http://dollypearl.tumblr.com/

This weekend only! Take advantage of our Memorial Day Weekend...

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:19:58 -0400

This weekend only! Take advantage of our Memorial Day Weekend promotion. Enjoy 15% of your order at www.dollypearl.com. Share me!

My Definition of Success

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:32:00 -0400

If I could offer any kind of advice to todays youth and young 20 somethings, it would be this:...

How An NYC Cab Driver Changed My Way Of Thinking

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:15:00 -0400

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”...

The Emperor's New Clothes

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:15:00 -0400

I grew up on classic children’s stories. I loved reading as a child, and I love reading these...

Last night I had the pleasure of having a good dinner with great company. Seated in a cozy corner...

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:09:36 -0500

Last night I had the pleasure of having a good dinner with great company. Seated in a cozy corner...

"I’ve always loved the most natural women; I’m not very into hiding yourself. For me, the most..."

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:14:21 -0500

“I’ve always loved the most natural women; I’m not very into hiding yourself. For me, the most...

Hi - I am an over 60 y.o. in Houston. I wanted you to know I enjoy your blog very much. Your very matter of fact writing is heart-warming. I also sew - and sell hand made cards to a few boutiques in Houston. Please keep up the blog - even though you are busy! It is such a pleasure.

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:12:25 -0500

Thank you so much for the kind words! I love connecting with independent creatives :) Wishing you a...

A Post On Engagement Rings What’s your style? In light of...

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:48:15 -0500

A Post On Engagement Rings

What’s your style?

In light of the recent engagements of many of those around me, I wanted to write a thoughtful post on engagement rings.

Your engagement ring—a symbol of love and a promise of marriage, usually depicts the aesthetic and taste of your soon to be husband/husband, or yourself, if you are one of those girls who decides you know what you want on your finger for the rest of your life. I love (and am quite impressed) when a man chooses the ring by himself—with little or no help. It either shows that he has great taste, or that he knows exactly what the love of his life wants.

My thoughts on engagement rings? It’s all about the design (and of course the promise behind it!). I’ve seen big/flashy and almost gaudy rings (I shudder inside), and I’ve seen stunning diamond rings that are under a carat. The Dolly Pearl point of view? Bigger is not always better. As a designer, details, refinement, and style overrule size, clarity, and flashiness. I love to see uniqueness and something unexpected. It impresses me much more than just a big diamond ring. At the same time, simplicity can also be quite beautiful to me. The most important thing is that it’s worn with pride and love, and that you as the bride-to-be, are completely head over heels over it!

Thanks to Pinterest, I am able to look at gorgeous designs all day everyday! Here is a collection of striking rings that caught my eye:

1. I never really thought of a band as an “engagement ring” until my sister got engaged. I love the idea that there doesn’t have to be a big center stone to symbolize an engagement. This beautiful band of emerald cut diamonds is quite the stunner. If I could start over, I’d probably prefer this (exact ring!) over the traditional engagement ring.

2. A classic and simple emerald cut is one of my favorites. So sophisticated, elegant, and the tiny pave details on the band really enhance the beauty of the center stone without overwhelming and overshadowing it.

3. This is not particularly my taste, but I thought it was so fresh and modern that I wanted to add it to the mix. The milgrain detail surrounding the diamonds make it so special.

4. I love a vintage cut ring. This is not particularly my taste, but it’s unique nonetheless. As you can tell, I’m also a huge fan of milgrain details over a halo surrounding the stone. It just frames the diamond perfectly without taking attention away from the center stone. The details on the band give it such a beautiful antique feel.

5. Simply a stunner. Even if the diamond was half the size, the design of this ring impresses me in every way. The milgrain detail and the design of the pave on the band is gorgeous.

6. This art deco design is so modern and sophisticated. No frills here, just simplicity at it’s best. The asscher cut diamond has to be almost flawless because you can literally see through the diamond looking down.

7. I think the oval cut diamond is so underrated and beautiful—at any size. It’s so multi-faceted that it needs no other detail on or around it to capture the essence of the cut. One of my favorite cuts.

8. I actually saw this Chopard diamond in a Paper City in Houston years and years ago. It always stuck in my mind as the most perfectly designed ring. Yes the stone is HUGE and flawless, but if it were scaled down to even a quarter of its size, the design would still be so unbelievably beautiful to me. There’s something about the way this diamond is framed that is so sophisticated.

9. I found this ring on Etsy.com. Can you believe it? It’s so GORGEOUS. You’d be surprised at where you find the most beautiful rings. A ring designed so simply like this one can have me gushing for days on end, as opposed to a big flashy ring. I love the look of gold too. It’s really making a comeback. Look at how stunning that is!

