Oh So Sweet!

A big holiday deal at Agnes Irwin was candy-gram time. Many a kilt clad girl would pause in her tracks as she walked past the fire place in the front hall. She'd peer over the front desk on her tippy toes, eyebrows raised at the large wooden table peppered in the appropriate holiday's treat. Baby pumpkins at Halloween, candy canes at Christmas, and roses on Valentine's day. No one wanted to make too aggressive of a move for the table at the risk of appearing overconfident. What if she did a beeline for the table and there was not a folded piece of paper with her name on it? Does she not have enough friends? Is she no one's crush? Eventually of course, there was enough of a crowd that anyone could make a move just to "check out the commotion." What fun days those were! And of course the days leading up; where two girls would sit outside the lunch room and heckle you to buy pumpkins for each of your friends at Agnes Irwin and every other private school on the main line. It was always a fun task to giggle with the girls as you came up with a funny note to ship out. I always loved sending them to people. I can't say I have a memory of raking them off the front table by the bag load, but Candice, my second older sister who was at EA, was always sure to send me a rose, and make me feel SO very special as a middle schooler and freshman in high school (till she graduated). Wouldn't life be great if Candy-grams continued post high school? There is of course every delivery service under the sun. And I still love nothing more than sending people fresh flowers, but its expensive, and its not a mini-surprise/instant smile, for a dollar or two. Its a process.

Today, I am waiting for fabric and Shannon is waiting for people to return her calls. So we started brainstorming what little project we could concoct to help get our name out there, and we think - whats better than a holiday candy-gram?! So all our friends at magazines (we use the term friend loosely - you can be our friend even if you don't give us the time of day), and all of our great stores, are getting candy cane candy-grams express from Dakota Martin. Yey! Maybe we'll have to keep up the tradition... Champagne at New Years? Chocolate on Valentine's day??

Brotherly Love.

As you all have probably guessed by now, Shannon and I are huge cheerleaders of our High School Agnes Irwin. By extention of this, we are huge cheerleaders of our "brother" school - The Haverford School, in Haverford, PA. From a young age AIS liked to mix its all girls atmosphere with these boys - from ballroom dancing, to ice skating parties, Paoli Parties (classic straight arm sway dances to stairway to heaven) in middle school, to many many a high school activity - both supervised and un.

So of course we are thrilled to see and support a friend from Haverford tomorrow night, at a Gallery show here in New York City. Our buddy Ivin Ballen is showing at the Winkleman Gallery on W27th street from 6-8pm with these sculpture pieces. Of course, we're not only excited about this because he went to Haverford, but also because we're very impressed by the little we can see on his website and want to know more. We look forward to seeing these in person and look forward to saying we knew him when :). Here is the info in case you want to join:

Thursday Nov 29
Opens 6-8 PM
Winkleman Gallery
637 W 27th Street (11th ave), New York, NY

As a side note, we celebrated Claire's birthday last night at Paris Commune. The bistro gets the Dakota Martin stamp of approval. Perfect french, cozy, winter restaurant with friendly service - maybe grab a glass of wine there after Ivin's show! Cheers!!

Pucker Up...

Yesterday this article was brought to Lizzy and my attention -- How to deal with a bad kisser... So that new guy or girl in your life is just perfect. Kind, caring, fun, exciting--he or she has it all. Except... Oh, what a terrible kisser! From the guy who draws blood with every kiss to the girl makes that weird clicking sound when you lock lips, bad kissers are everywhere. For many of us, kissing is a very important part of a relationship and, unfortunately, the inability to deliver a passionate kiss (or worse, the ability to deliver a disgusting kiss) can be a deal breaker, no matter how great the person is otherwise. Luckily, most bad kissers can become good kissers if you have a little patience, tact, and courage.

-- WikiHow -http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-a-Bad-Kisser

Boy and girls be sure to read up on steps, tips, and warnings! The holiday season has come and mistletoe might pop up expectedly and any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss!

