Following Rabbits Blog

Saturday night I walked from Spring St to Union Square via Broadway. I love all of the indie shops and designer kitsch on that leg of Broadway- but was drawn from the storefronts to the streets. Souped up ice cream trucks were slinging everything from 80s-inspired goodies to cupcakes to tees. Colorful, whimsical things are absolutely my cup of tea, and these trucks put a smile on my face. 

Passing the HeartsChallenger truck brought me back to my days of Jem and the Holograms, Rainbow Brite, and slap bracelets. Layers of shelves inside the truck stock a bit of everything: candies, glowsticks, toys, music, bracelets, tshirts and dart guns. Oh yeah, and they sell ice cream too. 

Johnny Cupcakes, Cookies N Cream... apparently I like my tshirts sweet! Being a huuuge Johnny Cupcakes fan (see the JC tat I got here) I was a little skeptical at first that this line wasn't treading on JC's creative turf. Checking them out further on their website, they do have original ideas and their own style, despite some glaring similarities (the "baked in ny" rolling pin on the cookie mob shirt in particular). That aside, I do like the playfulness and color-overload of their designs. Having such a huge entrepreneurial spirit myself, I really do appreciate when people take their passion to the next level and make things happen. (I actually have my own clothing line on hiatus in the wake of losing my graphic artist). CNC also makes designer toys, a la kid robot. Pretty fun stuff.

And lo and behold, some street vendors still sell food! Cupcakes are just about the best treat ever, so if you're lucky you'll run into the Cupcake Stop truck. They park their truck in various locations around the city- you can see their schedule here. Get a full-size cupcake in your fave flavor or get a bunch of minis to sample. With flavors like Nutella Crunch, Fluffernutter and Elvis, you'll have no trouble finding something new and interesting to try.

Civil Twilight, from left: Steven McKeller, Rich Wouters, Andrew McKeller (photo via MySpace)

I've been a huge fan of Civil Twilight since I saw them open for Evanescence last November. I went to that show having never heard of them, and went home that night and downloaded their entire album. I've since seen them perform a second time at Bowery Ballroom, and am going to see them a third time tonight at Union Hall in Brooklyn. Their music is full of emotion, and their live performances are just as powerful. Being a band that quickly became one of my favorites, I was thrilled to do a Q&A with their drummer, Rich.

1. Gimme five random facts about you.
I grew up on a beach in South Africa and surfed almost every day as a kid.
I like cooking.
I have the best family ever.
My favorite book is 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky
I believe that art can save or destroy us.
I once wrestled a bear to the ground with my bare hands. (Just kidding...)
That was 6 but the last one doesn't count... ;)
 
2. Favorite song to perform? I kind of go through phases... Right now Im enjoying 'On The Surface'.

3. Sort your iTunes library by play count... what's the most played song? Doves, 'Black and White Town' 

4. Favorite meal to make for yourself? Penne with ragu meat sauce. Or very fresh fish on the grill.
 
5. What superpower would you most like to possess? The ability to fly.
 
6. Favorite tourist spot in NYC? Hm... Central Park.
 
7. Who or what inspires you most? Music, literature, nature, family, God.
 
8. Favorite sports team? Brazilian national soccer team.
 
9. Your best friend built a time machine- where in time would you like to go? It would have to be Jerusalem at the time of Christ.

10. Biggest pet peeve? Complaining about things one can't change.
 
11. Favorite dessert? Tiramisu.
 
12. You get to go anywhere for a week, all expenses paid... where you headed? The French Riviera.

13. Favorite TV show growing up? MacGyver!

14. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A professional soccer player.
 
15. You just won the lottery- what’s the first thing you're buying? A new car.
 
16. Favorite breakfast food? Eggs and bacon on toast with fried mushrooms and tomato!
 
17. You just had a 5-star evening- what happened? Ate great food with friends, played a show at a nice venue, hung out and relaxed with good people.

18. Favorite guilty pleasure? Haha. Taylor Swift's songs!
 
19. You're at Starbucks- whatcha drinking? Tall cappuccino. No sugar.

Rich takes iPhone photos of his travels and posts them on LettersfromtheSky.com

20. I love all of your random photos on lettersfromthesky.com… do you have a favorite?
Thanks! I kind of like that new one there called 'Dawn from above'. I took it out of the window of an airplane whilst flying over the Pacific. Photos of sky and clouds and water are my favorite. Especially when the light is interesting... I always just try capture a mood.
* * * * *

Come out tonight to see Civil Twilight at Union Hall! Doors open at 7:30p, tickets are only $10. If you absolutely can't make it out, I'll forgive you, but to make it up to me you must see them at Bowery Ballroom on July 13! I pinky-promise you'll love them as much as I do.

