Marc for Marc Jacobs store is offering free photos with their resident skunk-in-the-window. No stranger to the furry game, MJ's windows are now almost solidly covered with charmingly awkward images of you, your perfectly-coiffed family, and all your too cool friends pinching their noses or smelling the roses.

But when night falls on Bleecker St, Mr. Skunk sits alone and abandoned in his herbaceous aquarium. This is the perfect time to show the skunk some love...around 7.30pm to be more exact, which is just after the skunk's busy hour of posing with local dogs on their evening walks. I stopped in Friday night to show some support for the poor hipster forced to wear the costume.

ALSO!!! This is my 50th post!!! So it's a long one - deal.

Skunkless at 8.30:

My Top 5 Picks from the MJ windows:

1. Best ever.
2. Her eyes literally caught my attention from 5' away
3. It's as simple as they hold the record for the most people squashed into one photo: 8 + skunk
4. Cutest of all the dog pictures; he is obviously distracted by something outside the window
5. Forget the skunk playing with the baby, the kid in the red jacket has a future in modeling.
...and this one is a bonus, from my private collection ;) I'll take it!

RESTAURANT WEEK 08: Boston's turn

2008-03-12T22:15:00.004-04:00

Unlike New York City, with our cadre of very now/very booked-up restaurants, Boston extends their Restaurant Week to include Sundays. Thus intrigued, I hopped the Chinatown bus for the weekend to see what was popping on both sides of the Charles.

Sunday brunch we opted for Dante Restaurant in Cambridge. For once I thought here is a restaurant named only for its acclaimed chef Dante de Magistris, and not after Dante the poet. But no, they went there. We indulged in the $20 restaurant week "Inferno Brunch:" assorted breads, arugula salad with lemon, capers and cheese, blueberry polenta pancakes, and the classic eggs benedict. Also worth noting is that they served Lavazza coffee--a bonus which instantly makes me take the place to heart. Altogether, Dante was a pleasant and filling brunch with a great view of the Charles. But coming from NY where brunch rules, it's hard to impress me and I found myself longing for the unlimited cocktails of Nero.

Dinner took a more traditional turn, as we passed the colonial row houses of Beacon Hill for our anticipated meal at the Beacon Hill Bistro. Like Dante it's within a hotel, which is perfect for me because it happens that hotels are another of my obsessions. Our choices from the $33 restaurant week dinner menu were:

Salade Pois Chiches a la Provencal with olive oil, poached tuna, and pink cara cara orange (Xy had the Salade Saucisson with housemade sausage, fingerling potatoes, and shallot vinaigrette)
Newburyport Skate Wing Meuniere with ratatouille and pistou (Xy had Lemon and Rosemary Chicken Fricasee with hand-cut egg noodles)
"Award-winning" chocolate macaroons (Xy had the Clafoutis of pineapple)

For me, skate wing is an immediate attraction on a menu. I can't help but order it...and savor it...and rave about it to the next table, all the while trying to remember what the hell skate is. The courses were very good, but again nothing extraordinary or even exotic enough to be worth our stumbling through ordering with correct pronunciation. Our drinks were another story: an excellent/ perfect/ simply heavenly Dirty Martini for Xy, and a heady Brandy Alexander for me.

I think it's fair to say that I get weird over Restaurant Weeks. The release of reservations on opentable for the meals makes me anxious for days. It even brings me to do crazy things like fly back from Boston an hour before work on Monday. But that's how I roll.

I SAW IT FIRST: Metallic shirt, dressy vest, skinny artsy dude

2008-03-11T21:34:00.009-04:00

(Christian photo: Fashionista.com)

Imagine my surprise when, while reading Fashionista as usual, I see the photo of Project Runway's Christian (on the right) and immediately think of the outfit I styled a year ago for my favorite performance artist/friend J (on the left).

Yes, it's true. While still living in Chicago I made a quick trip to NY and stumbled upon the MJ sale, scoring a silver mens shirt made of Tyvek for J. Shortly after, J had a show at a gallery and I styled the outfit he's wearing there - dark jeans, the silver metallic MJ shirt, and black formal vest. He's also sporting D&G glasses exactly like Christian's, and he formerly had hair of the same...inspiration.

So there we go. I saw it first - the whole winning combination of metallic shirt, dress vest, those glasses and a skinny/artsy/fierce dude to wear it to a hot gallery opening.

Ugh-- in less direct lighting, the Tyvek shirt really looks awesome --like a cousin of duct tape.

Honeyshed is QVC with flyer kiks

2008-03-06T20:22:00.012-05:00

I have just spent the last two hours RIVETED by this new infomercial/videocast thing - Honeyshed. OK so the products they push are kind of random - everything from limited edition Air Force Ones to $5 disposable thongs, but their demographic is just right. They're targeting those kids sitting in front of their laptops bored, with a sense of style and credit cards newly minted. All in all, it's kind of like a video version of highsnobiety/highsnobette and nitrolicious...but with more wayfarers and side ponytails (if that's even possible).

