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Amy Chen

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Refinery29's #29Rooms NYFW Installation

September 22, 2015

A little over a week ago, I got to experience one of the best interactive art installations I've ever experienced: #29Rooms. It was the only NY Fashion Week event I attended this time around, but I'm okay with that because it fulfilled all of my wildest dreams, haha..

For their 10th anniversary, Refinery29 put together an epic 29-room funhouse inside a Greenpoint (Brooklyn) warehouse. Each room was created by a different artist and offered a different experience than the one next to it. It was an extremely overwhelming visual experience to say the least, lol... I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see it Thursday night before it went live to the public on Friday / Saturday. Despite this exclusive viewing opportunity though, I still felt like I could have easily spent more time in each of the rooms. There were even some rooms I didn't go into at all or failed to photograph because I was so overwhelmed trying to just take it all in. 29 is A LOT! I think I would have been overwhelmed had there been only 10 rooms... so imagine 3 times that. I unfortunately wasn't able to catch the name / artist of each room because I felt so scatterbrained through out the night, but will try to share that info with you for the ones I was able to catch or recognized on my own. 

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In design, wanderlust, style Tags Refinery29, 29Rooms, art, interactive art, NYFW, New York

Destination: Exit 0 (Cape May + Wildwood)

August 14, 2015

Last week, I went on a little Jersey shore road trip for 4 days down to Cape May and Wildwood. It was hands down one of the best adventures of my life. Growing up, my family often took day trips down to the beach - but we never once stayed overnight. I've only had the opportunity to actually wake up the next morning to a beach once or twice (ever)... so you can probably imagine my excitement lol. I've lived in NJ my whole life (with the exception of 4 years spent in NY for school), but I have never been that far south in the state. As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, my family isn't big on travel - so any opportunity I get to experience something new (even if it's not in a new state or country) - is one that I embrace with arms open wide. I treat even small, local, day to day things like grand adventures.

I ran myself so ragged the entire time - wanting to experience and explore as much as possible before we had to head home (because even 4 days was not enough). We did basically all of our exploring on foot, which was probably a good thing because I totally ate like.. 2 or 3 times my weight in all the amazing food the area had to offer.. ha. There wasn't really any "down time" and I didn't even actually sit on the beach or swim in either of the hotel pools for the entire time we were there.. lol.

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In wanderlust Tags Cape May, Wildwood, New Jersey, NJ, Jersey shore, Jersey Collective, summer

Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ

July 22, 2015

Last month, I made a trip down to Asbury Park with my dad to celebrate the opening night of Jersey Collective's first gallery show. I've lived in New Jersey all my life (with the exception of 4 years spent in NY for school), and it's kinda silly that I've never been to the town Bruce Springsteen named his 1973 debut album ("Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ") after. In other words, this trip was loooong overdue haha! Growing up, my family often made trips down to Point Pleasant -- and now, we typically head to Long Branch for our summer beach escape. I had no idea that Asbury Park was so close to those other two Jersey shore points... until I looked at a map (lol). For some reason I always thought that Asbury Park was farther south! Clearly my sense of geography is terrible..

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In wanderlust Tags Asbury Park, NJ, New Jersey, Jersey shore, Bruce Springsteen, Jersey Collective, Kerri Sullivan, summer

Lorraine Loots #ANTSinNYC Exhibition

July 12, 2015

Yesterday, I wandered into Brooklyn with Kristyn Brady to see the #ANTSinNYC exhibition by South African artist Lorraine Loots on display at Three Kings Studio. We walked over from the lower east side via the Williamsburg bridge. It was my first time walking that bridge, so I was pretty stoked to be doing something completely new. We stopped in at a bunch of cute boutiques on our walk towards the gallery, and it was a super fulfilling (and super hot) day. It was totally worth the sweaty trek, though!

Today I decided to write up this quick blog post - in hopes that it inspires you to also stop on by to see Lorraine's incredible show. It is only open for a few more days (closing on July 15) - so if you are in NYC, I highly recommend going to see it before it's gone!

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In design, wanderlust Tags lorraine loots, ANTSinNYC, gallery, gallery hopping, exhibition, NYC, art, painting

Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room

May 28, 2015

A couple weekends back, I went to see Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room - which is part of her current exhibition "Give Me Love" at the David Zwirner Gallery! I've seen photos of her Obliteration Room when it was on display in other parts of the world, and have always been wanting to experience it for myself (hoping that it would some day make its way to NY). When I found out she was returning to the David Zwirner gallery this spring, I was SUPER stoked and got my butt over there ASAP.

