A Walk Around The West Village
MONDAY, AUGUST 3RD 2009
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Whilst waiting for the subway today I overheard Bésame Mucho played on a Chinese string instrument, and it made me smile.

I sauntered around the West Village neighborhood today, moving slowly in the heat of the afternoon and wishing I could afford a fancy lunch at one of the attractive restaurants in the area. After satiating myself with a granola bar I stopped by Yoya and Yoyamart. The former is sweet boutique for infants and tots, filled with modern baby objects, such as Scandinavian minimalist highchairs, posh toys and designer clothes. The latter store is an edgier space for toddlers and adults, the walls stacked with urban vinyl toys and racks lined with pricey graphic tees and hoodies.

From there I wandered down Bleecker Street, poking my head into the occasional boutique and antique store, of which the street has plenty. The shots above are from streets close to the Hudson River, quiet and almost suburban. The window display is from an apothecary I passed.

Later I stood behind a foreigner at Starbucks that was requesting a "medium"-sized coffee, and the barista kept correcting the man with "grande" and he was so confused that eventually he walked away, sans coffee. Stupid elitist Starbucks drink sizes.

An Indoor Garden At Anthropologie, Rockefeller Center
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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The Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center had a lovely indoor garden space set up with worn furniture and fixtures, moss and leafy plants. I especially liked the clever use of nails as pegs for the aluminum letters decor. I swooned over that little terrarium container!

Creative Window Displays At Anthropologie
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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A refreshing burst of movement and color from the window displays of Anthropologie near Rockefeller Center - made entirely of two by fours and cardboard!

Wagashi From Minamoto Kitchoan
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST 2009
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Minamoto Kitchoan is an upscale purveyor of wagashi - delicate, artistic Japanese confections often served with tea. The character pronounced 'wa' denotes things Japanese, while the characters for 'gashi', an alliteration of kashi, have come to mean confections.

The interior and treat selection were similar to what I experienced in Japan, and just like Japan the prices were ridiculous. I suppose I mean this as a compliment, since these are more than snacks and are an art form in and of themselves in both flavor and appearance. A box of six wagashi can easily set you back $30-$60. Everything looked enticing - oh, the fish packaging! - but I settled on a palm-sized green tea mochi, which was delicious but one piece set me back $3.

All of the food examples are plastic representations of the real treats. I was mostly attracted to the window display that looked like a basketful of breasts.

An Afternoon in SoHo
SATURDAY, JULY 11TH 2009
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Above is the most amazing curried chicken salad I've ever eaten, from Bistro Les Amis in SoHo. Justin had an ahi tuna sandwich that was also delectable, though my meal surprisingly surpassed it in flavor and awesomeness. We spent the day wandering around design stores and showrooms, like Clio, Alessi, DWR Tools For Living, Blu Dot, Ligne Roset, Cassina, Cappellini, Moss, Moroso and Room & Board. It was a brilliant afternoon full of stores we could never afford and imagining what our future home could look like.

The bestest best part of the day? Getting this Koin wood bank from DWR Tools For Living, a $120 value for only $18! I am a master of frugality. The bank is gorgeous; the ash wood has a spectrum of tones to it. I actually went through about six boxes in the store until I found the one with the prettiest wood... it was the clerk's idea, and he helped me pry open all the boxes! The staff at the store is truly delightful, a trait that is unfortunately rare in retail these days.

Shopping In Williamsburg, Brooklyn
THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH 2009
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After brunch I embarked on a walking tour of Williamsburg with a short list of stores to visit and no set route. I generally only enter design stores, mainly because I cannot afford clothing and at least window shopping for decor is entertaining.

A&G Merch is an urban home furnishing store that has a nice balance of handmade and local products as well as mass produced items. I admired the little merchandise vignettes that allowed customers to pause and explore clusters of products rather than looking at items on linear shelves.

The Future Perfect (not shown) is a little shop full of design objects that I will never be able to afford. In their basement they sometimes have clearance and sample sales that are still mostly out of my price range.

