Two for the Road: 11/12/09

Date: 11/12/09

Bag: Anya Hindmarch three pocket bag

Shoe: Manolo Blahnik tan mid-calf boots

Worn with: Ferre by Gianfranco Ferre silk sleeveless shift, Veronique Branquinho menswear blazer

This posting is not entirely authentic. I came to work with a Fendi brown logo tote but realized that this Anya bag that I carry in my shop coordinated with my outfit so well that I decided to show it instead. The boots are a gift from the Manolo Blahnik PR office and are super old...like from the late 90s (though upon further reflection it might have been the early 2000s). They were definitely one of my first gifts and the dead giveaway is the pointed toe box. Lately I have been finding these really pointy toed shoes and boots and they haven't been looking so dated. I'm thinking they'll be back in fashion next fall/winter...My dress was purchased so long ago on sale somewhere and the jacket is either from Barneys New York in NYC or from Susan in San Francisco (one of my favorite shops in the world!). All I know is that I purchased many Veronique items including a skirt I still own and covet from Susan but I think the jacket might have been an additional purchase from Barneys or perhaps even somewhere else?

Across the Universe

Lately I have been listening to a lot of original recordings of songs as well as cover versions of the same tunes. It kind of began when I bought the CD, War Child Presents Heroes. I love the band Elbow and when I discovered that they had another song, "Running to Stand Still," I decided to download it on iTunes. But then I found that it was on this compilation CD and like the one before it called, Help!: A Day in the Life (where I first listened to Elbow), I decided to buy the whole CD. It is well worth it with 16 cover songs from acts like Rufus Wainwright and Beck doing songs from Brian Wilson and Bob Dylan, respectively. Elbow's version of the U2 song is incredible -- Guy Garvey continually takes my breath away with his voice. And seeing him live at the Wiltern in L.A. back in July was such a treat. It makes me think about some other acts I would love to hear live. It's a very short list, to tell you the truth. I'm actually not a huge live music fan mostly because I like to attend concerts when I really know the full discography. But there are a few that I would definitely go and see live because I am completely in love with their voice. Two people on opposite ends of that spectrum would be Elton John (I pretty much know the gamut of his repertoire) and Rufus Wainwright (I don't own much but what I do know I totally love).

Speaking of Rufus, I am in love with his version of "Across the Universe." I also love David Bowie's version and think both his and Rufus's are better than the Beatles original. But that's my opinion. How about you? Do you have cover versions that you think exceed the originals?

I've created a playlist on my iTunes that is called Same Song, New Year and it gets continually updated as I buy the original versions and often times the covers ones. Some faves as of late are k.d. Lang's "The Air that I Breathe" alongside the original Hollies version, Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" alongside Johnny Cash's remake, the Scissor Sisters's "Comfortably Numb" with Pink Floyd's original and "I Started a Joke" by the Bee Gees and the Wallflowers version of the same tune. Sometimes I don't know which one I like better. All I know is that I welcome any suggestions of what to buy on iTunes to add to my Same Song, New Year playlist...

Know when to hold 'em...

In honor of the World Series of Poker's main event final table airing this evening (Go Phil Ivey!), I decided to play some poker myself at the Horseshoe over in Council Bluffs. It has been a really long time since I've gone over to the Bluffs to play some Hold 'Em but after the realization that the final table was on ESPN tonight I started to feel nostalgic. I wanted to feel the chips in my fingers, to hear the sound of chips, to feel the exhilaration of betting into a pot.

I don't play like I used to -- the skill to poker is to treat the chips like chips and not like monetary amounts. When I used to be employed by a major company, I was definitely more financially solvent and was able to not think about my $90 reraise. To me it was just 6 stacks of red chips. My usual game at the Bellagio was 15/30 and pots had the potential to be hundreds of dollars. I didn't flinch. Looking back, I can't believe how "reckless" I was with my hard-earned money; but I didn't care because I loved the rush I felt, the energy of the poker room, the camaraderie of my table mates. I spent hours on end at the tables -- sometimes I would play for fifteen hours straight. Especially when I'd have a bad beat and would try to claw myself back to breaking even or better.

