NYC 2012 - The Abridged Version (No, Really)

As promised, here is my NYC recap.  Lotsa pictures.  Less(ish) text.  I tried my best to edit, but there are still a ton of things to see here.  Most of the snaps are from my shopping expeditions, but contextual photos of food, drink, and the sights snuck their way in here to give you the full experience.

Most of my retail energy went into local boutiques and stuff that I can’t find at home or online, or the bricks-and-mortar shops of national brands that have very few physical stores.  And, of course, I had to get back to Uniqlo for their awesome jeans. 

Enjoy…

The bar at Shoyu, at MSP airport.

The crazy corridors of Little Italy.  Kind of like the State Fair on massive East Coast steroids and different accents.

At Zara.

In the Zara dressing room.

Love this.  Assuming it's for heart health.

I want that outfit in the middle, head to toe.

It's Bullseye!  He's defected, heh heh.

I was excited to find the Kooples now has a (limited) US presence.  I still want the trench coat that I spied in their Paris store this Spring.

Bloomie's SoHo

Not your typical Trader Joe's.

I was not allowed to shop for a kitty.  Sigh.

To make up for no real cat, I got these smoking slippers instead.

The NYC "yard sale."

This kid cracked me up.  He was giving decidedly unsolicited business tips to the sales guy.

I think DH was relieved this store was closed by the time we saw it.

Hey, it's shopping, too.

Damn straight!

I like the limited signage.  Possibly a zoning or building-specific ordinance.

Again, no screaming ticky-tacky signs.  Simple and tasteful.

I walked out of here empty-handed this time.  Be very impressed.

Yes, of course we own that rabbit.

Uniqlo.

Does the picture look random and disheveled?  That's how I felt both at Zara and here at Uniqlo.  Long lines, too many clothes, and basically a rushed experience overall.  I didn't see more than half the offerings due to the crowds and my sanity.  Total drive-by shopping.

My husband and I celebrated an anniversary while in NYC.  Cheers!

I spared you all the taxidermy at this lovely lunch spot.  Possibly the best Bloody Mary ever.  And bacon-wrapped prunes.  Score!

I pretty much shopped until we had to catch our return flight.

The view from our friends' new digs.

Well, we broke with tradition this time around.  Not only did we abstain from our usual liquor beverage at the aeropuerto (hey, 10AM flight), but we tried out a new place.  Shoyu not only offers sustenance, but it also has iPads located at every table, picking up on a trend I've seen in other spots.  In fact, you can scroll through the menu and order on the darn Apple product.  A novel and fun way to get your brioche and tomato juice.

My friend Annie, who flew in to meet up with us and our NYC-based pals, has always been my retail partner in crime.  I was so happy that she and I were finally able to shop the Big Apple together.  One of the stores she brought me into was All Saints, a place I’ve kind of passed off as not my style.  For no really good reason.  I was glad we ventured in there, as I realized I do kinda like their stuff, and their store design appealed to the goth-y music lover in me.

I was delighted to find the SoHo Bloomingdale’s.  Carved out of various older buildings, I enjoyed this reinterpretation of a department store.  Well-edited selections got a much warmer backdrop than the typical mall digs of endless floor plates and canned HVAC smell.

On this trip, we finally made it over to Brooklyn – yeah!  We spent a day walking through DUMBO, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, and other neighborhoods.  Plenty of good stuff to be had across the river.  And on our last night, we met our friend K, who'd just relocated from Minneapolis, for drinks and ice cream. 

DH and I both agree we need to make our NYC pilgrimage annually.  The Twin Cities has quite a lot going on for a metro of its size; new places open as quickly as other establishments call it quits.  So you can imagine how insane that rate multiplies in a huge-opolis like New York.  Plus, well, it's flippin' New York.  We visited a few of last year's haunts and were introduced to many new finds thanks to our friends L & S, who now live in a sweet apartment with fabulous views of Wall Street (and from whose balcony my closing image was snapped).

