Dear Diary.

That is what this post feels like to me (plus I had a lengthy discussion about diaries Thursday night. The moral of it? Don't ever Dictaphone it Felicity style and then lose the recorder around curious 20 year old friends). I guess because you write in your diary when you are sad, and I am sad to be be moving out of 317 6th Ave #2, Greenwich Village, NY where I have lived for 4 years. The apartment has seen better days. I can let that one go. It was amazing space, but I look forward to a washer/dryer, more closets and no crud built up under the sink. The location however, is not to be matched. There are so many things I will miss and I'm only going a mile uptown (feels like another country I swear). I went on my last run there last week and was devastated to buy my last Grey Dog ice coffee as a neighbor, pick up my last Post from the Smoke Shop where the owner tells me he is okay as long as I am there. I will miss my go-to markets for fish, vegetarian, produce. I will miss my go-to "grab a drink and chat" bars like Perilla and Village. I will miss having Cornelia street to walk down for people watching with Teacake at there 1 billion restaurants (ononeblocklikethis). I will miss running to the WSH via w4th - one of my favorite streets in the city, even better in the quiet wee hours of the morning when the sun is rising and you feel like it belongs to you. I will miss getting to Union Square via w10th - the most beautiful brownstone w/gardens block in the city (between 6th and 7th), and daydreaming that one was mine.
I'll miss finding Beth in this position every morning as I barged into her room with a "Hey Beth??" question.
I will miss my neighbors beautiful garden on their deck where mother, father, and daughter ate dinner every night during warm months.
And I will miss this tree out my window, that blew gorgeously in the wind - especially against a purplish stormy skies, and hearing the plates clank nightly as customers chattered and laughed in the garden of Home, a neighboring restaurant while I lied in bed -- the noisiest my room ever got.

Bye Village. Ill be back to visit my favorite spots, but with a little pang in my stomach that their not "mine" anymore.

While we're on the topic...

I think we all wear scarf tops in the hope that our back looks like this. And luckily, scarf tops are great because all women have nice shoulders, and many nice backs - so why not show it off? A hesitation Shannon and I hear often from both direct customers and from buyers is the bra issue. Not all of us can or should go bra-less. And we appreciate and support that decision for many. However, many of you have been left out on the secret of the nu-bra. Shannon and I should probably be their spokes-girls because of how many time we've given our "sticky chicken cutlet" pitch (which may not sound appealing at first blush, but we swear it is). This strapless/backless wonder is great for scarf tops and many non-bra friendly tops and dresses. Also keep in mind that the scarf top is two layers, so if you can go bra-less (and please be sure you should before you do) there are no see through/too thin issues. Any hesitations? Pick up a nu-bra! We promise you'll love it!!

Sexpot Summer : )

DM is back in Intermix and we were very excited to be included on their Lust List once again. Even better, this time we were included in the email title! It was "Subject: Sexpot, Long Dresses, First Fall, Dakota Martin and more..." Hooray! Thanks Intermix!!

Happy Summer!

There are certain things that go together like peanut butter and jelly, and there are so many jams to summer's peanut butter. Today is the first official day, but I've already been enjoying evening walks with ice cream, bbq and the beach, and meals outside. Summer is aviators with faded plaid, straw hats and long dresses, Popsicles and stained lips. Another perfect match to hot summer air, and cool summer nights is all of the fruit that is so very in season. I am a fruit fanatic, so I thrill at the juicy nectarines and peaches and vibrant melons. I want watermelon dripping to my elbow while I spit the seeds over the side of a picnic table.

To celebrate sun kissed faces, and beers over the charcoal Weber I thought I would share a recipe I found a few years ago in Domino Magazine. It is for raw strawberry pie. If that shouldn't be served in a park on red and white checks I don't know what should be. I have made it numerous times, and think it is delicious. Better yet, it is nutritious (no fooling) and no-bake. Here is the recipe I got off of their website.

The Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh strawberries, tops removed, quartered
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups raw almonds
1 ¾ cups pitted dates
In a bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla and brown sugar. Mix well, and let sit while you make the crust. Place almonds in a blender or food processor and pulse on high until they resemble bread crumbs, about 1 minute. Empty into an oiled 9" pie plate. Put dates in blender with 1 tsp of water and pulse on high until well chopped, about 30 seconds (it's okay if they're a little clumpy). Combine almonds and dates until they hold together, then press evenly onto bottom and sides of pie plate to form crust. Using your hands or a slotted spoon, pile berries into the crust, discarding any remaining liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve.

