Thursday, November 12, 2009
Come Darkness
I was visiting one of my favorite blogs grijs when I found out about this beautiful installation. Come Darkness is a small collection of art curated and installed by Maria Alexandra Vettese at Chellis Wilson in Portland. Maria has involved so many fantastic artists. Lorraine from grijs has one of her extraordinary hand dyed scarves in the exhibition (I have been wanting to get my hands on one for ages). The opening was last week..I am a little late posting, but this is good stuff and better late than never. Check out the site, you can contact the store to purchase any of the pieces you may fall in love with...I am smitten with several.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The light is falling out of the sky
It's getting dark here around 4:30 and I often have all the lights on during the day. These are rainy, banana bread baking, bowl making, train track building, Totoro watching, cozy inside days. When the sun makes an appearance we often head over to the botanical gardens to check up on the butterflies. My little guy wants to make sure they have enough oranges to eat, he's thoughtful like that. Last week, As we were enjoying a post butterfly coffee/ warm milk he looked up and said "oh no, the light is falling out of the sky"....he sure knows how to turn a phrase.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Castor & Pollux
Remember this pretty lady?
Photo by John Von Pamer
This is Kerrilynn Pamer, owner of one of my favorite boutiques in NY Castor and Pollux.
Photo by John Von Pamer
Castor & Pollux is rooted in creating a decorative conversation, recognizing that the act of getting dressed directly corresponds to the books on our shelves, the foods we eat, the scents we wear, and the way we set a dinner table.
For eight years owner Kerrilynn Pamer’s eclectic spot has been a destination well known for it's tightly curated selection of clothing, jewelry and vintage objects. Teaming emerging talent like Risto Bimboloski with established designers like women swear guru Sonia Rykiel, the store offers something for the fashion observers and fashion obsessed alike. Originally opened in 2001 in Prospect Heights at half its current size, Pamer knows how to maximize the space by constantly re-energizing the inventory, while staying true to the classic pieces that define her vision.
Photo from Castor& Pollux
I lived down the street from Castor & Pollux during my last year in NYC. This happened to be my first year with a baby so to say I did a lot of walking and looking would be an understatement. Kerrilynn and her staff create a deliciously inviting space. It is almost impossible to go in and not really really want something...and some of my very favorite things come from C&P (including my all time favorite wallet, below) When my need for company was greater than my need for things it was such a pleasure just to walk in and see how the "decorative conversation" was evolving. I always received such a warm welcome, an invitation to stay and chat about clothes of course, but also food, art, life, children, love...everything. For me it was a home away from home.
Photo from Castor & Pollux
Last Summer when I was in NY I had the opportunity to take some photos and during fashion week this past September Kerrilynn took time out of her very busy schedule to do a little interview for us here.
I bet you are excited for all your new fall/Winter arrivals. Is there a designer or trend that you are especially excited about?
I truly am excited about everything coming in the store for Fall. I’ve always felt very attached to this time of year as my birthday and anniversary are in September and the store’s anniversary is in October so there is always a lot to look forward to. I feel as if this is the season that truly embodies C&P so it’s always fun to do our Fall buy.
In regards to how I buy for the store I’ve never been much of a trend driven person so that explains why I am so attracted to the Kimberly Ovitz sweaters that we have in the store currently. They remind me of sweaters that everyone in Portland used to get for Christmas, but upgraded to being totally decadent and luxe.. I am also loving the Acne pieces that we have; their collection just seems to keep getting better and better as time goes by. They are consistently updating classic shapes and ideas but always making them interesting and beautiful. In truth though, I love everything that is coming in the next months; in my opinion Fall should last for 9 out of 12 months, that would make me happy!
-How are you creatively navigating the recession? I read an article where you talk about being an M-3 racer and count me in, can you tell me about those programs?
Count Me In and Make Mine a Million are amazing organizations that are completely dedicated to helping women get their businesses to a place of profit by getting one million women owned businesses to sales of one million dollars. Currently, the number of women who reach that goal is remarkably small even though we have become major contributors to the economy through our businesses and being consumers.
