WE'VE MOVED!

We are happy to announce that we have a new home: castorandpolluxstore.com/loving. This will be the last post on blogspot so please visit us at our new e-commerce website and loving blog. We look forward to seeing you there!

xoxo,

C&P

Boo!

Happy Halloween 2009!

Skull from Philippe Halsman's "Dali Skull" (1951).

Marlow & Sons does autumn perfectly.

Photo by Claudio Papapietro. Pulled from ontheinside.info

Dinner with Jeralyn and Christopher at Marlow & Sons, good conversation and great food; two of my favorite things.  I forgot my camera so a written description will have to suffice. Our feast:

Oysters, Apple Salad, Spaetzle with Sage, Chard Pasta, Brick Chicken, Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Tart, German Chocolate Cake with Brown Butter Ice Cream and then Madeira graciously poured by Sarah (I love her!) of Jackson, Johnston and Roe. Speaking of JJR, we just got new items from them and they are perfect for this autumnal weather we woke up to. Have a great weekend!
Big kiss,
Kerrilynn

Fired Up event next week! Mark your calendars!

LADIES, YOU NEED TO BE HERE FOR THIS!!!

Poppy King (Lipstick Queen) "Fired Up" Launch Party
October 21, 6-9

An evening with Poppy King (Lipstick Queen) and Nell Merlino, creator
of Make Mine a Million and Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Poppy has
created “Fired Up,” a lipstick she developed to inspire women in the
workforce. All profits will be donated to Count Me In, an organization
that provides financial assistance and business consulting services to
woman-owned businesses. Poppy and Nell will be speaking about the
collaboration and the launch party will allow you to meet and get to
know these two inspiring women.

This evening is going to be great, inspirational and informative. All the things we love over here. Oh, and great Indian food as well. Really, all the things we love. Please let us know if you'll be attending at ladies@castorandpolluxstore.com we want to make sure there is enough for everyone!

Love,

Kerrilynn

C&P

Beba's modeling career has taken off.

So it's clear now that the baby t-shirts are also dog t-shirts and Beba is quite the little model. Too bad Otto won't let me dress him up. Guess he's too manly for those kind of shenanigans.

Keep the little ones warm.

Love,

C&P

Shoe madness!

SHOES!!!!!!!

You would be crazy to not come and get these shoes by Marais USA (their website is adorable).  It's not often that we have shoes, but cute Caron from Standard Finery (more on her later) wore the oxfords in last week and we couldn't resist placing an order. The boots are $120! and the oxfords are $88! I'm wearing the  oxfords as we speak and they couldn't be more comfortable. Get 'em while they last, which I imagine won't be long! (We have the boot in brown and the oxford in black).

Love,

C&P

TWO RAD THINGS COMING UP!

OCTOBER 2009 EVENTS AT CASTOR & POLLUX

Castor & Pollux is excited to announce our monthly calendar of events
for October 2009.

Poppy King (Lipstick Queen) "Fired Up" Launch Party
October 21, 6-9

An evening with Poppy King (Lipstick Queen) and Nell Merlino, creator
of Make Mine a Million and Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Poppy has
created “Fired Up,” a lipstick she developed to inspire women in the
workforce. All profits will be donated to Count Me In, an organization
that provides financial assistance and business consulting services to
woman-owned businesses. Poppy and Nell will be speaking about the
collaboration and the launch party will allow you to meet and get to
know these two inspiring women.


Launch of Castor & Pollux's E-Commerce Website
Mid-October

We are incredibly excited to announce the launch of our e-commerce.
You know websites… the launch date is TBA, but coming very, very soon!
Our site is designed by Frank Gargiulo (The Art Dictator), who has
worked for powerhouses such as Atlantic Records, Warner Bros., and MTV
Networks. The site takes inspiration from old newspapers but overlays
a modern web sensibility. Frank has created an inspiring and beautiful
representation of the Castor & Pollux style for our online home.

 

SO excited for both of these things! Shopping online (finally!) and spending the evening with Poppy and Nell, amazing and inspiring! You've got to come out for it!

See you soon!

Now offering technical advice!

It's not a party until someone breaks something, right?
If so, the Lucky Magazine party was a doozy then. Someone spilled a glass of wine on our laptop. It's the second laptop we've lost... the first time it was champagne. We're tired of alcoholic computers and on the third strike you're out so we went with a desktop iMac.