My favorite short product pitch was for a houndstooth Yankees cap. It quickly evolved into the history of houndstooth, into Scotland, into Sean Connery as 007, and finally wound up into James Bond impressions. And their "Pok vs. Fly" feature is hilarious!!!

Check out a few more screenshots below. In the one right below...the host on the right says "Ooh you are looking like you drive a Ferrari. I get the Ferrari vibe from you." And the "guest" on the right responds: "I drive a Maserati. To my Ferrari." It was perfect and I laughed out loud.

I don't know where they find these people. Probably on the bench outside the American Apparel on Houston.

STRAIGHT TRIPPIN: Boston for no good reason

2008-03-06T19:07:00.001-05:00

I know I'm doing you a disservice, but there won't be any posts this weekend as I'm off on my quarterly random weekend in Boston. Fung Wah-ing it there, and JetBlue back first thing Monday morn so I can get in some light Restaurant Week action Sunday night.

And if by chance you wondered why I had fallen off the edge of the earth between end of February - early March...well, I blame that week absence on a hardcore Scrabulous binge.

I SAW IT FIRST: Shiny Black Leggings

2008-03-04T23:33:00.004-05:00

I just have to put this out there: I totally did the shiny black legging thing before Lindsay Lohan, Rihanna, and surprisingly even before American Apparel. Mine are what would be called "vintage H&M," and I believe the last time I rocked them was in Sept 07 at A60. Now that it's a trend, I might have to retire them. Ditto for the silver metallic-woven tights from the Anna Sui F/W 07 runway, which I have as Calvin Klein from 02!
Via Jezebel.

I want an easyWATCH!

2008-02-22T22:06:00.006-05:00

Yet again, the British have all the good stuff.

easyGroup, who have brought you such family favorites as easyJet, easyMoney, easyCruise, easyHotel, and my personal fave easyInternetcafe...now announce easyWATCH!!!

I was skeptical at first. I mean these watches are cheap, ranging from $20 - $50...but then I saw the designs, and now I want me an easyWatch! Peep my picks below.

Via Switched On Set.

SWINGIN PAD: Perfection in a Stairwell

2008-02-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

Interior design meets your wildest dreams...coming to us out of London. Click here for more info and drool-worthy views of this masterpiece.

Via Apartment Therapy.

02.20.08 What's left at the Barney's Warehouse Sale?

2008-02-21T19:16:00.007-05:00

RIDILUX: A cashmere/gold blend jacket

2008-02-20T23:47:00.000-05:00

This $12,000 cashmere-and-gold woven jacket is one of those pieces you read about, and immediately you have to show to everyone around you, so that you can all form a loud "whoaatt?!" in disbelief.

Well, that's what I did. Saw it in Departures Magazine a couple months ago, and thought of it while I watched hot men try on discounted Helmut Lang suits at the Barneys Warehouse Sale today.

So this is the Luigi Bianchi Mantova Golden Jacket, and it is indeed 12K. It's only available from Burdi in Chicago, which is a boutique I've never heard of, despite my having lived in Chicago and been on its retail scene for years...

Via men.style.com

IN GOTHAM: $200 for a hunk of hollow neon plastic

2008-02-20T22:19:00.003-05:00

Always a fan of bright colors and modular design, I popped into the Karim Rashid opening this evening at Elga Wimmer Gallery in Chelsea. The show is "Bloblove," and ummm snap judgment: Rashid should stick to product design and stop trying to like, sell his artistic residue.

Anndd that residue is listed as $4-6K for a print he digitally turned out, and $200 for each of those plastic pieces above. Or...BARGAIN! You can have 20 of them for $1500. Mr. Wearing-white-from-head-to-toe-well-almost-cause-his-
shoes-were-pink-tonight better not quit his day job.

Going into the gallery as a fan of Rashid's Dirt Devil Kone, his packaging for Method, and his chair for Veuve Clicquot, I was expecing some...funky originality. BUT, it was all very 1990s Trapper Keeper.

On Retail.

2008-02-17T20:53:00.007-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a minimum wage worker in possession of a retail job must be in want of a life.

If you have, or are currently working retail, or you only feel safe shopping chain stores, please read the stories below. They are from "the only gawker blog worth reading, Jezebel,"* and they are rife with illicit content. Just another argument to be an educated consumer.

From the "I Work Retail" category on Jezebel:

Anthropologie Doesn't Care About Black People

The Devil Wears Prada Because Prada is Hell

Hollister: Sort of Like 'Girls Gone Wild,' But..."

Working at AA is All It's Coked Up to Be

The Secretive, Culty Christians Behind Forever 21

Sephora, Undercover

Sexual Harassment : Retail :: Malaria : Swamps

More AA crap

...and to end on a lighter note

I have been lucky. Successfully avoiding clothing chains, I have worked for retail companies who not only valued my contributions, but who have allowed individually awesome people to work next to me; this includes a dude with a huge nosering like a bull, others who chose to wield weapons of razor-sharp cynicism and sarcasm instead of sex appeal, and many who really didn't give a damn and thus maybe actually liked what they did. Despite my good fortune, I still feel for people stuck in retail hell, knowing that I barely skirted it myself.

