100th post and other good things.

So, the school semester has wrapped itself up nicely, unlike the many Xmas gifts in my closet which are not wrapped at all. Honestly, I am so bad a wrapping things, I will probably just pay my 11-year-old brother to do it. And when it comes to wrapping his own gift, I’ll hold the blindfold. Or there’s gift bags. But those are so BORING.

I forget how many days off from school I have, but I know it’s enough to at least give this blog some much-needed attention. I’m thinking a cosmetic overhaul and some new blogging ideas for 2012. No idea what either of these will look like but it’s nice to have plans.

Christmastime is here. We had a party at my house, I’ve baked cookies, helped decorate a gingerbread house, designed a tacky holiday themed bulltin board, and shopped. I think I did good with presents this year.

On a fashionable note, I have been very happy to see that sequins are trending EVERYWHERE right now. Every clothing store has something sparkly in it’s window display. Like this shiny number from Banana:

Much like raccoons, I secretly love sparkly things, so it kind of fun to see them everywhere.

Unfortunately, most of the people on my shopping list are teenage boys (brothers) who have nothing in common with raccoons so I am left hunting around vintage/thrift stores, perusing record shops, and combing through the sale racks at H&M. My love for this last store is at an all time high right now. They have good stuff for men and women and children. The sale stuff can be unbelievably discounted too; I got a hat for a new baby in out family for ONE dollar.

This post was supposed to be about a really good movie I watched recently.

Merry Etsy.

I haven’t met a girl that doesn’t like Etsy. And with their new gift-recommendation option, I think even more ladies and guys too maybe might find the site appealing.

Here’s what you do:

1. Go to www.Etsy.com

2. Sign in with your Facebook account.

3. Click the gift recommendation option at the top of the page.

So easy and fun. Not all the recommendations make sense; for example it include people’s company names sometimes as their interests which throws things off a little. And some people don’t have enough or streamlined enough interests generate suggestions. But for those who do, I thought it worked pretty well.

I didn’t see an option for personal recommendations which might be just as well since I’m supposed to be looking for other people. I haven’t quite got the hang of the whole buying for others thing and always end up getting stuff for myself when I shop. However I did NOT buy this gorgeous locket below so maybe I’m getting better. Maybe.

Check out the "WillowandQuinn" shop on Etsy to see more of this vendor's items.

 

5 things my mama learned me about writing

1. Avoid non creative words like a lot, very, and so much.

2. Start sentences with adverbs. Here’s how I remember what adverbs are: they end in “ly” a lot  often .

3. Be careful to not start sentences with same words. Common mistakes include, “I , We, and The” depending on the context.

4. Use adjectives and similes. But not 4000 (adjective!) or else you will definitely sound like (there’s a simile!) you’re attempting to channeling Jane Austen on expired crack. Does crack expire? Moving on.

5. Do your homework before adding a new blog post.

Oh well, 4 out of 5 ain’t bad.

Rings

Last week, I wandered over to the Farmer’s Market for the annual “Brunswick Stew” festival. Everyone’s there touting their stew as the best and for a dollar a piece, you go around trying little cups of stew. They also sell it by the quart for the diehards. I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed by any of the food this year but I did meet a very cool vendor who makes jewelry out of neon tubing and melted glass. I’ve never really seen anything like it. And even though I’m not a huge “accessorizer” I love a pretty ring and they make great gifts!

Giving this one to my mom. Don't think she reads this. If so, hi mom.

I bought the 2 on the left, my roommate bought the one on the right.

Gorgeous designs. Each one custom and different.

New York on a Shoestring, Part 2

Read part 1 here!

Shop, eat, explore, relax. This is my recipe for vacation.  Location is really just a little detail. I totally get the “staycation” idea, though I would NEVER use that phrase.

Since I’m still on my “poor person’s guide to seeing NYC” kick, I wanted to mention a couple of cool/affordable places in the city to shop.

Thing number 547 that is great about New York: it’s a shopper’s paradise but also totally friendly for the non-shopper (who are you people anyway?) If you’re so unfortunate to be traveling with one of “those” people, don’t bother trying to keep them happy while you duck in and out of the many terrific places for losing your hard earned money. Rather, drop them at one of the many excellent coffee shops or bars and preserve your relationship (though I don’t see things lasting long, personally). The “Nespresso” cafe in Soho, 92 Prince Street, is really pretty impressive. It is shiny, polished, and anything but a grungy coffeehouse, which are nice don’t get me wrong, but it’s definitely the kind of place you could drink an americano in stilletos and not feel overdressed.

I hate stilletos. Anyways.

Where was I…oh, affordable shopping. Right. Here’s a f ew favs:

H&M. They’re on every corner. You’ll see ‘em. Just look. I know H&M is in every suburbia mall but I probably went to about 5 different ones and they were all different and had multiple floors and different sales and styles in each of them. I even got some nice underwear for a dollar. And that’s all I’m going to say about underwear.

Necessary Clothing. Really love their bootsNot super crazy about their style of clothing but you can’t beat their prices. Really love their boots which range from about $20-$30 (crazy good prices!) Find them online at www.NecessaryClothing.com Find them in the city at:

442 Broadway and 676 Broadway. By the way there’s an H&M super close to the 442 store…The whole section of Broadway is great for shopping; Banana Republic, J Crew, Guess, Levis, Versace and a billion others. There’s also an Old Navy which I find surprising. It’s huge and chaotic like everything else but I did see some nice lunchboxes when I visited. Why didn’t I buy one.

