Store Adore

Store Adore (www.storeadore.com) is an online forum for passionate shoppers to find and share insights and information on the very best fashion, beauty, home, and accessories boutiques and specialty stores around the country and online. It can be described it as something like a Citysearch/Zagat meets MySpace/Facebook—for shopping.

Just this past Tuesday on Oprah -- Meredith Barnett was on the show as a seasoned and savvy shopper. Meredith and Cristina Miller started the company Store Adore.

Check out Dakota Martin at First Date in Andover, MA:


"The clothing is girlish and crisp with an edge of prep, and includes dresses by Shoshanna and Dakota Martin (designed by a Main Line duo)"...Check out www.storeadore.com to read more!

Eat Your Greens.

Spinach Print - www.patriciacurtan.comThis summer I spent a week out west in Northern California. Its so beautiful out there Im not sure how I got myself back on the plane to come home. My friend Kate welcomed me into her wonderful and quirky home of self sustaining Berkeley grad students and we spent the days hiking and evenings at Farmer's Markets. It doesn't get much better than that. In North Berkeley she showed me Chez Panisse - Alice Water's restuarant. While they didnt have room for us to eat there, I was intruiged by her sustainable cooking and activism in shaping up the condition of how kids eat in schools today. So when I returned to NYC I went to check out her cookbook. I was so enamored by the artwork in the book I don't think I looked at one recipe (which I'm sure are amazing).

So Ive now been visiting Patricia Curtan's site for 4 months and it still boggles my mind that prints of fruit and vegetables can be such engaging pieces of art. At first I was upset to see that the actual prints are so tiny (most well under a foot high), but Ive come to regard them as little treasures. No matter how many times I look, I love them. I fully plan on purchasing a small set next time I redecorate. For now, Ill continue to click on my favorites, and line them up on the site to see what combinations are most visually pleasing!

PS. My hike out to Point Reyes with Kate and Kim was my favorite - I highly reccommend it to anyone who makes it up there!

Pumpkin Time.

This is Shannon and I at who knows how old. Shannon claims we were at a pumpkin patch, something she says we did often with our class. While I have a very very incredible memory and don't remember this, I'm taking her word for it, because we're definitely buried in a forest somewhere and I definitely look like I have my pumpkin picking get-up on (as opposed to the my roller skating get-up that Jodi has video footage of - corduroys, turtleneck, and mickey mouse suspenders - thanks mom).

Anyway I walked out of my apartment this morning, pre-sunrise with my ipod on, and was happy to be greeted by the drop (however slight) in temperature (even if my fleece might have been an aggressive choice). As I acknowledged the temperature Bruce was singing Thunder Road to me. It is one of my all time faves and he sang - Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays. I think Ive always pictured this scene as summer, but today I saw fall. Mary was dancing and there were orange leaves and rocking chairs and I am reminded of how much I love this season. Fall is the best because it is carefree and wholesome. It is back-to-school, walking across the quad, bundling up time. So today I wanted to share some of my favorite things about fall (besides those hot blue sweats, and Shan's overalls).

- Jumping in leave piles (even if its been a while)

- apple picking, apple crisp

- crossing west 4th at the exact same spot every morning in the dark so I can smell the fresh coffee brewing and croissant baking, wafting out of Patisserie Claude into the chilly air after his August vacation.

- Pumpkin carving

- Corduroy, sweaters and scarves

- Trick-or-treaters (even if we don't get any on 6th ave)

Gossip Girl Fever.

The Washington Express recently featured The Mills Poncho and The Coulson Blazer as "teacher's pet," "New England prep schooler" must haves. Their theory being that the preppy school charm craze has been inspired in no small part by the hottest primetime soap - Gossip Girl. We couldn't agree more, and were flattered to have these pieces included in the story. I guess for diehard trend followers this look will come and go. However as the Hunt proved to us this past saturday as it does every year, there are plenty of us for whom this look is always in. Shannon and I can't help but always take a page from our days in yellow collared shirts and navy kilts.

Another Year Come and Gone.

The Hunt and the DM plot was a great success (in our humble opinions) and it is really thanks to all of you who joined us! Space was tight - we're all over two plots for next year, but as far as we're concerned it is always the more the merrier. We hope everyone loves their sweatshirts and it brings them many happy memories of the sun-filled day.

We hope youll all join us again throughout the year and again next October... Any thoughts on the day would be much appreciated - feel free to post.

THANKS again!! : )

A forgotton Art.

So its a rainy Friday afternoon and instead of being productive I'm perusing my itunes. I'm composing a mix for the DM Hunt bus to help get people rowdy at 8am tomorrow. And as I drag the songs into The Hunt playlist I find myself asking what happened to the art of the mixtape (one word apparently - google politely corrected me)? Where did these finely crafted and choreographed gifts go that spelled out effort and hours of audible bliss? I'm pretty sure that up until 2000 every boyfriend, sister, cousin and best friend received and gave multiple mixes. They were a go-to for me for new friends, best friends or one in distress. Allison and I had one we loved listening to so much in HS it wore thin and died (but the magic of JT and "that pretty little pout" and our Diana Ross debate live on).

I would say that its age, but I don't think my younger sister and her friends regularly make mix CDs and have coveted black nylon zip boxes that house these jems.

I cant lie (even if I get major nerd points for it), my mixtape making has slowed, but never stopped. And probably only two years ago I made mix cds for a friend in a serious slump, and she told me it was one of the nicest things anyone had done for her. So if you sheepishly wish you still gave or received--Don't despair. I think they've been off the market long enough that its high time - like leggings from the 80s or rompers from the 40s - that they came back into fashion.

Don't Worry Darlin'

I had the very great privledge of going to see the Boss at MSG last night. My friends over at Linda and Harriett invited me and I cant think of a better way to spend a wednesday (or any) night. The night reminded me of a crush I had all but forgotten about, it reminded me that there is in fact ONE man on this planet that can still look attractive with a soul patch, it brought me back to dancing with my mom in our kitchen in the 80s, and it made me smile that my grandmother just discovered him on TV and called to tell my mother about her latest heartthrob.

I think when ever we listen to Bruce Springsteen we are reminded of the love and pride someone can feel for their country, their state, and their job. And we are reminded that there are people in this world that do everything with fire and conviction no matter how many times they have done it before. As we watched him poor sweat and belt out Born to Run I couldnt help but be in awe of someone who is able to love what they do over and over and over again. As an audience member you can feel his joy and pride as he sings songs to you that he's be singing for 30 years, like its the first time the those lyrics have left his lips.

And in addition to this teaching by example, Bruce's lyrics often strike a chord with me. at 25 I feel like I've had countless conversations with friends who are beautiful, smart and motivated, and yet have reached a point out of College where they feel unsettled and scared at not knowing where they are in life, or where they are headed. Bruce reminded me of all those conversations and the worries Shannon and I have day in and day out when he sang the lyrics -

Don't worry, darlin'No baby, don't you fret - We're livin' in the future, And none of this has happened yet

So while today's posting isnt about Shannon's and my work directly, I was reminded last night that perhaps if I adopt a bit more of his conviction and vitality and worried a little bit less about what every second is adding up to I can relax into knowing Dakota Martin and my life, will head where they should, and there's nothing wrong with having a little fun along the way.