So here's the text on the front "cover" of my book: East Village Barbie. My professor pitched that maybe this could become a series...if I ever get to collaborate with Mattel as a designer or anything of the like, that just might happen.
Here is my book in all it's outer glory. My first big project at Parsons. Oooooooh. It felt so much more like one of my side craft projects I would have done in high school (meaning it was really nice to finally be able to do something like this because I never really had the time back in high school).
Here is the lovely inside content of the box! To your left, you have the eleven paged narrative of "Barbie's" on 7th Street. To your right, the room to actually hold a Barbie doll. Had I had more time and skill in sewing, there would have totally been an actual Barbie doll in there. At this stage, I'm still learning to sew with a hand needle (I sewed my first Barbie dress Monday night though yay!).
Now for the text of the narrative. It has that overzealous Barbie tone to it but also a bit of attitude. Enjoy!
August 28th, 2013
“Hey, it’s Barbie!
While I have decided that my
fabulous three-storied dream house (now fully equipped with two elevators – love you Ken!) in Malibu will always be home, I can’t help but
think back to when I was searching for an apartment out in Manhattan…”
August 29th, 2013
“Guess what? I did something
a bit out of the ordinary and cancelled all my plans for the next couple of weeks
– and believe me, that’s a HUGE deal
because my next big film and filming for the next season of Barbie: Life in the
Dreamhouse are now on hiatus – but
I’ve decided to take a vacation out in New York City. Not only because fashion
week is right around the corner, but just because there are some really cool
places in the city that I want to check out. No, I’m not talking about the Statue
of Liberty or The Met or even Fifth Avenue. My two weeks in New York is going
to be all about East Village. Just call me ‘East Village Barbie’!”
September 2nd, 2013
“Ok, I lied a bit. I did some
typical tourist-y stuff and ended up stopping by at Times Square. Can you
believe that in all my travels, I’ve never actually had the chance to check
this place out? It’s simply a-mazing!
After spending an hour (or four) there, I headed to Fifth Avenue and…let’s just
say my credit card had an intense workout today. Heck, I think I wore out my
third pair of pink pumps all in the same day!”
September 4th, 2013
“It’s another day and, this
time, I’m serious about checking out some of the hidden treasures of East
Village – I swear on all 130 or so jobs I’ve had! Something about 7th
Street really stuck out to me. East Village is huge, but something about the
block on 7th Street and 2nd Ave really beckoned to me.
Maybe I was just hungry at the time? When walking by, the first thing you see
on the block is this restaurant called Virage.
It’s some pretty wicked Mediterranean style cuisine. You have the option of
sitting either inside or outside. I chose to sit inside. If you go on the hours
of their brunch hours it’s a pretty sweet deal! Your brunch comes with a coffee
or tea AND a mimosa or orange juice (that doesn’t include the glass of water
you get right when you are seated). I’m just getting started cause you also get
a breadbasket with the cutest little corn muffins! Yum. I heard the lobster and
eggs was an absolute to-die-for so I just had to try it! My mouth just waters
just thinking about it. This dish has lobster with over easy eggs, potato hash,
bacon, toasted brioche, and a spicy hollandaise. For only nineteen bucks, this
meal was well worth my money! I am dragging Teresa and Nikki
and everyone else here the next time I get a chance. I believe I may have found
my fave brunch spot in New York. ”
September 5th, 2013
“I was feeling so stuffed
from my lobster and eggs yesterday, I just couldn’t explore anymore. I think
I’ve come up with a plan. I get to check out one shop on the block as I go. The
down side is that I don’t get to really see more of East Village but this block
really calls to me!
So today I saw a really
pretty sign down the block with the words Jula
Sitkando on it but the place looks like it’s been shut down. L After leaving a five star review for Virage on Yelp, I walked my block via
Google Earth and there’s supposed to be a really awesome little thrift place
right where this sign is. The pics other people uploaded showed the cutest
little dresses and belts and heels and rings and…just thinking about this makes
me sad.
Since Jula was shut down, I moved down and checked out the place next
door. It’s called Smooth Skin Factory.
Care to guess what it’s about? J
It’s a place for ladies to get a little business done. Catching on yet? It’s a
place for waxing. Eek! I definitely wasn’t prepared to receive a waxing
but even if I wanted to I can’t because the place is actually pretty popular!
You have to make an appointment two weeks in advance. I guess Kasia is just that good! It’s more on the pricier
side, but I’m getting a really positive vibe from this place. She also has the
two cutest dogs there! They were a nice way to brighten up my day after finding
out Jula was no longer around.”
