Jan 25, 2010 | Fashion, Life
Well, I, Carly, am – as a FashionTribes Contributing Editor. (Doesn’t that sound all pompous and deserving of capitalization?LOL:-)
I went last February and it was a blast! At the time I wasn’t blogging with the fervor that I am now; I just was contributing weekly articles to my editor over at FashionTribes.com. I decided to make the trip to NYC in February 2009 to help her cover the shows.
I grew up in New Jersey, and so had been to NY a couple times on school field trips when I was a kid, and then again in 2002 on a trip with Hub and the parents-in-law just before we moved to Hawaii. (We stayed at the Plaza Hotel, just before they tore it down.:-( Well, the room was threadbare, stained, and the sink leaked a pool of water into the bathroom. I felt sorry that they couldn’t have fixed those things, but yes, the hotel seemed like it had seen better days.)
I also went to New York on a 4-day trip in Spring 2007 when I was a finalist in the Bacardi Limon Express Your Style Competition and they flew me and four other finalists to New York to compete in a live cut-and-sew event. Kind of like Project Runway, they said…but it really…wasn’t.
But I had never experienced the city like this!
“BARBIE” spelled out in…what else – Barbies! to celebrate the fashion icon’s 50th anniversary, inside the tents.
What an experience! I ended up attending 10 runway shows and submitting 11 articles to my editor. I also conducted numerous interviews with people: Yigal Azrouel (my first interview EVER – I was super-nervous, sweating like crazy, and babbling like some insane gibbon), Tina Turnbow for Tarte Cosmetics (who told me she LOVED my eye makeup – who applied it?? Um…Avon in a Wink Instant Eyeshadow Sheets
, thank you very much!), Abaete designer Laura Poretzky, hair stylist Ted Gibson, Vena Cava designers Sophie Buehl and Lisa Mayock, Lela Rose, Verrier designer Ashley Verrier, and makeup artist Vincent Longo, plus numerous student designers from Academy of Arts University.
Excuse me while I name-drop a little;-)
I was bummed that not a single article I wrote was posted onto the FashionTribes site, but it’s really all at my editor’s discretion, and I got the feeling that she wasn’t really interested in a “this show had these pieces” sort of thing – which isn’t really what her site is about. Ah well. I shared write-ups here on Chic Steals of the runway shows from Vena Cava, Yigal Azrouel, Lela Rose, PORTS 1961, G-Star RAW, Christian Siriano, Leanne Marshal, and Academy of Art University.
Some highlights from the trip:
A caramel apple cupcake from Crumbs Bake Shop. Funny story – I saw a photo of this cupcake in a 2003 InStyle Magazine – where it was listed as “Jay-Z’s favorite cupcake when he is New York City.” I thought it looked delish, and saved the clipping. Somehow it managed to survive a move to Hawaii and then a move to Oregon – and finally, 6 years later I happened across the magazine clipping again and said, “when I’m in New York for Fashion Week, I’m having this cupcake!” I paced myself too – I managed to wait until the third day I was there before I ate it – and I even set aside a whole hour to do so! When you wait SIX YEARS for something…;-)
It was divine.
Sitting front row at the Academy of Arts University runway show. Only show I got to sit front row for.
Famous people: Tori Spelling causing a near-riot just by arriving at Christian Siriano’s show; Anna Wintour sitting front-row at the PORTS 1961 show; Miss J. Alexander looking trashed by Day 6 of the shows (“You look exhuasted – you poor thing!” I told him, and he could barely nod); me accosting Robert Verdi and Fern Mallis with the bag I spent 6 weeks sewing every night; Tim Gunn graciously answering questions after Christian Siriano’s show; spent 2 hours talking with Steven Rosengard from Project Runway Season 5 (the sweetest person you could imagine!!) – my editor was talking to him about perhaps writing a series of articles for the site, but it never seemed to materialize; going to Leanne Marshall’s show (Project Runway Season 5 winner) and also meeting Suede there (he even wished me happy birthday last month…awwww; such a sweetie!); Real Housewives of NYC Leann de Lesseps sitting first row and her Juliette Lewis-wannabe 20-years-younger girlfriend sitting 2 rows behind her at the PORTS show…and numerous editors and other famous people that I just didn’t recognize as well. Benecio del Toro at G-STAR RAW taking the stage and reading song lyrics – strangely moving.
