Humid

It's been a strange June in NYC – it's 96 degrees one day and 60 the next. Overall humidity has been low though, until yesterday, that is. Summer is definitely here now. I tried to stay cool in this very feminine top (perhaps way more feminine than my usual taste but just so pretty), and these new white sandals which are reminiscent of the classic Hermes Oran style (oops, looks like white is sold out for now). I also had a dozen inquiries about this lipstick after posting on my IG stories, and it is the Bare Minerals Statement Matte in Devious.



Breakfast at l'estudio (above) has become a favorite. I love that they serve Panther coffee. The baked skillet eggs are a must.



I bought these Moussy jeans in Tokyo and have been living in them since. Of course, I can't seem to find the exact pair online, but you can find this cult Japanese brand here and here. What I love about this pair is the extra high-rise and the fact that it has a zipper fly. So many boyfriend jeans styles come with the button fly which I find to be an extra pain in the ass. Also they barely need hemming, which is rare for me. Just a cuff will do. I finished this look with this blush backpack... which gave me free hands to carry home the new plant I picked up at the just-opened Cactus Shop pop-up (below)!




All shot on the Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art lens for Canon.

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Function and style

Lightweight, durable, and supremely functional – all words I would use to describe MZ Wallace bags. I get a lot of questions on what are my favorite camera bags and how do I travel with my gear, and I actually don't use any fancy camera bags or rollers at all. Instead I pop an insert like this one into my MZ Wallace metro tote (shown here is a large). Any additional lenses that don't fit in the insert, I wrap in these guys and toss along the side of the insert. But these totes are extremely versatile and when I'm not using them to tote my camera gear, I use them for clothing/shoes as well as to transport props between my apartment and studio. In NY, I feel like I don't go a single day without seeing at least one person with a metro tote walking around. They make for amazing gym bags, as well as great extra bags for those trips where you might bring home more than you originally left with, as they literally fold up into a tiny pouch.

I recently photographed a little travel feature showcasing a few of these great travel bags in situ at the lovely EDITION Hotel in New York.



The garment bag is super chic and would be perfect for those travels where you might be bringing something fancy (or a suit). It can also be easily folded or rolled. Given my lack of storage space, I love anything that can take up as small a footprint as possible when stored.



The Frankie travel bag (shown below) comes with a detachable pouch (shown above) that is ideal for holding toiletries or other small bits and bobs. It's currently holding my favorite hand cream, a good comb, perfume, and some själ skincare goods.



This bag not only has a million (okay, eight) exterior pockets, but the interior also fits my laptop (13" macbook pro) which is so key for any "personal item" I bring on flights. I always want easy access to my laptop so I don't have to go digging in my carry-on for it. I've also comfortably fit a few small magazines, my external hard drive, and my Smythson planner. Bonus: there's an exterior pocket on the Frankie that allows the bag to slide over the handles of any luggage, so you don't have to worry about it falling over.



With the large metro tote also comes a set of detachable pouches in varying sizes, which of course is useful for keeping extra organized. In addition to using them for toiletries, I tend to use these pouches for things like chargers, batteries, and cables to keep them all in one place.





All set to go!

In collaboration with MZ Wallace

Tea at Three

Our second Tea at Three was held at the Blank Space Art Gallery in the back of the Lie Sangbong store in the Meatpacking District. We partnered with Jo Malone London, as they recently launched new fragrances under the Rare Teas Collection. This collection celebrates rare teas from the Japanese foothills to China to the Himalayas, and consists of six fragrances which have distinct tea profiles. My personal favorite might be the Darjeeling, which is inspired by the idea of the first buds of spring arriving in the foothills of the Himalayas, and has jasmine, freesia, and apricot notes – perfect for the summer ahead.

We had market berries and fruits, as well as madeleines (baked by Kristy of course) and cold-brewed tea from In Pursuit of Tea (prepared by Kathy, of course). The colors of the cold-brewed tea matched quite well with the colors of the fragrance collection.

By the end, we were all giddy from the sweetness of the strawberries and cherries!

See everyone else's take: Kristy // Kathy // Jee

Huge thanks to Lie Sangbong for the clothing and space, and In Pursuit of Tea for the tea

In collaboration with Jo Malone London

Tea at Three

A few friends and I got together recently to throw ourselves an afternoon tea party. We've all had our fair share of afternoon tea programs in the city and beyond, but how nice would it be to treat ourselves to one at home? Kristy was of course the mastermind behind the menu, which included four tea sandwiches, scones, and two delightful pastries. We were super lucky to work with Mud Australia in getting some beautiful ceramics for our tea. I personally own more Mud than I'd like to admit (it's a very slippery slope that started about 3 years ago for me) so it's a brand that I've loved for a while now.





