Maman Tribeca

This little cafe came to the rescue today after my weeks long hunt for granola. After visiting multiple places that claimed to stock my favourite breakfast meal, and being told they were out of stock on a countless number of occasions, the fact that I couldn't find any granola anywhere in New York City became a bit of a running joke. I'd often wake up early specifically to get to places before they switched between their breakfast and lunch menus in the hope that I'd get some, but of course that didn't happen.

Today, I was about to hit an (overly-dramataic) breaking point. We sat down in a cafe that claimed to serve breakfast until 4pm, but were then told by the waiter that they weren't serving anything off the breakfast menu at all. Aside from an $18 burger that I really didn't fancy, I didn't like anything on the menu, and in my frustrated granola-deprived state, I opted to leave the cafe as I couldn't face watching my friends eat with an empty stomach. I quickly paced to another one of the same cafe's locations, sure that they would be offering breakfast, but approached the building the find a sign on the door saying they were closed for the day. I could not believe my luck.

After a quick Google search of the best granola in NYC, I decided to head to a small cafe chain called Maman. I had been to their Soho location before for a quick coffee stop with my friends, but the menu at Soho was very limited so I didn't hold my hopes too high for the Tribeca location I was heading to. 

As soon as I walked in I cut right to the chase. I wasn't about to sit down and be told they weren't serving breakfast again, so before the poor waiter even had a chance to seat me, I asked if they still had the granola. The waiter must have thought I was so weird with the way I reacted to him telling me they did have it, or maybe he found it strangely endearing. Let's hope for the latter.

You'll all be glad to know that within 10 minutes I was sat down, granola and yoghurt in front of me and a glass of grapefruit juice in my hand. If you wanted to read about this cute little cafe spot then this is the bit you probably wish you could've cut to...

The interior of this place is absolutely delightful and the staff are so friendly! The menu was pretty extensive, offering lots of gluten-free and vegetarian friendly options within their all-day brunch. At the front was a seating area for those coming in for a quick coffee and slice of cake, and at the back was a quieter room offering full table service if you fancy sitting around and taking in the beautiful interior a little more. I was a little nervous having never dined on my own before (unless you count fast food restaurants) but it was lovely to have a bit of peace and quiet when New York can be so hectic. Had I known I'd be dining on my own that day I would've brought a book as it's not often I get the chance to read completely undistracted. Maybe this will become a regular occurrence for me - we'll see!

This is definitely one of the prettiest coffee shops/cafes you'll ever visit, so it's definitely worth popping in to one of their locations if you're ever in the downtown area. You can find a Maman in Soho, Tribeca and Greenpoint in Brooklyn. 

Aderyn x

Film Review: Nocturnal Animals

Unusually for the United States, our release date for Tom Ford's second screenplay has come a little later than in the UK. While my friends back home were talking about watching this film weeks ago, we were only graced with the opportunity this week. After a failed attempt at attending a screening on Friday evening, we managed to bag ourselves some of the last seats for a showing yesterday afternoon. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be so popular, but after seeing it I can understand why.

Nocturnal Animals is unlike any other film I have seen. I found it to be much more of an artistic statement than an entertainment piece. The plot was emotional and gripping, but the film certainly acted as a creative outlet to play around with fashion, art, and interesting cinematography. Nocturnal Animals features a story within a story, creating endless opportunities to portray the parallel between characters, which Ford certainly achieved. The constant flicking between characters mirroring positions and the overwhelming heartbeat between Tony and Susan created visual and auditory parallels to help make sense of an otherwise intricate plot. 

The beginning scenes were very uncomfortable to watch but immediately had me invested in the characters. Ford even incorporated humorous moments that made light of the perceptions around the fashion industry, which offered a welcomed break from an otherwise dark film. One moment in the film that still doesn't make sense to me (mild spoiler alert) was the frightening appearance of Jake Gyllenhaal's character on the baby monitor. To me, this moment seemed more fitting as a jump tactic in a Paranormal Activity sequel and seemed out of place in a thoughtful and artistic Tom Ford film. 

