seeing red

magnificent red!

listening to ~ the kinks . sunny afternoon

all photographs from we heart it.

just like honey

these are stunning photos by elias tahan of one of my favorite couples, hannah and landon.

i'm just in awe of what's in front of me

i almost forgot what it was like to leave my apartment without the need to wear a jacket. there is nothing quite like a city in the summertime. the beer gardens are open and people are heading to the park again wearing close to nothing. bring on the sunshine!

xoxo

all photos from we heart it

listening to ~ empire of the sun . walking on a dream

manhattan vintage

I really shouldn't attend events like the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Sale. Samantha, Rachel and I headed to the Metropolitan Pavilion with a strict spending budget set for ourselves that quickly became a joke as we entered the space set with 85 ravishing vendors. The sale continues today in Chelsea..

Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street
between 6th + 7th ave
$20 or $15 with rsvp

listening to ~ neu! . seeland

x

interview with peggy wang ~ the pains of being pure at heart

Peggy Wang and I met recently on an ultra glamorous film set (I'll tell more in a couple weeks)!! All I remember is I was dressed as a romper wearing unicorn/vampire and she looked super pretty in a shimmery dress and her perfect doll-like hair. After chatting for a bit I realized she plays keyboard and sings for the pains of being pure at heart, a band I have been doing the jitterbug to for weeks! Let's get to know peggy...



name ~ Peggy
age ~ 29

Dear Peggy, you are one of the most adorable people I have ever met!
thanks! so are you! i'm not just saying that!

where is home to you?
i'd say NYC. i grew up in new orleans until i was about 21. but it was my dream to move to new york, ever since i watched the first season of the Real World in 7th grade.

what did you daydream about when you were a kid?
I read a lot of books about teenage girls, so I guess I fantasized a lot about having an alternate life, like, being a detective or being in a club of babysitters. I was definitely a loner, my parents were never home, and I was an only child, so I spent a lot of time inside my own head. I guess I had a crush on Evan Dando, ha ha. I think I daydreamed about what it would be like to be Juliana Hatfield and get to hang out with Evan Dando.

ha! tell me about the 1st band you were in? was it awesome?
I was in a band in 8th grade called Tabitha 101 with my best friend Susannah. We did a cover of "Hamster Baby" by Bikini Kill and "Molly's Lips" by the Vaselines - via Nirvana of course. But I had just learned to play guitar and I knew about 5 chords, and I wrote some originals too. We played at this coffeehouse around the corner from our school. I sort of romanticize that time period. We listened to Frumpies 7"s, a lot of Bratmobile, and it was this very intense romantic friendship. We recorded a cassette single on a pink boombox with 3 songs on it, and I sold them to our classmates for $2.

what was your style like during your teenage years? what one piece of clothing would steal back from that time?
I went through SO many phases, I can't even tell you. I had my mod sixties phase in 7th grade, where I listened to a lot of Deee-Lite, and i had this short tomato red polyester dress that fit perfectly, it was so cute. Then I had my grunge/goth phase where I wore combat boots and maroon tank dresses and flannel and stuff. I think I really wish I could steal back some of my mom's silk camp shirts that she bought on sale at Express. She also had some awesome rhinestone belts! Oh man, and I remember I had these floral leggings from Limited Too...and paisley tights from there too. I was such a mallrat! I also miss my old Benetton sweaters.

how would you describe your style now?
It's funny, I used to be such a clotheshorse, buying tons of stuff off eBay and from thrift stores and avidly looking at fashion magazines and blogs and stuff. Since I'm so busy with working and the band now, I've definitely mellowed out. I just try to find a few key pieces that I feel really comfortable in and wear them every day. During the summer, I like rompers and shorts. I have these Acne sandals I got at a sample sale I plan on wearing every day, they're like Birkenstocks but they have an extra strap so they look tougher and more gladiator-like. During the winter, I like baggy shirts and sweaters and leggings and motorcycle boots. It's weird, I either dress super girly or super tomboy.

favorite song of the moment?
"Our Lips Are Sealed" by the Fun Boy Three. And also "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" by the Television Personalities. They're both covers!

what was the last movie you watched?

I can't remember because I never watch movies, oddly. But last night I watched a few episodes of the Sweet Valley High tv show. They're on Netflix. It is sooooo bad. Not even so bad it's good. The last show I was addicted to is Friday Night Lights. I like television shows better because you really get into the heads of the characters. Most movies have poor character development, and I can't relate to them.

favorite ice cream flavor?
I like the taro ice cream from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

favorite thing to do on a sunday afternoon?