Overall, a very successful trip.  Unlike the last one, I didn't almost kill myself.  I know, hard to tell from the sheer amount of pictures crammed into this post.  We struck a nice balance of eating, drinking, shopping, seeing friends, and just meandering all over the place.  These images only show part of all we absorbed.  I've got a belly full of good food and drink, a transit pass with $7 on it, and a tall shopping bag stuffed with great purchases to tide me over til next year's visit.  

See you next summer, NYC.  I've still got unfinished biz with you...





All images:  my own

Empire State of Shopping

Hello!

I've just returned from an extended vacay in NYC, so it's been all quiet on the Midwestern front since my "milestone" post.  Hard to believe that just 24 hours ago, I was standing on the outside deck of the Empire State Building, taking in the incredible vista and trying not to let my iPhone slip out of my hands 86 stories up in the air.

Like last year, my husband and I had a (bleeping) fabulous time visiting friends and checking out new places to eat, drink, and - of course - shop.  This visit included Brooklyn and Greenwich Village, which was great.  We spent plenty of time in the usual LES/SoHo haunts, too.

I still need to upload pictures and fully download all we did.  My NYC post will not repeat the 5-entry extravaganza that put some of you (and even me) in a word coma.  Instead, it'll be a nice summary of photos and maybe some text.  After all, pictures do speak a thousand words, and sometimes it's hard to verbalize the feelings of being in a different place, especially when it's as massive (in size, experience, and offerings) as NYC.

More to come soon.  Til then, enjoy this snap from yesterday's tourist stop, and if you have a favorite shop, restaurant, or bar in the Big Apple, do share!  Maybe we ended up at the same place :)

The Milestone Post

Today’s post is kind of a BFD.  At least for me.  It touches on three pretty important things.

B = Birthday of Missoni for Target madness (aka, anniversary, but that doesn't start with "B")
F = Fashion’s Night Out recap (aka, the event I survived but my skirt did not)
D = ¡Dos años de mi blog! (aka, two years of my blog!)

That’s a lot of stuff, right?  Yep.  Which also means this will be a pretty long post.  But, I promise lots of pictures of all sorts of lovely things.  So grab your caffeinated drink and read on...

It's hard to believe it's been a full 365 days since Target unleashed what would become the mother of all collaborations, along with the hype, fury, and completely ridiculous behavior which ensued when supply could not keep up with demand.  I won't rehash in this post, but you can read my musings from last year here.  You'd think that all these months later, I and my Missoni-crazy friends would have forgotten about that event.  But let me tell you, we so have not let it go.  Recently, a few pals re-posted pics of the very first days, including photos of staged Target displays.  We drooled.  We sighed.  And we smiled at the friendships formed in a group whose sole existence was supposed to be trading Missoni items found at each other's stores.  I totally am guilty of going into MfT overkill, but there is still one item that eludes me.  This:

Big sigh.  And a couple utterings of "Curses!"  Ah well.  Maybe one day...  If you happen to know of one for sale, for the love of all things chevron-patterned, tell me!

Naturally, I’m celebrating this anniversary by ordering yet another load of Target offerings.  This time, instead of a massive zigzag campaign, they’ve released a smaller animal known as the Shops at Target 2.  They’ve joined with four designers, including a first-time men’s only collection, for apparel and home.  Like with every collab, I ordered a few things during the first go-round, telling myself it wasn't as good as Missoni and “meh”-ing most of the selections.  However, after seeing friends posting pics and praising certain finds, I ended up returning to the scene and committing more retail crime.  Hey, it’s legal, so it can’t be that bad. 

Patch NYC got the most love from my wallet, although I would like to point out that most of it will be Christmas presents (yeah, right, this is what I said with Missoni).  Here are a few things I got:

Most of the Kirna Zabete clothes and accessories did not appeal to me, but I did gravitate towards this tuxedo blazer: 

Since it’s still in the mail somewhere, I can’t report on fit or general approval.