Nell Merlino, who started Take Your Daughters to Work Day, also started Make Mine a Million and has been so supportive of C&P and myself. This October, Nell, Poppy King, (the Lipstick Queen), and I will be having an in-store party/networking event for Poppy’s new lipstick, Fired Up (all profits go towards Count Me In). I am honored to be hosting this event with these inspiring and amazing women; it makes you realize that when women work together we can affect so much change. Nothing is too large to make change.
In addition to this I am competing in the Make Mine a Million race, a year long competition that inspires you to reach sales goals, understand your financials, receive invaluable advice and communicate with other women who are running their own businesses. It’s a wonderful resource for entrepreneurs, I encourage all women to get involved with it.
In regards to the recession I think it has been an incredibly helpful way to look at my business and see exactly what I want it to be and also how I can contribute to the world in ways that are related to selling clothing but actually fall over into other disciplines. We have had charity dinners in the store; the first one was a six course Mexican feast that my friend Nils of Matador Records prepared that benefited The Tia Foundation, a wonderful organization that provides health care training for women in rural Mexican villages. We were able to fully sponsor two women to go through the program by having this event in our store. Very exciting! We have more of these on our calendar coming up. We have also had an Italian wine course, a dog adoption, trunk shows and many other events. I believe that all of these things make a person complete, not just the clothing they wear, so it has encouraged and allowed us to explore and host events that might not normally be associated with a clothing store.
-What is inspiring you right now; Food, books, artists, designers.
I always love this question and also dread it a bit because I feel like I will inevitably leave something out! But that being said, I have many things right now that I’m greatly interested in and would love to talk about.
Food is always a huge inspiration with me and although I’ve loved the summer foods that were available, I can’t wait to get into the kitchen and cook this Fall. Japanese fried chicken, chunky apple walnut cake, butternut squash soup, Hatch green chilies over eggs, Zuni’s roast chicken and bread salad. This list could go on for so long that I will stop myself here for fear of this turning into a cookbook!
Outside of food, I’m really inspired by Risto Bimbiloski’s collection and can’t wait to get my hands on all the pieces that are coming from Alexandre Herchcovitch.
I’m inspired by an organization that one of my clients, Melissa Kushner, started called www.goodsforgood, It is based on the simple idea that we have the ability to turn excess into progress. The organization receives donations of surplus goods from companies, coordinates shipments to Africa and puts them in the hands of schools and community centers. Just the smallest item can make a difference. A pen in the hand of a school child can make the difference between going to class or not. I can’t think of anything more inspiring.
And, then there is fragrance. This is a medium that has always spoken to me and I’ve always found immensely fascinating. I have been working on the development of the first Castor & Pollux scent since last year and we are launching this in Winter 2010;
I am beyond happy about this.
-When you think of Autumn what imagery does it evoke?
Fireplaces, Montauk, lobster rolls, crisp air, cozy nights, Indian summers, new beginnings. I just truly love Fall, all of it. There’s nothing about it that doesn’t make me completely happy. I think it’s magical.
-Why the name Castor and Pollux?
Such a beautiful story about the twins, so lovely, sad and poetic.
-Based on your experience starting your own business, is there any advise you would give to a fellow woman entrepreneur?
Know and understand your numbers.
Always do your routines when you are supposed to and don’t let them pile up. This can save so much frustration; a little bit a day is much easier to handle than a lot later on.
Ask and talk with other women entrepreneurs as it’s almost inevitable that someone has gone through what you are going through as no problem is new. It’s very reassuring to know that you are not reinventing the wheel and these conversations can be invaluable in getting you through difficult times.
Try not to take it all so seriously. Have fun with it and bring something to the world that people genuinely want and you are proud of.
-Do you have any timeless style tips, a couple of live by rules that will always make you look/ feel better?
I find that laying my clothes out the night before does wonders. Even with the best of intentions I always seem to run out of time when getting dressed in the morning and have a lot more fun getting ready when I’ve figured it out with a clear head (and a glass of wine!).
Being nice to people always makes you feel better.