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In wanderlust, design Tags Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner, Obliteration Room, gallery hopping, colorventures
I have no idea who this girl is, but she was one of my favorites that I saw on Saturday!

I have no idea who this girl is, but she was one of my favorites that I saw on Saturday!

NY Fashion Week Street Style 2015

February 20, 2015

On Saturday (Valentine's Day), I trekked up to Lincoln Center to take some photos outside for day 3 of NY's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week! Despite freezing my ass off for a little over 4 hours, I had a great time.

Last year, I went for the first time with a small group of people. We didn't stick around for too long because it was painfully cold. Luckily it was in the 30s on Saturday, which is warm compared to the windy ass days that followed. I was able to stay outside longer this year, and I took a lot more pictures (over 500... lol).

Despite not having a ticket to any of the shows (cuz I ain't got money for that) - I really enjoyed loitering outside near the fountain and playing paparazzi. It was basically like a giant gathering of beautiful people (from all over the world) - all ready for their close up. As a matter of fact, I think most of the people I photographed weren't native NY-ers. I really enjoy portrait / fashion photography, but haven't had the opportunity to do any lately - so this was a lot of fun for me! 

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In wanderlust, style, photography Tags fashion week, FW15, MBFW, NYFW, street style, photography

Chester - The Stars Hollow of New Jersey

December 19, 2014

This week I took a "me" day and decided to drive to the historic town of Chester, NJ. It's been weeks since I've had a good local adventure, so I took advantage of the 50 degree day we had on Wednesday. As the weather has gotten colder, my outdoor hiking ventures have sadly died down quite a bit - as I don't feel as inclined to go freeze my butt off. I have driven through historic Chester many times, and always thought it was the cutest little town upon passing by. It's a small strip of shops, but I feel like there is so much to see. I spent 4-5 hours just walking around looking at everything and taking it all in. I also have been binge-watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, and it very much so felt like a visit to Stars Hollow.. haha.

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In wanderlust, food Tags Chester, NJ, New Jersey, Stars Hollow, Gilmore Girls, antiques

For the First Time in Forever

November 18, 2014

Last week I went to Disney's Frozen on Ice with my dad - and for the first time in forever, we spent some quality time together. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration (I really just wanted to make a Frozen reference in the title ;)โ€ฆ) my dad and I aren't that distant, lol. I guess what I mean to say is that since going away to school, I haven't been able to spend as much quality time with him or with any of my family. However, now that school is over - I have been trying to scoop up these moments even more-so. It's like being away from home (for school) made me realize just how special things like this are, and that they should never be taken for granted - and therefore, I've grown to appreciate them much more. 

Now I know what you're thinkingโ€ฆ what "grown" adult goes to see Disney's Frozen on Ice with their dadโ€ฆ? I may be 22, but that doesn't stop be from being a Disney fanatic - and it certainly doesn't stop me from going to Disney's Frozen on Ice (with my dad). Most 22 year olds would probably be too embarrassed to go to such a thing with their dad (let alone write a blog post about it), but not me โ€ฆ haha.

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In wanderlust, food, style Tags Frozen, Disney, Disney on Ice, Barclays Center, Shake Shack, Refinery29, Target, Picasso
I have a habit of hoarding all print collateral / entry tickets / etc. whenever I go to events / exhibitions ... #designerhoardingproblems 

I have a habit of hoarding all print collateral / entry tickets / etc. whenever I go to events / exhibitions ... #designerhoardingproblems 

Storm King & Jeff Koons

October 16, 2014

This is my first art / design related post on my blog โ€“ and after a month of blogging, I think itโ€™s long overdue haha. This past weekend, my family drove through upstate NY, and I got the chance to finally experience the wonderland that is Storm King Art Center. Itโ€™s been on my โ€œplaces to seeโ€ list for a little while now, and I keep hearing / seeing good things about it from multiple sources (mostly Instagram becauseโ€ฆ letโ€™s be real: thatโ€™s my main source of *news*). The Jeff Koons exhibit is something I saw about 3 weeks ago at The Whitney (in Manhattan, NY) but never wrote a post about. The exhibit is the last to be hosted at the Madison Ave Whitney location before it relocates in the spring to somewhere in the Meatpacking District. I made it my mission to be sure to see it, and that was one of the reasons why. Both of these trips could have easily been separate blog posts, but since the Jeff Koons exhibit is winding down, I figured I would include it with my most recent venture to Storm King. Both of these exhibits have to do with sculpture โ€“ and while that isnโ€™t what I studied in school - itโ€™s one of my favorite fine art fields to go out and see. This may or may not have to do with my love for dimensional design in my own (graphic design) work. I love the interactivity of sculpture; you canโ€™t โ€œwalk aroundโ€ a flat painting to observe different angles like you can with a 3D piece. Sculpture is also affected by light and shadows โ€“ which is recipe for epic photos ;) I took a bajillion (photos) during both trips, so brace yourselves. 

