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February 11, 2010: In snow-filled Mahattan, a steady stream of poshly dressed socialites in rather precarious shoes for the weather could be seen making their way down a darkened alley off of Lafayette. No, this wasn’t some nefarious large-scale-snow-bunny-designer-drug transaction, but the location of the presentation of the newest collection from up-and-coming designer Karolina Zmarlak.
More photos and a video interview after the jump…
Continue reading New York Fashion Week Coverage: Karolina Zmarlak Fall 2010 RTW
“Grace” by orgutcayli
‘Tis the Season - I am off to eat a lot of food, hang with my family, go hiking in Vermont, and generally schlep about. CMYKaboom shall return to it’s normal shenanigans on January 4.
Happy Holidays, Party People!
If you can read this, I am off somewhere, enjoying other people’s cooking. I believe it’s one of the rare joys in life.
CMYKaboom will return to its regular programming come Monday.
Don’t hog the cranberry sauce, folks.
Holy smokes - can you believe the holidays are right around the corner? It feels like I was just getting married last week! Time sure is flying, I tell you.
Anyway, Mama Kaboom asked me earlier this week about my Holiday wish list, and after picking up my jaw from the floor, I got down to it. Here a just a few things I hope the reindeer drop under my tree (which I am going to set up this year, I SWEAR!)
1. Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender: One of the few absurd kitchen appliances that didn’t get covered during the shower/wedding madness. I find myself longing to pulverize chunky things into a soupy, awesome mess.
2. The Flaming Lips “Embryonic” 2LP Colored Vinyl (Transparent Yellow & Transparent Blue) w/Bonus CD: The Flaming Lips new album has been on almost constant rotation in my computer, and I am eager for my very own version of their special edition LP of the album to slap on my actual turntable. It even includes a bonus CD. And a pony.
3. Danskin 2-in-1 Combination Weighted Speed Rope: After couple of months on hiatus for post-op wedding recovery, I am finally back into working out, with a passion. I have had Rocky-like visions of me wailing on a jump rope in the mornings, Mr.Kaboom urging me on, dressed as Mickey. ADRIANNN!
4. Tivoli Audio Model One AM/FM Table Radio, Hunter/Maple: I have an admission - I am addicted to the radio. There’s nothing more I love than popping on the New York Times station, and listening to some classical music while I get dinner ready, or throwing on NPR to get my does of the liberal media conspiracy. However, I am filled with frustration that radio generally sounds like there is someone beating on a tin can the entire time. Friends of ours have a Tivoli, and have helped me find “the way”: perfect, clear audio, with nary a pop or whistle in sight.
5. Rock Band 2 Standalone Guitar: What kind of sick bastards make an awesome game like Rockband, and then short you one guitar when you buy the game? Capitalist pigs that deserve to be strung up by the ham-fisted knuckes, that’s who.
6. Crescent Moon Mat Sling: Because I have to commute so much, I am all about minimalism when it comes to the amount of stuff I have to drag around with me. This yoga sling by Crescent Moon is offers all the sleek lightness of a standard sling, but includes a small pocket for all that little junk you need to stow as well. Namaste.
7. Alphonse Mucha (Hardcover): Alphonse Mucha is by far one of my favorite artists, and over the last couple of years I have been on a mini-hunt to find a comprehensive, affordable collection of his work. Prestel has ended that search, delivering a lovely and thorough tome that lavishly and lovingly presents the work of an art noveau god.
What’s on your Holiday list this year?
Happy post-Halloween! I hope your weekend was filled with crazy outfits and candy - I know mine was.
This was actually a pretty big crazy for me and Mr. Kaboom, as we were attending a costume wedding on Halloween. As a result, I felt I had to take our costumes up a notch. So for the last couple weeks, I have been slaving away at operation “Costume” - which involved a lot of sewing, and very little sleep. I am happy to report the results were quite successful.
I am proud to present Max and Carol, from “Where the Wild Things Are”…
All Handmade!
Almost everything I used to make the costumes came from the thrift store (I ordered the marabou feather boas online, and we had to buy white sweatpants from Kmart or something). I made my costume with a lot of drawing and painting: I made my “scale” leggings by drawing on a pair of white leggings with a Sharpie, and the stripes on my top are all painted on with acrylic paint.