I've heard similar tales from friends: starbucks dealing more addictive substances than just coffee and chocolate, h&m s&m, and the all-too-common stories of Abercrombie driving its associates to shoplifting. And people wonder why I have NEVER purchased anything from A&F (or ANY of their stores), or American Eagle, or American Apparel, or ... noticing a trend here.

The Italians have all the good stuff

2008-02-17T14:29:00.005-05:00

...like the best freaking art exhibitions, not to mention culture in general. OK so this show is over as of 5 days ago, but I am still totally into the concept. You see, the ruling office in Italy is like a hallway in a slapstick comedy, with various players good and bad chasing each other in and out of doors, crawl-spaces, and kitchen appliances.

Recently the comedy seems on fast-forward, with Prodi deposed, parliament dissolved, and an election at hand. This is manifest especially on the streets, as election posters layer over ads layer over election posters. Above is a poster for an exhibition studying these paper layers of contemporary history...and I think it is brilliant. The Italians have all the coolest political drama/poster design/cultural exhibitions.

Via eternallycool.net
(and a woot for the IHT)

Freaking finally! Ketchup-flavor Crisps!

2008-02-17T14:04:00.005-05:00

Went on an innocent trip to the grocery store the other day, and discovered that FINALLY, my international gustatory vice of 5 years ago has made it to the States. Ketchup-flavor potato chips, and many other savory combinations, have been long available outside of our culinarily (is this a word?) backwater country.

Traveling out of Roma-Termini countless times yet years ago, ketchup-flavor crisps were always in my bag. Because of this, when I crunch through a bag of these I am transported to musty Trenitalia compartments, or the smoking car of the 7am Eurostar through Bologna (this was before the smoking ban on the Eurostar). Thus, I've truly missed having these chips!

Granted, Herr's is an obscure brand, but it is a step in the right direction! Perhaps one day this nation will embrace prawn cocktail-flavor crisps, but let's take it one step at a time and start with a minority president.

IN GOTHAM: MoMA Store <3 Alessi

2008-02-14T18:23:00.009-05:00

I love primary colors like a fat kid love cake. Last night the MoMA Store hosted a small fete to reveal their exclusive re-release of classic Alessi products. I've been an Alessi junkie since high school, so I got myself on the list and wore my best black-and-white mod print smock dress.

At the party on Spring St in Soho, the scene outside was all confused passers-by angry at the concept of having to be on the list, while inside the prosecco flowed and the only people who seemed to be on the list were Europeans with gravity-defying hair and personal clouds of musk. Ugh, I love these people. They are the kind I'd love to have full photos of, where I can take a pencil and make notes and comments all over them.

SO...making a break for the excellent finger foods (thank god for the northern Italian theme), I was quickly distracted by the bright colors and geometric shapes of the Issey Miyake Bilao tote. That is kinda how the evening went... all bold colors and shapes interspersed with beams of bright light and cocktail gherkins. And they still have MUJI stuff downstairs.

SWINGIN PAD: Bathrooms only Cavalli could love

2008-02-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

WHOA! Animal-print bathroom tiles from Settecento. Whoa.

I have to say, the texture on these tiles is amazing, but I'd imagine that they only look great in super-modern, model homes. Or hotels. I can totally see these in a future Vikram Chatwal property...or you know, Cavalli's house.
Via Trendir here and here.

FASHION WEEK 08: YY and Y-3 Joint Opening

2008-02-10T21:51:00.002-05:00

Fashion Week? More like Yohji Yamamoto Week. Yea, sorry about that. Someday, I promise, I'll be more proactive about varying my Fashion Week attendance.

So I totally hit up the Meatpacking District joint opening of the Y-3 store and the Yohji Yamamoto store. It was also one of those nights where I had many spots on the "list," but everyone I invited was either sick or uninterested. So this party of 1 quickly did what anyone trying to pass as a fashion week insider would do: appeared as unaffected as possible, all the while stalking the pretty drink and hors d'oeuvres boys with my peripheral vision.

Free to be my product-obsessed self, I passed the ice bar at Y-3 only to stop in my tracks and affectionately pet the limited-to-50 NY-edition $500 Y-3 sneaks (see below), made with denim from Yohji's atelier. Not a minute later did I spy my love across the room, and made a bee-line before the server with the pretzels could block my way. There it was...the pair of Y-3 bootie wedges featured in the F/W 07 ad campaign (below)! You may think they were inspired by the odd heels on MJ's S/S 08 shoes, but NO! those came a full season after these.

