what seems to be the officer, problem

Long hours at work, means slower blog updates. I keep meaning to update but something always gets in the way - such is life. Anyway, as for updates we went to a masquerade ball for valentines day. It was in an old Victorian clubhouse in lower Manhattan complete with a live french swing band, formal attire, and models walking around in 1920's lingerie fashions. See pictures below (shout out to Victoria for lending me the mask)

Other then that I have been busy busy burning and cutting myself at work while constructing the interiors. A new blog post will happen Monday with the completed project but here is a sneak peak of my lovely assistant for the day Elizabeth doing some hot gluing on "Edwards" ears.

This weekend we drove home to good ol' Akron to spend some time with friends and family. I surprised my mother and father at Whiteys and had some very hearty food at my old work place. This was a much needed weekend full of fireplaces, pleasantries, and relaxing. All to boost my spirits and inspiration back up for a fresh day of work on Monday! Can't wait to get some Swensons before I leave. Here is a picture of us soaking up the warmth from the fire and me sporting my vintage fur I bought at the brooklyn flea market a couple weeks ago. 

Indochine display

Sorry for the long gap between blog posts - its been very busy at work as we are totally revamping the store. About two weeks ago we had a lot of staff come in at 5 am to move fixtures and tables so that the new merchandise would be able to be in a space that better represented the lifestyle of each piece. I also took down some large display to make room for new creations! At anthropologie we map out the store each season based on very in depth "concepts" that eventually translate to each portion of the store having its own unique personality. These concepts are usually based off of a unique stylish individual that can be easily relatable to every woman.  For example our front of store home merchandise concept is called "Indochine". Indochine is a very East meets West spice market vibe that uses natural elements that are altered in order to tell an exotic yet sophisticated story.  To accomplish this my visual manager and I search for inspirational photos, order materials, alter them, and build display for the interior of the store so that the customer feels that they have stepped into a different world. My job is hard work every day - I can't remember the last time I wasn't on a ladder for at least an hour every day but its really rewarding both creatively and physically (ya...I now have arm muscle? I didn't even know that could happen to me). Check out a few in progress photos of what I'm building on the floor. This arch is build from twine, metal conduit, tape, and hand painted bamboo

This is an in progress wall that I'm building in "olive" - a kitchen concept that emphasizes mediterranean coastal living. The tiles are cut from 8' x 4' plywood that I have painted a rustic white wash then painted. They are nailed to the wall and I will be grouting them tomorrow!

2014 Bucket list for the collective us

2014 Bucket list

• Road trip out west and back in approximately 10 days.
• Go to Boston
• Go to a yankees game 
• See a broadway show
• Poach an egg
• Go rock climbing
• Bake a REAL cake from scratch
• Go fishing
• Shoot guns at the firing range
• Ride in a hot air balloon
• Take a picture in every state that I visit
• Top of the empire state building
• Keep up with NYC specific events
• Become a "regular" somewhere
• Purchase some NYC keepsakes/art

I'll update you as we accomplish these things in 2014. On another note I was able to spend some quality time in Harlem and the Lower East Side this week with old and new friends. "The Shrine" in Harlem was definitely one of the coolest places I've visited in the city thus far. Listening to Reggae and Jazz in an establishment that was so appreciative of music was a great experience. Its been quite the up and down with weather here. It was so nice to have a little slice of home visit New Yahk. Luckily this weekend was pretty tolerable so we were able to walk around union square and look at some hilariously disturbing photographs from a book called "Orchard Beach - the bronx riviera. You can see some of the photographs here: http://waynelawrenceonline.com/#/orchard-beach---the-bronx-riviera/WL06 (just scroll to the right). Here are some pictures I took of the view outside my window after the latest blizzard.

and a nice beverage to enjoy while warm inside...