XX

Time to Deck the Halls....

All I could talk about during my Thanksgiving weekend was how excited I was for Christmas. Preemptive, I know. Its bad enough that stores get ready before our turkey is digested, we could at least hold off until...well, today I guess. Hooray! Shannon and I are so excited. More than once this past month Ive started a Christmas carol on my itunes, and then sighed that I was jumping the gun, and turned it off. 106.7 is ready though - from now till December 26th Ill be woken up in the early morning by rocking around the Christmas tree or jingling bells. And to my excitement my tree friends have begun inhabiting my neighboring blocks, where they man their posts morning noon and night. As soon as the beautiful green needles dry out from this rain, my tree will be purchased (even if only 1/6 of my apartment - ie half of me - is of a religion to celebrate Christmas). A little snow, some holiday shopping/wrapping, cookie baking, more tunes, and some holiday parties, and my season will be complete. Now that the tunes are one, the trees are out, and my first holiday party of the season is this weekend - 3rd annual Bourbon and Brie, it has begun!

Shannon and I wish you all happy shopping - we do have some great one size fits all gift items, and happy festive dressing - we think we have some great unique options for winter fetes! And more to come about our holiday favorites - recipes, traditions, pictures, and miracles.

Gateway to the West

The "Gateway to the West" - was all I knew about St. Louis before I went to visit my college friend Kelly Murphy Wittenbrink out there for an at-home trunk show. Not only has Dakota Martin clothing never ventured out to the St. Louis area, neither have I and what a pleasant surprise it was! I must have gone at the perfect time - the leaves were all changing colors and the neighborhoods were lined with red, orange, green, and bright yellow trees - I just love fall!

Kelly gave me the $5 dollar tour, which was right up my alley (not getting out of the car)! We drove into beautiful neighborhoods, which led us into downtown (reminded me a lot like Denver - up and coming), then to the water front to see the Arch, past the Budweiser plant, and back to her house again (which by the way was the cutest house in St. Louis)!

The trunk show was a 2-day event - Friday night cocktails and all day Saturday...We filled her house with DM goodies and there was a steady flow of guest. Kelly was a top notch sales rep and I would like to bring her on all my sales trips from now on :)
Kelly and her husband Patrick were excellent hosts and I cannot thank them enough for having one of the best DM trunk shows to date!



If you ask me - St. Louis is one of the most un-expecting best cities I have been to yet!

Who is Dakota Martin???

Who is Dakota Martin? Lizzy and I get this question a lot! When Lizzy and I first sat down to come up with a company name - we said the name should embody half of me and half of her. We started to play around with family names and I believe Dakota Martin was one of the first that came out. I don't even remember any other test run names. Dakota is Lizzy's middle name and Martin is my grandfather Martin Binder (and a long time family name passed down) and my brothers first name Martin Casey. Dakota Martin was born on September 15th, 2005 when the State of NY recognized us as a corporation as legal fiction. When people ask Lizzy and I - we always say - she is "Dakota" and I am "Martin". Sometimes stores will call and ask for Dakota...and I will always answer - "How can I help you!" DM customer service won't slow down no matter what we are called!

Today is Martin Casey's 22nd birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Marty!!!

Dakota Martin is strong, classic, and (of course) a preppy chic name. DM's mission: to create special pieces for special events so that every girl can walk into a room with the confidence and poise she deserves. Their classic yet innovative looks and superior quality will stand out in any crowd.

When Life Gives You Lemons.

A little classic New York before I head out of the city for the holiday...

The following is an email a girlfriend told me about over drinks at Perilla this weekend. We all sat and listened to the described contents with our jaws on the floor, and promptly repeated it to every girl we came in contact with. There are some fantastic New York dating stories out there...well, probably everywhere, but given the volume of dating here and volume of older (than the national average) bachelors, the numbers of outrageous set ups/blind dates/first meetings, has to be significantly higher in this blessed city.