Playing at the Horseshoe in C.B. is not the same. I play differently, I play a different game, I play without the bravado that I used to have when I was much more confident in my cash reserves. I put myself on the list to play a 3/6 limit game which is 5x less of an investment (and actually the only limit game available there). But while I waited I bought into the 1/3 No Limit game for $100. It's really not enough to play the game but that was my budget and I was sticking to it. Quite honestly I did not want to even play that table since I really had no room to bet and I would be betting "scared" which is the worst way to play poker. But after waiting for almost 40 minutes and my name not being called, I decided to wait for my 3/6 limit game by playing in the 1/3 no limit. Well, all I can say is that it wasn't disastrous. The first hand I played I raised the pot pre-flop and got one taker. When the flop didn't improve my marginal hand I decided to bluff and be aggressive and bet out. After some hesitation, my opponent folded. I won some chips, helped my confidence level and then continued to fold hand over hand until I would get something really decent. When you're so short-stacked, it's all about waiting for the right hand. The second hand I played went the same way and I won another pot on a bluff. I played a couple more hands and didn't fare as well and so I ended up leaving that table when my name was called and was probably down about $20.

At the 1/3 limit game I must say I got kind of depressed. The key to playing poker besides not thinking that it's money, is to not feel bad about taking money from other players. At the Bellagio, it was full of professionals, vacationing tourists, businessmen and total drunk, Bachelor-party jackasses that I had absolutely no problem taking hundreds of dollars from. At the 1/3 limit game at the 'shoe in C.B., guys are peeling off $30 from their wallets to buy in after they've been felted. It's damn depressing. Plus the game was very passive; hardly any raised pots pre-flop. After a couple mishaps and bad beats (that happens when people play any two cards and you can't get them off their hand), I ended up winning a pot worth around $75 when my pocket Kings got even better with another King on the flop. It was close to 5 o'clock and when I walked away, everyone asked me where I was going. I replied, "It's 5 o'clock and that's quitting time." While it wasn't a huge pay day, I ended up making some money and realizing what I've been missing. But I think I'll be trying my hand at some No Limit tournaments...

Stop being a Slut!

Okay, so I'm in the camp of folks who don't particularly like to dress up for Halloween since I was in seventh grade. Sure, I've gone to my fair share of costume parties in my adult years but it's not with the die-hard conviction of those that I know (and love) who say it's their favorite holiday of the year. Favorite holiday? Really? I don't know why I can't seem to wrap my head around that concept. I'd take an uneventful Flag Day over Halloween each and every year. That is unless I had adorable children to dress up and take around trick-or-treating. But I still wouldn't wear a costume...I'd be at the end of the driveway in my chunky knit cardigan, American Apparel leggings and mini fleece skirt and warm boots. But adults walking around looking like vampires, cheerleaders and of course, the ubiquitous "slutty"_____ (insert: nurse, kitten, angel, devil, "Red-Riding Hoods," police women, etc.) is just something I find...humorless. Today I saw some guy's face in full-on Heath Ledger Joker makeup and it kinda really freaked me out (and it was in the middle of the day in sunny Omaha). I find it disturbing just as much as I found the very unsexy woman wearing granny glasses in a terrible blonde wig and nurse's cap at Jams last night. If you're trying to be a slutty nurse, I think she should have sprung for some dramatic fake eyelashes and some good eye makeup and lipstick. Instead she looked washed out and completely unmade. With a bad wig.

But I've found that I'm definitely not alone in my thoughts about adults dressing up for Halloween. I have friends who loathe it as much as I do and then I have friends who cannot wait to get their costumes together and go to various parties. I myself have been invited to a half dozen Halloween events and while last year you could have found me in a cabana at Nomad Lounge in my Harajuku Girl outfit (it was me and 3 other Asian-American interns/employees and 1 very blonde "Gwen" named Kath Flood), it was an anomaly. I tried to live in the moment but to be true to myself, I have to pass on the dressing up this year. But that doesn't mean I don't like to celebrate the holiday in other ways: I love buying candy and giving it out to all the cute kids in their costumes. But if you're a teenager in a plaid shirt and jeans pretending to be a Seattle grunge rocker...