September 6th, 2013
“My hair was getting sort of
long (yep, that’s right – no extensions!) and just my luck there’s a salon on
this block. It’s called Redge Salon. The
prices are definitely pretty fair here considering what I had to pay back in
Malibu (I’m not sharing that info!). A haircut here can range from $50 to $70.
They say walk-ins are welcome but it seems pretty much like this place runs
pretty busily based on even just their appointments. They actually opened up
another Redge called Redge Annex on 10th Street. Ok, so even though
I just found out about the place, I’m glad they’re doing well enough to have a
second location! All the stylists here are so nice and SO talented at what they
do. When they chat with you, they really want to know everything you want out
of your haircut there. Also, you get your hair shampooed and conditioned and
you also get a bit of a massage while there. I left feeling I could take on ten
grueling business meetings and another few months of filming! Even so, I’m not
exactly ready to go back yet…I bet my producer is fuming right now. Eek!”
September 7th, 2013
“So I got a call from my
producer last night and he’s pretty mad at me (that’s a huge understatement). I
made a plan though and I am not leaving
until I at least have this block checked out. And besides, NY Fashion Week is
still going on! Technically, I’m working!
Work trouble aside, I believe
I have found my retail haven in East Village! There are plenty of awesome
little thrift shops around, but Tokio7
is just…designer heaven. It’s a
consignment shop that takes in all these high-end brands like Dior and YSL
actually made a list of some of the stuff I found there. I usually reserve a
smaller amount of money for when it comes to thrifting, but hey the prices you
get here for designer are well worth it! So here’s the list: Miu Miu $40, DVF
$160, 3.1 Phillip Lim $150, Helmet Lang $112, Balenciaga $112, Michael Kors $40,
Proenza Schouler $120, rag and bone $100, D&G $22.50, Armani $64, Marni $150,
Prada $160, Nina Ricci $120, Jill Stuart $40, CK $72, Thakoon $100, Prabal
Gurung $192, Versace $100, Alexander Wang $72, Ralph Lauren $48, Burberry $??,
Givency $200, Gucci $150, YSL $300, Dior for $140…
Before I pass out again from
the prices, let me also note that there’s this insanely cool statue up in front
made of motorcycle parts and scrap metal! That alone is enough to just head
down towards Tokio7.
September 8th, 2013
There are two shoe stores on
this block! Nothing to get too excited about though cause they don’t carry
stilettos or wedges or anything of the like. Nope, both are more the
sneaker-based kind of shops. Hm.
One of them is called Village Kids and it’s essentially a
sneaker place for kid’s shoes. I think Stacie and Chelsea(especially Chelsea) probably would have loved to be there. Maybe even Skipper? Nah, not Skipper.
The other place is called Foot Gear Plus. It’s a nice mom and pop
shop but again, it’s more of a sneaker place than anything. There were some
sale items there but honestly those prices kind of scared me away…my hair cut
at Redge was so much more worth it.
They did have a nice little mural advertisement on the side of their wall for Village Kids though with a cartoon tree
and all.
September 9th, 2013
I very much look forward to
the days I get to check out the restaurants here on the block. Dok Suni doesn’t seem to be open until
4:30 though so I guess it’s a dinner type of place. I heard it’s a favorite of
Quintin Tarintino’s? Ooooh.
Luckily, the restaurant just
a bit further down called The Organic
Grill was open and thank goodness they were! It’s another great place
located here on this block. I love that everything here is suitable for
vegetarians and vegans but it’s still really
good food. Simple a-mazing! I
ordered the OG Burger Sliders for $12.99 because I seriously could not decide
on what to get. The dish comes with three “little” sliders: Roasted Mushroom
with Shallot Slider, Black-Eyed Sweet Potato Slider, and the Pineapple Jerk
Slider. The Roasted Mushroom with Shallot Burger has a veggie patty toped with
Dijon relish roasted mushroom, lettuce, and tomato. The Pineapple Jerk Slider
has the patty jerk spiced and comes with pineapple and cucumber chutney. The
Black-Eyed Sweet Potato Slider I only took a bite out of because I was so
stuffed, but it had a patty filled with sunflower seeds and various veggies. Each
of them are pretty unique in their own right but all of them come with yummy Ezekiel
buns. I also ordered a Ginger Punch
drink. I’m not sure if it was the best decision I made today. It sounded
alright – ginger ale, orange juice, apple juice, and fresh ginger. The waiter
warned me that it had a kick though…BOY, was he right! I actually liked it in
the beginning but it got to be too much in the end! It was four dollars though
so I sucked it up and pretended I was drinking a nice cola.
