Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I Love New York

*Warning: Extremely picture-heavy and word-heavy post! So just sit back...and enjoy!

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A whirlwind of events and five plane rides later, I am finally back from New York. Oh my goodness. Where do I even begin?!?! I can't even find the words describe how amazing this trip was, and especially how sweet and stunning all the bloggers are. I tried my best to document the trip as best I could. I feel like I should have a lot more photos, but everything just went by so quickly and I was fighting a cold the entire time. However, I'm sure with all the photos from other blogs combined, you'll all get a sense of how crazy and wonderful this weekend really was!

So I guess I'll just begin with...
Day One: Friday, February 2010

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Robert and I left Orange County for San Francisco early in the morning. This was my first flight in about ten years, so I was a little queasy and miserable during that short flight. From San Francisco, we went directly to New York. We arrived at New York at 11pm Eastern time, and the cold seriously shocked me! This was my first time experiencing snow. It was exhilarating for the first couple of steps, but once that excitement was blown away with the sharp winds, I was cursing inside and wishing I had doubled up on everything--scarves, cardigans, tights, etc. We took the subway to our hotel and got there around 1:30 am. We were starving since we didn't want to pay for food on the airplane, so we searched for a pizza place that delivered. Thank goodness there was a CVS right next to our hotel, so we grabbed some drinks and snacks, and had dinner on our bed while watching the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

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Day Two: Saturday, February 13, 2010

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(I will repeat this outfit for sure. It was too cold to take off all my layers...But what I was wearing was: blue jacket, red striped crop top, white hair bow--forever 21; blue skirt and saddle oxfords--urban outfitters; white scarf -- h&m)
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We had planned to wake up bright and early so we could fit in a bunch of sight seeing before the Conference, but with the three-hour time difference and an exhausting night, that didn't really happen. Our hotel was a couple of blocks away from Central Park, so we took a cute little stroll there. It really was like a winter wonderland with dogs rolling around in the snow and children sliding down hills. It was so surreal walking along miles and miles of snow and in a park where so many movies have been filmed. We then ended up in Upper East Side (aka super rich side) of Manhattan and hunted down this cute chocolate store that Robert went to last time. We bought some ridiculously overpriced chocolate for his parents and then headed to Chinatown where the conference was being held. We got some ramen and dumplings at a small restaurant near the gallery. Cheap, hot, and delicious--that was all we could ask for.

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(Suits designed by JCheikh)
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(Goody bags we got! Designed by Danny Roberts)

The gallery where the conference was held was small, and I was really surprised with the turnout. Apparently the event was sold out! I met so many of my favorite bloggers there! I was so excited that the first person I saw was Tieka, who I love even more after meeting her in real life!! She is so cute and bubbly! Everyone is seriously so much prettier and sweeter in real life. I was so star-struck in that room. I didn't even know what to say. I could barely get passed the initial "OMG-You're-REAL!" phase. The conference took up the whole day (2:00-8:00pm). It was really informative, yet kind of boring and a bit disorganized in the beginning. We heard from bloggers (like Liz and Rebecca), and other important people (ie. the founder of Modcloth). I honestly thought it'd be more of like a fun get-together rather than like actual lectures on marketing and advertising...but I'm really glad I am a part of such an accepting and open-minded community that is so passionate about what they do. It's so cool that we're all a part of the initial boom of fashion blogging.

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After the conference, Robert and I headed back to the hotel to drop off some things and change. We then headed to Times Square. Times Square is so breath-taking, but in a different way from Central Park. All the bright lights and the crowds of people were just so eye-opening. You have to stand in the middle of it all for a few minutes just to soak in everything. There's going to be a huge Forever 21 opening there soon too! We visited the humongous Toys-R-Us, the three-story M&M's story, and the Hershey Store (I don't really know why we didn't do any clothing shopping there...). We bought some goodies and headed to the Chictopia 10 After Party at Tribeca Grand, where we met up with the girls again and danced until 1:30 AM. The party was a bit...weird. It was way too dark for people to see each other. The only way I found Tieka and the other girls was seeing Andrea's (who is so lovely and nice enough to give me some tips about the field of photography!) amazing, big hair! Once we got back to the hotel, I collapsed from exhaustion.

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(Tieka and I at the After Party!
She was one of the people I was most excited to meet! After only months of communicating through comments, emails, and even snail mail, we've become instant friends! It was so amazing meeting her in real life! I can't wait until the next time we meet, and hopefully that will be a double-date!)


