Playing in Hong Kong

 

I am trying to decide the best way to describe this Asian urban jungle. Every moment I was in Hong Kong it felt like I was a kid in a candy store – everything and anything are possible in this compact city. I am in love with Hong Kong’s urban culture, it’s architecture, and multinational inhabitants. People say that New York never sleeps and I say the same for Hong Kong. Time doesn’t matter in this magical city – restaurants,  bars and clubs are open until no one is left inside – that being said I had no problem adjusting to the 14 hour time difference.

My Tangerine Tote and I arrived two days before my two other girlfriends and sorority sisters from the States arrived. It was so unreal being in Hong Kong together with them and Winnie. One of my friends, Jamie (right; blue shirt), had traveled to Hong Kong several times before and studied abroad at Nanjing University at the same time I was in Beijing. It was our other friend, Hana (left; tan shirt), who had never been to Asia before. As Hong Kong being her introductory city to Asia, I don’t think she could have picked a better one. We laughed, danced, drank Tsingtao beer and experienced all the wonders of this amazing city. Hong Kong’s Soho, Victoria Peak and Victoria Harbour are truly unforgettable. I can’t wait to come back next year. Next, I’ll be posting about Shanghai and Nanjing! More travel diaries to come. xx

Travel Diary: Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Hong Kong is amazing. I was so happy I got to spend time with one of my dearest friends, Winnie Tsui (check out her blog here). One of my favorite places to shop and eat is Mong Kok in Kowloon. I love everything about it, especially the neon signs, food stalls, and street vendors. It makes this place truly unforgettable and unique.

I am so lucky to have a best friend in another country, especially one in Hong Kong. Winnie and I met while we studied abroad together back in 2009 at Peking University in Beijing. It was “friendship at first sight.” Thanks Winnie for always being an amazing tour guide and friend! xx I have promised her to return to Hong Kong next year, and the year after that! In my opinion, March – April is the best time to visit Hong Kong because the weather is perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more clear, perfect weather! It was amazing.

mong kok food

spicy fish balls

Food stalls line the streets of Mong Kok. You can find a variety of dim sum or “yum cha” (in Cantonese) selections. My favorites are fish balls, shui mai, BBQ pork buns and har gow (shrimp dumplings).

funny USB characters! So cute!

The day and night market in Mong Kok has everything and anything you can imagine. The stalls range with fake goods, USB characters, accessories, I Love HK T-shirts, phone cases and Chinese trinkets. I fell in love with all these USB characters above. If you need a good gift or a few souvenirs to bring home, come check this place out! You’ll be sure to find what you need, but also remember to bargain (not too low, but a tiny bit lower).

Bargaining Tip: after living abroad in China and traveling to Hong Kong quite frequently I developed some good bargaining skills. First, take a look around and see what everyone is selling. If you see something you like, such as a bracelet or handbag, ask for the price. If you see another vendor with that same object ask for it’s price. Compare. Think in your mind what it’s worth to you and how much you are willing to pay for it. In China rebuttal with a price that’s less than half, but in Hong Kong, see if you can go down at least 20 HKD less than the original price. If you see the same object in a lot of places, chances are that object is already at a standard price set perviously by all the vendors. Also, if you speak the language it’s a plus. In the end you have to feel like you got a good deal.

Need faux TOMS or Loubs?

cute decorated Hong Kong cookies!

bubble tea time

The first thing when I go back to Hong Kong and China, is to find a milk tea stand. I love all the crazy and wild flavors they have for tea and all the different types of tapioca “pearl” flavors your can add. Winnie chooses some interesting flavors when it comes to bubble tea and I am always drawn to lemon/kumquat/more sour flavors. We bought these two drinks before we made our way into one of Mong Kok’s huge garment malls. I bought so many cute things that I can’t find in the states. I can’t wait to go back! I’ll continue to post more photos and travel diaries. More of Hong Kong and Shanghai to come! xx

Pretty Things: Red + Pink + White

Valentine flowers

Hello~ I would like to apologize for my lack of posts this past week. It’s been a crazy transitional period in my life: possible new city, new travel opportunities, new endeavors – all exciting and very crazy.  I can’t wait to share all these things with you once they become a reality.  Secondly, I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s day. I shared this picture with you on Tangerine Tote’s Facebook page here, but I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s day eating chocolates, watching silly romantic movies and maybe spending time with a significant other.

Portland Flea with Mochi Tsuruda

Mochi and I had a fantastic weekend! We were able to visit and interview Kate Keefe Sullivan, the owner and creator of the Portland Flea. I love interviewing inspirational individuals that start a business or organization based on their dream or vision. Kate was so passionate about the Portland Flea, her vendors well being and the type of merchandise they sell. It was great seeing her talk about her dream and then actually seeing it in reality. Very inspiring.

