Dropped in Chicago for a mini trip but still re-worked my schedule to drop by AKIRA when I wasn’t stuffing my face at Native Foods, Veggie Express and Victory Banner.

I managed to snag a $10 designer dress originally $108 dollars and some fun accessories.

Summer Fabric Scarf in Navy $26.99

Picked up a beaded necklace for fun @$18.00.

©  2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

This shirt instantly reminded me of fashion from the 50s. Specifically the cut of the sleeves. Didn’t think it would be all that hip or flattering when I picked it off the shelf, but it makes the perfect shirt to show off toned arms from Bikram yoga for the summer.

Boxy Grid Shirt, $17.80

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Forever 21, Black Denim Jacket $39.99

You can take the first layer off when the temps warm up for cute neon stripes.

Forever 21 $17.80 Chiffon Stripe Tank

Banana Republic Black Nylon Tote, $89.00

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

I happened to pop into ‘High on Heels’ in Astoria. With shoes going in and out of style, it’s good not to always spend a fortune.

These cloth wedges are super comfy and cute. Putting them on feels like wearing slippers. At $17.99, it’s a steal. 

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Maybe we could pray or rally our way to safer America. The scope of recent events at the Boston Marathon ignited shock and helplessness. Our hearts and minds were still healing from Newtown, CT. The only thoughts which ran through my mind was wishing the event never happened at all. Also, what pleasure someone would receive from physically harming people with the intention to kill.  For the first time, I truly do not feel safe in this country. 

When I listened to President Obama’s words at the Intefaith Memorial Services on the race of life, and we must continue to run, it resonated with me some impressionable words from a wise man. 

“Life is race and we must keep running to be adorned with the crown of victory.” 

In the midst of all these tragedies which are becoming frequent as of late, we can never accept defeat. This applies to virtually any challenge. For all of us whose hearts have been broken or feeling that our simple pleasures of being able to watch a movie, learn in school or run a marathon have been taken away, don’t give up.  We must continue to run in the race of life no matter what comes our way. 

- RM

In Chicago, I looked forward to the mini Reeses chocolate cupcakes at Starbucks. It was a best diet cheat being the smallest and most gratifying 100 calories a gal could ask for minus the guilt. Then one day, they were gone. Since then, I’ve been craving peanut butter frosting alongside a great chocolate cake. So, I got to work to re-create peanut butter chocolate cakes and to my surprise, they were devoured by my friends going in for seconds:).

What You Need:

1 & 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda, 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract, 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 Cup Canola Oil, 1 Cup Coconut Oil, 1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder, 1 Cup Sugar (Cakes)

1 Cup Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter, 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter, 2/3 Cup Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Shortening, 2 Cups Powdering Sugar (Frosting)   Optional: teaspoon of Water or Almond Milk.

Make It

1. Preheat ove to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. Mix flour, salt, baking soda and sugar then set aside. Mix canola oil, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and vanille extract and set aside.

3. Mix wet ingredients to dry. Do not overmix.

Bake It

4. Pour batter into cups and place in the oven for 16 minutes. Check to make sure fork comes clean or with a few crumbs sticking to it.

5. Clean up!

Frost It

6. Mix vegan butter, peanut butter and shortening together. Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Add water or almond milk if mixture becomes too thick.

7. Let cakes dry and completely cool down before frosting.

Enjoy! 

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Strawberry’s Dolce Vita Wedge Sandals $70

In the most unassuming places, such as the shoe section of Strawberry’s, you will find the most amazing treasures. Unfortunately, the old prices are gone and you’ll find a mix from low to middle price points. 

Trying on shoes is therapeutic sometimes. The therapy resulted in a purchase. But, at least I talked myself into one pair and not two. Snagging the last pair in my size, I can honestly say these shoes flatter any woman and draw a lot of attention to your toes. I already tested them from Fashion Ave. to Columbus Circle with both men and women staring at my feet.

 I have no regrets. 

© 2013 All Rights Reserved. Fashioncouch.com.