Whether for yourself or for a tea-lover friend, the teas by Silver Needle Tea Co. would be an elegant addition to your collection. The tins are super lovely and have a really nice feel to them (hey the details are important!). Our outfits were provided by LIE. There are so many new arrivals I love, including these fun wide-legged pants – I'll take one in every color. Feel free to use my code 'LINGEREDUPON' for 10% off your purchase at either shop.

If you're in NY and haven't yet checked out the Mud shop, you should! It's at 91 Crosby St. in SoHo. But don't blame me if you start down that slope to a Mud addiction.

And finally, do check out everyone else's take on the afternoon: Kathy // Jee // Kristy

Wake up wright

No, that's not a typo up there – it's all my bedding dreams come true. I was recently introduced to Wright, a design-focused mattress label that also sells quality bedding products. I never really thought about how the mattress industry needed a little disrupting, but all the recent mattress companies that have entered the market seem to prove otherwise. I've tried a number of them out, including Leesa and Casper, but I prefer a really firm and hard mattress (I would sleep on a wood platform if I could) and neither of those offerings were firm enough for me. My current mattress was a generous hand-me-down from a good friend to tide me over when I moved into my new place last year. But I thought it was time to get a bit more serious about what I was spending nearly 1/3 of my life lying on.



Enter the Wright mattress. After two weeks or so of testing it out, I've been very happy with the amount of support it gives. It's firm but also feels like a cloud, the best of both worlds really. On the downside, getting out of bed in the morning is just a bit harder now. I won't bore you with the technical specs, as I'm not exactly an expert on mattress materials, but you can read all about the nitty gritty on the product specs page.



What I love about the Wright pillows is they fluff up nicely for show, but sink down for just-right neck support. I've had my fair share of struggles with trying out various pillows because I almost feel like I don't need a real one – I just want a log-shaped thing that fits right under my neck so my head can be aligned with my spine. The one I had half-considered and loved was from ABC Home and, like, $300 each (yikes). The comforter has been a dream so far too, but I'll have a better idea of how it holds up once I use it for longer. I've had to toss so many old cheap comforters because they either clump up or become as thin as bed sheets.

All of the Wright products, including the comforter and pillows, are made in the USA with carefully sourced materials. If you happen to be in NY, you can check out their showroom at 188 Lafayette and really feel their products in person.



In these photos: Stella McCartney cami (15% off with code JETAIME) and shorts (on sale!) // Also love this friendly-on-the-wallet silk sleep set

Disclosure: Lingered Upon received gifted products from Wright, but this is not a sponsored post.

Everlane Room Service

Has anyone else been having shoe sizing issues recently, or is it just me? It seems that sizing between brands has become less and less consistent and suddenly I can wear a 35 in one brand and a 37 in another, and still everything in between (what gives??). If I could, of course, try every shoe that I want on in person, that would be ideal. Now I rarely order shoes online without having tried on the shoe first (because I still find exchanging/returning to be a pain in the ass). 

On that note, I’m excited to help one of my favorite brands (Everlane, that is – if the title of this post didn't give it away) announce their new initiative titled “Room Service.” They’re about to set up in hotel suites in four cities over the next few weeks and allow you to try on their four fall shoe styles in person. You can reserve a 30-minute appointment here for Manhattan and here for Brooklyn. (These are early access links by the way! ;)) They'll be setting up shop in SF and LA hotels as well. If you do purchase in person, you’ll receive a gift bag, free 1-hour delivery in Manhattan and free expedited shipping for Brooklyn. And knowing my friends at Everlane, it’ll be the most enjoyable try-on experience you’ll have in a while. I mean, there will be cocktails! Try on shoes, mingle, and have drinks — that sounds like my kind of fun. And no more guessing what shoe size you'd be.

Shown here is the Modern Point. (If you don’t happen to live in or plan on visiting those four cities, and are interested in this style, I’d recommend going up half a size!)

Photographed at Hotel Covell.

Recent pick-me-ups

It's been a challenging few months with all sorts of hiccups in both my professional and personal life. But these are a few things that have made me happy recently.



1) A girl can never have too many lipsticks and I can always rely on a new lipstick to cheer me up. I love the new packaging on the NARS Audacious lipstick and recently picked it up in Geraldine, an orangish-coral-y shade. Bonus, the cap snaps in by magnet!