Happy Birthday, Simon!

My first true love is 51 today. Actually, Simon Le Bon is not really my first crush. I think that's reserved for Andy Gibb. His "Shadow Dancing" was the bomb in my day (1978) and I was completely mesmerized by his boyish good looks, his feathered blonde hair and his falsetto, breathy voice. He was the first of many boy-singer obsessions in my lifetime and I realize that even today I am drawn to singers. From my crushes of Adam Ant to my idolization of Morrissey, to my interest in a Harvard a cappella singer to my audible feelings for Lenny Kravitz and Jeff Buckley, it seems like a man with a great voice is the way to my heart. Even as of late, my laser beam focus on Adam Lambert and my intensity for Elton John and Guy Garvey of Elbow have proven to me that music really paves the road to my happiness. Perhaps it's fitting then that my boyfriend shares this same love of music; that his first gift to me was the making of CDs with all sorts of songs that I both know and love and new ones that I'm excited to hear for the first time. And it's fitting that today he played for me, by accident, one of my most favorite songs of all time: Ultravox's "Vienna." It doesn't hurt that he also sings to me; clearly a trait I've always been searching for in the right partner but have never found until now. It may be Simon's birthday, but I think I got the best present.

photo credit of Simon Le Bon

Pancakes, Pumpkins and Pink Poodles

It's been a while since I've last posted but since I'm sick in bed, I now have a moment that I can post an entry. Free time is something that is becoming very scarce in my life but I couldn't be more thrilled to have a full dance card. But with all those activities, I was bound to find myself with a cold, sinus infection and fever of 101 at some point.

I've had a jam-packed couple weeks of very wholesome Nebraskan outings. It's why I moved to the midwest from NYC where I hardly got to experience those very things that I dreamed about doing. Even growing up I don't think I have done the sort of things that I've done these past weeks.

With autumn upon us, it was inevitable that I make it over to Vala's Pumpkin Patch, a very typical Nebraskan October fun-filled activity. I do hope to make it a yearly tradition (I've now gone in 2008 and 2009) as I think it really marks the start of the fall season. Corn mazes, hayrack rides, haunted houses, pony rides and turkey legs the size of Fred Flintstone's dinner. What's not to love?

Then it brings me to the one Friday afternoon that I went to the Homecoming football game at Brownell-Talbot, where my intern was cheering. There was also the Homecoming regal court at half time with the King and Queen being named. High school football on a crisp autumn day with hot cocoa and homemade baked goods. What could be more All-American?

Well, I guess if you start a Sunday with a batch of pancakes and bacon, then go apple picking, followed by a meal of salad with Dorothy Lynch dressing, ham and bean soup and Prime Rib with a baked potato at a place called the Pink Poodle, then I think that pretty much takes the cake as the most winsome day of all. What's more wholesome than apple-picking and making apple pies afterwards?

So as you can see, my time in Omaha continues to be the adventure of a lifetime. I always dreamed about spending my life doing the above activities. So here we are, 27 months after I moved to the lovely state of Nebraska, that I am truly taking in "the good life" as I know it. Hope you stay tuned for more stories from the Cornhusker state...I'm trying to keep up with them as they happen.

Trocadero Turns Two!

Trocadero's opening day on Saturday, October 13th, 2007 with my first customers. It seems like only yesterday that the doors to 1208 1/2 Howard Street opened as Trocadero, a lifestyle and accessories boutique in the Old Market of Omaha, Nebraska. It was an idea that hatched from reading an article in the New York Times about this historic downtown district. I would have never thought that a little over 6 months later I would be living and breathing Omaha and be an entrepreneur. Just this morning I remarked that I still cannot believe I quit my job and moved here basically sight unseen to do something so ballsy and downright risky. But for my own sanity and peace of mind, I just couldn't let this idea of being in America's heartland be only a thought. For some reason I had to prove to myself that this was what I needed to do and that for better or for worse, I would learn something. What I have gained from this experience is that Omaha really is my home. Trocadero is my two year old toddler. They don't call it the terrible twos for nothing. It's been a tough year, year #2, but I am feeling like the black cloud called "the recession" and "downward economy" is starting to lift. I am, at the very least, hopeful.

