Catwoman Costume: Goth bodysuit & kitty ears! Catfe, Vancouver’s new cat cafe for adoptions.
It’s no secret that I’m a cat-lady… so I might as well dress like one! I hope you enjoy this CatWoman-style photoshoot, taken right before New Year’s Eve in Brooklyn, NY.
To further this theme, I’ll review Catfé: the newly opened Vancouver cat cafe that encourages adopting animals in need.
My photographer Joey Wong and I were in New York right at the end of 2015. I was staying at my favorite spot, NU Hotel in Brookyn (near Hoyt St station, right across the water).
We felt energized by the street art and brownstones around us, and wanted to shoot images that reflected the feeling of Brooklyn. Read on for a breakdown of my outfit, and where to get these items.
Cats are fuzzy… so I wore my new faux fur coat, from Pretty Attitude! It’s animal-friendly, and has a striking ombre fade from black to lavender-grey. Perfect for a pastel Goth look.
Here’s a similar ombre faux fur jacket, and more selections below — I love this style. Click to shop:
Cat-Woman, head to toe. My black heels with silver chain detail are by Michael Kors, who makes these exact same shoes in an ankle boot version too.
These types of shoes are a worthwhile purchase, since they are versatile for all types of outfits.
My stretchy, cut-out bodysuit is by Black Milk Clothing, one of my favorite alternative fashion brands. Once again, this is an item that you can dress up or layer in a variety of ways.
I may not have claws, but I have appropriately feline mittens from Hong Kong!
You won’t be able to find these online, as they are sold only in Asia. But Karl Lagerfeld makes cat face gloves that are just as adorable.
I’m sure you are curious about my necklace: it’s from Maison Birks. I got it in the 1990s, rediscovered it recently — and still love it. Plus, the silver dangling pendant looks like a subtle version of a BDSM slave collar…
If you’d like a necklace like mine, I found this Thomas Sabo version with an additional rose gold circle, and this similar silver necklace that can hold a personalized message.
Three cheers for my hair stylist and colorist, Stephanie Hoy. She’s the best in the business for alternative cuts, vivid dyes, editorial styling and more. You can make an appointment with her at Stratosphere Hair Salon at Granville and Davie, in downtown Vancouver.
A cat ears headband completes the look. Eugenia Kim makes this furry kitty headband and lace cat ears for added glam.
I think Joey Wong nailed the mood of the neighborhood, in his images. In the background, you can see ‘Love Letter to Brooklyn‘, a series of quotes painted by Stephen Powers.
My tight black pants are by Armani, who makes these leather leggings too.
Dreaming that I live in one of these brownstone apartments…
… and ready to pounce. This eclectic street art is part of the Groundswell Community Mural Project.
What do you think of my DIY Cat-Woman outfit? Find the same or similar fashion items, by clicking below:
And now, a different type of meow! I was excited to visit Catfé, the first cat cafe to open in Vancouver, Canada.
Anyone can come to drink tea and play with kitties. Plus, you’ll be supporting a great cause — all the resident felines are from SPCA shelters, and available to adopt.
Cat cafes originally started as a novelty in Japan, but they found a passionate clientele (especially among people who cannot keep pets at homes, or couples looking for a fun date activity). Now, these cafes are found worldwide.
Catfe is located inside downtown Vancouver’s International Village Mall, above the Starbucks. (Address: Shop 2035, 88 W Pender St, Vancouver, Canada). There’s free parking in the lower levels.
Visitors can make advance reservations through their site to guarantee entry, or drop-in at any time if there’s space.
I liked the cafe’s bright, minimal design incorporating wood and glass. First, I went through the doors on left to pick up drinks and snacks. The cute cupcakes with cat-faced fondant were irresistible.
Then, I entered the glass doors on the right — this is the area that contains the cats. Usually, there are about six of them roaming around.
Catfe’s owner, Michelle Furbacher, warmly greeted me. She told me spent years researching cat cafes and visiting existing ones, including Oakland Cat Town (where I shot an ABC Nightline segment).
Like the Oakland cafe, Catfe has the meaningful goal of encouraging adoptions. All of the fuzzy residents are from the SPCA; many came down from shelters in less populated areas, such as northern British Columbia.
Many visitors come here to play with the kitties, and end up connecting with one of them. The re-homing has been so successful that the cafe had to bring in new cats at a rapid rate!
My illustrator friend Lili Chin joined me at Catfe. She brought some of her cat drawings to donate. (Lili is a pet artist who makes custom drawings and tshirts that look like your furry friends.)
We couldn’t resist getting these chocolate cat-face cake pops, which were scrumptious. (Although we felt bad biting into the smiling face.)
We spent over an hour at the cafe, petting the cats and amusing them with the toys provided.
We also played the funny Exploding Kittens card game (highly recommended), and browsed the cat-themed merchandise on the shelves.
