Origami Friends Overlooking 27th Avenue

Last month my boyfriend and I ventured from Boston to NYC for the annual OrigamiUSA convention.  While he was off doing his thang I stayed in our room working, or went wandering around the city.  At the end of each day, after he'd finished the workshops for the day,  my boyfriend would present me with a pile of all the new origami models he learned that day.  While I myself am not as obsessed with origami like he is, I absolutely adore looking at the models once he's completed them.  Below are a few photos of the origami he made during this year's convention that were photographed in our dorm room at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) - our sparse, albeit super convenient, accommodations during the trip.

 Frawg!

My favorite model he learned at this year's convention, a Nazgûl!

 Japanese crane.

 

 The cute lil' mouse is just trying to peer out. :)

This whale did not want to sit all happy-like on the window sill like the others...

Our apartment is overflowing with origami.  Stuffed into drawers, covering bookcases,  hiding under tables...origami can be found all over the place, especially when Catty gets his paws on it.  I wish we had an awesome/easy/cheap way to display it all.

NYC: Origami Convention 2011

Giant T-Rex made out of paper.

As my boyfriend is hardcore into origami, we've started going to the OrigamiUSA convention in New York City every June. Held at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology), this year we were able to stay at the college dorms right across the street.  While this meant that we had to use a public bathroom and supply our own linens (I simply wore all my clothes to bed), it also meant that we didn't have to use the subway to get from an affordable hotel to the convention.  (I would rate the NYC subway a 8-9 out of 10 on the "How filthy is this subway?" scale.)

I lived at home during college, so this was my first experience in a dorm.

While my better half was across the street from the dorms folding paper and taking classes to learn new origami models, I was siting at my little dorm room desk, working on some Of The Fountain tasks.

 I stamped out a bunch of Of The Fountain wrapping paper using my hand carved stamp. :)

I brought a batch of tags (that I had stamped at home right before we left) to be dyed.

When I wasn't cutting a crapload of suede lace (to be tied on the long train ride home), I was wandering around the city.  I had just learned that there was an Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met and I absolutely HAD to go!  While in college I did a Specialty Design project where I designed a high end boutique for Alexander McQueen that including building a massive 3D model. It was a lot of fun and my parents were really supportive.  While no one in my family really gives a crap about fashion, we all care/cared about Alexander McQueen because of all the research I had to do for the project and my parents' involvement in my project. So! I jumped in a cab all by myself, waited in line for over an hour at the Met (after I had bought my ticket), and then finally saw the exhibit. I was blown away.  Oddly, I was moved to tears. It was worth the wait and I'd definitely go again given the chance. Sadly, I couldn't take pictures in the exhibit. :(

1/10th of the line to see the A. McQueen exhibit at the Met.

I did, however, buy the coffee table book that had photos of all the pieces in the exhibit.  Below are a few of my favorites.

 Dress, Widows of Culloden, autumn/winter 2006-7. Black silk.

 Ensemble, The Girl Who Lived in The Tree, autumn/winter 2008-9. Dress of ivory silk tulle embroidered with red glass beads; bolero of red silk.

 Dress, Widows of Culloden, autumn/winter 2006-7. Cream silk and lace with resin antlers.

I loved this dress so much I got myself a little magnet that I have since stuck on my fridge.

One of the best parts of the trip was being able to see this every time I went outside:

IMAX 3D tickets: bought! Midnight showing: I'm too old for that crap...I'm going 7/15 at 7:00pm. :)

Happy Pride Month!

View of southern tip of Manhattan from Empire State Building. I partook in a few touristy expeditions this trip. 

With June being Pride Month, and with said month coming to an end, I thought I'd share a few fabulous photos from this year's NYC Pride Parade in New York City on June 25th.  It just so happens that my husband and I always end up visiting NYC this time of the year due to the OrigamiUSA Convention being held during the same weekend as the parade (Husband Guy loves all things origami).  While we weren't coming to New York solely for the purpose of celebrating Pride weekend, it was still a welcome coincidence that these two events occurred at the same time!

