Happy anniversary, H!

Dear H,

Happy anniversary babe!! I can't believe it's already been 5 years since our relationship began. I know that you've stayed with me longer than you've made it with any other city before & for that I'm thankful. I hope that I've made it worthwhile for you. I know that sometimes I don't treat you the way you deserve to be treated, but you have to understand that I'm rough by nature. Thank you for sticking by my side and loving me through it all. Happy 5 years, baby. Here's to the next 5.

xx NYC

5 years!! Out with our friends at Half King celebrating H's 5th anniversary of living in NYC.

Weekend Review

Saturday was beach day with the girls (hey, we're creatures of habit!) and Sunday brought the all-day birthday bonanza of a good friend, X, at McCarren park. Water balloons, dizzy izzy, tug of war, bucket & sponge race... We partied like we were 10 again. Only with deadly margaritas in enormous to-go cups from Turkeys Nest. The perfect summer day.

4 out of 5 apples on the big apple weekend review radar.
xx H&J

Tug of War!!! Girls v. Boys. The girls obvi kicked ass!!

Happy bday X!!!!!!

Helping Housing Works

We're firm believers in giving back as much as we can, so right now we're supporting Housing Works (a NY based non-profit organization that helps to fight AIDS and homeless) by donating 30% of the proceeds of our triple jewel bracelet to them. They were kind enough to invite us as a thank you to a summer soiree they were hosting at the Modani showroom with delicious fruity cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Doing good & a summer cocktail party is a win-win situation for us!

xx H&J

Triple strand jewel bracelet - $335.00
30% of the proceeds from the triple strand jewel bracelet will go to Housing Works, a non-profit organization committed to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness.
Purchase HERE

Endless Summer

Beaches. Tie-dye. Waves. Surfer boys. Sunsets. However you take your beach days, one thing's for sure, it's impossible to get enough. Check out our carol marie beach jewelry - perfect for the days of endless summer.

Weekend Review

Tips for how to spend a great weekend in NYC

1. Start the weekend right. Happy hour starting at 3:30 on Friday will do the trick. Mojitos, Caipirinas, Sangria & guacamole at our favorite Cuban restaurant in Chelsea works for us.

2. Celebrate your friends. Going away party at d.b.a. on Friday night. Good beer, good friends, good times outside on the back patio. The only downfall was saying good-bye to a friend moving down to South Carolina.

3. A NY weekend just isn't a NY weekend without drunk brunch. H went with an editor friend to Sunburnt Calf, the grown-up sister restaurant of Sunburnt Cow (an old favorite of ours where $18 gets you a delicious brunch & unlimited mimosas). $18 will still get you the best brunch deal in town at Sunburnt Calf, but without the crazy wait & boisterous young crowds.

4. Good food feeds the soul, but so do good friends. J hit up Otto, one of Mario Batali's genius creations, with an old friend from NYU. Cheese with honey dips, prosciutto, gourmet pizza, plenty of wine and deep conversation with a dear friend made for a perfect evening.

5. Explore beyond city limits. Just because we live in the concrete jungle doesn't mean we need to deprive ourselves of going to the beach. Luckily, $19 & a 45-minute train ride from Penn Station out to Long Beach in Long Island gets you the best escape in town. We hit up a delicious creperie for a quick snack along the main drag & then hit the sand. We basked in the sun, played in the waves, soaked up the seaside & even got ice cream. And we've got the sunburns to prove it.

4 out of 5 apples on the big apple weekend review radar.
xx H&J

At d.b.a. on the back patio



Grabbing a bite before hitting up the beach!

Beach card! First time paying to go to a beach...

J playing with the seagulls

Intern appreciation night

We have our first carol marie intern, A, working for us this summer, so we figured it was time we take her out to show her how we roll cm style. We took her to Emporio, one of our favorite places for happy hour in SoHo (we're suckers for $4 glasses of wine and free appetizers!). Many, many glasses of wine were consumed & she was right on time for our early business meeting the next morning - the sign of a true cm champ! So excited to have her on board.

xx H&J

Somehow we always end up as twinsies....

H, A & J - the cm crew!

BOO-YAH

We officially hit the fashion scene today with carol marie launching on Shopbop.com! We couldn't be more excited! Make sure to check us out - carol marie on Shopbop!!

xx H&J

H posing with carol marie knot earrings on Shopbop.com

Who spiked the punch?

New York has been obsessed with hidden speakeasy-themed and mixology bars for a while now. Back Room, Death & Co., Little Branch and p.d.t. have been favorite haunts of ours for a while, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be, well, too much. So when I heard about Cienfuegos, a secret Cuban rum social club, opening in east village a few months ago, my initial thought was "not another one..." But the reviews were good & a little part of me was curious, so when I was catching up with my publicist friend from Manolo last night, we took a gander.

We entered through the back of Carteles sandwich shop and up the stairs where we were transported to an adorable world of Cuban revolution meets shabby chic. Green painted ceilings and walls, crystal chandeliers and pink tufted banquets all contributed to the scene. We ordered one of their specialty punch bowls (served in one-, two-, and three-finger pours) where you serve yourself out of a silver punch bowl with a ladle. Our drink was the perfect sophisticated concoction of everything you want in a cocktail. I just might have to go back once a week until I've tried the entire menu. Viva la revolution.

xx J

I can almost hear the mariachis...