I bumped into Viair on the streets of Fashion Ave. and had to share her amazing chic boho style.  From vintage to thrift, this student makes sure she’s styling from top to bottom.

Check out Viair’s style in 360 degrees…

Viair sports a top from vintage boutique Annie’s Creme Cheese over a black cotton dress from American Apparel tying a 90s knot. She picked up a fabric necklace with bells from H & M. Viair says she loves having fun with boho curls!

Viair styles her feet with thrifted boots she bought in Brooklyn and Urban Outfitters thigh high socks pushed down. Vintage, thrift and boho, Viair’s done it well!

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

What You Need!

2 Ounces of Vegan Cream Cheese, 14 Oreo Cookies (whole) 3/4 Cup Sugar, 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/3 Cup Almond Milk, 1/2 Teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 7 crushed Oreos (Filling)

Directions:

1. First pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. While the oven is heating, scoop out your cream cheese and place in a bowl. 

3. Pulse 7 Oreos and set mixture aside. 

4. Fold in mixture to the cream cheese and mix the salt, almond milk, cornstarch and fold in the crushed Oreos until fully incorporated. 

5. Line 2 12-cupcake tins with cupcake liners and place a 14 Oreo cookies on the bottom of each liner for a total of 14. 

6. Scoop out mixture and place in the cupcake liners. Don’t over or under fill. Make sure it hits the top. 

7. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the mixture is solid & the centers are cooked. Poke with a fork to make sure it is ready. 

8. Cool completely. Refrigerate and unwrap. 

Enjoy!

And then we moved onto this:)

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Leopard can work its way as a fashion forward trend, or fashion disaster. 15 years ago it was deemed daring and edgy. A classmate in England first brought the trend to our attention in the late 90s when she wore an Armani leopard fitted skirt. It was perfectly unusual yet inspiring. Now that trend has evolved in so many ways and instantly exudes sex appeal.

For many women who were once terrified to adopt leopard in its many forms, here’s a tribute to our courage and love for leopard which gets better year after year and never falls out of style. 

Leopard Lovin: Banana Republic Cuff; Forever 21 Off Shoulder, Express Clutch, Express Wedges ($12-$39)

© 2013 FashionCouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Occupation ~Attorney

These pictures came out in Spring shortly after a Dose Market downtown at the River East Arts Center. Deepa is one naturally gorgeous woman.  Her simple spring style surely turned a lot of heads at that Dose Market.  I have to admire Deepa because she does a lot of yoga, doesn’t take sugar in her diet and happily downs wheat grass shots like water. It pays!

Deepa is wearing a tie-waist shirt dress from Express, leggings, minimal jewelry and peep toe pumps.

© 2013 Fashion Couch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Above: Wedge-lace-up sandals from an independent Soho Boutique, $30

Somehow, from October through April, the weather has been miserable with fluctuating temps, snow storms and a hurricane.

Hanging Bulbs, Architectural Digest Home Design Show.

I am so anxious to wear sandals again. Much like the weather, the news has been all over the map from a NYC convicted cannibal cop to gay rights and more gun control.  There’s never a dull moment. Apart from fashion, I ventured out more into broadcast media and Broadway.  The first stop took me to ABC headquarters for Kelly and Michael to meet their Executive and Associate Producers for a live filming of their show. I also made a visit to the Daily Show and met with producers and writers to get a closer look at the the behind the scenes scramble to get the show on the road with Eva Mendez. Ending the week with Jon Stewart tied all the political coverage surrounding gay marriage perfectly.

Botkier, NYC’s chic, designer handbags was my next stop with exciting Summer and Fall 2o13 designs on the way.  I was also able to find the best authentic vintage pre-70s right in Astoria at Pin-Up Queens. What would March be without Art? Architectural Digest’s Home Design Show came to New York with new trends including a creative Benjamin Moore sponsored paint bucket tabletop design and Japanese tissue paper art.  I ended the month on Easter day with philosophical thoughts stemming from a new musical ‘Click, Clack Moo’ directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, and a lecture at the Kadampa  Meditation Center.