September 10th, 2013
It’s not the restaurant’s
fault but I totally wasn’t feeling well after last night’s Ginger Punch drink. L I don’t know if I’m up for dining at the other places
on the block (which is a real bummer because there’s still some great places
around).
I couldn’t even really check
out the store I was going to see today. Lulu’s
Nails is a nail salon just right next to Foot Gear Plus. It seems pretty cheap, but I’m not so sure about
the quality of their work. It didn’t look at all busy when I passed by and the
reviews on Yelp leave less to be desired. There was a lot of mention about the
workers trying to coerce you into these really expensive (and excessive)
upgrades. Eek! I guess I got lucky with my upset tummy then.
September 11th, 2013
I realize that there are
actually quite a few bars on this block but I’ll write about them later since
they’re not really my thing. The
Exhibition of the American Gangster isn’t really my thing either. It feels
like the other side of the block had much more to offer me. I mean, I guess I
wouldn’t mind browsing through the exhibition but it’s more of Ken’s thing. Oh, how I wish he were here! Admission still
would have been $26 each person but at least I could have enjoyed it more since
I’d have Ken to talk to and all.
September 12th, 2013
I feel like I’ve hit a slump.
I’m feeling very low-energy these days. I’m hoping I didn’t get myself sick!
I’m not even navigating this block in order anymore. There are two theaters
located on this block. The 80 St Marks
Theater currently has a play running called Bayside the Musical. According to all the banners and flyers, it’s
supposed to be a parody of Saved by the
Bell. Curioser and curioser I am…a ticket is just twenty-five dollars so
maybe I’ll come back when I finish up all my Fashion Week business and get out
of this slumpy feeling.
Oh, I almost forgot about The Orpheum! So over here they host a
show called Stomp! which is all about
creating music by using everyday items such as trash can lids for rhythm and
the like. I think I saw something about this kind of performance back when Stacie used to watch those shows on PBS. The tickets are
pretty pricey at $126 per ticket but this could be a chance for better bonding
time with Stacie.
September 13th, 2013
Ok I’m feeling very bummed
now cause I really did come down with a sore throat and a minor fever. I’m so
glad Fashion Week wrapped up yesterday because I don’t think I could have
handled running around a bit more. Even walking around the block wasn’t such a
good idea…but I just can’t leave this project unfinished! No way – that’s just
not the Barbie way.
I wasn’t able to dine at any
of the remaining places on the block but I can at least share what I know from
glancing outside. Porto Rico Importing
Co. looks to be a really great place to stop for some coffee or tea. There
was a bit of a line when I walked by. Stage
Restaurant seems like an idea place
to be getting home-style cooking. Natori doesn’t
open until 4:30 pm but if you’re up for some sushi it might be worth taking a
look. San Loco has Mexican style
cuisine and Twister is just a nice
little place to get frozen yogurt after dining at one of the many places here
on the block.
Oh my goodness, I almost
forgot to name all the bars on this block! So here they are: BigBar, Klimat, Blue Gold 79, Café 81, and
William Barnacle Tavern. Like I said,
I’m not really into drinking but if you are, you have a lot of options to
choose from here. Alrighty, I’m heading
to bed now. I’m feeling a bit out of it…
September 17th, 2013
Ken’s making me say this
but…I work too hard some times. Even when I’m here to relax, I get myself all
worked up and carried away and it’s just too much sometimes. I felt like I was
really dead for the past few days. When Teresa, Nikki,
Midge, Summer, and even Raquelle called me for the past few days they all said I didn’t
sound like my usual bubbly self. Like I had lost the energy in my voice.
There’s a good reason behind it, too. So that minor fever turned into something
pretty serious and I was stuck in bed. I didn’t even have any energy to catch
up on all the shows I watch or read a good book. I just slept. For three days. Ugh, I hate getting sick. Back to bed I go.
September 19th, 2013
“I got a call from the
producer and he is, like, seriously mad
at me! Like, he’s ready to replace me as the lead role in Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse and have Raquelle in the starring role! Hello, the title of the show is
Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse. Eek! It’s not
that I have anything against Raquelle. It’s just that…don’t get me wrong, I love Raquelle (even if she doesn’t exactly like me…I’m not a dumb
blonde), but she isn’t ready for a starring role. I know I seem all gum drops
and smiles, but Hollywood can be tough! Trust me, Raquelle is not ready!
Anyways, there’s still so
much of East Village that I haven’t been able to check out. L That gosh-darn fever! I’m feeling like my usual
pink-loving self now, but I can’t believe I spent most of my time here on this
one little block in New York City. Insane, right? Too bad New York Fashion Week
is over or else I could have used that as an excuse to stay longer. I’ll have
to find a way to come back ASAP.
Until next time,
Barbie”
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