on January 9th, 2012
 The Rubbish Bin This weekend we headed to Boston for a short birthday trip. Since my birthday was on January 2nd and most of the museums were still closed from the holidays, we decided to wait until this weekend to celebrate. I booked a room at the Ames Hotel, which is a luxury boutique hotel that opened in 2009 after renovating the historic Ames skyscraper. Usually, we wouldn’t be able to afford such a room, but thanks to Living Social we stayed in the Deluxe One Bedroom Suite (room #303).
Upon entering the room you are presented with a light filled open space. The arched windows are floor-to-ceiling, and the decor of the room is crisp, chic and grand. I especially loved the juxtaposition of the 19th century architectural details with the modern furnishings. Even though I typically am drawn to more traditional spaces, this design of this space provided an opportunity for me to really feel like I was on a vacation. The hotel room in itself would have been a terrific birthday gift in itself. But to make our trip worth while, we took to the streets to visit museums, soak up some history and window shop.
 The Living Space  The Bedroom and Bathroom - Loved that Tub! I gathered a list of places of interest and we weren’t able to see them all but these were a few of my favorites.
 The Newly Acquired Chihuly Piece & An American Art Gallery The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has always been a great destination in Boston. It’s a gorgeous museum with a wonderful collection from all over the world as well as outstanding exhibitions. This weekend we went to the Degas and the Nude exhibition.
 Hermes - Always Great Windows The Hermes in Boston is always a treat because they carry the saddles. There’s nothing like a beautiful saddle and I can only imagine how it must feel to ride with an Hermes. I believe it was retailing for around $6,300.00. They also always have standout window displays.
 The Old State House The Old State House was built in 1713 (!) this building is where Samuel Adams, James Otis, John Hancock, and John Adams debated the future of the British colonies. The Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from the balcony to the citizens of Boston in 1776 and it was the site of what is known as the the Boston Massacre.
 Bodega- interior photo credits: kicksonfire.com and thebostonbazaarculture.wordpress.com The Last stop is Bodega, a men’s urban clothing and shoe boutique. Worth a visit because it’s actually disguised as a New York City style bodega (deli in spanish). When you enter into the front room, also merchandised as an NYC style deli – the miscellaneous items are real that aline the shelves. We actually thought we had the wrong store at until one of the staff members directed us to the soda machine, which slid open to expose the shop.
In addition to the typical touristy stuff, I wanted to revisit my family history and discover my mother’s Boston. Having spent much of her childhood and young adulthood in this city I ventured to the buildings she once called home and photographed some the streets that she herself used to walk. In my next post I’ll describe this part of our trip in more detail.
For more pictures, make sure to check out my Istagrams page, I uploaded a lot pictures over the weekend. Is there anything that I may have missed? Please tell me because I’d love to visit more the next time I go Boston.
on January 3rd, 2012
 1. Funnel Scarf - Uniqlo 2. Coat- Zara 3. Knit - Uniqlo 4. Dark Skinny Jeans - Uniqlo 5. Lace-up Boots - Nine West 6. Leather Satchel - Zara 7. Driving Gloves - Madewell - Fashionable Looks - Uniqlo I know I’m a bit late for the height of NYC’s tourist season since Christmas and New Years just passed. The famous tree at Rockerfeller Center will soon be coming down along with the beautiful window displays on Fifth Avenue. Even so, I felt it necessary to write this post because I’ve been seeing a lot of tourist that look either un-chicly comfortable or trying to be chic and very uncomfortable. This post is for anyone who wants to visit the city and feel a little less like an outsider, because whenever I travel I always try to ‘dress like the locals’ or as the saying goes . . ”Do as the Roman’s do.”
For starters the greatest NYC tourist fashion faux pas in my opinion are:
- Under dressed girls/women- ie. short shorts, short skirts too thin leggings (no one wants to see through to your underpants)
- Crocs even in winter, the worst is when they’re paired with socks!
- Lots and lots of fleece
- Extremely over sized accessories that included backpacks, camera bags and umbrellas
- Ugg boots
*Please note: if anyone is offended by that list, you probably do not have the same fashion taste as me, so don’t keep reading.