Click Clack Moo’s story on how farm cows transform into tech junkies with some ethical considerations to follow from their owners was inspiring.  The outcome of the meditation revealed that suffering is a part of life that all beings must rewire their brains to adapt to this fact with a positive attitude. Unfortunately, cows fighting for their rights via typed communications was in direct conflict with Kadampa’s message.

For this month, I have decided to showcase DIY  in both dessert and fashion and some style watches here and there. In between,  will be a trip to Saveur Magazine to meet with Editors, NYC Greenfest and possibly a partake in National Pillow Fight Day. Stay warm! We are almost there:) Happy April!!

Live Filming of Kelly & Michael at ABC HQ.

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

22-03 Astoria Blvd., Long Island City, New York

Photographs courtesy of Giana Stanigar and Jessica Fechner

When two women get together and start a business, there can only be two outcomes: success or failure.

When you meet Giana Stanigar and Jessica Fechner however, you would see a perfect marriage.  Giana and Jessica put their brains together and their love of vintage to launch ‘Pin-Up Queens,’ Astoria’s first authentic vintage boutique which launched late last year.

While both have independent businesses, ‘The Greedy Seagull’ owned by Giana and ‘Lâché et Occupé, owned by Jessica, both felt something was lacking; a space designed head to toe with vintage themes and fostering more personable relationships with clients who will visit the space time and time again.  ‘Pin-up Queens’ has successfully accomplished both.

“I met Jessica in 2011, ” says Giana. ” I was visiting her to buy from her collection and learned that we were neighbors. We both had similar taste, loved the neighborhood and wanted a real brick and mortar store.”

They realized they were a good team with many different talents. They got to work to transform a disaster space into a vintage masterpiece.

Taking two separate styles to merge them into one took some more brainstorming. “We needed something to unify both businesses.  We felt pin-up style embodied the spirit of celebrating sexy and embracing who you are and owning it,” says Jessica. Their goal is to create a positive feeling in easy-to-wear apparel accessible to all ages of customers. “The plan for the store design was to be modern but we ended up going for an old Hollywood look.” It was a decision which stemmed from a classic style dressing room they installed which later infiltrated the remainder of the boutique. Judging by the walls, couches and rugs, it is hard to believe that the boutique was designed independently from second-hand stores, fabrics and e-bay inspiration right in Astoria.

“It took 5 months to put it all together. I love the culture here. Queens is a Wild West!”

What makes Pin-Up Queens different? “The majority of New York vintage is a proliferation of the eighties. Everything you find in stores is from the seventies and eighties. We carry authentic vintage and try not to buy past the seventies,” says Jessica.

More importantly, they examine each piece and when necessary, make alterations or improvements to ensure durability. Sometimes, the design improvements take a different direction. Judging by the looks of the boutique, you can feel the tremendous personality of these two lovely ladies and their path to vintage.

Jessica, a fashion designer on top of her many talents  loved her style icons. Courtney Love, Anita Pallenberg and Drew Barrymore’s style among a string of rocker chicks inspired her.  Thus, she became a natural thrifter. Over time, she fell out of thrifting and saw tremendous value in vintage finds. After dabbling in different areas as a designer, she joined ‘What Goes Around Comes Around’ boutique and was able to learn more about the vintage business.

“The owners really had the best life. They would go on buying trips and come back with all these incredible treasures from heavy American denim and old western stuff,” says Jessica. It was further along the way, when Jessica decided to buy up the merchandise of a vintage dealer going out of business from her hometown and launched her fashion career. The name Lâché et Occupé exudes sex appeal. However, Jessica affirms that the name itself does not make logical sense to a French person.  “I used to work with a Guyanese woman who had catch phrases for everything. When the boss was mad, she would say,’ ‘Honey, the Devil is loose and busy.’ I tried to translate it into ‘let go and be free.’ It works!”

Above, Giana holds up her favorite dress.

