So You Wanna Be An Indie Kid? Brooklyn Edition

The other night I attended the Sunset Rubdown concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Not only was it my first official New York concert, it was my first official time in the real Williamsburg (not East Williamsburg a.k.a. Bushwick). Needless to say, I was thrilled. Here I was, getting to see one of my favorite bands, in a place that is know for it's 20-something indie scene.

Unfortunately, indie kids disappoint me. In both towns I lived in before, the indie kids were easy to spot because they looked different. Here, there was a room full of people who all looked the same. Not to say that they are any less indie for that, but it makes me want to be the iconoclast I am and change the way I look. So if you wanna be an indie kid there are some very easy things I noticed that you can do.

Guys:
Grow a beard. Not a goatee, but a full on scraggly beard. And if you don't have that ability, at least try.
Don't cut your hair for a while. Unless you have a beard. Short hair and a beard work, long hair and a beard even better, but clean cut is a definite no-no.
Build a collection of vintage t-shirts/concert tees/clever and witty tees. Make sure that they aren't too big, not too small. They have to fit just right.
Borrow your girlfriends jeans. If you can't fit into her jeans, make sure you invest in a pair of tight jeans that look like the belong to your girlfriend.
Travel back to 1992, and stock up on plaid shirts. Oh, if only indie kids knew what a role Marc Jacobs had in all this.
If your eyesight is poor, get yourself some Rivers Cuomo glasses.

Gals:
Give up your heels. Unless of course, they are attached to knee high worn-in, vintage boots.
Start buying vintage. Dresses and tees specifically. Also boots. Boots in various colors as long as they come to your mid-calf or higher and are flat.
Run to your nearest American Apparel and buy up everything in your sight. T-shirts, dresses, leggings, hoodies, everything American Apparel will work.
Channel Jenny Lewis or Irina Lazareanu with your hairstyle. Thick heavy bangs, long straight locks, or slightly wavy.
Invest in a big slouchy cloth bag. The indie scene is not somewhere you will see Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, and Coach bags. Unless of course, they're vintage.
Start drinking beer. There seem to be an alarming shortage of girly drinks in the indie scene.

There you have it. The easiest and surest way to fit into the indie scene in Brooklyn. I also suggest a "I don't give a fuck attitude" for good measure. The sad thing, is that I used to feel slightly original with my indie-ness. Of course, I lived in a town clad in Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle. Wearing vintage was weird and original. I'll be spending the next couple weeks trying to figure out a way to reinvent my style.

Event to Try: The Poetry Brothel

I've been in the city less then a week. I'm still living with my friend, desperately searching out a place and job hunting like crazy. However, I'm still making time to have fun and explore all the glorious things the city has to offer.

That being said, last night my dear friend dragged me to a "Poetry Brothel" in Brooklyn. I didn't know what to expect, but whatever it was, this event was not what I expected. The first thing I have to remember is that spaces in NYC are SMALL. I expected it to be more of an open warehouse type thing, but it was a small apartment building. It was crowded, hot, and sticky. But that can't ruin your night. There are various "whores" that you can pay to read you poetry (you get a free reading with your $10 cover charge). They come out and do excerpts at the beginning (most in costume). It is such a diverse group of talented poets it becomes tough to decide which whore you're going to take. You can choose from poems on beastiality, snails (my personal favorite), or rigor mortis erections.

If getting a poetry reading isn't your thing, then maybe the live music, ever present absinthe, or just the company will get you there. Either way, next time you're looking for something to do and the poetry brothel is going on, head down at least for a little while, you'll be glad you did. http://www.thepoetrybrothel.com

Poser Girl in the City: Day 1

So I got to New York last night without any problems, except the fact that I don't have a place to live, and they didn't have my luggage. Yeah, American Airlines lost my luggage. Apparently it got in today and was going to be delivered between 12 and 2, which would've been great, aside from the fact that I had orientation on the other side of Manhattan at 1. So 12-2, didn't really work so well for me. Now I'm simply waiting on it from 6-10 last night, real small window there, thanks guys. I just hope my luggage comes closer to 6 rather then 10.