And a pair of Christian Loubutin Miss Tick heels makes everyone feel (and look) just a little better than you can imagine.
-If you could live anywhere besides New York, where would it be and why?
I really long to spend more time on the West Coast where I grew up, but for now New York will do. (Good thing you didn’t ask me that on the most humid day of the year!) I love Los Angeles and imagine living there at some point in our future. Life there includes John and tons of animals that run the gamut from a pack of rescue dogs, horses (of course!), pigs, chickens, possibly a couple rabbits and what ever other wayward souls want to show up looking for a place to stay! The more the merrier!
I am thrilled to announce that Castor & Pollux is launching it's E-commerce site today! This is fantastic news for all of us that don't live in NY.
I am also very excited to tell you that since I began working on this post a couple of months ago kerrilynn began carrying jackson, johnston & roe and my ceramic raku bowls.
http://www.castorandpolluxstore.com/
Photo by John Von Pamer This is Kerrilynn Pamer, owner of one of my favorite boutiques in NY Castor and Pollux.
Photo by John Von Pamer Castor & Pollux is rooted in creating a decorative conversation, recognizing that the act of getting dressed directly corresponds to the books on our shelves, the foods we eat, the scents we wear, and the way we set a dinner table.
For eight years owner Kerrilynn Pamer’s eclectic spot has been a destination well known for it's tightly curated selection of clothing, jewelry and vintage objects. Teaming emerging talent like Risto Bimboloski with established designers like women swear guru Sonia Rykiel, the store offers something for the fashion observers and fashion obsessed alike. Originally opened in 2001 in Prospect Heights at half its current size, Pamer knows how to maximize the space by constantly re-energizing the inventory, while staying true to the classic pieces that define her vision.
Photo from Castor& Pollux I lived down the street from Castor & Pollux during my last year in NYC. This happened to be my first year with a baby so to say I did a lot of walking and looking would be an understatement. Kerrilynn and her staff create a deliciously inviting space. It is almost impossible to go in and not really really want something...and some of my very favorite things come from C&P (including my all time favorite wallet, below) When my need for company was greater than my need for things it was such a pleasure just to walk in and see how the "decorative conversation" was evolving. I always received such a warm welcome, an invitation to stay and chat about clothes of course, but also food, art, life, children, love...everything. For me it was a home away from home.
Photo from Castor & Pollux Last Summer when I was in NY I had the opportunity to take some photos and during fashion week this past September Kerrilynn took time out of her very busy schedule to do a little interview for us here.
I bet you are excited for all your new fall/Winter arrivals. Is there a designer or trend that you are especially excited about?
I truly am excited about everything coming in the store for Fall. I’ve always felt very attached to this time of year as my birthday and anniversary are in September and the store’s anniversary is in October so there is always a lot to look forward to. I feel as if this is the season that truly embodies C&P so it’s always fun to do our Fall buy.
In regards to how I buy for the store I’ve never been much of a trend driven person so that explains why I am so attracted to the Kimberly Ovitz sweaters that we have in the store currently. They remind me of sweaters that everyone in Portland used to get for Christmas, but upgraded to being totally decadent and luxe.. I am also loving the Acne pieces that we have; their collection just seems to keep getting better and better as time goes by. They are consistently updating classic shapes and ideas but always making them interesting and beautiful. In truth though, I love everything that is coming in the next months; in my opinion Fall should last for 9 out of 12 months, that would make me happy!
-How are you creatively navigating the recession? I read an article where you talk about being an M-3 racer and count me in, can you tell me about those programs?
Count Me In and Make Mine a Million are amazing organizations that are completely dedicated to helping women get their businesses to a place of profit by getting one million women owned businesses to sales of one million dollars. Currently, the number of women who reach that goal is remarkably small even though we have become major contributors to the economy through our businesses and being consumers.
Nell Merlino, who started Take Your Daughters to Work Day, also started Make Mine a Million and has been so supportive of C&P and myself. This October, Nell, Poppy King, (the Lipstick Queen), and I will be having an in-store party/networking event for Poppy’s new lipstick, Fired Up (all profits go towards Count Me In). I am honored to be hosting this event with these inspiring and amazing women; it makes you realize that when women work together we can affect so much change. Nothing is too large to make change.