For Giana, collecting was nearly a lifelong trade. At merely twelve years old, she learned all about the vintage market, influenced by the pin-up and rockabilly culture in So Cal. As a proud Orange County native, Giana admits to being lured by Southwest Native American culture and fell in love with old seventies leather and turquoise pieces.  Beyond the clothes, vintage became embedded in her soul.  “My parents took me on camping trips and I took a lot of swing dancing classes and went to a lot of car shows. The crowds there were the vintage-wearing-kind.” Eight years of private sewing classes courtesy of grandma, Giana began thrifting and collecting in LA and redesigning clothes. She sold a large chunk of her collection prior to moving to New York. When she arrived to the city, she worked in art-history position and was collecting on the side. She launched her e-commerce site which took off pretty well.  Giana had reached a point in her art-history work that she realized she wanted to move forward with her plans to work in fashion full-time. The ‘Greedy Seagull’ name was actually coined by her husband. Giana laughs, “When I asked my husband what animal I would be in another life, he said a greedy seagull because I am always stealing his food and collecting shiny stuff.”

Above: Jessica left and Giana right, chat with one of their favorite clients.

Both Giana and Jessica are among the best in their trade due to their years of knowledge and experience. Their keen sight for trends and their personal love for style shows. Jessica’s style changes one day from the next as she nicknames herself unrecognizable.  She’ll sport flannel and a Fedora at one moment and vintage Yves St. Laurent pants the next. ‘Frantic accidents’ are her best styles.

Meanwhile, Giana loves the forties and fifties. She’ll style up in cute pins and dresses, her trademark red lipstick and rings you can ‘stab people with,’ and drift back and forth with rocker chic styles.  What they have in common is a treasured accessory. For Jessica, it’s a pear clock Marc Jacobs vintage necklace from sixties. For Giana, it’s a black leather pouch she secured at a renaissance fair 15 years ago to carry rocks and ward off evil.

Above: Giana models her new collection.

What they predict for the future?  “Vintage inspired design has been the craze lately so we make sure we follow it and pair it with our merchandise. Women tend to come back to us for more jewelry and dresses,” says Giana.

With no vintage presence in Astoria, Pin-up Queens, tucked away on a quiet block arrives at the perfect time. “We live here and love the neighborhood. We want to invest in the hood and bring more cool local businesses to the area. We plan on staying here for ever.”

Above and below, Giana models apparel from ‘The Greedy Seagull.’

© 2013 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.

Dogs & Penguins

Photographs courtesy of Jackie Dorage.com & StudioManhattan.com

Most New Yorkers are skeptical about taking the G train anywhere. However, when I had met Jackie Dorage who invited me to her apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, I could not resist. A coffee and a 45-minute train ride l later, I found myself wandering the streets of an area of Brooklyn I have never travelled to after 6 years. A good mix of Hasidic Jews among other cultures, the area represents an evolving urban landscape.  A neighborhood which boasts the best donut bakeries in NYC. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Jackie at fashion event a few weeks ago. Her positive spirit and constant smile left a lasting impression. Not to mention her story of selling popsicles and her self-published DIY piano lessons book.

Wearing jean shorts over black tights, a ponytail and a self-assembled sweatshirt necklace, a sick Jackie and I walk 5 flights of stairs into a vintage building. The ride, the donut and those five flights  were worth the wait to getting an inside look a the core of Jackie’s paintings. The vulture painting hung next to the front door symbolizes the beginning of Jackie’s journey. We sat down and chated over coffee, a laptop and some kleenex.

FC: What began your journey as an artist?

JD: I was always artistic. I sketched for friends and they would always come out good. But growing up, music was my main thing. I played piano competitively, obo, flute and violin. It was nothing unusual. My whole family is artistic. My mom is naturally a good artist. My grandpa was a cartoonist and my grandma paints flowers. It was always a fun thing to do. Late in college, I decided to take it more seriously.

“I did 4 vulture paintings and I loved them.”

FC: When was the turning point of when you decided to establish a career?

