I take great inspiration from this tree, growing through this chainlink fence. It’s not just poking through, it is growing through assertively and with strength. It looks so bizarre, like somebody stuck the branch there, but it is actually growing through.

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Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

So great to find another Santa Barbara friend moving to NYC to partake in the flourishing footwear industry! Phil! You will be here soon! Melinda started the migration, followed by Rose, and Jennifer, and then me, then Grace and… who next! Yeah! Gosh I look Scandanavian in this photo! Seriously! My shirt should not say “trust me i’m from jersey” but it should say “trust me my ancestors are from Scandanavia!” They are also Native American, Irish, German.
Anyhow, seems as if us footwear folks are are all suckers for migrating out here for work, but Phil’s from here, so he’s no sucker, just coming home I guess! He said I have to stay here in NYC a few years to call myself a true new yorker. I don’t know if I will really do that or not! It’s been 11 months, and I still have my California drivers license.

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Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

It’s my website and I can be vain if I want to!I get my horoscope every single day, emailed to me, but it’s usually the day after that I get it. But today’s horoscope is too amazing not to publish. And I love that I’m a few days from a new moon, and every CANCER knows that they are deeply afftected by any moon activity; e.g. full moon or new moon. Anyways. Here’s what it said: “Not everyone gets you right now, but that’s fine — after all, you know that you have your own special style that can’t be duplicated. Just go your own way for now. Sooner or later your public will come around.” I will be finding my peoples soon! Yay!

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Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

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Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

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Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

Several weeks ago Jenni had her 30th birthday party at the Roxy. Rollerskating and dancing and drinking and birthday cake. You walk into the legendary Roxy and are immediately taken back to the 1970’s, not that I would know personally, but trust me it’s just like the movies! It’s amazing to see all the cool funky styles, amidst the red laser lights, set against loud, great funky dance music, watching the old skool rollerskater’s dancing and skating around. It’s pretty amazing. And funny to rollerskate up to the bar and order a drink! Anything on rollerskates is more fun. I forgot how much strain they put on your ankles. They are so heavy! Last week my YSL friends met up at the Roxy for Pilar’s birthday. Again, I was just blown away by this time capsule! There are some amazing, hardcore rollerskater’s (most of them must be in their 40’s and 50’s) just doing their thing, inspiring the rest of us to stop holding onto the wall. If I could recommend a must see and do, truly NYC site and sound on a Wednesday night, it’s the Roxy! It’s worth the $18 cover, $5 skate rental, and $3 coat check! The place is cool, but mostly, it’s about the people, which I am sure, you could never assemble in another city anywhere in the world. Fun!! If you click on this photo you will be taken to photos from both of the Roxy experiences I had.

It’s been a while since I took a photo on the subway. How about a photo of an empty seat!

I had a really fabulous trip to London! I just kept thinking everything is really European here… It is as you would imagine, the accents, the tube, the beer, the weather, the history! We stayed in the West End in Notting Hill, shopped on Oxford Street, checked out Carnaby Street, visited the Victoria & Albert Museum, stumbled upon a Spanish festival, hit Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane in the East End. Ate and drank in 4 days more than I think I usually eat in 2 weeks, and met up with some old friends. We rode the tube around and walked a lot. The sun was out most of the time and the weather was really mild and wonderful. I put together a shopping trip report for work and took photos of shoes and fashion that I saw. You can see the rest of the photos by clicking on the UK set on flickr. Thanks for a wonderful trip Salvi!! xoxo

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Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I got to meet up with EuroSpike in London! We met in Portland back in 1999 when we both worked at Twenty Four Seven Marketing…. I had the illustrious job of Office Manager, while Spike was a cool designer. You know, even though I had an administrative job, it was working at that small, design-led creative company that really influenced me to go back to college and pursue design and art. The last time I saw Spike was in Portland, 3 years ago, before I moved back to California, and before she moved to London to get her Masters at Central St. Martins. Our lives have both changed so much, and it was great to catch up in person and talk about art, design, music, travel, life, and Peroni Italian beer! More on London to come!

coppers

Originally uploaded by FunCupcake.

I’m back from my weekend in London! Still jetlagged, and with so much to report on! More later!