Mr. Kaboom’s costume was a little tricky, as it involved essentially making a grown-up onesie. However, I think I found a pretty easy way to do it: his wolf suit consists of a white hoodie and a pair of white sweatpants I joined together. A slit down the front, some velcro and decorative buttons, and we were good to go. I was even able to use the front pocket to make his ears.
All Handmade!
Because I didn’t have ENOUGH work making one costume, I actually threw together a quick second costume for work on Friday. I was an iPhone - possibly the easiest costume ever to make.
Top: H&M; Cardigan: Yaya Aflalo; Pants: Comme des Garcons for H&M; Shoes: Joyce Leslie
What were you for Halloween?
Arriving at Fonthill Castle, I was a little worried that John and the boys were running late. However, Kimberly kept me busy taking photos of me in the beautiful interior of the buildings, all the while calling back-and-forth between the boys to find out what the heck was going on.
As it was an outdoor wedding, we decided to optimize the amount of good light for photography by nixing the tradition of Mr. Kaboom and I not seeing one another until the wedding. Instead, Kim set up what she calls an “introduction shot” - essentially, photos of MK and myself seeing one another for the first time, pre-wedding.
I am happy to report that Mr. Kaboom and the boys did arrive, eventually (better slightly late than never!), and we got down to business. It was incredible how exciting seeing MK for the first time was. Kim had placed me at the top of the outdoor stairwell, and top me she would call for me to come down. I could hear everyone downstairs talking, and my heart jumped in my chest when I heard MK. I stole a peek, and there he was, his back to me, just waiting. Coming down, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.
It was so perfect. It was an extra treat that I hadn’t up to this point seen Mr. Kaboom in his suit; it was a delight to see him looking so wonderful. All our friends in the bridal party looked on as we embraced and kissed for the first time that day - I felt like a cork whose top was about to pop. Once MK and I were introduced, we got down to some serious picture taking.
Kim immediately led us out to this amazing road that leads in to the Castle - it is lined with trees, and when you are driving down it, makes you feel like you are entering a fairy land. It was also nice to be able to have some alone time with MK, to talk about what we had been experiencing, and get used to the fact that we were going to be married in less than an hour.
Next time…closer and closer to tying the knot…
My morning started at about 4am - I was already having a rough time sleeping, and had to practically force my head onto the pillow at midnight the previous night. It certainly didn’t help that at 3am, my mom threw on all the lights in my bedroom, because she had to “check something on the dress.” The universe was conspiring to make me a sleepy bride. I had just gotten back to sleep, when the house phone rang - it was my cousin in Australia, calling to wish us good luck - and slightly messing up the time change in the process.
However, interruptions aside, I did manage to sleep until about 7:30am. I had a quick shower, and proceeded to beat my sister awake. After getting all our stuff together for the drive to Doyelstown, we headed to the salon, champagne and my extra hair in tow. Stopping to pick up some bagels for my tired bridesmaids along the way, we cast doubtful glances at the sky. It was grey and rainy, conditions extremely not conducive to an outdoor wedding.
That’s around the time me and my sister started talking to grandpa. Our grandpa passed away several years ago, and we both had been feeling pretty glum that he was no longer here to share this day with us. So we decided to get him involved, mainly by doing what we did to everyone involved in the wedding - we assigned him a task. His job - to fix the weather. Our method of doing so was very much like this: “Hey Grandpa, get busy!” “This is your department - go talk to somebody!” Laughing, we talked to grandpa the entire way to the salon. It was great.
When we got there, the salon was already hopping. Miraculously, all the ladies in my wedding party arrived on time, and the manager didn’t waste any time getting the girls to the right stylist, while helping us set up breakfast. We noshed on bagels and mimosas, and watched the ladies’ coifs form as we waited our turn. Except for some trouble with my mother-in-law’s hair and makeup (general consensus was that her stylist was a bit rude), the salon and their stylists were fantastic, friendly and extremely receptive to our input.