I changed the name for privacy's sake since I don't personally know either party (thanking my lucky stars I don't know the author). This email was sent after a mutual friend set a pair up on a date - they chatted for one hour over one drink...

Hey Jill.
I was looking over my schedule for the next couple of weeks/months and honestly don't see a single time that we can have a proper date. I did have fun talking to you when we did manage to get together and Nina really seems to think we'd be great for each other (I'm not disagreeing), but the way my schedule is right now I don't see how it would be fair to either of us to push towards any kind of relationship. I may be assuming too much in that this is what you were even remotely interested in, but I want to make sure you know where I'm coming from just in case.
I would still like to meet up with you when I have the time and would be open to something less than a formal relationship (i.e. hook up with each other...assuming you'd want to), but I could only do that if it's something we were completely in agreement on. Who knows what will happen when things finally calm down for me, but for now this is all i can offer. I completely understand if it's something you're not interested in and regardless I'd still like to be friendly with you. I just wanted you to know where I stand before I push forward with anything else with you (which I admit is kind of odd considering we've only been on one "date," but you deserve to know what I'm thinking).
I hope everything's been going well and have fun at the party tomorrow night. I ended up bailing on my trip this weekend, but feel kind of awkward showing up at the party considering what I just wrote and not knowing your stance. Either way, though, let's keep in touch.

"Jill," seeing the humorous side of this horrific email, immediately sent it to a friend in PR and said - " Not sure if you are working on any NYC dating/relationship stories, but the note below was just too good not share. This is one of many dating fiascos, but take a look below at the e-mail I received after 1 date, 1 hour, and 1 drink. Hope you find it as funny as my friends and I did and will write about this to share insight on why so many women are single in New York. Thanks so much!! "

It is wonderful to see such a light-hearted reaction in such a cynical world. Instead of being bitter or sad or thinking this absurdity a reflection of her, Jill clearly recognized that any issues here were on the side of her date's and not her own. Far too many girls fall into the trap of self doubt, but Jill took this lemon of a date and this sour situation and made some sweet lemonade for her friends, and New York women at large. Who wouldn't laugh at this? I think my favorite part is his constant attempt to remain polite throughout the email. I mean, really? Was a side of politeness necessary with this ridiculous request? I hope Jill did not reply, but either way I'm happy she laughed. A teacher in high school had a poster that said "Life is 10% what happens, and 90% how you react" and I always think about it because I don't think there are truer words.

I always loved that Sex and The City was based on stories the writers heard around New York, like a friend calling to tell a writer a doorman had just broken up with her for her boyfriend. Too bad Jill doesn't have SATC to report to, but if nothing else, she's already made a lot of girls in New York City laugh.

Holiday Frocks.

Last month's Bazaar says we need built in necklaces - something we've been providing you with for seasons! So if you're looking forlornly into you closet, distressed about what to wear to all of your festive holiday gatherings, pick yourself up a Laurie Tunic/Dress, and get jewels and dresses in one! Plus stay tuned for new spring colors...

3 Cheers for Miss Allison Mountcastle Dodd

...(or Allisinner, Ashley Doody, Alicat) Who passed the New York Barr today!! We had supreme confidence in her ability to do this, but just the same - what a sweet reward for 3 very long years of a lot of work!

Her mother recently had these words to say about her and we couldn't agree more -

You are the best, the smartest, the coolest, the most beautiful, the most fun and the most wonderful young woman in the world, and don't you forget it - - ever - - no matter what. You will get whatever you want, and life is not a race and there is no deadline on anything you want to achieve! I am supremely confident that you will pass this test, because you did your best and your best is WAY more than enough... Regardless of the outcome, you will be in good company, present and past - - and like good NU grads, we know how to party regardless of the outcome of the game!!!

