FREE PEOPLE …FREE ART…. FREE INSPIRATION…

Edited by Melanie Lauren

 Saw some things I liked this weekend….

This new Free People store in my favorite part of Brooklyn – Carroll Gardens  – it is festive, fun and just welcoming…

I love stores like Loews and Home Depot…. For some reason I love these sinks…

These elephant is amazing at Anthropologie Rockfeller Center

These are felted soap – lavender soap and wrapped in wool – they are so pretty at Anthropologie

I bought some of these paper maiche heads made in Haiti made from recycled French books – they are so well done

I love the whole vintage French boudoir type style of living but then I also like African prints and modern pieces too – I am all confused – I just buy things that I love and I love this lamp — especially the lampshade — I love peacocks – at Anthropologie

These chairs are something I love but I am not sure if I need them… there are a few different styles – this one is starburst they are made super well and are super comfortable and just a very cool item – at Anthropologie – all styles on www.anthropologie.com

Ummmm… this one is being put in for fun – sorry nothing against Ed Hardy but do we really need Ed Hardy shower curtains too… seriously ? 

I saw this eyewear and it is so rad !

So I apparently found “my good luck spot” on West Broadway & Broome

And I have an elephant tattoo and love elephants – I love this pillow at Anthropologie

The same artist that gave me my good luck spot also created this walk of faces on West Broadway over the weekend … I am not sure if he had a stencil but it is incredible how they look so similar – check him out FELIX MORELO !

http://felixmorelo.com/category/art-by-felix-morelo/

Then I met a new buddy on line at Starbucks – yes I drank coffee this weekend – ahh !!

But he makes tshirts and accessories – this is one of his tees – “THE DREAM” – I guess it has the money, the music, the girls, the car…. I love tees with sketchs and little drawings on them.. my favorite kind… FASHIONFILL

For some reason I saw this easel at CB2 – ignore the photo – just zone in on the easel – it is pretty cool – by the way CB2 has some awesome stuff oh … and this rug I have been seeing this saying a little here and there lately but it is true KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON !

I love mirrors and I loved these i spy type mirrors … ahhhhh … thinking about getting some

I went to my favorite store, BLUE TREE this weekend and saw this adorable little castle type house…. It reminds me of this song for some reason

walking around this weekend I heard some songs that I love especially when I was in Bed, Bath and Beyond

DREAMS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlMWAl7tIro

NEVERENDING STORY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3khTntOxX-k

Sometimes I forget about this lil guy I had for so long… Gloworm…. He is missing in action right now I need to find him… 

So pretty at THINK COFFEE

If you haven’t been to THINK COFFEE you need to check out on of their locations… A chill place with a great name

A wall of pop chips yum… These are guilt free chips that have tons of flavor!! 

Walking along st marks place I was so excited to see one of my favorite “things to do” named after one of my favorite bands… Ha ha 

These guys can make any day a happy day. They shouldn’t just be popular at Easter. 

If you are nuts about nuts come down to 8th street … Go nutty

I love lady gaga but I love when I see young kids embracing music…. I saw this written by like 8 year olds… Plus I recently went into this pottery “make it your own pottery” type place and the lil girls like 7 or 8 year olds were chanting they wanted to hear gaga…. Yes everyone goes gaga over gaga but it is so cute to see these younger kids going gaga because they love to dance around to her music! 

I hadn’t watched this film in a while Karl Confidential. He is a mastermind.  I always take something away this time it was how sometimes there is conflict in your closest relationships – basically the art of teasing + testing the people you are closest to is sometimes endearing. I have friends I don’t see eye to eye with sometimes to the point of I question why I am friends with them but then I now will stop myself and say I am having one of those moments 

Going through old photos I found this…. Ha ha from a trip to Cancun. So naughty… I am a good girl didn’t need it but I went along I thought it was funny. My friends + I all wore these silly badges… It is a Cancun moment especially I just graduated high school about to go to college moment.  Sillyness to the 100th power 

Laura at THINK brought in red eggs… And showed us how to do a Greek tradition… Where you take your egg and need to bang it with the person’s next to you egg and see whose egg cracks… If your egg doesn’t crack it is a sign of good luck!!!! One side of my egg didn’t crack for a bit… I went around a few times…. Thanks Laura for sharing a family tradition especially a cool Greek one…. 

I love helping plan out things to build… And love to see how things come together …. Let’s see… This will soon be filled w my clothes….its my new closet … In NYC you need improvise when you don’t have big closets… Thanks Lawrence for building me a radoid closet!!!! 