Odin, catering to the dudes, didn’t exactly have much for the gals.  As for the men in my life?  My dad, brother, and husband are still digging out of all the Missoni I heaped on them last December.  But I ended up buying this candle and scarf:

Lastly, the Curiosity Shoppe… well, it didn’t pique my curiosity very much.  But, like the nutcase I am who felt I had to get something from each group, I found this cutting board kinda fun:

I’m sure you’re thinking, “You bought all of that after imbibing in Fashion’s Night Out?”  Guess what?  I made it out of the fashionista evening with a pair of $15 vanity glasses (I’m hoping I can get my prescriptive lenses fitted inside), a cashmere sweater on sale for $45 in the loveliest burnt orange color, and a couple lipsticks that are richly hued and cruelty-free.  And that’s it.  I swear!  While I didn’t splurge on purchases, I thoroughly enjoyed my night out.  The Twin Cities offered a number of participating retailers, but in the interest of time, sanity, and kindness to my feet (even sporting fairly comfy heels), I pared my visit to 3 stores.  I chose carefully:  Neiman Marcus because it’s pretty and posh, and also ‘cuz it’s closing soon; LD Blues, which is the newest branch of the Len Druskin empire, mostly due to the fact that my favorite denim guru, Nick, would be there; and June, a resale shop that specializes in luxury goods.  With my friend Amy in tow, we headed to Neiman’s first.

My general impression of the very upscale department store’s shindig was this: fairly empty (like the photo above) except for the floor where the fashion show was underway:

Since we were late, a well-dressed crowd had already congregated around the show, preventing us from seeing whatever was being paraded down a small catwalk.  Amy and I gave up and went back downstairs to admire fancy shoes and a few other things before leaving.  One plus was the presence of talented local designer Amanda Christine, whose lovely clothes I’ve seen at a couple local fashion shows before.  She was wearing a great dress that I’m still thinking about.  I hope she got some well-deserved interest from event-goers.  Here she is, looking gorgeous in her own label:

LD Blues was just a short walk from Neiman’s.  As I mentioned, it’s the newest off-shoot from Len Druskin, who has a small army of specialty boutiques around town (including four within a few blocks of each other, each carrying different things).  This particular location stocks denim and casual wear, as well as accessories.  I decided this was not a great night for trying on pants, but I wanted to check out the new spot and see Nick, who typically works at the Edina Galleria location.  OK, Nick rocks, by the way.  He will tell you, honestly, if those bootcuts look good.  He also won’t hesitate to inform you that those orange jeggings are a no-go.  I appreciate that he doesn’t push, and he’s just so nice.  My other fashion pals swear by him as well.  Here’s a few pics of stop number two:

Me and Nick

After LD, my friend bailed thanks to a killer migraine (she gets major points for sticking it out this far).  I headed south to the Lyn-Lake/Uptown ‘hood to make my final stop at June.  This, my friends, is where I scored those amazing Louboutins that I blogged about here.  If you want to browse racks of discounted Prada and Chanel, and ogle neatly lined rows of Jimmy Choos, Cole Haans, and other fabulous footwear, this is THE place.  Man, I kind of hate even sharing my secret, but it’s one worth shining a little chandelier’s light upon.  Owned by Daune Stinson, this boutique accepts previously-owned covetables, which are carefully inspected and approved before making it to the racks.  Most everything is very gently worn or even brand new (the latter being my dear pumps).

Upon my arrival, the party was going strong.  I stepped into a crowded room full of shoppers and merchants, as Daune was hosting two other small businesses.  One of which was the Elixery, a cosmetics company founded on old-school craft, who was selling the lipsticks I mentioned above.  While I browsed all the goodies and tried on various colors, I ran into Ini, whom I've previously declared to be the most fashionable guy I know and the owner of the late (and much beloved) Ivy boutique.  Situated so close to my home it was a little evil, I couldn’t help but walk out of Ivy with something gorgeous whenever I just dropped in (seriously, his boutique was between the bus and my house).  Ini carried many emerging, cutting-edge brands which I’d read about, oh, five months later in style mags.  He's also a sweet guy, and I can’t wait to see what his next endeavor will be.  Some photos from June:

Wall of shoes!  Oh, how I want a wall of shoes, too...

The Elixery ladies

I love all the warm colors in this photo (head included for Elly, she'll understand my cryptic addition).

