The Walking Dead

There's no other way to describe the feeling of getting off a cross-country red eye and straight into eight hours of walking a bustling city in what was described to me as the "first sunny day since last year." Snow was melting off the streets and my second purse was packed with my second layer of wooly coat. It was a gorgeous day just walking around with nowhere in particular to go. Taking a break in front of a mural quickly turned into a silly photo session game of Frogger. Clearly, the guy we caught in that last photo was having as much fun as we were.

Checking in: The Ace Hotel, NYC

The nice thing about checking in to a place like the Ace Hotel is that it feels very familiar to what my life is like in the East Bay. East Bay as in California, all the way across the country. The entire vibe of the place is old school finishes mixed with the modern luxuries of the coolest hipsters (and I mean that word in the best sense possible). The lobby was friendly, stylish, and packed full of people eager sit on the couches, drink a beer, and get lost in the internet. It felt very much like Oakland to me. I think that's why it was so easy to make myself at home, because it just felt like hanging out at one of our friends' house or a my favorite restaurant. As an Art Director I appreciated the designed touches throughout the hotel. Truly, I did. Like the signs on each floor directing people where to go, or the personality infused into something that is typically so banal, like instructions for how to get a fresh new towel. It was all tightly edited and I found myself dressing to fit the part — lots of chambray, suede leathers, and denim came into play where I previously had to intention of wearing. The only thing I had on my person that got more compliments than the decor of the hotel was my Stitch & Hammer wallet, which I'm obsessed with right now. My friend Amy makes them all by hand in Colorado from start to finish. Each piece is meticulously crafted and so perfect for my everyday. Why these aren't sold in every Ace Hotel is truly beyond me, since they have an identical quality, feel and aesthetic.

Check out Stitch & Hammer when you get a chance. I'm in love with the black clutch and my mini wallet. Wait until you get the package in the mail, too. The attention to detail with the branding from concept, to product, to package, is incredible. As an Art Director, I am in love.

Two California Coats

Finding it necessary to layer a parka with an exaggerated furry hood under a knee-length winter coat during my last trip in New York. Luckily it wasn't snowing, otherwise I would have felt compelled to bust out the puffy parka, if only just for comfort. It became brutally clear that my California "coats" were poorly inadequate for the New York chill. Thus, I theorize that two California Coats are necessary for the east coast. There's nothing new in this outfit, it's composed of 99% old things. Minus that tote, of course, which was purchased to carry around the Canon and its nice lens. I'm pretty proud of the other 99% though, having suppressed the need to purchase new things is a real achievement sometimes, especially when I've been in the habit of indulging my wants too often. The Zara parka is a lightweight jacket that only looks like it's made for freezing temperatures, and that long coat is from when I was 16 — a birthday gift from my dad. And for the record, this is my red eye outfit. I've marked that day in the history books as one of the only times I have not worn a sportsy-pajama like item. On the top at least, because those pants are totally made out of jersey material.

In Which Every Brooklyn Building Is An Opportunity For A Photo

The tourist in me may have taken over during my last trip to Brooklyn because I could not help but take photos in front of the most typical photo-taking buildings. Just look at this storefront -- all the elements of a great photo are there: the interest in architecture, the depth, the legit patina that set designers try to dream up paint colors for, on that note, the colors, and even the authentic patriotic American flag hung perfectly dilapidated on the front. Surely we aren't the first person to do this, nor will we be the last, but by God we're going to strike a mean pose while we can.

Photos by Nick Smith

The Streets of Brooklyn

Finally getting around to editing the batch of NY photos Nick and I took while we were there earlier this month. This month seems like a blur to me now that we are at the tail end of It. I had such a good time walking almost every inch of the city and shopping in Brooklyn. I guess I had a good time editing this photo, too. Can you tell?

Steve McQueen

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This is how a model (namely, Karlie Kloss) hails a cab. Annoyingly stylish.

tfs