Anyways, both stores were gorgeous, and the merchandising was sooo intensively thought out that I wonder how different they will look once the star pieces sell out. Also, the triangular brick Yohji store was covered in a temporary plastic cocoon (see pic above) which effectively glowed, and made it seem (along with those light balls which appear to have fallen onto the street straight from the S/S 08 YSL runway) that a ginormous ethereal bug has made a comfy home in the MePa.

A LA MODE: Plaid like whoa

2008-02-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

...and these are only a sampling!! Plaid is apparently the THING for fall/winter 2008. This is even after I saw the dude above (the one in purple plaid) at the Caravan show last September wearing yet another head-to-toe plaid ensemble. Turns out, that's his constant schtick.

Anyways, the last two looks are straight off my Y-3 runway, where Jessica Stam rocked a yellow plaid jacket with scarf that I totally crave. And that second dude, with the bag and pointy shoes, well he is the notorious dandy Patrick McDonald. I kind of love him. I mean, you have to read about his mouse encounter...

So yes...plaid. The other day I saw someone wearing a plaid shirt, which happened to be the spot-on same plaid as my Catholic elementary uniform skirt.

FASHION WEEK 08: Y-3 Runway

2008-02-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

That, my friends, is the runway from Sunday's Y-3 Fall/Winter 2008 show at Pier 40. A solid wall of ice blocks, backlit at first by blue and green, which turned to this bright white when the show started. Before reaching this main area, we walked out onto Pier 40 through a darkened parking level, the way lit only by green light beams across the pavement. Once in, we were handed a double pack of Handwarmers (score!) and found super-soft cream fleece Y-3 blankets at our seats. I was located 6th row, about 30% of the way down the runway, and in front of the Japanese trendspotters.

I uphold my earlier statement that I would (and want to!) wear everything ever produced by Y-3; that includes the plaid swag, Chanelesque jackets (typical Yohji), and head-to-toe scarlet. And yes, that is Irina Lazareanu pulling that suitcase below. Also spotted (model wise) were Jessica Stam, Freja Beha Erichsen, An Watanabe (whom I've met), and that really pretty Japanese male model who opened the S/S 08 show. There were also the requisite celebs, but whatever.

The show closed with the line-up backlit only by the super-bright ice wall, which then began a 2-minute simulated winter storm. I was truly freezing up in there. Alack and alas, Y-3 is hot.

(Note: My camera had some serious issues that night, so please excuse the Getty Images)

I am the Good Samaritan of the blogosphere - HA!

2008-02-06T22:10:00.000-05:00

Soooo quick story: Almost 2 years ago I stopped into my local Louis Vuitton to check out their guidebooks set (bet you didn't know they had one!). The store had one set left, sitting in a drawer, and they wouldn't let me open it. Two months later I scored a single book of a 2002 set for $1 at a rummage sale in Chicago's Gold Coast.

Fast forward to late January 2008, when I'm on perhaps my fourth daily visit to notcot.org, and I see that they've posted about the LV City Guides, and they ask if any readers have seen the contents. If so, does anyone have pictures of the interior? HELLO - I had my single guide sitting to my right. So I scanned in some pages and sent them along to notcot with my love.

Now I'm just going to show off. Jean at NotCot posted my pics and credited me, and now I feel all cool. Check out my awesomeness: HERE!!!
(BTW - The content of the LV Guides isn't great at all. It leans to be as genericly charming as possible, and each book only contains 4 small illustrations. Better go with Luxe Guides.)

FASHION WEEK 08: X, Y-3, and Zeal

2008-02-05T00:50:00.000-05:00

When you think of NY Fashion Week, perhaps you get excited at the prospect of seeing the hottest new wrap dress at DVF, or what styles from Badgley Mischka will be on the next red carpet. WHATEVER. Even though I wouldn't turn those tickets down, the FW show I live for is Y-3, and funnily enough, it's the only one I can legitly attend.

Why am I so hot for Yohji Yamamoto? It's simple, really.

I love saying his name. I freaking love it. It's become onomatopoeia in my mind...describing the sound of slick aesthetic; if "slick aesthetic" had a sonance, it would be yō'jī yä'mə-mō'tō.
After learning his name and saying it a few times, I took a look at the brand and decided WHOA this is totally hot. I would wear/carry every (and I mean EVERY) piece ever marketed. A Zac Posen dress might make you look chic at one annual fancy event, but a Y-3 outfit gives you a style boost every day and ON THE STREET. It does for me.
Y-3/YY has achieved the perfect triple balance of supply, demand, and price. You can successfully hold the lines up as a style barometer. Supply is limited, and only sold at boutiques where you'd have to be "in the know" to discover even the store (examples: Complex Platinum Club, Flight 001, and George Greene). I spent late 2006 stalking Nordstrom's racks hoping to see a certain blue Y-3 hoodie with white branded elbow patches, which never showed. Demand is high and not solely riding on trend. Y-3 falls comfortably in with street wear, where exclusivity is tops. Also, the Japanese name and superb fits are super popular with current trendsetters, who lust for other international urban/secret brands like Visvim, Surface to Air, and Gareth Pugh. Price is totally within reach, if you manage to find the stuff. Shoes max out around $500 and clothes start at $40 for tees (but particularly unique runway pieces could be closer to $1000).
I've bought into it. I'm not standing here talking about the awesomeness of Yohji with no Y-3 in my closet. I LOVE what I rock, and as it should be with great clothing, there is a story for each piece. Here I admit to also having a single Stella McCartney for Adidas item...shhh...

