CLOTHES: Finally, Affordable Huaraches!

I had been searching for a nice pair of huarache sandals since the first warm day in April. However, I had no luck for all the shoes I found were either too ugly or too expensive. Luckily I stumbled upon this nice pair of Sunsteps (a brand I had never heard of) at a Nordstrom Rack in White Plains. I fell in love with them at first sight. Tried them on, and they were so comfortable. At this point I was in love and determined to purchase them, only one thing was left; looking at the price. Surprisingly they were only $25, I jumped in Joy! I was also able to leave with a simple pair of $12 brown Havaianas. I admit I had my doubt about Nordstrom Rack, but the shoe selection was quite satisfying.

CHECK IT: Find a Nordstrom Rack Near You.

IN OTHER SHOE NEWS, I stumbled upon a picture of these in some blog but have no idea where they are from. They look like something Urban Outfitters would sell but haven't found them anywhere. If you know where I could find them please let me know!

News Break: UPDATE Earthquake in Puerto Rico

At 1:16 am local time the ground shook in Puerto Rico. There does not seem to be any substantial damage on the island after the 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 68 miles , the epicenter was located 63 miles WSW of San Juan, the nations capitol. Soon afterwards several Facebook status updates reported violent shaking and rumbling. No information on deaths, injuries, or damage have been reported yet.

News Break: Earthquake in Puerto Rico

There seems to have been an earthquake in Puerto Rico, no idea how big but I don't think it could have been that bad as I was informed of it on Facebook. It was big enough to wake people up and get them online it seems. More updates soon.

CLOTHES: Reminiscence W 23rd NYC

Reminiscence located between 5th and 6th ave. is by far one of my favorite vintage thrift stores in Manhattan. It's definitely the thrift shop I have visited the most because I make it a point to visit every time I'm in New York. The store carries clothing for men and women along with shelves and tables stocked with miscellaneous items ranging from collectible tin lunch pales to wigs and countless other novelty items.

Reminiscence carries a large variety of costumes fit for any occasion and a vast collection of military jackets and apparel. In the back of the store is a bin overflowing with ties and scarfs and a rack full of wedding dresses and poofy slips. The back of the store is also where my favorite rack is located, the rack that keeps me coming back...

The rack shown to the left holds the best and biggest collection of vintage vests I have ever seen. They come in all colors, shapes and sizes. You can find anything from a simple black vest to a multicolored embroidered vest that may or may not have been previously owned by a gypsy or circus performer.

Table of Miscellaneous goodies at Reminiscence.

CHECK IT: Reminiscence on Yelp

Culture Shock: Amish in the City

Walking through Manhattan you see practically everything. But yesterday I was walking through midtown and saw something that's odd even for New York standards, the Amish.

On 5th ave. and W 34th street (right in front of the Empire state building ) I encountered a large group of about 15-20 amish teenagers. They were dressed from head to toe in traditional Amish garb, bonnets and all.

It was clear that they were on Rumspringa, the period all Amish people go through when they turn 16. Rumspringa is when Amish teens are able to explore customs of the modern world and choose whether or not to continue their Amish ways.

It was amazing to see the immense contrast of the traditional Amish folk amongst the background of the modern world, and to think that people are able survive without the things we call necessities

CHECK IT: Documentary on Rumspringa

THE WORLD TODAY 5.15

After all of these bomb scares and suspicious packages in New York, security around the city is at top notch. Yesterday, like any other day, I walked out of my Metro North Train and into the main concourse of Grand Central Station. However something was very different, alarm lights where flashing and sirens were going off. I immediately freaked out deep down inside until a loud speaker system announced that it was a false alarm. I searched the web for any information about the scare, but found nothing. I had never seen so many police men walking around Grand Central and I even spotted several National Guards men walking around with huge guns.

It scares me that the Obama administration has cuts in store for New York City's anti-terrorism efforts. The cuts were proposed before the Times Square incident but are projected to eliminate $53 million from "terror fighting efforts" according to NYdailynews.com. Transit security in New York will see a budget cut of 27% and port security will see a budget cut of 25%.