So raise your glass for our dear dear friend. Congrats Al!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Har Zion Hanukkah Bazaar

I don't think we were dressed up for services in this shot. I'm pretty sure Aunt Ellen wouldn't have let us out of the house in this, as impressed as we may have been with ourselves. My cousin Becky and I did spend a lot of our childhood together at Har Zion, from regular services to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, we put in our time. I am somewhat of a religious mutt -half Lutheran half Jewish (Lujew), Presbyterian Youth Group... But I logged some serious synagogue hours with Beck. In fact I have one distinct memory of playing a hiding objects game in a plaque room. We got a shoe stuck behind a name plaque and were sure we were going straight to hell when the plaque came loose. I dont think I've ever told anyone. I haven't been back to Har Zion in a long time, but tomorrow Shannon and I are participating in their annual Hanukkah Bazaar. Now is my chance to give back for the loose plaque that needed to be re-screwed in the wall because of Becky's and my entertainment.

If you're on the Main Line come see us from 9:oo to 3pm, 5 to 8:30pm or Wednesday from 9am to 2pm.

Nah...

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to be of our generation or a generation above and not know every Seinfeld episode by heart. I still can watch any rerun (which I do on a borderline daily basis) and laugh out loud with my roommates or by myself. And Jerry has a stand up CD that I have more-or-less memorized that still brings tears to my eyes. Every dance floor I am on with my father we still break out the Elaine and think its as hysterical as the first time. Imagine what Elaine, Kramer, Jerry and George could do with today's social norms. Text messaging, facebook, match.com, would be endless episodes of "nothing" topic discussion. Every now and again I have a conversation with a friend or witness a scene where I think to myself what a perfect Seinfeld episode it would be. If only they would come back to us.

Saturday night I had just such a discussion. In preparation for a birthday party downtown I met Shannon and Jen for a drink at Agave (YUM) on Seventh Ave. I pulled up a chair to their table, grabbed a glass of Sangria, and Jen, in her very animated story-telling fashion, began telling me how they had invited a friend of hers from college to join her and Shannon for dinner. His responding text simply said..... "Nah." "Nah?!" She said. "We extend a friendly invitation, and its not no thanks, or stuck uptown, or already have dinner plans, just NAH. WHO SAYS nah?!" Nah, carried us through the rest of the night. Every question got a shrug and a "Nah." I'm pretty sure we would have been appalled (/ really very amused) by this response from a best friend, much less a social acquaintance. Lucky for us the "nah" perpetrator joined us at the birthday party... And he got to hear about it all night.

So this morning when Shannon asked me if I needed anything from the corner store and I unconsciously said "Nah," and she unconsciously responded "Nah?" We both paused and died laughing. Who says nah?? I'm pretty sure we'll never say it the same again. And we certainly won't text it. And maybe we're giving ourselves too much credit in the witty department, but we're pretty sure George, Jerry, and Elaine could have an extended lunch scene at the diner discussing the audacity of a mutual friend who responded to a friendly offer with the written word "Nah."

E-A-G-L-E-S!

I love the EAGLES! I always have and always will. There is nothing better than dressing up in full snow gear (when its freezing out) and going to a football game down at the Linc in Philadelphia. My friend Libby Berlacher has a love for the game as well - we look a little crazy in this picture, but we were warm!

Nothing beats Philly fans either! Lizzy and I just love this picture of Liz Libre - sporting her Birds hat!

Us girls have Philadelphia pride win or loss with the Birds! Yesterday the Eagles pulled through with a win against the Redskins. The Eagles have a (4-5) record, but can still win the wild-card race if they get on a roll.


My personal favorite player is Westbrook - a Villanova alum. Yesterday he dedicated the game to his uncle, William Torney, whose funeral was Saturday. Way to lead the Eagles over the Redskins!

GO EAGLES!

For the Love of Uggs.