So there is a primer for what is to come. Now that I have you allll psyched up, I promise a report tomorrow on the Y-3 runway (which was Sunday, but I'm tired right now).

IN GOTHAM: The "weeks" continue...

2008-02-05T00:29:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhh, a Sunday all-you-can-drink prix fixe brunch in the Meatpacking. So hit the spot!

Right on the heels of Restaurant Week, we've got good ol' Fashion Week (but at least fashion week is a true week, unlike RW which was 2 weeks). Anyways, I shall report from whatever scraps of Fashion Week get thrown my way, as occasionally I happen to be in the right place at the right time, wearing the right dress ;).

Thanks go out to Amanda, for going with my crazy flow this weekend, and knowing to keep the mimosas coming.

RESTAURANT WEEK 08: Kobe Club

2008-02-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

A ceiling of swords, points down. Kobe Club is one of those New York experiences (albeit newish to the scene) where its combination of red meat, leather, and faux danger attracts the best of the smug B&Ters for a drink at least. In fact, the Lincoln Tunnel seems to funnel directly in here, as I witnessed during my restaurant week dinner here with my roommate.

After following last year's juicy feud between NY Times' Restaurant Critic Frank Bruni and China Grill's Jeffrey Chodorow, I was so tickled by the hilarity of it all that I knew I HAD to pay a visit to ground zero Kobe Club.

Flanked by a bad-mannered Astoria couple and tables of polo-wearing groups with Jersey accents, our 8pm dinner (score 1 for me on awesome reservations) quickly became an exercise in carnivory. Our choices:

Tuna Tartare with creme fraiche, ponzu, citris, mustard-chili oil, and sesame wonton crisps (we both ordered this)
Japanese Wagyu 10z chopped sirloin with Vidalia onions, roasted bacon, and chive mashed potatoes. Glass of Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon. (Dgenale had the American hangar steak with roasted onions and garlic)
Assorted fresh berries with cream (Dgenale had the Classic Creme Caramel)

For the most part, these items also featured on the regular menu (except my sirloin was 2oz less than the menu one). I totaled it up to compare with our $35 restaurant week cost, and each of us would have paid about $105 for our meals. Granted the service was excellent, but the meal was so heavy it could only sit well with the clogged arteries of the B&T.

SWINGIN PAD: Atomic Ranch Magazine

2008-02-02T15:07:00.000-05:00

Look, I'm young, so go easy on me when I admit that only a little more than a year ago did I learn the term "Mid-Century Modern." I was rounding a magazine rack at the Borders at Clark & Diversey in Chicago, when a floor stack of Atomic Ranch Magazine made me halt in my tracks. It was one of those moments where I find myself whispering aloud "what is thatttt?!" with the realization in the back of my mind that this is a miniscule life-changing moment.

This magazine can be tricky to locate at bookstores, but when I'm in the mood for it, I will dig through Budget Living and ReadyMade even for a back issue. So now I know that Mid-Century Modern is my idealllll. I WANT that driveway pictured above, and I WANT a huge print by Shag in my den (ok, I already knew and loved Shag), and I CRAVE colorful ball chairs and floor pouffs like nobody's business. Now, how to translate all this to the interior of my future yacht...

The French Have All the Good Stuff

2008-01-30T23:55:00.001-05:00

Above is the yacht on which, one day, you will be calling me. When I think of my perfect yacht, this is it. PERIOD. She is "Reverie," and I spotted her twice out and about around St. Maarten. We had a moment. I snapped this photo while on a dive boat with a whole gaggle of French people, all who currently LIVE on St. Maarten. As we passed the yacht row (see below), one of the guys on my dive boat pointed out another yacht and said "that is my boat." I turned to him with a wry smile, like yea right. BUT then he continued to go on about how great that yacht of his was for diving. The French have all the good stuff...

