Petal Drop LA: A Guide to Queueing

Woah, hello there! I haven't posted for about a year, but here I am! Part of the reason I took an unannounced hiatus was that I didn't feel like I was very equipped to start a blog. I didn't have a decent camera, I wasn't going on grand adventures, and I wasn't organized enough to post regularly.  Although I'm not exactly superstar blogger material now, nor do plan to be, I think this blog will be a good place to see my own personal growth and share my adventures, no matter how small they may be.

Last month, I bought myself my first DSLR, a refurbished Nikon D3300. I'm not exactly a stranger to DSLR cameras, but I usually shoot with one on predetermined settings (usually set by my sister, whose blog pictures I take sometimes). One of my goals is to learn to take amazing low-light photos, and this past weekend I got to test my beginner photography skills at Petal Drop LA. My friend, Gaby, and I hopped on the metro (because who wants to pay for and deal with parking in Downtown?) and hurried over to Broadway around 7:30 AM in hopes that we would be one of the first people in line to see the art installation. We were woefully mistaken and we took our place in the queue just past the corner of 5th and Broadway. 

After about an hour it felt as though we had only advanced a yard or two, but eventually we were given numbered tickets which reserved our place in line and gave us the freedom to leave as long as we returned before our numbers were called. 

Number 215 out of 300 tickets

Gaby patiently puts up with my test shots

Other than chatting with the people around us, and patting the occasional dog in line, the only way to pass the time was to chat with one another. Strangers would often stop to ask us what we were in line for, and after hours standing in line I started to feel silly explaining to people that I was waiting to walk through an alleyway so that someone could drop flower petals on my head. Gaby and I braved the queue for about 5 hours until we got cranky and decided to venture off for a cuppa at Verve. We spent a leisurely hour at the cafe before walking back and still waited for another hour! At this point we were close to the front of the line because several people before us had completely given up on waiting and as a result had lost their place. Finally, around 3:00 PM we were handed clipboards and a piece of paper where we were to write a sentence or two about what made L.A. special to us, and then we were shown through a gate to the installation.

We were asked not to use phones or cameras for at least the first 5 minutes inside the installation. That request was for the most part ignored by nearly everyone, including myself. I snapped away as soon as i walked in and then took the rest of the time to bask in the scent of flowers and beauty of the petals steadily fluttering down  to us. It was a very unique, beautiful, and serene atmosphere that these artists created in this narrow alleyway. I am glad I had the patience and a good friend with me so that I could experience this! 

I believe the artists want to organize a second similar installation in the future. I highly recommend going, if you have the time and patience! It truly is beautiful.

May Recap

I know most of my posts have been very text heavy, but this post is going to be short and sweet! This month has been pretty eventful. Apart from May being my birthday month, which I celebrated with a yummy crepe cake, I also went to San Luis Obispo with my sisters, and went to Disneyland this weekend.

On the way to SLO, we stopped a short while in Santa Barbara, got some coffee and did some vintage store window shopping. 

 


Santa Barbara is a gorgeous city! I had only been a couple of times when I was very young, and I did not remember much. It was all new to me! Most exciting was trying Chipotle for the first time. Seriously.

After a couple of hours, my sisters headed back on the road, straight to SLO. I Snapchatted the entire trip. It featured our amazing road trip playlist on Spotify, which I recommend to everyone.

The Madonna Inn was an absolute dream! It is the kitschiest hotel, but absolutely lovable from the moment you set eyes on it. Everyone was so friendly, and our room was a girly dream come true. 

      

We stayed in the Fleur De Lis room, and it was so pretty I immediately regretted not bringing a ballgown or some pretty lingerie to have a photo shoot in. I guess this means I'll have to find an excuse to stay here again!

Even the pool is amazing.

We were only in SLO from one day to the next, so we relaxed by the pool, got some dinner, and watched a movie. The next day we were up bright and early and got some coffee and explored the downtown area of SLO.

