Cuteness from Marc Jacobs!

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This weekend was one of the BEST ever...
First: Meeting with Christopher Plummer on Friday, then an awesome day out with my friend Julie, Met Museum's exhibit Schiaparelli/Prada, saw Zosia Mamet in the line and took a picture with her...
Then on Sunday, went out with my hubby for more fun in the city...

Fun shopping too...

Look at my latest acquisition : cutest Marc Jacobs necklace!

Literally a  little "present" for myself! I need to stop!!! LOL. Why do they keep creating such things???!!!

ANOTHER Celeb Sighting!!!

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The weekend of May 18th, 2012 was amazing in every sense: great weather, loads of fun outdoors and... Celebrity sightings!

You probably read about my run-in with one of my favorite movie stars ever: Christopher Plummer...
If you didn't, take a look here.

Then I am at the Met Museum waiting in line, who do I just see and take a picture with?

One of the "girls" from HBO's "Girls" and also "Mad Men"!!!
Zosia Mamet, daughter of David, the director/writer...

She was super friendly and nice...

Here she is in "Mad Men" (left ) and "Girls":

You gotta love NYC!!!

Thank GOD I do have my camera phone always with me ;-) I am such a celeb nerd...

A Very Joan of Arc Collar Necklace!

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Good Old Forever 21!

Look at this:

Cute huh? and the price is unbeatable...

I've always loved chain mail, but never really saw/owned a piece like that...

Did you know that chainmail was the earliest form of metal armor and was invented as early as 300BC by the ancient Celts? Used as protective armor for centuries by multiple cultures, it’s still being made today – often in the form of jewelry. 

Let's get medieval!!!!

Finally Met My Favorite Movie Star! IN PERSON!

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It's no secret that "Sound of Music" is one of my favorite movies ever!!!!
I went to see this wonderful movie with my beloved late grandfather when I was about seven years old (just to be clear - this was waaaay after 1965, it was in the late seventies...). I still remember that day as if it was today... I've loved that movie so much I wanted to watch an encore after the first session was over... My granddad had a Buddha-like patience with me, but that was enough even for him! LOL!

I immediately fell in love with the Captain Von Trapp actor, more specifically Christopher Plummer. I was really struck by his charisma and good looks...

Did make a point of trying to get paper clippings about his movies, pictures of him - this was WAY before the ease we now have in terms of finding a ton of info, pictures, etc in the click of a button...

Fast forward some decades (just a few) and I am living in New York instead of my native Sao Paulo. I do live in a great area (Gramercy Park). This is an area that has movie sets galore, I've actually seen more sets and filming going on than most of people have seen...

Some weeks ago, I did see a lot of trailer trucks and some signs saying that they were filming an HBO film about Mohammad Ali and that Christopher Plummer was in the cast.

Ok, so I decided to walk through that area every day on my way to work in the faint hope that I could spot him. No deal.

Then, one "magical" early evening after work, on May 18th, 2012, I am going home from work and...

I am just trying to get home after a long work week and who do I spot? I could see his face coming towards me on 21st street. I just froze and almost could not process it...
But hey. I did process it. I did manage to say: "Mr. Plummer, I am a huge fan. I've been a fan for so many years" or something like that...

Then I just offered my hand and he shook it!

What I thought was: "This cannot be it!!! I have to go after him!"

So I did. And I did take some pathetic shaky shots of an old man walking in NY...

Great AMAZING shot, ain't it??? I was not content with this crap. I had to do better!!!!!!

So, like a crazy stalker, I did follow him around the block into Gramercy Park aaannnd...

I did accost him and said: "Sorry Sir, I am not really following you, I do live around here. What I would like to ask you is if I could take a picture of you..."

Not only he complied, but he gave me a beautiful smile...

This is the money shot!!!!!

What a thrill!!!!

The only thing I was mad about is that I was alone and I did not have the guts to ask a stranger to take a picture of him with me by his side... or have the hands/paper/pen to ask for an autograph...But this picture was good enough...

I was shaking and so excited that I could barely do small talk with him... He was very gracious though...
I did say that I was moved by his Oscar this year, that it was way overdue, etc.
Then I bade him farewell and saw him turn the corner next to the Gramercy Park Hotel...

Was impressed of how gracious he was...

I am sooo elated... This made my day, my week, my month... Especially that I will be going to Austria by the  end of this month. And I did book a "Sound of Music" tour in Salzburg!!! Ha!!!!

What a thrill!!!!

I just saw my captain to-daaaay!!!!

Starting a Little Royalty Memorabilia Collection!

As you've probably seen, I decided to get a little Queen Elizabeth memento for the Diamond Jubilee of her reign this year.

Saw this on Ebay:

An Aynsley bone china 5-1/2" candy dish commemorating the King and Queen's 1939 visit to the United States.

A real piece from "The King's Speech" with Queen Elizabeth's parents!

Could not believe the final price! Less than NINE dollars with shipping! Why aren't those collectibles more valuable, I really don't know... 

But I am not really complaining... I can have an instant collection for less than $20!

 

In Celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee!

Look what I found on Etsy.com! A cute pin/trinket dish from the Queen's coronation back from 1952!
At the amazing price of 10 dollars (including shipping!!!) . Of course I HAD TO HAVE IT!

Looking forward to watching some of the celebrations this coming weeks.

Look at the awesomeness in my mantel:

I am glad I will have a little piece of that celebration!

In preparation to my Austrian trip - my Maria Theresa of Austria coin!

A dream will finally come true in less than a month!

I will go to Austria and see the beauty of Vienna and Salzburg!

And... in preparation for the trip, just got myself a little gift: a coin from 1765 with the great Maria Theresa on it!

You gotta love Ebay. Got this gem for less than 20 bucks. How is it possible?