Mochi and I had a ball on Sunday. It’s great to spend all my time with her on the weekends. Mochi just finished puppy school on Tuesday and I am excited to show off her new skills at the office this week! I am lucky because I have the opportunity to bring my dog to work and Mochi will make a great office addition.

The Whole Bowl photo editing – lazy Saturdays

I love editing photos in the morning. It’s refreshing to look at great images while sipping on a homemade latte. I had such a wonderful time chatting with Tim from The Whole Bowl. I received his “thank you” note and inside was a Whole Bowl gift card for my next three BIG whole bowls! THANK YOU! One of the best gifts I could ever ask for.

Vintage Dior find at Portland Flea

My new addition to my vintage goods. This $5.00 find at the Portland Flea last Sunday just put a cherry on top of a perfect Sunday. SCORE!

fortune truth

Ha! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! It’s the year of the snake and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s my year, yippee!  I am currently taking this Chinese New Year in stride. I can’t wait to see what happens. After my boss returned from London last week he gave me a fortune cookie with this fortune stating, “stop taking pictures with your iPhone and start talking to the person next to you.” Naturally, I had to take a picture of this. ha! Xin Nian Kuai Le everyone! xx .. and what better way to kick off Chinese new year with a trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai?

Hong Kong – 2012

Last April, I said goodbye to this magical city. I took this instagram (@teditsuruda) photo on my very last and most rememberable night in Hong Kong. Honestly it couldn’t have been more lovelier. I am so excited to return to Hong Kong, because it seriously is going to be amazing for many reasons. I can’t wait to take pictures, walk alongside the Hong Kong harbor, and to top all of it off, I get to see my best friend, Winnie Tsui and travel in Hong Kong and China with two of my sorority sisters from college. It’s going to feel amazing being back in my old stomping grounds. See you in two weeks, Hong Kong! After visiting several days in Hong Kong, I get to visit my absolute favorite city in the world, Shanghai. I can’t necessarily describe why I love Shanghai so much. I think one of the reasons is because in this city I have never felt so much inspiration in one place. I can’t wait to share all my travel and fashion diaries with you.

Stay tuned and I hope everyone has a fabulous week. Thanks for reading this week’s Pretty Things. xx

Portland Flea Market

Portland Flea

In the mood for treasure hunting? My tangerine tote and I made our way to SE Portland to find hidden gems and capture images from this month’s Portland Flea market. Portland Flea is open year round (rain or shine); every third Sunday of the month (click here for the 2013 schedule) at Union/Pine: 525 SE Pine St from 10am – 4pm. I was fortunate enough to meet and chat with Kate Keefe Sullivan, the owner and founder of the Portland Flea.

Kate initially came up with the Portland Flea after her experience of living overseas in London. During her time abroad, Kate loved visiting local flea and vintage markets. Once she moved back to Portland in 2011, Kate wanted to furnish her house with vintage items from a local flea market. However, such a thing didn’t exist at the time. Kate was impressed by Portland’s Craigslist and vintage culture and she wanted to organize a place for everyone to come together. She knew there were other vintage and flea market hunters like herself in the Portland area, so why not start an organization where buyers and sellers can be in the same place at the same time?

Since opening its doors in 2011, the Portland Flea has over 20 vendors. Each vendor is different yet they all have different varieties of antique and repurpose furniture, vintage clothing and accessories, and old collectables. Check out some of the vendors I captured below. Hopefully you will get inspired to visit the Portland Flea.

Portland Flea at Union/Pine

Portland Flea + Union/Pine entrance: 525 SE Pine St.

vintage treasure

This was one of the first things I saw when I walked into the Portland Flea. My readers know how much a love sequins and jewelry. I love how this mannequin is dressed. Its great to see all the vintage jewelry draped into one modern look. Take a look at the costume jewelry pieces below.

vintage jewelry

Union/Pine is a split level building. Once you walk inside, you can see all the different vendors based on what they are selling and their booth logos.

REMNANT: mid century goods

Jasper Vintage

Canned Ham Collective’s card on vintage buttons

I spent most of my day at the Canned Ham Collectables booth. This booth is managed by my godmother, Lisa Miller. It was great helping her sell her collectables and meet the kind of people who love to buy these vintage goods. My mother, Stephanie, was also visiting Portland and helping Lisa, her best friend, at the Portland Flea. We had a wonderful time laughing and selling to happy customers who looked like they scored the jackpot once they found these unique collectables. I can’t wait to come back and help Lisa again. Check out Canned Ham Collectables’ Facebook, Twitter, and website.

knitting needles at the Canned Ham Collectables

vintage hats from Canned Ham Collectables

Vintalier vintage clothes

I loved chatting with Ellen from Vintalier. She was so organized and sweet and mentioned that Vintalier is opening it’s first store! I can’t wait to see what her new store is going to look like, especially after seeing her impressive selection of vintage clothing, accessories and shoes. Ellen told me I can feature her and her store once it opens. I can’t wait!

