savage beauty

New Yorkers! Have you been to the Met to see the Alexander McQueen "Savage Beauty" exhibit yet? I just went this Saturday after a 1.5 hour wait, but it was absolutely worth it. While McQueen's couture is known to be very dark, hard (& sometimes scary!), I loved his lighter, more whimsical designs the most. Here are a few of my favorites from the exhibit...

The Met did a great job selecting McQueen's most famous work and showcasing them with just the right interior design and music. Had goosebumps and shivers! Check out other McQueen designs in the exhibit here. But hurry quick - the exhibit closes after next weekend!

(Photos via artfashionandhim)

$50 kathlin argiro giveaway!

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I'm really excited to share the latest giveaway from the super talented Kathlin Argiro, a dress designer based in NYC. I recently met Kathlin, and was really floored by her talent and craftsmanship. (We were chatting in her studio while Kathlin fitted one of her customers in a custom-made white graduation dress... I know, such a designer!) Later, I left with a smile on my face from our great conversation and also from my new Kathlin Argiro purchases... four beautiful silk flower pins!!!

I've been obsessed with pin-on flowers ever since I saw these pictures of Joy Cho (of Oh Joy!) and Emerson from Emersonmade styling them. You know how flowers can really add positive energy and beauty to any room? I have a feeling they can do that to people too. :)

Kathlin is offering a $50 gift card to her Etsy site, Kathlin Argiro, which features both her dreamy flowers and dresses. To enter:

1. Leave a comment with your email address below
2. Follow Helen Hearts (just look for the "Google Friend Connect" on the left).
3. Receive up to four additional entries if you Tweet or Facebook link this giveaway, and like Kathlin Argiro on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. Just let me know by leaving separate comments.

A winner will be chosen via random generator on Wednesday, June 8th. Best of luck darlings!

PS: I've been wearing Kathlin's flowers with my blazers at work, and also rocked this bright pink one today at an early Memorial Day BBQ -- clearly just a little love with them. xoxo

Update: Congrats to April, our lucky winner. Thanks for playing!

writer sightings!

Luckiest. Week. Ever. I somehow managed to meet two of my favorite writers/ girl crushes, Jenny Slate and Miranda July, all within a span of 3 days! I went to the NYC Literary Death Match this Wednesday, and saw Jenny (creator and voice of hilarious short film Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) dominate! She is such an inspiration-- very successful actress/comedienne/writer/former SNL cast member, not to mention still in her twenties. Dannng, girl. Oh, and Jenny is pee-my-pants hilarious.

Just watch this...

And today, in front of McNally Jackson, I bumped into Miranda and HAD to say hello. Her short stories from No One Belongs Here More Than You are some of the best I've ever read. So I told her I was a "huge, huge, huge fan of your work" and she thanked me, and we chatted for like four glorious seconds. It was awesome.

So, Jenny and Miranda are both curly brunette Jewish ladies in film and literature. They're like badass twins. (Just see Miranda on the left, and Jenny at right.) Don't you recognize the same wit that's settled in the gaze of their eyes? I do. :)

yippee! congrats to our perricone giveaway winner!

I'm overjoyed to be announcing the winner for the truly awesome $150 Perricone skin care! Congratulations to Carrie from This Free Bird, who was our lucky (randomly generated) number 10 out of 26 commenters. Will be emailing you shortly - hope you enjoy the luxurious products! xoxo

PS: New fashionably fun giveaway coming up next week! :)

(photo via pinterest)

I'm a real person now!! wahhh!

This past Wednesday, I became a real person... I graduated college!!! In the morning, we had our all-NYU commencement in Yankee Stadium with graduation speaker the one and only Bill Clinton, and the NYU Stern Baccalaureate took place in the evening at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. I had such a great week showing my family (mom, dad, and little sis Jessica) around NYC & celebrating the special occasion with them!

My parents stayed in Sohotel, which has a great story since it's the oldest-running hotel in NYC (and also conveniently a mere 3 blocks from my apartment). We ended up walking a lot around my Nolita/Soho neighborhood, and eating yummy sushi/seafood at Ichiumi and Italian goodies at Bread (not to mention various pastries and macaroons in coffee shops). Eating well on my parent's account is always pretty sweet :)

But the entire week, my thoughts about graduation were rollercoastering up and down -- from excitement to relief to sadness to feeling like I'm going to pee my pants (don't worry, I didn't). I'll miss being a student and taking cool classes. I'll miss my friends who will be scattered all all over the globe, from Boston to Bangalore, from Virginia to London (you know who you are!). It hasn't hit me quite yet that I'm an NYU alum, a real working professional -- a real person! It's time to start piling on the anti-wrinkle cream, I'm getting oooooold!!

paris in midnight

My obsession with Paris and fondness for Woody Allen films means I need to see Midnight in Paris ASAP! I'm planning on seeing it at the Angelika next week. I've also heard great things about Bridesmaids, which I think I'll catch this weekend during my time back home in Philly. Any other new movie recommendations, friends?

(Photos via Tribeca Film Festival)

today's sale

Oh Kate Spade sample sale.... the things that I would do to you if I weren't saving up for traveling this summer. (75% off and only $5 shipping!)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

PS: Big fan of Lauren Merkin bags too

style star: sydney

Style blogger Sydney, from the Daybook, is too cute. I love all of her outfits, but especially this one! I'm going to try to start tucking my silk scarves into skinny waist belts from now on... Also, I'm seriously considering bangs too. Geesh, such a trendsetter, this lady. :)

reading period

This print by Eline van den Broeck is so awesome. And it also describes my current state of restless reading/studying. (My very last college final exam is tomorrow!) Later tonight, I'm heading over to my friend Danny's graduation party... so I guess I better get back to reading! Hope you're having a lovely Sunday. xoxo

(Thanks to Kate for the intro.)

