a series: i love ny and ny loves me

Now that I'm back from Paris and in New York I feel it only appropriate to dedicate a photo story to her. Each of these photos reminds of the Big Apple:











Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

home decorating: dream apartment inspiration

I must say, my priorities lately have been allll outa whack. I got myself a job at the J.Crew women's collection boutique on Madison and 79th to make up for my spending habits abroad and have dedicated all of my time to that, in addition to keeping up with seeing my friends. Not too shabby, however, I have had little-to-no creative stimulation--not even when I am helping customers at J.Crew because A. I am usually way to flustered helping 28 people at a time find items in their sizes to think about styling and B. we have personal shoppers to do the job that I would love to do. Maybe this explains my long-term absence from blogging: nothing to write about! And I am declaring that there will be no more daily accounts on this blog unless completely relevant!

So, now we move onto what my blog will contain. The next few posts will be themed collections of photos from my trusty "inspiration for life" folder on my desktop. Until I learn to use Photoshop in my magazine layout design class in the fall, you'll have to bear with my basic photo format.

My first themed photo grouping is inspired by being in my summer apartment in the East Village. The little kooky details of the apartment--the Godzilla toy holding a wash cloth on the shelf in the bathroom, the Japanese Amelie movie poster in the livingroom--have got me itching to FINALLY decorate my own place in NYC next year.

Here are the images that will definitely influence my decorating endeavors:















Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

what i'm up to: my fashion week(end)

Finally made it back to Boston after an UNBELIEVABLE weekend of being in the midst of full-blown fashion week action. Celebs, fashion celebs, models, parties, drinks galore, freebees, the works! Here’s the recap…




Thursday consisted of assisting the rag & bone design team with final prep for Friday’s show and hitting up Fashion’s Night Out, where Rebecca and I scored our bottle of limited edition Chanel Jade nail polish, indulged in free food and drinks, and met Phillip Lim at his SoHo store! Not too shabby...!!

And did I mention that I saw the Autumn '09 issue 10 Magazine with the I Love NY shoot in it-- and I was credited as a fashion assistant?!?!?!!!! Monumental occasion in the life of Marisa Rose Morrison, right there!!!
Anyway, Friday was show time and I got to the rag & bone office by 8 AM. I spent the first part of my day running between the office, the show venue and the belt manufacturer, which was really lame because it was raining and IMPOSSIBLE to get a cab. Needless to say, the rest of my day made up for that 100-fold! Being backstage at the show was incredible. I loved feeling the energy and seeing how everyone prepared for the show. There were professionals doing everything from guarding the doorways to dressing the models, so we interns just got to observe and lend the occasional hand.



Sasha, Lily, Freja, Kasia, Kim Noorda, Magdalena and more were all there in all of their long lanky glory! Sasha was wearing this all-black gettup complete with a black shawl over her head, which totally made her look like this beautifully haunting dementor of sorts. Caught Lily and Freja chilling in the back, laughing and smoking cigarettes.


And the male models were out of this world gorgeous--and quite friendly and funny at that!



When it came time for the show, I was able to go out to the runway to watch--and I even got a seat!! I sat right behind the Voguettes, including Anna and Grace right in the center, and got to say hi to some of the editors at Teen Vogue who were also right by me. Across the way sat Stam (who was not walking in the show) and Jessica Szor, who both looked like the cool girls in class.



The show was stunning, thanks to the rag & bone design team and stylist Tabitha Simmons, who so perfectly layered the military inspired pieces and classic rag & bone basics into wearable, yet impeccably stylish, looks. Check it out on style.com!!



Following the show, we interns stuck with the r&b team and went to the Brass Monkey for food and drinks to celebrate, then hit up the official after party in the basement of Simyone. Lots of dancing and silly antics ensued. Then I stopped by the unofficial after-after party and quickly decided it was time for bed. I was only running on 4 1/2 hours of sleep, people!!

I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mom--mainly acting as her personal stylist and taking her to Bloomie's twice in two days. It's all good because she paid me in new makeup for my services (I had lost my make up bag at Brass Monkey and I guess she felt bad).

Now it's back to school in Boston and back to real life. Time to focus on getting good grades, working on The Buzz, and making some dinero for my semester abroad. But don't think I won't still be posting fabulously fashionable news, events and coveted items... We have a whole month left of fashion shows galore!!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

you'll never be bored again!

