We've moved...

Hey everyone!

We've actually moved the blog to wordpress!

We love the cleaner and simpler layout!

So you know where to find us now-->HERE!

The most wonderful, rockin', stylin' time of the year!

The summer's winding down... and unfortunately, those summer smiles on the kids' faces are slowly turning upside down. Those summer frowns on the parents' faces are turning right side up!

It's back to school time!--scary for some, exciting for many... especially the wee little ones! There's no better way for your little rockstars to shine and stand out on the 1st day of school, than in some sweet Playground Rockstar threads!

Check out our online shops at Etsy, Supermarket and our newest, Cargoh!

ROCK ON!!!

Thoughts in chalk.

Saw this on my morning walk today--some sort of angular butterfly?

Playground chalk drawings are kinda like urban sand drawings--there for the moment, until the water washes them away. They're always inspiring... and represent what the artist was thinking at the time. It's always changing--like an endless cycle of colored doodles and visual ramblings. I love it.

YEAH BABY!... WE'RE @ SUPERMARKET!

Our freshest of the fresh--the YEAH BABY! Collection is on Supermarket as well! Ready, set, GO!

YEAH BABY!... NOW ON ETSY!

Our latest collection, the YEAH BABY! Collection is now on Etsy!

Get your hands on some super-cute onesies while they're still fresh!!!

MANY THANKS!... and Brooklyn, here we come!

MANY MANY THANKS to everyone who came out this past Sunday to Jersey City's PADNA BBQ & Street Fair. Despite the sunshowers, it was a great day full of bubbles, balloons, bright smiles, old friends, new friends, dancey tunes and LOTS of little rockstars! Dinna and I thank you for the love! Most of all, thanks to Andrea for inviting us to all the fun!

And... NO WE DON'T STOP!

Join us this Saturday 7/17 in Brooklyn as we're a part of Kidding Around @ Brooklyn Indie Market! Find the big red & white tent on Smith Street between President & Union in Carroll Gardens--that's where ALL magic happens! We'll be there, along with other talented local vendors, artists and designers, all specializing in handmade style for kids--from tots to tweens. There will be a children's book swap--so bring a book to trade. Also joining us will be Starting Artists, an awesome organization dedicated to bringing hands-on art and entrepreneurial skills to students thru enriching afterschool and vacation programs.

So as you can see--it's all about the kids. They totally rock. But you already knew that!

Hope to see you there! :)

Kidding Around @ Brooklyn Indie Market
Sat July 17, 11am-7pm
Smith & Union Street
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY!!!!...

Mr. Weatherman calls for rain and thunderstorms for tomorrow 7/10! :(

So the JC PADNA BBQ & Street Fair is now SUNDAY 7/11!!!

Powerhouse Arts District BBQ & Street Fair
SUNDAY July 11, 11am-6pm
Provost between Bay & 2nd St.
Downtown Jersey City, NJ

It's still gonna be amazing! Hope you see you there!

JC... here we come! PADNA BBQ & Street Fair - 7/10 (raindate 7/11)

We'll be in lovely Downtown Jersey City this Saturday 7/10! (or Sunday 7/11, if it rains) So come play with us!

Also joining me is my fabulous friend and jewelry maker, Dinna Diaz, with The Shiny & Sweet Collection.

Powerhouse Arts District BBQ & Street Fair
Sat July 10, 11am-6pm (raindate 7/11)
Provost between Bay & 2nd St.
Downtown Jersey City, NJ


Hope you see you there!

Next stops... JC... and B to the K...

Hey all!

Come rock with us! We're celebrating the summer in Playground Rockstar Style by hitting the street fairs in the next couple weeks! Joining me on 7/10 is my fabulous friend, Dinna Diaz, with her amazingly, glittery, shimmery, super-yummy bling--The Shiny & Sweet Collection.

Powerhouse Arts District BBQ & Street Fair
Sat July 10, 11am-6pm
Provost between Bay & 2nd St.
Downtown Jersey City, NJ

Kidding Around @
Brooklyn Indie Market
Sat July 17, 11am-7pm
Smith & Union Street
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY

Hope you can join the fun!... ROCK ON!

hey sunshine!... it's summatime!

Hey sunshine!.... it's summa-summatime!

Empty classrooms... packed playgrounds... fresh air... ice cream trucks... bright sunshine... cool summer breezes... ocean waves. AHHHHHH... the sights and sounds of summer.