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In design, wanderlust Tags sculpture, Storm King, Jeff Koons, The Whitney, NY, art

Schooley's Mountain

October 9, 2014

This place has been begging for a blog entry since before I even started blogging. I discovered Schooleyโ€™s Mountain Park this summer, about a month ago โ€“ when I was researching new local places to explore. My parents / younger brother arenโ€™t as adventuresome as I am โ€ฆ (Iโ€™m basically the alien of the family), so this place (among many other nearby places) have never been explored despite living here all my life. Spending 4 years at school in NYC had me conditioned (aka spoiled) to go out and do things every chance I had because the city always had something going on. After graduating and coming back home, I missed that thrill โ€“ and was determined to find โ€œhidden gemsโ€ of suburban NJ. This is by far the best gem I found this summer, and I think it currently holds the spot of โ€œfavorite happy placeโ€ in my heart. I often come here now on the weekends with my mom, but Iโ€™ve only taken two solo trips to the park: September 2 and yesterday (October 8). Those 2 solo trips were by far the best โ€“ and take the cake.

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In wanderlust Tags hiking, Schooley's Mountain, New Jersey, overlook, waterfall
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AMYVENTURES

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Solo Day Trip to Seaside Heights
Solo Day Trip to Seaside Heights
about 2 months ago
Reframing a "Mundane Chore" as an Adventure: Visiting a New Grocery Store
Reframing a "Mundane Chore" as an Adventure: Visiting a New Grocery Store
about 2 months ago
Creating In Community
Creating In Community
about 3 months ago
A Sunny Sunday for the Soul in NYC
A Sunny Sunday for the Soul in NYC
about 3 months ago
Christmas Cookies 2024
Christmas Cookies 2024
about 5 months ago
5 Life Lessons From The Garden
5 Life Lessons From The Garden
about 9 months ago
Pet Portraits!
Pet Portraits!
about a year ago
3 Sustainable Christmas Crafts
3 Sustainable Christmas Crafts
about 3 years ago
New to the Shop: Vintage!
New to the Shop: Vintage!
about 4 years ago
Kindness Rocks
Kindness Rocks
about 5 years ago

INSTAGRAM

@AMYVENTURES
strawberry picking and everything I made with said strawberries now on substack โœจ๐Ÿ“โœจ (link in bio)

#strawberries #strawberrypicking #pyostrawberries #upickstrawberries #jerseycollective #longvalley #longvalleynj #northjerseyadventures #strawberryrec
so glad I made it to @longvalleypeonies this year ๐Ÿฅน the fields are a dream to walk through with over 65 varieties of peonies to see / smell โœจ๐ŸŒธโœจ

I believe today is the last day of the season to visit this year, so stop by if you can! ๐Ÿ’•

#longvalle
the most joyful + sparkly little shop I ever did see ๐Ÿ˜ ty for existing @susan_alexandra ๐Ÿฅน๐Ÿ’–๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒผ๐Ÿฆ‹โœจ 

#susanalexandra #nyc #nycshopping #lowereastside #les #thingstodoinnyc #orchardstreet #orchardst #charmjewelry #joyspotting
the matcha stop of the day was @12.matcha ๐Ÿต (expect a line no matter what time you go, but I thought it was worth the wait) - quite possibly the best and smoothest matcha I’ve ever had ๐Ÿฅน (zero clumps, not bitter, not too sweet, sooooo green)
still dreaming about this rose pistachio croissant from @libraebakery ๐Ÿคค๐Ÿฅ๐ŸŒน (pretty sure the birds are too ๐Ÿ˜‚)

next time I’ll have to order a few more things to try so I can take them home in a cute butter yellow box ๐Ÿ˜ (was trying to pace my
a little camera roll dump from last saturday morning’s walk up bowery in pursuit of sweet treat(s) & matcha ๐Ÿ™ƒ