Another element of the film I didn't quite understand was the casting of Isla Fisher as the female in the novel. While she gave an outstanding performance and her physical similarities to Amy Adams created a link between the characters, their appearances are too similar, leaving me questioning why they didn't just cast Adams twice like they did with Gyllenhaal, or select another redheaded actress whose likeliness wasn't as obvious. 

The film overall was very dark and intriguing. I'm usually the type of person to take a film as it comes and not bother trying to guess what is going to happen. This time I thought I'd give it a go but it was a hopeless attempt. The plot is very ambiguous and seems to develop another meaning every time I go over it. It's definitely one to discuss over dinner afterwards. Even if you're not big on fashion or art, I'd highly recommend watching Nocturnal Animals as I can't compare it to anything else. I wasn't sure what to expect from a fashion designer turned film director, but his artistic vision created a truly thought provoking cinema experience. 

Aderyn x

Photo credit: laineygossip.com

Whitney Museum of American Art

The Met or the MoMA probably come to mind when you think of galleries in New York, but the Whitney Museum of American Art is definitely one of my favourites! The space which features five floors of modern art work is situated right next to the waterfront, providing beautiful views from the rooftop area. We were lucky enough to time our visit in the evening so we caught a glimpse of the amazing skyline lit up at night. 

We were advised to start from the very top floor and work our way down. The top floor is home to the work of Carmen Herrera, a minimal, abstract painter and sculptor. It was interesting the see the change in her work as she moved from living in Paris to New York. My favourite floor was definitely the Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art exhibition. The floor was separated in to many small rooms which featured different film experiences. One area had floor to ceiling black walls with cobalt blue strips of neon light running across the room to form a giant grid, while another was scattered with piles of film which crunched as you walked across them. It was way more exciting than your typical gallery! 

The Whitney offers a pay what you wish night every Friday from 7-10pm if you don't fancy paying the full admission price. The line is very long but it goes down really quickly. I'd recommend getting there for 7pm because there's so much to see, you'll want the whole time to get around!

Aderyn x

New Women Print & Zine Festival

New Women Space opened up in Brooklyn around two months ago, creating a hub for women to come together and share their knowledge, creativity and support. This weekend I attended their Print & Zine Festival to hear from some of these amazing women.

They had a variety of talks and workshops on throughout the day. One in particular that caught my eye was a talk from social media expert Jess Schreibstein about how you can use your social platforms to grow your business. As a blogger trying to grow my personal brand, and someone interested in online marketing, this talk was really useful and gave me a great insight in to the responsibilities involved in managing social media accounts. Jess was super friendly and her Instagram is a dream! Check her out here.

Once the talk was over I walked around the venue to look at all the amazing work. I got talking to a few of the women behind the zines and artwork being sold and it was so inspiring to see them putting their ideas out there for everyone else to read. I'd definitely recommend checking out a collective called The Bettys who were selling a small publication with a collection of short submissions about girls 'first times', and Tom Tom magazine which is dedicated to celebrating female drummers. 

I picked up a copy of Math magazine which is essentially a porno, but unlike the ones you might pick up at your local newsagents, this publication seriously pushes the boundaries; it celebrates women and diversity, and has loads of great content about sexuality and body image. 

I hope I get to go to a few more events at the New Women Space before I leave New York for good! It was crazy to look around a see a venue jam-packed with opinionated and passionate women who were speaking out about what they believed in. I'll definitely be back there soon! If anyone is in New York, it's definitely worth checking out their Facebook page to see what events they have on if you're in the mood to feel empowered - who isn't!? 

Aderyn x

Capsule Trade Show

It seems New York doesn't want me to sleep. If it's not school and homework that is keeping me up, it's all the volunteer opportunities I keep throwing myself at. The weekend before last was NYFW, and this weekend just gone I helped out at Capsule trade show. For those that aren't sure, a trade show is an event where lots of brands come together to showcase their products, and buyers/wholesalers are invited to check out the products and pick brands that they want to stock at their stores. 

