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Happy Monday, everyone! Every week were ask some of our friends and family to send us a picture and tell us a little bit about it. Here are this weeks pics:

Elliot – Coachella at 105 degrees.

Jo – New York, New York

We went to see Manon for my dad’s 60th birthday. It was so beautiful it made me cry. My dad is so in love with opera and wanted to look at the wall of opera singers for the entire intermission.  I wanted to look at Lincoln Center from the inside out.

Jessica – New York, New York

I took Farrell to a filming of “The Revolution” as a last hurrah and it was so cool. Our episode airs on May 16th. Check it out!

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Walt Disney

For the past year or two, I have felt really antsy in my life. I have had a hard time setting roots and committing myself here in New York.  About two years ago, I was laid off from my job, and as I was telling a friend the other day, after that I think I just stopped trying to “make it” in NYC. It was not until I returned from India that my need to leave became more than uncomfortable. The meditation that I do focuses on removing samskaras from your heart and when I came home, I could not ignore what my heart was telling me anymore. It was time to go.

So, my boyfriend and I decided to move all our stuff and spend some time in Cleveland, Ohio and then we are off to travel.  We both have one way tickets to New Zealand in June and we plan on taking it from there.

The map in our apartment charting our dream trip around the world.

I was just thinking back to this post I wrote about traveling around the world. It kind of gives me chills because I am actually going to do that.  Though we’re leaving NYC on Tuesday, we aren’t starting our trip for another month. We are in the process of getting rid of most of our things and scaling down the amount we take with us.

Moving tip: Get boxes at the liquor store. They are strong and sturdy. Great for packing books.

This box was gone before I made it back up the stairs. For real.

I never anticipated feeling so many emotions leaving New York City, but in my heart I know it is the right thing to do. I am excited, scared, anxious, proud, happy – the list goes on and on. This is definitely not goodbye New York, but more like, check ya later. 

Though I have never been, I LOVE Coachella.  Nothing is more appealing to me than seeing what everyone wears to that music festival.  For some reason the concert/bohemian/summer fashion inspires me. I like to see the way certain celebrities choose to present themselves as a “concert-goer.”  I also love to see what trends are happening at the festival. This year seems to be filled with dip-dyed hair, thick cat eye sunnies and as always, short shorts!

Here are some of my favorite looks* so far from this year’s Coachella:

My favorite spot to check out Coachella pictures is on the Cobrasnake.   Cobrasnake’s party photos capture events as an insider, rather than showing a journalistic approach.

*All images via Cobrasnake.com

Every week we ask some of our friends and family to send us a picture that they took and tell us about it. However, this week, our friend Lis sent a handful of pictures and we loved all of them.  So, we decided to show them all to you.  Heck yeah!

Lis: This is part of a series of self portraits I took in the bathroom during the last month at my last job.


I saw this drawing on a wall in Brussels and immediately wanted to move to Mexico and start a new life.


I was lucky enough to visit Versailles during the set-up of a Takashi Murakami exhibit.


Delicious creations at an early morning farmers market in Paris.


In Costa Rica playing with colorful clay rocks I found in the river.

Today we are so excited to tell you about the eagerly anticipated video release for Monster Rally’s new single “Jaguar”, which involves two of my favorite people (I also make a cameo)!  Albert Cook , who directed the video, is not only my wonderful and talented boyfriend, he is also a filmmaker and screenwriter. Monster Rally, as you may know, is our awesome and creative brother, Teddy.   “Jaguar” is the first single off Monster Rally’s second full-length album, Beyond the Sea.

The video was shot in St. Maarten while Albert and I were there on vacation in October. It was such a fun process to be a part of and I have so enjoyed talking with Albert about the concept for the video, and watching it come to life. I could not be more proud of both of these artists and love having them in my life. So without further ado, here is Monster Rally’s “Jaguar”.

*
Beyond the Sea is the second full length album from Monster Rally. The records sampled to create this album were dug from cities across the country and have been thrown through the lens of Monster Rally’s lo-fi production. The resulting album builds upon the skeleton of 2011’s Coral, adding muscle and structure in interesting places, to create a 42 minute song-cycle and continue Monster Rally’s exploration of sonic collage.

The vinyl edition comes pressed on lava red vinyl in a single gatefold jacket, all artwork is created by Ted Feighan (Monster Rally). A limited edition signed art booklet will be included in the first 100 pre-orders.”  via Gold Robot Records.

If you like what you just hear, make a visit to Monster Rally’s website to listen to the rest of his work.

This past weekend my boyfriend and I went to our friend’s wedding in Houston, Texas (a whole post in itself).  But while we were in Texas, we made sure to schedule some time to visit Austin as well.  Neither of us had ever been to Austin, though we’ve both been wanting to for awhile.  We had such a fun time and fell in love with the city.  It is such a comfortable and beautiful place. The people are friendly and the food is delicious.

I thought this item on the menu was hilarious and had to take a picture.  Only in Texas would they offer a burrito the size of your face.  As it turns out, no matter what you order in Texas, you can never clean your plate.

If you have seen any pictures of Austin before, I’m sure you have seen a picture of Barton Springs – a pool made from natural springs that you can swim in. There are springs and pools all over this town! The weather was a bit overcast the day we were at the springs, but I can only imagine how busy it gets on a hot day.