For the time being,  have a look through her impressive Etsy store here and her Facebook page here.  I can’t wait to step foot inside Vintalier’s new store.

vintage belts from Vintalier

vintage jewelry at Vitalair

Vintalier shoe collection

I love how each vendor is different but all of them have to fit into the guidelines of the Portland Flea. The number one criteria is selling “re-used” items. Check out this old map below that the vendor next to Vintalier was selling. Beautiful. 

old maps

treasure hunting

recycled earrings made out of cymbals

vintage scarfs – favorite find: vintage Christian Dior silk scarf

My Portland Flea $5.00 purchase and new addition Christian Dior silk scarf was just perfect. I knew the moment I saw it, that I had found my treasure for the day.

more vintage jewels

I love that costume jewelry is modern and chic. Don’t some of these pieces of vintage jewelry look like they can be sold at Nordsrom or J. Crew? I love adding broaches to headbands or chunky necklaces to sweaters. The Portland Flea is a great place to get inspired and update your wardrobe. Old is the new, new.

old cameras from One House Vintage

Mochi was quite a hit at the Portland Flea. We had fun hanging out at Canned Ham Collectables and walking around meeting local vendors. I definitely recommend anyone and everyone to check out this Portland local flea market. I felt like everyone had a story and all the items sold and feature here get a second chance with a new owner.  The Portland Flea is always looking for new vendors. I asked Kate if she was looking for anyone in particular and she mentioned she was looking for someone who sell vintage records and a vintage book seller. Maybe you or you know someone in Portland? If you do, apply on Portland Flea’s website here.  Next month, come see for yourself and experience the culture at Portland Flea.

Portland Flea:
Located: UNIONPINE 525 SE Pine St.
Hours: 10am – 4pm (click here for schedule)
Website: www.pdxflea.com
Facebook: Porland Flea
Twitter:  @PortlandFlea
Instagram: @PortlandFlea

Rain + Winter Boots

Rain + Snow Boots

It always seems, that no matter what mother nature throws at me, my feet are usually never prepared. I never seem to have the correct “gear” and after looking at my Instagram and Twitter during New York Fashion Week, I couldn’t believe what curve ball Nemo threw at NY! This blog post was inspired by the clothes and shoes worn at NYFW and also from my friend, Kayla, who just move to Boston with a dilema of what boots to buy! These bulky boots may be hard to imagine in suitable or fashionable attire. However, based off these three: Hunter rain boots, L.L. Bean rain boots and Sorel snow boots, I have made three looks that will hopefully sway you on wearing proper shoes for the cold winter months. Make sure to also check out these looks and product information on Tangerine Tote’s Polyvore.

Hunter Rain Boot Inspired Outfit

Hunter Boots have been in trend for over four winter seasons. I remember coming back from China in 2009/2010 and everyone in my sorority were wearing Hunter Rain Boots. Granted I did go to school in the NW, one of the rainiest parts of the U.S.A. I quickly discovered all the different colors these boots came in: black, red, green, teal, beige etc. I have owned my black pair of Hunter boots for over three seasons and I love them. I think they are perfect for rainy weather. However, they are not intended for the snow. I mean you can wear them in the snow, but the rubber is so thin, your feet will freeze! I recommend these boots for wet weather only.

In the inspired outfit above, I picked the bright pants and accent neon  bag to give this look some color. Living in the NW gets pretty gray and it’s always refreshing to wear some bold colors and delicious arm candy. I have also learned that if you live in the NW and use an umbrella instead of a rain jacket, you are considered “not from here.” Even though I have lived here for sometime, I hate wearing rain jackets. Instead I use my Tote’s umbrella which is clear and I can see perfectly out of it and it keeps my head dry. What do you think of this Hunter boot inspired outfit?

L.L. Bean Boot Inspired Outfit

For this L.L. Bean boot inspired outfit I decided that black tights would look awesome with these boots. Autumn/winter shorts are perfect for layering over these simple black tights. Pair the shorts with an oversized sweater and warm parka and you are ready to go! My friend Kayla told me that everyone wears these boots on the East Coast. I am seriously considering of adding these classic boots to my wardrobe. What do you think of this L.L. Bean boot inspired outfit?

Sorel winter boot inspiration

Before this winter season I didn’t even consider wearing Sorel boots, they weren’t really my style. I was shopping in Portland before I left for Utah for Christmas and found my new favorite snow boot. I fell in love after the first time I wore them. They are super warm and perfect for the snow. Pair these boots with skinny black jeggings, a down jacket, and fun accessories and you have a great winter look that’s cute and perfectly acceptable to wear during the cold winter months.

I dressed up this outfit with fun accessories and a bright nail to give the look some color. I love the funny phone case and hipster glasses because it also gives this outfit some character. What do you think of this Sorel inspired outfit?

I hope after seeing all these potential outfits you get inspired to dress appropriately for the rain or snow. Let me know if you have any questions in dressing up your winter boots. xx