An AMNH Comeback

I visit The Met like it's going out of fashion, but once we realised it had been 4 years since we were last at The American Museum of Natural History, we grabbed my corporate pass and headed uptown.

Skipping the special exhibits, we revisited the mammals and the dinosaurs:  

Before departing, we made sure to pay homage to our Malaysian and Oceanic roots in the Pacific hall: 

The only museum with a Shake Shack next door, this marvelous space is another reason I will probably never leave this awesome city.  

I have not worn this all-Anthro outfit for over a year and it was the perfect match to my amazing blow out. (God bless the darling boyfriend for buying me a PACK for St Valentines Day!)

Compeer dress (similar here), Blooming Lattice Cardigan, Peppermint Swirl Spectators and Sunset Scroll Tights (please join me in a moment of silence to honour the amount of time I spent googling each item's Anthro name!)

 

...and a massive round of applause to my new Astrological Map Bracelet -  care to guess my star sign?

UES Anthropologie Opening

Tonight was the opening party for New York City's newest Anthropologie store, located on the Upper East Side on the corner of 71st and 3rd.

As the first upper manhattan location, the expansive new store occupies what was formerly a Lowes Cinema and is in one word, breathtaking. 

I love the balcony (below) that welcomes you as you walk in to the store - from which you have a near complete view of the entire lower level.  

Naturally, the store stays true to its whimsical esthetic:

My favourite dressform

A great way to hang up my 45638475983 teacups

Corks and mirrored circles = potential DIY?

Necklaces displayed on vintage childrens' vests

Requisite crockery chandeliers

Spot the fabric cacti from the real ones!

The following bedroom display is located within the mezzanine alcove, which was my favourite space in the store. I can imagine spending a great deal of time here:

The only thing stopping me from leaping onto the bed was knowing I could never remake it ala Anthro

COS draped dress, Karl Lagerfeld belt, Prada bag, Ferragamo patent pumps

A sweet parting gift

Surprisingly this store carries no shoes. In addition, the sale section is teeny-tiny and is tucked away in the corner on the lower level. Is that a sign that Anthropologie expects to decrease the number of markdowns in the future? 

Nevertheless, this store may shape up to be my second favourite store (Rockefeller Plaza still has my heart) - just as long as they keep that mezz alcove cozy! 

Go shorty it's your birthday!

This post is dedicated to my gorgeous mother on this wonderful eve of St. Valentines Day!

Happy happy birthday dearest Amma! 

I wish I was there to celebrate but here's wishing you plenty of sequins, rainbows, sunshine, great food, wonderful friends and an abundance of good health for many many many years to come.

So much love, hugs and kisses from your baby girl! 

That Damn Green Dress

It's a wonderful time in the city with the festive buzz of Fashion Week in the air. My twitter feed is exploding from various runway updates, broken up only by loving tributes to Whitney Houston's great voice and tragic life.  

My initial Sunday plans involved people-watching at Lincoln Centre but the weather was unbearably cold. So following a relaxing morning indoors, I trekked out to Brooklyn for a calligraphy class at the Brooklyn Brainery. 

I last dabbled with western calligraphy over 15 years ago and it was invigorating to reacquaint myself with the artform. The two hours went by in a flash - despite leaving the class feeling as if my right hand was afflicted with early onset rheumatoid arthritis, I am looking forward to improving in subsequent sessions. 

Post-class, I met darling S at Prime Meats for dinner. Notwithstanding our extremely full tummies, we couldn't help swing back to Buttermilk Channel for their pecan pie sundae.

My outfit was inspired by That Damn Green Dress in the most obvious way:

3.1 Phillip Lim shift dress, Sportsgirl (Australia) necklace

Scarcity of space in NYC means I have a small but carefully curated wardrobe of items I love. Naturally I reuse clothes many times over - as you can work out, this COS cashmere and my Calvin Klein boots fall amongst my most hardworking items this winter.

Hope you have a pleasant Sunday evening, I am spending mine with the Adele Grammy Awards!

Now is the winter of our discontent

Saturday salutations to you all! We spent our afternoon at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for Richard III. Despite the loooong 3.5-hour performance, Kevin Spacey was remarkable as the title role. Doing our homework beforehand certainly helped the engagement.

Anthropologie Frosted Boucle Pullover and  Clipped Cities Skirt

COS cashmere jumper/sweater; Calvin Klein riding boots

Post-show, we popped in  al di là vino. The menu is identical to that in the main restaurant but without the 2-hour wait. I have been waiting to try this little gem for ages and our picks (squash ravioli and spaghetti alle vongole) did not disappoint. 

Background story on my skirt: on my visit to Sydney last November, I tried on this pretty laser-cut Willow number:

Sticker-shock prevented me from purchasing it then but to my pleasure, Anthropologie released a similar skirt soon after. It's a weekend skirt so I can live with the latter version being SO MUCH MORE delicate and tear-prone. 

I love big chunky accessories like the average (Indian) gal, so I couldn't resist this piece from Anthropologie. Proving its versatility, I have worn this with both traditional and not-so-traditional outfits.  

Anthropologie Natural Wonder Necklace