We all know that New York is the city that never sleeps and that there is ALWAYS something to do around here. However, all to often, we know much is happening, we are just not sure what those things are. Enter Flavorpill, a website created to ensure that you never again spend another night wondering what to do. Concentrating mostly on art, music and film, this site will keep you up-to-date on what's going on and when. Not from New York? Flavorpill also has guides for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and London! Pretty sweet, huh? Guess Alex and I shouldn't have any trouble trying to figure out what to do when we're in LA in two weeks!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

we keep nyc colorful, even in the greyest weather

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while! I've been soo busy with work, especially working late every night at the rag & bone sample sale. (The last day is tomorrow, so check it out if you haven't been!) On that note, I bought so many goodies at the sale, most notably the black liberty floral silk tank, the silk boyfriend blazer in blue and the blondie leather jacket!! My mom and Amy did some damage as well. The clothes are just oh so irresistible!

Today, my friends and I were supposed to explore Brooklyn, but due to yucky weather, we ventured to the closer destination of SoHo. Before SoHo, Alex, Amy and I made the MaryKate Steinmiller bracelets! I had bought the supplies weeks ago but have been waiting for the perfect time for our arts and crafts sesh.



Aren't they so great???

After bracelet time, we headed over to TopShop, as Amy has been meaning to go for ages! Obviously, they have a dress-up contest to win a free bike, and obviously I can't resist an offer to play dress-up!



(Photo courtesy of Nicky Digital)

I think it's a good look on me, no? I'll let you all know if I win the bike =)

Next stop: Pearl River Mart for cheap kitchenware. I forgot how fun this store is! Every kitschy Asian nick nack you could imagine! After the amount I spent at the sample sale, I had to hold myself back here. I did pick up a box of chocolate panda cookies though.







Next, Alex and I grabbed lunch at this little Cuban restaurant that I've been meaning to try called Cubana Cafe. It was soooo yum! Alex had vegetarian quesadillas and I got the green apple-jicama salad and plantain puree... yummmmm.....









After lunch, we continued to wander around SoHo in search of birthday and Father's Day gifts-- great success! Found something for Amy (can't say!!) and bought a Venus Fly Trap plant for my dad from Evolution. He's totally gunna dig it!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

More NYC Shopping Destinations

Check out this shopping guide provided by blogger Bunny Bisous for the June 2009 issue of Nylon Japan. Consider her picks #27 on my Summer '0Neon To-Do List.

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

Summer '0Neon To-Do List

Today was another wonderful day at rag & bone. Stopped off at Milk Studios to drop something off for David Neville's high-profile makeup artist wife Gucci Westman at a China Vogue shoot. Very cool!! Too nervous to stay and chat or even process who the cutie Asian model in the chair was. Boo. Spent the rest of the day sketching inspiration looks for the Spring '10 collection!! Hopefully I'll be able to post them when I finish them, but they may have to remain a secret until after the show in September. On that note, have I mentioned that there's a good chance that I'll be assisting at the show??? Ok I don't want to jinx it, so I'm putting it out there that NOTHING HAS BEEN CONFIRMED and I MAY NOT work the show after all. But I think I will!! Can you even imagine the models I'll be dressing?!?!? SASHA!! FREJA!! STAM!! COCO!! LILY D!! It might be too good to be true!!!!!!

Anyway, so the point of this post is to start my summer to-do list that Alex and I have been discussing for what seems like years. So here, in no particular order, are the things that I'm planning to do to keep Summer '0Neon (like the name?? hee hee) as fabulous as it has been so far:

1. Tea time and Neon Tea Party photo shoot at Alice's Tea Cup, which leads me to...
2. Read Alice In Wonderland (already started it--just gotta finish it!!)
3. Picnic in Central Park with my favorite ladies.
4. Go to Cape Cod with the BUCrew - date set for 4th of July weekend!!
5. Check out the John Lennon exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Amy.
6. Headband making workshop at M & J with Alex!!
7. Finally do the Landmark Forum! (You should too!!)
8. Read. A lot. (Just finished I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie!! Now reading High Fidelity.)
9. Cook. A lot. Planning to make: lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberries, quiche, lots of pesto, flatbread pizzas, homemade raviolis, and oh so much more!
10. Lunch dates with Avery and Allie V at the Condé Nast cafeteria.
11. Go to the beach and get some color!! (with SPF 30 of course! cough cough Allison Cohen...!)
12. Host dinner parties at Amy's and my Gramercy apartment!
13. Shop for antique tea cups at flea markets.
14. Play in the sun at Battery Park.
15. Explore Brooklyn.
16. Try cupcakes from babycakes.
17. Make bracelets.
18. Study French so that I'm not totally clueless when I go back to school in September.
19. Practice guitar and learn lots of new tunes.
20. Visit Boston and finally explore the South End. And bring Misha along!!
21. FINISH THE BUZZ MOCK UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (This really should be #1 on the to-do list!)
22. Celebrate the birthdays of some pretty amazing people: my mom, Mish, Alex, Amy, Avery, Liezy, and from afar: Morgan (she'll be in Paris), Vilde (Norway), Cory (Hawaii)
23. Try fish and chips from A Salt and Battery--actually on this week's to-do list, as it's around the corner from my office and I want it for lunch!!
24. Resist buying more clothes. I've come to the realization that I have more clothes than life. But maybe not as much as Rachel Zoe. Okay, maybe I'll buy a thing or two from rag & bone-- how can I not?!
25. Play soccer! (I think I like soccer...)
26. Last, but not least, travel to Cali to explore San Fran and LA with Allison and Alex!!!!!