2) These pumps were a total impulse purchase, but as soon as I tried them on, I knew I was doomed. They immediately made me feel awesome and put-together and all sorts of positive things. I couldn't leave without them.

3) I'm so excited about my monogrammed Petra bag, thanks to the kind folks at Everlane. The bag is the perfect mid-size (well, compared to all the other tiny bags I've been using recently), and I always like a bag I can wear crossbody.

4) My brows need a lot of help. With this gel, I can somewhat tame their unruly ways.



5) I could have jumped for joy when I finally found a pair of sunglasses that didn't slip off my face or rest on my cheeks. Having no nose bridge and super wide cheeks makes sunglass shopping more of a pain than fun, but this pair finally works for me.

6) Artifact Uprising sent me a little surprise in the mail and it was a print of one of my favorite iPhone images. I'm also honored to be part of their community of Photo Ambassadors.

7) Astier de Villatte x John Derian. Enough said.

8) I like to be prepared and almost always carry a pair of flats when I wear heels anywhere – now they don't have to take up as much space in my bag thanks to these fold-up flats, courtesy of Tieks.

Paper & Clay Ceramics

I happened upon the Paper & Clay studio in Memphis by chance back in June, while we were driving around aimlessly early one morning. Since I only had a half day to spare there, I frantically called and emailed Brit McDaniel (the owner), hoping to stop in and shoot her space if she would be around. Brit was super sweet and welcomed us in, and even let me shoot her in action. I really admire what she's doing and was so happy to find this little space. Turns out my friend Kira (who has styled more than a handful of my shoots for me – including some of the ones on this blog) totally knew of her work already and had ordered things from her before. Hello, small world.

Brit makes beautiful, simple and modern pieces that are inspired by Scandinavian designs, plus she makes all of her glazes from scratch. You can find a selection of her work for purchase here.

[Shot for Lincoln Motor Company]

Paper & Clay
The Art Factory
777 South Cox #8
Memphis, TN 38104

N + A New York

Step into Noriko and Akiko's light-filled Tribeca jewelry studio and you can't help but feel a sense of ease. The sisters behind n+a new york are some of the kindest people I've met and really made me feel at home when I visited their studio a month or so ago. I first came across their jewelry at Still House and also have featured one of their rings in my Daily Rings post. All of their jewelry is perfect for daily wear. It is subtle, sophisticated, and right up my alley.

It's always a treat to visit other creatives' spaces, to find the little nuances and quirks of the space, and to see what their spaces say about them. (And one man's "mess" can be another's treasure for sure!) Let's have a look at theirs.

Noriko and Akiko graciously answered a few questions about their craft and background for me.

Where are you from?
Both of us were born in Tokyo. We spent our early years in Niigata where there was abundant nature surrounded by rice paddies, the Japanese sea and mountains. We enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities, playing music, and we were fortunate to be surrounded by treasure-troves of books. We still have great memories of growing up there and feel that those experiences have shaped us and play a part in who we are now. We then spent a few years in Chiba and finally moved to Yokohama where we went to collage.

How long have you been working in jewelry?
We started n+a new york 7 years ago. Before that Noriko had been making art jewelry and showing her work at gallery and exhibitions after she graduated from FIT. Akiko was inspired by Noriko's art piece and became fascinated by jewelry making.

How long have you been in your current studio?
Two and a half years. We make all pieces by hand here except for casting.

Where do you find inspiration?
Inspirations come from everywhere. We care about subtle but beautiful details of both the city life and from nature. For example, we were inspired by details of the historic buildings in NYC, and when we went hiking and encountered interesting things such as the textures of rocks and leaves.

What do you like to do when you're not working? Other hobbies?
Noriko : I love spending my time making things beside my work. lamp shades, door pulls, clocks, furniture, sawing and knitting projects... I also collaborate with my husband who is an antique furniture restorer. Right now we are working on designing and making processional torches commissioned by Trinity Church!
Akiko : I like knitting, swing dance, playing piano. Also food is my passion. I like cooking, baking and exploring good food. Recently I am interested in photography.

What's the best and worst part about working with a sister?
We can trust each other, it is the best part. Our enthusiasm for n+a is very strong, and we think it is surely based on the trust and love of our sisterhood. It is a good thing to be honest and say straight to each other what we think, but sometimes when we do it too much we feel annoyed... We are getting better at it!

Thank you to Noriko and Akiko for providing this glimpse into their studio!