JD: My first painting was when I was still in college. That painting changed everything for me.  I started as a music major but, definitely felt that I was burnt out and sick of the competitiveness of music.  It is a very intense thing to be studying.  I still love music but prefer to love it casually rather than continue it as a career. I hate performing and being judged constantly, but I still love dissecting music and studying music theory in my own time.  I would rather paint.

FC: You’ve been doing shows lately and getting more involved with the local arts. What brought about your transition to NY?

JD:  I like this scene better. Atlanta where I am from, is booming but the arts scene is smaller and not very diverse. The city itself is so big and sprawling that it is a harder city to find your client. There were also fewer galleries that I could have gotten into. They were booked for years. Plus, I grew up in Atlanta and was ready for a change. NY was more friendly to aspiring artists. When I moved to NY, I decided to focus fully on painting.

FC: I noticed that unlike many modern artists who focus on abstract concepts or patterns, you have chosen a whimsical approach which outlines animal life. What brought about this interest?

JD: It was my fifth year of college, because I kept changing my major and transferred schools.  I took a painting class with a teach who really sparked me mentally.  She gave great assignments that require a real narrowing down of your interests.  I ended up painting four vulture paintings and just loved them.  I loved the depth in vultures, the colors that I somehow stumbled upon using, the way the animal seemed totally relatable without being anthropomorphized—it was the first art I made that I was proud of.  It’s just crazy it took 5 years of art classes to find a teacher who brought this out in me.

Vulture in Birdbath

FC: Why is this “Vulture” so important to you?

JD: Vultures are disgusting. They pee on themselves to cool themselves off, they projectile vomit to protect themselves from danger, they are so full of bacteria and parasites that they’re virtually lethal for other animals to eat–they are nasty. Yet, they are incredibly necessary to every eco-system. If the vulture population goes down, it is a problem. They are also closely related to the stork. Storks are perceived as beautiful, givers of life.  So, it’s kind of a sibling rivalry–the psychology of a vulture as it compares itself to other birds.  The other painting I did was a vulture carrying a baby sack.  It’s so ominous and awkward.  I did about 4 in the series in 2009. It took about a month to work on it.

FC: From vultures, you’ve expanded to other animal life with an intense focus.

JD: After the vultures, I thought, ‘if this worked, I should try it again!’.  So, I started researching more animals and thinking more about ways to paint animals without painting the typical cheesy animal portrait.  There’s a fine line there that I’m always tip-toeing around.  But I think that’s a part of the challenge of painting animals that I enjoy.  If I make an animal too human-like and relatable, in my opinion, I just killed any mystery and intrigue about the topic.  I painted a character, rather than a species that, and this is true, I care so deeply about.  After researching, drawing, and learning about these animals, I get incredibly immersed in them…I love, respect, and adore them.  And I want others to feel that same admiration and interest when they look at my paintings. So, the last thing I want to do it turn them into some kitschy, goofy, pet painting.  And it’s hard to do…it’s a constant struggle, a constant balance, and I often mess up, but it’s fascinating to me.  Anyway, as you can probably tell, after the vultures, I was hooked–simple as that.

FC: Tell me about the cormorants…

JD: I love stories, storytelling and talking.  The flightless cormorant is one of the most endangered birds in the world.  After living predator-free on the Galapagos, they lost their wings and ability of fly, that’s why the bird on the left has stubby wings.  But, they’re excellent swimmers.  I swear, they’re evolving into a Platypus.  With this painting, I was imagining if a regular cormorant stumbled across the Galapagos and met his long-lost cousin, the Flightless cormorant.  It’s like, “what the fuck happened to you?”.  The picture online the eyes are shadowed and half open… I changed it.  It literally changes the entire meeting. I am nit picky with every detail. The eyes have so much meaning that it drove me crazy. I changed it because I wanted to make them look dumb. I loved that some animals are really stupid, and that’s nothing to shy away from. So the painting now has these big round doofus eyes, just staring at each other–not too cartoonish, just “blaaahhh” in the way that some birds are. 

Cormorants

FC: How do these stories come together?