The swag bag from Vena Cava. I still to this day use the canvas tote for groceries at glamorous Fred Meyer.
Thrilling over the abundant swag bag at Vena Cava (my first show) and then expecting it at every show I went to afterwards – and feeling totally let down because there wasn’t anything else except at the Verrier show! But at the end of the week I got a press swag bag full of liquor and alcoholic products, which I bequeathed on a well-deserving liquor-liking friend. 😉
I wore my DIY Burberry studded belt over my black trench and was feeling particularly fashionably fabulous the day I arrived in NYC – and I rained buttons up 6th avenue…I was missing 3 when I finally noticed.
I dragged my 70 lb. suitcase all the way from Bryant Park to Brighton Beach (next to Coney Island in Brooklyn, where I was staying with a friend) BY SUBWAY. The people in Mahattan were super-nice to me, one guy even insisting on helping me down 3 flights of stairs into the subway; other people opening doors, one lady swiping her metrocard when I couldn’t get mine to work in the turnstile…but the closer I got to Brooklyn, the less willing to help people became. Two days later, when I was dragging said 70-pounder BACK to Manhattan up two flights of stairs to the entrance to the Brighton Beach B train – a bunch of old Russian men gathered and watched me as I struggled. “Whatcha doin lady?” one of them asked, with much gesturing. (You should hear me say that in my Russian accent impression – it’s pretty cool. Not.) I was surprised and amazed at how nice everyone was to me while I was in New York…well, except the strangers in Brighton Beach.
Between shows I hightailed it over to this creepy warehouse where they were having the Alexander McQueen for Target preview event where editors were invited to shop the collection – I got into an unmarked black taxicab and truly thought I was being kidnapped on the way there…the guy got lost and then had the gall to charge me almost 3 times what the fare was back to BP when I used a YellowCab…learned my lesson! (And bought a crappily-made McQueen for Target jumpsuit for my editor too.)
A pair of pants made entirely of tiles at a tile showroom. Fab! (But probably ridiculously heavy.:-)
For the first time in my life I bought a pack of hot nuts – cashews – from a nut-truck on the street. (It sounds a little risque, I know.) Yum-O! Now I am addicted!
Standing next to catwalk models really made me realize: they truly are genetic freaks! (I don’t mean anything hurtful by that comment BTW.) Someone had told me that once and I really couldn’t understand what they meant. I mean, how tall and think could they really be? I’m about average height (5’6″) and have been around models before – modelled in Tokyo about 10 years ago, cast models for m
y runway show when I launched my clothing line a couple years back…but high-fashion catwalk models, I found, were a whole different breed altogether. When I was in the same room as a bunch of them, backstage as they were getting ready for the Abaete show, all of a sudden that generalization made sense. So leggy, insanely, unbelievably thin, striking facial features – gorgeous skin…it was difficult to stop staring at them because they literally looked like beings from another planet…well-dressed, impeccably-made-up aliens… I was kind of goggling up at them for most of the time, wondering how they moved without falling over or snapping in two they were so emaciated. In.SANE.
Getting a fashion sketch done by an artist in the tents (sponsored by Chambord – he was doing sketches for anyone who asked)…along with my fabulous handmade bag.
So anyhoo – I’ll be going into the fray again in two weeks’ time…so expect much on-the-spot happenings, photos, and updates from NYC come Feb. 13!
There’s tons to cover and I’ll be right there – bringing you gals straight to the action!
Wish me luck:-)
xoxoxo
Carly
Jan 22, 2010 | Life, Score!
Entry #21: Erica
She wrote: “The Blast in Aqua/Black are beautiful. Def my fav!”
I am super-excited because Erica has been a long, looooong time reader and avid commenter for many, many months! So thank you for reading through this past…er year or more??! and congratulations to you!
