GREENish FRIEND inspired by A WAKE-UP STORY

    For at least the last 3-4 years of my life, I have worked actively and steadily at making changes to provide a healthier, more enriching, safer, and greener future for my potential children. I've never been the girl to plan her wedding or contemplate engagement rings (actually, diamonds make my cry because I imagine little amputee children and it shakes me to the core)--but I have seriously thought about what type of mother I want to be, the life I want my kids to have, and the practical nature of how making small changes at a steady rate can exponentially help many around us. So, today I got lured into watching this video...suffice to say it made me cry but also inspired the impetus already brewing inside of me.

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

So as a friend (who luckily has quite a few wonderful friends who share info with me regularly)...here are just a few things I do to make a healthier present and future....and by no means have I reached my goal, but it's fun finding ways to get there!

 All-natural (as in NO chemicals) body products and when possible make them myself.

                

My darling Cyndy gave me the book Natural Beauty at Home which has been immensely helpful. One thing I always do is I make my own shampoo (a little mixture lasts me MONTHS and I don't NEED conditioner).

Companies I like: Tom's, Nature's Gate, Uncle Harry's, Dr. Bronner's

Green cleaning products

There are so many easy to make products, but luckily in the world we live in now, there are so many eco-friendly products to purchase as well. Ultimately I would like to be at the point in which I create more than I consume, but if you're in a pinch, choose the eco-friendly option!!

Products to keep on hand: Baking Soda, Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemmon Juice, Essential Oils (pure!!)

Community Supported Agriculture

I am lucky enough to have a few green market options nearby, but even better is the vegetable share I just joined through SI CSA, a friend asked myself and another mutual friend to go in 1/4 each and what a joy!! So far our weekly share costs the equivalent of $10.28 a week for more veg than we can eat (at just 1/4 each!) and we are getting ORGANIC, LOCALLY grown food!! I am excited because the harvest is expanding and we are getting so many great things now that the season is booming! 

SO friends, I would love if you shared some of the things you do to help spread a greener, healthier lifestyle. I will add more from time to time! xoxo

TO PROGRESSIVE THINKERS: NIKOLA TESLA edition

Nikola Tesla

Too often I have listened to gripes, fears, accusations and what-have-yous about the push towards clean and renewable energy. I don't understand how being sustainable, earth friendly, and financially savvy could be perceived in such a negative view--but regardless, these ideas and proven possibilities of clean and UNLIMITED energy are not new fashion, nor did the Obama administration concoct this notion purely to anger conservatives and corporations (ahem, BP). I have avoided allowing this blog to be a political launchpad, I have very little agenda other than inspiring...so I'll let the person of interest speak:

“...Furthermore, an inducement must be offered to those who are engaged in the industrial exploitation of natural sources of power, as waterfalls, by guaranteeing greater returns on the capital invested than they can secure by local development of the property...”

"Electric power is everywhere present in unlimited quantities and can drive the world's machinery without the need of coal, oil, gas, or any other of the common fuels."

“Out of this war, the greatest since the beginning of history, a new world must be born, a world that would justify the sacrifices offered by humanity. This new world must be a world in which there shall be no exploitation of the weak by the strong, of the good by the evil; where there will be no humiliation of the poor by the violence of the rich; where the products of intellect, science and art will serve society for the betterment and beautification of life, and not the individuals for achieving wealth. This new world shall not be a world of the downtrodden and humiliated, but of free men and free nations, equal in dignity and respect for man.”

“When the great truth accidentally revealed and experimentally confirmed is fully recognized, that this planet, with all its appalling immensity, is to electric currents virtually no more than a small metal ball and that by this fact many possibilities, each baffling imagination and of incalculable consequence, are rendered absolutely sure of accomplishment; when the first plant is inaugurated and it is shown that a telegraphic message, almost as secret and non-interfereable as a thought, can be transmitted to any terrestrial distance, the sound of the human voice, with all its intonations and inflections, faithfully and instantly reproduced at any other point of the globe, the energy of a waterfall made available for supplying light, heat or motive power, anywhere — on sea, or land, or high in the air — humanity will be like an ant heap stirred up with a stick: See the excitement coming!

”“Though free to think and act, we are held together, like the stars in the firmament, with ties inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them.”

FOR THE LOVE OF LIVE MUSIC...a continuous love story...

Been in a waking life as of late and unwinding--preparing for summer...yet looking forward to a beautiful September that awaits....year 29 is going to start off smashingly....

On September 17th (the day before my birthday) I am going to see Vampire Weekend with my sweetie roomie-- this is an early celebration of year 29 and a gift for his recent Master's Graduation!