We'll be taking it all in and hitting the street fairs soon... with JC's Powerhouse Arts Festival (7/10) and Brooklyn Indie Market (7/17)... STAY TUNED!!!

worth skipping dinner for: holey cream

Last Friday was National Doughnut Day... and Team Dessert (me & fellow foodie @katallarde) was hard at play at Holey Cream in Hell's Kitchen. Combine 2 of my favorite things and what do you get?

DOUGHNUT ICE CREAM SANDWICH!

...and throw in a hot fudge sundae on the side.

Holey moley... oh my goodness.

Just go.

Holey Cream
796 9th Ave. (between 52nd/53rd)
New York, NY 10019

the power of the tee...

There are several reasons I make t-shirts. They can be bold. They can have words. They can have pictures. They can make statements. They simply feel and look good.

...as illustrated here:

jingle all the way!

the commercial jingle. the ringing melody paired with the catchy phrase that convinced you to go out and buy or do something. whether it was carvel ice cream, doublemint gum, or the animal (new from galoob), it ALWAYS stuck in your head, even when you didn't want it to.

recently, i was watching tv and things have DEFINITELY changed. a couple beer commercials later, and the 'jingles' were swapped out for songs straight from my itunes library! Bud Light Lime with Santigold in the background and Amstel with Brazilian Girls! how do they choose these tracks? obviously they're trying to reach certain demographics mainly through the power of music. very smart!

and looking back, there are quite a few commercials w/ soundtracks that are 30 seconds of coolness. here's a quick list i compiled (err.. tweeted) with the help of one of my buddies, @PatPoon.

Bud Light Lime - Santigold/Lights Out

Honda Civic SI - M.I.A./Galang

Verizon Wireless - Feist/My Moon, My Man

Cadillac SRX - Phoenix/1901

vitaminwater - Kid Cudi/Pursuit of Happiness

Ford Edge - Band of Horses/Funeral

HTC - Nina Simone/Sinnerman

Geico - Röyksopp/Remind Me

Lincoln MKS - Daft Punk/Technologic

shiny & sweet!...

hey all!... sorry for being M.I.A. for the past couple weeks!--my hands have been full as of late as i've been slowly adjusting to my new role as creative director for a certain live music company!

but have no fear--it's PRFL... Playground Rockstar For Life. ;)

so here's a peek at our latest collection of goodies: The Shiny & Sweet Collection by Dinna Diaz. it's all handmade silver and super awesome! stay tuned... it'll be up on our site very soon.

BLING. BLING.

NOT YO MAMA'S CRAFT FAIR!.... THANK YOU!

MANY, MANY thanks to everyone who came out for the 2nd Annual Not Yo Mama's Craft Fair this past saturday! although it was cloudy and windy on the outside, it was warm, cozy and shining bright on the inside! the crowds were amazing, the vibe was quite wonderful and the crafters were doin their thing!--while supporting a great cause, Arts To Grow.

we showcased our ultracool tees and released our freshest of the fresh!--the Yeah Baby! Collection (onesies), along w/ some Shiny & Sweet Bling from my uber-talented good friend and jewelry maker, Dinna Diaz! we met some awesome and creative vendors, especially Adam from Fluffy Goodness, whose super-adorable stuffed animals were simply toooooo cute to describe. we got great feedback and great exposure--what more can we ask for?

it was an AWESOME experience for Playground Rockstar... and a great start to the spring/summer crafting season! we hope to be out there even more, and the newest goodies will be posted to our site really soon!

thanks to all our friends for their love and support, especially k-dub for supplying the much-needed BANGIN' chocolate chip cookies which served as fuel throughout the day...

and thanks again to Megan, Sophie and Leah for inviting us to be a part of an AMAZING event!

ROCK ON! :)

NYMCF... 2 DAYS AWAY! IT'S ALMOST HERE!

hey all! it's almost here! NOT YO MAMA'S CRAFT FAIR!

we'll be releasing the latest additions to the product line, the Yeah Baby! Collection--totally rockin’ onesies! also joining me at the table is my awesome and amazingly talented friend and jewelry maker, Dinna Diaz! we’ll also be unveiling some sweet bling--the latest Playground Rockstar + DinnaDiaz jewelry collab!

so join us for an awesome day filled w/ local bands, local brews, tasty bites and the craftiest crafts around!

