whiskey blue - w hotel buckhead

Sometimes, all you want is a really good mojito. Okay, I want that everyday. If I had a million dollars, I'd spend it all on a personal mixologist who would greet me every afternoon with a perfectly made strawberry mojito. While I continue to search for that magical scratch card, I'll make do at Whiskey Blue, located in the W Hotel Buckhead.

I've never liked Buckhead. With places like Buckhead Saloon and Moondogs, it's always felt a bit too prep or retired fratboy or incredibly yuppie for me. I always assume that the music will be too similar to Yacht Rock - easy listening for the over 40s doesn't round out my ideal night out. But my skepticism was completely ill founded at Whiskey Blue, where the DJ spun a nice mix of club hits with indie dance songs. Round that out with the best strawberry mojito I've ever had and a fantastic outdoor deck with great views of Buckhead, it was an almost perfect night. Now, if only they could bar the creepsters from crawling over to our table...

This is my go-to dress when I go anywhere at night. With a jacket, it's demure enough for dinner. When the festivities begin, shed the outerwear and show off the scoop back. Give me exposed backs over cleavage any day.






outfit photos by Lillie

Wearing: lace dress from Nasty Gal, Alexander Wang Frejas (in red and beige), vintage Gucci bag

leather and snakeskin

I stumbled upon this leather peplum vest at H&M last week (photographed here, with my Raf Simons x Eastpack backpack) and hesitated in the dressing room over whether or not to buy it. So glad I decided to get it, as it's fitting into my wardrobe very well. It's a great piece to transition from winter to spring. I can see girls wearing it with those floral Zara pants.





Doughnuts and pastries at Star Provisions. Not exactly the best doughnut, though I do like the fact that they used dark chocolate for the frosting.




outfit photos by Sooji

Wearing: Uniqlo button down shirt, H&M leather peplum top (designer original here, another alternative, another one here), Zara snakeskin print pants (alternative here), Christian Louboutin Pigalle 120mm (original here), black Celine Luggage Mini, Tom Ford Nikita cat eye sunglasses

Star Provisions
1198 Howell Mill Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 365-0410

stylestalkin

Mashing up a WIWT at the end of the post about the Song Byeok exhibition felt a bit inappropriate, so here are the details from last night's event. I scored this Stylestalker maxi skirt from the Black Label Boutique sale. It's satiating my sudden desire to incorporate some print and color into my wardrobe. Trying to hold off on buying those Zara floral pants that are sure to make their way around the blogs soon.





Wearing: Madewell crewneck sweater (similar here or here), Stylestalker Sunset Strip maxi skirt, Jeffrey Campbell Tribal Ticks, vintage Gucci bag

song byeok exhibition - the goat farm

While a lot of this blog is filled with animal prints, macarons, and brunch, I want to dedicate an entry to a cause I've championed since college. As a Korean-American and one whose ancestral roots can be traced to the area known as North Korea today, I've always had a strange fascination with the deeply hermitic state. A part of me has always wondered what luck in the universe brought me to grow up in America when I could have very easily been born in a seemingly alternate universe halfway around the world. It seems like a cruel trick of fate.

The human rights atrocities occurring in North Korea are no secret. Concentration camps, generational punishments, and famine are just a few of the societal problems. But despite all of it - and in this case, from it - beauty arises.



From Feb. 17-26, former North Korean propaganda artist Song Byeok is showing an exhibition of his works at the Goat Farm in West Midtown. Clearly drawing inspiration from his experiences in North Korea, his work jabs at the regime's assertion of Kim Jong-il's godliness. One particular work, called "Take Off Your Clothes," has the former leader's head mounted on Marilyn Monroe's "Seven Year Itch" body. But the work that struck me the most was the mural of the Tumen River (the natural border that divides North Korea and China and a site where many desperate North Koreans perish in their attempts to escape), a reflection upon the fated night Song lost his father. Done in simple black and white, the only color in the piece are the red letters of propaganda messages scattered on the hills. At first glance, you feel nothing but doom and desperation, but upon closer inspection, the paper glistens with glitter - a glimmer of hope, perhaps?




In order to continue his first tour in the U.S., a Kickstarter fund needs $1000 to reach their goal. You can find more information about it here. There are small gifts that accompany each pledge, so if you're looking to make that last minute tax deductible donation before your taxes, now is a great time.



The show runs until this SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, so head down to the Goat Farm to see the work for yourself.

Goat Farm
1200 Foster St., Atlanta, GA 30318
Hours: 1pm - 9:30pm

out and about: nyc #2

The best part about New York City is the countless opportunities for photos. Living in a condensed area with a large population and a thriving consumer market means that there's always something (or someone) interesting to capture. Here's last week's installment from here and there.







1-2. Bouchon Bakery at Columbus Circle
3. Leather top from H&M and my Raf Simons x Eastpack backpack
4. Gold Skull bag by Ines Figaredo

momofuku ssam bar nyc

The Momofuku series of restaurants need no introduction. They've been introduced, explained, and analyzed in every single media outlet. So, I didn't really have any plans on adding another review to the infinite pile of reviews. But this just really had to be said.

I realize that Momofuku is a fusion restaurant. I hate fusion food for a number of reasons, the first of which is due to the fact that fusion food tastes like a falsified, flavorless version of its original. I walked in with no expectations or any idea of the menu - an uncharacteristic behavior for me. I walked out feeling disappointed and robbed.