In addition to this I am competing in the Make Mine a Million race, a year long competition that inspires you to reach sales goals, understand your financials, receive invaluable advice and communicate with other women who are running their own businesses. It’s a wonderful resource for entrepreneurs, I encourage all women to get involved with it.
In regards to the recession I think it has been an incredibly helpful way to look at my business and see exactly what I want it to be and also how I can contribute to the world in ways that are related to selling clothing but actually fall over into other disciplines. We have had charity dinners in the store; the first one was a six course Mexican feast that my friend Nils of Matador Records prepared that benefited The Tia Foundation, a wonderful organization that provides health care training for women in rural Mexican villages. We were able to fully sponsor two women to go through the program by having this event in our store. Very exciting! We have more of these on our calendar coming up. We have also had an Italian wine course, a dog adoption, trunk shows and many other events. I believe that all of these things make a person complete, not just the clothing they wear, so it has encouraged and allowed us to explore and host events that might not normally be associated with a clothing store.
-What is inspiring you right now; Food, books, artists, designers.
I always love this question and also dread it a bit because I feel like I will inevitably leave something out! But that being said, I have many things right now that I’m greatly interested in and would love to talk about.
Food is always a huge inspiration with me and although I’ve loved the summer foods that were available, I can’t wait to get into the kitchen and cook this Fall. Japanese fried chicken, chunky apple walnut cake, butternut squash soup, Hatch green chilies over eggs, Zuni’s roast chicken and bread salad. This list could go on for so long that I will stop myself here for fear of this turning into a cookbook!
Outside of food, I’m really inspired by Risto Bimbiloski’s collection and can’t wait to get my hands on all the pieces that are coming from Alexandre Herchcovitch.
I’m inspired by an organization that one of my clients, Melissa Kushner, started called www.goodsforgood, It is based on the simple idea that we have the ability to turn excess into progress. The organization receives donations of surplus goods from companies, coordinates shipments to Africa and puts them in the hands of schools and community centers. Just the smallest item can make a difference. A pen in the hand of a school child can make the difference between going to class or not. I can’t think of anything more inspiring.
And, then there is fragrance. This is a medium that has always spoken to me and I’ve always found immensely fascinating. I have been working on the development of the first Castor & Pollux scent since last year and we are launching this in Winter 2010;
I am beyond happy about this.
-When you think of Autumn what imagery does it evoke?
Fireplaces, Montauk, lobster rolls, crisp air, cozy nights, Indian summers, new beginnings. I just truly love Fall, all of it. There’s nothing about it that doesn’t make me completely happy. I think it’s magical.
-Why the name Castor and Pollux?
Such a beautiful story about the twins, so lovely, sad and poetic.
-Based on your experience starting your own business, is there any advise you would give to a fellow woman entrepreneur?
Know and understand your numbers.
Always do your routines when you are supposed to and don’t let them pile up. This can save so much frustration; a little bit a day is much easier to handle than a lot later on.
Ask and talk with other women entrepreneurs as it’s almost inevitable that someone has gone through what you are going through as no problem is new. It’s very reassuring to know that you are not reinventing the wheel and these conversations can be invaluable in getting you through difficult times.
Try not to take it all so seriously. Have fun with it and bring something to the world that people genuinely want and you are proud of.
-Do you have any timeless style tips, a couple of live by rules that will always make you look/ feel better?
I find that laying my clothes out the night before does wonders. Even with the best of intentions I always seem to run out of time when getting dressed in the morning and have a lot more fun getting ready when I’ve figured it out with a clear head (and a glass of wine!).
Being nice to people always makes you feel better.
And a pair of Christian Loubutin Miss Tick heels makes everyone feel (and look) just a little better than you can imagine.
-If you could live anywhere besides New York, where would it be and why?
