Following Rabbits Blog

Last night I saw Johnny Cupcakes on the first stop of his Suitcase Tour in SoHo. I already met him last year in his Boston store... but I did have a couple requests for him. First, he wrote a NYC Love postcard for my project, which made me uber happy! My next favor was a bit odd, but he happily obliged and drew his signature logo on my wrist so I could get it tattooed today! 

I took an extra-careful shower last night, keeping my wrist as dry as possible. I traced Johnny's doodle this morning with my Sharpie, and called up Sacred Tattoo. They're located downtown at Broadway and Howard Street, coincidentally less than a block from Johnny's tour stop last night. The studio is on the 2nd floor in an enormous loft space. It's super nice:

I went in without an appointment and waited while Matt finished up with someone. I have a tiny apple tatted on my other wrist (rep NYC!) so I knew it would be a quick but super painful ordeal. This is my fifth ink job, and my wrist tattoos hurt the most by far! Matt was awesome, and after a quick schooling in Johnny Cupcakes' brand (and why I'm getting a Sharpie doodle permanently inked on my body), he hooked it up. It's freakin' awesome! I tweeted a photo of my plastic-wrapped, bloody wrist which Johnny retweeted and consequently made the rounds of RT's on Twitter. ha! Here it is in all of its silly wonderful glory:

I absolutely love it. Johnny has been and continues to be a huge source of inspiration for me in all of my creative and entrepreneurial endeavors. Thanks JC! (Lily thanks you too...)

I've been a fan of Johnny Cupcakes for years now. Johnny "Cupcakes" Earle started selling tshirts out of the trunk of his car in 2001. People went crazy for his cupcakes and crossbones logo and designs, and in 2006 Johnny opened a shop on Newbury Street in Boston. The shop looks like a bakery- with glass display cases and a giant mixer. Everything he makes is limited edition which ups the demand for his gear. He's always planning awesome events for his fans, and has embarked on a nationwide tour to meet and hang out with his loyal followers. Last night was the first stop, and he set up a pop-up shop at 25 Howard Street in SoHo. I'm familiar with the crowds that Johnny draws, so I changed into my JC Sox tee at work and got in line at 6p with about 100 people in front of me. Johnny rolled up at 6:30 in his cupcake mobile, blasting music from Peewee's Big Adventure. Silliness!

He had to circle around the block and then played us another tune while parallel parking...

Doors opened at 8p, and by that time the line went onto the next block. There were limited edition tour tshirts for sale (natch) and Johnny spent a generous amount of time with every single person who came out to see him. It was finally my turn at 11:45p- almost a 6 hour wait!- but so worth it. We chatted about the tour schedule and he signed a NYC Love postcard for my project! I also asked him to draw his logo signature on my wrist, which he did... and I got it inked today!! (More on that coming soon in a separate post!) I left at midnight and there were still about 100 more people waiting to get in. He promised to stay until everyone got a chance to buy a shirt (or six) and chat him up. He deserves every bit of success that he has! Such a fun night- thanks Johnny!!

 print from the NYC Polaroid Project by Andrew Faris

SEE IT: photography I fell for this week
I've got a trip to Paris in the works, so I've been swooning over anything Eiffel Tower related. This collection of photos of la tour offers unique perspectives and angles. Tres magnifique!

I'm kind of wishing I had a Polaroid instant camera lately... I've just seen so many fun things people have done with them. Like this project by Andrew Faris. Andrew takes Polaroid shots of New York City. I just love the washed out colors and raw composition. He even sells rad posters of his best shots.

HEAR IT: songs I downloaded this week
1. Hey Soul Sister by Train 2. Someday by Rob Thomas 3. Only Hope by Switchfoot 4. Look at Me by Keri Noble 5. Sweet Tangerine by the Hush Sound
 

check out the easter egg how-to on Poppy Talk

FOLLOW IT: blogs I discovered this week 
Paper Jot - Meg shares fun decorating ideas, fabulous shopping lists, and wonderful and pretty things that she's discovered in her adventures. Her whole blog is eye candy!

Poppy Talk - This design blog is run by husband/wife team Jan and Earl. They highlight emerging design talent and even have some super cute crafting ideas! (The easter egg how-to is adorable!)

