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I would rather eat a salad with chopsticks than a fork. I think it is really odd to wear shoes indoors. I enjoy boba tea (hot and cold) and can even order it in Taiwanese. I’m what you would call an ‘egg’ - you know, white on the outside, yellow on the inside. And yes, a lot of my friends happen to be deliciously wonderful twinkies and bananas.

When I first moved to New York from Hawaii I found it extremely odd (and really exotic) to hear a slew of European languages being spoken in the subways, on the streets, in stores, in bathrooms. Needless-to-say, Chinatown was sort of a comfort. Korea-town, with Morning Glory, was better. And even though Manhattan is definitely my home now, I really felt like I was back in Honolulu last weekend when I walked into the insanely fabulous Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya.

If you’ve ever wanted to find a hundreds of books on Japanese street style, both English and Japanese-language manga (as well as other anime-related paraphernalia), Japanese magazines galore, adorable children’s book and insane kumon workbooks (which will make you realize why Japanese kids are so much further ahead than our own), crazy toys, thousands of videos (including some of my personal favorites from Hayao Miyazaki including Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, and Spirited Away), fashion pattern books, and so much more, then you really should make your way over to Kinokuniya, but give yourself some time…

But there is more. Much more. In fact, there are three floors just full of ‘more’. A million cute pens and notebooks (which I’m such a sucker for), packets of origami paper, glittery stickers, even crystals to bling up your phone right next to a book featuring zillions of ways to do it. “Kawaii” to say the least.

And then I spotted the I Am Plastic book by Kidrobot and had to resist a sudden (and quite strong) urge to buy the fabulous visual history of the psycho designer toys that I’m so taken with. Anyway, my little trip into Kinokuniya was such a great break from my typical Manhattan and I’m sure will become a new hang out (especially as there is a cafe upstairs).

Want to go to? Of course you do! Kinokuniya is located right at Bryant Park (making it the perfect escape during fashion week) at 1073 6th Avenue, between 41st and 40th Streets. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm & Sun 11am-730pm. See below for a bunch of pictures inside the store (which I wasn’t supposed to take - oops!)…

Living in New York for the past four or five years, I have grown a strange fondness and simple appreciation for scaffolding. It protects us from the rain, provides shelter for the homeless, and gives the city character. Look down any street and you’ll see it everywhere.

We are a city of constant upgrade, constant change, and scaffolding is also physical proof of this (as are the trophy wives, botox ads on the subways, etc) - it is the skeletal system that keeps this Manhattan running.

Buildings always look naked once their scaffolding is removed and somehow I always miss these ugly exoskeletons when they’re gone - thank goodness there is always more going up. I can’t stand a squeaky-clean city.

PRADA Sample Sale
Saturday, Oct 18th through Saturday Oct 25th
9am to 7pm
609 West 51st St | 7th Floor | NYC

No appointment necessary. Lots of women’s clothing, some shoes, and a bit for the fellas…Credit cards only.

UPDATE: For news on the sample sale (what you’ll find, what you won’t, etc.) see here…

Sometimes we forget that Manhattan is an island, but it is…and last night I almost fell off of it. Ok, ok - not really, but I did go to yet another event waaay over on the west side at 645 W. 42nd Street, this time at espace and it was worth the trek.

We ventured to the edge of New York to celebrate Nicole Romano’s Spring 2009 Collection, which included several pieces of ready-to-wear and more of her fantastic jewelry.

Nicole looked stunning (as usual), this time wearing one of her new dresses, a cocktail version of the gown shown below. Walking through the crowd, I heard plenty of whispers expressing interest in each of the dresses as well as the jewelry. The long tassel necklace was exceptionally eye-catching.