Voos is a collective of local furniture designers and the showroom is full of eclectic pieces. It feels more like walking through a contemporary gallery than a retail store. This store is also way, way out of my price range - like most design stores!

Mast Brothers is a chocolate factory adjacent to Voos, and on this warm afternoon I could smell the chocolate wafting down the block - cacao shells were strewn about the floor when I walked in. The owners/creators - the Mast brothers - both rock amazing beards. Their chocolate is handmade in delicate batches.

Sprout is a sweet little modern garden store that has a beautiful collection of plants, accessories and gifts. I fell in love as soon as I saw the huge terrariums in the center of the room! They have a feature wall covered in tillandsias, too. Tassy spent a good deal of time with me explaining what I possibly did wrong with my terrarium and even printed out a guide for me to take home.

I could best describe Moon River Chattel as rustic chic. It offers reclaimed and vintage furniture and decor as well as contemporary accessories. I could easily decorate an entire cozy bed and breakfast in their merchandise.

Two Jakes (not shown) specializes in classic 20th century modern office furniture. If I recall correctly this store was stacked with furniture.

Portmanteau sells pricey vintage furniture and accessories. These glass vessels caught my eye and all I could think of was terrariums on the walk back to the subway.

Walking Fifth Avenue
FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH 2009
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One of my major goals whilst living in NYC is to literally walk most (if not all) of Manhattan, from Battery park to 110th Street. This is a time consuming task, but it has its accomplishments: exercise, discovery and eventually, familiarity. Today I took a train to Union Square/14th Street and began my 72 block walk to 86th Street!

Fifth Avenue is known for its upscale shopping, touting brands like Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, and Tiffany & Co. After it reaches Central Park, 5th Avenue turns into "Museum Mile" with the notable Metropolitan Museum of Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to name a few.

As an interior designer I was thrilled to see all the amazing storefronts and interiors on this street, especially from the upscale stores. The streets became so crowded that I quickly gave up taking photographs - you would not believe how long I patiently stood waiting for a chance to take the person-less photos above! - but I did manage to capture two creative storefronts: Anthropologie and Kate Spade.

Exploring Brooklyn
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17TH 2009
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After going to the market I took the subway to Borough Hall Station in Brooklyn, armed with a list of design stores. I wandered above and below Atlantic Avenue, stopping at planned destinations and discovering unexpected places.You can make out my path here.

As with stores all over NYC, the best shops were inconspicuous and easy to pass if you did not have a keen eye and took the time to search for them. When we first arrived here I was (foolishly) quick to dismiss storefronts that did not meet my "expectations" - nice signage, inviting displays, etc. - and I know now to give everyone a chance.

Abitare is a home decor store that is modern but with a soft, feminine touch.

I almost passed Sterling Place, and I am so thankful that I did not! It was filled with contemporary and vintage treasures, like the antique bowling set and the artfully crafted decanters.

Acorn has a marvelous collection of children' toys and decor items. The products are beautifully designed and are attractive to both kids and adults - which I think is ideal since they will most likely be strewn about the house, right?

Darr was one of my favorite unexpected shops. It was cluttered with some of the most interesting found objects, and I could equate it to a "grim" retail version of the outdoor Brooklyn Flea Market. Mounted animal heads and apothecary bottles were just some of their stock.

I went to both Greenhouse and Opalia, but I do not have photographs from the former. Opalia is a flower shop that has a nice collection of glass vases and dried botanicals, which I was contemplating for my terrariums.

Dig was packed to the brim with gardening supplies. They had terrariums sporadically placed throughout the shop. I liked their suitcase displays outside showcasing products.

Grdn was clean, modern gardening shop with a small but beautiful collection of housewares and gardening supplies. I bought a nice plant but I've forgotten what it is called.

Flight 001 has a great line of modern and vintage-inspired travel accessories. I bought a few items from them for my trip to Japan, like these luggage tags (the swearing one). Their store looked like the interior cabin of an airplane - loved it!

Blue Ribbon General Store is a great store for gifts and well-designed home accessories, like teapots, recycling bags and soaps. If you cruise the design blogs occasionally you might recognize some of their goods, such as the Stitch Postcard.