ysl_crew

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

Forgot to mention that last week I went to a bowling birthday party at Chelsea Piers! It was Cynthia’s son’s 11th birthday so we (YSL friends) bowled and ate cupcakes. It was really fun, and might I add that I won both games? Aaron might just be the most adorable little Leo I’ve ever met.

grace_sarah_pilar_maria

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

We started singing Karaoke at 7pm on Saturday night, getting YSL plus bonus friends together, because Davide is leaving YSL and going to Italy for a while and then coming back to NYC to do something else. Anyway, we started singing Karaoke at 7pm and finished up at 2am. I admit that I only sang one song (Chaka Khan’s “I feel for you”,mostly carried by Pilar’s amazing vocal talents) but I did sing and dance back-up to everybody else’s singing all night. I love my friends, and I love Karaoke. There is nothing more neutralizing than seeing people show their vulnerability, and laughing, clapping and singing along to some sentimental ballads. There is nothing more personal and humorous, and in this city of extremes, it just really makes me feel normal. Click on this photo to see the rest of the photos from the night!

rose_alley

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I love this photo. It’s mysterious! Really, it’s just Rose fixing her show, leaning up against a graffiti’ed wall near a rather nice restaurant we ate at. You know the landscape, it’s the whole it’s so urban it’s cool thing. Nice Marc Jacobs dress Rose!

mtpkg_patterns3

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

mtpkg_patterns2

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

Found in the Meatpacking District, NYC.

white_collection

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I love to see collections of things unified by a common element. In this case, a collection of window display props from the Ralph Lauren shop in the West Village sitting on the sidewalk, waiting for their visual merchandiser to lay them out in the window. There is something visually calming about the cohesiveness of a collection that has a subordinating element… Everything white. Or lets say a collection of religious icons, varying styles and decades, grouped together, because they all represent the same idea. I’ve never been to a place in NYC that I felt like I would love to live in, more than the West Village, it’s quiet, pretty, quaint, and cool. The only thing (aside from the atrocious rent) is the neighborhood is not exactly a grid so I always find myself cursing at my map, lost, but still, it’s a really nice neighborhood.

cafe

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

etui

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I found these ultra-lovely silkscreened cards at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn last month. The artist, working under the name of Etui is a graphic designer who designs and prints the cards to stay creative. When I first saw these cards I was overwhelmed with emotion (as I often am over lovely things) but this time, because they look much like the dreams I have over and over. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I spent a lot of time playing in parks and green spaces, and I have photos of me in similar actions, with leaves all around. I have reoccuring dreams of myself at Wilshire Park in Northeast Portland, of me on the swingset, jumping from tree top to tree top, and running through piles of autumn leaves. They are really happy beautiful dreams, although I guess it’s been a while since I’ve had one. I saw these cards and felt like they really summed up my feelings of my own childhood, and I absolutely love them and will frame them.

tree_folder

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I also picked up three transparent, graphic folders at the Kinokuniya Japanese Bookstore in Portland. I’ve updated my flickr photo set of “Patterns” since I seem to take a lot of photos and be drawn to patterns! I think I am realizing that I have strong motivation to design and draw patterns, so am working on putting together some pieces to build up a portfolio. I think it is why I love to buy and hoard fabric, for the patterns that give me such a delight! I swear though, any bad day I have at work, and I look at these $3.00 folders and wonder how they can bring me such happiness. It’s the simple things, people, the simple things! Oh, and just because I know you are on the edge of your seats following our power crisis here in Queens, we still DO NOT HAVE REGULAR POWER! It could take months, but at least, we are hooked up to a generator so have the use of power for now. This makes 123 heat index weather, somewhat tolerable!

Oh. And I added an “About Me” page over to the right next to the photo links. It’s kinda hard to sum yourself up, so let me know if I missed anything to terribly important okay.

lobsters

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I’ve updated my New England Flickr photo set with some photos from my weekend! Click on this photo to see the rest. And for the record, I did not eat these lobsters, but I’m sure somebody enjoyed them!