#nyc #igersnyc #bowery #eastvillage #noho #joyspotting
sunday reset by the sea with my best girl ๐Ÿฅน๐Ÿพ๐Ÿšโ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿฆ had to visit one of our favorite places before the summer season fee kicks in mdw ๐Ÿฅฒ - we walked nearly 10 miles (from lot c to the lighthouse and back + a bit of the bayside beach ๐Ÿ˜…)

a much need
cake club last weekend at @reccreate_collective ๐Ÿฐ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ“ with @sarabryn for โœจdog moms day outโœจ

got to decorate mini cakes in this hidden gem of a creative community space just a short walk from @prattinstitute (where I graduated 11 years ago) ๐Ÿ˜… so mu
got matcha lattes from @matchaful ๐Ÿต and ogled over the stickers and fun things at @greenwichletterpress ๐Ÿ‘€ and @bignightshop ๐Ÿ… 

(a few stops and sights along the way in the west village before heading to brooklyn to decorate cake ๐Ÿฐ)

#westvillage
saturday at @unsqgreenmarket ๐Ÿ˜ (forever one of my favorite farmer’s markets to walk through; it doesn’t get old) โœจ stopped to smell the flowers (duh) ๐Ÿ’ and then grabbed a chocolate croissant for breakfast ๐Ÿฅ

#unionsquaregreenmarket #un
some photos from saturday’s plant & seed swap at @thelilliehouse โœจ๐ŸŒฑ๐ŸŒธ I made little origami seed packets to share some from my collection, and picked up some new things to add to the garden this year ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿป‍๐ŸŒพ - I think I’m most ex
a recap of last weekend - where I spent saturday listening to and reading @thealiciacook’s poetry at @chapteronemendham and sunday in a cemetery in PA ๐Ÿ™ƒ I wrote a poem on grief (a glimpse of it written here on slide 3, but the whole thing didn
mentally still here ๐ŸŒž

wrote a bit about this solo day trip over on my substack (icymi) - link in bio! ๐Ÿฆ

#seasideheights #jerseycollective #njisallgood #njisntboring #jerseyshore #islandbeachstatepark #boardwalk #seasidepark #southjerseyadventures
me going on a self directed โœจlittle treatsโœจ tour after a morning of minor inconvenience ๐Ÿ™ƒ

๐ŸŒฎ - lunch at @centraltaqueriaofficial (I ordered the portobello and nopal tacos)
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น - picked up a cannoli bombolione and loaf of fresh bread from @coniglio
always stopping to smell the flowers ๐ŸŒป (even if they are fake ๐Ÿ˜‚) 

and yes, yes we were the most colorful girlies at the park today โ˜”๏ธ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’–๐ŸŒง๏ธ๐Ÿฆ„โœจ (also, we were the only girlies at the park today ๐Ÿคฃ)

#rainyday #rainbowumbrella #ihavethisthingwithpi
stopped to check out @kasia.market after the shibori food scrap dye workshop a couple weekends ago โœจ

had a lot of fun going up and down every aisle selecting different goodies to try (and then proceeding to make a collage out of the food packaging I
happy first day of spring! โœจ๐ŸŒทโœจ 

some photos / videos from last year at @hollandridgefarms that I never got around to sharing (oops ๐Ÿ˜…) - better late than never! 

#spring #springflowers #happyspring #tulips #springequinox #tulipseason #tulipfestiva
strawberry picking and everything I made with said strawberries now on substack โœจ๐Ÿ“โœจ (link in bio)

#strawberries #strawberrypicking #pyostrawberries #upickstrawberries #jerseycollective #longvalley #longvalleynj #northjerseyadventures #strawberryrec
pancakes on a random week day (for lunch at 2 pm) because why not? ๐Ÿ˜ peanut butter between the layers, served with maple syrup & coconut whip, and topped with strawberries (cooked down with a little lemon juice and sugar just til they’re s
so glad I made it to @longvalleypeonies this year ๐Ÿฅน the fields are a dream to walk through with over 65 varieties of peonies to see / smell โœจ๐ŸŒธโœจ

I believe today is the last day of the season to visit this year, so stop by if you can! ๐Ÿ’•

#longvalle the most joyful + sparkly little shop I ever did see ๐Ÿ˜ ty for existing @susan_alexandra ๐Ÿฅน๐Ÿ’–๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒผ๐Ÿฆ‹โœจ 