I had my buddy Chris who by the way is so awesome he comes to your APT and will cut your hair and is really GREAT… If you need a hair cut —- give him a try if you are in NYC area… You will thank us!!! So anyway he said Claude it is time for a change… My buddy once said when you experience change it is a good time to cut your hair.  I am trying to grow mine back a little… So I didn’t want to cut length but I gave in to his request for change and we cut me some bangs…. Getting used to them…. It is my new commitment…. I took this photo to send to my bf Kathryn since I don’t get to see her tons cause she is taking care of the kiddies in Long Island…. Anyway she seemed like she digged them what about you… Sorry for showing you a photo so you can look up my nose … Ha ha. 

This poodle is so well behaved… Might not see him for a while…take it easy buddy… Such a great dog…. ADOPT A PET they will change your life !! 

A cool waiter at Kenmare had this radoid tattoo.  

I went to see the play on Broadway PROMISES PROMISES with my friend, Paul, who I adore… I wish we got to hang more because when I see him we can talk and talk… Sometimes we don’t even get to talk about everything we want too…. It was really enjoyable … You will love the music and the costumes and the acting is great …. Can’t go wrong with Sean Hayes or Kristin Chenoweth … Kristin came to Caravan before she is an awesome girl…. and it was so great to see her talent live right in front of you… An amazing actress and singer….. Check this play out for sure…..

http://www.promisespromisesbroadway.com/

Last but not least…

I HAVE A JOB FOR YOU ………

if you are a photographer this is going to me massively rad !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come for the open call !!!! I am a judge so psyched to meet some people and will be posting photos from the open call ….

New Venue SKY ROOM Hosts Contest To Choose Nightlife Photographer

With Celebrity Judges Rob Rich, Tom Concordia, Jerritt Clark, Claudine Gumbel,  Kirill Bichutsky, Kristina Marino and Daniel Saynt

 Who:  The Sky Room, a new nightlife venture from The Gehr Group, and celebrity judges including society photographer Rob Rich, fashion photographer Tom Concordia,  celebrity and society photographer Jerritt Clark, Claudine Gumbel ofCaravanGirl.com, Kirill Bichutsky of KirillWasHere.com, Kristina Marino of TheDowntownDiaries.com and fashion blogger Daniel Saynt of FashionIndie.com

 What:  The Sky Room will host an Open Call to choose an in-house event photographer for the venue.  Winner will be determined by a panel of celebrity judges and will receive a paid photography position with the venue.  Potential contestants are required to bring examples of their work to the Open Call and can get a jump start on the competition by visiting Sky Room’s Twitter (www.twitter.com/skyroomnyc) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/skyroomnyc) accounts for further information and to upload their work.  Candidates must be 21+ and should bring a camera with them to the call.

 Where:             THINK PR

                        598 Broadway

                        6^th Floor

                        NYC 10012

                        (@Houston)

 When:         Wednesday, April 14th

                        Time: 4pm-6pm

 The Sky Room, set to open late this Spring, will boast 360 degree views of Manhattan and the Hudson River from the city’s highest rooftop lounge.  Occupying the 33^rd and 34^th of the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites Times Square, the bi-level ultra lounge will transport guests to a high energy oasis atop 40^th Street and offer five distinct spaces: the Times Square Lounge, the Cube balcony, the Private Salon, the North terrace with its retractable roof, and the South Terrace with its private cabanas.  Renowned architect Stephen B. Jacobs and affiliate designer Andi Pepper, who are widely known for their work with the Hotel Gansevoort, were brought on to design the space and drew inspiration from the venue’s surroundings.  The Sky Room is the latest nightlife venture from The Gehr Group and with this project they set out to create a venue that will offer unsurpassed service and quality in a stylish and exciting atmosphere.

LINK: FREE PEOPLE …FREE ART…. FREE INSPIRATION…

NYWIFT Designing Women Awards

Edited by Melanie Lauren

Wednesday night at the Clearview Chelsea Cinemas for NYWIFT‘s 10th annual Designing Women awards. 

The honorees included Gossip Girl’s hairstylist Jennifer Johnson, makeup artist Marianne Skiba (Law and Order), and costume designer Donna Zakowska (John Adams). While the awards were well deserved there was certainly more fuss over Blake Lively’s presence as a presenter than was given to any of the honorees. 

The ladylike Lively sported TopShop shoes, a Michael Kors bag, and vintage earrings. She said her dress was BCBG but you never saw it because she never took off her Burberry trench.  Cute jacket but what’s up with that Blake? 

photo courtesy of: AP Photo, David Goldman

The Shop That’s CryWolf

Edited by Melanie Lauren

CryWolf.

Classic cautionary children’s tale or trendy downtown boutique?

The answer is mixed somewhere between the two. 

