Because going to some posh club on new years is sooo 1996

Yep, after years of shelling out at least $125 to have a not 100% garenteed good time, I am going the way of the old biddy and spending New Years in Vermont with my friend Rachael. We'll probably watch TV and eat something fattening, a hundred miles away from cute guys and designer clothing. I guess with my whole midlife crisis thing I just didn't feel like faking a new years- so why not have a simple quiet one instead?

Because everything's bigger in Texas

Somewhere out there

Well here are my first pictures from Kris over in Kuwaitt/ Iraq. If you're interested in sending him a care package just let me know and I'll give you the address!

TWU strikes are so not Kawaii

A lot of pretty un-kawaii stuff has happened this week- from freezing my butt off due to the TWU strike, to some old lady almost burning down my apartment building, to my mom's job being seriously threatened. But in the spirit of my mom who likes to see the glass as half full, some good stuff has happened to. I got a new temp job and full time work- for a freelancer- is always good work. My mom was totally the face of Liz Claiborne on Martha Stewart's apprentice- please note the shout out Martha gave my mom: "That Liz Claiborne executive is tougher than me!"
Oh and the whole having my health thing. That's pretty kawaii.
But in the mean time I still have three holiday gifts to but for no more than $25- any suggestions? An as for this whole "Holiday" vs "Xmas" crap- just say holiday people, not all of us are celebrating the birth of Santa!

Holiday shopping for MOI

What to get Halli- great question! So glad you asked! Here is a list of everything from the cheap to the super $$$ that I want this holiday season:

• a box of Marie Belle New York chocolates
• a fabulous kimono
• anything hello kitty
• Betsey Johnson "Glitter Polly" shoes (size 6)- in either gold, green, pink, or black
• a new TV- mine doesn't even have adaptors for a VCR it's so old!
• day at a spa- a 60 minute massage can count as a "day"
• gift certificate to:

1. Loews/ AMC etc......
2. Barnes and Noble
3. Bergdorf
4. Bendels

• a computer that doesn't crash every two minutes
• a job connection that actually leads to a full time job (though kudos to Judy who is exempt from that)
• diamond anything- sparkly jewlery from Canal street can count as "diamond"
• Hell anything sparkly
• one of those adaptors for my IPod that lets me listen to my Ipod music on my car radio
• speakers for my ipod
• more time with certain friends who I swear have been ignoring me for like 9 months......

That's it for now! Get shoppin' and be sure to email me with what you'd like too!

My Mom the Celebrity!

Here are some quotes refrencing my mom's take no bull role on Martha Stewart's Apprentice
"...Amanda and Howie met with Liz Claiborne executives to select outfits for the show. The duo's lack of fashion knowledge transformed them from capable professionals into bewildered bumblers... hungover Howie and a doddering Amanda blew their meeting to finalize the fashion show with Liz Claiborne - and a disenchanted executive told Dawna she faced potentially fatal problems"- From the Official Martha Stewart Apprentice Website

That 'disenchanted executive? OH YEA IT'S MY MOM!
Go to:
http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/martha/01/show/summary/week12_4results.html

To see clips of my mom kicking ass and read the whole summery.

Big Daddy Gom and Jack

Ouchie

Ok, so maybe Bris pictures are a bit touchy- what with the whole snip snip topic and all. But I wanted to post these so everyone can see A) how cute Jack is in his little yarmulke and B) how proud and auntie I am!

Tis the season to not be a Jew

With all the holiday cheer strewn up everywhere, warping my fragile little mind to spend, spend, spend, it's both a comfort and a distress to be a Jew. A comfort in that I don't have to worry about buying tons of Xmas junk, and a distress in that I don't get tons of Xmas junk! As a kid not having a tree was the hardest thing. I would break branches off the trees on the sidewalk, smuggle them into my house, hide them where my mom couldn't see, and decorate them with whatever sparkly crap I could find.

I'm not kidding. Christmas junk has this effect!

Now as an adult (or something like it) I'm cooler with not celebrating the birth of Christ. No Santa sweaters, no pine needles everywhere. But there is also no TV specials other than "A Rugrats Hanukah", no Chanukah cookies! (Notice my use of both spellings). And for that matter who has like 20 flippin spellings for their holiday name anyway?! God being a Jew is complicated.

