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[Special Feature] a stylish living

About.
What’s your name?
Connie Tsang

Where is your hometown?
Technically Hong Kong, but I grew up in Southern California most of my life.

Where do you live now?
my beloved Long Beach, California

Career.
What do you currently do?
Brand management for FILTER Creative Group/FILTER Magazine.

What’s the best part about your career?
Always having the opportunity to learn and tackle new things.  I never get bored and it keeps me on my toes!

What’s the challenges you have?
Expecting the unexpected.  No matter how organized I am and plan ahead with lists of thing to accomplish during the week, there are things that come up that you just can’t foresee.

Who do you look up to in your industry and why?
I’m exposed to so many people on a daily basis it’s hard to single out just one person, but I look up to those who really love what they do (no matter how stressful it can get), put in the effort and take ownership of their work.  You can tell it’s not just a “job” to them.

Inspirations.
Who do you share your greatest love with?
Does myself count?  To be honest, I don’t know the answer to that question.

What makes you happy?
Rare steak.  Sipping whiskey at the Queen Mary.  Driving alone.  Space heaters.  Dove chocolate.  Inside jokes.

What makes you sad?
Conflict.  Misunderstandings.  Being blamed.  Being broken hearted.  Feeling helpless.

What’s a perfect weekend?
Sleeping in, staying in bed and watching High Fidelity on repeat while sipping on wine and nibbling on cheese (and taking naps in between).

Who do you most admire?
I’d say my parents, but that’s a given.  For this, I’ll have to say my friend Beth.  She’s the ultimate ass kicker.  No matter what life has thrown at her, good or bad, she has always been a trooper.  I think she’s both realistic and optimistic; she’s in tuned with her surroundings but is always able to see the good side of things.  She’s also nurturing, a great cook, humorous and we both have the same taste in men (hello, ryan reynolds?!).

Favorites.
splurge:
It’s nothing flashy nor extravagant but i splurged on a personal trainer.  It was a big investment on many levels and my trainer, jd, constantly kicked my ass, but he’s such a great motivator in getting me fit and healthy and slowly changing my entire life.  It’s worth every penny I’ve got!

gadget:
my iPhone… for lack of a better option.

flower:
I like the look of gerbera daisies and peruvian lilies, but I love the smell of jasmine the most.

book:
American Psycho.  Like Water for Chocolate.

movie:
High FidelityLife Aquatic with Steve ZissouAmerican PsychoThe Baxter.

singer/band:
(so hard!)
current: band of skullsdawesvia audiowhite rabbitslow vs diamondthe whigsholy fuck.
forever: cakeryan adamsbadly drawn boyold 97′sband of horsesmadmdeftonesplacebo.

city:
New York, of course.  Always a whole new and refreshing experience every time I go.

hotel:
The Ace Hotel in Seattle.  The room I stayed in had a whole wall that revolved (which led you into the bathroom).  How awesome is that?!

store:
Bobbie Boutique

restaurant:
Pike Restaurant & Bar (long beach, ca.) // Balthazar (new york, ny) // Hungry Cat (los angeles, ca.) // Palate (glendale, ca.) // Sasabune (los angeles, ca.) // Tabento (costa mesa, ca.)

drink:
whiskey neat.

dessert:
bananas with evaporated milk.  banana milk shake.  cooked red bean with evaporated milk.  hot chocolate.

Beauty.
shampoo:
Sebastian Penetraitt

facial cleanser/moisturizer:
I just use regular soap and water

soap:
Dove, usually, although I’m liking the Trader Joe’s lavender soap I recently purchased.

perfume:
I haven’t purchased one since CK ONE was popular in middle school.

Clothes.
signature style:
beatnik. rocker. nautical.

jeans:
Diesel for life.

tank/t-shirt:
Alternative Apparel

shoes:
I love my Anthropologie boots and my yellow Diesel heels, but you can’t beat a nice worn down pair of chucks.

*all images by Bonnie Tsang Photography, except the Filter Magazine covers.
**and yes, Connie is my little sister!  ;)

paige appel, bash eco events

ABOUT.

What’s your name? Paige Anderson Appel

Where is your hometown? I grew up all over Texas, but no one town would I call home.

Where do you live now? Los Angeles!

paige appel, bash eco events

CAREER.

What do you currently do? Currently, event design and coordination. Soon to be organic goods shop owner. I also comb the city streets for foodie bites, often they include bacon.