Ini and Daune.  Lovin' their style.

By the time I left June, they were ready to call it a night.  I switched into my Skechers and enjoyed a 2-mile walk back home through Uptown and felt extremely lucky to live in a neighborhood that teems with all sorts of businesses.  I am also grateful to have gotten to know a few of the taste-makers around the cities.  As a fashion-addict, it’s grand to find places to buy great things, but it’s even more valuable to build relationships with the shop owners and salespeople.  Makes for a good community, right?

Still with me?  I hope so!  Need a refill on that Diet Coke (or sidecar)?  I'll wait...

Last, but not least, this is my 100^th blog post!  Crazy!  Not only that, but I’m pretty close to my second anniversary of having started this little creation.  I still find it immensely enjoyable to write, and I hope you come away from reading it with a smile or laugh.  Even better, maybe I’ve turned you on to a new designer, store, or trend.  I know I always ask for comments, whether it’s sharing what you love about fashion and shopping, or maybe adding your 2 cents to topics I bring up.  Please don’t be shy – I really love the feedback and it feels more like a conversation than me just blathering to you all.  As I head into my third year of Mir Gefaellt Es, feel free to suggest a theme or two that you’d like me to cover – color trends?  More bad fashion choices?  More of my "retro" collection, including those J. Crew catalogs from 1993?  (Note:  the Crewster itself has started pulling from its own archives).  Perhaps you remember these:

So, a big Muchas Gracias/Vielen Dank/Merci Beaucoup for not just sticking with me through my long (but picturesque) post, but I also want to extend great thanks for following my blog.  Sure, it's a great way to document all the things I see/like/have gotta tell someone about; and it's a nice vehicle for developing my writing skills (a good change from the dorky stories I wrote as an eighth-grader, and it definitely beats 20-page papers on architectural theory by many red heels).  But my biggest hope is for my ramblings to help you discover something new, perhaps resulting in an item you'll want to have for your very own self.  Because, as my friends can attest, besides being a huge shopper, I make an excellent enabler.  So I hope I've been able to, er, persuade you to add to your collection, whether it be a few edited pieces or a whole mountain of Missoni :)

Cheers!
Maggie





Images:
Missoni for Target / Shops at Target merchandise - target.com
Fashion's Night Out images - my own

Thanks to Neiman Marcus, Amanda Christine, LD Blues, Nick, June, Daune, Ini, and all the other retailers and designers for contributing to the fashion scene here in the TC!

If Only...

There are a number of occasions when I wish like hell that I lived in New York City.  That feeling will significantly intensify tomorrow.  Why?  Because it's Fashion's Night Out!  What's that, you ask?  Click here and be enlightened.

While many cities in various countries will be participating, it just feels like if you're gonna do it right, you've gotta be in the NYC.  The fact that my favorite stores like Theory and Trina Turk have been mailing me invites to stop by their Manhattan flagship celebrations only makes me grit my teeth all the more and conduct an impulsive online search for Lower East Side residential shoeboxes.  Here are a couple of the Facebook announcements that incited said gnashing of chompers:

Sigh...

To console myself with not partaking in the East Coast shindigs, I'll be hitting the events back here in Minneapolis.  I'm definitely stopping by the Neiman Marcus party, considering it will be shuttered by this time next year.  There are other places both downtown and in nearby areas to check out as well, including part of the Len Druskin empire, the Galleria in Edina, and some local boutiques like martinpatrick3 and June.  Here's the NM e-flyer:

All the fab fashion I can handle?  Sounds like a challenge I'm willing to take on.  Additionally, I'll be toting my camera, so you can look forward to snaps from FNO:  The Minnesota Version, next week.

Will you be joining in this annual night of style?  Somewhere here in the USA or abroad (I'm already super jealous of Radley London's Spot the Scottie promo going on across the pond)?  Got an awesome outfit you're ready to rock, regardless of any local FNO events? Would love to hear it - hey, you don't need an organized soirée to break out a Fashion Week-worthy ensemble.  And you've gotta tell me if you plan to hit the stores.  Especially if you'll be in the Mini-Apple.  Or the big one!