Clothes: I found Some Sandals!

Gurkee Rope Sandals only $35

yes I'm serious.

Thanks to my love Alexandra Gurvitch!

Now the question is black or blue? I am leaning towards blue, but will probably end up getting both.

ART: Event Horizon

Is it me or is someone about to Jump off the Flatiron Building? Don't get too frightened, the 31 statues of iron men standing atop high rise buildings in and around Madison Square Park is the latest project by British artist Anthony Gormley.

The project called Event Horizon was installed on March 26th and displays 27 sculptures on rooftops around Madison Square Park and 4 sculptures in the park itself. All of the sculptures are the same, a naked man. The topic is surveillance, and you truly feel like your being watched if you look up from ground level and see 27 statues staring down on you .

I think the statues are amazing and they are all over Madison Square Park. Below are some pictures I took.

THE WORLD TODAY 5.14

A crowd of over 40,000 people gathered to watch Space Shuttle Atlantis take off earlier today in Cape Canaveral, Florida for what is it's very last mission. The crew of six aboard are headed for the International space station. Atlantis' final take off drew one of the largest crowds in years .

CHECK IT: Takeoff

FOOD REVIEW: Lunch In Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge is a part of Brooklyn I had never been to, until today that is. Two of my best friends grew up in the Ridge yet I never really had any reason or motivation to go there. A lengthy ride on the R train changed all of that. I went to visit my aunt who lives in a cute little neighborhood, complete with two elementary schools, off of Bay Ridge Avenue. To the left is a cute house on Ovington Avenue that's across from my Aunt's building. Her neighborhood was a mixture of houses like these and 4-6 story red brick apartment buildings. She had an old elevator from the 1920's in her building, it was the type of elevator where you had to open a door to enter and exit. To the top right is an apartment building on my aunts block, I loved the art deco-esque façade of the building.

The picture below was taken on the same

street but on the other side of Bay Ridge Avenue These cute townhouses were lined up all the way down the block to 3rd avenue. The weather was perfect for walking and there were a lot of children playing in the streets since it was Friday afternoon and class had just let out. All races were represented in the street, which I love to see. Like much of Brooklyn Bay Ridge seemed to be very diverse.

My aunt and uncle took me to quint little restaurant on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Ovington Avenue called the Yellow Hook Grille . The Yellow Hook Grille had a bar and both indoor and outdoor seating. We took advantage of the great weather and decided to eat outside. The menu consisted of various types of Burgers, Sandwiches, Salads, and Pizzas and was moderately priced (several $10 dollar meal options). I ordered a Burger my aunt, uncle, and cousin split a pizza, and my abuelita had a salad. The food was great and so was the atmosphere, I would totally recommend it to a friend.

Outdoor seating at the Yellow Hook Grille.

Inside the Yellow Hook Grille.

TELEVISION: Law & Order Cancelled ?

So it's official after 20 seasons of glorious murder mysteries Law & Order will be cancelled in the Fall. I love this show but it's ok Im sure there will still be endless marathons on USA and TNT for years to come. Lets hope for a spinoff!

CHECK IT: RIP Law & Order

CLOTHES: Sandals for Summer

I am in dyer need of sandals for the summer but have no idea which I should invest my money in. I have been looking for a good pair of huaraches but have had no luck in finding any. Here are a few sandals I would like to have, most which I cannot afford. Please inform me of any affordable cute huaraches you know of.

Plain Black Arizona leather Birks $120

Prada Tobacco $280

Saw these Lanvin on a blog and they're no. 1 on my list, don't even know how much they cost.