Not Yo Mama's Craft Fair
Saturday, April 17th 11am - 6pm
Parlay Studios
161 2nd St. Downtown Jersey City, NJ
$5 Admission (benefits Arts To Grow and includes a raffle ticket!)
www.notyomamasaffairs.com

Hope to see you there! :)

sneak peek: even more!...

a few more peeks at the YEAH BABY! Collection... dropping 4/17!

sneak peek: yeah baby!...

things are a-brewin' in the rockstar lab. stay tuned!....

we're lookin for the man with the hands!...

I'M STILL IN AWE...

from a trip into one of the most amazing and creative minds of our time. checked out the Tim Burton exhibit at the MoMA w/ my most best friend and was simply blown away and inspired. the man behind such classics as Edward Scissorhands (my fave), Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, The Nightmare Before Christmas and the most recent, Alice in Wonderland, gives a glimpse into his world. what amazed me the most was his constant doodling and visual ramblings that shaped his ideas and brand of darkness that found its way onto the big screen and into OUR world. there was so much to take in and admire... walking thru the mind of Tim Burton was indeed like being in Wonderland... the only obvious next step would be Oz?... (crosses fingers)

i apologize for the lack of pics from the exhibit... i got dirty looks from museum staff whenever i pulled out my iphone... and i don't think the true essence of Tim Burton can be expressed in a dinky little phone pic. so... you should just go see it for yourself! (be sure to buy tickets, they DO sell out!)

Tim Burton @ the MoMa
Through 4/26
11 West 53rd St.
New York, NY 10019
http://www.moma.org/

image via flickr

YO MAMA'S...

SO AWESOME...

that she bought you a Playground Rockstar t-shirt at the 2ND ANNUAL NOT YO MAMA'S CRAFT FAIR!

YES FOLKS! mark your calendars... grab that shopping list... check out some of the coolest crafters and DIYers while supporting a great cause!

Playground Rockstar will be a part of the 2nd Annual Not Yo Mama's Craft Fair in Jersey City, NJ--an awesome shopping event benefitting Arts To Grow. along w/ playground rockstar, you're bound to find the most unique, quirky and handmade wares from local boutiques, designers and artists!


Not Yo Mama's Craft Fair

Saturday, April 17th
11am - 6pm
Parlay Studios
161 2nd St. 
Downtown Jersey City, NJ
www.notyomamasaffairs.com/ (more details to follow)

hope to see your bright shiny faces!

:)

there's nothin like good A&C time!

this is why kids are simply amazing.

received a little package from my awesome nephew last weekend... i think he knows that orange is my favorite color. so precious and inspiring. thanks rico! :) LOVE IT!

the BEST part of the food pyramid...

meat? NO.

candy and dessert? YES. PLEASE.

spotted this sweet tee at Dylan's Candy Bar.
1011 3rd avenue
new york, ny 10021

definitely check it out if you wanna know what it's like walking into a candy-coated rainbow!... it's amazing (and tasty).

you gonna eat your tots?

an ode to one of the greatest (and most quotable) movies EVER, napoleon dynamite.

sent by my sister.

a rainbow in your living room...

some may call it obsessive compulsive. some may ask if you were really that bored. some will just ask why?

i say why not?

i'm a visual person. i speak in color (even tho i don't wear much of it). it's a key part of my world, and without it i feel lost. black and white is simply not enough... i need options.

we practically live in a giant kaleidoscope, especially in the city. the visual clutter of the urban terrain can be frenetic and chaotic, like a big jumbled collage. it tends to follow us home as well, especially if we have lots of stuff.

here's something to try: organizing by color. do this with your books, dvds, cds, wardrobe or whatever you have alot of and you'll notice a new visual freshness to your living space. it almost has a zen-like quality as it follows the natural spectrum of light. it's very easy on the eyes. it's a freakin rainbow in your living room! amazing!

so give it a shot. there's a great tutorial on COLOURlovers

IT'S A WALKOFF!...

