New York Happenings

This is what I was wearing when I had my second celebrity sighting since moving to NYC. I actually put this outfit together for that really big project I was talking about the other night, but truth betold, I would definitely wear this look in real life. I just felt the need to mention that in order to prepare you all for the really impressive sweater modeling you see below...

navy & white striped sweater {Banana Republic} - denim button-up {Forever 21} - aviator sunnies {Windsor} - hoop earrings {etsy} -

navy skirt {Loft} - white watch {Palm Desert street market} - gold & tan tote {Indigo} - white loafers {Isaac Mizrahi via Target}

So, after my extensive sweater modeling skills had been exhausted, I took myself to one of my favorite cafes in the neighbourhood for some lunch and to work on that huge project. Turns out the street the cafe is on was being used to film an upcoming movie, called Americana. Starring Ashley Greene. None other than the vampire, Alice Cullen, in the Twilight series.  I saw real live actors, all the film equipment and cameras and heard the director yelling "action" and "we're rolling". They kept filming the same scene right outside the cafe, one that involved high pitched screaming. After a few hours, the director yelled "and that's a wrap" (they really do say that stuff!) and all the excitement was over. Not going to lie, I'm not sure I would've recognized Ashley Greene on my own (what with, long brown hair, a healthy complexion and blood running through her veins...). But after the girls in the cafe filled me in, I still went all paparazzi on her and creepily took a few photos from the doorway.

Now, for those of you who were paying attention up there, I said this was my second celebrity sighting. The first was definitely even more exciting. Despite lasting all of ten seconds. But I was big time star struck. I was walking to class on Seventh Avenue and who do I see riding his bike in a charming baby blue sweater, slacks and some sneakers? I'll give you a hint. He has a camera around his neck and is approaching ninety. Give up? OK, I'll tell you. It was THE Bill Cunningham. Street fashion photographer extraordinaire for the NY Times. For those of you who don't know who this is, go watch the documentary "Bill Cunningham New York" and fall in love. You'll thank me later.

Oh, New York. You're pretty cool.

j.

J. Loves {Her} Style: Nerdy Neon

Meet Steph. She's from California. And I love her style. Read on to find out why!

I first took a liking to Steph's outfit in our Textiles class. She wasn't even wearing her gorgeous teal coat yet and I was drooling over her neon lace detailed top. I am really loving the neon trend right now and am kinda jealous of people who can wear the colors on their top half - this redhead, not so much...

When Steph got chilly in class, she slipped on her coat and I actually elbowed Kiki (also in the class) who was sitting beside me. I told her that Steph's outfit just got even better, as if that was possible. I die for the combination of the neon yellowish green and teal together.

Steph is all about the details when it comes to her style, which I always notice and appreciate. First, the bag she was using for all her books was a burlap tote from Elegant Fabrics. Burlap, people! Making a comeback. You should know I have a slight obsession for burlap. Next, her glasses. Love, love, love me some stylishly nerdy frames. I also loved how she paired the flowy, feminine skirt with black leather boots and don't even get me started on her thigh high polka-dot socks!

Self-described as having a grandma chic style, Steph really knows how to pull off conservative, frilly pieces by pairing them with on trend items and adding in elements of the unexpected, like her boots and socks.

Whenever I see Steph, I always adore what she's wearing and usually want at least one of her items for myself. This day was certainly no exception.

Thanks to Steph for being a constant source of inspiration and for bearing the chilly Spring day for a few photos!

 

j.

Springtime Nautica

I'm going to keep this short tonight, friends. I've been on my computer for the past twelve hours straight working on a HUGE project for my Fashion Industry Profile class. It's a fun project (to me anyways, I get to play with InDesign) but my eyeballs are starting to cross. Yesterday, Kiki helped me out for a small part of the project and we styled ten! different looks, dressed me up and then she took lots and lots of photos of me. It turned out really well and I can't wait to see the finished product once I have it all together. Don't worry, many of the photos we took yesterday will likely end up here in the near future. I can't let ten outfit shoots go to waste, now can I!

white crocheted sweater {h&m} - nautical rope tee & blue beads {Banana Republic} - yellow belt {Old Navy} - bright blue skinnies {Gap} -

striped canvas flats {Report via Century 21} - bracelets {gifts from my Mama, doesn't she have good taste?!?} -

white watch {Palm Desert street market} - photo credit {Kiki}

I really can't thank that girl enough, not only, for taking pretty much all of my outfit photos the last little while but also for putting up with a whopping ten outfits in one day! Kiki, you're a star.

