March 2013 Japan Trip Teaser: A (Long) Summary
I love traveling even though I don’t get to do it often, especially going overseas to other countries. When you travel less with a mindset of a tourist and more with a mindset of an explorer, the experience simply opens you. It makes you invigorated and inspired, ready to see things both expected and surprising. Before March, 4 years has passed since my last overseas trip. After my March 2013 Japan trip, I pray that I will get to travel more often. You really miss out a great deal when you don’t travel and experience things. Trust me.
Amongst all countries in the world, I love Japan. Perhaps not as a country I choose to live in, but a country whose way of life, culture, and technology I admire so much. Before our March 2013 Japan trip, it had been 7 years since I first visited Japan. It was only 5 days, but since then I was patiently waiting for a chance to visit that amazing country, this time with the love of my life (you know who). As always, but maybe more so this time, he took gorgeous pictures that I am very excited to share with you.
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Trying Denim on Denim look at Battery Boutelle
I’ve never been a fan of denim on denim look, although that particular trend always finds itself back year after year after year. Call me old-fashioned if you will, but denim on denim look is best suited for a person with solid physical stamina and strength, slaving under the sun daily at a gold mine somewhere.
Me? Well, let’s say I’m currently very much removed from that concept :) Therefore, I was ready to dismiss the entire thing once and for all.
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Strolling Down San Francisco (September 24 – 25)
It’s a commonly shared hobby among Bay Area residents to come down to San Francisco during the weekend. And yes, strolling down San Francisco almost every weekend always brings out another layer of the city’s richness; something that I will never get bored on.
So very quickly, this weekend we went past the usual tourist stops of Market and Powell and revisit Maiden Lane. Three things stood out: Harputs OWN store (Gus is a man with serious skills; he’s clearly passionate in showing the 3-4-5 different ways of wearing his garment, and his dogs are just too cute!), Downtown (sister store to Archive, it really feels like you’re in a really cool gallery of fashion. The 30+ designers whose collections fill up the huge store space are clearly marked, long with short descriptions for each collection — by the way, check out their blog too!), and artist Arlene Diehl (who made her gorgeously simple charcoal-on-paper drawing of human bodies in 5 – 20 minutes for each sketch — do check her out during 2011 SF Open Studios, October 8 & 9 at 470 Frederick Street near Stanyan, will you? ).
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9/11 10th Anniversary Weekend in NYC : a Reflection
This post isn’t the usual fashion show review or highlights. Instead, I want to share my thoughts regarding my 9/11 weekend trip almost two weeks ago. A trip that started out as an impulsive, extended LES Runway fashion show took sometimes sudden, darker turns as NYC braced for Fashion’s Night Out (on 9/8), the start of Fashion Week (also on 9/8), and 9/11 10th Anniversary Memorial, among others.
We humans are so ironic, sometimes. I struggled remembering what happened almost two weeks ago (it seems so far away!) when freaking out at the same time that 2011 is almost over (what, 3 more months?)
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Designers Wanted for Les Runway in NY – Apply by July 25th
Remember last month when I gave a quick shout-out to Cheryl Maleh’s Kickstarter Project Les Runway? Well, I’m VERY happy that her project was successfully funded and managed to gather $9.5K out of the original $8.5K goal :)
Now Cheryl and her husband Marc are looking forward to do it all over again this September at Grand Opening, and they’re looking for new designers! The application fee is $15, and all designers must live or work in one of the five NYC boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island) to participate in the runway shows and pop up shop. The shows are all going to be held in the Lower East Side.
I’m a genuine supporter for Les Runway; it’s a great thing to be involved in, especially since Les Runway is one way to give back to the local fashion community and also make the runway experience accessible to all. I know I’m based in the Bay Area, but lots of love from the West Coast to East Coast!!! (I really want to go…it’s been a while since my last visit to NYC, but we’ll see :) )
On his email to me, Marc noted that Les Runway has “already received some press on Bowery boogie, Racked, Mashable and Blackbook magazine. The Grand Opening space we are working with has received a ton of press on previous projects from CNN, NYTimes, and NYMAG and previous sponsors have included brands like Puma for the Pong events. ”
So if you’re interested and happen to work / live in NYC, this is your chance to show off your craft for a wonderful cause!