I like food shopping! Like someplace far away that I don't normally have time to go to during the week. I like going to Whole Foods and looking at vitamins and body products for 2 hours! Sounds really lame, but it's that feeling of "I have all the time in the world...I can just peruse and take all the time I want." And there's that flea market on Avenue A and 12th street that's just like a fun neighborhood place to go, and nothing's overpriced there.

how much do you love being in a successful band?
It's so amazing to get to travel to places I've never been, with people I love. That's really the best part. I don't really care about the fame aspect of it, just because I feel like just like there are people who love you, there are people who hate you just as well. It's all so fleeting and something I try not to think about. The part I want to concentrate on is having really awesome experiences. I've never traveled much, or been to France or Italy or Germany. This summer I'll get to do all that. But like, even getting to do this interview! It's nice that people want to know more about me, not to mention all the cool people I've met and will meet through being in the band.

if you weren't in a band what would you be doing?
I think I'd probably focus on being productive in other ways, like making something fashion-related, or concentrating on writing. Someone just gave me a bedazzler and I need to figure out some projects for it! For my job, I write lots of little short blurbs, but I want to get back into writing longer-form articles.

best moment of your life so far?
I always tell people that the best night of my life was the one and only time I did acid after a rave when i was 15 and then had a slumber party with two of my girl friends. I don't really think it was the best night of my life, but it was a fun thing I will never do again.

perfect
thank you peggy!
xoxo

{listening to ~ the pains of being pure at heart.ramona}

{inspiraton} jennifer tzar

would like to get inside your mind, miss tzar.

the last american fairytale



{listening to ~ cryptacize, mini-mythomania}

my dudes.

dearest lovelies,
i've added a few new rompers/mini dresses to my etsy boutique that I made out of vintage fabric.
click on the names for a closer look
xoxo

the harlequin doll romper

{sold out}

sweetheart seafarer mini

party like it's 1999 romper

reva romper

<3>


up next ~ interview with peggy wang {the pains of being pure at heart}

Interview with michelle ~ Dalaga

Name: Michelle Mangiliman
Age: 28
Shop Name: Dalaga
Shop Address: 150 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222

What did you want to be when you were little?
Designer and boutique owner.
Like a lot of little girls i loved fashion and wearing my mom's clothing.
I remember drawing dresses on napkins and playing shop keeper with my sister in my mom's closet.

Adorable! I read that you are also a designer, do you sell your own pieces in the shop?
When I opened Dalaga, along with my husband and sister, about 70% of the store was of my own designs. At that time we manufactured everything ourselves in-house. The demand quickly became bigger than our ability to produce, which lead us to pursue other great lines, that fit our aesthetic and meet the demand of our clientele. We hope that soon after I deliver my baby girl to start designing again:)

Did you study fashion design?
Yes. But I never graduated. I studied fashion, textile, and knitwear design but was hungry to start selling my designs before I could graduate.


When did you decide to open up a shop and why Greenpoint?
When I was 2. It became a reality in 2006. My husband and I moved to Greenpoint from San Francisco in 2004 when there was one bar and one coffee shop on Franklin Street. We loved the people, history, and character of the buildings immediately. Our storefront in particular was something that caught our fancy years before we actually attained it. But the real story is that one of our friends had discovered this neighborhood years before and forced us to move here. We saw the potentional of what Franklin Street could be and the rest is history.

Any horror stories...or so far so good?
Just the economy. For the most part, the neighborhood is doing really well. We feel like we are in a bubble, separated from what most of the country is feeling right now. As for Dalaga, we are extremely happy here. We have expanded our store to sell soley women's fashion.

I feel like the decor and the clothes really compliment each other. You have a very distinct style, how would you describe it?
I really wanted to create a cozy comfortable environment. Much like you were entering a fabulous friend's boudouir in which you could immerse yourself in without feeling like a trespasser. I would say my style is elegantly sexy.

I would agree! Everything in the shop is delightfully affordable! Was having reasonably priced gems something in the plan from the beginning?
Most definitely. My Filipino-American parents raised me to be very resourceful. I grew up with modest means and my mom taught me that you didn't have to spend a lot of money to have nice things. So i've taken it upon myself to bring exceptional service, fierce fashion, in a beautiful environment, at an accessible price. As a consumer, these were things i've wished were available to me. People are often mistaken when they see our window displays. They assume that we are much more expensive than we actually are. But why can't you purchase an affordable item in a luxurious enviornment?

I first heard about your shop on Refinery 29's website in an interview with Au Revoir Simone. One of the girls said it was one of their favorite places to shop. Do those fancy gals come in regularly?
Those girls have such a fantastic sense of style. I've personally seen them in Dalaga a few times, but we try not to intrude on our celebrity clientele. We want everyone to feel comfortable while perusing our racks.

What's the best thing about owning a shop?
Being able to buy fashions that I love and sharing them with world. The store is like my sketchbook for all the world to see.

Favorite thing/place in Brooklyn?
Dalaga! - and everything on Franklin Street.

If you could open a shop anywhere else in the world where would it be?
Some place where it is sunny all the time and unicorns roam free.

Ahh yes, unicorns!
Thank you Michelle! Can't wait to meet your baby girl!
xoxo

moondream babycat

I'm thrilled that stylist Rachel Chayon pulled my fancy "magician shorts" for a shoot with lovely photographer David Joseph Perez.