A Friend says Goodbye to NYC during the pandemic

COVID-19 has infected and affected so many lives in ways that make my head spin when I think about it. It is not lost on me how blessed I am that my family, friends and I are healthy and that I have a job. I know that so many are not as lucky.

The virus resulted in a chain of events that ultimately led to my friend’s decision to move back to California. I am always sad when close friends move away, but this one, in particular, felt so unfair. But, I know she is making the best decision for herself.

I really wanted to do something unique and uplifting during our last hangout. I came across these Instagram photos taken in Gowanus, an industrial part of Brooklyn and thought it would be perfect if we created our own version of this woven tape street art.

I picked up some bright orange flagging tape and headed to Gowanus early Memorial Day morning. After combing the streets to find the perfect spot, we settled on this fence covered with lush late-spring foliage on Douglas Street, across the public swimming pool. I had asked Wendy to think of a word or short phrase she wanted to weave and she did not disappoint with several great options, including ‘take risks,’ ‘trust the journey,’ and ‘reset, rethink, release.’

Both of us were nervous that a passerby would tell us to stop or, worse yet, call the cops. But, luckily the street was quiet with just a handful of few pedestrians. One guy even loitered across the street, curious to see what we were doing.

Any guesses on what we spelled out?

I simply love how this turned out. ‘Embrace change’ feels especially befitting in this moment when so many of us are feeling so uncertain. The motto reminds me of one of my favorites by Bruce Lee – ‘be like water.’ The only sure thing in life is change and sometimes we should not resist it, but lean into the sometimes uncomfortable and scary feelings that come with change knowing that on the other side we will be better for it.

I truly believe that sometimes we are forced to move on from a place, a job, a bad relationship, or a situation to make room for something greater. And, there are great things in store for you, Wendy. When I found out that we had a shared love for Oprah and Flamin Hot Cheetos a few years ago, I knew I wanted to be friends with you and I feel so blessed to call you one. I will miss your company and spirit, I wish upon you all good things in California as you recharge and begin a new chapter in your life. ♥

Hand-Sewn Face Mask

Russian Dolls Inspired by Stranger Things' Eleven

Last year, I had so much fun painting this birthday card for my friend Wendy. This time around, I decided to make her a set of Russian dolls in outfits worn by Eleven in the Netflix show Stranger Things. And as an extra surprise, I added an inspirational quote from the show for Wendy to find as she opened each layer. I think they turned out so cute!

Tiffany & Co. Pouch Halloween Costume

I would say that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Throughout the year, I will be sporadically inspired by something that could be the perfect Halloween costume. And as the holiday gets closer, my creative juices really start flowing as I hone in on the one idea that feels uniquely me.

It is an exhilarating feeling trying to figure out how to take a thought in my head and bring it to life as a wearable object. Over the years, I have been a Facebook Fairy, a Harajuku Baby Doll and more recently Bruno Mars, each I remember my boyfriend being confused by the concept, but impressed by the outcome.

Well, this year my inspiration came early. At the Met’s Camp exhibit over the summer, I was completely smittened by a Vaquera outfit in the shape of a Tiffany & Co. pouch. I remember thinking it would be really fun to make my own version.

Sketch it out – initial drawings of the Tiffany & Co. pouch, which I will say are pretty close to what I made.

Looking for the perfect shade of blue

I visited a couple fabric stores in New York’s Garment District in search of fabric in the iconic Tiffany blue color. I was surprised to realize that the blue is more of a turquoise blue. I wanted to a fabric that would not wrinkle easily, have some structure, but still flowy – I found exactly that with a neoprene fabric in the perfect shade.

Same same, but different. For yarn, I went to Michael’s. You should have seen me at the store for a good hour trying to pick which one would most compliment the fabric I bought. The yarn colors did not match exactly so I would go back and forth, trying to figure out if it would be better if the yarn was darker or lighter than the fabric.

Once I got all the materials, I could start crafting. I cut two mirrored pieces for the pouch and pinned them together.

Make it work!

Because I do not have a sewing machine nor do I have space for one in my tiny Brooklyn apartment, I had no choice but to hand sew everything.

At times I was cursing because a 5 minute sewing machine job was becoming a 2 hour hand sewing job, but I just loved knowing that with each stitch I was getting closer to what I was imagining in my head. I think that is a important lesson for life – that small steps may feel insignificant but as they add up you are moving closer to the thing you want to achieve. So little by little just keep moving forward.

Next, the elastic band to create the gathered look when the ropes are pulled. I measured the appropriate length around my upper chest area and sewed both ends of the elastic band together. Note to self: make the band a bit tighter than you think is necessary. I almost boob-flashed everyone when my pouch nearly slipped off while dancing. ECK!

