Happy Valentine's Day: Uncooked Greeting Cards

My chosen Valentine's Day greeting card to my BF: "sometimes, i think you fell down from heaven, not just because your face is all crooked but because you're like an angel. a sweet, sweet angel." Love how kooky their card messages are. 

 via Uncooked Greeting Cards, $2.50.

Dreamy Photography | She Hit Pause Studios

white legs + bridge (brooklyn)

I met Matt Schwartz, the photographer behind She Hit Pause Studios at the Brooklyn Flea Market. He was friendly, approachable, and let his photographs speak for themselves at the market. His dreamy, vintage-inspired photographs grabbed me for their haunting, evocative, slightly faded  imagery ~ most depict women in portraiture, gazing away at the camera or focusing on graceful off-camera poses. His photographs feel intimate, up close, and as the viewer,  you are there experiencing a private moment with the subjects. Here are a few photos that I saw at Matt's stall at the  Brooklyn Flea Market that I wanted to share.

blue + white 

nude on bed

blue shoes 

Smelling Pretty: Thymes Oolong Cassis Candle

Since college, I've been obsessed with fragrances and only recently picked up home sprays as an optimal way to keep my room smelling pleasant when I return home from a hard day's work at school. I discovered that Thymes Oolong Cassis candle is mad addictive

. According to the packaging: "the dark mystique of sweet cassis is stirred with aromatic notes of orange and bergamot and infused with the leaves of the black dragon – oolong tea." I picked it up Alphabets and didn't want to put it down. The floral notes on top of the deep rich tea aroma blends well -- it's calming yet enervating at the same time. I know, an oxymoron. Drinking tea itself can be that way though. My only reluctance was spending $26 on a candle. The fragrant aroma definitely imparts luxury, this ain't your Glades candle here. Since my apartment is small, I'm wary of using candles and found out that it does come in a fragrance home spray which is more optimal. Bonus points for pretty packaging, below.

NYC Shopping: East Village, Brooklyn

One Stanton, Brooklyn NY

Weekend Shopping in Brooklyn + East Village:

Brooklyn Flea Market

If you regard shopping as a treasure hunt, you will rummage to your heart's content at the Brooklyn Flea Market. For the Winter, it's residing inside a historic bank building off the Atlantic Stop in Brooklyn which is where I found my booty. Vintage furniture, clothes, knick knacks abound, but I immediately gravitated towards the women's accessories – bags! Bartering is key and you have more leverage to negotiate if you go later in the day or have cash on hand (some vendors do credit transactions). I scored a vintage black Coach bag (school prep style) for $30 (it was missing a silver buckle attachment + I paid in cash).

Vintage typewriters in working condition

Random disembodied doll parts for macabre decorating?

Alphabets Boutique in East Village

For design blog aficionados and lovers of nerd-cool, this was a must-stop shop to browse.

Imagine if Anthropologie + Urban Outfitters + Fred Flare had a retail relative ~ Alphabets would be it.

Here are two finds I made. Left: Jack by BB Dakota Plaid Dress for $25 (50% off) and the vintage Coach Willis Station Bag for $30.

Yoshitomo Nara in my Student Apt

There! I finally got my weekend art project done. You may recall this. What do you get when you've had Yoshitomo Nara's Oh! My God! I Miss You postcards that you've assembled in white IKEA frames but never got around to mounting? Well, you drag all 9 frames to NYC, dither, and finally get around to mounting it (sans nails) with the mighty help of 3M Velcro! My student apartment room is quite tiny so it's nice to have a major art element draw the eye in (and away from the clutter). All together, I'd say the total amount spent was less than $30 ~ the best part is I can easily dismantle this and take it with me to my next destination.

Ta da!

Woodland Creatures at your Dinner Place

If you love the outdoors and cuddly woodland creatures, then you're going to smile at the Forest Gump, a tabletop setting complete with salt and pepper shakers disguised as treetops and a porcupine serving as toothpick holders. Designed by Giovannoni Stefano for Alessi, Forest Gump is made of thermoplastic resin so the vibrant colors will hold up over time. Playful, fun, and with a woodsy modern motif, this table top setting is something I'd love to have for a fun dinner party or hospitality gift.  Available at The Future Perfect, $53.

MoMa: Tim Burton Special Exhibit

For the fantastic, morbid, whimsical, and strange, Tim Burton does not disappoint when it came to debuting his special collection of art, sculpture, and memorabilia at New York's MoMa.  Whether it's sketches from his high school years to movie work (Pee Wee's Big Adventures to Nightmare Before Christmas to Corpse Bride), the exhibit is worth taking your time to peruse. Just beware of large crowds!  After taking close looks at his personal sketches, you can see influences from other artists like Edward Gorey. If you can't make it to New York, MoMa's Tim Burton interactive exhibit is worth perusing and includes interviews with the spooky director himself. Best? It's free. Tim Burton Exhibit runs at the MoMa from November 22, 2009 – April 26, 2010.

Merry Photography: Toy Camera App for the iPhone

Happy Post Holidays folks! Christmas was quite beachy in South Florida! Since my family and friends don't make a big fuss out of present giving, I was quite surprised to get these comfy pink (memory foam?!) slippers from my mom (at Wal-Mart) and this Badgley Mischka wool scarf muffler from my boyfriend (at Century 21). Did you get anything exciting? I showed my BF around New York City on NewYear's Week and had time to test this iPhone camera app, Toy Camera. From the same maker of the QuadCamera (which I reviewed), this photo app lets me play with color contrast filters, vignetting, square photo formats, etc. If you like lomo photography, retro photography, I would highly recommend checking it out. For the price, there's no real harm involved! Available iTunes for $1.99.

Paul Frank Laptop Case

Has your current laptop sleeve case become shabby over use? Boring? Want something with more kick then the standard mono-color neoprene case? Sport this classic duo-color Paul Frank Skull and Crossbones laptop case. Arrrrr. No one will confuse your case with another's at school or the local coffee shop. Available at the Apple Store, $50.