summa

I couldn't stay in the city any longer, I just couldn't...Escaped to Quogue for 2 days of bestever.

PHOTO BY ANDREW DE FRANCESCO

Every time I head to Kat's country house, I am like a Fresh Air FUnd kid, basically. We went to a farm to pick our own berries and they had some animals and I was like..THAT'S WHAT TURKEYS LOOK LIKE? WTF?

It's a whole new world out there.

You know what rules? Eating a strawberry you picked yourself and it's all warm from the sun. THAT. RULES. Look at me up there. SO PSYCHED! Def ate twice as many as we put in the box, whoops.

KATIEBERRY

BUNNICULA

You know who else loves strawberries? This crazy ass bunny. He had a serious case of BERRY FEVER. We named him Bunnicula, duh.

BEST LUNCH

I drank a Budweiser barefoot while we drove to a farmstand. We cooked thangs all weekend and I now have a dangerous addiction to rhubarb. 

Most important thing: Upon learning that me, Kat, and his mom all have beaus who are younger than them, 8-yr-old Thomas (a genius, clearly) declared: "I know why. Because younger boys know that older girls are H-O-T-er!"

CORRECT, THOMAS.

CORRECT.

A VERITABLE DOOGIE HOWSER, THIS ONE.

My nose is sunburnt.

it's here!

Our zine is here! It's a real thing! You can buy it and hold it and read it and love it and tell it secrets and take it places as your +1 and hide it in your textbook during AP History and give it to someone you have a crush on!

All these things are possible because the world is your oyster.
And also because I learned how to add code for a paypal button to my blog! (PLEASE LOOK TO YOUR LEFT.)
Also!  
We have a zine blog! You can buy it here, too!

Thank you so so much to everyone who sent in their stories. You are all awesome, but we only had so many pages we could fill..!

Our fantastic contributors are as follows:
Carlen Altman, Loulou Androlia, Lesley Arfin, Aurora Armijo, Zach Baron, Sven Barth, Christine Cantera, Jon Caramanica, Kat Clements, April Starr Daniel, Michael Dempster, Jocelin Donahue, Brendan Donnelly, Elisabeth Donnelly, Claire Evans, Sean Fennessey, Hallie Fryd, Julie Gerstein, Tavi Gevinson, Martin Glenn, Emily Gould, Rockwell Harwood, Shayla Hason, Kelley Hoffman, Sunshine Hurlburt, Aya Kanai, Mat Keel, Shelby Keyser, Katy Martineau, Gavin McInnes, Marisa Meltzer, Ashley Merriman, Bayla Metzger, Reza Nader, Leon Neyfakh, Katie Notopoulos, Caitlin Ogilvie, Marianna Ritchey, Yasi Salek, Doree Shafrir, Elisa Sheehan, Isabel Slone, Laura Spinella,Elizabeth Spiridakis, Hunter Stephenson, Louise Sturges, Spencer Tweedy, Jaimie Warren, Fletcher Woolsey, Aviva Yael, Diana Zapata

Marisa & I are so proud of this...The stories are magical.
Get one!

PS..thank you Hunter for making our Tumblr all linked up and profesh...

catch up

So much to blog!!
Showroom visits, new acquisitions, delightful gifts, set visit to a horror film and our zine is ready to order (email firstkisszine at gmail! email us with an order!).

Let's take a breather and admire my personal own personal spirit animal and guru of bangs, color and accessories: Ms Peggy Moffitt.

The next few days I will be posting up a storm..but now I am going to have high tea with my mom and sis to celebrate my mom's birthday!

L8TR SK8TRS
xo
WL

i was thinking about your record collection

SOMEONE IN THE UK HAS GOT GREAT TASTE IN TEE SHIRTZ !

THE SCEPTRES

Yesterday I got an email from a reader named Bryony (pictured above!!) telling me that I might like to know that my tee made it to the "english punk rock dingy pub DIY scene". Why, YES I would like to know and I am DELIGHTED. That's her in the pic! With her band The Sceptres! In my tee!!! EXCLAMATION POINTSSSSSS!!!!!

Seriously...HOW COOL IS THAT?

I checked out their site and I am reallllly feeling it. My favorite song is Flatline Generation..Bryony, send me some 7"s!!!! 

Listen to them here..come play in NYC!

giveaway: stand up comedy x whitney totes !

A few weeks ago I wrote about the limited edition handmade/screened/numbered art book totes that Portland's Stand Up Comedy made for The Whitney here in NYC.

