This past Saturday I drove to the North Willamette Valley with my Mom, sister and niece for an afternoon of arranging flowers. Our friends own Red Ridge Farms, a beautiful vineyard and olive oil farm that has been lovingly cared for over the last 4o years – they’ve added olive trees, lavender fields, a nursery and even an overnight cottage.  The class took place in their newly added event space and was filled with plants collected from the property:  gourds, curly willow, echinacea, sedum, eucalyptus and rosemary that we made centerpieces out of. It was a beautiful way to spend the afternoon surrounded by family, flowers and a fireplace.

Next weekend they are having the third annual Olio Nuova Festa to celebrate this year’s harvest. Spend the afternoon tasting fresh pressed olive oil, sampling wines and sharing bruschetta with other wine and olive lovers. If you are in the Portland area, I highly recommend it. It’s a really special place.

Today’s “Touch” segment in Loving’s Five Senses examines Tini Bloom and her existential jewelry line, Etten-Eller.

Initially inspired by a friend’s grandfather, a watch repairman, who died an untimely death on his 96th birthday, Cristina Bloom designs pieces that expose vintage pocket watches’ inner mechanisms: etching, gems, gears, and hands – normally hidden from view. Subsequent seasons include diverse materials such as recycled vinyl, African phono-record beads, snake vertebrae, and metal springs. Every single object joins a unique history and life lesson with strong aesthetic appeal.

‘Tis so fitting that Tini should choose a collection name so similar to the title of Søren Kierkegaard’s existential masterpiece, “Enten-Eller” (ed. Danish for “Either-Or”), which explores the aesthetic and ethical stages of human existence by portraying two life views, one consciously hedonistic, and the other based on ethical duty and responsibility. The first part full of Don Juanism, skepticism, and the second part toned down and conciliating, ending with a sermon that is said to be quite excellent.

Etten-Eller speaks to Bloom’s relentless search for depth and meaning in all aspects of her life, inevitably manifesting itself her beautiful design.  Do you need more reasons to love her? We think not.

Beautiful beads.

A stack of golden bars.

An existential masterpiece.

In today’s “Touch” segment of Loving’s Five Senses, we introduce the magical Gary Graham, who has enthralled us with his pagan grid embroideries and rustic shepherd knits. With a background in costume and textile design, Gary Graham masters beauty in dichotomy, pitting light against dark and pairing rustic patterns with refined drapes.

Known for his cerebral backstories and research-heavy inspirations, Graham’s Fall/Winter 2011 Collection draws us into a faraway world of heros and faeries; channeling an ancient mythological vibe portrayed in Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” or Gunnlaugr’s Sagas. Pull on the maroon & sand Knit Drape Cardigan and transport yourself to a misty winter wood, bow & arrow in hand. Pair the Grey Wool Grid Embroidery Cape with a quartz necklace and you will be ready for your sorcerer’s wand.

The shepherd dress, the perfect fireplace companion.

The Knit Drape Cardigan is pure craftsmanship.

And something blue – all shades of peacock, to be exact. Come see the beautiful, brilliant new baubles from an old friend: Katie Finn of Elizabeth Street. Turquoise, lapis lazuli, and labradorite, oh my!

Robert Redford and Mia Farrow in The Great Gatsby.

Memorial Day has come and gone and Independence Day is upon us. Yes, it is officially summer here on the isle of Manhattan, as evidenced by the sweltering heat and sultry air that blew into the West Village these past few weeks.

The beach, of course, provides the prefect weekend retreat, but what is a girl to do Monday through Friday? How do we overcome our new found but alarmingly intense loathing of layering, polyester and other heat-trapping torture devices, as well as anything that remotely hugs the contours of the body? How do we combat the sun, sweat, and more often than we’d like to admit, tears? (If the 6 train during rush hour in 90-degree heat doesn’t make you shed a few then you’re made of stronger stuff than I.)

Luckily, we’ve developed a solution. Hold on to your refrigerator-chilled knickers, because here it comes: the little white dress. (Otherwise known as the LWD.) While this might not be a particularly revolutionary idea (the Victorians were big fans, as are most tennis enthusiasts) it struck us here at C&P as delightfully refreshing (on par with a long cool shower, the rocky beaches of Maine, or pistachio gelato). It’s also recommended for fancying up your 4th of July festivities – although we must encourage you to exercise caution in the proximity of barbeque sauce.

We’ve included a few of our favorite Little White Dresses here below, as well those available on West 10th Street.

Lauren Hutton, 1975.

Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient.

The LWD at Castor & Pollux.