We stayed at the Austin Motel.  Not only is it located in the coolest part of town, South Congress, but it is a family owned motel with lots of charm.  And it has been around for almost 100 years.  Our room was quirky and quaint. We loved the location and would have been happy to spend our whole time in Austin simply in and around our hotel.

While shopping, I went into Allen Boots as I had heard a lot about this store. It is completely overwhelming how many different kinds of cowboy boots, hats and gear they have in that store.

Me next to the infamous I Love You So Much sign at Jo’s Coffee! The coffee was delicious!

Outside of our hotel room. If you look closely, you can see the stone man behind the driver’s seat.

On our second day in Austin we walked along the waterfront. It was a beautiful day filled with activities. There were people playing catch with their dogs, kayaking, rowing, paddle boarding, running, riding bikes, etc. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the city and how healthy the people seemed.

Last, but certainly not least, we joined our wonderful friends (the bride and groom!) for one of the best meals of our lives. We dined at the amazing UchikoThe food was divine and the meal was completely lovely. If you ever have a chance, please make sure you check it out. 

As I have mentioned before, I love organization and while I was looking for some ideas for my accessories, I came across so many fun DIY tips and projects. I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.

I am pretty obsessed with sunglasses and have way too many of them. It is such a great idea to hang them on a string so you can see your options.

At the house I grew up in, we have so many board games with missing pieces. These coasters are a great use for old Scrabble pieces.

I have some empty tea cans that I don’t want to throw away and now I know what to do with them!

Having a hanging garden for your apartment is a great alternative if you don’t have a fire escape or backyard.

I have so many bracelets and have never had a good method of organization for them. I am going to try this for sure.

Well hello, Sister Disco readers! Kirsten from Triple Max Tons here, and I am pretty excited to be today’s homie. When Farrell got in touch and suggested I share some of my spring fashion faves, I jumped at the chance. I hate to break it to you East Coasters, but we’ve been enjoying the sunny weather (with some pretty epic rain showers every now and then) in Austin for a while. Our boots and jackets long put away, the streets- and stores – are flooded with bright colors and bold patterns, and I am beyond smitten with everything I’ve seen cropping up this season.  Add some girly lace and buttery leather into the mix, and you’ll likely see me doing a happy dance as I’m walking down South Congress in my color blocked frock.  So, without further ado, here are some of the items that made my spring wish list!

(Click on the image to enlarge)

1 // Mara Hoffman Tiki Underwire Cami Bikini 2 // Need Supply Co. Lizzy Dress 3 // D&G Sunglasses Aviator 4 // AG Neon Stevie Ankle  & Citizens Of Humanity Floral Thompson 5 // Bow Down Tank 6 // Levi’s Memento Scarf 7 // Madewell Colorblock Turnstile Tote 8 // Caudalie Beauty Elixir 9 // Tucker Smocked Collar Mini Dress 10 // Bubble Umbrella 11 // Boutique 9 Piraya Sandals  & Madewell Sunnyday Sandal 12 // Laced Tie Top 13 // Striped Sun Hat 14 // Studded Bracelet Set

I had a very special birthday on Saturday and wanted to share a couple pictures of my day. I hope you enjoy them.

I bought this nail art at Sephora a long time ago. They didn’t stay on for the whole day, but it was fun while it lasted!

Birthday pants 🙂

In the morning, I went to my favorite coffeeshop and got a free americano and raspberry rose macaroon sandwich. It was delicious. If you are ever in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, please go here.

I was shocked when my wonderful boyfriend handed me a stack of newspapers as my present. My surprise turned to extreme excitement when I found Broadway tickets to see “The Newsies” inside.

My friend Lis suggested that I try these amazing doughnuts at Donewell Doughnuts. She was right, they were the best doughnuts I have ever had. The store was absolutely charming. I can’t wait to go again. It was a great birthday treat.

I had lobster tacos, ceviche and margaritas at a birthday dinner with friends and family. It was a blast.

It was an F themed kind of day 😉

Later that night, I had the best birthday party with some of my favorite people in the world in attendance.

This birthday was one of the best I have ever had. I have to tell you that the post that Lauren did for me was among the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received, because it included everyone I love. Throughout the whole day, people would ask me to guess the word they had chosen to describe me, or were otherwise so excited to tell me their word. I feel so flattered, and really lucky, to have a life filled with so much love and support. Thank you so much everyone!  27 is going to be a great year!

It wasn’t until I was lucky enough to spend a semester in China that I was turned on to bluegrass music.  Now of course I understand that Shanghai is no Appalachia, but it is true, China brought me bluegrass.

One of my good friends there was obsessed with all things banjo. I, on the other hand, thought I was the coolest kid in the world and would not entertain anything of the sort.  But then, one night we went to one of the best shows that I have ever seen – Bela Fleck with The Sparrow Quartet.  The singer, Abigail Washburn, mixed banjo with Chinese Folk in the most fluid way possible.

Ever since that night, there are days when I listen to Abigail Washburn’s music all day on repeat and am reminded of the unexpectedly life changing nights of the Shanghai skyline.

Here are some of my favorite Abigail Washburn songs:

Check out Abigail singing in Mandarin during her NPR Tiny Desk Concert:

High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music