Well sometimes life is good, brahskevitches. The very cool people at the Whitney sent me a S.U.C.xWHITNEY tote of my very own, and I am complety in hearts with it.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT HAVE TO JAM

This is essentially what I carry around on my person most days:
Magazines, various composition notebooks, my hideous wallet (anyone have any recs on a new one? I'm desperado), flash drive, comb (the only way to keep your bangs like Peggy Moffitt's), Karen Walker sunglasses, my keychain with Miu Miu ribbon and "self-defense kitty" that I bought when I was 15. (Your fingers go through the eyes and you stab with the ears! DANGER!), tiny red notebook from Kiosk (I love notebooks from Kiosk. I love anything from Kiosk!), felt tip pens, business cards (WERK), Dior Skin Sculpt concealer, Marc Jacobs mirror, Bobby Brown cheek color, Mustela hand lotion, a stamped leather vintage..ciagarette pack holder (???) that is perfectly iPod shaped, my iPhone (aka my siamese twin).

This is a pretty normy day. Sometimes there is weird random shit in my bag..recently some of the weirder things have been: Korean ice cream sammies (shaped like fish!!), the first season of Beverly Hills 90210 on DVD (so key), Ouzo flavored chocolates for my dad and about a thousand paint chips from Home Depot.

You can fit a LOT in this lil tote and since it was designed to carry heavy monographs, you can really pack it in there. Or at least I do. Which is an easy way to give yourself a gangsta lean. Which is why I recently invested in a backpack.

BUT I DIGRESS.

HERE COMES THE BEST PART:
The Whitney also gave me 3 totes to give away to you, dear White Lightning readers ! I have one in each color and I really want you to have them.

 

Leave me a comment with the weirdest thing you've ever carried around in your bag. The 3 best answerersss get a tote.

GOOD LUCK & GET WEIRD!

gone postal

Reasons I love to go to my office:
I can IM, text, and have lunch with Lesley pretty much simultaneously.
General Gavin-ness.
No shortage of Dad jokes.
Trevor once bought us all Skor bars and I hold on to the hope that the magic of that day will be repeated again.
Sometimes Ronnie stops by and leaves me notes and drawings (The last one was a WHITE LIGHTNING logomade out of dicks. I HEART ART!!!)
I crack up about 98% of the time.
Repeat first line about Les.

Also? I GET MAIL !!

I love mail you guys, I LOVE IT.
Packages and letters and zines and postcards all intvites. All awesome, all showing up on my desk...YES!

Latest greatness on that has showed up at 14th St:

under.ligne Dress. My new favorite item of clothing. Outfit post forthcoming.

Whim Quarterly: A new magazine by my old friend Paul "Underdubs" Underwood..It's funny, it's actually printed on PAPER (novel!) and..it comes with a free toy inside! (note, no free toy inside)
EDIT! THERE ARE FREE TOYS! (Breaking: I am shtoops)

Oh and this?
This is just a Tim Lincecum baseball card, with a piece of his jersey inside of it.
I know umm hmmm likeeee NOTHING baseball, but I caught about 2 seconds of Tim on teevee last year and sorta fell in love. He is a supertall long hair pot smoking baseball star from the pacific northwest, ummmm HELLO, I am your #1 fan. PS I have no idea what team he even plays for.
Anyways...my longtime friend Mr. Scott Opirhory sent me this crazy thing.
I wanna make a jangle out of it? Just like the Abba turd in Priscilla Queen of the Desert? (Anyone?)

WHAT TREASURES AND DELIGHTS WILL I FIND TODAY?
I.
can't.
wait.

don't shake it

Today is THE DAY!
What day, you ask? The day, my dear friends, that THIS GUY:

My dear old SX-70 land camera, purchased in college for $40 at the height of my Charles & Ray Eames obsession*, will finally be PUT BACK TO WORK.

How's that?

POLAROID FILM IS BACK!
The Impossible Project, who took on the task, has done the impossible and saved analog instant joy.

It's called PX SilverShade  / First Flush
Right now it comes in 100 & 600 ASA, and is only sepia and B&W but color is coming by the end of the year! The film is universal for any working Polaroid camera that uses the battery pack film (SX70s and 600s are the best).

Are you happy happy and full of joy?
I AM.
It's $22 bones for 8 frames but I don't wanna hear ya complaining.You can order it on their site starting today.

The darkslide comes with secret messages!
Before it develops, the film is YVES KLEIN BLUE!
It's delicious. I am high on life.