- Rebecca Elliot

It’s been almost a year since we made the acquaintance of Francesca Bonato, the breathtaking beauty and warm personality responsible for Hacienda Montaecristo, an eclectic collection of jewelry, accessories, leather goods, and home accents produced in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Along with her business partner Jacopo, Francesca infuses all of her wares with a slightly mystical, almost medieval quality, dispensing of any excess or frill in favor of functionality, beauty, and the utmost quality. Her seemingly limitless imagination of the Hacienda Montaecristo aesthetic is reflected in the wide variety of items that she has bestowed upon Castor & Pollux in the past year – hand-braided collar necklaces dripping with gilt medallions, sturdy leather flip-flops, hammocks and silk rebozos.

We’ve been really lucky to collaborate with Hacienda Montaecristo on a number of items. First came the sumptuous, oversized, hand-woven rebozo scarves in colorways created exclusively for Castor & Pollux, arriving this past fall in boxes battered by days in Customs and marked with the telltale Valladolid return address. The following spring saw an even greater delight – a cotton tote bag, hand-embroidered by the Hacienda Montaecristo artisans with the iconic Castor & Pollux logo.

There is, of course, a story behind the bag. On a visit to Valladolid this past Thanksgiving, Francesca presented Kerrilynn with a token of their friendship – a raw cotton tote bag, accented with sturdy leather and adorned with an image of two horses joined by an ampersand, recognizable to anyone who frequents Castor & Pollux’s West 10th Street storefront. It was emblematic of the vibe that she and Kerrilynn cherished – unstudied, practical, and timeless, made by hand with locally sourced materials. Kerrilynn loved Francesca’s creation and immediately requested a run of fifty of them to share with her customers. Four months later, they arrived in the store.

The same artisans who spend a month creating each custom rebozo brought their hand-embroidering skills to the tote, rendering our logo in silky black thread. Each logo is individual, and unique evidence of the artisans’ handiwork appears on the bags in unexpected places. The soft leather handles make the bag durable enough for racing around the city, and the un-dyed cotton and un-fussy construction make it casual enough for weekends upstate. The bag measures 16” x 14” and has 14” handles – the same dimensions of the bag that Frida Kahlo used for running errands around Mexico City.

As summer wears on, we’re seeing the bag around town, popping up in unexpected places. We hope that it continues to make day trips – to the greenmarket, to Prospect Park, to Rockaway Taco – for decades to come.

We, like mostly everyone else in the fashion universe, read Refinery29 pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty religiously. So we were really really really excited when their editors asked Kerrilynn if they could feature her and John’s sunlit, treasure-packed Prospect Heights apartment in the “My Style” section of their site. They were sooo psyched to join the ranks of the other swoon-inducing homes and workspaces that have been featured in the section recently, including those of Opening Ceremony buyer Kate Foley and Gap Director of Concept Jane Herman. The shoot involved  homemade gluten-free macaroons, our favorite Risto sweater (available at C & P, doye), and a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing over Otto and Beba, possibly the cutest and most-loved dogs in New York City. Some of my favorite shots from the slideshow – the ones that showcase the dogs at their best! – are below. Many thanks to Refinery29 writer Kristian Laliberte for his kind words and photographer Nick Wolf for the gorgeous photos!

I love this photo of Kerrilynn and John’s hallway because I feel like it’s a microcosm of the Castor & Pollux aesthetic – a group of really beautiful, seemingly disparate elements arranged in a simultaneously haphazard and intentional way, with a result that totally sings.

The cookbook wall. Can you see why we started Recipe Friday? This woman is on a mission, people! Beba is also on a mission to be the sassiest dog in the world. She is succeeding.

I know this picture was already on, like, nine million Twitters, but in our book, there is no thing as too much Otto. This shot shows Kerrilynn sporting some other C & P obsessions – our Maggie bracelets and the tactile Dream Collective cuffs. You will not want to wear any other jewelry this summer, we promise.

I love the colors in this vignette. On the right, we have a memorial to Diablo – the dog who was so beautiful he developed neuroses due to the amount of people who would stop him on the street to exclaim over his arresting good looks. Leather samples for the Castor & Pollux handbag are front and center. Get psyched for the bag’s arrival this fall.

Just another Sunday morning at our house. Lots of dogs, lots of coffee and lots of newspapers.
Oh yeah, and lots of love.

This gorgeous necklace from Hacienda Montaecristo was featured in the best of the web guide that InStyle presented this month. We ran out of stock immediately but I am happy to say that they are now in the store – straight from Mexico. Speaking of Mexico, we are going next week for Thanksgiving. No turkey I’m imagining, but lots of tacos which is more than fine by me.
Not sure how much work or blogging will take place from the beach – hope you all have wonderful, happy holidays filled with friends and family.
Lots of love to you all.

Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Come by tomorrow, Thursday, May 6th from 6-8 to meet Katie Finn and see all her new beauties. She’s  been busy making lots of gorgeous pieces for us and all the Mother’s out there. It should be a fun evening - 10% off, snacks and good friends.