I came across this oppurtunity on Twitter when the company running the show put up a post asking for volunteers. I helped with general set up; cleaning the shelves, putting out welcome packs and distributing water dispensers and sponsored products. The days of the show were a lot quieter. I just walked around and helped the vendors with any requests they might have, for example missing furniture/signs and storing luggage away. This gave me a great chance to walk around and talk to some of the brands there. I was surprised to find the likes of Cheap Monday, Quay Australia, Zac by Zac Posen, Dr Denim and Teva at the show. Alongside these larger brands were others that I hadn't heard of before. I wanted to dedicate this post to showing you some of the amazing brands I came across.

MOSES

These initially caught my eye because of their resemblance to one of my fave brands Birkenstock, however these sandals are moulded from plastic and come in a HUGE range of colours and patterns. Having been an owner of jelly shoes, I know how sweaty this type of material can make your feet, but this plastic was much more matte and didn't feel like they'd make your feet all slippery in the summer time - because no one wants that! I loved how the sole was dotted, offering grip and comfort for walking about all day. They're coming to the UK soon, so be sure to keep your eyes on the Moses website.

SOLID & STRIPED

Swimwear is really stepping up its game! There were lots of amazing swimwear brands at Capsule, but Solid & Striped particularly caught my eye because of the huge range of colourful products they had on offer. I think it's about time we took as much pride in our beach attire as we did for the rest of the year, and Solid & Striped make sure you don't miss out on any style points with their quirky collections.

SHHHOWERCAP

I looooved this brand. Shhhowercap are doing something I don't think anyone has done before and making shower caps cool. My previous shower caps have included pink with white polka dots, and clear with a yellow rubber duck print - not cute! Shhhowercap has taken the very unsexy and embarrassing-to-wear shower cap and made it super stylish. All their shower caps feature the turban style and are made from a much 'quieter' fabric than the rustle-y plastic you might be used to. Their amazing range of colour and patterns make me want to wear these shower caps outside of the bathroom.

MYTHOLOGIA

Their leopard print lace up sandal was probably my favourite shoe of the entire show. The Greek brand reflects their heritage, taking traditional styles and bringing them up to date. In a fast fashion world, Mythologia prefer to take things slow, paying attention to the details and quality of their shoes, which are all handmade to order in Greece by Greek craftsmen.

PAM LEFT PAM RIGHT

The footwear game was on point at Capsule with another collection of sandals making my list of favourite brands! I could see myself in every pair of Pam Left Pam Right sandals, they're definitely my kind of style. I got chatting to the designer, Pamela Ho, and learnt that she makes all the shoes herself, by hand, in a little studio in New York City. A small part of me now wants to become a shoe designer so that I can make myself some sandals as amazing as these. I'm a huge fan of the colour palette Pam chose; navy blues, natural browns and stripes (stripes are now a colour), and I loved that her designs weren't too feminine. They look super comfortable and the attention to detail was amazing. A little thing I noticed was that each shoe was labelled left and right - no more confusion in the mornings! Maybe with a few more pennies I can buy myself a pair of Pam Left Pam Right shoes.

Sorry that this post was a little late, I hope it was worth it!

See you next time,

Aderyn x

Escape To Malta

Prior to coming to NYC, I went away with my mother and sister to the beautiful Malta. We stayed with my mums boyfriend, in his lovely house, in the town Mellieħa which is north of the island. The Maltese islands are all very small and easy to get between, which makes exploring everywhere a lot faster and easier than other holiday destinations. 

I was surprised at how much this tiny island had to offer. It's hard to pinpoint what my favourite thing was about my holiday because we got up to so much fun stuff! 

If you go to any beach on the island, I'd recommend going to Mellieħa Bay. They have an inflatable assault course in the sea (which is way harder than you'd think!) and a whole range of water sports that you can take part in. Me and my sister decided to take a spin on a jet ski which was one of the scariest things I have ever done - especially when my sister was driving! If you're the type of person who just likes the relax on the beach then this probably isn't the place for you, but if you're like me and treat your holidays like your Year 6 residential retreat, then you'd love this place. 