So whether your picking the strawberries out of your backyard or grabbing a pint from Citarella, eating it on your porch steps, the beach or holed up in your apartment as your wall unit ticks on and off, I promise it won't disappoint. Enjoy!

The Natalie Top

I realize I'm a little behind as the above Lucky Mag "basics" piece is from their June issue and July has already long been out. I just wanted to share it though, because they are showing what a great staple/basic the tie top is. I love seeing stories that could have pieces of ours in them that refer to classics or basics because it attests to the piece's wearability and lasting power. A top for keeps, not 5 minutes. On the page you see above (and the following) they pair these "loosely knotted tops" with pencil and simple skirts, and pointy shoes for a "'60s inspired look." Something I love. And you can see on the model how they update it -- she is wearing a very au courant color combination seen all over the summer runway. This is an easy pairing for work as a great alternative to a suit, but looks great around town too - weeknight dinner, or brunch. Unfortunately for those of you snoozing on the job we're sold out of navy and tangerine. However, we still have some Khaki/butter (below) which I think are great summer colors. Don't be scared of khaki it is the yellow touching your skin, which is rich enough to not wash you out even if you havent been baking on the beach! And stay tuned for new fall color combos - you can wear the same outfit with a cardigan, tights and boots, and it'll take you right into winter!!

Part-time Platow.

Meet Jenny and Laurie. Laurie is the namesake of the Laurie tunic and dress - who has gone out of her way to help Dakota Martin since the beginning. She even convinced the magazine she was working for one summer to include us in their "women to watch" article, and interviewed us herself. She's also been a huge cheerleader since the beginning. On the left we have Jenny Platow. Jenny more or less has a permanant seat in the Dakota Martin office. When she isn't teaching the youth of today in the un-airconditioned Bronx she is beading until she bleeds or doing DM hair and makeup on weekend photo shoots. We're not sure what we would do without her to inspire us to crank it out till late night hours, by coming after work and beading right along side us. Always happy to do it, always mad we insist on buying her dinner, never looking for a thanks. We owe her a lot more than a blog shout out. But for right now, thanks Jenny/jopster/buffy - we owe ya.

Oops.

We look like such irresponsible girls! This is how our lovingly packed boxes arrived at the Intermix warehouse!! Certainly not the presentation/reputation we're going for. And we're certain we'll pay a pretty penny for it. Lesson to Lizzy and Shannon : there is a reason for bead boxes arriving from China looking like the uni-bomber and 8 rolls of packing tape wrapped them up. Our necklaces are heavier than they look and many boxes weaker than they appear. Sorry Intermix :(.

In defense of Tory.

Liz sent me this NYTimes article this morning. Funny because I just mentioned the TRB sample sale, but also because I had planned on writing about my favorite design*sponge scholarship winner Talia Bromstad and her project titled Mum's Closet. Dominomag.com describes it as

"...a drum-leaf bound book containing a collection of photographs of Thalia's mother from 1970-1977. Each photo in the book has a description of what Talia's mom is wearing and a commentary by her mother about what she remembers from each photo. "It is an exploration of my relationship with her and how she has influenced my own style and outlook." The cover is based on a vintage wallpaper sample, meant to conjure 1970's fabric design, and the text inside is typed on her mom's old typewriter."

I thought this was such a creative and wonderful way to explore one's heritage, one's parental generation and what that culture meant, and the nostalgia and memory of one's childhood and their family. I certainly have pictures where I can't help but fall in love with my mother's hair or outfit. I don't think this is on a superficial level either--we all hold on to the fairy tale image of our mothers dressing up for a night out on the town - smelling her perfume, or watching her put on her lipstick. I can even think of two pictures in particular. In one my mother and father are sitting side by side with my older sister - smock dressed and tired - on their laps. It is nighttime and my mother is wearing a very simple column blue slate, silk dress with spaghetti straps. her blond hair is drawn off her face with two barrettes that has a childlike innocence. In another I am sitting on her lap on my grandparent's porch in Jamestown Rhode Island. She is wearing a Kelly green turtleneck and crisp white shorts. her hair is long and blond, her skin sun kissed. Both are seventies-ish preppy that you could certainly catch me wearing today. Talia's project made me wonder what she thinks when she looks at these pictures. What nostalgia they hold for her, and if she wishes she still had this wardrobe. For better or worse our clothing helps define us. In this familial vein I often wear barrettes my deceased aunt made in her youth, carry a clutch of a great aunt I never met, and wear a necklace strung with a ring my father gave his sister on her 16th birthday.

