Sunday, July 27, 2008

my new favourite T



Subtle. Sexy. Soft.
What more could you ask for in a tee shirt?
(Could this be any more like a product placement?? I should get paid for this...)

Thursday, July 17, 2008

restraint

i swing by Urban Outfitters to return a duplicate of a rug i bought. Stupidly i bought 2 instead of one so a return was needed. i usually run my errands on my days off, which are a welcome break from sitting at my desk all day. i also take this time to blog, clean & pack my apartment, do the laundry, catch up on tv, pick up dry cleaning etc.

its also a good time for me to do girly things while J is at work (ie. get waxes, facials, manicures & pedicures etc). so after i got my green tea facial at my usual Japanese spa, i hopped over to UO to do the return.

lo & behold, i was immediately drawn to the table of rings, bangles and charm necklaces. i spot 3 pieces i'm itching to buy. then i move deeper into the store, perusing dozens of belts i want to include in my already large belt collection and then moving toward the back of the store where i spy a beautiful black cotton & crochet vest and a colourblock sundress in muted colours! omg, i WANT it!! but seeing how i really need to curb my shopping spending & after torturing myself  by trying it on, i decide to put it away and collect my $30.25 from my returned rug and walk out of UO empty handed. SIGH...

"i do not need more clothes..i do not need more clothes...although there are some cute things on sale on UO.com..."

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The Perils of Working in SoHo

I've realised I'm very fortunate to be living in The Big City - where I live the supposedly coveted Manhattan lifestyle ala Sex and the City. It really isn't as jazzed out as people might say it is, but it is pretty cool. Keep in mind, visiting New York City and living in New York City are two VERY different things. I have never experienced the former, but  I can tell you that the latter is far less glamourous compared to the stories I've been told from travellers coming back from the famed Big Apple.

Working in NYC has its ups and downs. J has his little rants of working here which I'm sure he'll elaborate on eventually. Times Square isn't exactly the ideal location one thinks of when working in Manhattan. Most conjure up images of the Financial District and Fifth Avenue possibly where the i-bankers, traders and other high flyers in the working world spend their 10-14 hour days. The same can be said for SoHo - it isn't your stereotypical work neighbourhood. What most don't know is many people work in various areas of Manhattan, some in midtown, others in downtown and some uptown. There are several fashion head offices which are located in Chelsea, I've worked in midtown on the famed Fifth Ave on the same block as Ferragamo and Cartier but for the summer, I head to SoHo every morning for work. My office is located practically in the heart of SoHo - where the amount of tourist traffic is high and the risk of shopping on your lunch break is even higher.

When you're surrounded by fabulous stores, little chic boutiques and awesome street vendors, you must understand the urge is almost irrisistable! My office is above an Old Navy for crying out loud! 2 days ago I walked in for a browse and found a fabulous pair of pink and brown striped espadrilles on sale for $16.99!!! 

Other purchases made whilst working in SoHo (either during lunch or post-work):
  • Red Wayfarers 
  • Multi-coloured patchwork long skirt
  • Magenta jersey wrap cardigan
  • Miscellanous cosmetics from Sephora (only 1 block down)
  • H&M Blouse (birthday gift for a friend)
Its quite the challenge considering there are 2 H&Ms within a 1 block radius, Club Monaco is across the street as well as Bloomingdales. Victoria Secret is around the corner and American Apparel is a hop, skip away. Forever 21 is 2 blocks away across from where I do my banking and SoHo is strewn with dozens of street vendors selling fabulous jewellery which I pass everytime I walk to the subway.

SoHo isn't cheap by all means. There are dozens of little boutiques with independent designers trying to make some money - where dresses go for at least $100. But if you look carefully, you can find cheap steals and that's where the danger begins for me. With the time and a paycheck to spend...what is a girl to do? In one hand and out the other! ARGHHH!!!!

Keep me from my credit card, please.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Our 1st July 4th

So we decided to stay in town for July 4th long weekend, seeing that we've never celebrated July 4th before - Manhattan it would be! The agenda for the weekend looked like this:

  • Coney Island - to see the Famous Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest (which we didn't because we were too busy sleeping in) and walk around, eat fair food, see Sideshow Freaks & to observe the Brooklyn folk.
  • Braved the crowds and walked towards FDR to watch the Macy's July 4th Fireworks, despite the drizzle.
  • Brunch & Farmer Market Shopping - out and about in Union Square to get some local, organic fare.
  • Sleeping in and bumming around at home, home-cooked meals and fine dining at Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca for J's birthday!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

My First MacBook


MacBook
Originally uploaded by
_ES

We've made the switch. From PC to Mac. We've given in to Apple's sleek, clean, modern lines and fantastic packaging. And thanks to the demise of my 6 year old PC laptop - a new Macbook was purchased yesterday! And I love it!!! There are so many lovely goodies I wanna pimp my Macbook with - skins, cases, covers, icons, apps :) Wheee...!!!!

Now to figure out how to use it....