Day Three: Sunday, February 14, 2010
(Valentine's Day and Chinese New Years!)


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Since we failed at waking up early on Saturday morning, we had hoped to do it on our (supposed) last day in New York, but of course, we didn't. We woke up late and hurried to get dressed, pack, and check-out so we could get to the photo shoot at Bryant Park on time. Since we were (supposedly) flying home that day, I didn't want to wear a dress or a skirt, and showed up in a super casual outfit--BIG mistake! Everyone else was extremely chic and fierce with their gorgeous dresses, skirts, and furs. Ugh, I felt so out-of-place! Actually, I felt like that the entire trip...

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(Kristine [the editor of Everybody is Ugly at Chictopia] and I! She was another person I was extremely excited to meet in person! She is such an inspiring person with her amazing jewelry store, her ability to write well, and her effortless sense of fashion. Her humility despite all her talents makes her even more inspiring. I was in awe when she approached me first at the conference! She is so sweet and nice!)
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(wearing: blue jacket -- forever 21; anchor t-shirt, saddle oxfords, gray cardigan -- urban outfitters; blue bow -- h&m; black tights -- target)

My style has always been way too casual, but it's alright in Southern California since everyone else is casual and laid back. But in New York, I felt like such a slob! While shopping for the trip though, I saw all these chic things like leather jackets, furs, etc. and thought that I should be getting those things instead of what I usually buy (ie. striped tops). In the end though, I am glad I stayed true to my own style. I have been so inspired by all the street style in New York though so I hope my outfits this week will reflect all the culture I've soaked in.

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(Brittany and I--Brittany is so sweet and was seriously so fierce in that white dress! Her luggage was lost for all of Saturday and yet she still managed to look amazing at the conference!; Liz and I--I got to chat with Liz for a while during lunch since we sat at the same table! She is so charming, intelligent, and so down-to-earth!)
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(Helen [co-founder of Chictopia] and I; Lydia and I)
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(Pauline and I--Pauline is so sweet and stunning! It's so hard to believe that she's only 16-years-old and already that chic!; Annie and I--Annie was supposed to be my roomie through out the trip, but that was before Robert decided to come with me. She too is so gorgeous and sweet in person and her outfits on both days were fantastic!)
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(You probably know both of these ladies--Rebecca from The Clothes Horse and Erin from Calivintage. It was seriously like meeting celebrities! I adore their blogs so much! I wish I had gotten more chances to chat with them more, but Erin and I will hopefully see each other again the next time I go up to San Francisco! She can then show me her secrets of vintage-shopping!)
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Being the Project Runway fanatic that I am, just being at Bryant Part and seeing all those white tents was so surreal! Bryant Park is so stunning being surrounded by sky-high buildings. After the photo shoot, we all headed to Spice Market with people from Modcloth and other bloggers for lunch. I wish I had gotten some shots of the restaurant. It was such a beautiful place--very oriental. The food (especially the chicken samosas) and passion fruit iced tea were delicious. Robert and I were so sad that we had to leave early to catch our 4:25pm flight home. I regretfully missed out on dessert, and the shopping tour after lunch!

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We left lunch at around 2pm and got to the airport at around 3:35. On the way to the airport, the strap to my red bag broke... :( I guess it just wasn't meant for heavy-duty traveling! When we went to check in at the airport, we couldn't because apparently we were too late. What?! It was ridiculous. We didn't have any luggage besides our carry-on items, and could've easily made the flight. Basically, we ended up missing our flights to Detroit (and then home) because we were 5-minutes late to check-in. I don't even know how to explain what happened...I ended up having a melt down at the airport. As we tried to figure out what to do, I sobbed in Robert's arms, saying I didn't deserve to win and that we shouldn't be here in New York; and that if I didn't win, we wouldn't be in this horrible, expensive mess. We ended up having to pay a $180 flight-change fee each and another hotel night's stay. It was a nightmare. I'm never booking flights from Delta ever again! I was in shock while on the subway back to the hotel. After such a traumatizing afternoon, Robert and I decided to have a nice quiet night to ourselves at the hotel for Valentine's Day. We bought some food and brought it up to our room, and watched Figure Skating.