And, the astonishment hasn't event kicked in, but on September 30th I am going to see BELLE & SEBASTIAN!! In my world, this is quite a big deal!!

Suffice to say, there are exciting and inspiring waves to come!

xoxo

All is full of love...

If I were to start sharing everything I would burst...but while walking on tight ropes with the wind blowing heavily, there is so much beauty! Here's to hope.

"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip." -Daniel L. Reardon

well.balanced.

photo by Danielle Thompson

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lately, despite life's general chaos, I feel quite balanced.

Success to all. 

xoxo

TIME FOR A STORY: THIS AMERICAN LIFE

    Thank you for feeding my mind and soul. Thank you for your beautiful vignettes and cinematography. Thank you for valuing the story of humanity and making me remember that I started my journey to do the same. Thank you for inspiring me, making me weep, making me smile, making me think, making me remember. Thank you for reminding me that messages always come when we need them most...messages that are/were always there, but pop up at those delicate moments that will impact you the most.

    Over the last two days I have watched all of Season 2 of the show (thank you Netflix and Spring Break!) What started as finding some background brain food to accompany my crocheting on a rainy, sinus-headache kind of evening became the obsession of the moment and that final epiphany that had been brewing for so so long. Personal epiphanies are always so hard to explain and end up becoming far too wordy for something that is just 'experienced'. So I will spare the twisted road that led me here to tell a short prelude to a yet unfinished story.

    My entire life I only thought of becoming an 'artist'. In ways I was bred to do that. There weren't many other options though my parents would tell me I was capable of doing anything I wanted. Part of me never believed them. In the meantime I was made to sit home and draw, draw, draw. So, in the midst of teenage confusion I did the only thing I knew, I applied only to art schools. My dream school was Pratt, and I got accepted immediately. I will never forget the phone call to my dad and then sharp reality, how was I going to pay for it? So I went for my FIT interview/portfolio test thinking at a SUNY I could at least get financial aid. I got accepted immediately and began the enrollment process. And then I went home and didn't tell anyone that I wasn't really happy about the reality of being a 'fashion illustrator' just because a school wanted me. So I avoided picking classes. I let them call me and ignored them. My best friend starting grinding me about making a decision. I broke down and secretly went with her to enroll at the College of Staten Island. I had an epiphany. I wanted to be a writer. My 'private' art in a world saturated by art.

    After I finished the enrollment process I went home with said best friend to tell my mother the news. I knew the result would be ugly--and much of the reason I wanted to write in the first place. Little did I know my mother was aware that I had been evading the prestigious FIT. Thus my big news became more reactionary than I had intended. I'll never forget her charging towards me screaming and asking why I hadn't scheduled my classes. I retorted, I did, just not at FIT. I finally sputtered out that I enrolled at CSI and that I wanted to write. I distinctly remember flinching, awaiting the barrage of screaming and hitting I had come to expect. But I actually ended up laughing at her reaction. She screamed, "Writer? Who reads books?" and then continued with, "Now my daughter's name won't be on the ass of my pants!" The reality was I read. Voraciously. I secretly stole books and lived with stacks around my bed--makeshift tables to hold more books and journals. I never planned on designing clothes at all,  I was accepted as an illustrator...but her reactions were all typical of many parents, she was projecting her dreams for me onto me, despite their truth.

The irony? My dream was a projection of her. I wanted to write to tell her story. I wanted to write because she doesn't read. I wanted to write because no one else did. And somewhere I lost that spark. I became as insecure about reaching out as I did with my art. I graduated college with Professors ready to hand me phone numbers for editors at the New Yorker and agents in LA. And like that moment with my mother years before, I turned my back and went in another direction. The truth, I wasn't ready to tell the story I needed to tell.

    You may be wondering what any of this has to do with a show. And I will tell you: Big or small, every story is significant. Every human being, every experience, every ounce of expression important. Every day we live stories, and our existence is part of a much larger story than we can imagine. Over time my blog has become more about art and craft, partially to escape from telling stories or being judged or losing readers. Whatever any of that really means. So, I encourage everyone to remember, everything we share is part of our story, and if anyone or no one reads this, it is still being put forth and that is what matters ultimately. I am listening. I am reading.

xoxo

I WANT A PAINT-BY-NUMBERS WALL!!

Who doesn't??!!

I wonder if my school would let me borrow one of the old projectors...hmmm

Check out Design Sponge for the how-to!

xoxo

SECRET OBSESSION: VINTAGE TIES

So, I believe everyone has some secrets...so here is one of mine: 

My modest vintage tie collection!

I started collecting ties about 15 years ago. Why do I call this a secret? Because sometimes when I let people know I am 'into' something, I end up getting tons and tons of that genre of item...thus my 'secret' obsessions or collections..my little quiet treasures.