In other news, I'm frantically looking for an apartment, but my friend and her roommates have been so awesome, they are completely welcoming and understanding. But, me being me, I feel like a huge burden so of course I'm trying to get out of their hair as quickly as possible.

I had my registration at Lee Strasberg today. I'm excited, but the school is not at all what I expected it to be. I guess I'll just have to go and see what it's like. Prior to registration I ate at a cafe next door, it was really yummy, but unfortunately it wasn't a ton of food (not that I need a ton), but now I'm left with a rumbling in my stomach and I have no clue where to eat.*

I got in a fight with the ex-boyfriend today. It's really hard to be away from someone you care about, but it makes it even harder when you don't cope with that the same way. My way of coping is trying to stay close, supporting him, talking, greiving, and realizing it is what it is. His way is to party it out of his system. I guess I just have trust issues and him partying makes me feel like he's celebrating my departure instead of mourning it. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm going to have a nap.

*Reason #472 for wanting a place to call home: So I can buy groceries!

The Big Move: Night Before

It's officially the night before the big move. In 8 hours I will be on a plane to New York (well, with some stops on the way). And I am terrified. I got scammed, bad, for my housing and now I'm moving to New York without a place to live. Essentially, I'm homeless. Which is the scariest thing I think I've ever had to tell myself. Before, moving wasn't THAT scary. I was going to be okay, I was going to deal, and I was going to succeed. Now, part of me feels as though I've already failed, and what's going to stop me from continuing to fail?

Luckily, I have a friend in the city who I can stay with. I've also sent out probably 12-15 e-mails to various craigslisters, roommate seekers, and the like. I've already heard back from two, give it time, more will come.

What upsets me more then anything, is that I don't have a home to go to when I get to the city. I'm most likely going to have to kill time in the airport until my friend gets off work and can meet me at her apartment. It's almost embarrassing, and definitely makes me really sad. Maybe it's just that I'm sad in general. I can't imagine leaving my boyfriend, I know we have our problems, but god, it's just really hard to leave someone you care about and are actually comfortable with.

Anyway, I still have a bit more packing to do and I should probably get some sleep. Wish me luck and look for more updates on how the move goes!

SCAM

WARNING:

I was scammed out of money for my apartment in New York. They used a scanned passport from a girl they had previously scammed. If anyone tries to rent an apartment with the name Alexandra Steinmetz, it's a fake. I repeat, it's fake, don't send them any money, they're clearly very good at their job.

Out of Touch With Reality: The Skinny Issue

Last night, my boyfriend and I were watching the MTV awards (which I found absolutely awful) and during Rihanna's second performance, my boyfriend made the comment, "I bet it's pretty hard to sing like that when you're a size triple 0." I turned to him and said "She's not really that skinny."

Wow. I think I've lost my mind. Yes, Rihanna is not an emaciated former concentration camp victim like the women we call "super-skinny" in the celebrity world are. She looks relatively healthy, and strong. But let's face, she is really skinny. Then I realized why I was just so out of touch with reality.



Yes, that's right! It's fashion week. Of course Rihanna doesn't look that skinny next to a runway full of models. I suppose I need to live in a little more in reality, because let's face it, Rihanna has a gorgeous body that she clearly works hard for, and she is NOT the norm.

The Case of Heidi's Missing Dog

Okay, there has been something on my mind for months, and I'm surprised it hasn't become something more talked about in the celebrity world. In the first season of the Hills, before it blew up and became the spectacle we all love today, there was a very special Christmas episode. This was the episode where Lauren received her black quilted Chanel bag from Jason (before she decided to forgo Paris to stay with him....idiot!). Anyway, in this very special episode, Heidi was whining at her boyfriend (who will remain unnamed, mostly because I don't remember the poor schmauks identity) to get her a dog. Well, anyone that watches The Hills will know that he got her a stuffed, toy dog, and boy was she mad. However, seconds later he opens up the door and brings in a new puppy for Heidi. Well, this puppy, Bella, has long since disappeared from the face of The Hills. I understand that people get rid of dogs all the time, but I can't believe that MTV hasn't said anything nor have any celebrity bloggers.

