mind and matter

Dear readers: If you're ever curious about all the aesthetic fluff that lingers in the right side of my brain, this is what you'll find...

This wall

This interesting coat

This photograph

This classic messenger

This quirky print

Yes, LOTS of beauty on my mind lately. I just bought a new bright red moleskine at McNally J's to write down all my thoughts, since they tend to come to me at the oddest times (3AM, mid-class, while thrift shopping). What's on your mind?

five day countdown!

Paris. Is. Only. Five. Days. Away. I am DYING from anticipation!!!

My first time in Paris was wonderful... quite touristy, but sooo breathtaking. I can't wait to revisit some familiar areas, like my favorite district Le Marais. But I'm also looking forward to knowing Paris more intimately this second time around, meeting new friends while sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience with my school friends. I'm sure it will be a week to remember :) Merci to my lovely blog friends (Amy and Gillian!) and real friends (Isabel!) who have provided loads of inspiration! xoxo

(photo via pinterest)

tibi-tastic!

I know I'm a little behind on my style posts, but my dolls, I am in love.... with Tibi! I've been an admirer for a few seasons, and this Spring '11 collection is oh so fabulously cozy. Olivia Palermo as model definitely works... I think her mellow, comfortable-chic style really suits the brand to a T!

Also, a month ago, I got my hands on my own Tibi cocktail dress on a lucky trip to Bloomingdales!!! (Here's a picture of me in the dress + friends at an NYU event, getting our grooves on :)

some mid-week pink

How's your week going? I spent Monday to Wednesday studying night and day for a finance exam (which went really well - hooray!) and now I'm enjoying lots of coffee with friends and lots & lots of reading. Next up: a weekend video shoot and catching up with friends in Brooklyn.

Also, do any of you find yourself spending loads of time on websites like Pinterest and Svpply? Gorgeous photos just make my day. :)

from california to... paris?!

I'm back from California with tons of pictures and great memories. Many thanks to my amazing friends Perry and Anna for showing me around! Hiking, biking, swimming, and enjoying lots of sun... it was definitely a blast of a spring break.

I also have some awesome news! Guess where I'll be from April 2 - 10??? PARIS. My friends and I won nationals for the Dannon Trust business competition and so we'll be going to France for internationals. I'm feeling super blessed, lucky, and excited... Check out the team video (intoducing Dannon's "CODE") that we made for national's below, if you like :)

(Photos of Venice Beach in LA | Big Corona Beach | Silver Lake in LA | UC Irvine | Emerald Bay)

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope you drink some Guinness and enjoy some luck :)

(photo via the neotraditionalist)

on vacation!

My loves! So sorry for the absence, I've been on vacation in Southern California since the weekend, and will be back to blogging on Saturday! Can't wait to tell you all about my adventures in Newport Beach, LA, and Irvine. xoxo

(photo via pinterest)

rockwell brooklyn

This Saturday, I ventured out with friends to see the Brooklyn Museum. My favorite part of the trip was the Norman Rockwell exhibit, which was filled with Rockwell's four decades worth of drawings for the Saturday Evening Post (which is kind of ironic that we went on a Saturday evening!). Now I can truly understand why his work is iconic -- they so powerfully captured American history and lifestyle. I was in complete awe!

I also had no idea that he staged many of his illustrations (like the ones above) by taking and later combining photos to create an illustration. He's very much a director of his art, which is neat.

Those last two shots ("The Problem We All Live With" and "Little Girl Observing Lovers") are my favorite, and I was so lucky to see them in person! We walked around for hours through all five floors of the museum, and almost forgot about dinner. Finally, by 9pm, we stopped for some a Polish feast in Williamsburg. It was a nice little Saturday trip, indeed.

(To learn more about Norman's work, read this and this.)

thank you

... my writing mojo and wonderful poetry friends
... kind strangers who lend me hair-ties at the gym
... new challenges and projects
... coffee dates with good coffee
... sweet girlfriends & supportive guy friends
... deep conversations with strangers
... last semester of college for being so fruitful and exciting

Life, you keep getting better and better, so thank you!

(photo via miss moss)

neighborhood coffee shops

Loves! I've been working a LOT lately (kind of a bummer), but we should always make the most out of our situations, right? So I want to share with you some of my local coffee shop hangouts/work spaces. They're all in downtown Manhattan (my lovely Soho neighborhood), but I hope this list encourages you to keep an eye out for new favorite places of your own!

The Starbucks on Spring and Crosby (above) is one of my favorite local spots to work and read in. I just spent 4 hours here today -- I love the lounge-y layout and free wifi! Sometimes an office environment can be too creatively stifling, so I definitely appreciate the relaxed ambiance and yummy coffee (of course).

Aroma Espresso Bar on Greene and Houston is also super awesome. Actually, Houston St is one of my favorite streets -- the merge between Noho and Soho, the amazing shops and restaurants (like Dos Caminos!)... so fantastic! I love sinking into Aroma's cushy red chairs and taking my time enjoying a chocolate croissant (the best!) and cappuccino. I don't work here much because the wireless access is limited, but I do have plenty of coffee dates with friends. Also, last month, I sat behind THE one and only Vera Wang and her friend Olympic skater Evan Lysacek. Talk about people watching!

Lastly, McNally Jackson bookstore on Mulberry and Prince is such a treat for the creative mind. I'm lucky I live merely a few blocks away, because McNally's is just such a comfortable place to be. Coffee, pastries, and books -- what could be better? I like to sit with my notebook in the fiction section and doodle/ jot down cool word combinations or sample some of their newest short stories on the shelves.

That's it for now -- I'll be sure to share some more of my favorite neighborhood places, perhaps restaurants next? xoxo

PS: Other coffee shop posts: Gryphon Cafe in Philly and Caffe Reggio in the Village.

(photos via 1, 2, 3)