All of which leads me to this article. Why wouldn't Tory Burch use her dear mother and her (I'm guessing) happy childhood as inspiration for her line? And this defense is irrespective of liking her aesthetic (which I do), and the fact that she went to Shannon's and my High School (a fact we're very proud of). Because all fashion comes in and out through the generations we could find negative connotations for all styles of dress, as every period in history has it's own share of tragedy and defeat. How dare this author push societal stereotypes on one woman's memory of her household. Who doesn't daydream of lavish vacation in Morocco with ridiculous huge sunglasses, gin and tonics, and lots of laughter? And what fashion line is not pushing some grandiose lifestyle as their being/face/brand? Should she be docked because she nailed one group so well? Clearly this author's glass is half empty. "...submission to the males of her tribe"???? Is this woman serious? She honestly thinks she can draw a clear and fair parallel between a polygamist ranch and Tory Burch's recreation of her hippie-chic Main Line upbringing? It is an absurd parallel to me. TRB is playful and fantasy filled. I applaud Tory's creative ability to transport me to her mother's closet. I see the pea green, mules and Chanel lipsticks everywhere with a splash of waspy furniture throughout - a nice chintz wallpaper and lots of mirrors. Makes me wish I were in orange driving moccasins, a caftan and a straw hat sipping on a bloody Mary in the late afternoon sun laughing with friends in a garden, checking my gaudy gold watch for the time knowing that if I have my morals straight and the love of my family, no material possessions will ever define my character but instead liven my personality and keep my creative juices flowing.

Sporting her wears.

What a gorgeous day! Here is Shannon looking great in our amethyst/lilac Natalie Dress sample. We are running this for fall, though in what color combinations is unclear. She paired it very well - silver Calypso flops and and pale grey and white leopard print cardigan. To her right is a sneak peek at Spring 09 samples.

Sample Sale Savvy

Great Tory Burch look from this season!

And no I don't mean savvy as in one of the many lists you can subscribe to to be notified about upcoming sample sales. There is Savvy, nymag, daily candy, soeffer hasken (oops don't know how to spell that one), the list goes on and on. Today after boxing up our scarves Shannon and I made a quick trip to the Tory Burch and Tibi sample sales. A few years back I was a machine with these events. I mean, I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I moved to New York having a father who would call me at college and describe in intimate detail the handbags he was sifting through in order to "save a buck" and buy it out of a cardboard box at 70% off (his non-negotiable jumping off point). So joining in the culture seemed only natural when I moved to their Mecca. However, a year or two into participating in this sport (and believe me when I say sport. Full contact at that) I looked into my closet to find many purchases that had been worn once if at all. And sure, they were 50% off, but maybe still a price equal to the retail I would spend on an item I loved elsewhere. So I took a break from sample sales and kept my jabs and left hooks in the kickboxing studio. Today was a funny reminder of what an actual culture it is. If it is a popular designer there is always a line. Always 100% female, always decked. Some girls look like their going to a four star restaurant or the country club. This always made me giggle a little (with not at them of course), as the line was all female and they were there to tear through racks with tag and dust covered floors under fluorescent lighting. Today at TRB there was a woman with her Tory bag and tank - sort of like when you go to a Phish show and there is some Turkey (as my sister would say) with their crisp rainbow Phish-in-the-shape-of-a-fish T on. Again, slight giggle. Another thing about the line that is funny is that EVERYONE is talking about the current line, or the line at their last sample sale, probably that day. Here is my advice for your next sample sale. Arrive early. You'll have to wait for the open, but its better than the line to come. If you're part of my father's ilk you sneak through back entrances or make friends with the people who work repeated events. Wear non-revealing underwear, a thin tank (group dressing rooms) and a skirt. This way you have a bottom to try tops on with, but its also easy to pull pants under, dresses over. Also never carry a purse. Put your card and phone in a pocket - checking bags and coats is brutal. And lastly, be careful about impulse buys. There are some great bargains to be found, but some of it is on sale for a reason -- even if only because its a very fleeting trend. Look for classics. And warm up the arms to throw some 'bos. There are some pushy girls in sun dresses out there.

