lifestyle


Wandering around Rockefeller Plaza

wearing: statement earrings / green stripe top / black belt / yellow pouch bag / spring nail polish / jeans / sneakers /

Hello New York! For my college-age daughter’s spring break, we decided to take a trip to New York. In all the times I have gone to New York for fashion week, I never did any of the tourist check boxes! Isn’t that crazy?! So, despite being to the big apple numerous times, this was my first time exploring the city and seeing all of the iconic landmarks.

On day one, we went to Rockefeller Plaza. My daughter is a huge video game fan, so the Nintendo Store was huge on her list of places to visit. So, after enjoying a yummy lunch at Yama Ramen (I will post about restaurants next week), we went straight to the Nintendo store.

I didn’t realize there was a mini museum inside the store! There were tons of vintage Nintendo game consoles including ones I remember from high school and college. It was fun to see the evolution of gaming amongst the modern store selling the latest and greatest in Nintendo products.

Pictured above, is just one of the many vintage products on display inside the Nintendo store at Rockefeller Plaza. We enjoyed exploring the store and my daughter did end up buying a few items on her wish list.

After the Nintendo store, we walked around the plaza and enjoyed seeing the ice skating rink in its final days of winter. I did take a few pictures, but there were a lot of people in them, and I don’t think they want to be on my blog, so I left those photos out. Sorry!

Near the skating rink is an iconic Kate Spade store. Kate Spade is known for her kitschy designs and New York themed accessories. Aren’t these Taxi flats adorable?

There were several Taxi and New York themed items in store at Kate Spade. Her collection is always fun and lighthearted. Love!

After exploring the ice skating rink and Kate Spade, we wandered over to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. It is such a beautiful church; my photos are terrible! I wish I had my camera instead of an iPhone to capture its beauty. You will just have to believe me that the building is magical!

Of course, when you have an engineering student for a daughter, no trip is complete without a quick visit to the Lego store. Say “hi” to Mario and Luigi!

We got lucky and enjoyed mild weather that day as we wandered around Rockefeller Plaza. It was fun to be a tourist and enjoy an iconic landmark in New York City. Stay tuned for more coverage of my recent trip to the big apple!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy


Parker Ranch Trail

Parker Ranch Trail is an easy-to-access trail which is located on the border of Cupertino and Saratoga in the South Bay. It wraps trough a rural, hilly open space adjacent to a neighborhood. If you are looking for a challenging trail, you don’t have to drive on dirt roads to find, this is your trail!

I would place Parker Ranch Trail in the medium difficulty category as the trail can get steep fast. The steep portions of the trail don’t last a long time, so if you try to steer clear of steep trails, this one isn’t too bad.

Since Parker Ranch Trail is located in a neighborhood, there are several trailheads located in the neighborhood, but please, be respectful and don’t block driveways, park illegally, or park on a cul-de-sac. I recommend trying to park on Prospect Road since this is a main street. The main trailhead is located on Prospect Road and offers a flat start to the hike; which is always a good way to warm up your muscles.

Shortly after starting the hike, you will find yourself crossing the street and being met with a steep set of stairs. These take you up into the open space portion of the trail where you can hike up to spectacular views of the valley in a short period of time. Love!

The views after the staircase are worth every breathless moment as you will be able to see clear across the valley. As you continue on the trail after the staircase, stay to the left. The right will lead back to the neighborhood, but the left, will lead you through the open space and on a great workout!

Parker Ranch Trail is very popular, and parking can fill up quickly since there isn’t a dedicated parking lot. I recommend going before 9am and parking on Prospect Road. Again, please be respectful of the neighborhood if you find yourself parking on a side street.

The main trailhead is located on Prospect Road between Parker Ranch Road and Beauchamps Lane. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy


Fashioning San Francisco at the deYoung Museum review

Christian Dior fall/winter 1948

Louise Boulanger winter 1927

Callot Soeurs 1908

I finally got a chance to visit the “Fashioning San Francisco” exhibit located at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco. I have to admit, I did not really read the description of this exhibit when I purchased my tickets. From the name, I thought the exhibit would be a history of fashion in the city including Levi’s and The Gap, but instead, it was a collection of couture and demi-couture from the earthquake era to modern times worn to events in San Francisco by collectors of couture.

When we first arrived, we went into the virtual try-on room first. It was fun to try-on couture dresses, even though my Gap shirt was peeking out from underneath the gowns. haha, you can see the result below.

pictured: virtual try-on of a Valentino gown / on me: shirt / nail polish / earrings /

There were a total of three gowns to try-on virtually, which to be frank, seemed thin. I would have loved to try on more couture gowns, but I assume it is a lot to put this virtual try-on exhibit together and three was not a small task. Although it went by way too fast, it was fun and I ended up with some hilarious photos from the experience.

My favorite portion of the exhibit was the first section when you enter; the earthquake era fashion. I loved seeing gowns from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The fabric, texture, and attention to detail was amazing.

Another section of the “Fashioning San Francisco” exhibit I enjoyed were the shoes! I actually spotted a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s a co-worker of mine used to wear in the office a little over twenty years ago. I have to admit, I felt a little old seeing a pair of shoes I knew from the wild inside a museum on display. Yikes! But I digress. . .

Sommer and Kaufman 1940

My favorite pair of shoes from the exhibit was this pair pictured above. The structural silhouette seems modern, yet they are from 1940. Love that!

Of course, if you scroll to the bottom of this post, you will see one of my favorite designers of all time; Chanel! I love how the deYoung was clever and featured both a Gabrielle Chanel gown, and Karl Lagerfeld gown together. It really shows how Karl Lagerfeld was so good at channeling Chanel’s original intent in modern designs. He really was genius.

The “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style” exhibit will be on display at the deYoung Museum through August 11, 2024. If you are local, or plan to visit the city, I highly recommend seeing it. Your ticket to the special exhibit will also grant you access to the regular collections, which I recommend as well.

You can learn more at famsf.org.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Chanel: front by Gabrielle Chanel 1939, back by Karl Lagerfeld 2012 /