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Day Four: Monday, February 15, 2010

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Oy. We woke up late. Again! We had planned on taking the subway and the bus to the airport since it's a lot cheaper and we had money left on our metro cards; but we couldn't afford to miss our flights again and I giggled at myself as I called us a cab for the first time (it really is just like in the movies!). The cab ride to the airport was so bittersweet--the scenery was so breathtaking, but I was so reluctant to leave! We made it to the airport on time, and three (New York to Washington D.C., Washington D.C. to Chicago, Chicago to Orange County) plane rides later, we are home safely. I can't believe we spent a whole day either on a plane or in an airplane terminal. I actually typed this whole blog post out last night, but I was too dizzy from motion sickness to continue...

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Overall, this trip was so, so, so amazing! I'm really glad I got to go with Robert, and meet so many of you in real life! I really hope I get to go to another conference (they're trying to plan one for September's NYFW!)! I'm a bit disappointed I didn't get to shop at all in New York, but I can always get clothes here in Irvine. But all the memories and new friends I have are so irreplaceable and priceless! Thank you so much Chictopia for giving me this opportunity. I had a blast!

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It's going to be tough, but I must be getting back to reality now. Waking up this morning was horrible. New York has definitely made me want to leave this sub-urban bubble even more. It's so different here. California is like spring/summer right now with 80-degree weather. I miss the snow and a "real" winter, but I miss the bustling city life even more! Robert and I are more determined than ever to get out of this little town and move to a big city, hopefully New York. I actually have even more things to show you from this trip, so just watch as they trickle in upcoming posts! I really missed you all! I can't wait to catch up on all your blogs! Thank you again for all your support!

Until next post,
Jasmine

Thank you Robert for everything! I love you so much!

21 comments:

  1. pant, pant, pant! Whew! I'm exhausted just reading it all. I felt like I was there with you! :)
    The time flew by so fast for you but I'm glad you got to meet so many bloggers and learned so much. And the photos are wonderful!
    That's so stupid about the flight. Late my ass! And then to charge you rather than putting you on the next flight out. ARGH! Glad you made it home safely and have so much to share.

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  2. What a great post! I felt your excitement and anxiety through it all! It looks like it was really fun, and the pictures you took are lovely! I'm so jealous, I wish I could go to NYC! Wow Times Square looks amazing, with all those Broadway signs everywhere! And all those famous bloggers you met, they are indeed like celebrities! I'm sorry you missed your flight, that totally sucks! Airport rules and security are so strict now, I know how it is. At least you're home safe and sound! I've missed you!

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  3. Wow!!! Thanks for sharing Jasmine!!! I really love how you present your trip, it was awesome. I felt like I was there in the event, somehow!

    You really did an awesome job out there! Congratulations!

    Hope to see more of you!

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  4. Aw, congratulations again Jasmine! And what a lovely, refreshingly honest post. I appreciate your chronicling of the highs and lows and it sounds like there were a lot of highs! I would have been so so so so so awkward and nervous myself, and so I think you carried yourself with great dignity and sweetness. (No surprise there!)
    Lots of love,
    Jenny

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  5. GAHH I READ EVERYTHING. I'm so amazed at how... EVERYTHING IS REAL. I mean, blogging is almost like a surreal thing itself, only to meet bloggers in real life. GOD I AM SO ENVIOUS. Your photos are beautiful as always, and we all learn from our mistakes, no? :) I'm still in awe as to how chic all of you dress in the cold, I would probably be the least, and most spiteful person right then and there. I've pretty much been camping out in my olympic gear for the past, gosh I have no idea how long. I should seriously just blog about all the Olympic crap I've accumulated in my house. It's actually rather terrifying :P Your photos are like a story book to me <3 I cannot wait to see updates from all the other bloggers... :) Thanks a bunch dear, and once again congratulations on a much deserved win! xo

    Oh, and you and Robert look so adorable together, I'M JEALOUS :(

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  6. JASMINEEE!!!!! i can't believe you were only an hour away either! i should've spent a day in nyc just searching for you, haha :) i loved seeing all these pictures of your nyc adventures though, your photography is just stunning and i've never seen new york city look so gorgeous (i especially love the shot of the tables at bryant park). you saw so many amazing bloggers and i'm ooozing jealousy. and i'm also glad you stuck with your casual so-cal style because you wouldn't be you without it.

    sorry to hear about your mess with delta though, that's really shitty and i guess all the airports are getting tight with security. at least you got to spend a nice night at a hotel for valentine's day :) having robert there must've made the whole experience a million times better. next time you come to nyc we BETTER meet up.

    and i have a package in the mailroom so i'll pick it up tomorrow and hopefully it'll be the bow!!!