What motivated you to start your own business? I don’t like having a boss.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? My biggest challenge was and is time management. I have a full life and a 5 year old son, which takes full priority. My work day ends at 3pm (or I try to make it end at 3pm) so that I can focus on family, friends, fun, relaxing. That is not always the case and I struggle with that.

What’s next for your business? Hopefully more creative styling, more photo shoots, more weddings, and definitely the opening of my shop. Stay tuned for details on that! Curated organic finds housed in a raw, urbane space. I’m too giddy for words. I want to help people feel connected to a quality of life they deserve.

Who do you look up to in your industry and why? Bonnie Tsang cause she eats as much as I do and still looks like an 18 year old porcelain doll. (Did that sound vain?) Ha! In all seriousness, I look up to anyone with a generous soul, a good attitude, and an honest work ethic. Someone who forges their own path and doesn’t worry about what others are doing. I check the blogs and magazines for inspiration, but I never compare myself to others. I just do my thing. I don’t try to be someone else, cause that is a lonely place. Well, sometimes I try to be Sarah Jessica Parker in Girls Just Wanna Have Fun but that’s a different story.

paige appel, bash eco events

INSPIRATIONS.

Who do you share your greatest love with? The artist known as Kevin Appel. He has some mad cooking, painting, Scrabble, and love making skills. (oops, TMI)

What makes you happy? Road trips, room service, snowboarding, hiking, kisses from my son Rem, napping in the sun, my husband’s smell, beautiful sunset with margaritas and friends, movie nights, crispy bacon, intellectual chatter, inspiring art, coconut oil lip balm, my hemp converse sneakers, and finding a really good boutique.

What makes you sad? Monsanto, air pollution and dumping trash in the ocean. I can’t even imagine the world my grandkids will live in.

What’s a perfect weekend? Friday night dinner with the family at Akasha followed by a loud, living room dance party with the kids. Kevin’s special maple-butter glazed kamut pancakes on a lazy Saturday morning, then museum hopping, late afternoon picnic in the front yard, homemade ice cream making, friends over for game night. Sunday entails exploring other city neighborhoods happening upon good eats and new shops, early evening movie, followed by a dinner date and drinks with my one and only man. Then home to cuddle up and watch Mad Men repeats.

Who do you most admire? My father-in-law and my husband. Two of the most generous, honest, grounded men I know. Not to mention, the wisest blokes you will ever have a conversation with. I swear they would cut off their right arm if I needed a third one.

FAVORITES.

splurge: Kathy Rose Arrowhead necklace

gadget: iPhone

flower: Wildflowers and Astilbe, I also love heirloom wild roses.

book: Siddhartha, The Alchemist, I Shock Myself, The Corrections, White Noise, Ishmael.

paige appel, bash eco events

movie: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Elizabeth, Queen Victoria. ( I have a thing for Brit period pieces) Also Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, Inglorious Basterds, White Christmas, French Kiss, and Annie Hall.

singer/band: Band of Horses, Richard Ashcroft, Fruit Bats, Willie Nelson, MGMT, Beck, Carla Bruni, Coconut Records, and the soundtrack to High School Musical (don’t judge people).

city: Boulder. New York. No, Boulder. Austin. New York.

hotel: Rosewood Mayakoba

store: Ethel, Turpan, Lost & Found, Roseark, Levi’s, Esquivel, Community, Confederacy.

restaurant: Animal, Comme Ca, Bottega Louie, Wurstkuchee, Mercantile, Umami Burger, Akasha and Gjelina. And O! Burger for organic fast food.

drink: The Aviation with Creme de Violette.

dessert: Gjelina‘s Butterscotch Pot de Creme. Hands down the best dessert in town. I also like the maple bacon ice cream at Craft and the Guinness ice cream at Fraiche. Oh, and don’t forget the Lemon Pousset at Huckleberry. Or the key lime pie at Thyme. (Damn, I get around)

BEAUTY.

shampoo: John Masters Organics Honey Shampoo

facial cleanser/moisturizer: Evan Healy Rose cleanser

soap: Chivas goat milk lavender soap

perfume: Rose oil or Strange Invisible Perfume

can’t live without: lip gloss: Josie Maran Cosmetics in Optimism; deodorant: Nourish Organic

paige appel, bash eco events

CLOTHES.

signature style: eclectic-mod-classic-effortless. sometimes a bit earthy. usually with some kind of kid stain on it.

jeans: Levi’s

tank/t-shirt: American Apparel

shoes: Toms, Camper boots, or linen Repetto ballet flats

paige appel, bash eco events

bag: Heather Heron hemp Aspen tote

skivvies: Loup Charmant frillies

jewelry: Sid Vintage

favorite accessory: Headband, bracelet or scarf.