The space holds about 18 people, and the staff make sures that the cats never feel overwhelmed. High open ceilings, big windows and platform shelving: the ideal environment for cats to enjoy.
So much fun interacting with the sweet cats. You’re allowed to take photos, as long as they are without flash.
Best of all, we knew we were supporting a great cause: Catfe doubles as a foster home, and gives back to animal charities. Now that is the cat’s meow!
If you’re in Vancouver and looking for a cute alternative activity, come to this cat cafe with a heart.
And why not dress up as a pussy-cat too? Rowr!
Here’s a full-body shot of my Cat-Lady outfit again, featuring faux fur, pointed ears and a skin-tight black bodysuit.
Shop my look at:
More photos from NYC to come, including a Goth party and visit to the Morbid Anatomy Museum.
But wait — how could I write about cats without including my Scottish Fold baby, Basil Farrow? I’ll let his sweet round face wrap up this post!
(Enjoy more photos on my social networks @lacarmina, linked on the right top sidebar of this blog.)
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Karisma El Dorado Royale: 10 reasons to stay at this Riviera Maya, Mexico beach resort.
2016 is already becoming a year of globe-trotting! I spent the first half of January at the sunny Karisma El Dorado Royale in Mexico.
My travels are typically quite gruelling, but this one was different. For once, I got to kick back and enjoy the beaches, wellness, and all the avocado smoothies I could drink.
And I was overjoyed to reunite with my partner in crime, Yukiro Dravarious. Enjoy our Mexican photo diary, which describes 10 reasons we had a royal time at El Dorado Royale!
1) The warm weather. Even an icy Goth queen brightens up under warm skies and palm trees. What a treat to wear sun-dresses in early January, while we saw our friends battling the snow in Tokyo and suffering from -15 degree temperatures in Sweden…
2) Easy access. We flew into Cancun from NYC, a quick and inexpensive flight. Karisma’s partner Lomas Travel picked us up, and within an hour, we were settled into our rooms.
I put on my white sun hat to walk around, and came across a cute white pagoda that matched my outfit. Which brings us to reason number three…
3) There’s so much to explore. The grounds of El Dorado Royale are huge, and all guests have access to the adjoining resorts too (Casitas and Generations Riviera Maya). If we didn’t feel like walking all the way, we could call for a shuttle or hail one down.
4) This ocean view! Our room was steps away from the private beach and waterfront.
Yukiro wore appropriate shoes for the sand — giant, studded platforms (similar to these black platform shoes.)
This photo says it all. I loved walking barefoot in the sand, and watching the birds fly over the ocean.
In January, the weather was warm, but not overly hot or humid. (I wore a white cut-out dress similar to this one by Cushnie et Ochs.)
5) Healthy food galore. We had all-inclusive access to the restaurants here — and especially loved the Health Bar. It was our type of dream scenario: you could order as many green juices, smoothies and salads as you wanted!
6) Meeting new friends. We said hello to this big, sleepy iguana. And we enjoyed chatting with the staff, some of whom went out of their way to make our stay a pleasure.
There’s never a dull moment when we travel together. Yukiro dominated this game of chess, naturally.
Ding dong, the Queen is dead.
Meanwhile, I lazed on the lounge beds — and sipped a margarita or two.
7) Wellness activities. Every day, there were at least a dozen classes we could participate in, for free.
Yukiro and I felt energized after a Pilates routine that incorporated large exercise balls. We aimed to do yoga every morning on this pier… but to be honest, we never managed to wake up in time for the 8am session…
8) Tequila tasting. We learned about the various types of tequilas and sipped each of them. Energizing, in a different kind of way!
Our daily schedule looked something like: berries and yogurt for breakfast, Pilates class, fresh fruit smoothies and salads for lunch, 80-minute massage at the spa…
… followed by a nap by the ocean, margaritas and tacos for dinner!
And all this took place in this beautiful beach environment. (This is the east coast of Mexico, in the Riviera Maya.)
Outfit Details: My dress is similar to Cushnie et Och‘s, and I’m wearing this wide brimmed sunhat
Guests often come here for a destination wedding. Yukiro pretended to be the evil mistress of ceremonies.
9) Day trips to Tulum. While we had fun vogue-ing and relaxing, we also wanted to experience the Mayan ruins and Mexican art near us. The resort’s location made it convenient for us to explore the culture of Tulum. (I’ll show you our excursion in an upcoming article.)
Gracias to Karisma El Dorado Royale for inviting us to stay with them in Quintana Roo, Mexico! I’m not usually an “all inclusive resort” type of traveller, but Karisma changed my mind.
But wait: what’s the final reason to come here? The food is above and beyond anything I expected. It’s worth dedicating an entire post to the restaurants, so this is what I’ll do next.
I leave you with this sunrise shot, with the silhouettes of palm fronds.
Have you vacationed in Mexico before — if so, where? Aren’t you glad to see Yukiro back on the blog?
LA CARMINA
