5 CUTE, ALTERNATIVE WEEKEND ACTIVITIES. SASSYPUNK RETRO & KAWAII FASHION ACCESSORIES, SANRIO LITTLE TWIN STARS.
Here’s a treat for you… a super cute meets retro online store, sassyNpunk! I’m sure you’ll squeal when you see the selection of kawaii fashion and accessories. Best of all, it’s a DIY business: all of the hair pieces and 95% of the jewelry is made by the boutique.
The boutique also carries Tokidoki, Sanrio, Lime Crime, Urban Decay, Di Depux, Cute-Plush and other J-pop brands. They recently teamed up with Cupcake Provocateur to design a one-of-a-kind Little Twin Stars Cupcake Apron. These were a big hit with fans, and two new apron designs are scheduled to be released next month, featuring Sanrio’s Twin Stars and Cinnamonroll.
I especially love the retro anime / manga vintage collectibles — there’s a whole section dedicated to Sailor Moon. The site is a pleasure to browse, peppered with bright photoshoots with alt models like Jesse Pagz and Masuimi Max (featured in the Model Garden.)
Adorable and affordable accessories… Check out sassyNpunk, a total cutie pie.
Who has plans for the weekend? If you’re strapped for cash, don’t let that stop you from having fun. Here are five activities for alternative, artsy types — modeled by our favorite model.
Indie art galleries are usually free to visit, and feature quirky, poppy works. On weekends, there tend to be gallery openings. I took Sebastiano to Giant Robot on Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles. (I had a book signing here a year ago.)
Shopping doesn’t have to mean spending. I love to browse in art bookstores, toy shops, furniture and vintage clothing boutiques. I always pick up creative inspiration.
A simple but pleasurable activity: photography. Try out a toy camera, for retro results. (I wrote a CNNGo article about tinkering with toy cameras in Tokyo.)
It’s sakura season, and the weather is (mostly) warming up. Get outdoors: to a park, a beach, a forest. (Seba’s on the sands of Santa Monica, wearing my Listen Flavor cat sweater.)
Finally, be a kid! Nobody’s ever too old to enjoy swings and playgrounds. I hope these tips inspire you to have a fun, inexpensive weekend with friends (or victims).
PS: My Japan charity clothing auction ends Monday, April 18th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET! Iron Fist donated a mega clothing/shoe prize pack, worth several hundred dollars. The highest bidder gets the whole stash, and 100% of the funds goes to the earthquake and tsunami victims. (Above are items from the latest collection they sent me.)
I hope you’ll support Japan by bidding, or at the very least, spreading the word. (To bid, use the widget on the top right sidebar of my blog.) For the full details, please read this post.
PPS: Did you see me on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods Tokyo episode this week, on Travel Channel? If you missed it, video clips and photos here.
Song of the Day: I.M.S. International Music System – Run Away
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WRITING FOR AOL TRAVEL: HUFFINGTON POST MERGER! ANDREA FECZKO, YOUTUBE TV HOST: TOKYO EARTHQUAKE INTERVIEW.
I have a new job (keep reading for details). But first… while in Los Angeles, Sebastiano and I made a video with my talented friend, Andrea Feczko. She’s a TV host and producer, and runs a popular YouTube channel (perhaps you’ve seen her Ke$ha parodies?).
Andrea interviews Seba and La Carmina about the Tokyo earthquake, and what people can do to help. We invite you to view it above and on Andrea Feczko’s YouTube.
The video includes never-before-seen footage that Seba took, minutes after the big earthquake hit.
In this confusing time, we’re heartened by your support for Japan. Please keep the donations coming — I hope you’ll bid for the Iron First prize pack.
A bit of career news… Starting next week, I’ll be a journalist for America Online. As you may have heard, Huffington Post and AOL’s merger resulted in some shuffling. The two travel sections have combined under AOL Travel, and I’ll be one of the main contributors.
I can’t say much yet, but the new Travel section is in the best possible editorial hands. Expect up-to-date, quality writing; city guides you can actually use for trip-planning.
And most excitingly, I’ll be starting up a new project with AOL Travel… Mum’s the word for now. But soon, you may see me in places you’d never expect — perhaps even your hometown!
For now, come read my new article and slideshow on Huffington Post, featured on the front page. It’s about host club culture and my Pirate adventures with Norway TV: The World’s Gaudiest Japanese Host Club: Shinjuku Ai. (Big kiss if you Like or Tweet it.)
What type of travel coverage would you like to see? Hope you find a minute to watch our new video!
Song of the Day: Electro for Japan! The 44-track compilation album is free to stream, and all download proceeds go to the earthquake victims. Bangin.