Googly Eyes

You know that feeling when you finally have enough zest to leave your cave (also known as the Teenage Bedroom), giving you clarity that it’s time to stop looking up pictures of 90’s Drew Barrymore, and maybe actually see the light of day now that its Spring Break and all? Well, that was me last weekend when I made an attempt to leave my cozy cave and wander around the East Village with my friend Lyris, ending up at the Avenue A Flea Market.

This here, in the photo above, is Lyris. She is one of the coolest people I know style-wise, yes, but also in the way that she thinks. I’ve been doing lots of googly eye art lately so when we met up, I was especially excited to see that Lyris’ latest DIY project was ingeniusly glue-gunning googly eyes around her denim jean jacket pockets. 

Laugh-In/ Austin Powers Vibes up in here

Encased in the chain link fence of the 11^th street Mary Help of Christians Church parking lot, is a wunderkind like no other in New York. The Avenue A flea market is virtually one of the only real flea markets in NYC, as typically, the vintage/thrift prices in New York City are jacked up because everyone thinks its “trendy” and whatnot.  

The Avenue A Fleamarket (at 11th Street) is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 5pm.

99% percent of the things at the fleamarket were under 15 dollars, which is always an exciting prospect. I’m wearing an African dress I got at Wasteland in San Francisco that was originally down to my ankles and Funky Chunk Mary-Janes that I scored off eBay, which my friend Katie calls my “Anime Pop-Star Shoes.”

Now you can really see the extent to which Lyris uses her denim jacket as a canvas. She sewed on a giant banana patch a la The Velvet Underground, a purple glitter “L” patch, and a patch that says Golden Gate on it from San Francisco. 

I’ve never heard of this band but I was really vibin’ their groovy album cover and the name “Dressy Bessy.” There were so many stands that had great deals on CDs like those by The Who, Britney Spears, Jimi Hendrix, Sonic Youth, The Grateful Dead, Josie and the Pussycats…but my personal favorite was this suspicious album called “The Poop Alley Tapes,” with no sort of official labeling. But like with a lot of the CDs we were coming across,I wanted to take a leap of faith and just purchase the CD based on the name or the album artwork, because it could either be that I discovered the best band ever, or, the worst band, but at least they had cool art to compensate, you know? 

I made Lyris buy this backpack because IT WAS $3! And also perfectly plaid! And fit all of our new CDS. 

I don’t have a VHS player, but I wish I did because this booth had some serious classics. Also, I still really want to rewatch my old Passport to Paris video that I own on VHS again and again. THANK YOU, MODERN DAY TECHNOLOGY.

I bought this book for 50 cents because I had wanted it for a really long time, just in case any lawn gnomes try and attack my apartment (although I should probably mention that after reading the book I have been told that actually living in New York City lessens my chances of a lawn gnome attack.) Still, better safe than sorry, kids, and the graphics of the book are really silly and look like they would have been really fun/scary to shoot.

Shabbat Shalom needlepoint

Among bins of shoes, I found most spectacular pair of silk chunky 90’s lavender heels. If you think it’s gross to buy used shoes then I am sorry! But also not sorry! I am unapologetically cheap and they are beautiful shoes.

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