Month: December 2019

Life
28 Dec 2019

Yow Yow’s New York Minute

Since I had my Taipei vacation earlier in the year, I opted for two weekend trips this summer. While Mandi had moved to New York last year, I actually have a handful of friends that had been living there for some time. It feels like just yesterday I was helping Mandi find an apartment and move up there. In fact, I remember being worried about her safety because she’d never lived in a big city before and she turned around and said “This is safest neighborhoods in New York City, I’ll be fine!” And she was right — she’s done nothing but thrive since she moved. It was fun seeing her again. In my first visit with Mandi years ago, everything felt new to me! The majority of our time was spent seeing and doing all things tourists would do. It was a great experience, but not as crucial for us to follow the same route this time. For this visit, it felt like we had more time. There wasn’t a rush to get in line early anywhere even though we definitely did that waiting for tickets for Shakespeare in the Park! Instead, our time was spent in areas that I knew I loved (SoHo!) and more time with my friends.

Did I mention that my two girlfriends are trying to get me to move to New York? I’m usually the planner for most of my trips, but they did an amazing job making sure that my entire weekend was laid out for me. The first time I was in New York, we were in between winter and spring. This time’s trip was the complete opposite! I’ve never been in humidity like this in my life. How do people survive it? Despite that, I had the best time! It was hard to get on my flight to go back home after that weekend.

And in true vacation tradition, I also managed to squeeze in a haircut at Rudy’s one morning!

Can people live in SoHo? Is this where I would live?

A Mets game!

A quick summary of everywhere we went:

  • [Momofuku Noodle Bar] (food)
  • [Shakespeare in the Park] (activity / entertainment )
  • Tomoe Sushi (food) – 172 Thompson St
  • Levain Bakery (dessert)
  • Stumptown (coffee) – 18 W 29th St @Ace Hotel
  • Grand Banks (food) – Pier 25 Hudson River Park
  • Fifth Hammer Brewing Company (drink) – 10-28 46th Ave, Long Island City
  • Mets game at Citi Field (entertainment)
  • Smorgasburg Prospect Park (food)
  • Gantry Plaza State Park
Design
28 Dec 2019

24 Hours in a Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant: Sushiro

Interestingly enough, I’ll be in Singapore this coming summer! Should we give this spot a try? Growing up, conveyor belt sushi restaurants were all the rage. You knew that you weren’t always getting the highest quality, but had enough assurance that you might not get food poisoning from it. Qualities to like about it? It was fast, convenient, and you had a chance to visually see what you were getting before you plucked it off the belt. People like knowing they are in control of their own decisions.

We’re highlighting this video because once again, I love jobs – all kinds! While these were spots I frequented often, I never once thought what it would be like to work here.

Music
28 Dec 2019

My Favorite Post of 2019

Technically, my favorite post is about another piece, but stick with me here. In previous years, I’ve gone through the year archive to pick out 10 posts that I’ve enjoyed writing. I’ve spent the last couple of days reading this piece by Topic Magazine – [The Only Woman in the Room: 17 Stories of Music Before the Internet Changed Everything] As we speak, I’m not done reading, but I knew it was going to be my favorite.

My stint in music was nearly a decade ago, but it was the best job I ever had. There’s a resounding theme in all of these stories. It can be challenging to be the only woman in the room in a sea of men in this industry, but if you persevere, it can be the most rewarding. I didn’t know what I was doing at age 16, but somehow I had the chance to take on a lot of responsibility. I was the marketer, the promoter, the booker, the manager and the merch girl all at once! Even though I left behind the idea of a career in music, it hasn’t stopped me from thinking about it often. I’m a believer that we can’t stick to one career our whole lives. Maybe we’ll have a second life, but maybe we’ll boomerang.

Articles like these are important. They give us historical knowledge into truly what music was like before the internet. Additionally, they inspire young woman who want to work in music, but don’t know how to get their foot in the door. This can be their road map and it’s so crucial to have this for nearly every type of path. Whether I change careers or not, this is an article that I’m going to return back to for years to come.