Free People - This fashion and lifestyle blog could get any girl super inspired. Promoting their clothing line isn't all they do... they also showcase photography and design pieces. (I just downloaded their april desktop calendar today.)

Tonight I went to see my first opera! It was so fantastic! Every Monday at 10am during the season, the New York City Opera sells rush tickets for that week's performances for $25. I've been dying to get to the opera since I moved here, so I was psyched to score a cheap ticket to L'Etoile. I rushed home after work and got dolled up in what I imagined was opera garb: black dress, fancy schmancy tights, pearls, and my (faux) fur coat. An impromptu photo shoot (thanks to Ray!) and I sprinting out the door at 7:15p for the 8p show. 

I snagged my ticket at will-call with 3 minutes to spare, and had enough time to cozy into my seat before the lights went down. I was expecting to have a seat in the fourth ring since I only paid $25, but I was six rows from the stage, to the left of the orchestra. Score! I had to look up a bit to read the supertitles, but my view was great. I wasn't sure what to expect from the opera- I was hoping I would be able to follow along and get into the show. I don't think I could have possibly picked a better show for my first! The set is a veritable wonderland for the eyes- curving mirrors, strobe lights, swaying tinsel curtains, twisted columns, a giant inflatable yellow throne. The costumes were very colorful and borderline steampunk- with goggles, coattails, spats, bright colors and patterns, umbrellas as props, and can-can dancers abound. The musical numbers were very upbeat and fun, with exaggerated facial expressions and silly dances. Julie Boulianne, the actress who plays Lazuli, was fantastic. The king, Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, did an amazing job as well.

The David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center is absolutely gorgeous. I snapped these two photos with my cell phone during intermission. The opera season is quickly coming to a close on April 18, but tickets may still be available. I would highly recommend L'Etoile, however it only runs until Saturday. Partenope will be performed April 3-17, and Madama Butterfly is currently playing and will run until the 18th. I had such a fabulous time, and am looking forward to seeing another opera soon! I should take myself out on dates more often.

I'm constantly browsing Etsy for new treasures, bookmarking stores and items as favorites. Between looking for accessories and decor for my Alice in Wonderland bedroom and searching for baby gifts for a friend of mine, I've acquired quite a collection of rabbits in my Etsy favorites. With Easter right around the corner, now is probably the only time most people are in the market for bunnies. So here are a few of my favorites (pictured left to right, top to bottom):

1. White rabbit on black t-shirt dress - $28 - by NYHop. I want need this dress. No explanation needed. 
2. Sterling silver bunny necklace - $40 - by meltemsem. This is cute without being over-the-top sugary sweet. I would wear this to work in an executive office without feeling silly.
3. White rabbit nursery mobile - $60 - by lilliputloft. I've been giving a lot of thought to an Alice in Wonderland nursery theme, and this would be such a perfect focal point- for you and baby.
4. Boo boo bunny - $8 - by bunniesforbabies. We had one of these! For those of you who were deprived, they're terrycloth bunnies whose bodies are little pouches that hold an ice cube that little ones can put on their boo-boos... don't be jealous. Just get yourself one, I won't tell.
5. Set of 2 acrylic plexi bunny silhouettes - $16 - by Iwannabe. These can be hung as ornaments with some ribbon. I'm thinking of mounting them right to the bedroom wall with double-sided adhesive. 
6. Bunny surprise tea cup - $28 - by alinahayes. I'm pretty smitten with this tea cup. I'm sure I would switch to drinking tea only from this cup, and after a few days of owning it the rabbit would definitely have a name. Suggestions? 
7. White rabbit pillow cover - $22 - by Nuka. This would be a great addition to my subtly Alice bedroom decor I'm cooking up... I'm envisioning mostly white furniture and bedding, with lavender and yellow accents. A couple of these pillows will spruce up a bench I'm refinishing for the end of the bed.
8. Messenger print - $20 - by naokosstoop. This print is one of a collection of paintings of this girl and her rabbit. Absolutely adorable!
9. Knitted plush rabbit - $42 - by VeryCarey. What a darling addition to an Easter basket! Her scarf is fabulous. She'll surely be a cuddly friend for any little one on your shopping list.