10. Another vintage cut. SO Dolly Pearl. Those side details are just perfect.

11. Another asscher cut stunner from Tiffany & Co. I love how delicately the details frame the center stone. This ring is feminine, delicate, and unique.

Hi! I came upon your blog and loved the inspirational and personal aspect of it, as well as your beautiful line. I was surprised to see you were from Houston, I am, as well, maybe we know the some of the same people-- I'm not sure, as I haven't lived there in quite awhile. I'm digressing...

But really, the sheer braveness and determination which you led you to NY and leads you now, is incredible and I hope that will be me as I embark on my own journey. I'm so impressed that you're in your late twenties and have achieved so much. I wish you the best and please keep writing as it's wonderful to read!

BTW--love that your tumblr has content beyond images!

*also, weird question, do you know a tumblr of "Hello Miss Dang"? Your tumblr and hers are the only ones that I've found engaging and positive. It's funny, b/c she's from Houston and was in fashion? Anyhoo! Thanks again!

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:16:46 -0500

Hi there! This must be like a year too late, but I’m now discovering that Tumblr offers mail...

I absolutely adore your designs and overall sense of style and grace. Absolutely mesmerizing.

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:14:13 -0500

Thank you for the kind words! I’m actually now discovering the tumblr has messages and mail!...

As 2012 begins to come to an end, I’ve spent the last month or...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:44:43 -0500

As 2012 begins to come to an end, I’ve spent the last month or so reflecting on Dolly Pearl, my humble beginnings, my career highlights, and the growth of my company. It’s been an amazing two years, and I am a very lucky gal. When I first started out selling handmade tops on Etsy, I didn’t have a clue that it would lead me to where I am now. All it takes is just one person to believe in you, and that can be the fuel you need to shoot for the stars. Luckily, I had many believe in me—and firmly. I was honestly surprised to start getting orders from my own friends and family. I am forever grateful to my first customers—people who loved my work, and were willing to spend their hard earned money on something that I had produced from my very own hands. That feeling is indescribable. Fast-forward only 2 years, and Dolly Pearl is sold all over the country and internationally! Below are my career highlights thus far. I feel so grateful and blessed to be where I am.

(In no particular order)

1. Winning the Daily Candy ‘Start Small, Go Big’ contest! My first real career achievement—having friends, family, and complete strangers, vote for me daily to get me to the top!

2. Being contacted by the franchise owner of Bella Bridesmaid, Bridget Brown—so major! She talked me into do a capsule collection for Bella, and that’s how I transitioned into the bridal industry. Forever grateful!

3. Meeting Isaac Mizrahi—a design ICON. I still remember flipping through the pages of VOGUE magazine at age 9, and looking at the spreads with his phenomenal designs on them. Finally meeting him and talking with him—one of my favorite moments ever.

4. Meeting and getting to know Rebecca Minkoff. It’s was such an experience to hear how Rebecca Minkoff started out in the industry, and to watch her company grow to where it is today. She is truly a kind person with great words of advice and wisdom. It was such an honor!

5. Shortly after winning Daily Candy in 2010, I was contacted by a beautiful young woman, Brandi Bennett, and her lovely mother-in-law. It was my first real big bridal party (a pretty big deal!), and what a stunning wedding it was! So proud to have been a part of that.

6. Meeting all the talented and driven women of Daily Candy, as well as the fellow contest winners. What a group of strong women. Very inspirational, and a time I’ll never forget.

7. My first trade show earlier this year! It was such a big deal to me. It was so great to have other booth owner, buyers, and editors come to my booth and gush over my designs. These are all words of encouragement to me, and really validate my decision to go into fashion design. It was so fun and taxing, yet exciting. I can’t wait for my next one.

8. Hearing the founder of Bella Bridesmaid, Bridget Brown, tell me that Amsale Aberra (bridal designer extraordinaire) loved my design (that Bridget wore) at an industry party during Bridal Market in 2011. It was the New Romans style—a classic. Best. Compliment. Ever.

9. Moving from a tiny studio on the Upper East Side, to a phenomenal neighborhood downtown this year—Greenwich Village. I wake up everyday feeling blessed.

Chasing your dreams takes a lot of courage. I was lucky enough to carve the path that I have in such a short amount of time. I’m in no rush to get to any given destination, and I’m enjoying every step of the way—both highs and lows. Don’t abandon your dreams when you see failures or lows. Nurture them and grow with them. Artists and designers—we don’t do it for the money, fame, recognition, or approval. We do it for the love of the craft, and that is what differentiates us from the rest. My advice for all you dream chasers? Stay open, continually educate yourself and refine your craft, and most importantly—stay humble.