Not that I would mind tons of vintage ties! But the lovely part for me if randomly finding ties that want to come home with me. I am actually rather particular! 

I look for enticing patterns, textures, color families. 

And I love them all so much.

INSPIRED BY: [HOME INTERIOR VIGNETTES]

I have been practicing this art through many apartments and find so much inspiration around the internet. There is something so special about making the ordinary beautiful. I love looking at little vignettes around my home and those of others, and seeing art!

On top of my desk in the office nook.

by It's Great to Be Home, whose flickr is infused with gorgeous examples of her styling!

Yet another series of inspiring interiors by imacookoo/squirrelpearl.

Rachel has to be one of my primary sources for decor eye-candy! This is one of my favorites because she coordinates even the smalles details for impact!

This one is by the uber-talented Leigh Ann!

I get goofy happy and inspired by the attention to details and art everywhere...perhaps to the point of being obsessive/idiosyncratic about 'arrangements' around my home...but I find peace in artful juxtaposition of items.

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." ~Twyla Tharp

INSPIRED BY: [VINTAGE BUTTONS]

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...for their design utility, for the nostalgia, for the cuteness, and because I love sifting my hand through them.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

-Vincent Van Gogh

INSPIRED BY: [THRIFTED TREASURES]

    Lately our local thrift shops have grown in number and quality and I love little more than going treasure hunting!! One of these days I will put together a user friendly local guide to my favorite 'treasure troves'...until then, here are some of my most inspiring finds of late:

Awesome retro-printed vintage upholstery fabric around .50 a yard!!

The above from BAY STREET THRIFT!

I better get on the sewing train with all of the fabric I find at UNIQUE.

The fabric on the left is from my friend Cristyn's nonna! Just scored the brown fabric at UNIQUE and can't wait to make a bag from it!

These are my favorite UNIQUE fabric finds! I think I paid about $5 and there are at least three yards of the denim!

And then this napkin set:

I am thinking these would be great for embroidering...any ideas??

The cashier and I shared a nice moment of understanding over this find! This will gladly join my 'She-Ra' thermos in exalted status!

The shoes on the left were $4 at UNIQUE and the other super-effing cool pair are from a Swap Party I went to last weekend!! SUCH A FUN and cool experience!

And then there are these special finds from my favorite little secret:

...GRANT CITY ANTIQUES...

I love love love treasure-hunting here! These two 1960's enamel brooches were only $1.50 each!!

Sigh. So many lovely things to gush about and new creations to dream about!

Anyone else finding anything special lately?

“In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.”

-John Steinbeck

SOMETIMES I INSPIRE MYSELF...

...is that wrong?

1. My very own Glockenspiel!!, 2. reflection of silver trees, 3. St. Paul's Ave. Garden Gnomes, 4. 2005 822, 5. Door of Glass shop on Van Duzer, 6. Alice Austen House: Isadora Duncan Dance Troupe, 7. <3..., 8. At the playground, 9. Something's Hiding In Here Booth!!

I like to take pictures.

To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them. 

-Elliott Erwitt 

COLOR LOVES: [TURQUOISE AND YELLOW]

COLOR LOVES: [TURQUOISE AND YELLOW]

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"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
– Winston Churchill

THERE'S ALWAYS ETSY

So, I am behind as usual, lots of life happening...no more excuses or explanations, just inspiration:

CB78: CHRISTINE BERRIE

THE EVER FABULOUS ASHLEY G

TUESDAY MOURNING

ALYIOSIUS [KATE BANAZI]

BIRD AND BEAR [JOETTA MAUE]

DESIGN IDOLATRY: ALEXANDER GIRARD

DESIGN IDOLATRY: ALEXANDER GIRARD

Visit House Industries for a beautiful homage to Girard and an array of amazing products and Girard fonts!

Of the many many artists/designers I adore, I cannot escape the unending inspiration I continue to get from Girard-- even posthumously!

But here is why I love him so much...

Alexander Girard, besides being a pioneer of Mid-Century Modern aesthetics,

...you were also an artist who lures me in with your mixture of folk and modern...

...who designed so many beautiful textiles juxtaposing geometry with the organic...

...and used typography as an artistic form...

...and you understood that art is a way of life:

                            “Art is only art when it is          

                                  synonymous with living.”  

                                        — Alexander Girard

For more on the impact of Girard, check out this great article!

And to seriously, Urban Outfitters has so many Girard products I want to weep!!

Like these:

And here is serious wishlist item:

My favorite one from Electra Bikes!

Hope you were inspired!

xoxo