Today is the Troc's 2nd birthday. And while we're usually closed on Tuesdays, we've decided to throw our little two year old baby a proper birthday party. So from 4-7pm, we're hosting a very special shopping event, complete with cupcakes, bubbly and lots of discounts for today only. Kidrobot toys your thing? Buy two of your favorites and receive one free! Love Bond No. 9 fragrance? Today only save $20 off your fave scent. A great deal since their prices are going up starting next month! Dying for a new handbag or pair of shoes? Save 20% on any new fall merchandise -- and take an additional 20% off already marked down items. But that's not all, there are tons of other deals to be had!

Thanks to our wonderful customers, we are lucky to be entering our third year. In these times, that's a big accomplishment. We're damn proud but more so we're just thrilled to be part of Omaha's downtown destination scene and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your patronage and support.

Thank you, Omaha and beyond!

40 is the new 30

I have to admit I have been feeling overwhelmed. I don't want to stray too far from keeping up with this blog although I seem to have done that already. It's not that I have nothing to write about; quite the contrary. I have so much to say but I'm just running out of time to actually sit down and write. Let's just say I've got a lot on my plate and on my mind.

One thing that has been taking a lot of my time is thinking about turning 40. It is looming but I couldn't be more excited. Yes, excited. Who would have thunk that my forties would be embraced in this fashion? Certainly not me. But I believe that the best decade of my life is about to unfold. Yes, I think it's going to be the best yet.

While my teen years were ones of a slightly turbulent nature, my twenties were a time of growth, my thirties a time of reflection and now on the cusp of my fortieth birthday, I feel, well...evolved. It's a term I keep repeating over and over again. But the truth of the matter is that I really do feel like I have taken all my ups and downs, my successes and my failures, my strengths and my weaknesses to a level of full disclosure. I don't seem to need to hide from anything or myself. What you see is what you get. And to use a poker idiom: I'm not keeping my cards close to my vest.

I know my posts have been sporadic but please bear with me as I continue on my journey. And no, you don't have to buckle up, because this ride looks to be less bumpy than my prior three decades...

Working it, one day at a time

I've come out of the closet. As an experiment and just general interest in seeing exactly what sort of accessories I do own, what I need to purge and what needs to be worn more often, I've decided to change my shoes and bags every single day until I run out of combinations. It has really forced me to take stock of all the amazing shoes and bags I have accumulated but also has encouraged me to, well, dress up a little more for work. I have to admit I've gotten quite lazy (especially during the summer) by wearing the same shoes and carrying the same bag for months.

All this will be reported on my store's blog called Troc Talk and the title of this new feature is "Two for the Road." I would love any comments about the outfits and what you think should stay in my closet and what I should get rid of. It's hard to part with so many memories but it reminds me of the brief glimpse I watched last night of The Rachel Zoe Project and how she decided to give up a lot of her jewelry. It's always hard to part with our little loved ones but it's really nice to bring some happiness to someone new.

Anna and her Sistahs

Earlier this week I found myself in Minneapolis for a quick 2 day trip. I enjoyed the road trip up there and was thoroughly happy that it was closer to the 5.5 hours than the 8 hours that people kept insisting it was. While the drive might have been boring (let's just say driving I-80 thru Iowa really might be the most dull ride ever), I was happy to get onto I-35 for a different change of scenery. I also loved the rest stop I picked, right on the border of Iowa and Minnesota, that had the Diamond Jo casino. I was tempted to play one round of Texas Hold 'Em, a couple hands of Blackjack or maybe just go and trade in a dollar for a casino chip (I collect them at all the places I play poker). But I was anxious to get up to Minneapolis to settle into my hotel and....yup, watch Federer against Djokovic. I might be out of town but that doesn't mean I am going to stop watching my tennis.