RESTAURANT WEEK 08: Craft

2008-01-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

Yep, I scored a restaurant week table at Tom Colicchio's Craft!!!! Not only did I get to say "colicchio" a lot that week, but I finagled a table for FOUR for the much-desired late lunch. So, in true NY fashion, we had a little coworker retreat at that table allll the way up in the front. Our choices:

Quail with 50 year-old Balsamic Vinegar; Malpeque Oysters; Sweet Potato Agnolotti & Pecan; Beets & Tarragon
Painted Hills Flatiron of Beef cooked medium; Diver scallops; Scottish Salmon
Gnocchi with Fleur de Sel; Swiss Chard; Brussels Sprouts
Doughnuts with apple butter and vanilla ice cream; Olive Oil Cake with Citris marmalade and blood orange granita

I SAW IT FIRST!: Mod Tights

2008-01-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

So I'm catching up on one of my favorite UK blogs, retrotogo, when I see their post about Celeste Stein pattern tights. I totally SAW IT FIRST. Months back in New Hampshire, I was at a shoe store and went crazzzzzzyyyy over a small batch of these (none in my size because stock was low). Going to the website, you can order them in any of over 1300 different prints! Peep my picks below:
(Clockwise: woodgrain, candy, comics, cats (so funny/creepy), cash, chocolates)

STRAIGHT TRIPPIN: Ok, I'm back.

2008-01-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have returned...but for how long, who can tell? Twas a lovely many days in St. Maarten; days full of guavaberry, scuba, slot machines, and leathery-tan French people. Oh yes, and we must not forget a healthy dose of my specialty in travel: crazy insane dangerous experiences.

But I am back alive and well, although notably sans money, my left flip flop, and sanity. Oooohh I do think that is the perfect recipe for inspired blogging...

STRAIGHT TRIPPIN: Live from St. Maarten

2008-01-26T10:21:00.001-05:00

HEY my adoring public! Just a little announcement before I jump on the diveboat...tomorrow I will be live from the Maho Bay Beach Bar at 1pm! Ok, so I'll just be drinking at the bar which is at the end of the St. Maarten airport runway, and you can catch me on one of their 5 webcams, oblivious to your presence. Nonetheless, should be an awesome excuse for you to daydream about warmer weather, and to possibly catch the landings of the big Air France from Paris, and the AA and JetBlue flights from NY. That's why I'll be there...oh yes, and for you. Hmm what will I be wearing? Grey capris, a black v-neck, a thick white bracelet, and red sunglasses. Oh yes, and my trusty black Havaianas (by the way, there is a Havaianas boutique here, and each pair is like, 32 Euro! and yes, the Euro is KILLING ME). LOVE from the "friendly island..."

STRAIGHT TRIPPIN: I'm so gone

2008-01-24T01:11:00.000-05:00

No, the above picture has not been photoshopped. This is a real landing, of a real 747, onto the very really scary single runway at Princess Juliana Airport on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. Sooooo I'm going to go chillax on that beach above for the next few days...have a great weekend! Weather will be 82 and sunny, with chance of possible blog posts...

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RESTAURANT WEEK 08: Butter

2008-01-22T23:58:00.000-05:00

For my reviews of restaurant week, I shall make them blissfully short and lacking in frilly adjectives....so tonight Jessie and I hit Butter on Lafayette. Sure, I could go here any other night, but then I'd be paying $35 for an entree instead of $35 for a 3-course dinner! They *surprisingly* did not alter the portion sizes smaller for restaurant week, and the selection was quite good. I found all my courses to be complimentary in flavor and quite tasty at that. Our decisions:

Beet and Basque Cheese Salad with Sherry Dressing (Jessie: Sauteed shrimp and crispy salt cod with mandarin dressing and arugula). Super yummy!
Duck Breast with roasted sweet potato, dandelion, and kumquats (Jessie: Braised Pork Osso Buco "that's a lot of pork!" with Adzuki beans, charred onions and mustard) and a shared side of white mushrooms and braised leeks with dry vermouth
Dark chocolate and salted caramel tart with vanilla ice cream (Jessie: Blood Orange upside-down cake with cognac sauce and orange sherbet) This course was my least favorite because the duck was so summmmmptuous.

Interesting notes about our time at Butter -- We sat underneath a spotlight in the center of the room, and I was a tad put off by this at the beginning. Then the random background music begun: Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower" followed by Kansas' "Dust in the Wind." With the latter song, the dining room quieted a bit and a consciously sad mood briefly descended, as about 3 hours prior (and 3 blocks south), Heath Ledger had been found dead. Also, the dining room reminded me of a freshly-dug grave (albeit warmer).

And yes, there was a specialty butter tasting to whet the appetite.

A LA MODE: Patent and Postmarks

2008-01-22T23:39:00.000-05:00

Remember last summer, when all the cute totes had red or yellow patent accents, and everybody had some patent skimmers? Well, the shapes are the same, but the colors have changed. Check out the very yummy Y-Mail Collection from Yves Saint Laurent, for Spring/Summer 2008...bronze and black patent. This is SO my aesthetic...great design & material with a cosmopolitan feel and yet extremely unique. It's exclusive to Asia for now, which is good news for my wallet (even though owning the wallet above would be even better news!). Thanks for the tip, JS! via FashionWeekDaily

The British Have All the Good Stuff

2008-01-21T23:33:00.001-05:00

This is what I get for reading British blogs! Retrotogo.com reports today that British Airways has the Anya Hindmarch Concorde cases for their first class amenity kits for sale and ON SALE! Down from about $100 to $30 for each...but only available to be shipped in the UK. This reminds me of another sore subject... the rarity of the Qantas Marc Newson amenity kits. Ugh.