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  7. wow, you really can write a lot, but I was determined to read it all. I'm glad you had lots of fun, I wish I could meet all those lovely bloggers too, that'd be amazing. I agree, after reading their blogs for so long they sort of feel like celebrities to you. I also enjoyed looking at the photos from new york, a lot of the scenery reminds me of gossip girl, hehe. Sucks about the plane mix up, I would have been exactly like you. I'm a big stress head :)

    Anyways to sum all this up, Congradulations on winning the chictopia prize.

    Chloe xo

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  8. Dear Jazzy, your comment on my blog just melted my heart. I know the whole Chictopia community missed you while you were in NY. But I can tell that you had the grandest time there!

    I enjoyed reading your entry. So happy (and jealous too! haha) for you that you got to meet such awesome bunch of fellow bloggers.

    I'd say, do try to experiment with different looks/items but still stick to what you're most comfortable in.

    Keep coming up with adorable looks for us, kiddo! I do hope to meet you in the future.

    :)

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  9. LOVE love love these photos! I have a super cute photo of you and robert! I'm putting it on my blog today or tomorrow..What's your email? I can send it to you!! So lovely meeting you!

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  10. Woooow I am so happy for you! It all sounds (and looks!) AMAZING. The photos are gorgeous, and so are all of the ladies! <333

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  11. wow, what a trip!!!i got jealous just by reading your story! you should've posted more pictures :D sorry to hear about the last day incident, but at least you got home safely:) i miss you, post more!!! :D

    www.monochromachic.com

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  12. This is an amazing recap! Read it ALL and got goosebumps at the very end. So happy to have met you, it all went by so fast (and I even live here), I couldn't even begin to imagine your experience!
    Sorry to hear about your flight mishap but I'm happy it all worked out in the end!

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  13. wow jas! i loved loved loved your post!!!!! i felt like i was there with you!!!! hehe. it's too bad it ended the way it did with you missing the flight and all...but it will all be a memory, right? :) glad to hear you got back safely! :D

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  14. such a whirlwind! i really enjoy the fact that your recap was so thorough, honest and thoughtful. you truly deserved to travel to nyc - seeing your casual cali style was a standout against the black/grey of nyc streets :)

    xo.
    princesspolitico.blogspot.com

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  15. Amazing post!!!! I'm so glad you got to experience all of that.

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  16. Oh my gosh, all of your photos and words from this trip made me JEALOUS. Seriously! And I was in NYC right there with you.. but you had seriously so much better of an experience! You got to see sites, relax, meet people, talk, have FUN. I mean I got a lot of those things in too but I felt so rushed, and we stayed in a very dirty area.. and I'm in love with this entire post!! Wow. I adore you. I'm so glad we got to meet - you are seriously SO sweet. Definitely hang out again in the future. <3

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  17. wow that's so awesome you got to talk to so many bloggers one-on-one... I only got to briefly meet a couple at the conference since I was a bit starstruck ;)

    Anyway, I've followed you on this blog and hope that we keep in touch!!

    http://diyainherstilettos.blogspot.com/

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  18. Hey girl! I'm so sorry to hear about your experience on the way home! oh, and you have a marvelous camera, seriously those photos are gorgeous! is it okay if i steal a couple (with your credit of course)? i totally know what you mean about feeling out of place, i didnt bring makeup with me and had under-eye circles, messy hair, and looked so silly next to some of those girls! haha! it was great to meet you! :]

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  19. Aw, I'm so sorry about the fiasco you encountered on your way home! I wish I could have talked to you more - you seem so sweet! NYC is such a great city and I'm glad you enjoyed your stay there (minus the airport drama)!

    - Catherine

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  20. i love the whole entry, dear!! i was really looking forward to reading your story and pictures! :D thanks for sharing.. amidst the flight mishap, im glad to hear that you had a grand time in NYC. you totally deserve that prize, dear! :D

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  21. That was absolutely lovely! You two are absolutely adorable together...and as for your style, I really think you looked laidback-chic in an I-just-blew-in-from-California-and-threw-this-together kind of way. Very cute and beautiful photograpy, too.

    I've had horrendous airline nightmares, too, and I know how it feels, the abject horror of being stuck far from home with no choice but to fork out a lot more money than you planned just to make it home.

    Wonderful trip, though, it looks like! Had to be worth it.

    |Anjle|
    strangeasanjles.blogspot.com

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