N is for Nest

Finding a place that isn't the size of a shoebox in New York can be difficult & finding one that you actually like while on a budget is nearly impossible. Since my decision to stay kind of materialized at the end of the summer, I basically had a week to find something. So it was some kind of amazing miracle that I stumbled upon this little Brooklyn gem because I'm head over heels in love with it.

While I was back in Tampa, I gathered some of my favorite records, books & movies to help make my new nest a little bit nestier. It's crazy how much these simple things helped turn this new place into a home for me. Some of my newest additions are an amazing Tahla quilt from Anthropologie, Crosley record player & sweet little flags from Austen of Keep Calm and Chiffon. And my room wouldn't be complete without art from the incomparable, Gabbie Amontree. Eventually, I'd like to get some vintage pieces in here & more art on the walls but for now, it's perfect. 

It's been such a whirlwind couple of weeks & now that I'm finally settled, the pressure is on to find my dream job. In between editing my resume, I've been popping out of the apartment to explore Brooklyn a little bit. I learned that there's a Target here...it's in a mall & easily the most hectic place I've ever been to in my life. But I love the architecture, all of the trees & the weather has been absolutely spectacular. 

Here's to new nests.

Love,

A

 

I Always Wanted To Be A Tenenbaum

If you've known me in any capacity, you know that I have an affinity for Wes Anderson. One of my all-time favorite films is The Royal Tenenbaums. The Aberdeen Marina Club, a fancy family club that my dad used to run in Hong Kong, had a video store where members could rent films & TV shows. We lived in the penthouse of the main building and I used to spend my childhood summers renting everything & anything I could get my hands on. Joyce, the lovely lady who ran the video store, made that easy & let me get away with renting whatever my curious little heart desired, even though I was only 11. This is where my love of film & mature thematic material rapidly developed. 

I watched The Royal Tenenbaums & although I didn't quite understand it at first, I was in awe. Anderson's style stood out so strongly to me. The characters drew me in so much, even though I was only a child. As an adult, this movie means more to me than ever. Watching it now, I pick up on so many layers of deeper meaning in the plot and character development. I've seen it over upwards of 50+ times but I still manage to discover something new & magical every time I see it.

So, in the fit of a stress that I've been tangled in lately, I decided that I wanted to find 111 Archer Avenue because it's a part of what makes me who I am. I knew that it was somewhere in New York but I wasn't quite sure where, so after hours of heavy research & mapping out the specific coordinates(JK I Googled it in 2 seconds), I found out that it was on the corner of Covent Avenue and 144th Street in Harlem. 

I woke up early on a day that I didn't have to be at work until noon, hopped on the subway, walked the wrong direction for half a mile, turned around & there it was. I just stood there & smiled like a little kid who just arrived at Disney for the first time. It's a stunning home & such a strong part of the film's aesthetic. Everyone in the neighborhood was just walking past it like it was any old house & I just wanted to yell at them & be like, "UH, HI, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE STANDING NEXT TO? ARE YOU BLIND OR SOMETHING? DON'T YOU KNOW WHO MARGOT TENENBAUM IS?" 

Standing in front of that house really meant something to me. It honestly inspired me. I know it might sound dumb to some people because it's just a film that came out in 2001 & it's just a house that was in a movie one time. But this movie really shaped me. I think in some way, it molded me at a young age & effected how my mind works. I think it will always be special to me. I'm really glad that I woke up early & ventured to Harlem to find the house that Royal Tenenbaum bought in the winter of his thirty-fifth year.

Oh & right across the street was Eli Cash's house.

Love,

A

 

Details: t-shirt: American Apparel // midi skirt: H&M

sunnies: H&M // sandals: Steve Madden // 

bracelet: Madewell //