Because a scarf top never gets old...

Or if you can keep a secret in this case they just might... Because of the humble business we're running over here we are still hands on in every sense of the word. As you know, we make the necklaces, thread them through, tag the tops and bag them. And with our biggest order from Intermix to date, Shannon and I are cross eyed over here and look like we were beat with a bag-a-nickels. Below might look like trash bags, but they are stacks of precious scarves waiting to be lovingly placed in a box tomorrow and shipped with our blessing that they are all accounted for and in tippy top condition (hating charge-backs).

And here is the exclusive sapphire you will find on their shelves. If you like it, we can't help you out - they're the only lucky ducks with it - talk to them in a shop or on their website.

And here is a sneak peek of a summer scarf heading out to stores ASAP. We're loving these new beads and of course I insist on a fourth of July edition every year. One of my very favorite holidays and very favorite color combinations.

Annnddddd it's time for a drink... Is it only Tuesday??

Studio Daydreams.

I got a mass email from Maribeth, a wedding photographer I met this winter at my friend Denise's wedding. She is a wedding photographer from Minneapolis, MN, and a friend of Denise's who agreed to travel to Naples (you'd be crazy not to make that trip!) to photographer Denise's wedding. The name of her company is Red Ribbon Studio. I really enjoyed talking with Maribeth about starting one's own business among other things - she was such a sweetheart! Anyway - this mass email I just received was about recent press including mentions on design*sponge and stylemepretty. Liz of Linda and Harriett was the first to type me off to Design*sponge -- great blog, and quite impressive to be mentioned on. Anyway - both site's show the sad little retail space Maribeth transformed into an absolutely beautiful studio. I am super jealous and wanted to share it with all of you. Shannon and I have done what we can with out little office in the garment district, but it is certainly not on a quiet city street, it is certainly not next to Grey Dog's Coffee (hers is next to her favorite coffee shop) and I am loving her medallion tiles and porch painted floors. Check it out. {photos courtesy of design*spoge}

National Jean

Shannon and I are happy to announce that National Jean has taken on the scarf top as new merchandise. While we're not sure exactly what stores it will be carried in yet, we are confident it will do well at any of them -- as many of you know, the scarf top is the perfect top for jeans and a night on the town, so it will hang on their racks in perfect unison with the endless denim options. Check out your local National Jean for fun summer colors!

Star Struck.

I think they say you can consider yourself a New Yorker when you've lived here for 7 years. So I'm no technical New Yorker, but I, like many here, pride myself on not making a big deal when I see famous people. Inside I cheer because I feel like this city is a total game of Where's Waldo, but on the exterior I am calm, cool, and collected. Last night though I almost became pretty not cool. Walking home from dinner at Grey Dog's Coffee (where else?!) I glanced at Our Lady of Pompeii Church on Carmine only to make accidental eye-contact with Chris Robinson. My heart skipped a beat as my head whipped back to see him high-fiving Ryder as they chilled on the steps and ate ice cream. Way too cute. I grew up in love with Chris and the Black Crowes-even going to their shows with all of the super skinny, long haired, fringed jacketed fans (I don't think I stuck out at all). Anyway - just had to brag. Last night was the perfect summer night. Hope you were out enjoying it too.

Leave it to Target.

I bought these sandals online a few weeks ago. I was skeptical because you can never really tell from a picture. I was also skeptical because the cost $15. I'm ashamed for ever doubting Target though. I mean, who else can turn our a sandal that looks like every $200 pair on the market now, for 1/13th of the cost? And for the icing on the cake -- I marched my morning walk to the office with teacake today, a solid two miles, and my feet feel like a million bucks! First wear! Not a rub on them. Can't beat it...