We've been feeling like Super Mario Brothers for the past week and a half trying to pass every level of finishing our products, taking photos of our work, editing the photos, sending out a newsletter & press releases,  pack & shipping our furniture & lights so it'll get to NY in time, remembering to pack our clothes (and underwear), making sure our water bottle doesn't have any water in them when going through security,  and remembering to put our shampoo, contact solution, utility knife, hammers, drill bits & screws in the checked luggage and NOT in our carry on.... 

It's usually stressful leading up to catching the flight, but once we're on the plane we feel we can at least relax a little being so far away from work...and instead be able to enjoy a view like this....the high altitude sunset and little itty bitty frost crystals that forms on the window...so neat.

Then we land in NY....and then it's back to frantic town all over again!! So now we're on to the next challenging level of dealing with all the logistics in New York to set up our work up in time for Noho Design District!! And this level is all about doing errands in middle of Manhattan....WITH A MINI VAN! And boy did we let loose on the horn.

It's only been our first full day in NY and we're already exhausted from all the rush and trying to get everything set up!!! Luckily there was enough adrenalin going through both of us that kept us from just passing out....

Anyway....here's what we did and some photos of our first day

11am-1pm Arrived at Zero + Maria Cornejo to scope out the space and figure out a plan of attack on how we can set up our lights, hanging chair, floor chair, side tables and plant hangers.

Lovely window display of paper cranes in Z+MC

And me (Jean) getting distracted/tempted by all the amazing beautiful Z+MC shoes & clothes.....

1pm-2pm: Went over to Heller Gallery in Meatpacking district to deliver our Nyth bowls  for RAW+UNFILTERED show by AmDC.  We got a little sneak preview and is totally psyched to have our works be shown amongst some amazing works there. Here's our bowls next to our table buddies, Fort Standard, who made these cast bronze candelabras!

2-4pm  did some major driving around where we borrowed a 10ft ladder that we somehow fit in the mini van, then  got a bunch of light bulbs at a hardware store, and went to this awesome plant called Plantworks for plants for our plant hangers.... I got to look at some AMAZING giant plants and cacti I wish I needed. I love NY for all their little mom & pop shops with the best things.  

430pm We set up a mobile work station in our friend's classy mini van and illegally parked for an hour and a half just to claim a street parking spot by 6pm...yah....parking in Noho, that's the kind of fun logistics we love. I know I should be ashamed to even admit doing something as desperate as camping out in a van just to claim a parking spot...but it was TOTALLY worth it for the spot right outside the shop and that we didn't have to pay $12/hr. Wow...I'm totally starting to sound like a cheap old lady!  yay!

6pm-8pm: Then for 2hrs all we were able to do is hang some Aura lights before everyone at the shop had to leave!! Despite the little progress we had, I was really happy with how the lights look in front of the amazing large scale photo of Maria's clothes by Mark Borthwick,  an artist/photographer and also Maria Cornejo's husband.  Talk about a super couple....seeesh!

So now....we gotta get up in butt crack of dawn to head over there and do the rest of the set up. woo hoo!!

more & more for later!