I’m back….

from a long hiatus of blogging. No good excuse except perhaps the summer was quite busy. Not to say that I didn’t “fake” blog. I have about a dozen drafts that I never posted….again, for no good reason. But, I’m back and to kick things off, I’d like you to meet Albert, the new resident plant at the studio. It’s a Snake Plant and for someone who has the worst green thumb on the planet (like myself), it’s the best kind to get. Apparently, it’s the hardest one to kill.

To spruce things up in the studio and to detox the air, my mom decided to get Albert for me (thank you!). Just to make sure that I really wouldn’t kill this alleged resilient to practically anything plant, I did a little research. And good thing I did! Snake plants, while beneficial, can also be highly toxic to animals. Enter Oliver, our “studio manager” and resident canine. Luckily he has never liked greens, but good info to know in case he changes his mind.

Opposites attract…..

(Photo credit: AFP/DDP/Philipp Guelland)
Ok. This is just too cute so I had to share. Meet Bessi, a female dachsund, and her new best friend, a five day old baby tiger. The baby tiger looks like she’s whispering some top secret gossip into Bessi’s ear.

Rainy days….

It’s gloom, doom, rainy city today. Sometimes a blessing when you have a lot of work to do. But enough already! Where’s the sunshine? Hello Mr. Sun, why are you on vacation for so long? So, until you come back, I guess I will have to enjoy these motivational and cheery posters by artist Dazeychic to keep me from shedding a tear. Either that, or a sun lamp.

Hello! And goodbye…..

Seriously, these Isabel Marant shoes had me at “hello.” And then I looked at the price tag and I quickly skiddadled the brief obsession out of my mind and said goodbye. Sigh. The love affair was short and certainly not sweet. Did I mention I’m not even that much of a shoe girl? I have foam wedges to prove it…don’t ask. But these beauties are enough to convert anyone. If only it wasn’t 1,050 bones.

Train de Nuit

Chanel No. 5’s short film is reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, Amelie. Not surprising since it stars Audrey Tatou and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The cinematography is beautiful. She is too! She’d definitely rock a Toki piece with cool elegance. How do I make that happen? Thoughts?

To watch the short, click here.

KYOPO PROJECT

Talented photographer Cindy Hwang is the eye behind the lens for this unique project, Kyopo. Kyopo is a photojournalist depiction of the Korean diaspora. Over 200 individuals of Korean descent from various backgrounds were photographed in her New York based studio. Some well known individuals include, author Chang-Rae Lee, actor Daniel Dae-Kim (of LOST fame), MTV’s Suchin Pak, and Survivor winner Yul Kwon. However, it is the truly diverse backgrounds that Hwang’s subjects come from (ie. practicing monk from Seoul who lives in Harlem to an architect born in Seoul but raised in Denmark by her adopted parents) that makes this collection of work compelling.

To make this project come to life into a book, funding is needed. If you’re in the San Francisco area, check out the fundraiser benefit for Kyopo. In support of the event, the oxidized silver wing Toki piece was donated for the silent auction! If you’re interested in purchasing this item to help raise donations for Kyopo, email kyopo.project@gmail.com

And here’s a fun fact….my friends and I were photographed for this project as well! It certainly was an honor to be a part of this experience.

For more info on the Kyopo Project, visit the site.

Inspiration from the bench…..

Decided to take a quick break and take some shots of some pieces I was working on. Love how the colors turned out. Looks a little bit old, a little bit rusty, a little imperfect.

{Fun News} I just heard….

that the guy (um, I’m pretty sure you know who he is….) in this picture bought a TOKI piece as a gift from one of the stores in LA that carries my line! I heart this news. I’ve never named my jewelry,but does this piece officially become the “Keanu”? I think I’ll skip the naming, but I’ll certainly remember it as that! Thanks Johnny Utah. A lot of smiles at Toki today.

Kick Pleat!

A weekend in Austin just isn’t enough. While I was there, I was able to pop into Kick Pleat, one of the stores that carries Toki. Finally met Wendi, the master curator behind the shop. Love her style and she was as nice as can be! Beautiful lines such as Vanessa Bruno, VPL, 0044 Paris, and Clu filled the racks and the jewelry from Aesa, Unearthen, St. Kilda, and of course Toki were displayed with such attention. No detail was spared in this pretty shop. Keep an eye out for the Spring/Summer line to drop in the next couple of weeks.

March Madness…..

No, not the basketball kind. It’s what my March felt like. Travel, travel, travel. One stop included Austin! I produced the L4M Music Showcase at SXSW with my good friend James, one of my talented and always on the move partner at Catharsis NYC. And for those of you that don’t know L4M (Lawyer4Musicians), check out Josh’s blog! If you’re an aspiring musician or working in any creative medium, he is the lawyer to go to when you need to protect your work. As creatives, legal and business issues may be the last items on the list to tackle, but it’s necessary in order to protect your brand.

Needless to say, the month of March was juggling Toki and producing this show. We couldn’t have had a better event. The line-up included Fatlip (of the Pharcyde), The Cool Kids, Kidz In The Hall, Whatzisface, Hey Champ, French Horn Rebellion, DJ Clinton Sparks, and surprise guests Pac Div! Stay tuned for next year’s show! Check out the details here.

photo: Daniel Perlaky, cityonfire.us

THE COOL KIDS

FATLIP & WHATZISFACE

FRENCH HORN REBELLION

KIDZ IN THE HALL & HEY CHAMP

PAC DIV