While perusing the styles on St. Marks the other day I wandered through CryWolf’s unassuming entrance. I had been there before but this time I met with owners Nina her husband Abiri and their adorable new addition, Luca. 

“Wolff is actually my last name,” says Nina, explaining to me the story behind the shop’s name. “I’m Norwegian and in Norway it is quite common for a man to take a woman’s last name so when we got married I was literally crying (for) Wolff!” 

The couple opened the boutique just over a year ago as a response to Abiri’s love of shoes. What stands today is an adorably designed shop complete with exposed brick walls and a ceiling accented with wooden beams that is home to an array of indie designer labels.  Nina, who has a background in architecture designed the store’s laid back concept. Her influence shows up throughout the store in the lines they carry. Because of her scandinavian heritage, the couple scout designers from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark; bringing in hard to find labels like Swedish denim line, Demon Denim. The store also features great local names out of New York and Brooklyn which all lend their style to the boutique’s downtown appeal. 

Their unique offerings and laid-back vibe make it a great place to shop. Getting killer style has never been so easy and comfortable.

Check out their unique offerings online at http://crywolfny.com 

Meet Orly: The Newbie Making a Splash

Edited by Melanie Lauren

Meet Orly. A Long Beach native, who transplanted herself to the New York scene a little over two years ago to pursue a career in fashion. After putting in her dues at a showroom, Orly needed some room to spread her creative wings and we’re sure glad she did.

BEAUTY GOODIES: Color by Cynde Watson

Edited by Melanie Lauren

Recently relaunched Honeymag.com held a mixer earlier this week with acclaimed makeup artist, Cynde Watson. Watson, known for her beauty line Color by Cynde Watson gabbed with the gals of Honey about this season’s hot new tricks.

As we saw during fashion week, Cynde put emphasis on smokey smoldering eyes with fresh clean skin and preaches not to overdo it when it comes to applying beauty products. “When you fight your natural look, that’s when you look made up,” says Watson.

Check out the article at Honeymag for more tips and info on Cynde Watson’s new line of products.

Photo courtesy of  Amy Rollo at honeymag.com

Perry Ellis Fall 09 Presentation

Edited by Melanie Lauren

RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Rodarte Fall 2009

Edited by Melanie Lauren

Rodarte’s intricately styled Fall 2009 collection featured a sophisticated mix of greys and metallics.

Known for their impeccable hand-crafted style the girls did not disapoint this season as the art inspired pieces flowed down the runway, each more intricate than the last. The whole show was like a moving black and white photograph with textural complexity derived from its croc & aligator inspired prints and crystal netting used throughout the show. Grey was the central focus of the show  and it lived up to its full potential in elegant draping and ultra-feminine cuts. Metallic greens also provided accent throughout the show and the effect was tremendous juxtaposed against several industrial black pieces. Finishing off every look were exaggerated over the knee boots that artfully snaked up each model’s legs…

…If we were a curator at the MoMA we’d give the Rodarte girls their own wing.

photos: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2009RTW-RODARTE

Barbie Destroys Little Girls Fashion Week Dreams

Edited by Melanie Lauren

February 15th, 2009 brought the first ever Barbie runway show to New York Fashion week as a tribute to the classic toy’s 50th anniversary.

The show brought fashion regulars, media reps, photogs, and reporters but it also brought Barbie lover’s from across the country. Former and current Barbie collectors milled together ranging in ages from the very young to the very young at heart.

Apparently the invitations mailed out by Barbie reps encouraged the invited to bring along their daughters and nieces to the event. While this concept is a nice sentiment perhaps they forgot the limitations of space that is so frequently and issue at Bryant Park. While it may be one thing to turn away hoards of twenty-somethings clamoring for standing room at the William Rast show, it is quite another to deny an optimistic 6 year old access to that hot pink runway. If I were one of the parents encouraged to bring along my little girl only to have the doors slammed in her face once she got their I would have been rip-roaring mad. Way to be a dream-crusher Barbie.

photo: wwd.com

RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Miss Sixty Fall Collection

Edited by Melanie Lauren

Sunday night at Bryant Park and everything is a buzz as hoards of fashion junkies tumble into the big tent for the unveiling of Miss Sixty’s Fall line. The lights come up, the punk music blasts its electric beat and all eyes are on Sasha as she stalks down the runway in an acid washed mini and embellished black tights.

INTERVIEWS OF FASHION: Lela Rose on Her Fall 2009 Collection

Edited by Melanie Lauren

As we’ve learned over the years, Lela Rose has never been one to shy away from rich, enticing colors; a point she proved yet again with the launch of her Fall 2009 collection at Bryant Park this morning.