Music: Phantogram

Given a 7.4 on Pitchfork, Phantogram is one of my new favorite bands of the year and I will be seeing them at Maxwell's in Hoboken this tuesday. This electronic street beat band duo out of Saratoga Springs, NY is amazing. They describe themselves as a mix of organic and electronic sounds, with swirling guitar, spaced out synths, and chopped up samples and rhythms. I saw them at Great Scott in Boston and they played in front of a huge screen projecting trippy ass scenery. Mouthful of Diamonds is their first single off their LP Eyelid Movies which was released in February and can be found on I-Tunes, but Running From the Cops, You are the Ocean , and As Far As I Can See are three of my favorite tracks.

Food Review: La Pupusa Loca Port Chester, NY

If you're looking for latin food in Westchester County, Port Chester is the place to go. For pupusas, my personal favorite, check out La Pupusa Loca. I ate there yesterday and not only is it cheap but it's good. Only $1.60 per pupusa and they have a cheap lunch buffet on weekdays too.

CHECK IT: La Pupusa Loca

Entertainment: G(Oh) Britney

Looks like Britney has a full time BF now, I guess she's learned the ever so popular lesson of not mixing business with pleasure.

CHECK IT: Britnews

Show Review: SLEIGH BELLS 5.11

The crowd was wild at the sold out album release show of Sleigh Bells at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple in Brooklyn May 11th. Standing in the front row lead to bruises and body aches that still remain, but it was totally worth it. Opening for them were Sundelles and Cults who both brought great performances. I fell in love with Madeline Follin the female vocalist for Cults who was as cute as a button with her mousy voice and long brunette hair, her male counterpart, Brian Oblivion, was quite handsome as well. Both bands have already found their ways into my Ipod.

Sleigh Bells began with a heavy metal intro by guitarist Derek Miller who did the same the past two times I've seen them (Sleigh Bells begins most shows this way). However, once Alexis Krauss (the vocalist) came on, my body was uncomfortably pushed forward onto the stage by the massive crowd (this was expected). As they started playing Tell Em I let go of my pains and immediately started dancing with the rest of the crowd. Beach balls and even inflated dolphins were tossed around the crowd as Alexis danced on stage, crowd surfed, and held my hand several times. I even got mike time along with others. The set list was as follows: Tell Em, Infinity Guitars, A/B MAchines, Kids, Riot Rhythm, Treats, Straight A's, Holly (which sadly didn't make it onto Treats), Crown on the Ground, and Rill Rill.

I have never seen so many photographers at one show before both off and on stage. Despite rumors of M.I.A. attending like their last show at Coco66 no special guest showed up :(. Overall the show was awesome and they finally had merch too. I also suggested to Derek that they stop for a show in New Orleans, turns out that not only are they planning to, but his parents are from the 504!

CHEK IT: Cults on Pitchfork

CHEK IT: Treats on BK Vegan (I'm in half of these pics)

CLOTHES

Look at this amazing color pallet (right) and this gorgeous skirt (below). I love it, do you? I cannot give any credit to the designer of the skirt for they are unknown, well, at least to me. However I deeply enjoy its presence. I have a quilt of the same pattern and plan on making shorts - - yay or nay? The color pallet shown in Alessandro Dell'Acqua's Fall 2010 collection No.21 is to die for, cliche I know, but true. I enjoy the second outfit the most primarily because it can be molded into mens ware. These beautiful ladies hit the runway in Milan back in February. You can expect these colors to trickle-down into a Banana or J.Crew near you I bet.

THE WORLD TODAY 5.14

In the last couple of days it seems packages are the new black. "SUSPICIOUS" packages that is. However, these evacuations in Times Square and todays latest scare in Union Square have been false alarms. I understand the precautions due to the failed bomb attempt in Times Square last week but how many false alarms are to come? If lonely packages had feelings they're having something in common with those "illegal" looking people in Arizona.

CHECK IT: Union Square Scare

CHECK IT: Times Square Investigation

THE WORLD TODAY 5.14

Thanks BP for coating my beautiful coast with grimy black oil. It's headed over and it's all your fault. CNN is saying it's looking like it may be worse then the 1989 Exxon-Valdez incident, and Alaska is still recovering from that. Gee.

(pic courtesy of ABC)

CHEK IT: How Much Oil is it???????