Coffee Shop of my dreams, Scout Coffee

 

On our way back we stopped by a beach near Santa Barbara and got back to Pasadena a short while after that. The trip was so much fun, and I liked that I got to spend a weekend with just my sisters. I really liked SLO, and I can't wait to go back to the city. Maybe next time I can meet SLO dancers (largely Blues and Lindy) on their turf!

Just yesterday my big sister and I got to Disneyland (a.k.a. Happiest Place on Earth) with a friend. As far as theme parks go, Disneyland is pretty magical, but you have to be a patient person. You'll spend hours queuing for the rides.

It has been an amazing month, and I am looking forward to the start of the summer months. I don't think I will doing as much traveling, but I do have a lot of short term goals set out for myself that I want to accomplish.

A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE SAME CITY II

I have already talked about the new places I explored and all of the great food I ate and coffee that I enjoyed, but this shorter post focuses specifically on some of the moments that made my trip to London special.

I was expecting London to feel very familiar, considering I had spent a lot of time there already, but somehow I managed to get lost in the city on my first day trip. Even though I had gone to the British Museum several times during the semester I spent there, I still spent about 30 minutes following signs around trying to find it! I had planned to visit all of the museums again, but after going to the British Museum I abandoned the idea. The museum was just crowded and was overwhelming. I wanted to be more of a tourist this time around, but I was not enjoying the touristy spots!

In order to avoid the flocks of tourists when walking around London's most popular tourist spots, like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, I planned my walk for early Saturday morning. And by early, I mean I was out the door before 6:30 AM. Despite feeling sleepy, the empty sidewalks and streets were a sight for crowd-sore eyes. Even if you do not mind crowds, I recommend exploring early in the mornings when there are less people around just because your pictures will be so much better. It is nice to be able to snap the perfect picture without stopping abruptly and annoying the people around you, or without having a bunch of random people in the way.

Big Ben, London. 2015

This is also a good tip for capturing the amazing street art in East London, especially if you want to avoid the scathingly judgmental looks from hipsters who are lucky enough to see it all the time.

Girl with balloons, James Cochran (Jimmy C)

The experience taking the picture was a lot more relaxing than my experience trying to capture Neal's Yard in the middle of the day. 

Sang Bleu Studio, London 2015

Apart from being tourist extraordinaire, I decided to make my trip to London more special by getting a tattoo. This is actually something I wanted to do before I left the first time I was in London, as a kind of way to honor how special the semester abroad had been for me. Two years ago, I wanted to get a small minimalist swan that would pay tribute to my experience of reentering the dance scene, which contributed the most to restoring my well-being while I was abroad.. However, I decided against it because I did not have much money left.

This time around I wanted to get the tattoo that I could not get the first time around, and so I started contacting artists that I liked. I collected a list of artists I really liked by looking at portfolios on social media websites. Then I looked up reviews about their shops to make sure I was not going to walk into a dingy, unsanitary lair. Surprisingly, I heard back for a booking from one of my favorite artists and sent my deposit the second it was requested.

Instead of my swan idea, I decided to get a tattoo that I have always wanted to get. Equipped with a couple of pictures of blossoms and some scientific drawings of flowers, I walked into Sang Bleu's studio on Dalston Lane, which was blasting 90's rap and looked more to me like a art studio/gallery. Luckily, I made it to the studio before the artist because I was running late!

Mimi arrived shortly after I did, and after a short chat he took my reference pictures and got started drawing. The size took me by surprise, even though I wanted a large tattoo. Once I saw the stencil on my body all I could think of was how much I would regret sizing down. After some adjustments I braced myself for my first tattoo.

I will just be upfront about this now. I was a little B-I-T-of-a-wimp 75% of the time I was on the table. The first ten minutes, I thought to myself, "Nah this is nothing." Considering I had gotten a Brazilian wax the week before, this was true for that first half hour. I also got tattooed in one of my ticklish spots of my body, my stomach, so I was simultaneously in pain and also trying not to squirm. Bless your soul, Mimi, I am so sorry. It went by fairly quickly, but next time I get tattooed I will likely bring a friend along to pass the time easier!