#susanalexandra #nyc #nycshopping #lowereastside #les #thingstodoinnyc #orchardstreet #orchardst #charmjewelry #joyspotting the matcha stop of the day was @12.matcha ๐Ÿต (expect a line no matter what time you go, but I thought it was worth the wait) - quite possibly the best and smoothest matcha I’ve ever had ๐Ÿฅน (zero clumps, not bitter, not too sweet, sooooo green)
still dreaming about this rose pistachio croissant from @libraebakery ๐Ÿคค๐Ÿฅ๐ŸŒน (pretty sure the birds are too ๐Ÿ˜‚)

next time I’ll have to order a few more things to try so I can take them home in a cute butter yellow box ๐Ÿ˜ (was trying to pace my a little camera roll dump from last saturday morning’s walk up bowery in pursuit of sweet treat(s) & matcha ๐Ÿ™ƒ

#nyc #igersnyc #bowery #eastvillage #noho #joyspotting sunday reset by the sea with my best girl ๐Ÿฅน๐Ÿพ๐Ÿšโ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿฆ had to visit one of our favorite places before the summer season fee kicks in mdw ๐Ÿฅฒ - we walked nearly 10 miles (from lot c to the lighthouse and back + a bit of the bayside beach ๐Ÿ˜…)

a much need cake club last weekend at @reccreate_collective ๐Ÿฐ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ“ with @sarabryn for โœจdog moms day outโœจ

got to decorate mini cakes in this hidden gem of a creative community space just a short walk from @prattinstitute (where I graduated 11 years ago) ๐Ÿ˜… so mu got matcha lattes from @matchaful ๐Ÿต and ogled over the stickers and fun things at @greenwichletterpress ๐Ÿ‘€ and @bignightshop ๐Ÿ… 

(a few stops and sights along the way in the west village before heading to brooklyn to decorate cake ๐Ÿฐ)

#westvillage saturday at @unsqgreenmarket ๐Ÿ˜ (forever one of my favorite farmer’s markets to walk through; it doesn’t get old) โœจ stopped to smell the flowers (duh) ๐Ÿ’ and then grabbed a chocolate croissant for breakfast ๐Ÿฅ

#unionsquaregreenmarket #un
spring in the garden state ๐Ÿฅน๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒฟโœจ

#spring #newjersey #jerseycollective #njisntboring #njisallgood #locallivingnj #flowers #april #northjerseyadventures #gardenstate
some photos from saturday’s plant & seed swap at @thelilliehouse โœจ๐ŸŒฑ๐ŸŒธ I made little origami seed packets to share some from my collection, and picked up some new things to add to the garden this year ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿป‍๐ŸŒพ - I think I’m most ex a recap of last weekend - where I spent saturday listening to and reading @thealiciacook’s poetry at @chapteronemendham and sunday in a cemetery in PA ๐Ÿ™ƒ I wrote a poem on grief (a glimpse of it written here on slide 3, but the whole thing didn mentally still here ๐ŸŒž

wrote a bit about this solo day trip over on my substack (icymi) - link in bio! ๐Ÿฆ

#seasideheights #jerseycollective #njisallgood #njisntboring #jerseyshore #islandbeachstatepark #boardwalk #seasidepark #southjerseyadventures
the only place I wanna to be on a 75 and sunny saturday is down the shore ๐ŸŒž๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿญ๐ŸŽก๐Ÿ•๐ŸŒ…

#seasideheights #jerseycollective #njisallgood #njisntboring #jerseyshore #islandbeachstatepark #boardwalk #seasidepark #southjerseyadventures
me going on a self directed โœจlittle treatsโœจ tour after a morning of minor inconvenience ๐Ÿ™ƒ

๐ŸŒฎ - lunch at @centraltaqueriaofficial (I ordered the portobello and nopal tacos)
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น - picked up a cannoli bombolione and loaf of fresh bread from @coniglio always stopping to smell the flowers ๐ŸŒป (even if they are fake ๐Ÿ˜‚) 

and yes, yes we were the most colorful girlies at the park today โ˜”๏ธ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’–๐ŸŒง๏ธ๐Ÿฆ„โœจ (also, we were the only girlies at the park today ๐Ÿคฃ)

#rainyday #rainbowumbrella #ihavethisthingwithpi stopped to check out @kasia.market after the shibori food scrap dye workshop a couple weekends ago โœจ

had a lot of fun going up and down every aisle selecting different goodies to try (and then proceeding to make a collage out of the food packaging I happy first day of spring! โœจ๐ŸŒทโœจ 

some photos / videos from last year at @hollandridgefarms that I never got around to sharing (oops ๐Ÿ˜…) - better late than never! 

#spring #springflowers #happyspring #tulips #springequinox #tulipseason #tulipfestiva

All photos / content were created solely for / by
Amy Chen (unless otherwise stated). If you decide to reference anything from my blog / website, please give proper credit. Thank you! :)


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