JD: I read a lot of information on animals from Wikipedia, Animal Behavior Journal, other journals, BBC Nature, and The National Geographic. Sometimes,  I look at documentaries and PBS.  From there, I usually sketch in my book and some image will get stuck in my mind and I won’t know why. I really admire Gerald Durrell, the naturalist and author. His writings are so fascinating, hilarious, honest, and vivid.  Plus he revolutionized the way people study animals.

FC: How does your work come together with all the research and stories?

JD: I typically wait until an image gets stuck it my head.  So, after obsessing and learning about maybe 4 of 5 animals, for some reason, one will just evoke an image that is just so powerful.  Usually this happens, you know, in the shower or while sleeping or day dreaming…anything relaxing.  My head will be buzzing with facts and thoughts and stories that I’ve read and researched, then I’ll be washing my hair in the shower and BAM! “oh my god! it’s a dog sitting stoically like a war hero on a hill with these mindless, goofy, little blue penguins marching from behind him!”  And I jump out of the shower, draw it out, and then I’m smiling for the rest of the day.   Then I start painting. My painting techniques are quite varied and require some planning.  I’m not exactly the best at planning, but I’m continuously getting better and faster.  If I can get a painting done in two weeks, I’m happy.  There are things that help get the process going…I have to have music, a podcast, or documentary going or else I will literally just sit there.  This week I’ve watched documentaries on FDR, Truman, and Eisenhower, plus listened to multiple episodes of Radiolab, This American Life, and StarTalk.  I’ve gone through years of episodes of Frontline and This American Life just to keep my engine going.  If my mind is too focused on the painting, I just start to obsess and overwork things, which is totally counter productive.

FC: Which one has the most meaning to you?

JD: I am very attached to my first painting of the “Vulture in Birdbath” sitting in the pool.  I might keep it in the family just as a keepsake.

FC: I fell in love with the Manatee. Those colors are just so amazing and the picture comes to life.

JD: The “Manatee” is one of three paintings.  Those were my first oil paintings. That one on the corner there is  a black shape boat coming towards him. They often die and get hit by boats. The next is the manatee hiding under the sand half covered with sand and a boat is going in there. The last is a group of manatees creeping towards the image of ships in the background.
My whole thing about that is that I admire them with how old they are and well involved they are. It is a shame they get injured so much. The reason they get injured is not because they are slow. They can have huge spurts of speed. But, they only hear and high frequency and motorboats are low frequency.  So, these painting show the flight-or-flight options of this old species which is great at adapting yet has this really silly issue that they can’t hear their one, worst danger.  Of course, it’s a bit fantastical, but I wanted to show the drama of the situation.

FC: What are the materials and techniques you work with?

JD: I use lots of light blue and light pink and I have no idea why.  It makes everything look whimsical, which wasn’t really my intention, but it happened and I like it.  I’ve never been into pastels and pinks and blues, but then, it’s all over my paintings and I randomly painted my room in 3 shades of pink.  My boyfriend walked in and was like “what the hell??”  So, it might be one of those subconscious things.  For some reason, I use baby boy and baby girl colors–who knows why.

FC: Do you plan to venture out?

JD: I don’t want to restrict myself. That is my big fear.  I may do nature painting. Landscapes are so shallow. I could do people one day, or balance something that has enough without being a boring image. I don’t like abstract although I will get abstract when I am ready. I’ve struggled with that one.

FC: What’s next?

JD:  I always did a few jobs. I have either had 5 jobs or no jobs. But I could be happy with five jobs. When I moved to NY, I decided to focus fully on painting. We moved here so quick. We both knew that if we don’t do this, I couldn’t live with myself as an artist and him as a CG effects artist by not moving to NY when you are young.

FC: What’s your style?

JD: I like a lot of jewelry and usually have 2 or 3 dangling earrings. I like comfortable. It’s my top priority. And,  splashes of color or leggings. I like boots. Fashion is so accessible now that I am with the current trends!

FC: Thank you Jackie! It has been a pleasure!

JD: Thank you FC!

http://www.jackiedorage.com

© 2012 Fashioncouch.com. All Rights Reserved.