I just want to make it clear that I am such a lucky little girl to be able to do all of these things. I've been extremely reflective and appreciative lately and want to put it out there how utterly blessed I am to have the most amazing family and friends, to create the most amazing opportunities for myself (with the help of said family and friends, of course!), to possess such an amazingly happy and healthy mind, and to now live in the most amazing city in the WHOLE world. Life is, well, AMAZING!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

what i'm up to: ...your pretty little rags & bones

This week was my first week as a rag & bone intern, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it there!!

{sign on the door into the 3rd floor office}

My tasks? Well this week was all about organizing fabric samples, sorting through pieces of gorgeous buttery leather, running errands around the city, keeping the office neat and filling in for the receptionist on Friday. I'm so glad to be working with fabrics! I'm a journalism student NOT a fashion student, so learning about fashiony things like fabrics and trims can only come through internships- or lots of research.

And did I mention that the office is in the Meatpacking District? I ADORE the area! Cobblestone streets, trendy restaurants (hello Pastis!!), amazing stores (I die over Jeffrey!!), and an overall cool, hip, young vibe (perfection!).

{first day of work outfit: blazer- zara, skirt- phillip lim, necklace- kenneth jay lane, neon tank

and sandals- necessary objects; and I was wearing my vintage gucci doctor bag too!!}

{friend and fellow intern rebecca wearing a super cute outfit on thursday:

blazer- elizabeth and james, dress- topshop}

I'll be sure to keep you all updated if anything interesting happens at the r & b office this summer!!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

Treasures on East 9th St!

As I was going home from dinner last week, I walked down a block in the East Village that I'd either a) never been down before, or b) been too oblivious to notice. This time, however, I coulnd't NOT notice the abundance of unique boutiques carrying merchandise I'd never seen in other stores. I wanted to explore so badly, but unfortunately, it had been about 11 p.m. and all of the stores were closed. I vowed to myself that I'd be back.

It didn't take to long for me to fulfill my vow, as yesterday was the golden opportunity. Jess decided to come back to the city with me after our amazing girl's weekend in the Hamptons--ding ding ding! First thing on Monday's agenda, take the 6 to the East Village and head to my beloved block: 9th St between 1st and 2nd Avenues. This block contains store after store of unique treasures at modest prices whose merchandise is a mix of vintage, new and reconstructed. If you're looking for jewelry, accessories and other goods by local artists and designers, check out sister stores Musu and M. Sonii, as well as Gallery Vercon which specializes in one-of-a-kind ornate handmade hats.





Looking for vintage? Try Local Clothing for killer boots and bags, Archangel Antiques for jewelry and nicknacks and Fabulous Fanny's for sunglasses and quality vintage clothing.





Also on this street is one of the three New York locations of my new favorite store, pinkyotto, as well as a store of similar concept, Think Closet. Check out the latter for unique dresses and skirts, as well as an awesome selection of flats and accessories.



Finally, after leaving the block of wonders, Jess and I stumbled upon a trove of cheap designer finds at a consignment shop whose name I will not disclose. I think I'm going to keep it a secret for a while... well at least until I do a blog post about it! (Gotta save up money to go shopping there, first!)

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

Collections: the Met and my right wrist

Today Sam and I went to the Met to see the Model as Muse exhibit, which was FABULOUS!!!!!!!! I loved how it was so focused on the culture of each era and the way in which the models represented their respective period. Obviously my favorite part was the homage to the models of the late '60s: Twiggy, Veruschka, Marisa Berenson, Penelope Tree, etc. The clothes throughout the exhibit were AMAZING as well. I especially loved the Balenciaga coats, the YSL beaded shift dresses and the looks from Marc Jacobs' last collection for Perry Ellis.