Another “make it work” part. I realized the elastic band would need to be stretched in order to properly sew onto the fabric. I had to get creative and figure out what I could use to keep the band tout and spotted my garden stool. Yes, it looks a little strange, but it worked out perfectly.

I thought a lot about the wording that would go on the pouch. The obvious choice was the Tiffany logo but I wanted to do something unexpected. I toyed with options like ‘Shine Bright & Co’ and ‘Rosie & Co.’

While brainstorming, I saw that Tiffany was in hot waters for an image of model FeiFei Sun that I believe the company was wrongly called out for. Then, the word ‘freedom’ came to mind. With all the shit going on in the world, in our communities and at our borders, it felt like the right word: freedom of expression, of the press, of religion, of a fair election/trial, of going to places without getting hurt or killed, freedom of just being your authentic self without judgment.⁣

OrGANIZED CHAOS

Using a printed guide, I cut felt into the shape of each letter, ampersand and period. Oh, how tedious this was.

I lined the edges with some fabric glue to prevent the letters from fraying. Once I was happy with the placement of the letters on the pouch, I secured them, making sure the glue did not peek out from the edges.

I have a distinct childhood memory of me trying to braid two strands of hair and feeling disappointed when the twist became undone because I did not have the proper technique. Thanks to my always handy YouTube I figured out how to make a yarn rope, the key being that you have to twist each strand in the same direction before you start twisting them over each other. I made two ropes and knotted them on both ends.

Snip Snip SNIP

After looping the ropes through the arm holes, I trimmed the ends so that they looked even and clean.

The finishing touches were my hairdo inspired by the glamorous fashion of the 1950s and Midge Maisel from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, some bling bling earrings, and a white bow as a nod to the iconic Tiffany gift box.

My costume came out even better than I could have hoped for. So simple, so charming, so me. Teehee – I wish I could wear it everyday. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, making a Halloween costume is such a creative outlet for me that allows me to be my most authentic self as a creative. This project did just that. Happy creating!

Wooden Memory Game inspired by Hong Kong

When I heard that my dear friend Kylie was pregnant, I immediately began to brainstorm baby gifts ideas. As I toyed with different things to make, Hong Kong kept coming back to me as my subject matter. It is where Kylie and I met and Kylie’s birthplace. I eventually decided to create a set of memory game pieces featuring icons that celebrate the city that Kylie loves so dearly.

This felt like the right gift as it is something that hopefully Kylie’s son can play with many times over. Over the past few of years I have made an effort to buy less things and surround myself with items that spark joy. That thought process has trickled its way into my creating – I try to make things that are thoughtfully made and that will be really loved and appreciated by the recipient.

So, I began by figuring out what icons to illustrate – a nice balance of things that would resonate with a tourist and others that only someone who lived in Hong Kong for awhile would know. It was hard narrower down from so many options, but I eventually settled on twelve motifs.

I tried to draw directly on the round wooden tiles I got from Woodpeckers Crafts, but the drawings were not to my liking. I remembered a technique I learned as a kid that would hopefully make things a lot easier. On one side of a piece of tracing paper, I drew an icon and on the other side I heavy-handedly scribbled with a pencil over the drawn icon area.

I then flipped the tracing paper so that the drawing was facing up again and centered over a wooden tile. As I retraced the icon, my pencil’s pressure left an impression of the icon on the wood from the transfer of graphite on the underside. This technique sped up the drawing process and ensured that the icon was centered on each piece and that each pair looked the same.

Once all the drawings were done, I moved onto painting each piece using acrylic paint. It was much more tedious then I thought it would be as the illustrations were pretty small and detailed. Even as my hand and neck started to hurt over the couple weeks I was hunched over painting, it was so exhilarating and rewarding to see each piece come to live in color. It also gave me the time to think back on old memories during my time in Hong Kong, from taking the 101 or 104 bus home with Kylie to our many conversations at our old office on Mody Road.

Taxi

Tram

Red, White, and Blue Nylon Canvas

Vintage Mailbox

Yum Cha (Dim Sum)

Wet Market Red Lampshade

Hot Milk Tea

Vita Drink Lemon Tea

Street Name of Our Old Office

Kylie's Wedding Date on Calendar

Bauhinia, Flower of Hong Kong

"Hong Kong" Neon Sign

The set of memory game pieces came out even cuter than I could have hoped for. Kylie, I hope your son loves playing with these and may they serve as a storytelling tool and conversation starter for teaching him about all the things you love about your birthplace.