$150 perricone md skin care giveaway!!

Happy Friday! Blogger wasn't working yesterday, and I was getting super antsy because I couldn't wait to tell you about our newest giveaway! The kind people over at Perricone MD are offering a $150 shopping spree to one lucky Helen Hearts reader. Since I work so closely with the beauty industry, I'm especially excited to partner with a company that delivers some of the best skin care products for women.

If you don't already know this about me -- I'm a little bit obsessed with skin care and not looking older. (Go away crow's feet!) Perricone's Cold Plasma anti-aging cream and Vitamin C Ester eye cream sound amazing, and it's pretty cool that celebrities like Uma Thurman and Eva Mendez swear by the brand.

For a chance to win, simply leave a comment with your email address below & follow Helen Hearts (just look for the "Google Friend Connect" on the left). Receive an additional entry each if you tweet or Facebook link this giveaway. Just let me know by leaving additional separate comments. This giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents. A winner will be chosen via random generator on Wednesday, May 25th. Good luck everyone! xoxo

Update: Our lucky winner is Carrie. Thanks for playing.

forget me knot

Just got back from dinner at Cafe Habana with my good friend Liz, which was super yum. We had shrimp tacos and Mexican-style grilled corn, and talked about how crazy it is that we're graduating college next week! Gosh, it's been a reflective/nostalgic/ anxious/exciting time.

Randomly, after dinner, we decided to take a walk down Elizabeth Street, which is filled with teeny boutiques and cute restaurants. On a whim, we stopped by Erica Weiner Jewelry... and ended up walking out with matching yellow-gold Knot Nesting rings!!! Yes, you could say we got friendship rings haha!

But on a more serious note, I think they're rather symbolic of this special time in our lives. As we graduate, start our careers, and enter into "real adulthood," I hope we won't forget how far we've come and how much we've learned. I hope this ring will be daily reminder of our own growth. Do you have jewelry that serves a similar purpose?

(Photo via Erica Weiner)

Update: Blogger was having some technical issues, and deleted some comments of your comments on this post! Sorry my dears!

street treasure

I am on a lucky streak with finding furniture these days! Last Saturday, I picked up a gorgeous & buttery soft yellow leather chair outside of a shop just a few blocks from where I live. (My favorite color too!) And last night, I snapped up a funky brown lamp just a block from my apartment.

I'm completely content with gently used furniture (I love antiques) but I know a few of my friends are squeamish at the thought. What's your opinion on thrifting? Over the years, I've collected a few "street treasures"-- mostly framed screen prints -- from the West Village and Soho, and I have really grown fond of them.

kimono

I love the effortless chic that a kimono-inspired print gives to an outfit. My roommate from this past summer (when I subletted in the West Village) owned an authentic kimono robe, and it was so luscious. Too bad you can't wear a house robe outside. (Or can you?)

PS: Happy belated Mother's day!

(Jacket and dress from Zara)

hester street fair

Earlier today, a couple friends and I went to the 2nd annual opening of the Hester Street Fair, which features the most incredible food vendors and really special handmade and vintage markets. I chowed down on a lobster roll from Luke's, a fried rice ball from Arancini Bros, and bought a pretty vintage ring too. Such a fun time! I'm glad the weather was so nice that we could sit, take in the sunshine, and feast on our treats in the park. I even remembered to bring my camera!

Clearly, I was absolutely entranced with the food. Oooh, and the last picture is my friend Lindsey holding my new chapbook. Still need to figure out how to post online! Also, one of the highlights of the day was sitting close to the gorgeous Suchin Pak, one of the Fair's organizers and former MTV correspondent :)

cookies and poetry

I had my very last college poetry workshop today, and each of us decided to bring in food for a little picnic! I brought pound cake and black and white cookies. (Who knew Duane Reade would have better B/W cookies than Starbucks! And for only $3.99 too.) Today has been such a treat. Walking home to Soho in such nice weather, carrying leftover desserts and twelve poetry chapbooks from my fellow students (souvenirs of our class)... it really felt like spring.

As for my own chapbook, I can't wait to share it with you! I'm figuring out how to post it online, since its only in print format right now...

(Homemade B/W cookies photo via smitten kitchen!)

be still my heart

Be still my heart. Seriously crushing on these orange-red Loeffler Randall wedges. (I've got a thing for wedges - they're my weakness!)

(Via Joanna)

on my reading list

My friends are super sweet and bought me these books for my birthday last week! They actually checked my blog posts and twitter account for possible hints. (Ridiculously thoughtful, right?) Thanks Steph and Justin for Lunch in Paris and Shopgirl, Danny for for The Colossus of New York, and Perry for the incredibly generous Strand bookstore gift card. I love you guys. :)

hooray for our shopbop giveaway winner!

Congrats to Rachel Mennies for winning the $100 Shopbop giftcard giveaway! Leave me your email & I'll connect you with our Shopbop friends who'll hook you up your giftcard code! I can't wait to hear what you get :)

Note: I use random.org to generate giveaway winners. (Rachel was lucky number 14!)

(Photo via Pinterest)

princess bride

Isn't this a gorgeous photo of Kate? So happy to be all caught up with the wedding, thanks to the Royal Family's Youtube and Flickr accounts :)

(Photo via this is glamorous)