Images:
#1 - my own
#2 - Theory via Facebook
#3 - Vince via Facbook
#4 - Neiman Marcus via Facebook

To check out my nutso day of shopping in NYC last summer, amble over here.

I R Famus! AKA, the LOLCats Take Over MPLS

August turned out to be quite a busy month.  Between birthdays, fall fashion bonanzas, and the typical stuff we all try to cram in as Autumn approaches, there's not a lot of downtime to be had.  And I'm not even counting the Minnesota State Fair this year, because I'm about 99% sure I won't make it to that annual ritual of fried food on a stick, insane people-watching, and livestock displays.

However, I was purrfectly happy to close out the summer months with quite a different event.  As in the first (but probably not last) Internet Cat Video Film Fest.  After all, what’s better than watching the plethora of cat videos you've already peeped a hundred times from the secrecy of your laptop?  Why, LOL-ing at them on the big screen.  With 10,000 of your closest feline-lovin’ friends.  Yes, we can haz film fest!  Cheezburger, no, is not importanz.

What started as a seemingly hairballed idea quickly grew to become an international sensation, with media coverage from bigwigs like the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and even the BBC.  Hosted by the Walker Art Center and its Open Field program, a massive sea of cat video adorers filled the hillside next to the art museum to witness epic-sized mewling, jumping, barking, and self-reflection.  Sometimes cute and cuddly, sometimes cat-astrophic, and almost always funny, we enjoyed the big screen antics with a lovely Minneapolis twilight serving as our backdrop.

Here are some photos I snapped from the evening:

After a quick dinner and drink, we crossed the bridge that spans I-94 to get to the Walker, which you can see popping up to the right of the traffic.

The event planners expected about 5,000 people to show up and got closer to double that number.  It made for a very cozy night.  And yes, there were cats (and dogs) in attendance.

Waiting for the LOL-ing to begin...

 A glance back at the museum, rising up from the crowds.

Introducing the fest...

Sorry I don't have better images...

We laughed.  We cried.  And I can tell you it was better than Cats (the musical).  Who needs Mr. Mistoffelees when you can watch Maru propel himself through box after empty box.  I need to watch these videos again.  Right meow.  

Are you a fan of those LOL Cats?  What do you think of the whole phenomena?  Were you one of my fellow festival attendees?  If so, what was your favorite clip from the parade of kitties?  I liked 4-5 of them especially, including the random Boots & Cats, the creepy yet awesome Kitty City, and of course, Maru.  I'll close out today's post with another new fave - Cat vs. Metronome.  As someone who all too well remembers practicing my Mozart or études with one of those contraptions snapping at me, I enjoyed the outcome as much as that cat.  Go ahead and click on the Walker Art Center's image below and it'll take you to the vid.  

Still want to know more about this ridiculously successful event?  Click on the screenshot of the Walker's homepage (taken the day of the fest and apparently taken over by kittehz):

OK.  I R tiredz.  Too maneh laffs.  Needz nap.  And mehbeh drink.

Images: my own, except the last two (credited above)

The September Stack

Yep, I made it.  I'm still alive and officially "over the hill."  Eh.  Feels the same as a week ago.

I've spent the last week recovering from multiple days of birthday fun, thanks to DH.  And, as I had hoped, that weekend was filled with great friends, good food, and - of course - bourbon.  I did leave the fancy shoes at home, though.

Luckily, my R&R period coincided nicely with the release of several September issues from various magazines.  Here are the ones I picked up:

Hefty enough to replace my free weights and thicker than a pile of term paper resources, I'm still leafing through each issue.  Not one to read straight from cover to cover, instead I enjoy bouncing between magazines and randomly turning to a page.  I'm probably only a quarter of a way through the stack, but the images don't disappoint.

So far, I'm delighting in the return of red (oxblood and burgundy being the popular picks), those baby blue pointe shoes in the Gap ads, black leather in classic cuts, the newest Nick Cave creations, and those McQueen visors (think I'd turn any heads wearing those to work?).  Gwen Stefani graces Harper's cover, and I have always admired her style, so it's been fun to read about her as well.  And, Lucky about killed me with this:

As if I needed any more kindling for the cloffice bonfire I'm slowly building on Pinterest!