In love, and looking forward to adding more.

Well, that concludes my trip to London! I know I am posting this more than a month after my trip. I am going to work on being more consistent with this blog!

A Different Side of the Same City

My third year of college I spent a semester abroad in London. For a trip I was very reluctant to make, going to London had a very positive impact on my life. Unlike some people that apply for study-abroad programs, I really did not want to leave the routine of my life in my college town to explore a new place. As opposed to it as I was, I continued with the application process because I felt pressured to by friends and family to seize this opportunity.

As the first semester of my third year wound down, my school life and personal life grew chaotic. My maternal grandfather's health plummeted suddenly and quickly and I struggled with balancing going home on weekends to see him, and working furiously throughout the week with the knowledge that I might lose someone very dear to me at any moment. In fact, when I learned about my grandfather's death I was in the school library getting ready to start reading homework. Although I went home the next day, those initial moments of mourning were spent very alone, and as I finished the last 3 weeks of the semester  I felt alone. Further from feeling alone, I felt isolated from the people who understood what I was going through. Two weeks after the end of the first semester I was even more isolated from my family, in an unfamiliar country, and living with unfamiliar people.

I studied at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), and chose this program specifically because it allowed me to live on campus. I stayed with a mix of study abroad students, like myself, and full-time first-year students.

Queen's Building, QMUL. 2015

It took me about a month for me to feel comfortable my new school and surroundings. At first, I was reluctant to go out with my new flatmates, or even chat with them in the kitchen the eleven of us shared. I only spoke to the other students from my alma mater, which were few, and went outside  campus only because my "London and Its Museums" module required me to go to a different museum each week. When February arrived, I had already fallen into a stale routine and I was determined to try something different. The only thing I had been looking forward to when planning my trip to London was dancing again, but I could not convince anyone I knew to go with me. I decided to venture out on my own, something I had not really done before, and went to a blues dance event by myself. 

The very first place I went to was The White Swan for an event called  Down Home Blues. Since I had not been dancing regularly in the previous year and I was going to be meeting new dancers, I decided that going to the lesson would be wise. I left my flat with enough time to be twenty minutes early for the lesson. However, I forgot to account for the 2 hours I would spend getting completely lost. When I eventually found the venue, the lesson was over and the dancing had begun. Although, I got off to a rocky start, dance-wise, I ended up having a fantastic time! I continued going to go to social-dance events alone and it allowed me to approach other people and be more approachable. Doing more things alone and being comfortable with being alone actually opened me up to new friendships, not just in the dance community but with the flatmates I had avoided for the first couple of weeks. 

London, Two Years Later

Recently, I returned to London! I spent the first two weeks of April revisiting the city where I restored my well-being and made the dear friends I missed so much. The great thing about having such wonderful friends was knowing I would not have to worry about hotel or hostel expenses, and that I could spend even more time with my friends! Like my first trip to London, I stayed near Mile End, by the QMUL campus, alternating between my friends Eva's flat and Emlyn & Tom's flat during my stay. 

Despite only being in London for five months the first time, I had a very set routine. I was determined not to pick up from where I left off. For this trip, I really wanted to experience a completely different side of London that I had not the first time I was there. 

Can't get more 'London Tourist' than this

 Explore

I planned two day trips that would show me the beautiful forests and parks that London has to offer. My first trip took me to Epping Forest. I was surprised at how short the tube ride was from Mile End! Despite sharing the carriage with what looked like fellow hikers, my walk through Epping was very solitary, calm, and quiet. I went thirty minutes without seeing another soul!

Epping Forest, London. 2015

Epping Forest, London. 2015

 Epping Forest can really be a hike if you want it to be. At the start of my hike I went through the smaller trails, crossed tiny streams, climbed trees, and got very muddy. Towards the end I found, and stuck to, a large trail that I found most people took.