The crazy thing is when you take your laptop to the Apple Store and to Tekserve they tell you that is needs data recovery and that it starts at $300. Tekserve thought it might cost $1,000... BUT YOU DON'T NEED THAT! No you don't!

What you do need is a screwdriver!

Take out the battery, unscrew the silver l-shaped plate, pull the white tab... voila. This is your hard drive and it hardly ever is ruined by a spill. Take this to Tekserve with an external drive. $69 worth of data transfer later and you have all your old files.

We just saved you $931. Come on down and check out all the goodies you can get with your savings!
See you soon!

Lucky Magazine West Village Boutique Crawl

Unpacking all the Giles & Brother and Black Horn for tomorrow's Lucky Boutique Crawl (6-9).

LUCKY MAGAZINE BOUTIQUE CRAWL

Join us September 24th, 2009 from 6-9 pm as we join
forces with Lucky Magazine for their West Village Boutique Crawl.

We will have:

----------------------------------------

-- a Lucky Editor in-store --
-- Poppy King (of Lipstick Queen) giving lipstick color consultations --
-- Spencer Sweeney DJing --
-- catered snacks and 20% off all clothing --

Daily Candy Dossier

Daily Candy asks Kerrilynn some questions for it's Fashion Week Dossier.

Check out the new Risto

There is some Risto Bimbiloski Fashion Week press on style.com's blog, at the dossierjournal and at Nylon.

The gray coat we have in-store right now is rockin' my world.
If you are one of the many obsessed with Mad Men you might want to pick it up.

Aesa Jewelry/Spencer Sweeney/Lucky Boutique Crawl

It's Friday so let cram it all together:

We just received the Aesa shipment and it is beautiful.

It's jewelry that is past/present/future/machine/nature all at once.
That sounds crazy... maybe you have to see it.

Also Spencer Sweeney just confirmed as our DJ for the Lucky Boutique Crawl on
September 24th from 6-9pm. (He co-owns Santos Party House, shows at Gavin Brown Gallery,
and is Whitney Biennial Class of 2006. Like wow.)

We also just received Tucker, Wendy Nichols and the Lipstick Queen draw on lipstick pencils.

AESA ANCIENT TONGUE NECKLACE (WHITE AND GOLD)

Autumn Sweater

Need an Autumn Sweater?

Kimberly Ovitz is wearing one of her
sweaters in the October
Vanity Fair. We have them in stock!

Summer Report

Remember the “What I did this summer” report you had to write the first week of school? Here it is!

We just finished our first proper Fall-like meal and I feel compelled to look back on summer and all it’s goodness.  We traveled to many places, with many people opening up their homes to us. During those rain-soaked days of June (24 days of rain… June only has 30 days!) all we saw was work and rain and work and rain. Luckily July and August (and friends) had other plans.

 CHESAPEAKE BAY BEERS (TOP), OTTO AND BEBA AT REHOBOTH (BOTTOM).

Our summer began with family in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (i.e. "The Nation's Summer Capital"). Melissa and Gary headed out from Los Angeles and Marlene and Eric headed across The Chesapeake Bay Bridge so we could all meet up in this little beach town.  Lots of cooking at the beach with Gary strutting his barbecue ribs and John showing us that if everything falls apart we can happily open up a fry shack and become rich. This man can fry, especially a soft shell crab.

STRENGTH TEST GAME (LEFT), SKEE BALL WIZARD (RIGHT).

Haunted houses and arcades made up our evenings while lazing on the beach reading trashy novels (Twilight, anyone?) made up our days.

HORSE RACE (TOP), LIFEGUARD CHAIR & HALF MOON (BOTTOM)

It was perfect and beachy and a great introduction
to the rest of our summer.

SAGAPONACK UMBRELLA DISASTER (LESS BANKERS, MORE WIND).

Then it was on to Long Island where we spent a lovely couple days in Sagaponack with Corinna and Rory in a charming little cabin with a big yard; cooking non-stop and talking about cooking when we weren’t cooking. This is where we learned that little Beba is quite possibly the fastest chihuahua to grace the planet. Definite entrance in the chihuahua races next year!

EARLY MORNING SAGAPONACK BACKYARD

Next up during these months was the birth of Jesse Robin Sanoff! My best friend, Jenny, gave birth on July 22nd and welcomed another lovely baby into their family. I love his brother Alexei so very much and I can’t wait to get to know him as well. Welcome little Jesse!

DAVID HILLS VINEYARD (LEFT) AND THE SANTIAM PASS AT 75 MPH (RIGHT).

Next we made our way out to Oregon to visit the family (West Coast!). This is an annual trip, but we had delayed it for a year and a half this time. There was lots to catch up on and even more to do. Spending time with niece and nephew Lili and Noah is quite possibly one of my favorite things and luckily we did a lot of it while we were there.

 COUNTDOWN TO OUR ARRIVAL (LEFT), TRAMPOLINES ARE FUN (RIGHT).

We also spent a great amount of time with my Mom, Dad, Aunt Maggie (my style icon!), Kelly, Richard, Tommy and Jean-Marie. 

Don't forget horses. When you have a chance to see horses you have to grab it (Thanks Katy).

HORSES!!!

It was a wonderful trip that took us from Portland: land of barbecues, over to Bend: land of sage and juniper. We stopped by a magical land of rocks, dreams and peacocks too.

PEACOCK (TOP), THE MAGIC OF RELAXATION (BOTTOM).

Continuing with the bird theme we landed in Frontier Country--a restaurant seemingly for old people with a bird aviary. Weird. David Lynch should really check it out. It’s right up his alley. Back to Portland where we had the best Vietnamese chicken wings you could imagine (Thank you Pok Pok!) and then started the next morning with glorious cups of Stumptown Coffee and donuts to get us ready for the trip back home!

FLAME BROILED CHICKEN (LEFT), CANOES IN A RAIN STORM (RIGHT).

Luckily, a couple weeks later we went to visit two (and now three) of our favorite people: Jeb, Sarah and little Miss Franny. They’re smart and moved to LA. We don’t see them as often now but they were at Windover (So far it's past Lake George! But near Sodom's Cross Road!) for the month and we made it up there. We’ve been many times before and it’s always magical, but this time was particularly special because of Franny.

 CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE.

She’s amazing, and Beba thinks she’s amazing too. (Franny likes Beba too... She woke up last week and said “Beba!”) Windover is one of those places made up of all the activities that you think summer should be...

 THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS VERY FUNNY... LOOKING. (ALL PHOTOS © JOHN VON PAMER)

Swimming through the lake in a rain storm, canoeing to the little island to eat hot dogs and, grilling every night (even if it does have the worst mosquitoes on the planet… Bat population please come back!). Thanksgivings are so good there but this place really shines during summer. I look forward to many more weekends like this. Ones I will always remember. The little ones really make you realize how precious everything is, and how important it is to take the time to make the memories.

My association with summer is not the same as the general public (II). I don’t welcome summer with open arms, I don’t long for it in the depths of winter, I don’t lament it on the last Monday of Labor Day weekend. In fact I welcome that Tuesday. I am a Fall person! I was born in September. My anniversary is in September. The store opened in October. My biggest memories are from this time of year. I would even name our daughter September. That’s how much I love it. But (here’s the kicker), I feel nostalgic about this past summer in a way that doesn’t typically happen. I think it’s because we were able to spend so much time with family and friends. I think it’s because I’m getting older and realizing that there are only so many summers in a lifetime. I think it’s because it’s good to enjoy all the seasons and not pick favorites. And I think it’s good to not always be waiting for something else, whatever it is.  I’m saying goodbye to this summer with fond, lovely memories and thanking you all for making it that way. You know who you are. Thank you.

Rachel the Great

It's been a busy late Summer/early Fall here with all the Fall arrivals, buying appointments, working on the website relaunch, and revamping the store (also still working on the perfume). So this might be old news but you have to hear the announcer scream, "She is indeed Rachel Alexandra the Great!"

Rachel wins The Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Springs:

Fall has arrived!

Listen to the peacock, what he says is true: Fall has arrived, and it's looking lovely.
Come by and say hello!

Lin Wins!

Lin, our Summer Wallet Giveaway winner
stopped by last week to pick up her wallet.

Good luck on the new business Lin!!

Props from The Wall Street Journal!

First, Reader's Digest and now the front page of The Wall Street Journal!

The Wall Street Journal reports on the growing length of receipts and includes a quote from Kerrilynn... Her father was very proud!

"Apple Inc. stores have been asking customers since 2005 if they would prefer an emailed receipt, and Castor & Pollux Inc., a clothing boutique in Manhattan, followed in 2008. Store owner Kerrilynn Pamer said it saves about $100 a year on paper costs, "and I sincerely believe that it makes peoples' lives easier without all the paper clutter."

Brat, Ilan and Zimmerman, Ann. "Tale of the Tape: Retailers Take Receipts to Great Lengths." The Wall Street Journal 1 Sept 2009: A1. Retrieved Sept 4, 2009, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125175363135673825.html#articleTabs%3Darticle

It's true: 60-80% OFF!

We are having a blowout sale!!

Thursday - Friday - Saturday oops... Closed Saturday... gotta get ready for Fall

12-7 pm

We are making way for Fall merchandise.

Come in and get it before it is gone!

Ladies of Castor & Pollux - Lady no. 4

Welcome to the fourth installment of The Ladies of Castor & Pollux.

Jessica Resler walked through the door when we threw a party for close friend and talented designer Nathan McCarthy earlier this year. Immediately you realize Jessica rocks some outrageous outfits, an outsize personality, and non-stop business acumen. She’s the branding/retail strategy wiz behind muffin cupcake and has been helping us further define our ideas here at C&P. She’s the perfect combination of smarts and creativity and you know we love and admire that! Meet Jessica:

_________

The Ladies of Castor & Pollux
Lady no. 4
Jessica Resler of muffin cupcake

Photo by John von Pamer
_________

Favorite recipe?
Fresh fruit, cut by the fine culinary hand of my boyfriend and soulmate: Vito Fun. I’m not much of a cook, and I love eating raw simple foods. Anything fresh and under done is delicious to me.

Last great book you read?
Lee, Tommy & Neil, Vince & Mars, Mick & Sixx, Nikki.
Motley Crue: The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. I started it when I was in bed with the flu and read the entire thing!
It is shockingly well written. Read the lessons
The Crue learned along the way about life, love, and success.

Summer drink of choice?
Water for it’s delicious and slimming summer properties!

Animals-names and breeds?
Street kittens. Bunny and Lola.

Do you exercise? What do you do, if so?
As much as possible, I train with Shei at Crunch on Lafayette and Carlos in The Pines on Fire Island. I’m also an aggressive dancer and urban rollerblader.

Salty or sweet?
Sweet, that’s why I need 2 trainers.

Who inspires you and why?
Daria Burke, she’s an up and coming personality in fashion, styling and cultural commentary. She’s brilliant, gorgeous and has an amazing background story. Watch out for her in 2010!

Pool or ocean?
The ocean. It heals all.

Favorite city?
New York! I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Last great vacation?
Costa Rica! My boyfriend and I traveled to the Osa Peninsula in January and it was the most brilliant vacation ever! We surfed, hiked to a waterfall, saw 32 different kinds of animals, played on our own private beach and even got robbed! We’re going back this December to pay back the German lady who loaned us $100 after the robbery.

Favorite TV show?
TV is for the content. I have too many unfulfilled desires to commit to weekly programming.

Weirdest job you've ever had?
When I was 17 I worked in a candy store. Not that weird except that the staff spent a summer bartering candy for food, drinks and clothing. We all got fired after 4 months.

Favorite restaurant?
The Palisades in Seattle.

Favorite object in your home?
A 6 foot steel sculpture in the shape of a bow that my boyfriend had commissioned from artist Kim Maloney, as a Christmas gift. It’s inspired by my neck tattoo.

Favorite piece of clothing?
Absolutely the Karen Zambos black harem pant onesie I got at Castor & Pollux and the 5 nude feather boas I just got at a prop stylist’s sale... but only when worn all at once.

Favorite blog or website?
My favorite website is flickr, especially flickr.com/vitofun.
My favorite blog is seaofshoes.com. That girl has style!

Something you're scared of?
Bar food.

Favorite record?
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? by Of Montreal.

Favorite pop song?
Love this question! I LOVE pop music! "I Don’t Feel Like Dancing" by The Scissor Sisters.

Your ideal day?
Waking up on Fire Island with Vito and spending all day at the beach fielding major business dealings from my iphone, and then dancing all night and jumping in hot tubs with our gaggle of gay friends.

Favorite gift you've ever received?
Vito and I tattooed our names on each other for my 29th birthday.

Favorite flower?
The topiary. Not a flower but I am obsessed with the garden poodle that is the topiary. I’m not stuck on one flower. I love them all except roses which in my opinion are very pedestrian.

Astrological sign?
Gemini.

What do you do for a living?
I’m the founder of muffin cupcake, a brand strategy consulting firm
and I also created Vergenza, a lifestyle-inspired erotics brand.

Where do you live?
In a brownstone. Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Your lucky number?
32. It’s going to be my power year, I can feel it!

What piece of art would you buy if you had no budget?
Stella McCartney’s lucky spot chandelier.

Can't we all just get along?

Photo by Lisa Mathiasen/Animal Rescue Team

My sister-in-law sent this to me while we were away on vacation so I just had the chance to open it up: WOW, what a beautiful story! These two animals came together after the forest fires in Santa Barbara and made friends. Typically they wouldn't even put them together (a three day old fawn and a three week old bobcat kitten) but due to the circumstances it was the only option. Without a large enough crate to put the fawn in, they let it in the room with the bobcat, who promptly ran over, curled up and snuggled for the next few hours. We should all learn something from this story, right? Can't we all just get along?

Props from Reader's Digest

Nell Merlino (more info here, and here) is a serious inspiration. She created Take Our Daughters to Work Day! Her Reader's Digest blog "How to Grow Your Business" recounts how she, Poppy King of Lipstick Queen, and C&P all connected for Poppy's newest lip gloss "Fired Up." Read about it here!

Lin, You Win!

After much deliberation we are giving the wallet to Lin for her post. We wish you the best of luck in all your new pursuits and truly hope the wallet brings you much success with your new business! It was very difficult to choose as all the entries were great, I only wish I could give loads of wallets away, but alas that is not the case. Lin, please email ladies@castorandpolluxstore.com with Winner! in the heading.
Have a great summer and congratulations!

August means Vacation!!

Our perfumer is on vacation... all our friends are on vacation... hopefully you are on vacation, because we are too! This picture is last week in Sagaponack. Had a wonderful time at the beach. Thank you Corinna!! Right now we are in full vacation mode: baking a peach pie in Oregon!

Photo by John von Pamer

Back in a few with more Ladies of Castor & Pollux, vacation pictures, and the fall clothing arrivals! So excited for the new season from Kimberly Ovitz (arrived yesterday), Herchcovitch, Aesa Jewelry, Giles & Brother, Sara Barner (just arrived), and Wendy Nichol bags.

Otto & Beba & iPhone

We were out in Sagaponack this past weekend. Otto and Beba had quite a photo shoot with Rob Pruitt of art and iPhone photo fame. God knows, my iPhone photos never look like this but he gave me some tips that I am now attempting to use. But seriously, can you believe how pretty this picture is of the doggies? They literally couldn't move off the couch from running all day. Sure does the body and mind some good being in the country. We're off to Portland next week and they are headed for more fresh air upstate. Oh, the life of a dog.

Live from the Pitchfork Festival

Rebecca Gates snapped a pic of this guy rockin'
the Castor & Pollux logo hoodie at
the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

It reminded us of another picture we received.
This is Ft. Greene in June. Same guy?


If you see anyone wearing a logo hoodie please send us a picture.
Love,
C&P

SUMMER WALLET GIVEAWAY!

"The wallet makes me feel like a lady." -Louise

"I took mine on vacation with me and it was great, it fit a passport and everything I needed. I love it!" -Heidi

"I love my wallet for its timelessness and effortless organization. Even when I'm totally disorganized, my wallet holds its own." -Alexis

"I'm on my second wallet from Castor & Pollux. I bought them both at the Brooklyn store (does that mean its time again for a new one?!) I love my wallet first because its such a chic little package, so streamline and collected. You'd never know the mountain of receipts and business cards, notes, plastic, pocket change and cash it conceals and organizes so brilliantly. And i love seeing other women around town with them. the conversation always leads back to Castor & Pollux and of course to love of the wallet!" -Cindy

SO HERE'S THE DEAL...

This is our first summer wallet giveaway! Since we have so many friends and customers that have benefited from the wonders of the wallet we decided to open it up to a larger audience. Simply explain why you want a C&P wallet and tell us how it will enhance your life in the comment section of the blog (or come by the store) and we will pick the most creative, interesting answer. That person will win a wallet! (I've even been known to barter wallets for Stumptown coffee so anything is possible here; just get creative and have fun with it.) Above are a few examples of the wallet working it's magic so you can see for yourself why people love them so much. I really wish all areas of my life were as organized as the wallet. Something to hope for, right? All submissions need to be received by end of day Sunday, August 30th Saturday August 15th. We will announce the lucky winner on Tuesday September 1st that day so come up with some fun answers! Have fun!

Welcome to the third installment of the Ladies of Castor & Pollux. Please meet Cindy DiPrima!

I first met Cindy many years ago when we were both working at Martha Stewart. The hallways there were overflowing with craft projects, antiques and caffeinated RISD students. Despite the many distractions, I always noticed Cindy and admired her style and verve. A few years later, we went on a “friend date.” We had so much in common -- from clothing to homes to food and culture -- that we continued talking well into the night. A couple bottles of wine later it was confirmed: We were friends! She is currently in the process of starting her own business, and we like that around here at Castor & Pollux. The new business will be related to her current career in prop styling. I can only imagine how wonderful it will be.

You can see her work at www.cindydiprima.com and get a glimpse into her beautiful way of seeing the world. I promise, you won’t be let down. She’s truly inspiring.

_________

The Ladies of Castor & Pollux
Lady no. 3
Cindy DiPrima

Photo by John von Pamer

Favorite recipe?
Bourbon chicken liver pate by Paul Grimes at Gourmet. It's so easy and so delicious. Or the chocolate whiskey ice cream from the River Café. Or when I’m feeling virtuous, the spicy skin saver juice from Pure Food and Wine’s "Raw" cookbook.

Last great book you read?
Hill, Napolean. Think and Grow Rich.

Summer drink of choice?
Bombay and tonic or Chateau Porcieux Rose.

Animals, names and breeds?
We don’t have any pets.

Do you exercise? What do you do, if so?
Yoga.

Salty or sweet?
Both. Together.

Who inspires you and why?
My sister-in-law, Dana, because she is the best mother I could ever imagine (aside from my own!) and she gets more done in a day than I ever knew was possible.

Pool or ocean?
Both.

Favorite city?
I’ve never been to Buenos Aires so I’ll have to go with Paris. And I love Portland, Oregon.

Last great vacation?
Traveling with my boyfriend through Provence, staying with our amazing friends, the d’Espagnets, in their 18th century castle. Horses, chickens, an above-ground pool and drives to the Cote d’Azure.

Favorite tv show?
Rachel Maddow.

Weirdest job you've ever had?
The one I have now is up there.

Favorite restaurant?
I’m a sucker for Sant Ambroeus.

Favorite object in your home?
A pair of very old Chinese porcelain horses, or a painting of trees by my great-grandfather Otto Bacher.

Favorite piece of clothing?
Right now it’s an off white Mayle dress with cut-out lace from last summer, or a Risto Bimbolowski peach dress from Castor & Pollux. Everything should fit me that well.

Favorite blog or website?
I love Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks. And of course the Castor and Pollux Blog!

Something you're scared of?
The 1-click button on Amazon.

Favorite record?
Some Girls.

Favorite pop song?
Estelle’s American Boy or anything featuring Snoop.

Your Ideal day?
Sleeping late, good coffee, grueling yoga or a tennis match with my boyfriend, swimming, reading, sun and dinner outside with loved ones.

Favorite gift you've ever received?
A French porcelain vase from my old assistant. It looks like a little fence and holds just a few flowers. It wasn’t meant to be for sale, but she convinced the owner to sell it so she could give it to me for my birthday. I keep it on the mantle and I love it. Thank you, Whitney!

Favorite flower?
Garden roses.

Astrological sign?
Virgo.

What do you do for a living?
Stylist. Interiors and Still Life.

Where do you live?
West 16th Street near Union Square. We just moved in and I’m in love. It's huge and the fireplace works!

Your lucky number?
Today I’m feeling 16.

What piece of art would you buy if you had no budget?
A Franz Kline or a Sargeant.

Pretty, pretty Alexandre!

I'm already planning some outfits around this piece. What a beauty. The part that you can't see is the bottom hem has a gorgeous beaded ribbon that runs the perimeter and gives it a gorgeous luxe weight that falls beautifully around the waist. I can't wait for FALL!!!!!

The Ladies of Castor & Pollux - Lady no. 2

Welcome to the second installment of The Ladies of Castor & Pollux! This post features Wini McBride. I met Wini when Castor & Pollux first opened in Brooklyn. New York was quite different then. John and I had just moved to Prospect Heights from DUMBO, which at the time was mostly empty (one bar, two diners... if we ran out of anything essential at night, we walked 15 minutes up the hill to Brooklyn Heights to get it). There was quite a community in DUMBO back then and we missed it greatly when we first got to Prospect Heights. Meeting Wini was a great introduction to the new neighborhood.

Right after C&P opened, Wini's husband, db, walked into to the store, had a look around and bought her a huge overstuffed comforter. It was literally our first large sale! Wini was a staple on the Prospect Heights scene(!) back then because her first child, Max, had colic. She walked and walked and walked... passing by often enough to say hi and for me to learn her story. She grew up in an Irish Catholic section of the Bronx to recent Irish immigrants. She has excellent stories about her teenage years in the Bronx, sneaking out to Studio 54, and then living in the city hanging out at The Mudd Club and Area. Talk about New York being different!

She owns and runs McBride Beauty, a pure and natural line of beauty products inspired by her mother's Irish home recipes and remedies. I particularly like the Cucumber & Aloe Soothing Body Lotion. Meet Wini:

_________

The Ladies of Castor & Pollux
Lady no. 2
Wini McBride of McBride Beauty

Photo by John von Pamer
_________

Favorite recipe?
Marlon’s Frittata.
Last great book you read?
Dunne, Dominick. People Like Us.

Summer drink of choice?
White wine.

Animals-names and breeds?
I want doggies when my kids get a bit older.

Do you exercise? What do you do, if so?
I should but not really. I do walk a lot, some swimming and
trying, trying to get my head around machines.

Salty or sweet?
Not really feeling either these days.

Who inspires you and why?
My mom. She was so generous and kind. Even though
the last few years of her life were very
difficult (due to illness), she never stopped smiling.

Pool or ocean?
Pool. The ocean has crazy things living in it.

Favorite city?
New York.

Last great vacation?
Can’t remember that far back.

Favorite tv show?
Curb your Enthusiasm, MythBusters, and some bad reality TV.

Weirdest job you've ever had?
Fish fry girl at Howard Johnson's. I smelt like
clams all the time. And since it was
all you can eat, people were such greedy pigs.

Favorite restaurant?
Currently, Minetta Tavern.

Favorite object in your home?
The Pink lamps in my bedroom from my
friend Sara. And my Aya Takano
print that my husband, db, bought me.

Favorite piece of clothing?
"Support Your Local Hells Angel’s" T-shirt from the
'70s that I “borrowed” from db. When
I wear it, I feel like my old Bronx bad-ass self.

Favorite blog or website?
I can’t get my head around blogs or the computer.
I still use a wall calendar.

Something you're scared of?
Driving.
Favorite record?
It changes all the time but Mary J. Blige is
and will always be my #1.
All my hubby’s deep house mixes get me going.

Favorite popsong?
Soul to Soul's Keep on Moving still gives me chills.

Your Ideal day?
Sleeping till 10:00, spa treatments, sit by the pool, early dinner
with my hubby, then sleep again.

Favorite gift you've ever received?
My two kids.

Favorite flower?
Anything fluffy and big, pink/yellow/white.

Astrological sign?
Scorpio.

What do you do for a living?
I own a skincare company called McBride Beauty.

Where do you live?
Brooklyn.

Your lucky number?
27.
What piece of art would you buy if you had no budget?
More Jose Parla please.

P-P-P-Portland!

This is right near my Dad's house in Portland. We are heading to the west coast at the beginning of August and I can't wait. Lots of family, lots of food and lots of sunshine (a collection of all my favorite things.) Probably heading over to Central Oregon which has the most spectacular smell and air that you could ever imagine, I'm looking forward to seeing my brother there. Then spending time in Portland with the rest of my family that I miss incredibly. And possibly a trip to the coast will be on the itinerary as well. These summer vacations are really special and make up a huge part of my best memories in life. Portland rules, and so does my family.

SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

Get in here-it's sale time!! 25% off of spring /summer starting this weekend. Even though it doesn't feel like summer here in the city, it actually is. July 4th is next week! So come get some lovely summery dresses for that barbecue you're going to (even if it is raining). See you soon!