What has caught your eye so far in the overwhelming sea of stylized ads, clothes, and accessories?  Did I miss a vital mag (I don't need advice on dating, how to lose weight in 2 days, or what men really want, thanks, so we can skip those types)?

I'd love to hear which skirts, satchels, boots, celebrity shots, or articles earned an earmark from you...





Images:
#1 - my own
#2 - my own snap of Lucky Magazine's photo

Cinderella (Wo)man

So.  I've got a birthday coming up.  A big one.  One that sort of makes you reflect on where you are in life and where you'd like to go.  My friends have asked how I plan to celebrate, and I've replied my husband is in charge of that :)  Then they ask if I'm going to treat myself to something special.  Kind of a no-brainer, isn't it?

Birthdays are the perfect excuse to say, "Oh, I've wanted that forever.  Ta-da!  Mine!" And I usually find something nice to ring in another year closer to wrinkles, an AARP membership, and the realization that calling someone a cougar is now glass houses (age-wise, not in terms of habits, I swear).  However, I don't recall having ever splurged on a luxury item to mark the occasion.

Til this year.  But like I said, it's a big ol' birthday, so I might as well kick things up a notch (to match my cholesterol count).  I happened upon my present-to-self by accident.  One of the local resale boutiques posted a picture of some fabulous shoes online.  And I mean fab.  So I called and asked if they were still available.  The lady said yes and then explained the reason they hadn't sold immediately was due to how narrow they ran.  Many potential buyers had tried to cram their feet into the so-called glass slippers, but alas, no one had lucked out yet.  Honestly, they were a half-size larger than I usually wear, and in my old age, I swear my feet have shrunk half an inch in length.  Like my overall height, dammit.

Anyway, I figured I'd stop by and give the gorgeous shoes a shot.  And guess what...

Yeah.  They kinda fit.  The saleslady was amazed.  I was amazed.  And I did the math:  random Facebook sighting + new shoes, never worn, turned in because first buyer gave up on narrowness + OMG they fit = meant to be!  Actually, I walked away from them the first time I tried them on (chanting to myself, "I do not need a pair of shoes, I do not need a pair of...").  When I called back 3 days later to learn they were still there, sad and still waiting for a good home (obviously I've read Corduroy way too many times)...  done deal.

Were they cheap?  Define cheap.  Were they cheaper than retail?  Yes, by a decent amount.  Besides a few scuffs on the soles (from the aforementioned other ladies), the shoes are in pristine condition.  The resale boutique is fairly strict in what it will take, so I basically scored new shoes for half the price.  Happy birthday to me!  My husband was with me when I first tried them on and about gagged when he spied the discounted price.  My girlfriends, of course, had a completely different reaction.  Need a closer look to understand why?

Mais oui!  Funny that I had stopped in their store in Vegas this Spring and snapped a photo of their Paris boutique a few months ago:

I certainly didn't foresee owning such an iconic pair.  But, well, now I do.  Thanks to my bird feet that fit the slippers.  And I have to say, I do feel like Cinderella.  It's rare that I get personal (and mushy) on here, but as an adoptee given an amazing second chance at life by a loving family, I've been extremely lucky.  I'm grateful for all that I have.  Shopping and having stuff is a very fortunate position to be in, but my family, husband, friends, health, and all the fun/quirky/dorky interests that I love are so much more important.  Each passing year only reinforces the feeling of gratitude.

How have you celebrated a milestone birthday?  Did you buy something super nice?  Or was spending the day with your family and friends luxury enough?  Or, like me, are you indulging in both?  If my big day includes great people, my new shoes, good food, and some bourbon, I'm a happy old lady.

See you on the other side of the hill :)
Maggie


P.S.  While I don't have a fairy godmother per se, I do have an earthly one, and I was excited to see her last weekend, for the first time in close to 15 years.  She's a native Norwegian and funnier than heck - lucky to have her, too.