*Thanks, Paige!  And special thanks to Kelly for her styling help.*  Stay tuned for my next guest.  ;)

CAREER.

What do you currently do? I’m living happily as a designer of all things lovely – creating floral + succulent design with succulentLOVE & event, papergoods and sugary sweet tables with yes, please design.

What motivated you to start your own business? After seven years in advertising I started to get the itch to focus more on my creative side.  Planning and designing my own wedding sparked a love for design and creativity that I couldn’t ignore.  Soon later, I left my career to  do what I love and find fulfilling full time.  I’m one lucky girl.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? I’m still trying to uncover the secret to defining the line between my personal life and my business.  Working from home means working 24/7 and my personal relationships seem to take the brunt of that schedule.  I’m working on making time for me and my loves outside of the business.  Baby steps…

What’s next for your business? If the stars align correctly, we’ll finally have a work and {hopefully} retail space opening in the coming year.   It’d be a lifelong dream come true for me and I’m giddy with anticipation.  Aside from that we’ve got all sorts of lovely projects and partnerships up our sleeves this year.  It’s going to be a very good year.

Who do you look up to in your industry and why? There are so many beautiful, talented ladies {and gents} in our business.  It’s really an embarrassment of riches.  I find inspiration from so many facets of the business as well as outside this industry it’d be impossible to name names.  Those I look to most are the individuals who stick to who they are and embrace their personal style in everything they do.  When someone is loving what they do their work shines – there’s no way to fake that.

INSPIRATIONS.

Who do you share your greatest love with? My husband.  He is my true partner in life.  And a hell of a good time!

What makes you happy? Good food + good wine with great friends; sunny days; the perfect cup of tea; being in love; happy accidents; game nights; mashed potatoes; the color yellow

What makes you sad? thoughtlessness; dishonesty; burnt cookies

What’s a perfect weekend? A perfect weekend would be twice as long as normal; I’d find time to read a book, enjoy a fabulous home-cooked meal {by my mister, not me} with friends, spend some time in the sun, enjoy some really fine wines {and cheeses too}, catch up on our favorite DVR’ed cooking shows, and at the end of it all – relax!

Who do you most admire? My mom.  She’s my best friend and she’s fucking awesome.

FAVORITES.

splurge: it hasn’t come yet, but our {soon-to-be} new couch (in charcoal grey).

gadget: iPhone, no question.  It is the future.

flower: succulents {yes, they count to me}, craspedia, ranunculus, peonies – sweet + modern with lots of color!

book: the giving tree, pablo neruda the captain’s verses, a tree grows in brooklyn, prozac nation

movie: this is hard: say anything, breakfast at tiffany’s, sideways, where the wild things are, up, pretty woman, garden state, the graduate, annie hall, almost famous, amelie…

singer/band: jenny lewis, ray lamontange, john coltrane, ben lee, she + him, donny hathaway, stevie wonder, joni mitchell, brett dennen

city: toss up between boston and los angeles.  I always love the places I consider home the best.

hotel: ace hotel palm springs – such great style

store: anthropologie, h&m, zara, shareen vintage {not much time for shopping these days, these shops are sure things for me}

restaurant: sunset tower restaurant for short ribs, izaka-ya by katsuya for baked crab hand rolls, pizzeria mozza for stuffed squash blossoms, and gjelina for an array of yummies

drink: red wine, specifically malbec

dessert: gjelina’s butterscotch budino

BEAUTY.

shampoo: garnier fructis & l’oreal

facial cleanser/moisturizer: dermalogia, burt’s bees

soap: dove

perfume: jo malone blue agava and cacao, miss dior cherie, angel by thierry mugler

can’t live without my: rosebud salve, l’oreal beauty tubes mascara, nars orgasm blush

CLOTHES.

signature style: sweet + modern boho chic

jeans: I have about 50 pairs!  I love jeans of all kinds – I don’t discriminate!

tank/t-shirt: Urban Outfitters tissue cotton V necks / american apparel 20/20 / j. crew

shoes: I’m not a shoe girl, spend more time than I should in my uggs or flip flops.  But my three shoe loves are my yellow L.A.M.B platforms, frye wedges, and black zipper jeffrey campbells

Thank you, Kelly, for being up so early to do the shoot with me; it was a lot of fun!

*all images by bonnie tsang photography with the exception of the Pennsylvania flag and a vintage postcard of Miracle Mile.

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