We should be ashamed. Or at least everyone makes us feel like we should be. But Shannon and I can't help it. We love Uggs. We're huddled and freezing in our office. I have everything on I walked in in minus my gloves. We're heating water for tea like its going out of style and we're pretty convinced the radiator is for show (so this is why our office rent was cheaper than anything else we saw.... Construction and subzero temps - a ha). Between gulps of hot chocolate and laughing at one-an-others scarves and overcoats we keep coming back to the Uggs. Me in my tall sand, she in her tall black. There is nothing like the warmth and coziness of these puppies. Nothing says a relaxing winter night at home (or day in the office) like slipping into this sheep skin.

And we're not ashamed.

Even if I did get looks for wearing them into my posh Manhattan salon yesterday. In fact we're so not ashamed we'll tell you what DM piece you can pair yours with the be the cutest snow bunny in the lodge. Nothing says winter chic like an Allison mini, leggings, and tall Uggs. On your trip to Aspen, or Jackson, or Sunday River this winter, we dare you. Pop on this ensemble, grab a hot toddy at the bar, and try and tell us you don't feel adorable.

Tradition.

Its almost the holidays and therefore its almost time for every tradition aunt sally, uncle jim, grandma smith and cousin suzy ever started. Whether it is where you trim your tree, who cuts the turkey, the order you give gifts in (birth? alphabetical?), or the trip your family takes to escape all of these things, the time has come. Some you look forward to, some you dread, and some you don't even recognize as traditions. I know I have so many, new and old, I look forward to each year. I love making desserts for thanksgiving at my aunts and christmas at my house, listening to the nut cracker, going to the Christmas eve service with the Combs, and running to my mother's house christmas morning from my dad's.

In light of the onslaught that is about occur Shannon and I wanted to share a non-holiday tradition that we have held close to our hearts for 11 years now, that will be continued this evening. Since the beginning of high school our group of friends has been very close knit. We are as vicious as we are thoughtful, and we make fun of one-an-other as quickly as we wipe away eachother's tears. Somewhere along fall of our freshman year of high school (1996) we began purchasing and wearing candy necklaces to every event we attended. Semi formal, casual, in a basement, or at a venue the 9,10,11 of us has our necks wrapped in sugar. Im not sure that any of us know exactly why or how it started but we love it just the same. And so 11 years later and older we're not tired of it or too mature. We may be lawyers, in PR, attending dental school, or working in finance, but nothing says a good night to us like a rainbow chocker (and trust me, Shannon and I do not take the repercussions of being seen in anything chocker related lightly). Tonight as some of us decend on a Manhattan Thursday night in celebration of Jodi's birthday, youll know us by the loud laughter and our matching necklaces, one sweet tradition.

If

print by Betsy Walton

This poem by Rudyard Kipling are some of the truest words ever written, and they transcend time, location, situation. I have had a few stories shared with me this week where the teller was mistreated. Dealing with being treated unfairly usually brings me back to these words

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Perfect Piece for Any Age.

We love a look that works for anyone. Whether you live in New York, Minnesota, Maine, or LA, whether youre enjoying High School or retirement. The Charlie Poncho seems to fit the bill. We designed it only with our love of plaid, preppy, and Mary Tyler Moore in mind, but now that we have seen it on so many different people, and the fact that it is one size fits all, we love it all the more. Here it is on my grandmother - Eleanor Gravdahl (looking quite stunning I might add - she is a former contestant and winner of Miss Indian Lake - maybe Ill dig up those pictures for another blog) at her home (my favorite place on earth) in Jamestown, Rhode Island, and on my sister Kathryn Montana Sall, outside Philadelphia, PA. Unfortunately we dont yet have a picture of it on my mother, or you'd get the full effect of its fabulousness on three generations (rest assured she has a Charlie and wears it often).

NYC Marathon

Yesterday was the NYC Marathon and I know Lizzy already blogged about my birthday - thank you! :) BUT I just could not wait to write about how amazed I am by Lizzy and Jenny running yesterday. We all gathered on the UES to watch Lizzy and Jenny run past us at mile 17 and they both looked great! We anxiously awaited as thousands of people ran past us. Everyone was cheering for everyone! I just love when strangers in the city all pull together to help others out.




