Category Archives: World In My Eyes

Catching Up: Recent Events July – September 2022

There were a few events that I forgot to post about, which happened prior to the Daddy Daughter Trip movie premiere, and then hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up with my posts!

Immersive Monet & The Impressionists

Back on July 28, 2022 I attended the VIP Grand Opening Night of Immersive Monet & The Impressionists at Lighthouse Artspace, with Susan of Styles Revealed. Another wonderful immersive art experience, but I think the photo op below was one of my favorites for sure!

Meeting Comedian JoKoy!

Back in August 2022, I saw Easter Sunday, Jo Koy’s new movie with my hubby. But I then saw it again when I heard he was going to be appearing at movie theaters all over the country! I made sure to catch the showing at Harkins Theaters in Scottsdale and finally got to meet him and get an autographed poster! If you check out my Instagram post, you’ll see that he also voluntarily recorded a greeting for my sister!

Anoche Preview Night

Also in August 2022, Susan (StylesRevealed) invited me to be her guest at the VIP preview a new concept restaurant/night club in Tempe called Anoche Cantina. We got to try a small menu of drinks and bites, in addition to hanging out with some of our influencer friends, like Cynthia Sassi of Fabulous Arizona (image just below)!

“What She Said” Speaker Event

I posted that I would be attending the “What She Said” Speaker Event as an invited influencer at the end of August 2022, and it was really amazing! Not only were we treated to several inspiring speakers, I was able to be a part of TWO different podcasts! One has already been posted, which is “Boss Babe Life Hacks” by Farrah Larae, and the other was for Fashion Rewired for Brian Hill of Phoenix Fashion Week.

Wonderspaces Arizona at Scottsdale Fashion Square

I was invited by Wonderspaces AZ to check out their amazing interactive gallery space at Scottsdale Fashion Square, and took my family on Labor Day weekend. There was so much fantastic art to look at and actually experience, both in person and virtually. Their gallery changes regularly, so we have to go back and check out what’s new soon!

FTC Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets and/or invitations to some of the events in this post. Although I did receive complimentary tickets and/or invitations, the opinions in this blog post are my own.

Getting More Immersive with Klimt

As I get set to attend another immersive event tomorrow, I wanted to make sure that I posted when I attended Immersive Klimt with my husband, back in April of this year. This was again at Lighthouse ArtSpace, in the same building as Immersive Van Gogh.

As expected, this was another audio and visual stunner, featuring the art of Gustav Klimt, the Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. By far, my favorite part was when the art and animation were accompanied by the German version of David Bowie’s Heroes (which can be found on my Instagram post)! Also, there was a very moving dance that accompanied Klimt’s most well known painting, The Kiss.

Immersive Klimt has ended it’s run at Lighthouse ArtSpace here in Arizona, but I took a few pictures of our experience (including what I wore). Cheers!

Thank you to Immersive Klimt and Lighthouse ArtSpace for inviting me to experience this fantastic immersive exhibit!

“The One In Phoenix”: The Friends Experience!

How YOU doin’? The Friends Experience: The One in Phoenix is now OPEN! As an avid fan of the series, I can confidently say this lived up to ALL of my expectations! I invited Patricia to come with me to the media preview, and we had SO much fun! Here is just some of the fun you can have, too!

The experience features 12 nostalgia-packed rooms, including Monica & Rachel’s apartment, Joey & Chandler’s apartment and of course, Central Perk!
You can relive so many iconic moments like Ross’ “PIVOT” moment, sing “Smelly Cat” with Phobe’s guitar or wake up Ugly Naked Guy with the giant poking device!
The space is “Monica Clean” with lots of health and safety protocols in place!
There’s also an onsite retail store with exclusive products available
Tickets start at $30.50, and private access tickets are also available for groups of up to six or 10 guests!
The experience runs from February 24-May 8 2022!

Thank you SO much to everyone at The Friends Experience: The One In Phoenix for hosting us and for being so kind, gracious and patient with all of our pictures! Patricia and I took tons of pictures, and here are just a few. Cheers and if you are a “Friends” fan, this experience is highly highly recommended!

THE Couch!

PIVOT!

Joey & Chandler’s Apartment

Monica & Rachel’s Apartment

“Could I BE wearing anymore clothes?!”

“Smelly cat, smelly cat…what are they feeding you?”

Central Perk

The Merch Store

Thank you for having us!

The One With The “Friends” Fanatic!