IN GOTHAM: Gourmet Stomach Aches

2008-01-21T23:12:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! I might have cobwebs in my cupboards a la Old Mother Hubbard, but the champagne wishes and caviar dreams get tangible this week: NY Restaurant Week! When the reservations opened around New Years, you KNOW I was all up ons...and I've got the tables to show for it. Check back throughout the week (and a little of next week) to see where I'll be scoring five-star $35 dinners, and where I've stuck my fork in the past.

Libel, I say!

2008-01-21T22:33:00.000-05:00

I was dressed for the boardroom: black blouse tucked into a pencil skirt, low heels, 3 strands of pearls, black trench, and black laptop messenger bag. I was standing in Foley Square, low Manhattan with 2 associates. I simply deigned to answer a few questions from a reporter, and now I've been LIBELLED by the NY Observer! Please review the following:

“Is this the first time I’ve been pantless on the subway? No. But is it is the first time I’ve done it officially? Yes,” said a Jessie, a 22-year-old Rutgers student, wearing a pair of pink boy shorts from American Apparel that she had purchased for a “special undie event” earlier that year.

Why would hundreds of people want to take off their clothes on the subway?

“Why not,” asked Jessie.

She was accompanied by her friend Anne, wearing what she described as “unseasonal” candy corn boxer shorts, and Cynthia, who chose a set of “granny panties—because I’m not seeing anyone right now and they are comfortable.”

Libel, I say! Despite what you read, I was NOT the one wearing granny panties, and I described my candy corn boxer shorts as "out of season!" Also, I defend Jessie as she is NOT a Rutgers student and IN FACT has a big-time job in Manhattan! LIBEL!!!

Whatever. We did the Improv Everywhere No Pants Subway Ride last Saturday, and it was lovely. Peep the video below.

RIDILUX: Pop Tab Necklace

2008-01-18T21:57:00.001-05:00

I am simply drowning in a sea of ridiculous luxury (maybe part of it is living in NY and being around crazy excess). Yes, that is a necklace of pop can tabs, and yes, you can totally make a better one. They don't even give it a flowery name; it's the "can tab cascade necklace," and it's part of the A/W 07 Maison Martin Margiela Accessories collection. The pricetag is a neat $695, which would buy me about 6 of these. On the other hand, I am totally feenin for the Margiela cork heels and clutch (yea, about $500 each):

The Japanese Have All the Good Stuff

2008-01-18T18:21:00.002-05:00

Novelty products don't get any better than this. I can't imagine how someone developed the idea of a compressed T-shirt, but I like to think it's one of the many responses by Japanese society to urban overcrowding (ha). Nonetheless, the companies I've come across who successfully sell compressed T-shirts of their own brand are Japanese: MUJI, Bape, and FinalHome. Looking at the FinalHome shirt below, which measures 5"x5"x0.3", I wish I could compress the contents of my closet. I would so build a fort.

IN GOTHAM: Moving On

2008-01-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hello, my name is Cynthia, and it's been two weeks since my last Gawker.

For the last year or so, I have been held captive by the razor-sharp claws of bloggy snark at Gawker. At least once a day I needed a bump of Gawker, or Gridskipper, or Jezebel. I wasn't even living in NY at the time, but the vicious Manhattan gossip and the seemingly endless stream of jaded commenter banter proved addictive. In fact, Gridskipper was my original love...back when Joshua David Stein was editor and nearly every post caused me to chuckle a bit.

We had some special moments: John Fitzgerald Page is the Worst Person in the World, the commenter who started his own blog in the comments of a post, nygirlofmydreams, and the near-daily SJP sightings on Gawker Stalker.

Now Gawker has some new rules, a new editor, and has lost the talent of Choire, Joshua, and Emily. All at once, Gawker has aged literally and figuratively. The young, witty, and talented of the commenters have decamped to SLC Outsider, and even superstar commenter Lolcait has his own blog. It's a sad beginning to 2008 for NY internet media.

A LA MODE: My black trench

2008-01-17T19:13:00.000-05:00

So apparently what's so very in vogue is MY BLACK TRENCH. Above on the left is a new $400 trench from Joie, and to the right we have MY Old Navy Clearance Rack find from Dec. 2006 at $25. They are the same except that I think my coat might be a bit longer and has rounder lapels. Who copied who here?

SWINGIN PAD: Ligne Roset Togo

2008-01-16T23:50:00.000-05:00

Back in the infancy of my obsession with great design (about 2 years ago), the Togo collection from Ligne Roset was, for me, the epitome of chic living. It had that je ne sais quoi... and appealed to my budding taste for retro-modern. When I was in LA, I popped a squat on those very Togos in the picture (it's my picture) as I was staying at The Standard, Hollywood. OK so maybe they're the reason I stayed there...but I had to pay homage to the design which proved a turning point in my aesthetic.