Some runners were dressed in full costumes. I especially like the Paddington bear runner! How did he/she run 26 miles in that costume - I wonder!?!


As Lizzy and Jenny approached us - we were not sure if we should cheer, take pictures, or cry - the whole day was an amazing experience! I almost missed this picture because I was freaking out so much!

Congratulations Lizzy and Jenny - I could not be more proud!

Happy Birthday to Miss Shannon Casey!

Dakota Martin has a birthday to celebrate! 26 years ago today, Miss Shannon Michelle Casey was brought into this world. And what a fabulous job she's done lighting it up since. We're making today senior skip day and playing instead of working, so you wont find us in the office (for much of the day anyway). It may be Monday, but if you have the chance, raise your glass to an amazing friend, sister, daughter and business partner. Love you Shan. xo

back east...

Well here I am on my first day back in NYC after seven years living in Colorado and Los Angeles. Initially, my east coast upbringing made me eager to take on the new challenges of living outside the tristate region. I soon realized that however brilliant the picturesque Colorado mountains and the sunny beaches of Los Angeles seemed, their still was a sullen feeling of unfulfillment. The daydreams I conjured up for the better part of a decade were comprised of beautiful faces and stunning smiles--not the postcard skyline of the greatest city around. While most people are attracted to allure of "the industry" and beautiful weather of Southern California, Los Angeles seemingly attracts both the most talented creative types in the world and the worst cultural sponges imaginable. It is important for all of you out there to know that Dakota Martin embodies the freedom and excitement in which a successful entrepreneurial firm has the unique quality of fulfilling. Every skirt, polo, or mailer (my first job was printing labels today) embodies their true passion and will only continue to drive them to continued successes. It is incredible to see where the rubber meets the road and how two distinctly different spirits can deploy their skills with such fervor and eloquence. I'm uneasy with anticipation as we all wait and see the final cuts on the spring line....but with much assurance, it should be the biggest hit yet. Until we speak again...
gmd

I heart New York

as much as I hate it really. I think most people here have a love hate relationship with this tiny island. When Ive been away hiking, want to go apple picking, or have a legitimate back yard barbecue I think I could leave this crowded concrete and never look back. More often than not however, I have moments where I can't help but smile (all by myself) at things that remind me of why I love living here. By the time I have my second cup of coffee Ive usually had at least 3 conversations with strangers. Before the sun comes up I've walked by groups still out from the night before, predominantly stiletto clad cross dressers. And by the time I get off the subway Ive listened to conversations, watched interactions between couples, and analyzed outfits. If you could look in my head you'd see a running news ticker of everything going on around me. This morning I watched a man on all fours, on busy 8th Avenue, filling blocks of the side walk with "God is Great" and I walked by a man shaving a non-existent beard with a disposable razor as he walked hurriedly down the street. There is nothing like the visual stimulation you get here. People ask Shannon and I where we get our inspiration from, while we always include a piece of us (home) in our work, it shocks me that anyone who walks these streets everyday would ask where a creative New Yorker gets inspiration from. Its all in front of your face.

So today I found myself smiling again at the Javits center in a chaos filled line with no English speakers. I thought Id hop over there from the office and beat out all the other runners needing to pick up their chips and bibs for Sunday's marathon. Instead, I found myself among hundreds of foreigners of ALL shapes and sizes lining up within an hour of the ING NYC Marathon expo opening . We shuffled through for registration and I just smiled as I watched groups, individuals, couples, mother/daughter pairs, take picture after picture of the front lobby of the Javits center. Some must have traveled from half way around the world to participate in this weekends event and they cant get enough, even if for that moment it was an austere characterless box. I love people, and I love interacting with new people everyday. I have a feeling this will be a big weekend of that. I will be reminded time and time again of why I love New York, and I am thankful for that.