I really long to spend more time on the West Coast where I grew up, but for now New York will do. (Good thing you didn’t ask me that on the most humid day of the year!) I love Los Angeles and imagine living there at some point in our future. Life there includes John and tons of animals that run the gamut from a pack of rescue dogs, horses (of course!), pigs, chickens, possibly a couple rabbits and what ever other wayward souls want to show up looking for a place to stay! The more the merrier!
I am thrilled to announce that Castor & Pollux is launching it's E-commerce site today! This is fantastic news for all of us that don't live in NY.
I am also very excited to tell you that since I began working on this post a couple of months ago kerrilynn began carrying jackson, johnston & roe and my ceramic raku bowls.
http://www.castorandpolluxstore.com/
Monday, November 2, 2009
I'm afraid of the shark
Everyone at my house had the flu over the weekend, so there was no Halloween festivities. We made it out of the house today to buy a pumpkin...we live in Holland and he's only three so my son doesn't even know that we missed the event. He told the cashier at the store that we were going to make a "pumpkin soup happy birthday candle" (pumpkins do mean soup in our house and candles no matter what make him sing happy birthday.) Once it was carved he named it "hospital", that's right we have a jack-o-lantern named hospital in our window.
The light bulb on our stairs has blown out. As we were heading upstairs to read books and go to bed I heard a small voice behind me say "I'm afraid of the shark" "Do you mean you're afraid of the dark?" "no, the shark" "I think you mean the dark, it's dark on the stairs" "NO THE SHARK IS REALLY SCARY" he yelled hiding behind me and pointing at the wall. The ferocious shark, it turns out, is a oval shaped pattern of light made by the reflection of the outside street lamps coming through a circular window in the stairs. I explained this and he replied "oh!, a reflection...or maybe a whale!"
Happy belated Halloween.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Hi there...
It's been a while. I got an incredibly exciting job, which I will tell you about later, and I went to see dear friends get married in Mexico. The Job had me working some crazy hours and kept me far from a computer but it was so inspiring to realize I had a lot to bring to the table....sometimes you forget who you were before you had a kid.
It will take multiple posts to share the wedding with you. The location was so glorious, and since we were in the path of a hurricane the week I was there, the sky-scapes alone could feed us visually for a week.
I just wanted to say hello again. These flowers graced my windowsill this summer, but I just saw some similar ones last week in Mexico so they still feel current to me.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
jackson, johnston and roe spring / summer 2010
Presenting jackson, johnston and roe spring.summer 2010. I am showing you some shots that won't go on the website or our look book, a special treat for all lover's of jjr and follower's of this blog.
We have been working with and inspired by the concept of a "trousseau" for the last couple of seasons. We had always associated the word with a brides possession's until our French friend Juliette referred to the trunk of clothes that her mother took to boarding school as her trousseau. That image sparked something for us and this season we have continued with a collection that you could pack with you for a journey, a school year/ study abroad, or to start a new life and adventure.
This season a new silk/linen hand drawn "Paint Print" was introduced, inspired by a painting of Teo's.We continue to work with Italian men's shirting, beautiful organic cotton and naturally hand dyed peace silks. The result is a lovely masculine/feminine balance. The fabrics are delicious shades of seaside, warm sun and berries. Ticking stripes accent hand painted and printed fabrics and we aim to make each piece a favorite go-to in your wardrobe (even your apron!)
Check out our website for the collection currently in stores and stay tuned to see where Spring.Summer 2010 will be carried...and for all of you who are not in the US a jackson, johnston and roe online store is in the works!
Monday, September 14, 2009
perspective
I have been missing from this space for a few weeks. To those of you who check in here, I do apologize. It has been a hard three weeks. First, I lost someone quite dear to me...lost in the sense that they are no longer in my life, though they are still here, it's complicated. I have felt the loss deeply and it has had me thinking a lot about trust, disappointment, what we value, the things we find important enough to take with us and the things we leave behind. Tough concepts for an adult to grapple with, I'm struggling to make them undaerstandable to my three year old (three today in fact!)