PETA, you might want to get on this one. Lord knows what Heidi used Bella for.

Fashion Week Favorite 2008: Nicole Miller

I like to pretend that I am a fashionista. I am not. It is true that I can tell you whether or not a Louis Vuitton is real, I can distinguish between Christian Dior and Christian Louboutin, and I know the significance of Marc Jacobs on my generation. But let's face it, I'm in Kalispell, Montana. Our definition of high fashion is high-end jeans that we buy at overpriced tourist destinations, and second rate Dooney and Bourke purses from TJ Maxx.

However, through all my posing as a fashionista, I have gained quite an interest in actual fashion, and this includes scanning the daily updates on style.com during fashion week. A lot of high fashion I don't quite understand. A lot of it I can't see myself or anyone that doesn't look like a model wearing, and I definitely can't see a lot of people shelling out hundreds of dollars for the pieces. But today there was one collection that I would sell my second rate Dooney and Bourke purses for. Nicole Miller.

With Spring collections you can almost always expect bright colors and florals, rebirth, growth, and all those metaphors. But Nicole Miller's bright stripes paired with suit pieces, brought a new revival to what I expect from Spring collections. I was also pleasantly surprised by the abundance of black used in this collection. Usually designers stray away from dark colors after wearing them nonstop during the winter. What I loved more then anything about this collection was the bright patterned dresses. Not only do they look fun and festive (for some reason I was brought back to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I was reliving my childhood), but they look wearable. Even for us non-models. Pair them with the chunky necklaces Miller used and I was salivating over the collection.

Anyway, it's late, and I have to figure out how to get 5 pairs of boots, two pairs of platforms, and various other shoes into my suitcases tomorrow. Wish me luck and check out Miller's collection on style.com

The Art of Packing

Okay, it is no secret that I have a lot of stuff. I mean A LOT of stuff. I recently gave away three bags of clothing and still had a full closet....and two laundry baskets full of clothes. I have enough dresses to wear one a day for a month without repeating, enough skirts to go a couple weeks, the same goes for pants, and too many tops to even begin to count. With the impending doom of my move to New York, not only do I need less stuff, but I also need to fit it all into a couple suitcases and maybe a carry on.*

I began packing a couple days ago, mostly my dressy clothes and pants, stuff I knew I wouldn't be wearing before I left. I had my big suitcase full (though the cat seemed to think it was a new bed for her), and realized that I hadn't begun packing most of my jeans (though there aren't many, I'm much more of a dress person), many of my vintage dresses still hung in the closet, and a have far too many coats to fit into one small suitcase. Oh, I also have a full basket of random clothes that need a home.

At this point of panic I did what I always do. Broke out Google Search and began pouring over forums as to the best way to pack. A majority of the posts suggested rolling your clothes (though there were a few vehemently opposed to this practice). I emptied out the large case and began rolling. Although it is just as full as it was before, I did manage to fit in another sweater, a couple more shirts, and a few odds and ends. Though there wasn't a huge difference, I am definitely a convert to the school of rolling. It doesn't work super well for things like jeans and a lot of my fuller vintage dresses, but I can definitely use it for a majority of my clothes.

However, I still have a few vintage dresses, my wonderful sequin tops (not good for rolling), and all my coats to pack. I'm beginning to think I may just need a vacuum sealer. I wonder if my boyfriends OCD step-mother has one...



* Though, on the plus side, I'm taking the train, so in theory I can take three checked bags, two carry-ons and a purse. Much nicer then traveling by air!