Yes, I am a Friends fanatic, and in anticipation of attending Friends: The Experience here in Phoenix, Arizona, this is a pictorial history of my fandom. This is not an exhaustive pictorial history (believe me, I own more than what’s pictured here), but I think it’s a good indication of how much I love the show! In addition to going to Friends: The Experience this week (which opens to the public on February 24, 2022), I also went to the Friends exhibit in Scottsdale and bought a specialized drink, tea bags and coffee beans at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, both back in 2019 (pictured above and below).

I have been a fan of Friends since the first episode aired back in September 22, 1994. I actually have watched every episode for all ten seasons when they aired, and have seen them repeatedly because I sometimes have them playing in the background while I’m working in my home office or when doing housework. My sister and I can quote many lines from the show, and can insert quotes in everyday conversation (I have “The One With The Apartment Bet Game”, and can answer almost every question correctly and I also have “The One With The Ball”, pictured above).

My house is decorated with lots of direct and indirect references to the show. For instance, the picture above is the same poster in Monica and Rachel’s living room, above their television. I found it online, and it’s in our bedroom. We also have a small version of the frame in the girl’s apartment that hangs on their door. My niece, Mei-Lin, made it on a 3D printer and it also hangs on our front door. I also have a painting she made for me, which is displayed on a wall in my home office.

The last few pictures are items that I own, including both Lego sets, all of the Friends Funko Pop collections (so far), the soundtrack on pink vinyl, and one of the two Christmas ornaments we own (again, so far). I’m sure you can imagine my excitement for Friends: The Experience! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram as I will be posting an unboxing of a fantastic gift they sent me, stories of the tour along with a post, and I will wrap it all up here on my blog. Cheers!

Supporting Local & Regional Farms: Blue Sky Organic Farms & Spud Buds

Last month, a few influencers traveled to Litchfield, Arizona to support a beautiful local farm called Blue Sky Organic Farms. Leased farmland is quickly being sold for housing and retail development, so farms like Blue Sky Organic Farms needs support through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture subscription) or through their amazing Farm Store.

The Farms Store sells lots of fantastic local and regional brands. I purchased a bag of Noble Bread and garlic seasoning by Molly’s Mills, along with a Blue Sky Organic Farms hemp tote and coffee mug. After seeing the goodies I brought home, my husband wants to return to purchase some other produce and spices!

To further support local farmland, we were treated to a bag of Spud Buds potatoes. Spud Buds is a three-generation family potato farm from Idaho, and they deliver to Maricopa and Pinal counties, right here in Arizona! I will cover a few recipes we made with Spud Buds golden potatoes in a future post, and they were absolutely delicious!

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Spud Buds created Spud Funds to assist organizations with reaching their fund raising goals by having access to restaurant quality potatoes. Check out their site for more information on how you can help!

Thank you to Swell Video for bringing together a few influencers to raise awareness in helping to support local & regional farms!

Voyage Phoenix Feature!

I know it’s been awhile, but I promise I’ve got some good posts to put up in the next few weeks!

First up: I was featured in an online magazine called Voyage Phoenix, where they highlight inspiring people in the Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe areas, including cities like Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa. Both myself and Susan from Styles Revealed have a feature, and we’re talking about how we got started as influencers, and how we balance blogging with work, our families and life in general. It was awesome to be included in such esteemed company. Thank you Voyage Phoenix for the feature!

http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/conversations-inspiring-cyrillynn-chen/

Inspired & Organic: Quench Naturel

At the end of last year, I was introduced to a wonderful line of all natural face, body and hair products called Quench Naturel. The co-founders launched their new Sweet Moringa collaboration at beautiful Singh Meadows in Tempe, and I was invited to preview this new line. It was a lovely evening of sips, eats, and getting to know the Quench Naturel products.

The Sweet Moringa line is a collaboration between Quench Naturel and Singh Meadows, using Singh honey and Moringa powder to create a line that is moisturizing and nourishing.

I have been using the Quench Naturel products since December of last year, and the results have been simply amazing! My favorite products by far are the Get Whipped Body Souffle and the Sweet Moringa Botanical Body Mousse. Both have butters and oils that penetrate dry skin and restore moisture. I had come to my wits end regarding my feet because I have tried everything to moisturize and heal them. In a desperate and last ditch attempt before seeking professional help, I used the Get Whipped Body Souffle on my feet. In the first week of use, the dry skin completely disappeared and the cracks on my heels have completely healed!