Hope you love the Blast in Aqua (I have to admit, I’m a little jealous.;-)…but they’re now $70 at ShoesGotSole so maybe I’ll treat myself…)
Thank you to all who entered, tweeted, and promoted! I am humbled and touched by all your kind and supportive comments.:-) (Or maybe it’s mostly because of these droolworthy shoes up for grabs?? 😉
Nahhh – you gals are the best – bribery notwithstanding! Thank you also to ShoesGotSole.com for these lovely sandals!
xoxox
Carly
Jan 18, 2010 | Life, Score!
as chosen by Random.org this morning…
1 Sequin Clutch…16 entries…Entry #6: Midnight Cowgirl
2 Boho Bags….28 entries…Entry #23: Kerrie
3 Flower Rings….41 entries…Entry #9: 5inchheels
The winners have been contacted and prizes will be shipped out this week.
Thank you to all who entered and spread the word! Congratulations to Midnight Cowgirl, Kerrie, and 5inchheels – and as always, thank you all for reading!
xoxox
Carly
Jan 12, 2010 | Life, Media
I’m always on the lookout for a good self-help book…especially when I’m feeling out-of-sorts, lost, confused, and like I’m spinning my wheels. (Happens alot, I assure you.) Ann, a friend of my husband’s, is the sweetest person you could ever meet – a great listener – and a woman in her twenties with an astounding amount of depth and calm. She’s released her first book which she calls “a real conversation about personal and spiritual growth.”
Confusion to Clarity: The Twentysomething’s Guide to Finding Your Calling ($12.95, Amazon.com) empowers twentysomethings to uncover their identity, passion, and purpose… and move forward when they are at a crossroads. Full of true stories, factual research, and thought-provoking exercises, this book is a wonderful gift for any twentysomething (or even thirtysomething!) who is in transition. It’s also a valuable resource for Baby Boomers who want to be the best possible parents, mentors, and employers.
Ann Elizabeth Grace spent years of researching, interviewing Gen Y’ers, and writing about what she has lived and learned in her own struggles to define her path as a twenty-something. She is a compassionate and supportive guide as she suggests exercises and ideas to awaken your thinking and help you realize your goals and find focus. The book is “all about YOU the reader – discovering yourself, identifying what you want, and connecting with others as you turn your dreams into reality, one small step at a time.”
Learn more about the author at her website www.annelizabethgrace.com and check out her blog, which has uplifting articles and stories about being disciplined in your endeavors, finding peace and balance in personal relationships, and exploring your own creative potential. It’s a lovely reminder of many of the things that we take for granted in this hectic, dog-eat-dog world.
Full disclosure: I know it’s a little strange for me to be writing about a book that is unrelated to fashion…or even writing about a book in general. Why? Ann interviewed Hub for the book about his experiences as a twenty-something getting married and having a child – and so the book mentions both him and myself in the chapter entitled “Having Children”!! So, if you see a familiar name in there….um, that’s referring to yours truly. It’s a little strange to see my name in a book – but if our story can help anyone else out there in any way…that would be wonderful! So glad to have had the opportunity to share – and for the record, getting married and having a child in any decade presents its own unique challenges, though I feel there are many more the younger you are given the nature of society and expectations (your own and others’) today. My life choices do provide a certain amount of stability and dependability that I wouldn’t have otherwise – and has created an amazing strength in me I never knew I had. It’s certainly still a trip!
Despite the fact that there’s a little about me in the book, I still found it a helpful resource – one I will turn to repeatedly for self-reflection and guidance. If you have the inclination, please check it out!
Congratulations Ann – here’s to your utmost success!
-Carly J. Cais
Dec 31, 2009 | Life
So – I have to apologize first off for not keeping up with this blog as much as I’ve been wanting to.
First the Christmas rush – then the rush of sending New Year’s cards, then some other things happened, so I took a bit of a breather from my self-imposed once-a-day posting schedule.
Just a little time off, ya know? It’s the holidays – and I’m proud to say I’ve been slacking!!
So what have I accomplished in this time?
I’ve spent alot of time with the family. Just relaxing at home, playing games and doing activities. Finally putting the Christmas lights up.