My second day trip was to Richmond Park, and I was determined not to leave without seeing the deer. This day trip was the longest because in order to get to Richmond Park,  Eva and I had to walk through a large commercial area. I could not walk more than 30 ft without saying something like, "Ooh there's an Anthropologie here? Let's go in!" Let's not even go into how much time we spent in Whole Foods...

Richmond, London. 2015

My new friends.
Richmond Park, London. 2015

Needless to say, I eventually saw the gorgeous deer. While in this picture they seem completely unfazed by my presence, many of the deer were staring attentively me as I approached them.

Enjoy

I wish I had photographed every place I went out to eat, but sometimes enjoying the moment of being there surpasses the need to document. This time around, I was really looking forward to expand my dining experience beyond Chinatown and Wetherpoons Pubs.

Eva at Verde & Company.
London, 2015

"Is she taking a picture of us...?"
Sharps, London. 2015

First, coffee. I tried to go to as many coffee shops as possible in London, and while I did not get to go to all the ones my list, I was pretty happy with all the ones I did get to visit with fellow coffee addict, Eva! The very first one I went to was The Coffee Room, which right by Mile End, is a tight squeeze, but it is what makes it feel like home. The best part is the small patio where Eva and I decided to enjoy our cappuccinos. FreeState Coffee is conveniently near the British Museum, so I decided to stop there for a cuppa after being pushed around the throngs of fellow tourists. I was pretty sad that there was no seating room inside, which was no surprise because the coffee was delicious. Free Range People Cafe, in Neal's Yard, posed a similar problem, luckily a table became available by the time my drink was ready. I got my first flat white there. I have never had a flat white, so all I can say is that I enjoyed it! The Department of Coffee and Social Affairs in Leather Lane was by far one of my favorites. Not only does it have the best facade, they really know their coffee there. I instantly regretted not getting my usual cappuccino, but my macchiato allowed me to taste the quality coffee they brew.

DOCASA Leather Lane Location, 2014

DOCASA would have been my favorite, but it was closely tied with Sharps near Tottenham Court Road. Apart from being a great place for a cuppa, this coffee shop is actually inside a barber shop. It was like someone took two things I love--coffee and beards--and decided to create a personal heaven for me. I picked up some Sandows London cold brew here too! Dark Sugars, a chocolate shop on Brick Lane, was an unexpected surprise, coffee-wise. My macchiato was not only delicious, but creamy. Plus, the wafting smell of chocolate in the air makes it impossible not to enjoy every sip. Just across the street Eva and I had a second cup of coffee at Full Stop. I ordered a cappuccino here, and it was hands-down the best cappuccino on my trip. The barista, who also happened to be out waiter, was incredibly skilled and took time and care to craft our drinks. It was an unexpected surprise because we had only gone there for a bite to eat. I visited Lowry & Baker, located near the Notting Hill neighborhood, on one of the nicer, sunny days. Eva and I had a seat outside with our cappuccinos, and fresh baked pastries. We even stayed for seconds!

Outside Lowry & Baker
London, 2015

Verde & Company, near Spitalfields Market, felt like stepping into a storybook. Probably the tiniest of all shops I visited, but there was a lovely bench to sit and enjoy our coffee. Not my favorite cup of coffee, but there was a whole lot eye-candy there to make up for it. An unexpected stop on our amateur coffee tour was Dear Deer. Located on the East End, this coffee shop was so close that Eva and I took less than a 15 minute walk to get there! I thought the pastries at Lowry & Baker were delicious, but the pear tart at Dear Deer is a serious contender. I really liked the mint infused water on the tables! The very last coffee shop Eva and I visited together was Hollyhock FairTrade Cafe in Richmond. We had passed by it on our way to Richmond Park, and decided to stop on our way back. The view from the cafe is absolutely amazing.