Time to make some magic.

THANK YOU IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT!!!!!


PS: *watch this movie!!!!

kicks

My friend Phil stopped by my office today so we could have lunch n chats. I stopped dead in my trackzzz when I saw his sneakers..um WHAT?!

NIKE SAYS WHAAAAAT

Some kind of super limited edition snakeprint crazy ass hightops with an extra-long tongue..They COME mismatched! They're called Mint Chocolate. Are you kidding me?? I freaked out.

He also brought me these:

Teenytinerson adorable stickers from his recent trip to Japan. Phil is wise, he knows a very important life truth which is: GIRLS LOVE STICKERS (Lesley got some too, we were both squealing).

Brb, currently covering my ipod with puffy donuts and smiling mochi balls (we call this "working").

Happy Friday!

hey now

TimeOutNewYork included me in their Most Stylish New Yorkers round-up ! Very exciting.

 

 THIS IS THE ONLY PICTURE I LIKE. I AM NOTTTTT GOOD AT PICTURES. OH WELL.

If you'd like to know what stores I like, trends I hate and some of my inspirations, please check it out!

hearts

Today, my dear bloggyfriends, I would like to take a moment to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARYYYY to my parents.

DAD, CHILLIN. HE WAS A LONGHAIR!

MOMS! CUTIE MIDDLE PART HIPPIE PONYTAIL AND ESPADRILLES! I LOVE.

They've been married THIRTY FIVE YEARSSSSSS. 35!!!
Like...10 plus 10 plus another 10 PLUS another 5. I mean...Can you wrap yr head around that?



They have the best wedding song evahhhh...SUCH dreamy sixtiestimes (And bearded hippie singer!)!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!
Now please stop reading my blog, it makes me uncomfortable.

diversifying

Hey lurverpantses: I got me a new gig!
A shiny new blog over at The Sundance Channel's Full Frontal Fashion !

My first post is up! My lowdown on the Bravo masterpiece, KELL ON EARTH.
I plan to post over there about 3 times a week (maybe more for fashion week!), please bookmark it and make it one of yer usuals !

xo
WL

yuletidez

Wathing this movie is always the best part of Christmas..Why isn't this on teevee anymore??? Few things make me happier than Emmet Otter.



Happy happy HAPPY Christmas, sweetie dahling loverpantses.

I hope that like me you all get your dream presents and spiked nog and candy necklaces and your Dad in a pink Snuggie.

Tell me what you got for Christmas!

love love love,
WL

cuss yeahhhh

The Christmas windows at Bergdorf Goodman are the sets and characters from The Fantastic Mr. Fox !!! (which I have seen twice and fills my empty black heart with pure shiny JOY for 90 minutes)

I hate that everything is all draped with watches and ties and shiz, but I guess you gotta push the product. It is pretty amazing to see these all IRLlike, I think I almost got in the Christmas spirit!

more on my tumblr, plus fave song from the soundtrack (nerd)

future dirty librarian

I actually found glasses I like! On MY OWN FACE..this never NEVER happens.

 

All thanks to Jordan & Erik at Silver Lining Opticians. Kinda can't wait to get them back! I haven't worn glasses on the regs since 7th grade. But my eye doctor says I'm suffocating my eyeballs fro VANITY and SO...time to try something new (just more often, not ALL the time).

Bigger better post on Silver Lining & dope shades to come next week. Hopefully I will get these glasses with my actual nerd scrip in 'em back soon. Let's see how stoked I am then (coke bottle alert).

don't let me rock out alone

TONIGHT!
An event for ladies/ladyboys/boys who like ladies/boys who like boys who like to hang out with ladies.

RSVP now! rsvp@rogannyc.com

Wine & clothes & girls & jewwries, win/win/win/win.
I will be providing the AUDIO ECSTACY...I better see you there!

xo
WL

secret weaponz

The latest installment of Spiridakis/Richter Crafternoon(night) was maaayyyybeeee our best?
There was the Lady Gaga bow day, and the crazy knots day..now we have moved onto the very refined world of PAPER CLIPS AND ELECTRICAL TAPE, inspired by the mystical and awesome Manu jangles that we love but sadly cannot afford.

We started with a table full of glitter n tape n shiny thangs and cookies (all important craft supplies, obvs).

