Little treats + all my stuff [feature: Garance Dore x Paper Rifle Co.]

Um... I like pretty things and here are the latest of the pretty things I have accumulated ... to my husband's dismay. We're moving and he's complaining about all the stuff we have to move. I totally understand, I wish I could just snap my fingers and everything is transported to the new home. I just sold my giant Ikea Pax closet which stored only MY things. I got to admit that I have unearthed things I have forgotten about or not worn for years. Sometimes the guilt creeps in but then I look at the object, tilt my head and cherish it again. That's the type of stuff you want to keep right? But I agree that sometimes I do find things where I am like "Why the fuck did I get this?" and those are the things I will discard. Let me tell you this, the salvation army is going to loooove my stuff!

Anyway, here are the items I picked up at the Garance Dore Open Studio event I attended a couple of weeks ago. Big and small notebooks and a variety of cards. Oh, and everything is on our newly acquired sheepskin rug (it's at the cleaner's now) which I think I'll be using as my background a lot more for pretty picture taking. Love it!

In pictures: Garance Doré Open Studio and Pop-Up shop [NYC Fun]

The last smoke by Garance Dore

via

My last smoke was in 2010

Fellow bloggers ...fashion, lifestyle, street-style bloggers

Garance as shot by Scott Schuman in 'The Sartorialist:Closer'

Fashion, lifestyle, street-style bloggers ...

It is not so rare anymore to meet bloggers here, there, everywhere. In fact, during Fashion week, I randomly met a couple of bloggers and learned about their blogs for the first time which is always delightful. Some are students who write on their spare time but most girls I've met are full time bloggers which allows them to attend many many shows throughout Fashion week. However, when I actually bump into a blogger whom I actually know and follow (not reciprocated unfortunately) I was very excited. Kinda like meeting a celebrity but feeling like I know them already since I sort of know their likes and dislikes, favorite colors, quirks and peeves and whatever they share on their blog. Last year, at a DIY event with Ms Erica Domesek from P.S. I Made This proved that she's one funny babe. There are a couple of bloggers I would still like to meet such as Leandra from The Man Repeller, Nicole from Gary Pepper Vintage but she's located in Australia and Elin Kling from Elin Kling although I'm not sure if she's seem approachable and also lives in the UK. There are many more bloggers I'd like to meet out there but these are the ones I can think of right this moment.

I must mention again that meeting blogosphere celebs like Garance Dore and Scott Schuman at the book signing was also very exciting. I actually saw Scott Schuman after a fashion show at the Mercedes Benz tents and was just as excited to see him again but this time, in his own element (Shoot me please? Scott? Please? I don't have fancy shoes or have a cigarette in my hand but, please take a picture of me?).

As for me, I still feel like a newbie at this and blogging is a hobby and not my full time job. I try to devote as much time as I can since it is sort of my personal space to share with everyone what I like to do.

Kim from Eat.Sleep.Wear.

Here I am with Kim behind the blog 'Eat.Sleep.Wear.'. She describes her outfit here'. As for me, I am wearing:
Top: Wilfred from Aritzia
Belt: Vintage (Found at Hester Street Fair)
Skirt: Kookai pencil skirt
Aquafina water bottle
Argh, I need more accessories! Well, I just need to wear them out more.


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In pictures: The Sartorialist book signing at the Danziger Gallery + Garance Doré! [New York]

Happy sigh.

When I get to attend book signing events like this in New York city, I just feel so godamn grateful and lucky to be living here. To meet my favorite photographers/bloggers was really a small dream come true. I thought I was only going to meet Scott but when Garance also showed up, I was so ecstatic (in my head since I tried to remain physically calm). I also wore her Kate Spade bracelet just in case too!