XO, Dolly

When you woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, what did...

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:04:26 -0400

When you woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, what did you think? Today, try not to compare yourself to strangers, celebrities, and friends. Don’t pick yourself apart. Instead pull yourself together. You are beautiful so don’t let yourself that that away from you.

Photo

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:00:31 -0400

I can’t wait to show you guys what I’ve been up to...

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:49:16 -0400

I can’t wait to show you guys what I’ve been up to lately! The Dolly Pearl Occasions and Bridal for 2013 has worked me! I wanted to come up with a theme/concept for the collection this year to show you what inspired my work. After looking at the collection at a whole, and studying the sketches and process of the designs, it came it me. It was quite simple, but at the same time, there was a lot of meaning behind the simplicity. I named this collection ‘Heart’. I hope you read on if you’re interested in why.

I’ve been told by many people that I have what the Vietnamese would call “lucky numbers”. When you have lucky numbers, that means you have a lucky life. Its far too complicated to delve into, but its pretty self explanatory right? I won my first contest at the age of 9. It was an art contest for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, and it was a pastel drawing of a dog. I won $500 and my drawing was featured in the HLSR calendar for that year. My mom still has the drawing up in her bedroom. It’s pretty hideous, but I guess for a 9 year old, it wasn’t too bad. Since winning that contest, I have to say, I’ve been pretty darn lucky. There were numerous times in school (from elementary through college) where I would enter a contest, turning in work that I had started and completed the night before, and won. I’ve won a television, a handful of cash prizes, and 2 trips to New York City. Not to mention the fact that I live in NYC alone. That’s luck right there. I don’t ever enter contests thinking I will actually win, so when I do, it’s always a surprise.

How does this relate to my theme? Well, I don’t think winning is entirely based on luck. I think you have to have a lot of heart as well. When you put your heart into something, and you have passion and drive, good things tend to come. Some may have more heart than others, but at the end of the day, it’s all the same fire that lights us up and keeps us driven—and having drive and passion for life is SO important. Work for something you truly love. Do whatever it takes to achieve it. Be proud of your life, and if you aren’t, do something about it. You have the power to change it, and create your own luck. Prioritize and realize what is the most important to you. My life has not always been happy face emoticons and balloons. I’ve gone through really dark times in my life, but I always had heart, and that is what has gotten me to where I am today.

I often get asked whether I have a favorite design out of all my...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:12:39 -0400

I often get asked whether I have a favorite design out of all my Dolly Pearl pieces, and the answer is YES, I absolutely do! The Dolly Pearl ‘Anastasia’ dress has been my favorite by far. There is something uniquely architectural about the detail on the ‘Anastasia’. The combination of the scale, shape, and design to me is fashion forward, ethereal, unexpected, and ultra-feminine. I can’t get enough of this dress, and I believe it will be a true Dolly Pearl classic for years to come. Every time an order is put in for this dress, it I get excited to see which color is ordered and how it will look when it’s completed. To me, every girl who loves and/or orders this dress must be a fashion risk taker who appreciates beauty in the extraordinary.

Available at www.dollypearl.com

Decorating with Dolly Pearl Happy Tuesday! I wanted to share...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:30:16 -0400

Decorating with Dolly Pearl

Happy Tuesday! I wanted to share today with you my second love after designing clothing—decorating. I am obsessed with beautiful environments, and my tiny Greenwich Village apartment in New York City has been my side project since I moved here in April. My apartment is my place of work, where I enjoy cooking, and where I sleep, so it was super important to create an atmosphere that not only captured the Dolly Pearl essence, but was also calming, chic, and efficient. For me, decorating is always a work in progress—a slow process that is accumulation of the constant desire to be inspired through the search of finding the perfect pieces to decorate my life. I will never be “done” decorating. I get bored way too easily to ever be “done”.

My history in various areas of design and art have been hugely influential on my eye for design, but it was later in life that I really found my style. I love the now defunct Domino Magazine, Elle Decor, and I am a huge fan of Kelly Wearstler—a true artist, whose work has evolved tremendously.

Here are my tips for decorating a ‘Domino Mag-worthy’ space (Elle Decor—not quite there yet!):

-With decorating, you have to extremely resourceful. Furnishing can get very expensive. Spend your money on the important pieces (sofa, dining table, chairs, desk), and search for bargains in other areas (accessories, lamps, rugs, etc).