Then came time for my hair. In the spirit of “going big or going home,” I had opted to have clip-in extensions added to my own hair, to give my wedding hair that little extra something. Me and the stylist had discussed and test-run the style, but never previously with the extensions - so I was pretty excited and nervous. As she put them in, I got happier and happier - it was so awesome to see my hair getting longer instantly. By the time we were finished with hair and makeup, it finally started to hit me - I am getting married today. AH.
As soon as everyone was finished at the salon, we jumped into our cars and dashed to my parent’s house. We stuck around just long enough to grab our stuff and give directions, and then proceeded to haul rear rto Doylestown, PA, the location of the wedding, and about an hour away. As we were carpooling, I rode up with my bridesmaid Carolyn, in her brother’s sweet blue sports car. HOTNESS.
As we drove down the turnpike, a miracle occurred. First, it was a smattering of light through the greyness. Then whole minutes of sun appeared, before once again hiding behind the storm clouds. But weren’t the storm clouds looking smaller? And hey, there’s that sun again! Lo and behold, by the time we got to Doylestown, the weather had become beautiful; bright and sunny, with a gentle breeze. Me and Linda embraced at the hotel. “Grandpa came through!” we shouted.
At the hotel, I hunkered down in the hotel room. Mr. Kaboom and his gaggle of groomsmen were due to arrive any minute, and we had to make sure he didn’t see me until the formal introduction our photographer Kim was coordinating during the pre-wedding photo shoot. In the meantime, I had a dress to get into. Have you ever had to get into a dress with the help of assistants? It’s odd, let me tell you. Odd, and extremely hilarious.
Next time: I meet my man…
Hey guys,
I recently updated CMYKaboom! to Wordpress. In the process, CMYKaboom’s feed stopped working - my only solution was to re-create the feed. Unfortunately, that means that if you are currently subscribed, you have not been receiving the most recent posts! *GASP*!
In order to continue to receive CMYKaboom, please switch your subscription to the following feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/cmykaboom/feed
Much Thanks!
Cyn~
There are some very annoying things about getting married. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very wonderful things too, like dedicating yourself to another person, cake, blah blah blah. But there are also some extremely annoying things, and one of them is the fact that your willingness to take risks aesthetically drops down to zero as the wedding day approaches. That new tattoo? Better wait. That bone through your nose? Yeah, a hold on that. And any haircut that might somehow put your wedding bouffant into question becomes completely impossible.
I wanted my hair very long for the wedding. To accomplish this, I spent the past year letting my hair grow as long as possible, and growing out my precious “keep hair out of my face because it drives me crazy” bangs. And at first it was very nice - my tresses grew and grew; my hair had not reached such lengths since right before I put it into dreadlocks in college (O yeah). For my wedding day, my hair was long and luxurious, just like I dreamed it would be. And about five minutes after the wedding, I was sick and tired of my hang-dog, bedraggled head of hair, and was ready to take it off with a bottle of scotch and a rusty knife.
I am very, very picky about my hair and who I allow near it. Being curly haired, finding someone who understands how my hair works and how it should or should not be cut has always been a bit of a nightmare. There was this one time my mom took me to the Hair Cuttery when I was about 12 years old, and I left with what can only be accurately described as a football where my hair had previously been. This is just one of numerous hair nightmares I have had to endure at the hands of unprepared hair stylists. I have been so traumatized by these hair-mishaps that there was a period of about 5 years when I simply did not have my hair professionally cut at all.
Finally, my sister had had enough, and dragged me kicking and screaming to a salon. She introduced me to JJ, a wonderful stylist in South Jersey that knew what she was doing, and I have been going to her for several years now with faithful conviction. However, as she does not work weekends, and is now located almost 2 hours from me, my trips to her salon have been fraught with difficulty ever since I moved up north. Many a day Mr. Kaboom has broken all sorts of speed limits on the turnpike to try to get me to my coveted appointment on time.
So with my new lease on post-wedding aesthetic freedom, and a hankering for something completely new and different, I decided to try to find a new stylist a bit closer to home, in my beloved NYC. My searching immediately brought me to Devachan, a Soho-based salon and spa that specializes in curly hair. I expected a sharp cut, and maybe a bit more curl. What I got was a head of curls I never knew existed up there. These guys knew so much more about my hair than I did, it was almost a little embarrassing. I found the Holy Grail of curly hair. It was like they were the fairy godmother, and my head was Cinderella.
