Of course you know I had to do the exact opposite. 

Can't remember which street I took this on - perhaps it was White? However, it was only after hop-skipping across this fallen police barricade a few times that I noticed a cop having coffee some distance away. 

My heart instantly dropped into my loafer-clad big toe; was one of New York's Finest about to upbraid me for disregarding the message clearly written on barricade's face? 

Thankfully, he was a down-to-earth soul who only shook his head, waved and laughed as I quickly backed away from NYPD's property. 

I guess there are indeed a few good policemen out there...

Wearing: Old cashmere scarf; H&M men's denim shirt; Uniqlo jeans; Bass leather loafers 

NB Images copyright © 2012 Au Courant Studio, LLC, All Rights Reserved 

UNDER CANAL

Whenever I'm traipsing around the city, the most random things tend to happen. And above all else, I think that's what I love about NYC - the unexpectedness of the place.

The goodly hubby and I used to live in an apartment on one of the craziest streets bordering Washington Square. At any given time, you'd see one - or all - of the following things occurring:

• Men/Women/Transvestites exchanging fisticuffs
• Cops sleeping with their mouths open on the job
• College kids vomming all over the place
• Even more college kids - and grown-ass adults - looking for ganja, but buying dried parsley, unawares
• Lost tourists confounded by the street numbering, especially in Greenwich ("Waidaminute! How come west 4th & west 12th streets meet on a corner?! This ain't right, y'all!")
• Vagrants hawking poems written on cardboards (this actually happened for months outside my window)
• Priests having one too many drinks at the corner bar
• Women crossing the cobblestoned streets and falling - face forward -  in their 6" pumps

The things one can find when spring cleaning...

I've been detoxing my wardrobe for some days now, and I keep stumbling upon old favourites with funny little back stories attached to them. Like this vest, which I picked up at an Italian souvenir stall around 2006.

It was my first vacation in Italy, and my then-boyfriend and I were traipsing through Verona, en route to Juliet's house. Where, like many other young lovers, we were about to engrave our initials in a big heart on the house's entrance wall - this was supposed to bring good luck in love and all that fine stuff.

Poised with pen in hand, common sense prevailed at the last minute. Because, given the outcome of Romeo & Juliet's relationship, it seemed highly ironic to be wishing for luck at the home of star-crossed, suicidal lovers. Thus, we kept our declarations to ourselves - there wasn't any free writing space on the wall, anyways - and went strolling through an adjoining, cobble-stoned plaza instead.

We didn't get far along before a rather chic lady sauntered towards us with undulating, passionate cries of, 'Ciao bella! Ciao bella!' My rudimentary Italian was enough to understand her, but I wasn't so sure to whom she was saying 'hello beautiful'.

It could have been a compliment to the both of us; we were being very lovey-dovey with the shy smiles, the hand-holding and what not. Or perhaps, she was complimenting my style. My now-husband, however, swore that she was giving an approving glance to him and him, alone. 

The nerve!

The next day in Venice, I promptly hunted down a tee-shirt vendor and copped this little vest as a keepsake. Years later we're still undecided about the intent behind the lady's greeting, but everytime I've worn the the top since, I can't help but smile to myself...

Wearing: Island People Carnival 2007 earring; Italian Souvenir vest; Dior vintage coat; H&M skirt; ASOS leather booties; Le Chat Noir tote;Tory Burch avaiators

NB Images copyright © 2012 Au Courant Studio, LLC, All Rights Reserved