Below: my shower at The Standard, and mad love for the color orange.

P.S. - Hannah, if you read this, I miss talking Togo fabric swatches!

I SAW IT FIRST!: Gold Poop Pills

2008-01-16T18:36:00.000-05:00

When the New Museum on Bowery opened in December, all the blogs were abuzz about this product from Just Another Rich Kid: 24K Gold Poop Pills. You get 3 pills of 24K gold flake for $275, guaranteed to make your poop sparkle and you a complete douche for buying them. But I SAW IT FIRST! Well, actually my friend Jared did, at Hejfina in Wicker Park, Chicago. Then there followed a time when I was actively applying to write for blogs, and I reviewed these pills as a sample of my writing and trend-hunting skillz.

It's been a year since, and the world is just discovering what I'm so over. And now I'm writing my own blog, unpaid as it is.

Goodbye, Isaac. Hello, Jonathan.

2008-01-16T17:54:00.000-05:00

So yes, it may on every other blog today just like the Macbook Air, but Target announced that Isaac Mizrahi will be leaving for Liz Claiborne. He will be replaced (c'mon, like anyone can really replace Isaac!) by Brit Jonathan Saunders (see his stuff above), who will be the next Go! International designer after Jovovich-Hawk. From Racked: "His latest collection for British high street retailer Topshop features jersey dresses printed with bold, primary color shapes." Did somebody say my name?!

When it comes to designer collections for mass production, I leech onto them like the retail vampire I am. Despite my undying love and gratitude for Isaac (hello, he once did a woodgrain skirt and dress for Target!), I'll be VERY thrilled to see the mod prints and bright colors of Saunders after Jovovich-Hawk smears their boho-chic all over Target.

Big BIG News!

2008-01-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Perez Hilton's big announcement of a new flavor at Pinkberry, I am proclaiming from the mountaintops (well, this blog anyway) that Metromint water is launching the new flavor: CHOCOLATEMINT. I first sipped the sweet, sweet nectar of Metromint Peppermint after a long day of biking in Chicago, when I stopped in at Filter in Wicker Park (Filter is now a bank, sadly). Then this last summer Metromint released the lemonmint and orangemint, and now they see fit to grace us with Ambrosia...

It's not on the shelf yet, but do look for it soon at Balducci's and West Side Market.

UPDATE: Just bought some at Balducci's! Very subtle...actually refreshing.

IN GOTHAM: Rich kid buys more stuff

2008-01-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've heard the tales of the young founders of collegehumor.com: their $10,000-a-month loft, fast relationships with known idiots, and speculation on vices. So I wasn't exactly surprised when I opened the NY Observer the other day and saw this bit about the 1.97 M. condo one of them just purchased in the West Village. Then it sank in that this is the building underneath which sits my PATH station, and houses my local Urban Outfitters and Starbucks, AND generally looks too pretty to house 26 yr old millionaires. The place currently has a duplex penthouse on the market for 7+ M., just in case you fancy the idea of sharing the elevator with someone who made a career out of linking to videos like "How to Make a Big Mac at Home. Awesome."

RIDILUX: 24K Loss Prevention Brooch

2008-01-15T17:50:00.000-05:00

This is both Ridiculous Luxury and a Covet . All those months back when I lived in Chicago, I actually encountered a real, live specimen of this on the street. A woman was wearing it hanging off the left lapel of a plain black skirt suit, and I was immediately taken in by this simple and cheeky accessory. It. is. perfection. It is the 2003 "Respect Me" by AndrewAndrew; a loss prevention tag cast in 24K gold. Entranced by the piece, I spent a good several hours of intensive googling before finding the right keywords to locate it, only to discover that it is no longer available. Nowhere can I find a price, how much do you think it would go for? I made feeble attempts at locating one of these old tags in a department store, but to no avail. Make me one? I'm a little short on liquid 24K gold this time of year.

Just another night in Jersey

2008-01-15T17:42:00.000-05:00

Yes, I trekked out to Liberty State Park, NJ to see the spectacle on Sunday night. I had to walk a mile or two on a near-deserted non-lighted road in the middle of the park, get drenched to the core by icy rain, and get a talking to from the Park police for crossing some restriction tape, but it was worth it! It was only myself and the crazies...meaning other ship fanatics (mainly Germans). For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of hearing my dissertations on the awesomeness of ocean liners, let it suffice to say that they are close to my heart; AND I was at the christening of the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton, England on Jan. 8, 2004.

Now I ask why are you reading this when you could be on Kroooz Kams?! Sounds hokey, but it really is some site. Choose to tap into either the live webcams onboard ships around the world (Greenpeace included) or at their ports. I am now absolutely addicted to randomly peeking in on various ships on course to Vanuatu or the Falkland Islands. You MUST see it once, if only to check in on the tandem world cruise of the Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria...