Fly

Fly Girl of the Week Nominations

Don't forget to nominate yourselves for Fly Girl of the Week. Click here for details.

Nyakio

Check out these products by Kenyan-American entrepreneur, Nyakio Kamoche. Nyakio uses her family secrets to create fragrant oils and scrubs for the body, and scents for the home. I have yet to try her products but the buzz is that they are all superb. Has anyone tried Nyakio?

Personal Spaces

Here are some magazine clippings I collected of personal spaces. I always love to see what people collect and display to keep themselves inspired.

Mooka Kinney

Cute little vintage inspired dresses from Mooka Kinney.

Natasha Law (Jude Law's sister)

Be inspired by the bold color and fluid lines in Natasha Law's paintings.

Yum

When I'm home visiting it's mandatory for me to do two things: 1. Visit Georgetown to check out the boutiques, and 2. Make a quick stop at the Annapolis Harbor for some of my favorite homemade ice cream. This last visit to Georgetown my mom and I had lunch at the legendary Nathan's Restaurant. It was delicious. We shared the fresh calamari salad, mom ordered the fish and chips and I, the crab cake sandwich. Everything was perfect. Even my mother, who is extremely picky when it comes to eating out, had nothing but great things to say. We would definitely go back.

The Annapolis Harbor is so cute, quaint, and close to where I grew up. Going there always reminds me of summers eating Storm Bros. ice cream and watching the boats dock. Even though it was a little chilly on Saturday I was in dire need of a peanut butter ice cream fix (not flavored, but peanut butter chunks in vanilla ice cream).

Emily Twomey

Beautiful illustrations from Emily Twomey.

Fly Girl of the Week

I met Llubav at the Design*Sponge Ladies Meet Up late last year. I was excited to hear about her work experience at Hable Construction (one of my favorite textile companies) and thought she would be perfect for Fly Girl of the Week.

Who: Llubav Obando Choy, 33
Where: Born in Chimbote, Peru. I moved to the states in 1986 after a two year pit-stop in Mexico. I now live in Greenpoint, NY with my husband Chris.
What do you do? I work in product design for the textile firm, Hable Construction. I've been with the company for 6 years. My small business is making accessories such as rose pins and little clothes ornaments out of Hungarian wool felt. They are embellished with vintage sequins, beads and ribbons. Currently, in the works are hand printed stationery, tea towels, and a family. My aspirations are that someday I will be able to incorporate my own textile designs into a fashion collection.

What inspires you? My lovely husband, dancing, colors, traveling, my mother's strength, rich foods, vintage designs...everything really.
Why are you fly? I'm fly because I can laugh at myself, and I'm generous. (Oh...and my husband tells me I'm a great cook.)
Advice: Follow your passion, even if you think things are not going your way. Keep trying and love yourself.

Kronk

Beautiful designs and illustrations from Kronk.

CMYK Inspired

Cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black) come together for a bright, bold and dramatic look.

1.Malini Murjani Clutch 2. Tylie Bag 3. Joie Wedge 4. Alice + Olivia 5. Kenzo

Early Weekend

I'll be away on Friday, so no new posts, but please scroll through and check out some previous stuff. Don't forget to nominate yourselves for Fly Girl of the Week, and if you haven't seen my first webisode please check it out. Have a good weekend.

Other places to visit:
Uptown Flavor - my favorite Harlem blog
Kate Spade Behind the Curtain - where you see the inspirations behind the work
Treats and Treasures - great collages and inspiration
Coutorture - fantastic resource for fashion

Fashion Photography

Here's some more great photography from the archives of the New York Times Magazine.

Quarter-Life Crisis

When you're in your twenties you shouldn't have anything to complain about. You're young, you have the freedom to do whatever you want, and you have your whole life ahead of you. Right? So why are so many of us feeling confused and disappointed with the "real world?" I must say ever since college I've been wondering, what am I doing with my life, what do I really want to do and when is this or that going to happen? Lately I've been consuming myself with questions, worries, and crazy ideas. Then I came across these books and realized that I'm not alone.

I never knew the term quarter-life crisis existed until I read 20 Something, 20 Everything. This is a great book that helps you think about what you want while explaining why you are going through these growing pains. If you like exercises, this book has plenty. I loved the reading but I must say I was a little overwhelmed with all the exercises per chapter. You almost have to do them to get the full effect of the book.

Right now I am reading It's A Wonderful Lie, a collection of stories based on the experiences of twenty-something women discovering themselves while learning to enjoy life. I am REALLY enjoying this book, it's fun, touching, and some stories are hilarious.

I'm curious to know how many of you are twenty-somethings who are going through the motions of being a twenty-something? What about my thirty-somethings and up, did you experience a quarter-life crisis? Please share your thoughts on this topic.

Locher's Tees

Fashion with a sense of humor, I love it. Don't be fooled by these pretty little tees from Locher's. They're embroidered with lovely flowers and sweet birds that may remind you of the needlepoint designs your grandmother used to detail pillows and such. But look closer and you will find a discreetly placed phrase using naughty little words. Not as sweet as you thought. To get a better idea click here.

Would you wear them?

Hannah Barton

A fun illustration from Hannah Barton, a featured artist in Amelia Magazine.