The space is definitely made for group parties. The tables seat groups of 4-6 very well with a few tables even accommodating larger parties. So, if you're a lonely table of two, like us, you are put at this counter communal table, snuggled between other strangers who are free to listen to your conversation. (Or vice versa.) The menu is catered to large groups, as well. If you're not a group of 4-6, then forget about ordering the ssam. Unless you're really hungry and ready to split a $150 or $200 minimum bill between the two of you.




Since we weren't ballers (or gluttons), Maria and I ordered the pork buns and a chicken entree. The pork buns were good, and I felt like they lived up to the hype. Then again, by the time we were seated, I was starving, so my opinion might have been a bit skewed.



The second dish we ordered was described as coming with rice. In my head, that usually means chicken on a bed of rice or rice on the side. No, this particular chicken had been rolled into an uncut sushi roll, and the rice was wrapped around it. Humorous, yes. Delicious, no.

In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone. At this point, the place is running on its hype. If you really want to get ssam, haul your butt to Koreatown on 32nd to Kan Mi Ok, Keun Gip, or any of the other restaurants. You'll get your meat and lettuce wraps accompanied with endless side dishes all for less than what's being charged at Momofuku Ssam Bar.

Location: 207 2nd Ave., corner of 13th and 2nd Ave.
Momofuku Ssam Bar

designer profile: cres e. dim

One of my favorite areas to shop in Seoul is 동대문 (Dongdaemun, also shortened to "DDM"). Known as the wholesale district, the peak times for the area is from 11pm-2am. It's a great area to indulge your jet lag by engaging in some wholesome retail therapy and feeding your junk food demon.

While the budget conscious can scour finds in Migliore or even in the Pyeonghwa markets, the up and coming Korean labels can be found at Doota. On a trip last winter, I stumbled upon Cres E. Dim's boutique in the basement (now relocated to the first floor) and picked up a few gems. I've worn the zigzag top (originally purchased from A-land), but this piece is by far my favorite.



A wool cape/coat, the design is absolutely impeccable. I was initially drawn to it because of its super long hood, which is so great at keeping my hair in place on windy days, but there are so many other details in this singular piece that truly reflects the designer's contemplation on making this a functional staple in any person's wardrobe. There's a removable fleece lining to keep you warm in the biting winter, buttons on the hood so you can remove it for the spring or early fall, and deep pockets to serve as mittens or portable junk drawers.




Although I can't say that I'm impressed by Kim Hong-bum's other pieces, his outerwear design is definitely worth a second look.

Cres E. Dim
Doota
Designer Gallery, First Floor, Shop #33
+82 02) 3398-5311

out and about: nyc #1

1-3. Eataly in Flatiron, a Mario Batalli restaurant/store concept. I never knew there could be this many varieties of pasta.
4. New York Public Library at Bryant Park. I could photograph this building everyday.
5. IFB Con Panel
6-7. J Brand at IFB Con. Their SS12 leather jackets are super soft.
8. Aminta's arm party

count on me

I'm writing this as I listen to the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack - "Count on Me" in particular. I was standing in a bakery, enjoying a chocolate tea cup when I received the news of Whitney Houston's untimely death. Like most of the world, I'm stunned and saddened. While some people prefer to dwell on her drug abuse problems, there's one undeniable fact: this woman has made an indelible mark on American R&B music.

I was in 5th grade when "Waiting to Exhale" came out. As the sole Asian girl in a class of mostly black females, I bought this soundtrack as an effort to fit in. Because we didn't have cable at home, I could never engage in the recess conversation about Nick at Night or the Mickey Mouse Club. At some point, I must've said that I would damned if I was gonna be left out again. So, I trekked to my local Wal-mart, bought it with my allowance, and put this CD on repeat.

What began as an exercise in conformity turned into an obsession. While most of the tracks are mellow love songs typical of the 90s, I would jam and dance when Brandy's "Sittin' Up in My Room" blasted out of the speakers. One day, I started the recess sing-along with Mary J. Blige's "Not Gon' Cry" - a highlight of the year worthy enough to write in my diary. For our fifth grade graduation, we chose "Count On Me" as our class song, hoping to signify the close bonds we had forged as a class.

Today, I have little contact with my former classmates. But as I listen to this song, so many years later, I like to think that Amaka or Michael or Tabitha is out there, listening to it too.





Wearing: Johnny Hates Jazz sweater, Spicy Color pleated skirt, scarf from Korean market, brown riding boots from Korean boutique


Credit: Maria and Becca for the photos

Leila Shams FW12

I have two fashion addictions: 1) the color black (boooorrrrrinnnggg, I know) and 2) animal prints. And there is NOBODY who can do a killer animal print like Leila Shams.

Of course, there are other reasons why Leila is so appealing. First, she's pint size and super duper petite. You can't hate on someone so tiny - it would be like saying you hate Oprah and NO ONE hates the big O. Two, she has an unbelievable sense of humor and isn't ashamed to self deprecation. Thirdly, she's a reality star, who's been featured with one of the editorial faves, Joe Zee. (Joe and Grace Coddington are like the Oprahs of fashion editors - no one can hate on them. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Anna Wintour...)

But honestly, the clothes speak for themselves.










Sometimes, I wonder if Leila has a one track mind into the thoughts of bloggers. Giant, open mouthed monkey. Perfectly pleated leather skirt. Imperfect knits. Maxi dresses with a sequin panel. If your inner fangirl isn't squealing right now, you must be a man.

IFB Con - #ifbcon

Attending the IFB Conference today.
Follow me on Twitter for real time updates.



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this is bigger than us

Yes, the rumors are true. I'm here right now.*

Follow me on Twitter (@kittenmasks) for the day to day ridiculousness I'm seeing here.

*By here, I do not literally mean the New York Times. 

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