We were particularly lucky that my mums boyfriend had his own boat, so we got to go for a ride around the island and do a bit of scuba diving. Fear not though, we saw plenty of boats that you could buy tickets for that would stop for about an hour to give you chance to jump off and go swimming in the sea. 

For another fun day out, definitely visit the Splash & Fun Water Park. But don't do what I did and forget to wear suncream. There are some really cool slides here, my favourite being the one that has a big bowl at the bottom that you spin around, then eventually plummet to your near death via a hole in the middle. That's my kind of fun. 

If you fancy cliff diving, but are too scared to jump off an actual cliff, I'd recommend going to the Azure Widow. Not only does this place have a beautiful view, but there's a little natural pool that has formed surrounded by a wall of rocks that everyone enjoys jumping off. 

One thing I did not expect to find in Malta, but was dying to try, was an escape room. This was located in Silema and offered three different rooms to try. I think we opted for the hardest one - a scientists lab which was hiding a bomb that would infect everyone with a deadly virus once it exploded. We managed to find the bomb a minute after our time was up, which was frustrating as it didn't count, but we were satisfied to actually find out where the thing was hiding after a tough hour of following clues to find it. They have escape rooms everywhere now, so if you haven't already been to one then I'd seriously suggest booking a session. I'll definitely be going again!

So there's a little round up of things to try if you ever visit. I've also heard the nightlife isn't too bad even though I never got to try it myself. Let me know what your favourite thing was to do if you've ever been.

Thanks for reading,

Aderyn x

Yes Please

I purchased this book just before I went to Malta for a family break, as I knew I'd need something to keep me distracted on the flight and accompany me to the beach. I'll be honest... I haven't seen that much of Amy Poehler's work, but after watching Sisters and declaring it the funniest film I have ever seen, I could tell I would love her. 

This book was such a lovely, easy read. Nothing super crazy happens, yet I couldn't find myself putting the book down. Maybe I'm just nosey, but I love reading articles online or in magazines that are simply about other people's lives, and how they got to be where they are today. In my hand, I had 300+ pages of this, so as you can probably tell this was an absolute dream. 

I love how real Amy Peohler comes across in this book. She's honest and witty and doesn't try to sugar coat things. Yes Please is filled with old photos, hand written notes and kind words from other amazing people which all give this scrapbook-style autobiography even more of a personal touch. 

There are so many quotes I could pull from Amy Poehler to live my life by. Any modern woman with big ambitions and a career driven mind can definitely relate to so much in this book. If you fancy a witty and relatable read, then I'd seriously recommend checking out Amy Poehler's Yes Please! I am now in love with her.

Lots of love to Amy Poehler! 

Aderyn x

MMU Exhibition

Having studied for my Art & Design Foundation Diploma at Manchester Metropolitan University, I was eager to go back and see what this years students had produced in what was probably going to be one of the most creatively free years of their education! It was lovely to go back and see old friends and tutors, and the work did not disappoint. As well as checking out the Foundation work, I also took the opportunity to check out the degree show too. Here's a round up of my favourite work!

For anyone considering doing an Art & Design Foundation course, or even studying at MMU, I would highly recommend it. You get to dedicate an entire year to producing creative work that YOU want to produce. Of course you're lead by briefs, but there's a lot of freedom in how you respond to them. Looking back, I took for granted the amount of creative freedom I had, and I really miss producing work that satisfied ME and not my tutor or client. 

As for Manchester Metropolitan University, I can only talk for the Benzie building. If this is where your prospective course is held then you're very lucky! Not only is the building visually stunning - with a dramatic staircase running the up the entire six floors, alongside open plan studying spaces with glass walls creating a welcoming and open atmosphere - the facilities are excellent! There are so many Macs and PC's to work at, and there's a huge array of workshops to participate in, including bookbinding, letterpress and screen printing, and an equipment store that is open ALL DAY! 

If you're in the area, I hope you got the chance to check it out!

Aderyn x