In the meantime, I will be dreaming to go to NYC’s thrift stores…
Have fun,
Musank
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What’s Happening this Weekend (Why oh Why)
I’m traveling to So-Cal for a family reunion this weekend. Which is nice and I’m looking forward to see my relatives and all, but it’s truly sad that I’m going to miss a lot of happenings in the Bay Area. It’s puzzling really, to know that several cool organizations seem to all pick the same weekend to have their event. Which means, the more events that I’m going to miss at San Francisco. Why oh why…*sigh*
Starting with SF Fine Art Fair that’s happening May 20 – 22 at Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, Marina Blvd. / Buchanan Blvd. Top that with artMRKT San Francisco happening May 19 – 22 at Concourse Exhibition Center, Brannan / 7th St.
And of course, the always-hotly-anticipated Maker Faire, the World’s Largest DIY Festival on May 21 & 22 at San Mateo County Event Center. I missed this event last year because I arrived way too late (around 3 pm) and couldn’t get a parking spot, and I guess I’ll miss it entirely this year. Too painful.
To make things worse, there’s also Asian Fair Street Festival on Saturday, May 21 at Civic Center, Larkin St. / Golden Gate St. Are you serious?
And then, Stylenik.com says that Shotwell is having a giant moving sale and prices are slashed up to 80%!! I mean, what the hell?
Oh man, I sure hope I don’t miss Treasure Island’s Flea Market next week…
Musank
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Three Places to Go in North California
I love traveling. Seeing new places, discovering new “treasures”, meeting new people, and just enjoying the moment….those are a fragment of reasons why I love traveling. And I think a lot of us do share this same enjoyment. It’s the time factor that’s usually holding us down. In 2010, it was very hard to find time to travel. Work, play, hobbies, other commitments, you name it :)
But my boyfriend and I did find some time to go to these three wonderful places, all of them north of San Francisco. So if you have a day to take a break or three days to do a snow boarding or ski trip, then go for it while the snow is fluffy and powdery :)
Thank you Groupon for putting this wonderful horseback riding place on my radar. The farm is lively (but not chaotic), the instructors are great, the horses are gorgeous and happy, the trails are wonderful…..this is a great daycation place. That’s Dallas, the horse I got to ride when I was there. You can feel that these horses are well taken care of, so if you’re a horse lover like me, you’ll appreciate these kinds of things :)
The next awesome time to visit the farm is in April or May 2011. So go ahead and book a riding session or two with them, you won’t regret it.
2. Mendocino
A small little town just off Hwy-1 just before Point Cabrillo Lighthouse and 10 minutes before Fort Bragg. Cute houses and beautiful scenery.
Mendocino’s perfect for a quiet lover’s weekend or when you just want to be having some serious thinking time. The town’s quiet, the food’s good, the people are nice, and the scenery is beautiful.
It’s likely that the lodging you choose have rooms that are quite a small treasure to stay in, as well. For example, the Blair House that we got to stay the night in was originally a family house that later converted into a dainty, 4-room inn. Lovely, huh?
3. Mount Shasta
My new favorite place to snow board. I mean, it’s really hard not to like this place. I’ll explain more later. The drive up north is beautiful and you can see the mighty white Mount Shasta starting about 2-3 hours away from the place.
I went there with zero knowledge about snow boarding, and by the time we had to go home, our body was quite sore but we’re just way too happy not to care. The ski park offers awesome learning deals, one of which eventually scores you with free season pass starting in March 2011 (1-2-3 Learn to Board or Ski).
The staff are all generous and very helpful, the instructors are awesome and super cool, the mountain itself is a great to ride on. For brief moments on our 3-day stay, I feel like I’m starting to understand why people find snow boarding (or skiing) relaxing despite the thrill of it. Time well spent, indeed. We’ll definitely come back here again. And so should you.
3 more days to 2011,
Musank
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Fashion show reviews, DIY projects, and beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Get fashionably inspired!
By Mira Musank. Read More...