I hope you all had a glorious weekend!

j.

It's a Man's World

There is really never a dull moment here in NYC. Even when you're walking to and from class, riding the subway, hailing a cab - all very mundane activities - you usually see something that just doesn't happen in regular places. Like when my Mom was here during Spring Break visiting me. We were hailing a cab outside my building and one of the black cars pulled up and asked us where we were going. We said Times Square and he gave us a ridiculous price. I said no thanks but he kept trying to barter with us. Then, the most bizarre scene unfolded right before our very eyes. A normal looking man in his late thirties, dressed nicely in business attire, approached the driver in the black car. He proceeded to start yelling at him. Telling him that what he was doing was illegal. I had a feeling that the black cars were not allowed to pick-up passengers (that's reserved for the yellow cabs). This man obviously felt very strongly about what the black car man was doing. He kept on yelling, now telling the man to "get out of the car!". My mom and I, staring wide eyed, were both thinking, "what's he planning on doing IF the driver gets out of the car?". Eventually, the man in the car drove off, but not before the random businessman, who felt strongly about transport laws, smacked the back of his car. Fairly big scene. Nobody, but us, seemed to notice.

vest {Zara} - white tee {American Apparel} - square necklace {gift from Mexico} - silver necklace {Banana Republic} -

glasses & yellow tote {Brooklyn Flea} - white watch {Palm Desert street market} - blue belt {Loft} -

navy trousers {Uniqlo} - loafers {Dolce Vita via Century 21} - photo credit {Kiki}

Or, how about when my Mom and I caught a cab from the hotel to Saks. The cabbie was busy chatting away on his cell phone the moment we entered the cab. We drove for a few minutes before he realized that he had not turned on his meter. He told us this as if it were our fault. Riiiight! Excuse me while I lean over you and your very important phone call to turn on YOUR meter in YOUR taxi. He mumbles something along the lines of making up the difference. So, we get to Saks and we pay by credit card. I choose the largest tip option possible, which is an exorbitant 30%, by the way. My Mom gets out ahead of me, and as I am scooting my tush across the seat and am halfway out the door, he says to me, "you know you only tipped me $1.50". Really? Are you seriously complaining about the tip I just gave you? The total bill was a whopping $4.00 (it would have been maybe $6.00, if he had turned his meter on at the start). I explained to him that I chose the largest tip option I could. He countered with the fact that we had gotten half the ride for free. At this point, annoyed that this conversation is even taking place, my response to rude, chatty cabby was "not our problem, bud!". His choice of vocabularly following this comment showed me that he did not share my sentiment. We are talking a difference of a couple singles here, which was entirely and completely his fault.

I feel as though I should share one last cab driver story, because not all of them are rude jerks. Again, during my Mom's visit (who can tell that I don't take cabs unless my Mom is here...) when we were bringing the bag full of clothes she brought me from the hotel to my place, we caught a cab during rush hour. I live all the way downtown so this was actually a pretty long trip. We probably spent half an hour in the taxi. The saving grace of this cab ride, though, was our broadway tune loving cab driver. His all-time favorites being Disney, of course. He also knew all the words and wasn't shy singing along to Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, Simba and the rest of the gang. Dude, you can show me the world any day!

Who knew taking taxis would prove to be such an exciting adventure. Don't get me wrong, the subway has its perks and boy does it have its adventures too. But that's a whole other post altogether!

j.