Afterwards, Sam and I found these great dream catcher bracelets at a stand outside of the museum- and they were only $2!! I can't resist cute, cheap bracelets to add to the growing collection on my right wrist.



Check out this video from Style.com about the gala, the attendees' favorite models and the exhibit itself:



The exhibit is open until August 9th, so be sure to check it out if you're in the city this summer!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

Tropical Hipster Heaven on St. Marks

Tonight I had dinner with my best friend Sam and her NYU friends at Yaffa Cafe, the most fabulously decorated restaurant ever. (Well, at least out of the places that I've dined at.) I love eating at restaurants that have a funky, unique atmosphere, and this one went to the top of my list tonight. The walls are covered in gothic printed wallpaper, lanterns hang in rows across the ceiling and Buddha statues are strategically placed throughout the restaurant--there's even a framed picture of Jim Morrison!




But that's not even the best part... We ate in the outdoor dining area, which is filled with oversized plants, umbrellas, string lights and a huge black and white mural painting of a woman with a Led Zeppelin Icarus tattoo on her shoulder! I was in tropical hipster heaven.




Afterwards, we went next door to Simone, a similarly-decorated restaurant-bar that specializes in flavored martinis. The atmosphere, while still extremely detailed and ornate, was a little more elegant than its restaurant counterpart. The space is entirely red, with a red printed wallpaper and a red tiled ceiling. Chandeliers provide the dim lighting and the chairs and bar stools are leopard. The fringe drapes in the windows also add a glamorous touch to the Moulin Rouge-like atmosphere.




Both places are great for meeting up with friends during the week, or even for a special occasion. I know I plan to go back to both!

Yaffa Cafe
97 St. Marks Place
Between 1st Ave and Ave A
New York

Simone Espresso & Wine Bar
134 First Ave
At St. Marks Place
New York

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

all time favorite spots

There are few things that excite me more than stumbling upon a great little boutique with unique inventory or a delicious, off-beat restaurant. Whenever I'm exploring, especially in Boston and New York, I love to take the business cards of my finds for future reference. I keep a few of my favorites posted up on my bulletin board at my desk.



POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL is a small vintage shop whose second location is on on Newbury St. in Boston. (The original one is in Somerville.) The selection is limited, but what the store does have is wonderful dresses, feather headbands, and great vintage heels. The girl who works there is so sweet too! I bought the black romper there last Saturday!! *[See past two posts. Do I seem a bit obsessed with this romper? I think so.]

AKIMBO is this little tchotchke shop in Copenhagen that carries all sorts of cute toys and gifts, including jewelry handmade by the owner. I could have spent all day there admiring all of the pretty nick-nacks and doo-dads.



I couldn't resist this neon pink string bracelet (obv):


I never take this bracelet off- I've been wearing it since I was in Copen in August. Unfortunately, the pink paint has worn off the little bell.

SUGAR SWEET SUNSHINE is a fun little bakery in New York's Lower East Side. A couple years ago, my friend Jessie dragged me across lower Manhattan to try it out, and it was well worth the walk. In addition to a large variety of creative cupcakes (everyone's favorite) they also have amazing old-fashioned banana pudding (the kind with Nilla Wafers-- so yum!).

OAK is a boutique also located on Newbury St. that carries handcrafted items by all different artists. I love the Lego rings and the plastic candy sprinkle heart necklace. It's an awesome store if you're looking to get a gift for someone special- and the prices are very reasonable. My friend Allison and I picked up copies of Boston's Motion Affair Planner here to give each other as birthday gifts. The MAP is a daily planner + guide of cool things to do around Boston. Flip through one if you ever see it! (Or better yet, buy one for yourself!) I decorated mine, obviously.


BARLOLA is, as the card says, a Tapas Lounge in Back Bay in Boston. Though the card isn't as whimsical as the others on my bulletin board, it is equally as deserving of its spot there. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the food is delicious (I suggest the tuna canapés) and they are known for their sangria and other fruity mixed drinks. Allison and I had our birthday party here last month and everybody loved it! Really, one of the best nights ever.

OVANDO on Bleeker Street in New York is the most gorgeous florist I've ever encountered. Every time I walk past, which is often, I always tell whomever I'm with that this florist will be doing my wedding flowers. The first time I saw this shop, the window display was covered entirely with bright blue peacock feathers- love at first sight! They always have the pinkest orchids and the most creative window displays. If The Neon Tea Party lasts long enough to see my wedding (and if Ovando is still in business, of course) I promise to upload pictures of my floral arrangements. I actually dream about what they're going to look like. No joke.

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa