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!

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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.

Beauteous Treats

I just stumbled across the talented and fabulous Sarah Magid (thanks Sarah from Saipua) and am in love. Her aesthetic is gorgeous and so inspiring, and perfect for right now when things aren't looking so lovely outside. She makes the most glorious sweets and looks like she lives a beautiful life here in Brooklyn. I am looking forward to buying this book (another cookbook, it's true) and trying out some of her treats. Until then, I'll just keep checking in with her musings on her blog and feeling inspired. Do you all know about my cookbook collection, it's a doozy, and worthy of many, many posts which I will be adding soon.

More doggies looking for love

Seriously, you all need to come by this Saturday from 1-5 and check out the cuties looking for homes. These are ours that were adopted and I can't begin to tell you the amount of joy and happiness they bring to our house (and the store) each and every day. They're magical little animals. Everyone should be so lucky as to have one of these friends in their lives. We will have six dogs up for adoption, come by and say hi and play with them. They all need good homes. And I know that there are many good homes waiting to be filled with dog love in this neighborhood.
See you Saturday!

Pandas in my head

I want to buy art. And I would like to start with a panda in the house. So sweet, so pretty, a perfect addition to our home. Thank you, Rob Pruitt. I love what you see in these guys.

Bklyn Larder is open!

YAY!!!!! Delicious food in our neighborhood, finally!!!! Bklyn Larder has opened and I couldn't be more excited to try out all the delicious treats that Andrew has been perfecting over the past few months, a perfect addition to franny's. Possibly a bit less cooking at home with this around. YUM. Congratulations, Franny and Andrew!

Risto Bimbiloski's Starry Saturday

This is going to be a fun weekend. We've had Risto Bimbiloski's pieces in the store for a couple weeks now and everyone, I mean everyone, is having an amazing reaction to them. They are incredibly breathtaking, lots of gorgeous prints and exquisite pieces knit in Macedonia. All the prints are inspired by supernovas and are taken from actual images from the Hubble telescope, and are dreamy beyond belief. Anyways, Risto's brother will be in the store on Saturday the 6th from 1-5 talking about the collection and also filming for his new project with The Moment, one of my favorite blogs. They are doing a documentary about a showroom traveling 8,000 miles and meeting up with store owners and customers to see reactions to the collection. All of this will be posted on The Times blog, The Moment, and we will be featured this Saturday. And, in addition to that we will be starting to shoot our Ladies of Castor & Pollux series that day as well, so there will be quite a lot going on this weekend. Come by, say hi, and see what all the excitement is about. Hope to see you all! Till then, big kiss.