 Who's sitting in the back of the car, waving? Cyndi F*CKING Lauper, that's who!

 A gentlemen couple together for 55 years!

To say a gay time was had by all would be a gross understatement.  I believe in my dotage my sense of sentimentality is increasing at an alarming rate.  Often I feel uncontrollably weepy at times when I really would rather not feel that way.  At this time last year I was all weepy at the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met.  This year I got all teary eyed when I saw the first group coming in the parade.  I mean, I wish my reaction to these types of things were more upbeat, like, Yay! Happiness! This is so great! ::SMILING::  But, No.  My reactions are more, I am so moved.  This makes my heart hurt.  ::HOLDING BACK TEARS::  I suppose there are worse problems to have than being overly sensitive, though.

Even though this was our 3rd visit to NYC during Pride weekend (for the origami convention), this is the first time I've watched the parade.  The first year we went, I had no idea it was Pride weekend.  The next year I didn't realize it until I saw all the peeps leaving the parade in their fanciful outfits.  So this year, I was so excited to learn all the details about the event months ahead of time and made sure I was there! <3

A Tote for NYC

For the past few years, my husband guy and I have attended the OrigamiUSA convention in New York City.  Well, my husband has done most the "attending." Origami is one of my husband's favorite hobbies, however, not so much mine.  In the past, while he was enjoying the convention, I'd either roam around the city by myself or work wherever we were staying. This was fine, I guess, but I couldn't travel too far away from the convention because I always wanted to link back up with my husband for lunch and dinner, and whenever he had a short break in between classes.

Luckily, this year I don't have to worry about being there for him during all his breaks.  My friend from Georgia (the same friend that accompanied me to Key West!) will be joining us in NYC.  This means I will have a friend with whom to roam around the city, and my husband guy won't have to worry about entertaining me on his breaks.  We can both go our separate ways each morning, and I'll see him later at bedtime.  That way he can fully focus on the convention and not have to worry about me being all sad and alone all day, and I can fully focus on enjoying myself in the city and not have to worry about being back at the convention at a certain time to meet up with my husband guy.

Since I am actually planning on being out in the city most of the day (and not in the hotel working like last year), I want to get a big bag to carry all my crap.  My current purse is tiny.  I only use it to hold my phone, keys, and wallet, so it really doesn't need to be big.  However, for this trip I will be adding an NYC guide book (I'm a tourist!), a camera, and a bottle of water.  I need a bigger bag. :(

I'm quite frugal when it comes to buying things like purses (I got my current tiny purse from WalMart for $9), so finding a cool, sturdy tote bag that is hella cheap has been a little difficult.

Also, I am a completely lost when it comes to what is in at the moment (I'm like a freaking moron when it comes to fashion), so below is my wish list for my dream tote bag:

-less than $30 (preferably including shipping)
-sturdy, but not so heavy it hurts my shoulder skin
-odd/weird looking?  I'll be in New York for f*ck's sake...
-room for all my stuff
-can wear on my shoulder comfortably

Below are my favs.

 Vintage Caramel Tooled Leather Handbag Tote ($24) from MetroVintage

 Vintage DVF Shoulder Bag Weekender Tote Teal ($30) from KissaPrince

 Vintage 1970's Straw Owls Handbag Purse Tote Colorful Birds ($8) from myalteredlife4u

 Vintage Hunter Green Suede Leather Tote ($28) from SimplyBorrowed

Nautical Nautical Fashion Shoulder Bag, White and Navy Purse ($25) from Etsplace

 Vintage Brown Vinyl Handbag ($19) from paisleyandpolyester

 Market Bag with Suede Straps ($20) from CheddyBaloogaVintage

I still need to drop by Goodwill first to see if I can scrounge up something.  If nothing amazing (and cheap!) is found, I'll probably be choosing from one of these bags.

*A little random: I kind of hate that Etsy now adds a row of "sponsored" items in the middle of the results page.  I'm scrolling down the page, see a bad ass bag, and then notice it is $200 over the limit I added to search criteria. :(