Another favorite is the lip balm, and I was given the Sweet Moringa Emerald Honey Lip Quench. In this dry Arizona heat, the Lip Quench is a staple in my everyday make-up routine, whether alone or under a lipsick or gloss. I have also tried the Sweet Lip Scrub, which tastes as good as it works!

Not only is Quench Naturel an ethical company who believes in sustainability, they also do not test on animals. Additionally, their products contain all natural ingredients, and they are very transparent about what they use, listing them all on their site, along with their benefits (here). Being that my skin is very sensitive, I need products that will not cause irritation and I am so happy that I have finally found products that work with my needs!

Phoenix Fashion Week: Spring Into Style 2019

This Saturday is Phoenix Fashion Week’s “Spring into Style” event, showcasing six top Arizona stylists with six runway shows, and one stylist will win “Stylist of the Year”. There will also be pop-up shops, beauty product samples, sips and treats. I’ll be there as well, with fellow San Diego Style Blogger, Susan of Styles Revealed, who recently moved to Chandler! Tickets can still be purchased at www.SpringIntoStyle2019.eventbrite.com, and range from $50 to $125.

Featured stylists include:
• Ashley Paige – 80’s Fashion
• Beth Yohanny – White on White
• Braden Conwell – Utility
• Candace Carter – Monochrome
• Jazmine Nash – All Doll’d Up
• Timothy Boado – Men’s Box Suits

In the meantime, here are some pictures from last year’s Phoenix Fashion Week 2018 runway shows, including what I wore each night. Cheers!

Tiffany of Glitz and Glam by Tiff, interviewing designer, Qmulative

My favorite gown by designer Svetik Haute Couture (photos by Tiffany)

Getting interviewed by model, Bianca Mead, for Cox Media

Absolutely Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide 2018: THE ARIZONA EDITION!

I’m back to posting again, and what better way to usher in a holiday post with the return of the “Absolutely Last Minute Gift Guide”! As mentioned in previously, we live in Chandler, which I recently found out is the fourth largest city in Arizona. The picture above is of the Tumbleweed Christmas Tree located in Downtown Chandler, which is a five minute drive from our house. Now that I’m officially outside of California, three of the four suggestions in my gift guide are from The Grand Canyon State!

Sibley’s West

Located in Historic Downtown Chandler, Sibley’s West is a wonderful and truly unique souvenir shop. All of their items are only “From Arizona”, which is their mantra, sourcing artisans and companies based here. If you can’t visit their shop in Chandler, they have gift certificates available on their website and many fantastic gift items to choose from on their online shop.

One of my favorite items I recently purchased as a gift is a Travel Tea Set and loose leaf tea from Tea Royalty. Fortunately, I live right around the corner from Sibley’s, so I’m definitely going back and getting one for myself!

Quench Naturel

I was recently invited to an event at Singh Meadows in Tempe for the launch of Quench Naturel’s Sweet Moringa line. They use only all natural ingredients for their products, and everything is available on their online store. I will be providing a full review soon, but rest assured that all their products would make wonderful gifts!

QMULATIVE

I first heard about and met designer Quinlan of QMULATIVE at this year’s Phoenix Fashion Week (pictured above, being interviewed by my friend Tiffany of Glitz and Glam by Tiff). He was the 2017 Lifestyle Designer of the year at PHXFW, and is known for his AZ Pocket Tees (I’ll have my own soon, and will be sure to post pictures). His designs can either be purchased on his online shop, or in the Tucson area at shops like Why I Love Where I Live and Summit Hut.

Cave Tools

I have been working with Cave Tools for a few years now, having my husband Deon try out several of their wonderful products for cooking his delicious BBQ. Any of their products would make excellent gifts for that BBQ Pit Master in your life, and if you can’t decide on anything in their gift section, they also have gift certificates available.

We recently tried their Stainless Steel Meat Injector, and look out for how we used it for a recent grill session in an upcoming post!

(All pictures by me, except for the AZ Pocket Tee pictures provided by Quinlan of QMULATIVE)

PHXFW 2018 Recaps: Media Day

I’m finally ready to share my pictures from this year’s Phoenix Fashion Week! It was definitely a whirlwind of fashion and fun, which all began with Media Day at Talking Stick Resort. I got the chance to meet some of the designers, models and people who have put together PHXFW in a relaxed atmosphere. Next week, I’ll break down each day, including what I wore!