Brooklyn Blues

I have a confession to make. I have a huge crush. That's always on my mind. I am completely, 100% enamored. Pure lusting. Painfully longing. For Brooklyn. No, I do not mean some emo guy with a trendy name. I am in love with the largest borough NYC has to offer. I heart Brooklyn! I have only had the chance to explore three separate areas of Brooklyn and I love each of them. But Williamsburg had my heart the moment I exited the subway onto Bedford Ave. It is like an escape from the city. A glimpse into another world. A trendy, boho, hipster sort of world. Where everybody knows your name....wait that's Cheers not Brooklyn. Anyways, I digress. It feels homey, trendy, vibrant, quaint. Oddly reminiscent of the West Coast. Who knew beanies and plaid would make me nostalgic for the hipster scene of Victoria. Want to know what the best part of all is? You can see the sky! AND stars!!! Without having to crane your neck to look directly above you. It's magical, really.

navy & white checkered button-up {Banana Republic} - tan knit sweater {Sweet Romeo via Century 21} -

dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - striped canvas flats {Report via Century 21} -

bronze beaded cuff {NYC flea market} - royal blue cuff {Aldo} - blue cluster earrings {etsy} - sunnies {Vancouver vintage shop}

What sparked this little love affair with Williamsburg, you ask? My roomies and I went there on Sunday night to watch a friend of theirs play soccer. Long story short, certain beverages consumed the previous night resulted in some misinformation being relayed. Such as the name of the field they were playing at. We did watch a lovely British men's soccer team play for about half an hour until we realized that we did not actually recognize any of the players. Yep. We were three creepy girls just chilling on the sidelines at a completely random soccer match. And this is us awkwardly getting up and walking the very long distance back to the entrance to the field.

My roomie felt badly for dragging us to Brooklyn for a nonexistent soccer game. I, however, was too busy falling in love to care. In order to stay in Brooklyn for as long as possible and keep the spark alive, I suggested going for a tea. After consulting Yelp (you never let me down), we ended up at Saint's Alp Teahouse. An amazing bubble tea and Asian restaurant. A coconut milk tea with tapioca pearls and steamed dumplings later, it was official. Williamsburg and I are forever.

j.

Country Mouse Visits City Mouse

Spring Break is officially over! I had such an amazing time, it's going to be really hard to get back into school mode. I started out the break with a visit from my bestie, Sand. She was only here for two full days so we crammed a lot of funness into those 48 hours. Needless to say I was one tired lady when she left on Monday.

There were subway rides, scary cab rides, the Brooklyn Flea, shopping, food, more shopping, more food, an amazing cover band at an amazing NYC bar, dancing, posing with cheesy tourist attractions, waiting in line for discounted Broadway tickets, New York bagels, modeling new purchases, playing dress-up in my closet (Sand's favorite pasttime) and lastly Mamma Mia on Sunday night.

I'll admit I was a little anxious about Sand's visit. Only because she was my very first visitor since moving here (besides my parents) and I felt like I had to show her a certain level of fun! This is silly, I know, since we would have fun doing whatever, no matter what. But I think I delivered, with the help of my friend, Kiki. Kiki took us to Cafe Wha on Saturday night and it was the most fun any of us had had in a long time. After watching the most unreal beat boxer any of us had ever seen, Sand leaned over, big grin on her face and shouted in my ear, "I haven't lived until this moment". I think she had a good time! Mission accomplished. The fun didn't stop there. We ended her stay by going to see Mamma Mia on Broadway. It was all of our first live muscial experiences and we were not disappointed. Obviously we had all seen the movie so knew the story but seeing a production live is a whole other thing. We were grooving in our seats and singing along the whole time! I was sad to see her go but she promised me she would be back sooner versus later, hopefully with a certain Sasha Rae in tow. I will hold her to this!

Come back soon Sand,  NYC and I miss you!

j.

Out on the Town

I had the bestest of weekends. Because my bestie, Sand, came to visit. We literally were "going" non-stop. I must be old or something because I am completely and utterly exhausted. And my mom arrives tomorrow for a visit. No rest for this chica during Spring Break. But loving every minute of it! I had to show Sand a good time so we did go out on the town a wee bit. This is what I wore to a bar on Friday night. Where I flirted with boys. And had a whole lot of fun!

black spotted blazer {Forever 21} - royal blue shirt {Express} -

grey tiered skirt {Banana Republic} - black pointed-toe boots {Payless}

Aren't we just the cutest? I think so. We did have an amazing weekend inbetween all this going out business. I snapped a few pics too, so hopefully I'll show you all some of them real soon, along with a more detailed explanation of all the fun we had. But right now, sleep beckons.

Night!

j.

J. Loves {Her} Style: Bag Envy

Meet Amy. She's from China. And I love her style. Read on to find out why!