This coin is even more special for me, this is not only a great empress, but also the mother of Marie Antoinette!


Maria Theresa Archduchess Of Austria, Holy Roman Empress was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands, and Parma.
Maria Theresa Archduchess Of Austria, Holy Roman Empress was born May 13 1717 Vienna, died Nov 29 1780 Vienna.

Another Fashion Star Extraganza!

This fashion reality show needs to end asap!
Otherwise my bank account will suffer and my closet will explode!

After watching last night's second to last episode, I did fall in love with the Blazer designed by Orly Shani!

I love this girl:  

Nicole Christie is H&M's buyer and she rocks! Not only I like her, but whatever she buys is really cute and affordable! If Saks buys the sesame thing, forget it. They inflate the price like more than 5 times and then, no way!
But my good old H&M never disappoints!

So, after watching yesterday's episode, the only thing I really liked were the sweet blazers (and look at H&M's also sweet price):

Aren't they super cute??? And what about the lace in the back??? Loved it!
Of course they were sold out online just after the show...
But thank God, I do work close from not only one but TWO H&Ms here in Midtown NY.

So, lunchtime involved a trekking to my nearest store and SCORE!!!!!!

Bought the TWO! I did get the last pieces in my size and saw many other girls picking up these blazers!

Super cute, cannot wait to wear them. 
The only thing I really did not dig is that the designer Orly was kicked out of the show. Even though she had two offers, one from H&M and the other one from Saks.
This show doesn't make a lot of sense I would say...

So, here's a  recap of what Lulu bought from Fashion Star:

The reversible blazer in the left by Sarah Parrott.

This crazy dress (wonder if I will ever wear it ;-) by Luciana (great name) Scarabello and then the blazers above by Orly Shani...

Well, I am sorta glad that this show will end next week! This is the only way to curb my spending!!!

My Williamsburg haul !!!

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Bought so many cool things this past Sunday!
My purchases really reflect the quirky, fun side of my latest discovery: Williamsburg!

As I've mentioned, I did get a quirky Frank Sinatra record bowl in the street:

And here's a shot of the rest of my Williamsburg bounty:

Then at Ugly Luggage , I went NUTS for 20 dollars (LOL) getting all this:

Old Russian-American tin:

Looove the Cyrillic characters...
This company is still in business if you can believe it! Since like 1849 or so...

Here's their website: www.wtea.com

A really moldy and decrepit Ladies' Home Journal from 1913 (this is the "good internet shot"):

And this is what I got (the store guy gave me a discount - the thing is positively in no good shape!):

One cool thing is having the subscriber label on a 99 year old magazine! You can see who owned that magazine and think about who was that person, how she lived, etc...

And finally a funky/cool T shirt from Mini Mini Market:

Sooo happy with my purchases!

A Sunday Afternoon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

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Crazy things happen. I've been living in Manhattan for the past 14 years, yeah fourteen, and never really been to Williamsburg!
Insanity, right?
I always have that sense that you have to walk to the train, then travel a loooong distance to get there... Boy how I was mistaken!
Easier than going to Soho!
We've just walked some blocks to the 14th Street L station and voila! Just 2 stops to Bedford Avenue! It took like 15 minutes!

Stepping out of the train, I was so surprised about the general vibe of the place: super crowded (what do you expect? A crazy nice Sunday afternoon), the people looked very young and very hip, nice restaurants and shops and also, the architecture of the place!

Without even walking a block we saw super cute old vinyl records molded as bowls.
Had to get one!
Was almost getting an Elton John one, but at the last minute saw my dearest Frank Sinatra!

Kinda kitschy, but hey! It was super cheap (8 bucks) and a quirky display piece!

Then we walked like less than 2 steps and we ended up in conversation with another street seller (we did also talk to the old records guy for a while). This second seller had cool old coins pendants and necklaces, but nothing really that would make me buy then.

Have to tell you: LOVED Bedford Avenue!

Almost looks like a small town with the main bustling main street...

Look at the beautiful architecture:

Would even consider buying an apartment there! But I think I will continue in my dear Gramercy Park area ;-)

Well, then after recovering from the (good) shock, we really needed a place to eat and drink. It was getting late (we never ever get things going early on weekends).
After some previous internet search, I've spotted Juliette, a really cute French bistro. It has an amazing terrace bar on top and the cutest decor.
Since there was a wait, we did go upstairs for some sun, international beautiful crowd and some Stellas!

So great!!!!

Then we were called and were seated in a great garden area.

The food was good, not super amazing, but good. Had a Maine halibut sammich with fries.

The local draft was good too.

Would def recommend this place. The tab was way cheaper than NYC.

Then we went walking around Bedford and did manage to do some more damage.

Bought a nice shirt with an American Indian chief on it (sounds tacky, but it is not at all!) at Mini Mini Market - a self-described "Girlie Bodega in the heart of Williamsburg" . 
The stores over there are sooooo cute and hip!
This was a trip: Catbird - but so full that I could not really see a lot of it...
 

Bought a some antiques at Ugly Luggage: an old Russian-American tea tin, a really old (and unfortunately moldy) Ladies' Home Journal from 1913 (a cover that was very familiar to me - I've had a childhood book about these covers) and an old blue bottle. All of this for 20 bucks!!!! 

Then this graffiti blew my mind! And made for some very good shots!

Met some really friendly people and animals!!! What a difference from Manhattan, where almost everyone is really bitchy!

Look at that face!!!

The McCarren Park was also a great surprise... And it even has a Russian Orthodox church in there!!!
Can you believe this shot?

Finally we did a major bar crawl - with some side effects later  ;-)

Bottom line: LOVED WILLIAMSBURG AND WILL GO BACK MANY, MANY TIMES!!!