And then...we got down to bidness? The whole thang is wayyyyy easy and fun to do, fer serious.
One word of ADVICE: if you get too ambitious on yer tangram triangle pattern, it starts to feel a lot like math class and it sorta hurts yer head. But if you freeflow it, it pretty much turns out doppppeee.

First attempt! I call it The Ripper, cuz the triangles remind me of YACHT.

Paperclips + electrical tape = approx $2.00 (not even)

Here's Keren modeling it for me.

Next: The Bjorn Borg cuz the neon is like a tennis ball (what?)

Paperclips + electrical tape + the paper label from the electrical tape covered with neon nylon string from the hardware store = I mean, I don't know, $2.50? If that?

Mr Christopher Palazzo; bringer of cookies, weirdness, polar bear hats and exotic animal skins:

 

 

 I mean..cmon, so good right?

Protoype for Bootsy Collins-esque weirdo glasses, inspired by Slanties:

Paper labels from electrical tape + electrical tape + nylon string + silver glitter = ??? Fiddy cent? I mean, it's mainly trash cept fer the glittah.

James Ryang: the fantastic photographer of the all the photos in this post and moonlightning sunglasses model:

AWESOME!

YAY for photogenic friends!

How could a Tuesday night be any better?

Keren and I decided we will be doing this weekly, inviting a rotating third party to join in the crafterness.

I hope everyone likes these because this will likely be your Christmas present this year, oopsy.

Stay tuned for next Tuesday when we attempt fashion Snuggies (JK? For us to know, and you to find out)

i consider this the new year

I did some day of birth morning shoppin at Bloomingdale's with my moms (so old school)...I can't remember the last time my mom took me shopping, but it was kinda fun. I realized my selections made a dope outfit and so I changed before my Birthday Lady Tea. Decadence in my new year?

Pretty flowers from Molinga, friendship bracelet from Kat, antique scarab bracelet from Keren, flames-cuff-from-her-"SF in 1994"-vice party Halloween costume (not pictured, um, OOPS) from Veevs.

PERFECT black highwaisted skirt // Marc by Marc
Brown suede high heel oxfords (with suede fat laces, LOVE them) // Via Spiga (??? I know, what? they are so dope though! I pretend they're Timberlands)
Baggy Cheetarama Tee // H&M

I HIGHLY recommend afternoon tea at Bergdorf's, BY THE BY. It is so choice.
It is not sooo expensive and the dopeass interior is White Lightninglove KELLY WEARSTLER designed (she of the ba-nonkers hats and outfits) and you overlook the park and IT IS FANCY FUN to eat tiny sammies and clotted cream.

I LOVE TEA SAMMIES ! And I love my friends and I love boygossip and I really love Champagne before it gets dark.

I realized something at this table: All my best girlfriends are loud funny pottymouthed epic storytellers. And with the exception of Kat's enviable ginger locks, they are all saucy brunettes (gals who were not able to attend bc of work/or live in other countries INCLUDED). JUST. SAYING.

 

The last perfect moment came by way Keren "Pickaxe" Richter who hailed a PEDICAB to get us to the next destination. PS, I have NEVER in my life been on such a contraption and I declare it one step above riding on the handlebars of a bike. (also...really really fun).

QUITE the day..thank you ladies !

a pretty good day

wow wow wow !




white lightning made it into the Telegraph's top 20 fashion blogs!

congrats to the others on the list-
tavi, susiebubble, yvan facehunter, the moment and other blogs i totally love. SO exciting!

brokeness is the mother of invention

i am a total shaolin craftmaster, behold my MONKEY'S FIST !



i totally made that thing! crafternoon at keren's house.

100 ft of rope from the hardware store on bedford ave ($11.00) + keychain ($2.50) + youtube videos of knots = DOPE!



it's not perfect but its pretty cool.



looks like i bought it somewhere, no? (tell me sweet little lies!)

i also invented this thing:



the hangman's telephone cord noose jangle? i don't know.



i have like a million more feet of rope, gonna try and make more jangles! it's kinda fun.

ps i am totally incapable of taking photos without making a face today, sowwy

spreadin the love

dearest loves
please allow myself to introduce..myself?


whitelightning.thepop.com

white lightning has a twin sister, brahs!
she is less chatty and more into music n' pictures...
no worries, this blog will forever remain THE WHITE LIGHTZ, your place to go for fashion ridonklity, pictures of my shoes, love for gossip girl etc etc ETC...

the other one is gonna be more like a tumblr...inspiration, music, pictures, videos, random flights of fancy.

dig?
i already have some posts up, go check it out!