I got both of their autographs and took pics together. I could not have been happier. I'm not sure why I was so happy but maybe because they left me with such a good impression. They were friendly, chatty, smiley and even in a hot and humid crowded room filled with people, they kept their cool and signed each and every book carefully and patiently with a smile (not sure if that's true by the end of the night though). I chatted more with Garance in French which I felt a little bad about afterwards because it was Scott's book signing and I had nothing much to say to him. It's probably because she writes more on her blog so I felt like I knew her better? They seem very down-to-Earth and I have a feeling they made each and every person feel special!

A fellow blogger Devi from 10k10q and I had planned out how we would take each others pictures with Scott and Garance and choreographed the whole thing. I'm so glad she was there!

The last book signing I went to was for Tina Fey (I want to go to there) and that was so impersonal and robotic...no personalized autographs, no pictures allowed and I don't think she even had the time to look me in the eyes as she had to sign book after book (she was pregnant too!). The venue was ten times bigger than the gallery though and she's basically a movie star. But that was it, even though Tina Fey is super funny on tv and a great writer, I didn't leave that book signing as happy as I did yesterday. It's okay, Grizz Chapman was there that time and let everyone take pictures with him and told us to tweet it. I didn't tweet it because I didn't know how to use Twitter yet.

A bubbly for Scott

The photographs featured in the book

The book cover!

Scott Schuman and Garance Dore

Garance: "That's my bracelet!"

Scott Schuman

Garance Doré

Devi

Gallery

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Toutes les filles sont folles! [Garance Doré + Kate Spade collab]

ALL THE GIRLS ARE CRAZY!


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My piece of Garance Doré ... sounds creepy [Garance Doré + Kate Spade collab]

J'adore Garance!

Garance Doré has been one of my favorite bloggers since the beginning of my taking interest in blogging and following bloggers. She not only helps me practice reading French (eh..euh..oui..ah non) but keeps me up-to-date with the latest on the fashion runway during Fashion Weeks all over the world (France, Milan, Miami...). She is my eyes where my body can't go. She's eclectic and funny which makes her blog a great read from her quirky interviews to sharing her fashion favorites.. I feel bad for those who can only read the English version of her blog (which is now fully translated) because it just isn't the same!
Her bf's blog, The Sartorialist, inspires me to be unique and dress as you please and not give a crap what others think. Oh, and I can't believe I missed the chance last week to meet Garance in person at her Kate Spade + Garance Doré cocktail party in Soho for I was traveling in Maine *BIG POUT. But whilst the launch was going on, I devoured the most delicious meal at Fore Street in Portland. YUM. So *small pout.

There are not many collaborations that pokes my interest (half lie) but when I read that Garance Doré was creating adorable prints for Kate Spade, I knew I wanted a piece in any shape or form. 6 months later it finally launched and I quickly browsed the new arrivals through the online store and sadly, the price is not affordable as I would have liked.
I like the blouse, I don't think I'd wear it but I want a piece of it. For me, it's definitely a limited-edition-collector-type of 'want'. The 'Joie de vivre' sweater and 'Pardon my French' are cute but too simple however big statements for those who follow her blog and the 'Pardon My French' videos. I'm glad I picked something I liked but bummed it doesn't have her print on it.

Can you guess what I end up getting?

Picture from GaranceDore.fr

Photos from katespade.com and GaranceDore.fr

xx

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A day date frolicking with Manhattan by foot!

 What's the best way to enjoy Manhattan? In my opinion, it is WALKING, STROLLING and PRANCING around town.

To get a little bit of exercise in our lives and to take advantage of a gorgeous hot sunny Sunday, we decided to walk downtown to uptown, from Chinatown to the Met museum to see the 'Schiarapelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations' exhibition. It was in our day's goal to walk more than 100 NY city blocks including zig zagging through avenues i.e. left to right (avenues) as well as up and town (streets). From Chinatown (Mott St) up to the Met (82nd) back down to Rockefeller (47th) ending in the West Village.

“A Conversation With A Great Friend“, a new mural from internationally-recognized graffiti writer RETNA at the Houston/Bowery wall in New York

Lots of "obstacles" were thrown at us (mostly me) during our walk. Typical of NY, lots of things and events were happening....