Another amazing Civil Twilight show! They played a long set, including my faves Perfect Stranger and Letters from the Sky. They covered Massive Attack's Teardrop again, which I absolutely love. For their encore they played Quiet in My Town (which always makes me a little teary) and Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. Totally kick ass! I'm planning on seeing them at Bowery Ballroom on July 13. Come out!!

WATCH IT: video I peeped this week that you should too
Civil Twilight, one of my fave bands, has released this new video for their single "Letters from the Sky". It's a really beautiful song! (I have an interview with Rich, their drummer, posting on Monday!)

HEAR IT: songs I downloaded this week
Twilight Eclipse Soundtrack! (Yes, I'm an admitted Twilight fan... Team Jacob! ahem...moving on...) This soundtrack has a lot of original songs from heavy hitters. I really love Ours by The Bravery, My Love by Sia and Heavy in Your Arms by Florence + the Machine.

FOLLOW IT: blogs I discovered this week
Sogni e Sorrisi is a fab mashup of fashion, design, inspiration, entertainment, and anything else that Connie decides to write about. I love fun blogs with pretty pictures and hers certainly fits the bill.

Habitually Chic is part interior design, part fashion design, and Heather pulls it off beautifully. Looking at photos of fabulous homes always gives me fun ideas for new apartment deco. And who doesn't love fashion?

DO IT: things to add to your calendar this week
The Big Apple BBQ is this weekend! Tomorrow and Sunday in Madison Sq Park from 11a-6p. Admission is free, BBQ is $8 per plate from 18 of the country's top pitmasters. There are also desserts, drinks, and live music!

Come back Monday to read my interview with Rich from Civil Twilight! Then come to  Union Hall in Brooklyn for their show Monday night. Tickets are $10, you can get them online here. They put on an awesome show- this will be my 3rd time seeing them live. I've written other posts about CT that you can read here and here.

Futuristic Femme
Hunt down robots (or cute boys) in this navy and gold space-age getup:

sci-fi heroine dress from ModCloth $47.99, gold flats from Payless $22.99, broome street clutch from bungaloe $58, sleater-skinny bracelet from ModCloth $11.99

Saintly Sailor
Achors aweigh! Earn your stripes with this seaworthy outfit:

come sea about me top from ModCloth $37.99, chili cook-off skirt from ModCloth $44.99, rope sandals from Payless $24.99, sailor knot bracelet from thevamoose $18

Safari Sweetheart
Stir up some animal attraction with these exotic pieces:

animalia top from ModCloth $44.99, pierside shorts from ModCloth $34.99, anstin point flats from Payless $22.99, yellow bracelet from naturalbijoux $6 

Beach Babe
Hit the beach with this swimsuit and accessories and you may come home with more than a tan:

  
beach blanket bingo one piece from ModCloth $89.99, red carpet bag from peacelovenpolkadots $35, red buckle flip flops from Payless $7.99, ivy sunglasses from Payless $9.99

Clockwise from top left: 42nd St. by Kenneth Kudulis, Floating by Claire Waters Marcus, So Many Hours to Live by Natalie Mammone, Looking South by Diego A. Heckadon

Want a piece of your artwork displayed for sale in a NYC gallery? With $20 and some artistic skill, you totally can! The 6x6 project displays a new collection of artwork each month at Charmingwall- their gallery on West 4th St. To participate, you need to pick up a gallery submission package (here's where your $20 comes in) which includes a 6"x6" canvas for you to use. Dress up your canvas any way you see fit, then return it to the gallery. Your artwork will be featured in the next month's show at Charmingwall, and will also be featured in their online gallery for 3 months. You set the price of your artwork, and if it sells, you get an 80% cut of the selling price! I'm definitely tempted to give it a try myself... as soon as I pull together a good idea, I'm going for it! (I'm thinking a screenprinted, mixed-medium collage print... like newspaper clips, black screenprinting over it, with a gritty urban vibe.) Send me a link or photo of your submitted artwork and I'll feature it here on FR! And if you're not the artsy type, you can still go down to Charmingwall any day of the week, 12-7p, to check out the gallery and support up-and-coming artists.