The Solar System Necklace

Wonder Wonder's The Solar System Necklace has been blogged here by Jenny, a designer of her lovely clothing line, Wiksten-made. I love her styling with a white Mociun dress with a great pattern on it! Jenny herself and her line are so adorable.. Thank you Jenny! Now I'm busy filling the orders for my store!

The Queens World Traveling

Roaming around in the ethnically diverse areas in Queens has became a weekend ritual for my husband and I. It started because of my husband's Indian cooking addiction, and we also love exploring. We started going to Jackson Heights, which some people also call a little India. Now we explore (and get delicious and cheap brunch/lunch of course) in Woodside and Flushing too, where Chinese, Taiwanese, Tibetan, Himalayan, Korean, Filipino, Thai, Indian, Bangladesh, Central/South American (and so on!) immigrants are all mixed and making a interesting life activity. As about a half of population in Queens are immigrants, if you look at the entire Queens, it would look like a world map.

Yesterday we had a delicious lunch at our favorite Thai restaurant called Sri Pra Phai in Woodside, then visited a Himalayan corner grocery store where things they sell really reflects people living near there. It was owned by a Tibetan family, (as I see Dalai Lama picture displayed) they sell Tibetan, Central American, Indian, North and South asian products. Then we got some spices at Thai grocer and walked to Jackson Heights. On the way, we found a lovely yellow storefront called Tawa Food, a indian bread store. We went in, and we saw the indian ladies wearing beautiful Sari working to make indian breads in the back, and the interior was decorated in pastel color with blue flower wall paper. We bought The handmade Paratha. When we arrived to the main street of Jackson Heights, it was raining and nicely decorated by the lights and flags, as the community was celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights.

I love seeing and knowing the life activity from people from different culture. If it's more close to "their everyday life activity" I get more excited. That's why I prefer Jackson Heights than Murrey Hill (Curry Hill), Flushing than Manhattan China Town. Since immigrants live and form communities in Queens, I think Queens carry more authentiticy than the city, and the signs of how their culture mixed with others are more honest and interesting than the touristy commercial place. I'm not only seeking the authentic experience, but I'm interested in how one culture become mixed into others.

I have been learning many way to live and work from people from different background, and seeking a way to output the things I learned in a special way I can make or do. For example, inspired by African patchwork pants and making a necklace as Wonder Wonder, etc. But I really not meant to rip off the other cultures or only profit myself. I really want to give back something to where I learned from. That motivates me to let Wonder Wonder grow and that is something I really need to take seriously.

Every time we visit Queens, we are always filled with bright imagery of life activity. All the visual expression like graphics on sign and product packaging, its color and pattern, smell of food and spices, sound of people talking and music they play, taste of food they sell communicate and show me many culture and history behind it. I don't have money to travel all the countries at this point, but if I take $4.50 round trip on subway, which I think it's not that cheap though, I feel like I'm world traveling.

What's David Wearing?

This is my co-worker and friend, David.
David a designer and artist who makes beautiful crochet accessories as Chauncey P. Graham.
He is probably one of my favorite fashionista in my everyday life. I love coming to our work in the morning, and find out what he's wearing today. It's always a great surprise and fun to see his mix and match. He's so talented doing that.
He loves thrift store shopping in his back home in D.C., and here in NYC he mixed them into his lovely crochet creations and things he picks up in the city.

Today He was wearing his thrifted a great green jumpsuit that fits him perfectly, and a cool red scarf, then he matched them with his yellow crochet hat he made, American Apparel cardigan and H&M white flipflops. (! it wasn't that cold today, but I still admire for the choice)
Isn't it so fun and adorable? It makes me happy because I can see how much he's enjoying styling them. His color choices are so GOOD!

You can read more about his creative styling tips etc here, David's Blog: http://yesdavidishere.wordpress.com

Wedding of the World

What am I going wear for my wedding?
It's time to think, so I did a little goog-search to see what other people are wearing in the world. My favorite so far, is Japanese Okinawan "Bingara" kimono (3rd from the last), which I've never seen it before and totally fell in love! Too bad I'm not from Okinawa!

I still don't know what to wear!

Flower People

First time I heard about a ethnic group called Hmong was in Wisconsin over the X'mas break. My Fiance is from there, and his best friend growing up's parents are hippies, and I saw a beautiful embroidared picture something like this, at their house. Featuring bunch of farm animals and farming, agriculture, and life. I just loved the expression of everyday life and warm, colorful look. So I asked the hippy parents where it was from, and what kind of people makes this. I thought it was from Guatemara or something, but it was by Hmong people live in the small community in Wisconsin. I was so pulled to get more information.

The terms Hmong (pronounced [m̥ɔ̃ŋ]) and Mong ([mɔ̃ŋ]) refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia. Hmong are also one of the largest sub-groups in the Miao minzu population in southern China. Beginning in the 18th century, Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration due to political unrest and to find more arable land. As a result, Hmong currently also live in several countries in Southeast Asia, including northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Burma.

If you read more on wiki, you'll find a tough history of Hmong people why they had to travel so much, and as I heard from the hippies, of cause there was a history of segregation after they migrated to US, etc.. I was told by my fiance that I probably look like a native american or Hmong person to older people in WI, because I'm an asian and has "oriental look" and that's how white it is in there.

Soon after I searched over internet, I found the images of how women of Flower Hmong people dress! I guess "Flower Hmong" is a western nickname to those group in Hmong people who dress up like living flowers, mostly living in the part of Vietnam. I thought that their outfits are one of the best thing in fashion I've seen lately. I don't know if they are featured in the Tibor/Maira Kalman's Unfashion but they shoud've if they didn't! (I don't have a copy here at home) The garment has the overall tone of light pink with a very detailed embroidary all over and the complex layering of different colorful fabric. and I love the plaid head scarf with an accent of neon fringes and pompoms! It's just super well styled, to me, in the most interesting way! Here's some good ones I found from googling.

Uggg. Today is such a gloomy day, icy cold, dark, and it was snowing in the morning. The past few days had been so spring and happy, this is such a tease!

Gloomy air makes me look for something vivid and eye dazzling.. and warm, of cause.

My dream blanket, Pendleton.
http://www.pendleton-usa.com/

Tauba from Sf, she was Jeff's neighbor artist.
http://www.taubaauerbach.com

My friend Danny. I miss him.
http://www.danielminnick.com

My favorite time of year has (almost) started. I love that I can take more brighter picture at home. All my pics over the winter time is so dark and grainy.

I baked the 5th bread from my sourdough starter. It's getting much better. It rises quickly and the flavor got more depth - mild, pleasant sour-ness! Yum.

I also got a lovely pair of "grandma slippers" from Ukrain via Etsy :-) Love it!
www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5333800