Glasser

A band I'm OBSESSED with right now.

They're playing at Coachella on the first day, which sucks because I have to work doing Janet Jackson's "True You" book signing. I AM SCARED FOR MY LIFE! I really hope I can make it in time to Indio to see this band though! If anyone is going to Coachella please hit me up!

Bird of paradise

It's finally getting a little warmer--for me, at least. I'm originally from Las Vegas so I can definitely stand the heat. There are bird of paradise flowers all over our yard adding a lovely tropical feel when the sun is shining. Has a name ever been so apt? I can look at this flower and almost feel warm golden rays upon my skin. This dress has been with me for years. I found it in a thrift store in Las Vegas. People are always surprised to find out I am from Las Vegas. It's a place where few people are actual locals. It's a very interesting city and there is a lot there if you look underneath the surface. I want to do a Las Vegas post one of these days where I'll go into detail about the places I loved to go and things I liked to see.

Unfortunately, right now is not that time. It IS time, however, to segway into a semi-related topic about moving. I moved to LA almost 2 years ago. LA is not a city that welcomes its newcomers with open arms. There are sprawling freeways, limited parking, and god-awful traffic. It's confusing to get around and since I moved in with my boyfriend who's been living here almost all his life, I let him do all the driving. It was stifling to say the least. We broke up for about 6 months, and the first thing I did was get an apartment located in central Echo Park and one of my biggest goals was learning how to get around and minimize getting lost and/or racking up parking tickets.

I took side streets instead of the freeway to learn about the different neighborhoods and where they intersect. From Echo Park, driving south to Koreatown, to Chinatown, to Downtown, then another day going north to Silver Lake, Los Feliz, then turning west and driving to Hollywood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice. I also employed a rule for myself that if anyone ever invited me anywhere, I would go, even if I didn't feel like it. I think this is one of the best things one can do when they move to a new city. It's easy to get into a rut, feel tired from job searching or job working, and not feel like taking on an invitation with an acquaintance to go to the bar/party/whatever when you're kind of just tired and feeling like a bum. But it's important to drag yourself out there and just try to absorb whatever environment you get put in. It's always hard though, when you're the new kid on the block, trying to make real connections, and finding true friends in a new place. This metaphor extends to the blogosphere so thank you to everyone who stumbled upon this humble blog of mine and took the time to say hi! If you feel inclined, link me on your blog, or give me a shout.

Love and love.

Nicki


P.S. Me and the boyfriend of whom I fell in love with and moved here for got back together after our brief stint of separation and despite our occasional fights, he is still the best person I have ever met!

Too close to dusk

Hat-H&M, Velvet jacket-$1 sale rummage, Shirt-Thrifted, Shorts-Thrifted, Necklace-Flea market, Shoes- F21

Alright, you know what happened here...I was doing out doing fun things all day and when I remembered to take pictures, it was already too dark. However, I have a good excuse, I went flea marketing and lunching with dear Madeline of Jean Greige and darling Britney of Disarming Darling both of whom I'm sure you all know are amazing. I met Madeline just shortly before she started Jean Greige and already, it's the best blog I have ever seen. I've decided she's my womentor for more purposes than one.
Now, I'm going to leave you with some videos of a fantastic woman named Nina Hagen. She is out of this world. Pay attention!

rhinestone cowgirl or about my mom...

Everything is thrifted. The earrings are from my mom. When I lived at home, I would constantly "shop" my mother's closet before I went out, much to her chagrin, and return things mangled or missing. My penance for losing things used to be a constant source of complaint. In fact, my mother still calls me something along the lines of "little lost girl" in Cantonese. I remember one time, we went out on a chilly day while vacationing in New York and because I was complaining so much about being cold, my mom bought me a nice warm down jacket, you know--North Face or something akin to that, in other words, it wasn't cheap. What do you know, I went back to the hotel without it, as I had left it on the subway. My mother was fuming. "Oh, why do I buy you anything?" and on and on for what felt like an hour. I was kind of glad she kept going on about how careless I was because my guilt was replaced by annoyance. I think that kind of sums up my relationship to my mother during the young adolescent phase. We were really different from each other, she's type A, I'm type Z, and we fought at least once a month. I think the reason we fought so much is because we were so close. I absolutely love my mom, and my brother and I were her entire world. Of course, I kind of shattered her ideas about an obedient firstborn and so she tried to regain her footing as best she could, but it wasn't going to happen, I was way too rebellious. I later realized it was just karma revolving. My grandma used to shake her head and tell me stories of my mother when she was young. Stories like her "freshman year" of college which turned out to be a grand tour around the world with her boyfriend/photographer. While my grandparents thought she was diligently studying, she was actually cavorting around and having fun, having pictures taken of her in places like Easter Island! I have amazing photos of my mom in the 70s, she modeled and even did commercials without my grandparents knowledge. She had a very eclectic style. That post will have to come later. I definitely get my interest in fashion from her. The fruit does not fall far...

love & light

From WithAsianStereotypes


The sweatshirt is from my latest trip to Japan at a store called WEGO. The sticker is from the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror Festival in Tokyo. This brings me to talk about my latest trip to Japan which was a whirlwind of fun, food, shopping and sightseeing. I can't begin to describe how much my senses were inundated with all the fascinating things going on in that country. It's thoroughly modern but also thoroughly unique in culture and traditions. I loved finally getting the hang of taking my shoes off nearly everywhere I went. This meant taking your shoes off BEFORE entering the dressing room, ladies!

We got back from our wonderful trip in Japan only a day before the earthquake hit. We were stunned to tears when we found out what happened. Amidst all that catastrophe and sadness, I imagine the cherry blossoms are in bloom now and shedding some small beauty for those who have lost so much. Please donate and help if you can.

First things first

Ok, so, I have been contemplating starting a blog for almost a year now, motivation has always been an emotion that I've sorely lacked, preferring always to lay around and loaf, if I could lay in a field of daisies with the sky slightly overcast, the sun behind some fluffy animal-shaped clouds, I would just read and daydream forever. In fact, just substitute a field of daisies for a soft bed and there you have it. Sloth runs high on the list of my favorite sins...Or shall I say ambles?