I would also like to mention my good friend Kris is over in Iraq right now (he's a Christian) but regardless it sucks majorly not to be able to celebrate the holidays with your folks. The pic of Bush is for him. Once I get his mailing address I'll post it here so you can all send him your good wishes- and maybe proselatize him with a dreidal or two.

Merry Hanuchriskwanza!

'cause my cat is so damn cute

Got pictures of your cute pet? Send 'em in and I'll post them!

Auntie squared take 2

Well because he worries about my sanity my brother Dave has decided to come out with my new nephew's name early- yes ladies and gentlemen for the rest of my life I'll be aunti to Jack Gomberg. But since I keep forgetting my snap camera over at their house I have no pictures to show. So to make it up here is one of Eric and I with Liam wrapped up in the quilt I made!

To damn Kawaii for my own good

Not that I've been making much money lately- but I guess the whole 23 yr old life crisis has me spending to fill a void or maybe it's just holiday sales- any way you look at it I have suddenly come into possession of WAY to many bags. I am selling this bag- it's a brand new, never worn, still with tags and dust cover, green leather Juicy Couture bag. Retails at $275- I'm asking $150 because I need to get some dough for Hanukah. Any takers? Let me know! It would be a big mitzvah and make you look totally Kawaii since Juicy is uber cool in Japan!

OVER-WHELM-ING!

I am suddenly and most unexpectedly an auntie again- my awesome brother and sister-in-law produced a way to cute baby boy. They're religious so once again I have to wait for the baby's name (oy vey), but thank God he's healthy. Now I just have to figure out what to quilt for him. I made a "sun" quilt for Liam because he's Eric and Yo's "son" (see above)....how clever I know.... any votes for the new baby quilt?

Stella Spoils!

Spoils of war

I have been itching to get my hands on the new Stella McCartney for H&M line for ions- and today I woke up bright and early for the 10am store opening. I expected it to be bad- but I had NO IDEA how bad it would be. I didn't get there a moment to soon! Hundreds of women were attacking each other for items- something- anything- with the Stella name on it. Sales clerks were being knocked down, maldy tossing out to the throng items in their hands for fear of being ransacked. In the spirit of Kawaii I was pleased to see many of my opponents were Japanese, a sure sign my fashion tastes are right on the mark. By the end of the raid I had managed to get about 15 of the 20 item collection into my pile.
I waited on the dressing room line as women called out "does anyone want this?" or "does anyone want to trade" all over the store. The sales clerks desperately tried to keep us in order. It seems a second shipment was coming at noon and other then that they were sold out. Last minute calls to their Stolkholm suppliers revealed the H&M's in Europe had been completely cleaned out since this morning. So what we had in our hands was the big enchiladas. Every time something I tried on didn't fit I brought it out and felt like a queen tossing out her belongings to the huddled and eager masses. I ended up with a sweater and a jean skirt. The sweater was only in a size medium and to my great surprise seemed to be the most desirable thing in the store. Woman came up to me many times trying to get it out of my hands- but I wouldn't budge. Had someone offered me a huge chunk of cash- well then maybe- but since no one did it's now mine. Who knew Stella at H&M would be such a hit? I can't wait to see what kawaii line they offer us next year!

Kawaii Las Vegas

The fashion in LV is, perhaps because it thinks it has to be, excentric and huge. Granted there are many Fendi stores, Gucci boutiques, and Chanel a-plenty but some how at the end of the day all you want in a small slutty dress covered in rhinestones.

Every since the Japanese area Harajuku was opened up to traffic in 2002, the expressive form of clothing I've come to adore has quickly and quietly diminished into the sloppu chic of the Olsen twins. Now sites like http://www.style-arena.jp/english/street/harajuku/ show more bag ladies then fairies and punk princesses- a true disgrace.

But how does this all tie back into Las Vegas?

Well all it took was trying on a $4,000 dress (that Paris Hilton also happens to own) to remind me why I loved Harajuku in the first place. Before Gwen attacked it and made 4 Japanese girls into her yorkie dogs, before the street opened up and individual style fell victim to a hit and run- there was the love of clothing. The feeling that putting something obscene on (be it sparkly, short, or 10 feet long) could transform you into the person and world you wished you lived in. All it took was slipping into that dress, tacking in some boob pads and I felt like I could own a room. I seriously contemplated spending 4 grand on a dress- no joke- to the point it made me sick to my stomach. Fashion should do that! It should move your soul till it's breaking point- force the real you out and make everyone deal with it. Perhaps Vegas is the untapped Kawaii capital of the world- the last place an adult can dress however they please and still be held up and cheered.
LV the new Harajuku?
What a thought!