I did good avoiding Pret this time around. While their BLTs are strangely satisfying, I can't say missed them too much. The first place Eva and I went out to eat to was the Breakfast Club in Spitafields. There was a huge queue to get in, but the 80s soundtrack, and quirky decor kept us entertained. I ordered their Huevos Rancheros, because anything with chorizo is an automatic win for me. However, I should have realized that they meant Spanish chorizo, which is the texture of salami. It was still good! I also ordered a virgin Mary, which was reasonably spicy and satisfied my craving for salty tomato juice! Before we left we asked if we could peek behind the door of a large vintage fridge near the entrance. This fridge is actually the entrance to an underground bar!

Although I loved the Breakfast Club, it was nothing compared to the experience at Sketch. Eva and I went for their cream tea, which to be honest was the most affordable thing on their menu. At £10 per person, Sketch's cream tea is a really good deal! After we got seated in The Glade, our server presented their impressive tea menu and set up our table. I am not a tea person at all, so I chose a vanilla tea at random. Tea usually tastes fairly bland to me, but this tea was anything but. The scones served with tea were also delicious! I did not think I would fill up with only two, but I couldn't even finish my second one! I enjoyed the entire experience, from the delicious tea and scones to the lovely room we were seated in, to the quirky toilets (egg pods!), to the incredibly friendly staff. Sketch is place I would not mind going to over and over again!

Not every experience was absolutely golden though. One of the places on my must-go list was a 1940's inspired bar, Cahoots. Eva and I made made our way to Soho around 8 PM and found the hidden entrance to the bar. We were told at the door that there was no room, but that we should come back later. Taking their suggestion, Eva and I ate at a nearby Peruvian restaurant and came back an hour later. Again we were told there was no room, even though they let in two girls after us who did not have reservations either. Afterwards we were shooed away and told there would be room later. Feeling discouraged, but having been told there would be room later I decided to wait it out. Once it was 10 PM, after two hours of trying to get into this bar, I tried once more with no avail. It was disappointing, not because I did not get to go inside the bar, but because the doormen kept telling me to come back instead of telling me to make reservations and come back another night. After wasting two hours I was in the mood to go home, but I did not want to let a couple of doormen ruin my night! Thankfully, Soho is in no short supply of great bars. Less than 10 minutes later Eva and I find ourselves at The Cocktail Trading Co. Although small, this underground bar has the most welcoming atmosphere. We were quickly ushered in by the staff and the bartenders had drinks ready for us in under ten minutes. We had to wait for a table, but as soon as one freed up, we were seated. Hands down, best and most elaborate cocktails I have ever had.  And their classic cocktails impressed as well! The most interesting cocktail I had was at Andina in Shoreditch. It was a mushroom based cocktail that had the after taste of a truffle. It was light and tasted a lot more expensive than it was. Of course, I ended my trip at a Wetherspoons! No shame in indulging in cheap beer and chips!

I have a part two coming up about my trip to London! I think I have covered most of my trip, but there are highlights from my trip that I want to share. Keep a look out!

February Recap

My part-time job:

I quit a job for the first time, and it feels wonderful. I started working at a local hotel restaurant a month after I graduated so that I could continue to have an income as I applied to jobs I actually wanted. This job has been the only job I have really felt unhappy in. 

I do not want to go into the details of what made this job bad for me, but a result of this job, I could not go dancing often, I stopped seeing a lot of my friends, and applying for other jobs became harder and harder because I was tired, sad, and discouraged. 

I look super happy

Then (finally!) I found another part-time job as an administrative assistant that makes me really happy! No more terrible green ties!

Valentine's Day:

I love, love, love Valentine's Day! I made some cards and mailed them to friends here in LA and all the way in the UK. My cards were not exactly original, but I hand-made each one  with care and a crap-ton of glitter.

I really liked all of these and was happy to know they had reached my friends on Valentine's Day or just a couple days after!

Lingerie:

I acquired a new Agent Provocateur set and completed an entirely velvet set! Recently, I wore What Katie Did's H2030 Seamfree RHT Nylons, size small and in the color "Champagne". I was definitely not expecting, how feather-light and delicate they feel especially for the price. They are very sheer, but give my legs a very warm hint of color. One thing I noticed from wearing these stockings was that they have a very noticeable sheen in direct sunlight. I personally liked this because I have noticed other brands of "nude" stockings I have used make my legs look ashy and dry if the finish is too matte. I also like that the champagne color suits the warm undertones and pale skin very well.


