Thursday, July 23, 2015

K Takes New York


Finally! Back to blogging! I've finally reached a lull in my hectic summer schedule where I can catch up on posts.

Last month I went to a two week entrepreneurship camp where I developed a start up idea and pitched it to a board of investors at the Athena Center at Barnard College. Never have I been immersed in such an empowering, positive environment. Check out my video to see more of the people I met and the things I did!

Here's one outfit from that trip:



I was surprised! The sweater and skirt was bought in NYC on sale and ! I love that these two pieces are the perfect transition into fall outfits too (out of season much?) and I can imagine a million other pairings to go with this too. I'm loving the white sweater and shoes that tie the whole outfit together and the necklace that adds some weight and interest against the blank background.

Honestly this outfit was more fit for an autumn day rather than a sweaty humid summer eve in New York but it was cute and worth the perspiration. The suede skirt with the playful laser cut outs instantly caught my eye in the store and they were only $15! I feel like its quirky juxtaposition of material and pattern makes it the perfect piece to transition my closet into something more sophisticated.

You also would not believe how much controversy there was over buying those $20 pair of Birkenstock dupes. Some of my friends questioned our friendships. Nevertheless, I identify as pro Birks (long live the mom sandal) but I'm also not about to pay $180 for something I know is going out of style sometime in the near future.

Right next to Chinatown we went to this hip cafe called Two Hands with my friend Cleo.

 The interior had 'grammable ambiance with the crafted clouds, strung lights, exposed brick, and hand written menu on the wall! It set me up for high expectations of idiosyncratic food...


 I got the blat sandwhich which was $9.00 but it was disappointingly small. It featured Sriracha, spinach, tomato, bacon and avocado. The bacon and guac gave the sandwich depth while the Sriracha have it an awesome kick. The salad was too boring and plain as it only featured some spinach leaves, some olive oil, and some red chili peppers. Disappointing. 

 Cleo got a cappuccino for $3.50 which she thought was average. She also commented that the $9.00 chewy granola was very blueberry based but sweet. It featured hemp and chia seeds, blue berries, granola, coconut, and raspberries. 
 As you can see there was not much mass in the blat sandwich. While I can understand everything is expensive in New York City, I feel like I could have found something that was more worth the price. 
 Cleo and her adorable cup of coffee. The store did have great merchandise ranging from mugs to shirts with whimsical designs on them. I think the aesthetic of the cafe is what brings in the customers not necessarily the quality of their food. 
I will say that the mocha was pretty good but it was less rich than the Mocha Tesora at Philz. (I can't find it on the menu but I believe it was around $4.00). 

Right now I'm in Valencia, CA for an arts camp called CSSSA (California State Summer School for the Arts). I'll update you guys more on that in a later post. 

Love, 
K