I'll post more about my trip later and introduce my new "2+2 Guide To..." which is going to be a series of travel suggestions of what to do in different cities in 2 days and 2 nights. More on that soon...my first one will be Minneapolis and then we'll move onto a new city. Some surprising, some predictable.

While I was in Minneapolis I couldn't help but go see The September Issue, the documentary about the creating of Vogue's largest issue of the year (and what turned out to be their biggest one ever in their history!). I actually still own the copy of that magazine with Sienna Miller on the cover. It was from the year I just moved to Omaha and I was curious to see all the fashions that I had seen at my last Fashion Week in NYC/Paris/Milan the prior February/March.

In the movie, there's a scene with Stefano Pilati of YSL showing Anna the Fall 2007 collection and I so remember the gorgeous gray overcoats. In fact I actually had one on order but canceled it once I was moving to Omaha. I knew I really had no business buying a $1500 coat (plus my 30% editor's discount) when I was about to open up my own business.

The movie is a true portrayal of what goes into the making of a magazine, the pressures, the personalities, the business of what goes on. It also was a true snapshot into the woman herself. For me, it was an insightful documentary on a business I know very well but I learned a lot about Anna Wintour from it. With all the icy demeanor on the outside and everything negative said about her, it was refreshing to see that she did actually have what appeared to be a loving relationship with her daughter, Bee. I've seen her daughter out in public often and she has never acted bratty or snottish nor has she ever sat sulking alongside her Mom. Even as a teenager she seemed very well behaved and that is clearly a reflection on how she's been raised. Anna Wintour is a force to be reckoned with but I think she is in fact, very similar to someone else I know rather, ahem, well. She doesn't stand for stupidity or have the time for people who are scared of her. Yes, she'll eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! But she should, to a degree. If you're going to work for her, you better have a spine, some chutzpah and a strong sense of self. It's about having great taste but also believing in yourself and standing up for what you want and don't want in your stories. There are quite a few people on her staff that are clearly so afraid of her that you can tell that Anna herself is annoyed by their personality. They might have great taste but they are so fearful and easily swayed that they don't get the job done. I'm surprised that some of them are still there, to be honest. This is not the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, with everyone sitting in a circle singing kumbaya. Everyone talked about how Grace Coddington stole the show and it's because she was the only one who didn't cower, the only one who had enough to go "head-to-head" so-to-speak with Anna, and express herself. I was actually quite surprised at how badly the communication was between Anna and her staffers; I believe it's all due to the fact that everyone is so damn scared of her. But honestly it's all about respect at the end of the day. If she doesn't respect you, forget it. And that's true in any workplace.

So if you're looking for a job in fashion, don't be the obsequious follower. Be helpful, anticipate the needs of your boss, do a thorough job, have an opinion (but not if you're an intern! More on that later!!) and know when to stick-to-your-guns and when to let-it-go. Why do you think Grace has been able to stay with Anna all these years? Because she knows when to pick her battles and when to walk away. In the end, it seems like she's the one who got almost everything she wanted. Anyone taking notes?

Going Crazy

Ok, really? The U.S. Open day matches coverage is on CBS on Labor Day Monday and Omaha (and possibly other cities as well?) decides to air the Jerry Lewis MD telethon instead. Uh, what? Yup. And on Saturday night when Andy Roddick played an epic 5 set match with John Isner, the coverage wasn't on CBS (because airing a repeat of The Ghost Whisperer or whatever else was more important?) but on The Tennis Channel (which of course is not available to Cox Cable customers in Omaha -- and perhaps other cities as well). So today after the Clijsters-Williams match they showed the 5th set tie-break between Roddick and Isner. All seven minutes of it. Would have really enjoyed watching the whole darn thing. Oh well, I guess bad/repeat Saturday night programming is preferred over at CBS rather than current, mind-blowing sports coverage. Why doesn't football get this shafted treatment?