Roast chicken and bread salad for a rainy Sunday

Whenever I'm craving home, I think of making the roast chicken and bread salad from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. It's super labor intensive and feels like maybe it's not worth the effort but upon eating it you realize there is something to be said for extra effort sometimes. It's an amazing meal, balanced to perfection. I truly think Judy Rodgers is a genius, I love her thorough approach to food and ingredients, she really is an inspiration. I hope someday I have the chance to meet her. Maybe that will happen when we speak about the Castor & Pollux cookbook that is on our very long (and exciting) list of projects for the future. We are planning a cookbook that features favorite recipes and ideas from designers, customers, friends and anywhere else we find them. It will be about entertaining and gracious living, things that occupy my mind quite a bit over here on 10th Street. Till then though, make this chicken, it will not disappoint. Enjoy!

John the Wolfking of LA (or Montauk)

I wish we were heading out to Montauk this weekend listening to April Anne by John Phillips on John the Wolfking of LA. The weather here is surprisingly like the end of September when we make our annual birthday pilgrimage as far east as possible. Lots of fires, wine and lobster rolls. I love this cover art so much but the inside of the album is even better. John (my John) looks very similar to this John in the depths of a New York winter. Listen and enjoy, it's really quite magical.

Introducing the Ladies of Castor & Pollux!

Today we introduce the first installment of our Ladies of Castor & Pollux! We are beginning a year-long project that will feature an especially interesting customer, colleague, or friend. We want to know more about these stylish ladies and now you will too! It has been so fun to come up with this list and not especially easy as the world is full of amazing people. Every two weeks we will present a questionnaire and a portrait taken by John von Pamer that gives us a glimpse into who they are and what interests them.

Today’s first post is featuring a dear friend and an inspiration to so many that meet her, Poppy King of Lipstick Queen fame. Castor & Pollux has been carrying Poppy’s lipsticks (and her fabulous business book Lessons of a Lipstick Queen) since she launched LQ in 2006. She truly believes in what she is doing and is a perfect testament to the saying “Do what you love and success will follow.”

Obsessed with the pursuit of the perfect lipstick, she began her company in Australia when she was just 18! As you all should know by now, I don’t sell anything in the store that I don’t believe in. When approached to sell LQ I wasn't sure that lipstick was necessarily something that we needed in the store. That being said, I was convinced otherwise upon meeting Poppy and seeing her genuine enthusiasm for what she is doing and her complete belief in it. I was a convert from day one. I love her Saint Rose color and always seem to get compliments on the days that I wear it... a testament to Poppy’s genius. I hope you find her as interesting and inspiring as I do!

_________

The Ladies of Castor & Pollux
Lady no. 1
Poppy King of Lipstick Queen

Photo by John von Pamer

Favorite recipe?
Peanut butter on toast! I am not a great cook.
Last great book you read?
Proust, Marcel. In Search of Lost Time Vol. 2:
In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower.

Summer drink of choice?
Sakatini (sake martini).

Animals-names and breeds?
I love Jack Russells and their jaunty little swagger.

Do you exercise? What do you do, if so?
I am a bikram yoga freak.

Salty or sweet?
Both together…hence the peanut butter fixation.

Who inspires you and why?
The Chrysler building and its glorious pointing towards the sky.
It is like an inspiration compass to me.

Pool or ocean?
Ocean for sure.

Favorite city?
New York City…yes I still love it.

Last great vacation?
Tel Aviv is totally fascinating.

Favorite tv show?
Mad Men.

Weirdest job you've ever had?
I would say the one I do now…designing lipsticks.

Favorite restaurant?
Café Gitane…it is home away from home for me.

Favorite object in your home?
My Bang and Olufsen stereo

Favorite piece of clothing?
Vintage leopard print trench coat.

Favorite blog or website?
Google…it still blows my mind having all that
info at my fingertips.

Something you're scared of?
Not trying. If I see something I believe,
I am terrified of not giving it a go.
Favorite record?
Led Zeppelin II.

Favorite popsong?
Kiss by Prince.

Your Ideal day?
Love, animals, food, yoga and reading (oh…and a spot of shopping).

Favorite gift you've ever received?
My boyfriend spoils me rotten and I love everything he has given me.

Favorite flower?
As predictable as this is…it is Poppies. I also love tulips.

Astrological sign?
Gemini.

What do you do for a living?
I am founder and designer of Lipstick Queen, a lipcolor brand.

Where do you live?
Nolita.

Your lucky number?
Seven.
What piece of art would you buy if you had no budget?
The Ballad of Sexual Dependency by Nan Goldin.