 Photo credit: The Sartorialist At the very least I think anyone visiting New York should to do the following when planning their wardrobe, no matter the season:
- Wear layers, even on the coldest day many thin layers is the best. You’ll often be going in and out of stores, museums and restaurants and you’ll want to be able to remove some when you’re inside.
- Carry a medium to large handbag (ladies) or messenger bag (gentlemen), one with a shoulder strap is best. New Yorkers live and die with their bags, bags are they’re own little vehicles because as a NYer you have to have something that can hold everything that your day will entail. That often includes, along the usual essentials sometimes: make-up for after work happy hours, gym clothes, a camera for inspiration, IPads & Kindles, a pair of flats and maybe the last layer.
- Good looking, comfortable shoes – which can include the right heels.
- A scarf, because it’s a great addition to any outfit for any season.
If you’re coming here for the winter specifically there are some extra details that I’d like to touch upon. Including the list above there are a few tips that I think will help, and these are pulled from well dressed individuals who have been snapped by the top fashion bloggers, ie. The Sartorialist and Bill Cunningham.
 photo credit: Sydney Wasserman  via: The Street Comber Don’t be afraid to layer even more and the trick is to have a great oversized coat that can cover all of those layers. But, when going big on top, make sure you balance your body out with skinny fit jeans and boots.
 photo credit: The Sartorialist Big Scarves are awesome! They’re warm and super cute!
 photo credit: Sydney Wasserman  photo credit: The Sartorialist Boots are necessary! Boots are warm, comfortable and chic. They can always pull an outfit together. If it snows- put on a pair of Wellies or LL Bean Boots!
 photo credit: The Sartorialist  photo credit: The Sartorialist  photo credit: Face Hunter New Yorkers love their hats. Whether they’re knit caps, fur trimmed or large brimmed. A hat can make all the difference.
 photo credit: The Sartorialist
 photo credit: Face Hunter Wear gloves! Preferably leather, they just look much more chic! By the way, you can layer leather gloves under mittens or those fingerless knit gloves for a little extra warmth.
 photo credit: The Sartorialist  photo credit: The Sartorialist  photo credit: The Sartorialist Traditional wintery patterns are always in winter fashion.
 photo credit: The Sartorialist  photo credit: What I Wore Lastly, if you’re a lady – a little bit of red will go a long way.
Special thanks to our fashion bloggers who keep an up-to-date chronicle of New York’s Fashions and provide me with the necessary visual footage. The Sartorialist, Face Hunter, The Cut, Sydney Wasserman of Elle.com and Bill Cunningham – Thank You!
on January 2nd, 2012
 This is the hat before: found online through The Village Hat Shop
If anyone loves hats as much as I do, they’ll get the same amount of joy as I did from my latest creation. This project is super quick and easy, something to do while you’re sitting in front of the television!
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of lovely hats around the city. My friend from work Eunice had an especially nice one that she had embellished and I felt quite compelled to do the same myself – so for the record, this wasn’t totally my idea.
On my way home from work one evening I stopped into Daffy’s discount store (I was looking for gloves, FYI they have a great selection for really low prices) and I stumbled upon a hat that at first glance looked pretty cheap. I could see though that it had a great shape and could easily be dressed up.
The next day I went to M&J Trimming to purchase some feathers and ribbons for about $10. Anyone who lives in the city must go to M&J and the trimming district at least once. Within a few blocks radius there is a number of stores that specialize in materials from buttons and beads to trims and textiles. With a little bit of thread, I stitched the ribbon and the feathers on and voila! A chic and fashionable hat!
It’s a must try!
 The Inspiration & The Finished Result Want more details on the How to? Keep reading.
- After removing the leather strap, I wrapped the 3/4″ width ribbon around the base of the brim. I placed the seam where the feathers would cover it, on the side.
- Next I sewed on my feather pad – it comes exactly as you see it at the store. There are many other styles of kinds of feathers too! I chose to place my larger feathers heading towards the back of my head. I think they’re more streamlined that way. If you like the way this looks you can finish here or you can take it one step further, which is what I did.