Next, a glass of wine spilled on my very new computer. All over it. I knew what to do, I took the battery out let it dry overnight and took it to the Mac store the next morning. Two weeks later I was told by the two Dutch people in all of Amsterdam that do not speak English that it will cost 1000$ more than I paid for the computer, to fix it. I was pretty devastated. It was only a couple of months old, a gift from my parents, and it represented for me a new beginning in my professional and creative life. I had attached so much meaning to it. I couldn't bear to tell my mom, I felt like a little kid who had ruined their brand new shoes, dollhouse, transformer, bike...whatever thing they really really wanted.
"Something terrible happened, I am so sorry to tell you this....I, um, well he um, well a glass of wine spilled all over the computer.."
"oh" she said "....what a relief"
"relief?" I said
" you said something terrible happened, I thought something happened to my grandson...it's just a computer ...it can be replaced"
Oh, right!
So I have spent the last few weeks regrouping, deciding what is really important, what gives me joy and what I can do without. I decided I love this space, new as it is, it is something I really want to continue in a way that is manageable for me in my life. I wanted to post every day like the blogs I admire and I made myself a little crazy with it. I felt guilty when everydayness won out over creative expression. That's what I am in right now, every day with a small child and a fledgling business in a new city. It isn't always glamorous and there isn't a lot of time to myself but it is incredibly joyful at times...and I learn a lot about myself during those times when it is not. I just needed a little perspective. I hope you will bear with with me as I sort out my computer situation...it may be a few more weeks, although I might sneak onto a friend's computer every once in a while to post something delicious...I had a few in the works when he, um, I, um ...a glass of wine spilled on said computer. In the meantime I am reposting this photo collage as it represents to me what is truly important.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Astulabee
Nicole Licht lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She studied fine art at Cooper Union and has exhibited her paintings, installation work and soft sculpture throughout the U.S. Under the name astulabee, Nicole stitches up unique limited edition and one of a kind individually considered fabric soft sculptures. Each one is created with many many hand sewn special details and carefully selected materials. Sturdy enough to be shared as a keepsake or heirloom toy, astulabee wares are equally enjoyed as soft sculpture objects, decorative ornaments by adults.
Print, illustrations, small objects and wearable designs are also often offered as one of a kinds or in small batches depending on the medium used.
I first saw Nicole's work via Small Magaazine which led me to her blog where I found the fabric collage tutorial she created for Etsy's DIY workshops at the Museum of Arts and Crafts. Follow the link for step by step instructions. I am so inspired by her work and can't wait to try this project.
Astulabee
Astulabee blog
Friday, September 4, 2009
coquelicot
Coquelicot is french for poppy. While visiting the seaside I have been showing you in my last posts we found a little hut by the side of the road. They sold bottles of wine, but you could also bring empty plastic bottles and they would fill them with wine straight from the vats. Jackpot! Upon entering, the proprietor would offer you a little glass of Something. The Coquelicot I am showing you here is a syrup made from flowers and it is what they offer to the little guys. My little guy was very cute sitting on the stoop carefully holding his own small wine glass trying very hard to pronounce coquelicot. It is really delicious and can be used in white wine or rose to make a kir or sparkling water for a lovely, refreshing summer drink. It is also good to bribe your kids with, not that I do that kind of thing. (Here I would wink if I could which I can't, but I always try and my son always says "no, only one eye"...anyway.) I found some online here if you are interested. I hope you Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
sandboxes
Can you imagine what it must be like to be two or three and discover a sandbox this big?
This one has a much better wading pool and rock selection than the one at the park.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Treasures
Hi. I'm back. Pia asked me today if I ever intended to blog again or was I staying on permanent vacation. I knew she was going to ask me that. I'm back, really....and I have some lovely treasures to show you this week and some really exciting interviews and posts lined up for next week.
I always feel like a new year starts in the beginning of September, do you? Long after my school days I still feel like you get a fresh chance to make things happen, or change things up once the "school year" starts. I rode through the park this afternoon and there was just a hint of fall in the breeze, a few leaves have already fallen. I love summer but I really LOVE fall so this is one season change I always look forward to. But before I go jumping seasons let me show you summer by the seaside.
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