Our day started with a Mother's day family dim sum brunch down on Mott Street. I charged up by eating plates of shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings, whole plate of chicken feet, buns, tofu skin ..you name it, I ate it. Feeling greased up (literally), drank some tea and water and began our walk at around 2 p.m. The hot sun was very discouraging but nothing my SPF 60 sunblock couldn't handle.

Pretty stores in Nolita were enticing me with sale signs and new Spring/Summer arrivals but we needed to get to the museum before closing time (around 5:15 p.m.). Passed Houston St., pretty things and buildings started to emerge...

New mural by Retna on Houston and Bowery

 Seeing a new mural by Retna  on Houston and Bowery. Garance Dore posted as her weekend inspiration on her blog.

Dave helping a guy turn the cube at Astor place.

We heard music by Union Square and saw an whole event dedicated to promoting Taiwan was taking place

Union Square 14th street/5th ave

A promotional event for Taiwan tourism was happening in Union Square which I was surprised not to have heard about cuz you know, Taiwanese girl should know everything Taiwanese going on. There was even a concert stage and lots of vendors. This deterred us for a dozen minutes as I quickly scanned the site out of curiosity but not for too long since you know, Taiwan is just much better in PERSON and so the shaved ice (they put mango jam on shaved ice) and oyster pancakes looked uninteresting to me *snob knob up.

Bubble tea, oyster pancake, shaved ice you name it!

My second favorite building in New York

Taking a break at Argo Tea beneath the Flatiron building on 23rd/5 ave to cool down and take a pee break.

Stumbling onto Madison Square Eats. I was still full from dim sum or else I wouldn't have minded trying a pizza from Roberta's or some focaccia from Eataly.

List of food vendors

A Rebekka Minkoff sample sale..taking a peak at the inventory

Walked by the Rebekka Minkoff sample sale on 5th ave between 28th/29th st and decided to take a peek to see what the big deal was about.

Ostrich skin

A nice blue bag for Spring

Walking by Bryant park/ NY library on 5th Ave/42nd stand, we realized that we had been walking for almost 2 hours and that we had to walk at least 1 minute per block to be able to get the Met (82nd street) on time. We decided to hop on a bus uptown to the Met so that we can have enough time to see the exhibition and planned to stay on track and finish our walk by walking back down to midtown from the Met!

'Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible conversations' exhibit at the Metropolitain museum of Art

Buddha head from Longmen grottoes in LuoYang which I visited during a recent trip to China

After the Met, we began our walk back down to midtown. The sun was less intense but it was still hot so a rainbow soft serve was necessary for survival.

$3 dollah

The Celine bag

Did some REAL window shopping on Madison Avenue since stores were actually closed by 5 or 6 p.m.

Pretty Ballerinas store in NY (Taken for Viv!)

Taking a break at the Apple store plaza

My first time at the Trump Tower...meh

My first time at Henri Bendel

Trump Tower, Henri Bendel and all the touristy things I haven't done yet.

Those movie extras are getting paid alot of money to wait around.

A new movie directed by and starring Ben Stiller was shooting by Radio City/Rockefeller Center and they blocked off an entire street. I find out later that Ben Stiller and Adam Scott were shooting this scene. More pics I took of the set here.

We attained our day's goal when we got to Rockefeller Center on 47th st. Hunger inevitably struck and so we hopped on a train all the way to the West Village by West 4th to have dinner at Tomoe sushi.

Sashimi salad apetizer

A good large portion to feed the hunger

Last stop: Washington Square Park

 With our full belly, we decided to stroll a little bit despite our tired legs around Washingston Square park before going home. Our day finally ended. My feet hated me but my heart and eyes were content. We got home a little past 9 pm ready for a nice shower and sleep.

Next time, LES to UWS..High Line to the Cloisters?!?

What are YOUR weekend plans?

xxx