As a So Cal girl who practically grew up in Mexico, I'm obsessed with the new Proenza resort collection. Finally the Mexican poncho gets some respect as the chic reinterpreted Baja jacket. Reminds me of hot dusty desert roads on summer road trips, gathering around the campfire drinking coronas and gazing at the stars, and playing in the surf at beautiful desolate beaches. Can't wait to get my hands on the Baja jacket - it's the second best thing to actually being there in person.

xx J

Weekend Review

H is still out in Cali, so I ventured out solo again this weekend, catching up with other friends and hitting up parties & events galore!

In my mind, summer hasn't officially started until the first trip to Frying Pan - a bar on an old ship that used to be sunken. Luckily, a publicist friend of mine was having her birthday party there on Friday. Nothing better than spending a summer Friday on the top of a ship on the river, drinking coronas, hanging out with good friends and taking in the afternoon sun. We followed-up with tacos, queso fundido & micheladas at Diablo in the east village to celebrate a friend starting a new job.

Saturday started off with pure decadence with brunch at Minetta Tavern. The $26 black label burger & the best latkes in the city were the perfect way to start the day. Next, we headed to a bar to join the testosterone-filled men in NY watch the US play in the World Cup. The rest of the day brought drinks at The Smile - a simple but delightfully chic bar on Bond St. - & then off to the Billy Reid BBQ party for some pork tacos, southern beer & fashion mingling.

Topped off the weekend with some museum-going on Sunday & brunch at one of my favorite go-to's - Cafe Orlin. Bloody Mary's and eggies galore! Best part of the weekend? H is finally back!!!! Giving this weekend 4.5 apples on the big apple weekend review radar.
xx J

A view of Frying Pan from the shore.

Black label burger. Mmmmm.....

Representing carol marie - R in the raspberry necklace & J in the ethiopian bead rosary & double ethiopian crosses!

Pork tacos at Billy Reid!

A painful Friday morning

Catching up with the old MC crew. Drinks outside at Maritime for round 1. Corduroy party at Milk Studios. Brass Monkey for rounds 2 and 3. White stretch limo. Monster for late-night dance party and rounds 4, 5, 6, 7... Severe hangover the next day. All in a Thursday night in NY, kids.

xx J

Always travel in style.

The old crew.

J dancing the night away with TTH.

Sexy (?) faces.

Anchors Away

Whether you summer in the Hamptons or the Vineyard (or, heck, if you hang around the city like us but just want to feel like you're summering in one of those places), we always turn to style icons Audrey & Jackie O as perfect examples of the classic and understated Cape Cod look. A chic pair of oversized sunglasses, a boyfriend blazer & a chain bracelet or two are perfect for days on the yacht & clam bakes at night. Or, in our case, sunning by the Hudson during the day & rooftop parties at night. We just close our eyes & can almost feel the sea breeze...

xx H&J

Debauchery at Bacaro

I have to keep myself amused while H is away so I went to dinner last night with a few of my absolute fave publicist & editor friends at Bacaro in the lower lower east side (coughCHINATOWNcough). A delicious feast of mushroom gnocci, pork shank, rice balls, and many, many bottles of wine. We spent the evening catching up over boy drama, swapping silly bands (because you're never too old for fun shaped rubber bracelets), and, as always, falling out of our seats laughing at each other. Nothing like a good drunken girl night to cure the middle-of-the-week blues!

xx J

Silly bands!!!

Our delicious feast!

Lovely ladies

The Js

Weekend Review: Bon Voyage, H!

We love summers in NY for a number of reasons - rooftop movies, concerts in the park, summer Fridays. But our favorite thing about summers in New York are the weekends when the city empties out as people head out to the Hamptons or upstate, leaving the city at half capacity & comfortable for maximum enjoyment of lazy NY summer weekends.

We spent Friday night hanging out in midtown enjoying our cocktails with views from the 30th floor overlooking the city all lit up at night. H flew off to California the next day for a week-long cruise of the Cali coast & Mexico! J spent a lazy Saturday afternoon at the Met checking out the views of Central Park & the city from the rooftop garden and seeing "American Woman," the current fashion exhibit. The rest of the weekend brought catching up with friends in the east village, a delicious Sunday brunch out in the back garden at Sweetwater in Williamsburg and working on the carol marie Spring 2011 collection. A great lazy summer weekend, just the way we like it.

Giving this weekend 3.5 out of 5 apples on the big apple weekend review radar.
xx H&J

J enjoying the view from the rooftop of the Met!

Weekend Review: Summer Kick Off!!!

Memorial day had us splitting up for the long weekend. J jetted off to Chicago for a weekend with high school friends while H stayed in NY to hold down the fort. H spent a relaxing weekend catching up with friends & enjoying the warm weather at our fave spot along the West Side Highway catching some rays & watching kayakers in the river. Topped off with a dinner at the Boat Basin overlooking the Hudson, it was the quintessential NY weekend.

J spent her Chi-town weekend falling in love with the Windy City! Hanging out at the "beach" (aka the LAKE. This So Cal native refuses to call anything that isn't attached to the ocean a beach), exploring Millenium Park, taking the architecture river cruise on the Chicago river (just like in "My Best Friend's Wedding"), and window shopping at all of the fab stores along Michigan Avenue. Chicago wouldn't be Chicago without taking advantage of all of the food & drinks the city has to offer! Chicago hot dogs, deep dish pizza, drinks at the top of the Hancock Building overlooking the entire city, partying at the "beach"... Perfection.

H rates her NY weekend a 3 out of 5 apples on the big apple weekend review radar.
J rates her Chi-town weekend a 5 out of 5 apples.
xx H&J

Kayakers in the Hudson river!

J with friends along the lakeshore in Chicago.

Millenium Park

The Chicago River!!!!

Wrigley field. Go Cubs!!