- I decided this hat needed a little bit of bling, so I added a Trifari brooch that I found at Brimfield this summer. This is just pinned on so it can be removed. *Since making this hat I have actually ordered a brooch from Etsy that is brass with pearls – looks a little more vintage and suits the peacock feathers better. Then, you’re done! If you really feel bold feel free to add even more feathers, similar to my inspiration hat. Good luck!
on December 31st, 2011
So this is exciting! The editors at Houzz.com contacted me about being a guest contributor in their product section of the website! Each month I will be creating Ideabooks showcasing special products that I find and love. For the first Ideabook I chose the topic of Lunar New Year, entitled Guest Picks: Year of the Dragon 20 ways to celebrate the Chinese Zodiac’s animal sign of 2012. It will be featured on the site on January 1st. On Houzz you can find my professional profile that shows other Ideabooks as well photos that I’ve uploaded of my apartments and other interiors. Please feel free to follow me on Houzz for updates to my profile – to find my profile you click one of the Houzz buttons on the side bar of my site.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. With the dragon being both beautiful and symbolically rich (it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness), what better decorative element is there to add to your home this year? These stylish dragon-related finds will hopefully enhance your household with good luck throughout the year. If you would like to read further please take a look at my ideabook on Houzz.com. But here’s a sneak peek at some of my favorites that I’ve listed in my Ideabook!
I love convex mirrors, as you may already if you have read one of my earlier posts, Convex Mirror Update or Circular & Convex Mirrors. This mirror is at the top of my list, it is very expensive but also just as very rare, as you typically find convex circular or oval mirrors with eagles on the top. This mirror however has a dragon, which is just divine!
This beautiful Chiang Mai Dragon fabric by Schumacher was originally derived from a 1920s Art Deco–era block print. I can picture the textile of today used on throw pillows with a reddish coral fringe. There are so much rich colors that pop, I may have to purchase a few yards for myself seeing how I have all of these colors in my current living room. I foresee a stop to the D&D building in my near future to pick up swatches. Better yet, if I had another room, preferably a dining room this fabric would be so chic in pinch-pleat curtains hung on large brass rods.
This book is a beautifully illustrated resource for inspiration and education about the fantastic details of Chinoiseries. There are several buildings that have detailed dragons as decorative elements. This past week I used this book as a resource for designing one of my friend’s business cards!
I think that everyone should have at least one garden stool in their home. This classic shape is enhanced by the dragons in relief, and the pearly white paint is reminiscent of the mythical animal’s precious pearl.
Once again, Happy New Year! I wish you all good luck, good health and fortune in 2012!
on December 30th, 2011
It’s that time of year when we start to look back on the past many months, trying to make sense of things we’ve accomplished or have done. Hopefully we’re thankful for our families, lives and loved ones. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I have an extremely supportive and loving family, I have an amazing boyfriend, the sweetest little puppy, a cool career at a special company and a home that we can call our own!
The new year is also a time of new beginning, what’s down the road for next year? How can we make ourselves better individuals and do better things? Myself for one, I like to think of ways that I can be a better person (to myself and of course others), as well as what good habits can I start and what bad ones can I break in my life. There’s always a long list when you really get down to it and there are always the same few at the top, ie. eat better, exercise more, be more patient, etc. In addition to the big ones, there are always the little things.
This year it was:
Ride horses more
Be a little neater/cleaner
Be more dedicated to my blog
Try a new kind of exercise
For next year?
Cook more often
Buy less clothes (this will be a hard one!)
Draw/paint more on my free time
Get better at organizing
I think those are do-able. Right? Well first things first. Get better at organizing! How can I be more organized?
Well the first place to start is at home – which is just so overwhelming actually. I need to organize my kitchen, my desk, my bookshelves, my closet, Jack’s closet, my dresser, my storage space, under my bed etc. The only room I have figured out right now is the bathroom. So please wish me luck this weekend as we get a head start on organization. What do you think of 2011, what do you have to be thankful for this year? See you in 2012!
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