Tomorrow, tennis fans in Omaha with Cox Cable will be missing Federer's Fourth Round match as well as young un-seeded Americans' Isner's and Oudin's chances to make history by going even further into this U.S. Open. Oh, but I guess I should be relieved to know that ESPN2 will be airing the evening matches. Too bad it's freaking a%&hole Djokovic (couldn't they have switched with Federer so that he would play at night so it could air and be seen?). Humph!! I seriously am thinking of replacing my Cox Cable with Direct TV (which has the Tennis Channel) before the Australian Open begins in January.

At least now I know what I will be doing Labor Day Monday. I will be spending my early hours searching for someone with Direct TV...hello, is there anyone out there?

Bernini, Ecstasies and Brad Pitt

While some might not think too much about strange coincidences I make it a full time job. I am always fascinated by the way things happen in life. I'm thinking about this as I remember that the writer Ron Hansen will be in town today to give a post-talk after the viewing of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford playing at Film Streams at 1pm today. Unfortunately I am unable to attend as I have to work today but I am thrilled to know that our town continues to offer so many wonderful opportunities and cultural events. I was especially interested as I am somewhat familiar with Ron Hansen's works.

The summer after I graduated from college I backpacked through Europe by myself for a few weeks. I was quite interested in going to Rome to see all the Southern Baroque Art and Architecture as it was one of my favorite classes and I wanted to see all the Caravaggio paintings and Bernini sculptures in person. One of my most favorite pieces was the Ecstasy of St. Theresa. It's just a mesmerizing piece of art by Bernini and it was the highlight of my trip to Italy.

Once I returned to the states, I came across a book called Mariette in Ecstasy that was by the author Ron Hansen. I was instantly drawn to the cover as it featured Bernini's sculpture and after reading the back cover I decided to buy it.

Years later, I was reading about the movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and it mentioned it was based on a book by Ron Hansen. And then it mentioned something about the Omaha-native author.

I always say that all roads lead to Omaha. At least in my eyes they do.

Livestock and Lamb-on-a-stick

Last Sunday at this time I was on my way to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Originally I had planned on a short road trip to Minneapolis but after finding out it was more of a 6-8 hour trip as opposed to a 4-6 hour one I decided to ditch the longer excursion for another time. While a stop in Des Moines to the fair was going to be a part of the journey, I'm glad that this 2-day trip focused fully on the Fair as opposed to being a side-bar.

What can I say? But I love a State Fair! I had never been to one before so I was really anxious to witness it all first hand. And let's say it definitely delivered on various levels. I had been hyped up about the Butter Cow but unfortunately it did not quite live up to its dairy expectation. It was behind glass (for some reason I pictured it to be out in the open like a giant ice sculpture) and it was, for all intents and purposes, kinda emaciated. Poor little thing. It was like an anorexic cow.

The part of the Iowa State Fair I was really looking forward to was all the food available on a stick. The Iowa State Fair Website actually offers a whole list of food on a stick so I came armed with the knowledge of where to pass up and what to search for. I must admit I did not get my fill of these tasty morsels as I decided to eat a gyro (not on a stick) and got full pretty fast. I did have a corndog and a hard-boiled egg on a stick (as witnessed by my photo).

It was in this same room, the "Agriculture Building" that I enjoyed looking at all the prize winning vegetables and fruits grown by the 4-H clubs. All the pretty ribbons and beautiful real farmer's market-type produce. It was hard not to want to grab a perfectly ripe and shaped grape tomato and pop it into my mouth. But it was award-winning so I wouldn't dare do something like that. Another highlight of the State Fair was the livestock buildings. We got to see ostriches, elk, lots of pigs, sheep, Belgian horses (they're ginormous!), cows and chickens. It was fun to pet some of the animals even though it was sad to hear that they were going to be slaughtered basically when the fair was over. It made me think about the movie Food, Inc. that I just saw at Film Streams and the combination of the movie and the animals at the fair has made me think about becoming a vegetarian. But my friend reminded me of how much I love to eat (especially bacon) so I think I'll just do my part by buying as much organic and farm-to-table type of meats, dairy, eggs and fresh produce.

My particular favorite sighting was this sign. Not something you often see walking down a street in any city...Unfortunately I had already eaten a corndog and wasn't quite ready for a pork chop. I definitely think I missed out.