I’ve baked and decorated more cookies and sweets than I ever want to see again in my life. Chocolate Coffee Toffee Oatmeal Cookies, Lemon Yogurt Cookies, Sugar Cookie Cutouts, White Chocolate Cranberry Bark, Chocolate-Dipped Ginger Almond Cookies, White Chocolate Lemon Shortbreads. Enough already!
After all the holiday hoopla had died down, the birthday/Christmas presents unrapped and oohed and aahed over – I also sprained my ankle. It was one of those dumb injuries where I was just walking along, tripped on nothing, fell down, and hurt myself. Well, not really.
The real story is that I was done taking some photos of a finished DIY that I was going to post here – I was holding the dress in one hand and my camera in the other – went to place the camera on the table, and my slipper got caught under my foot and the dress got caught around the dining room chair – I twisted myself around so as not to shatter the camera lens and place it as best I could on the table, overbalanced, spun around in aformentioned godforsaken slippah-o-death – cracked my hip on the windowsill behind me, and managed to come down hard on my right foot in precisely the wrong way – and my foot turned like 180 degrees as I fell. I swear I couldn’t do it again if you paid me.
So I couldn’t walk last Saturday (the day I did it) and it was kind of puffy and blue on top – even though I kept it elevated for most of the day – then, progressively, daily it’s gotten bluer and – sort of dead-looking. The puffiness has gone down, but there’s a ton of blood pooled right under the skin. It’s disgusting. I can finally walk again by hobbling around but I still can’t bend the foot properly. I really mashed those darn metatarsals!
I’ve also beaten Crash Bandicoot and Crash Bandicoot 2 (both for the second times in my life) on Playstation. All very well and good. I know – I’m cooler than cool.
I’ve managed to get through a couple letters in Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, which was a birthday gift from my mother. It’s a good basic – and surprisingly witty at that. I think I’m on B by now. (I swear, once you have kids reading goes out the window. Well, it’s either reading or blogging – not both. Does reading “Cars: The Official StoryBook to the Pixar Movie” 3 times in a row count??)
I managed to send in a couple entries to Steve Madden’s Sole Search on Brickfish.com just mere hours before the contest deadline, so since the prizes are decided by highest voted entries – no one had any time to vote. Ah well – I guess I shot myself in the foot with that one or sprained my foot hardy har har. I found it particularly ironic that I am designing glamazon shoes with teetering 5″ heels while at the same time propping up one black-and-blue puffy foot on my desk. Here are the shoe designs I submitted:
I’m also beefing up my illustration portfolio to submit to some local companies – and I have one big project in the works – can’t say anything specific just yet (will rev
eal more in late Jan/Feb), but I promise there are many forthcoming DIY’s to do with said project!
I’ve also ordered (well, because I’m immobile, instructed Hub to order) the traditional Japanese 2-tiered New Year’s Celebration box of food – brined shrimp, pink-and-white fishcake, kelp-wrapped simmered carrot packages, stewed lotus slices and rolled devil’s-tongue jelly, sweet beans, chestnut paste, salted herring roe, and candied sardines galore. Thank goodness I don’t have to piece it all together from scratch like I’ve done in previous years!! I’ll be eating out of this special box for three days straight come New Year’s, as dictated by Japanese New Year’s traditions. *sigh* Honestly, the only things I like in the box are the chestnut paste (middle row on the right), sweet black beans (upper left in green circle), and rolled puffed egg (second from right on the top – those things that look like brown cogs). The brined shrimp and the salted herring roe and I have an agreement: neither one of us looks the other in the eye – and thus, I can get away with not consuming them. Besides, Hub is the one who really enjoys the contents – Little Tot and I will fight over the few sweet items. (Truth be told, I am okay with the candied dried sardines as long as there’s walnuts mixed in with them, but alas, not in the box we ordered.)
Ah yes – and in the past couple days (perhaps anticipating my New Year’s Box of herring roe and kelp packages??) I’ve snacked myself silly on toffees and Walker’s shortbread (the shortbreads being one of my MAJOR vices. Damn you, Walker!!) Back to eating healthy tomorrow!
How about you guys? Anything you’ve managed to accomplish during the holidays?
xoxox
Carly