-My favorite go-to websites are West Elm, Z-Gallerie, CB2, Crate & Barrel, Gilt, 1 King’s Lane, Ballard Designs, and World Market. JC Penney has a great selection of inexpensive lamps, and Etsy is perfection for vintage mid-century and Hollywood regency style pieces (also, pillowcases, coffee tables, and vintage books and records). Overstock.com is a great way to find a good bargain on just about everything, but its always by chance with me!

-Start off with a color theme and work around that. Neutrals are always easy if you can’t decide, and you can add pops of colors later.

-The most important elements of design for me are color, texture, and scale. I would never put a small mirror or frame on a huge wall. That is one lonely mirror/frame! It gets lost in a sea of nothingness. The mirror would have to be enormous to complement the wall, or I would layer with a variety of sized frames, art, mirrors, or objects. Mixing over-sized, small, medium, and large pieces create interest in a space. For me, scale is the most important aspect of decorating and design. If you have a huge space, that space needs to be FILLED.

-Stay away from making your home look “crafty”. Making your home look like a DIY Pinterest project can end up just looking cheap or unsophisticated. A little goes a long way…

-Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. You might surprise yourself! My Louis Ghost chairs with my farm style dining table turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. I currently have simple wool felt chair pads on these chairs, but am thinking of adding some sheepskin pillow cases for that extra texture. Mixing styles also adds interest and whimsy. Don’t get stuck in one style (sigh, like a Jonathan Adler store). Mix, mix, mix!

-Have fun! Decorating shouldn’t be so serious! Never rush and buy a whole bunch of pieces from one place and make it look like a Pottery Barn or West Elm showroom. Decorating is a result of who you are at this point in life. Embrace who you are and let the creative juices flow.

How to Survive as a Small Business in a Big Business World Greetings! I hope you have been having a...

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 19:40:00 -0400

How to Survive as a Small Business in a Big Business World Greetings! I hope you have been having a...

Tips on caring for your Dolly Pearl dress Upon receiving your...

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:38:09 -0400

Tips on caring for your Dolly Pearl dress

Upon receiving your Dolly Pearl dress, you first must carefully take it out of the packaging and place the dress on a hanger.

We recommend that you lightly steam the bodice of the dress, going over the details last.

If you do not have a steamer, set your iron on medium heat (all Dolly Pearl dresses are 100% silk, so the fabric is delicate. Be careful not to put the iron on high heat). If your iron has a steamer, even better.

Gently iron the bodice of your dress, saving the details for last.

Do not apply direct steam to your ruffle detailing. Lightly run the steamer over the ruffles, but finish off the ruffles with an iron.

If you your dress has ruffle detailing, gently iron in between the valleys of the ruffles, being careful not to create a crease in your ruffle (see image above).

Sometimes it helps to hang your Dolly Pearl dress upside down so that the ruffles can regain their shape.

When traveling, it is best to transport the dress in a box, being careful not to flatten out any ruffling details. We recommend using plenty of tissue paper in and between the ruffles so that their shape remains the same.

When storing your Dolly Pearl dress, be sure to leave plenty of hanging space in between the dress and your other garments.

All Dolly Pearl dresses are 100% dry clean only.

If you're planning your dream wedding, and are looking for...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:46:04 -0400

If you're planning your dream wedding, and are looking for creative and gorgeous dresses, accessories, details, and ideas, please check out my favorite e-glossy, Smitten Mag! LIKE Smitten on Facebook here!

Greetings! Thank you again to everyone who voted for Dolly Pearl...

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:52:44 -0400

Greetings!

Thank you again to everyone who voted for Dolly Pearl to qualify/be considered for a small business grant sponsored by Chase and Living Social. It’s so rewarding to see your family, friends, fans, clients, and even strangers go out of their way to support you and offer words of encouragement and kindness. I think that was the best part about the campaigning process. You work really hard, and it’s just so great to get that extra push from people who truly believe in you and believe in your work. I have to admit that I’m not entirely confident about my essay portion of the application process, but I can’t re-do it, so I’ll leave it up to luck and hope that my work will speak for the part of my essay that was not included. Everyone who wins this important grant deserves it, and one must realize that if you don’t win, then you just have to keep working harder and continue to carve your path to success. If it wasn’t meant to be, then you are meant for something greater—or something better is waiting for you down the road—you just have to be courageous enough to work and fight for it. Entering this contest made me realize how lucky I am to even have a small start up business loved by so many, and continuing to grow. It really re-energized me! (See? Always thinking positively and looking on the bright side). I love Dolly Pearl so much, and I foresee really great things in the near future.

To everyone who is chasing your dream: the opportunities are there—don’t wait around for them to find you. They don’t call it “chasing” your dream for nothing! Continue to perfect your craft, educate your self continuously, and most importantly, do not give up!