Design
27 Dec 2019

How Used Hilton Soaps Get Recycled

When it comes to hotel staying, people’s quirks amaze me! I would never think to try and take home any of my used soaps, unless unopened. I’m seeing more often that hotels are dispensing soaps in bulk, which I believed to be a better method, but that was before I knew how soaps were being recycled. I love this video showing how exactly it’s done. Without this, this would have continued to be one of the most wasteful things.

Style
27 Dec 2019

The Closet: December 2019

[Callahan Hannah Skirt] – $88

Okay, so I know Christmas just passed and all and maybe we have everything we need. But isn’t the new year, even a new decade, just the perfect reason to refresh your wardrobe? This post, combined with our gift guide and what to ring in the New Year with may seem like overkill, but I promise it’s not. Sometimes, we just want and need things that don’t fall into either of those categories.

Whether you received some wearable pieces this holiday or took advantage of the after Christmas sales, I hope you have in possession something that makes you feel good. You deserve it.

[Free People Easy Street Tunic] – $128

Read more “The Closet: December 2019”
Life
26 Dec 2019

Blog Roundup

  • How Often Should I Clean My Water Bottle [Mashable]
  • How To Protect Your Home From Burglars, According to Burglars [Mel Magazine]
  • This Is The Longest Walkable Distance on Earth [Popular Mechanics]
  • Second Life Podcast: Eva Chen – Director of Fashion Partnership @ Instagram [WhoWhatWear]
  • Cap Your To-Do List At Three Things Every Day [Medium]
  • Which Airline To Fly Based On The Free Snacks [Huffpost]
  • The Rise and Fall of Jell-O
  • Man Surgically Implants Tesla Key Into Hand [Hypebeast]
  • 11 Things In Your Kitchen You Need to Throw Away Now [Food & Wine]
  • If You Don’t Want To Have Kids, You Don’t Have To Want To Have A Career Instead [VICE]
  • How To Ride An Escalator [Life Hacker]
  • There’s A Scientific Reason We Watch The Same Things Over and Over [The / Thirty]
  • 11 Things That Are Amazing When They’re Good, Terrible When They’re Bad [Mel Magazine]
  • 10 Sleep Myths People Actually Believe [My Domaine]
  • Proverbs For the Modern Dating World [Medium]
  • 5 Things You Can Do Today To Help Close the Pay Gap [Create Cultivate]
  • How to Be the Mentor You’ve Always Wanted [Marie Claire]
  • The Science Behind How Dating Apps Are Changing Our Brains [The Every Girl]
  • How to Get a Selfie with Elizabeth Warren in 8 Steps [New York Times]
  • The Case for Actually Being Honest When People Ask How You Are [Self]
  • Confessions of a Serial Outfit Repeater [Vogue]
  • How to Spend 48 Hours in San Francisco [Cupcakes & Cashmere] many of these are right in my neighborhood / are my favorites!
  • 5 Habits of People Who Don’t Feel Lonely [GOOD]
Music
25 Dec 2019

Diary of a Song | Lover

Every time Taylor Swift releases a new album, I’m always a little bit unsure at first. Despite that reservation, would you believe that I’ve actually attended her last two major stadium tours? Neither can I. I wasn’t super impressed with her first two single releases, but when “Lover” came around, everything stopped. It was the only single on her latest album to have me this captivated. Simple, pretty, classic – it embodied all the traits of a true love song. Some may ever say, a “first dance” song at a wedding?

Design
24 Dec 2019

Bite Me

We love a good packaging and “Bite Me” is no exception. From the quotes on the gum packaging itself to the packaging looking like an actual mouth, we were easily sold. The tooth-shaped pieces come in fun flavors like blackberry, blueberry, pummelmint, and citrus smash. Designed by recent Rhode Island School of Design graduate, Zoe Schneider, you can view more of her work here through her [Instagram] Even though they are such different products, I’m loving the use of the pink and red hues. The whole branding reminds me a little bit of Glossier.

[Source]