NYC is a pedestrian city, so i walk alot. because i do, i pretty much have my headphones on all the time. 'shuffle songs' is like the soundtrack to my travels... and certain songs remind me of some of my favorite flicks...

here's a quick list (i know, i'm all over the place):

simple minds/don't you forget about me - the breakfast club
al green/let's stay together - pulp fiction
prodigy/voodoo people - hackers
war/low rider - up in smoke
madonna/lucky star - snatch
average white band/picking up the pieces - swingers
jamiroquai/canned heat - napoleon dynamite
underworld/born slippy - trainspotting
anything by the shins or zero 7 - garden state
dead or alive/you spin me round - the wedding singer
smashing pumpkins/eye - lost highway
queen/we are the champions - d2: the mighty ducks

and my fave of the list:

michael jackson/beat it - ZOOLANDER

and a ONE and a TWO...

we're tuning up the band...  BIG things are a-comin'!

a fresh batch of freshness!

hey all! check out the new playgroundrockstar.com!

a little refreshing here and there... exciting exciting news! :)

happy v-day from playground rockstar!

on this morning's walk thru the park, i couldn't help but notice the little ones carrying stacks and bags of envelopes, red and pink candies, and gifts wrapped in red for their teachers (or classroom crushes).

oh remember those days? it was so fun back then...  and it's still fun now!

we love our fans and everyone in the playground rockstar fam!

so an early happy valentine's day to all!

like vanilla icing on a giant cake.

where it all started... covered in snow from yesterday's blizzard!

hoboken's church square park... where the playground rockstar a-ha moment happened. :)

rebel rebel...

because rules are made to be broken...

ode to an obsession.

i know, you probably notice that most of my posts and tweets revolve around food. i simply love it--it inspires me.

so this entry shouldn't be too much of a surprise then! :)

luscious tres leches
i see you in donut form
but not for long, yum.


get 'em here:

Doughnut Plant
379 Grand St. (Lower East Side)
New York, NY 10002
www.doughnutplant.com

*you can also find them at select dean & deluca locations...

OCD... obsessive compulsive dessert-ing.

if you know me, or have been following my tweets, you probably know about one of my latest trending topics and obsessions--momofuku milk bar! i discovered this sweet spot w/ kat--my fellow co-captain of Team Dessert, and wondered how i've gone the vast majority of my life w/out this place? and more specifically, w/out the compost cookie?--the crazy concoction that sounds so wrong but tastes so right? a mix of potato chips, pretzels, oats, graham crackers, coffee, butterscotch and chocolate chips? an entire party bowl in your mouth that tantalizes all your taste buds simultaneously? YES PLEASE.

so after some 'research'... and in the notion that imitation is best form of flattery, i made it my mission to re-create the compost. i googled a copycat recipe from Oatmeal CookieBlog and gave it a shot. easy enough. after a couple tweaks to their recipe--swapping the fritos for graham crackers and the peanut butter for the butterscotch... i wanted it to be consistent w/ the original, and was on my way.

overall, this was pretty fun to make--during prep, my kitchen counter looked like the party snack table! below is the finished product. the MMB compost on the left, my version on the right. you'll immediately notice the size difference. i based it on the fact that it takes me a couple days to finish the MMB version, so i sized mine so i can finish it faster! it turned out a little more crispier than soft, a little more coffee-er (maybe b/c i used cafe bustelo espresso), and a little more butterscotch-y. honestly im not complaining b/c i love all of those. i'm pretty pleased that it hits both the sweet and salty notes! yay!

so i'll do some tweaking and more recon work at MMB... and try again soon.

MOST DEFINITELY.

so check it out... you may catch me there.

Momofuku Milk Bar
207 2nd Ave. (entrance on 13th)
New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com/milkbar/

a haiku for wednesday.

breathe deep and relax
sit back and take it all in
let go and just be

this awesome tree house will definitely further the process... via The Cool Hunter

the FRESHEST!...

taking it back to my childhood. who knew frozen dairy treats could be this luscious and sexy...

i am so seduced.

mmmmmmm... chocolate crunchies... fudgie the whale and a 6-pack of flying saucers please?...

the L-Train collection... now on supermarket!!!

hey all!... our latest designs are now up on supermarket!... as well as on etsy!

we all like options... and either way, we all win! woot woot!! :)

TAG!.. you're it.

ever since i was little, i dreamed of writing in the sky... drawing in the air with my fingers, tracing the clouds, writing secret messages to my kindergarten crush, hoping that one time whatever i drew or wrote would maybe stay there. sadly, it never did. i still wish...

however, the brilliant minds at the graffiti research lab figured it out!

this video's actually from a while back, but it never ceases to amaze me. it's also another example of 'ANYTHING is possilbe.. ANYTHING can be!' HOLLA!