I'm Getting Tattooed For Good!

Just kidding, I'm only getting a temporary tattoo but the "good" part is true! Last night, I attended the launch party for my friend Robyn's and her friend Lauren's charitable fundraiser called The Temporary Tattoo Project, where they commissioned 6 tattoo artists to design temporary tattoos inspired by 6 orphaned Kenyan children who the proceeds will go to. The organization that The Temporary Tattoo Project is supporting is called Flying Kites.

I'm such a fan of Robyn and Lauren's dedication to this project and am inspired by their creativity and intelligence. The tattoos are $12 each and you can purchase all 6 for $50.**Update: The tattoos range in prices depending on size of tattoo, see pricing list below. It's not a steep price considering you'll be improving a kid's life in Africa and will look really badass while doing it (consider going with a sleeve?). You can buy the tattoos this weekend at the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene on Saturday and at Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg on Sunday. Everyone should stop by and get one or all!

I chose tattoo artist Robert Bonhomme's lotus flower which supports Miriam of Flying Kites. All the tattoos come in a beautiful envelope with a keepsake card so even when the tattoo fades you can remember the child you supported. I'm wearing my flower tomorrow so I may have to get more this weekend. You can view all 6 designs on their Facebook page here, Facebook.com/TheTemporaryTattooProject

I wish Robyn and Lauren the best of luck, but my hunch is they won't need it since a brilliant idea always sells itself.

The Old Spice Guy vs. Fabio: Hand in Hand in the Bathroom

Who: Isaiah Mustafa (The Old Spice Man) vs. Fabio

What: Mano A Mano in El Baño (Translated "Hand in Hand in the Bathroom")

Where: YouTube.com/OldSpice

When: Tomorrow, 7/26 @ Noon EST

Epic Showdown? Or, Epic Letdown?

Met Model/DJ Harley Viera-Newton at The Standard NYC

I do get starstruck when I see a celebrity I admire but usually don't do much about it since it's a common occurrence in NYC; however, tonight I attended a PopSugar party at The Standard Hotel in NYC and a girl crush of mine, Harley Viera-Newton, was DJing. I couldn't help but ask to take a picture with her and she kindly accepted and let me get behind the DJ booth and put on her headphones (coincidently personal favorite Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream" was playing). As I had imagined, she's a sweetheart and like any typical girl--loves fashion. I became of a fan of Harley over a year ago when I saw her in Cole Haan ads around NYC and instantly admired her effortless sense of style. She's always in cute little vintage-inspired or tailored dresses. She's a real cool kid who has a real passion for music. You can catch her DJing in various NYC hot spots like Lit, Avenue and Jane Hotel.

Neon Zip Tie Lamp Posts

I saw these lamp posts in the sculpture garden on Governor's Island and thought they were the coolest things ever. Who knew zip ties came in neon colors! The neon zip tie lamp posts are a part of a piece called 'Flaming Cactus' by ANIMUS. 

Word of Photo--How Digital Pictures are Changing the Way We Consume

Here's a mobile pic of my La Shrimp Curry Crepe at Pates et Traditions that I ate this weekend

What is "Word of Photo"? Word of Photo is a phrase I created to describe how we pass information from one to many through pictures, and how what we buy, eat, attend, etc. is influenced by digital pictures. In the last year, I've noticed a huge influx of people documenting everything they eat or cook through pictures and posting them on Facebook or Twitter. While this may be detrimental for dieters, I find it highly useful in figuring out where and what to eat. Plus, posting pictures of mouth watering food is a huge advertising advantage for food and beverage businesses. Gone are the days where we verbally ask: "What's a good restaurant?", when we can now Facebook status update, tweet, Google or yelp that question and get just as good or even better of an answer instantly.

In the battle between Word of Mouth and Word of Photo, the latter wins. As the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" goes--a picture can communicate a thousand times quicker than text and often times more powerfully. Especially today with smartphone cameras, pictures play a much bigger part in the way we communicate daily. Living life through photos can be seen in the popularity of photo-based blog Tumblr, Twitter picture-sharing sites like TwitPic and mobile picture apps like Instagram. Word of Mouth is person to person communication, while Word of Photo is one to many... you tell me which one spreads faster.

As an emerging media enthusiast/integrated marketing nerd, the opportunity in "word of photo" communication or real-time mobile pic sharing excites me!!! Can't wait to see how Entertainment, Food/Beverage and Retail Brands incorporate picture sharing into their marketing strategies. However, I do have qualms about "digital over sharing"and the effect it has on real-life experiences (here's a NY Mag article with a strong argument against about taking photos at restaurants), but I'll save that rant for a future blog post.

Finally, I Have Found the Dress of My Dreams

Every girl thinks about what her wedding dress will be like, and for me, it's a mystery. I can't seem to pinpoint exactly the type of wedding dress I want for that special day, whenever that day may be (definitely not soon but always good to plan ahead). All I know is that I want chiffon, lace, detailing and sleeveless NOT strapless. And while this may seem very specific, it's not. I have discovered from my former roommate's obsession for TLC's Say Yes to the Dress that wedding gown varieties are infinite and if you don't know what you want--you end up looking ridiculous.

However, today, I have finally found the dress of my dreams from Elie Saab's Fall 2011 Couture collection (see image above). I love the sheer confetti effect and would most likely cut the cape off, even though it is quite awesome. There were so many dresses that I loved from the collection. I had two other favorites that I would consider wearing with some minor tweaks i.e. cut down on the bling. I have finally found a wedding dress (or dresses) that is a reflection of me and what I would want to wear on one of the most important days of my life. I'm obsessed with 60s fashion and I want a design that's timeless (think Audrey-esque) but not costumey, and Elie Saab's couture dresses is exactly that.

Now the question is: How much does a couture dress cost?

 

My First Attempt at a Homemade English Breakfast

Is it wrong that on the night of celebrating America's Independence, I was craving a full English breakfast? I went to bed dreaming about waking up to baked beans and a juicy grilled tomato, so when I got up this morning (my office gets the day off!) I went straight to the supermarket to find me some tomatoes, portobello mushrooms and sausage (my kitchen is always stocked with bacon, eggs, bread and surprisingly, baked beans). To my disappointment, I couldn't find pork and leek sausages in three different groceries stores, so I settled for chicken sausage... boo. I'm usually not this ambitious when it comes to cravings but I really really wanted an English Breakfast and didn't feel like spending $11 at Five Leaves for a semi-authentic one.

After three supermarkets and 15 minutes later, I cooked my FIRST ENGLISH BREAKFAST! It was delicious, and yes, I purposely did not include the blood pudding. I can do without that part. Here's a pic:

Was it as authentic as the English breakfast I had at the Breakfast Club in London pictured below? Not entirely, but it was definitely satisfying and now I'm really really full.

July 4th Fireworks on the Hudson River

It rains gold in America.