I'm Alive

So, I just realized yesterday that it's officially been a month since I got back from Tampa. It's also been almost a month since I've posted on Stellar Piece. It's a travesty, I know. I feel like I'm one of those horrible parents who leaves their kids in the car on accident because they're too busy worrying about other things. Yes, I did just compare my blog to a human child, but whatever.

I have been so busy lately. I've never been happier. The first week that I came back to Brooklyn was kind of the worst week of my life. Although I was excited about the thought of being here, I knew that I had to find one of those things called a J-O-B before I would let myself get too comfortable. But everything feels like it's falling into place.

Right now I'm currently working with CollegeFashionista HQ, Bib + Tuck & a marketing company called Liz Theresa. If everything goes as planned, CollegeFashionista will become my full-time gig & you have no idea how happy that makes me. It's just where I want to be everyday.

Now that I have a little bit more stability & a structured schedule going on, I've been trying to spend my free time wisely. I had a pretty fun day yesterday with my godmother, Auntie Anne. She took me to brunch at the coolest little place called Edi and the Wolf in East Village. Brunching is taken very seriously here in New York, so I went all out & had a the wild mushroom frittata. I ate a frittata, guys. Who am I? Then we had a little photo shoot, hung out while it rained, watched Charlie's Angels + went for dinner & drinks at Blaue Gans.


Speaking of Auntie Anne, she is pretty much the coolest. She designs her own clothes with fabric that she picks out from India & sells them in her store, Anne Kothari. If I'm lucky, sometimes she lets me test out some of her lovely pieces. So, I decided put my own twist on her Lineage pants + Girl Next Door skirt. 

I loved styling these because they aren't pieces that I typically go for, so it was fun to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. Her clothes are all super well made, fit beautifully & have the greatest prints. I love the '50s vibe of the Girl Next Door skirt + I kind of want to live in the Lineage pants because they are softer than an actual pile of kittens.

Check out Anne Kothari, buy her super cool printed pieces + make sure to enter STELLAR PIECE at checkout for 25% off your entire purchase.

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 //

We'll Cross That Bridge When We Get There

For some reason, I thought that this summer was going to last forever. But as time does, it flew by in the blink of an eye. Whenever anyone asks me what my next move is, I simply say, "oh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Well, here we are, quite literally, at the Brooklyn Bridge & I still have no idea what the hell I'm doing.

I've been applying for a million jobs, going to interviews, looking at apartments...the whole shebang. Trying to be an adult is the weirdest transition in the whole world. I keep thinking that I'll be going back to school in a couple weeks & I'm honestly absolutely hating the uncertainty of not knowing what's coming next for me. As much as I desperately miss Florida (believe me I'm so torn between staying & going), I know that I'll regret it if I don't take a chance at trying to make this whole NYC thing work for at least a year.

Meanwhile, I'm basically waking up in cold sweat, panic attack mode every morning because I don't want to make the wrong decision & end up sleeping in the subway. I'm constantly questioning if trying to stay here is even the right move. But I love it here though, I'm young & any career that I want to have is going to be in industries that are thriving here. 

So, what have I got to lose...except my sanity.

 Love,

A 

Details: top: Zara // jeans: American Eagle

sunnies: H&M // shoes: Urban Outfitters // 

bracelet: Madewell // bag: Anthropologie //