Amy and I have a few classes together each week. And every week I drool over her handbag. I mean seriously drool. Serious bag envy. Then yesterday I find out it's Celine. Come on, Amy! As if my green-eyed monster wasn't rearing his ugly head enough already.

 

It was ridiculously warm in NYC yesterday. Like, 20 degrees celsius warm. Sorry American friends, no idea what that means for you... A little sidebar to let you all know how thankful I am that the rest of the world also measures temperature like us Canucks. Really, these faren..what? loving people need to get with the program! Anyways, Amy and I had back-to-back classes so we stopped for a moment in Union Square to enjoy the beauty that is Spring trying really hard to happen. Oh yeah...I also made her pose for me.

 

As if bag envy wasn't enough, Amy has to go and wear a leather sleeved, knee-length blazer. Her arms felt like butter, people! It's so chic, so "on trend". Then, when I think the green-eyed monster has done his worst, she mentions, "oh! This old thing? I got it on sale at Zara for $30". ROOOOOOAAAARRRRRR! So instead of letting my angry little monster gobble her up right there in the square, I snapped a few pics and told her I loved her style!

I suppose the ridiculously on sale leather-sleeved jacket balances out the insanely beautiful, insanely expensive, definitely out-of-my-price-range purse. I will have to settle for drooling a little bit whenever I see Amy carrying it. Sigh...

Once I got beyond the purse and jacket, which was hard. Really, really hard. I loved the deep orange dress she was rocking. And yes, those are leopard print sleeves you see peeking out. They took the form of a cardigan. So much awesomness in this outfit, it was almost too much to bear.

Amy, do the rest of us a favor, will you? Stop looking so damn good and being too darn cute all the time. K, thanks.

j.

Blue Tie {Not} Optional

I busted out the formal attire for class today. Black tie...err, I mean blue tie, certainly not optional. Only the best for Professor Poshy Poshy Poo Poo. She cracks me up every class. Most recently, when discussing the benefits of plied yarn, I believe, she said it is often used in exercise clothing because "it is unhealthy to jiggle when we wiggle". Classic.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my beyond amazing iPhonography (that's a made up term for photographer using an iPhone). She is very patient (truth), always humble (lies...) and slightly crazy (more lies...big time cray cray). Everyone, meet Crazy K, or as I am now going to refer to her, Kiki. Her and I, we often meet up before our Textiles class on Mondays. We always get a chai (okay, fine...I always get a chai), we always take some outfit pics (okay, fine....I always beg her to take outfit pics) and we definitely always have some laughs (okay, fine...she only started laughing after I took back my extremely heavy book bag, purse and wool coat from her one free shoulder). Moral of the story? Kiki is a gem. And a very good photo stager....scroll down to see her magic.

blue & black flannel {Aritzia} - blue tie sweater & tan denim trousers {Forever 21} -

beige suede booties {Dolce Vita via Century 21}

She instructed me to "go stand by the cab and whip my head around". Because I don't already look crazy enough posing in the middle of the sidewalk. First whip. And she got it! That is some serious iPhone clicking skills. My neck thanks you Kiki.

j.

J. Loves {His} Style: A Breath of Fresh Air

Meet Bernard. He's from Singapore. And I love his style. Read on to find out why!

 

Bernard came into our Fashion Design class a couple weeks ago wearing this. Although I'm usually not drawn to tone-on-tone looks, I was immediately drawn to his. Feeling the Winter blues in a major way these days, this bright blue ensemble had me pining for warmer days.

 

He pretended to be bashful about posing for me in the hallway, but then he started killing it. I knew he had it in him all along.

I liked that he broke up the blue with a plain white tee. And don't forget his navy blue sneakers. Which are really quite fancy. They are leather and have nice stitching detail which gives them an oxford sort of feel.

I think Bernard and I would both agree that dressing for Spring is much more preferable than dressing for Winter. Being a huge blazer fan myself, it really gets me down to then have to squeeze my blazer wearing self into a jacket. It constricts my arm movement, which is usually holding a Starbucks. And we most definitely can't have that. Hear that, Mother Nature? You can go ahead and send Spring along any day now...

A little shout out to Bernard for being my first "j. loves {HIS} style" muse!

j.