Uniqlo. A Japanese based company that just opened some new stores in New York.  Lots of solid colors and straight lines; kind of an urban Japanese Gap though I doubt they’d appreciate that. I happened to be there the weekend of their grand opening in Soho so they were having great deals like $10 jeans and $40 cashmere sweaters. Expect higher prices but take advantage of their complimentary tailoring services. 546 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

Huge store.

Rags-A-Go-Go. Visit this place if at all possible. You’ll unavoidably meet Joshua Suzanne, the proud and SERIOUSLY TALKATIVE owner. If you’re looking for a place to buy an army jacket, dress from the 90′s, cowboy boots or stuffed animals (or were those just decorations??), this is your place. Address: 218 West 14th St # A
New York
(646) 486-4011

Joshua Suzanne, the owner of Rags a Go Go

Halloween.

Who knew ghosts could be cute and a little sexy? Design by Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava.

 

More sketches by top designers here. Theme: household items. Haha.

In other news, I have no costume.

fyi

A typical lunch hour: get an idea to blog about, open blog, remember email I need to send, realize coffee is cold, heat it up, post to discussion board for online class, think about eating lunch, add or delete a song to my Spotify playlist, forget to send email,  read The Sartorialist/NPR, remember idea for blog, realize lunch hour is over.

New York on a Shoestring, Part 1.

So if you’ve been reading lately, you probably noticed I took a quick trip to NYC last week. It was one of the best vacations I’ve ever taken. I’d been before but this was my first time I had time to explore by myself and at my own pace. One of the great things about New York City is that it really is as big, flashy, and fantastic as everyone says. It can also be a little bewildering for new visitors, like me, though. So before I went I did my best to “research” the places I would want to see. Even spontaneous travelers have to plan a little bit!

Found some good tidbits from Styleabaad, Yelp,  and NYC Insider Guide.

And now I’ll be compiling my own recommendations; specifically, recommendations for people whose pockets aren’t Gucci or lined in cash. NYC is expensive but not entirely unfriendly to us folks on a shoestring budget.

1. Lodging. It is way more fun to stay with friends (like I did) than in a hotel. Cheaper too. You can eat a couple meals in and borrow flip flops after your shoes completely fail you and give you huge blisters (true story). If you don’t have any friends, you might consider consulting www.Hotwire.com for hotels in the area and possibly seeing a therapist. I hear New York hotels are small and plenty are quite nice.Like that little place called The Plaza.

2. Get some new apps. I recently joined the 21st century by getting a smartphone with an affordable data plan. Thanks Virgin Mobile! Definitely one of the best investments I’ve made this year, not to mention a total lifesaver for getting around in New York. My favorite apps and the ones I used most were:

• HopStop: a free app for navigating cities. During my trip I used the subway/train only setting which tells you how to get from point A to point B with clear directions about which trains to take, how to get to said trains etc. A+ You can also do just walking directions which is nice because subway fare ADDS UP YO.
• Yelp: Yelp is the modern version of the yellow pages. For any youngsters reading, the yellow pages were, oh never mind. Yelp shows what your close to and you can search for restaurants, bars, coffee shops, banks, and more. It also includes reviews and lets you customize your search by how much you’re looking to spend and how far you want to travel.

3. Go to Chinatown. I was reminded during this trip that some people are afraid of Chinatowns. This is silly. There is a wealth of terrific  food, shopping, and fascinating culture to be found here. Also, you can buy baby turtles which may or may not be legal. Some tips for visiting Chinatown:

• Prices are not fixed in many shops so it’s ok to suggest a lower price than the first (or second) one that is quoted. Charm goes a long way so be friendly and if you REALLY want to impress throw a little Mandarin around : “Dough shao chin” = how much is this?
• Eat noodles from “Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles” here’s the address/phone number: 1 Doyers St # 1, New York, NY 10038 (212) 791-1817 ‎The name speaks for itself; it really is tasty and the noodles really are hand pulled.
• Get Dumplings at 106 Mosco Street. You’ll miss it and have to backtrack because it’s a completely unassuming place with poor signage. The dumplings though cannot be beat. They are delicious and cheap (5 for $1) and hot, greasy, and filling. Don’t bother asking for chopsticks, they don’t have any.

4. Take the Subway and Walk.  Just because there are 6 taxis at every little corner, doesn’t mean they’re the cheapest way to get around. If you can afford them, fabulous. Do it. If you can’t, use the subway-it’s a little confusing but worth it. Survival tips:

• Remember, every time you walk from the sidewalk down into the station to get on the train, it’s going to cost you $2.50. Transfer are free. There are little kiosks before each entrance to recharge your fare card. They accept both cash and credit cards. Best to carry cash, the credit cards don’t always work.
• Just ask someone if you get confused. Like the person waiting beside you. The stereotype about New Yorkers being rude wasn’t true in my case. And if they are rude, just let them know you have tuberculosis and you sincerely hope it’s not still contagious.

Read part 2 here!

Photos from saturday

Painting.

I bought a canvas and painted it.