The Countdown: Barcelona Edition

At one point I was in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend. For over a year and a half I created a new life here in Hong Kong while JB continued his in San Francisco where I left for an amazing job opportunity. Whenever I mentioned that I was in long-distance relationship, people would say, "Ah, that must be really difficult - most couple I know eventually broke up."

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

I was determined to make this relationship work and in an age where we have email, Skype, Whatsapp, FaceTime (need I go on) I felt there was no excuse why a long distance relationship could not work. Don't get me wrong - there were many moments of weakness but it was not like I had to a mail a letter that would take months to be sent overseas, agonizing the day I would receive one in exchange and fearing my own letter would be lost. Anyways, from this distance was born something called "The Countdown." We would see each other three to four times a year, each time marked with the commencement of a roughly weeklong themed-email exchange to "countdown" the days until we would see each other.

For our first countdown we exchanged pictures we found online that included the number of days left. Simple enough.

For another we shared pictures of things quintessentially Hong Kong from thirteen black sesame dumplings to eight bags of goldfishes that you can see at the Mong Kok Fish Market. Again, the number of things in the photo had to correspond to the number of days left.

We tried to get a bit more creative and did a music-themed countdown, sharing a song that containing the number of days left. It was a great way to discover new music and to listen to a few classic oldies. How can you not love Craig David's 7 days?

Her Playlist

Day 11: Bears - Eleven a.m.
Day 10: The Beautiful Girls - 10:10
Day 9: Sonny Boy Williamson - Nine Below Zero
Day 8: Rufus Wainwright - Dinner at Eight
Day 7: Norah Jones - Seven Years
Day 6: Of Monsters & Men - Six Weeks
Day 5: Asura - Take 5 (ft. Dave Brubeck Quartet)
Day 4: Mary Chapin Carpenter - 4 Tiananmen June 1989
Day 3: Elliott Smith - No Name #3
Day 2: Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
Day 1: Amerie - 1 Thing

His Playlist

Day 11: U2 - 11 O'Clock Tick Tock
Day 10: The Black Keys - Ten Cent Pistol
Day 9: The Temptations - Cloud Nine
Day 8: R.E.M. - Driver 8
Day 7: Craig David - 7 Days
Day 6: The Wallflower - 6th Ave Heartache
Day 5: Luniz - I got 5 on it
Day 4: David Cook - 4 Letter Word
Day 3: Matchbox Twenty - 3am
Day 2: Will Smith - Just the two of us
Day 1: Ne Yo - One in a million

And my personal favorite - a photo a day of the cutest puppies one can find. I desperately want to get a puppy so this was the closest to the real thing without assuming all the responsibilities that come with having an animal. There was a whole lot of "Awwwww!" and “So cute!” going on for this edition.

Now that JB and I are together in Hong Kong there are not that many opportunities to do these countdowns. When I found out that he would be going to Barcelona for a week I jumped at the chance to revive this tradition. I happened to be browsing on an interesting site called Forty Days of Dating and was immediately struck by this visual. "Connect-the-dots" is something I am pretty sure everyone has done once in her/his life - to me it is extremely nostalgic and beautiful in that as you connect each dot you are in essence becoming the artist.

Inspired by this, I created seven connect-the-dot cards for JB to take on his seven-day trip, each with something iconic to Barcelona or Spain. And to ensure that he was not just drinking and partying and did in fact do some sightseeing and cultural activities, he was also asked to identify each image.

Day 7: Sagrada Familia

Day 6: Salvador Dalí

Day 5: Torre Agbar

Day 4: Paella

Day 3: Casa Milà

Day 2: FC Barcelona

Day 1: Casa Batlló

Tea Forté for J.Crew

I have a little bit of a girl crush on Jenna Lyons, the creative genius behind the American brand J.Crew. I first was captivated by her personal story of growing up as an awkward kid with a severe skin condition and then climbing the ladders at J.Crew, where now she basically oversees everything. And how can you NOT love her signature mix-and-match style?

“I’m not one of the cool kids, and that is totally fine.”

— Jenna Lyons

Luckily my bank account is not completely depleted because it is a bit harder to get my hands on a cashmere cardigan or a pair of 3" chino shorts here in Hong Kong. So I always make it a point to ship a mountain of goodies (of course using my 40% off promo code) to my parents' house in San Francisco where I usually go back to twice a year.

"Are you really here to visit us or to pick up your clothes?" my mom will ask when I visit.

Anyways, ENOUGH drooling. The catalyst for this design project was what Jenna once said when asked why J.Crew carries non-J.Crew brands in its stores:

"It goes back to editing, and also appreciation of quality. The Red Wing boot—they do it well, they do it in America. Why try and re-create it? Some things are amazing the way they are. Alden shoes, Sperry Top-Siders. We love that you’re buying our Ludlow suit, but we want you to have the option of the best possible shoe out there. They come with tons of history and brand integrity that we might not be able to offer in shoes."

It's so true. As the old saying goes, don't reinvent the wheel. I think it's absolutely wonderful that J.Crew as well as other retailers including H&M, Target, and Gap are collaborating with brands and designers giving costumers the unique opportunity to discover new products and/or own one-of-a-kind pieces that merge the personalities of J.Crew and whatever brand it is partnering with.

The Cambridge Satchel Co.

Lulu Frost

Corgi

The Laundress New York

"Shiny Ponies"

Then I saw this this video that J.Crew put out in early 2013 showcasing its Italian-made shoe collection. I was left with two conclusions:

1. I should not feel guilty for having far too many pairs shoes, a few that I also still have not worn.

2. I have the perfect but an unexpected collaboration idea that would showcase these colorful heels in a 'drinkable' way.

The Idea:
What about a Tea Forté x J.Crew crossover?!

In case you do not know, Tea Forté is an American tea company that was founded by American product designer Peter Hewitt. The company's mission, with its beautifully designed tall, square pyramid infusers, is to "elevate a cup of tea into an extraordinary experience for all of your senses." So when I was having myself a cup of this tea, it dawned on me that a Tea Forté drinker could definitely own a pair of J.Crew heels. This woman would appreciate the finer things in life and would take the time to have a cup of tea in her prettiest tea cup, accompanied by maybe a warm scone slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream and would not mind spending a bit extra for a finely crafted pump from Italy. Have a beverage brand crossover may seem like a bit of a stretch but the idea was begging to be designed.

So I painfully narrowed down to five of my favorite pairs of shoes from the collection and worked away to what you see below. I will have to say the final outcome is quite charming and perhaps too adorable to drink.

Too adorable to drink!