It is not obvious in the picture, but I am wearing my Madame X suspender from Dita Von Teese's lingerie line. It was also my first time wearing this suspender out, and I was really happy with it. I did not have to readjust it, the clips did not pop out of place, and despite being constructed with elastic and lace, the suspender did not travel very far from my waist for the 5 hours I was wearing it/being mobile in it. The true test will come when I wear it out dancing!

Missed and Matched I.

     Originally, this post was going to showcase my many, many, mismatched knicker, suspenders, and bras. Since I have been making an effort to rescue my collection from being a lot of random pieces I want to focus on how my random purchases work out for me in the long run. I am not an impulse buyer, but I have a knack for convincing myself over a period of time that I should buy certain lingerie on sale because the deal is too good to miss. Unfortunately, what often happens with sales is that I'll fall in love with a set that isn't completely available in my size. 

     This isn't always a bad thing because sometimes I only really like one piece, or I can only afford to choose one piece that I really want from a set. However, I prefer having a completely cohesive bra, suspender, and knickers set and it requires a bit of creativity on my part to incorporate these out-of-place pieces into my lingerie wardrobe. Lately, I've been making an effort to fill in the "gaps" where needed.

     Most of my out-of-place garments tend to be suspenders. Unlike for some people, suspenders are not really a special-occasion garment, but one that I use often with stockings in place of more widely used tights. (I'll get into how much I absolutely hate tights, eventually.) I bought these two suspenders from Mimi Holliday on sale from Journelle a couple of months apart:

Left to Right: Mimi Holliday suspender in 'Tinkerbell' and Mimi Holliday in 'Pizazz'

     The colors were what attracted me to both of these suspenders, but their colors were what made them hard to introduce into my everyday lingerie. Although I used them just to hold up my stockings, I like feeling like my "outfit" underneath my outfit is as put together. Unfortunately, when I bought these on Journelle's website the matching bras and knickers were not available in my size. It wasn't until over a year after the purchase of my 'Tinkerbell' suspender that I found the matching bra on Dolci Follie's website in size 30C and knickers in XL. Though far from my size, the knickers are a quick fix! When I actually get around to altering them, I'll post about it! I was relieved when I completed this set! Although the truffle color of this suspender is beautiful, I found it nearly impossible to match with anything else.

     As for my 'Pizazz' suspender, I managed to find a really cheap yellow set at Forever 21 that looked good with it. However, I'm still always on the look out for something that goes with it (since Forever 21 lingerie definitely doesn't last for more than a couple of uses..)! This suspender's color is a very bright canary color that I've found looks really well paired with nude lingerie.Moving forward, I'm not limiting my search for solely yellow lingerie, but expanding it to finding colors that would look well with it. (Light pink for example?) 

Dita Von Teese 'Madame X' suspender in white

     I had never owned a white suspender, or thought I would until I saw this one from Dita Von Teese's lingerie collection. I had seen the Madame X set in black and had fallen in love with it immediately, but when I saw it in white, I was determined to own it! I originally bought this on Black Friday after Thanksgiving on Bloomingdale's website. The bra was not available in my size at the time, but I figured if I could just match it with another white bra. 

Dita Von Teese Madame X bra in white

     Recently, I added the bra to my collection in an effort to fill the "gaps" in my collection. While most white bras would have worked with my suspender, the "caged" strap motif looks better when it's also reflected on the bra. I have yet to acquire the Madame X knickers, but I hope I get them soon!
     
     I think any good collection, whether it's lingerie or mugs, deserves to be well curated. While I have been a long time lingerie "enthusiast"-- I was convinced at age 13 that I was going to make a career out of designing lingerie-- this is the first time I am able to afford putting the time, effort, and money into building a collection I'm excited about. I'm very excited to see how my lingerie collection grows, and how my miss-matched pieces find their pairs!