My stylist dry-cut my hair, something I have never before experienced, and explained that this process allowed for each curl to be cut just right. Throughout the cut, I was given a thorough education on what I should and should not do to maintain my curls; tips and tricks to allow my curls to live in their big, curly glory. A large part of their process revolves around their specialized hair products: Devachan advocates that curly hair should never be shampooed (too damaging), and instead advocates a product called “No-Poo” - a cleanser that leaves your hair clean and natural, without the chemicals and dryness of standard shampoo.
I can’t tell you how amazing my hair has been since I got this cut and started using the products. My hair feels softer and more natural than it has ever felt, and the curls look simply luscious. See for yourself…
For my non-New York pals, I am happy to report that Devachan products are available online. These are the three products that have changed my life:
- Deva Curl No-Poo Hair Cleanser
- Deva Curl One Conditioner
- Devachan Arc AnGEL
Call me a converted Deva.
To learn more about Devachan and their products, visit Devachansalon.com.
If there was any piece of advice that was drilled into me at the beginning wedding planning, it was to choose the right photographer. It’s the one piece of advice I would pass on to any couple getting married: invest time and money in a trustworthy, talented professional. You can fudge the flowers, the food, but the photography is something that cannot be fudged, and will have lasting repercussions beyond the big day; in the end, it’s either done right, or it’s not. I unfortunately know many couples who have had disastrous situations arise regarding their wedding photography - from a photographer who went bankrupt shortly after the wedding (and has refused to release the photos), to one that straight up disappeared post-reception. So though I have been pretty easygoing in regards to most details pertaining to the wedding, finding the right photographer was actually something I stressed about and did some serious research on.
Isn’t it wonderful when the universe hears your needs, and fulfills them? In the midst of my hunt, Kim was plunked right under my nose. Kimberly Craven and I met via one of my bridesmaids, who brought her to the surprise birthday party I threw Fiance Kaboom this year. She was a true gem, and noticing my SLR on the coffee table, asked if I would mind if she took a few pics. Considering I was completely busy being hostess extraordinaire, I eagerly encouraged her to go nuts. And go nuts she did. By the next morning, I discovered some absolutely beautiful photos waiting for me in my camera - and I had found my girl.
It is always a delight when I meet someone with a special talent, but it is an additional gift that Kim has become a close friend of both myself and Fiance Kaboom’s over the last few months. She is a smart, funny, beautiful individual, and FK and I feel truly lucky to have met her. She is also any girl’s dream of a perfect wedding photographer. Not only has she lent invaluable help and support in scheduling the day, but she has offered all of her knowledge to both of us when it comes to having a stress-free, ideal wedding (I can honestly say she is a contributing reason as to why I am not running around like a maniacal Bridezilla).
A few weeks ago, Kim asked John and I if we would like to do an engagement session. Considering FK and I didn’t want something super mushy and romantic, we decided on Coney Island: it’s fun-loving, quirky, and positively ridiculous - just like us. These pictures are the results, and I am absolutely staggered and awed by the power of Kim and her camera. Simply put, they are gorgeous.
Though FK and I were first hesitant to do one, I now see the invaluable opportunity an engagement session can be. Not only does it offer a photo montage that is much more casual and fun as opposed to the formal shoot on the wedding day, but the face time it provides between photographer and subject is a great warm up to the larger event. The session really allowed me and FK to get used to being photographed by a third party (something most of us just aren’t super comfortable with), and I am sure it gave Kim some insights as to what to expect from us as well. Not to mention giving all of us the opportunity to curb some of our less appealing photo habits: for instance, we noticed FK has a creepy habit of kissing me with his eyes open. Yeesh! In conclusion, I think all of us will be going into the wedding day more confident and prepared on the photo end of things, and with a stunning set of photos to boot.
You can see more of Kimberly’s beautiful photography here. She also keeps a great little photo blog. Thanks, Kim. We’ll treasure these forever.
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The musings and machinations of writer and design director Cyn Passanante, on design, fashion, and things of a generally awesome nature.
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