Nicole definitely gets sexy and the entire event reflected that casually sexy attitude. The wine was good, the crowd was good, and even Countess LuAnn deLesseps from the desperate Housewives of New York was there and interviewed Nicole for BetterTV. Click below for images of the collection and espace…

Last night we went to Vig 27 to celebrate the fact that my favorite co-worker and dear friend is finally freeing herself of working in pure hell. Tomorrow she’ll be on a 22-hour flight back to Australia before taking a vacay in Brazil and then possibly settling down in London. Well New York, now we have one less smart, sexy, funny fashion girl. Great.

After drink-drink-drinking over ten cocktails and glasses of wine (each), talking too much about work, and then laughing so hard that we had to stop several times during our stumbling walk down Park Avenue from Vig 27 to Underbar, I apparently fell asleep at the bar while other people found hot models to make-out with. This morning I woke up still tipsy and wearing my entire outfit from the day before, 4-inch heels and all.

Anyway, I think Vig 27 might become a new favorite simply for it’s location and ease, but check it out for yourself - it’s on E. 27th St. between Park Avenue and Lexington, there’s some outdoor seating, a fireplace in the back (hello, second date place), and you can get a decent glass of wine for under $10.

To coincide with their annual catalogue handout,YSL will be giving away 5,000 limited-edition, cotton totes in New York, London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, this Saturday, September 6th.

The Stefano Pilati-designed bag features YSL’s logo upside down…and although that’s about it, you can be sure that these free little totes will be swooped by free-loading fashionistas and undoubtedly sold a week later on eBay. Hell, if some poor YSL intern is on the streets and passes one my way, I won’t say no.

Want one? Hang out near the tents at Bryant Park (6th Ave/41st Street) for this and all kind of free stuff, or try 57th Street near the YSL boutique.

And now, some of the places I’ve been to recently that you might want to try as well:

• the room - 144 Sullivan St. near Prince in Soho. Very romantic (ooh la la). Intimate spot filled with candles, wine - the kind of bar that makes you want to work as the bartender just to hang out there night after night. We stopped here before heading to the Angelika to watch Vicky Christina Barcelona (which was simply wonderful)
• Brite Bar - 10th Ave at 27th St. ok spot with sort of fun music…go if you must, but don’t make it your destination.
• Highline Ballroom - W. 16th St. btwn 9th/10th Ave. Fun club with sexy blond little go-go dancers. The best part of the night was when The Spazmatics took the stage, covering a bunch of 80’s hits and wearing high geek fashions including neck braces.
• Doma - 17 Perry St. at 7th Ave in the West Village. Cute and cozy cafe with decent coffee and lots of people plugged in. I met pur~lisse creator and founder Jennifer Yen here for an interview about her skincare line and just to get to know her better - stay tuned for her interview & answers to my 21 Questions
• PJ Clarke’s - 915 3rd Ave at 55th St. Met my friend Brooke here for dinner a few weeks ago and it was a little loud (definitely a meet market for the after-work midtown posse) but proved a fine place for dinner.
• Ed’s Lobster Bar - 222 Lafayette St. right below Spring in Soho. When we first walked in I was bummed to discover that fried oysters had been taken off the menu (seriously bummed), but that was quickly forgotten once we ordered blood orange cocktails (poured over crushed ice), 2 bottles of sauvignon blanc, shrimp, tuna tartar, sea bass, etc… The wine is good, reasonably priced, and the tuna tartar is simply fantastic (in fact, just writing about it now is making my mouth water). Started off a night of waay too much fun…
• L’esquina - 106 Kenmare btwn Cleveland Place and Lafayette in Soho/Little Italy. You enter through the corner deli above (walk right in to the back wall and go down the stairs through the kitchen) and then go underground to one of the coolest spots in the city. Super sexy, this is one of the only places where I end up drinking tequila.
• Buddha Bar - 25 Little W 12th St in Meatpacking District. Always a lot of fun. Good drinks and lots of men who are willing to buy them for you.
• Starbucks - anytime, anywhere.

After one of the most beautiful weeks of the entire year,
the city was relatively quiet and empty this weekend.