Exhaustion

I have decided after much thinking I have my priorities in order. Other people may not always agree with that statement- BUT I sure as heck do. My trip to Vegas was great, awkward, and depressing, in that order. Great in that Vegas is like a playground for adults and super fun if you go with a great dude like my friend Kris, but awkward when everyone thinks you're married or dating and just straight depressing when he then up and leaves for Iraq when your Vegas hurrah is over. I saw my cousin Nessa and her boyfriend Jay. They are super gross cute together which makes being single kinda suck all the more. I also saw George Carlin (great, but darker then usual) and The Amazing Johnathan (a let down). After a plane delay because people in Vegas think the sky is falling when it rains I ended up back in NYC and promptly running late to my nephew Leeum's bris. At least I think that is how you spell it. How pimp is that? Leeum? I am one proud auntie! Viva life!

Spidey Gomberg

Today I held my nephew in my arms for the first time and it was pretty damn cool. Dad made a big stink about taking pictures on Yom Kippur but Yonina was cool with it- so I got two pics on my digital camera and my step mom Judy snapped the one above. You can not get over how big this baby is- and what's more my sister-in-law is so small, I have no idea where that thing could have been hiding in her!

Starving and praying isn't exactly my idea of fun, but I do it once a year anyway because I'm about as religious as a reform jew gets. But after gorging myself at my grandmother's tonight I intend on excercising tomorrow (do the crime gotta do the crime)

OH BOY!

Gee, you don't blog for a few days and everything happens! For starters I'm now an auntie- can you believe? My sister in law Yonina gave birth to a 7lb 13oz boy- but because they're all religious they aren't naming the kid for 8 days. WHAAA? I am so glad I am a reform Jew. When that kid comes out it's gonna have a name and everything. Anyways I still haven't met him because of work but up above is his pic with my dad (who is now a grandpa can you believe?)- I think the baby looks like my big bro.

In other news the "Truth" commercials I've been PAing on have been hard work- mainly because it's been pouring rain here in Manhattan. I took some cool shots though and I'll post those soon.

doodles

Elevator Etiquette

After spending the better part of this week in some of the slowest elevators in Manhattan (a guy with a crank could do better) I have decided to put online some of the most deplorable things people do in elevators.

1: Taking the elevator to the 2nd floor and/or taking it up or down one flight. You LAZY BASTARDS! TAKE THE DAMN STAIRS!
2: Seeing the elevator is full of people waiting to go up/down and holding the door open while you talk to some co-worker. If you want to talk to someone then talk to them- don't hold everyone up because you feel you're conversation is more important then my time!
3: This is more of a pet peeve- don't you hate it when someone gets on the elevator with you and presses the button for the floor below you? Petty I know, but those few extra seconds I have to wait drive me mad.

good ideas- gotta get a gimmick!

Post secrets blog, found objects, urban myths, celebrity gossip- all simple creative ideas that have gotten people a solid 15 minutes of fame and leave me asking: is it possible to put something online people will actually pass around and read? Kawaii is the japanese word for "cool"- and my fascination with Japan and harajuku lead to me picking it as the title for this blog. But is it a good enough gimmick? I think not! A successful gimmick is "iki", not "kawaii"- iki meaning something so cool it's trend setting- not mearly trendy.

So while my fascination with JPop culture will remain here at Kawaii NYC, it must take a back seat to a truly iki concept that will bring in the fans.
And what will it be?
I'd say write in suggestions but no one ever does- so I'm just gonna ponder a theme that doesn't involve bashing my superiors or talking about whether Nick and Jessica are still together.
Till then さようなら (Sayonara)!

Here goes nothing

I have no idea how this is supposed to work- but since it's the latest thing far be it for me to turn up my nose at it!

I'll probably post some juicy gossip when I hear it. I can be all Page Six and blab but keep the names concealed (i.e. "What upstanding member of the community keeps obscene pics on his cell phone?")

This could be fun.