Archive

Author Archives: Lauren

Gifts of Love

By
June 12, 2012
Inspired & Inspiring
Leave a comment

As you know, wedding invitations come flooding in with the warmer months.  After Farrell returned from her friend’s beautiful homemade wedding in Houston, she and I were talking about wedding gift ideas.  I thought I’d take a little poll of some of my married friends to find out about gifts they received that were particularly meaningful, thoughtful, useful, appreciated, memorable and unique.

Overwhelmingly, these brides truly appreciated every gift they received and think of the gift giver whenever they see or use the item.  The strong consensus was to stick to the registry unless you know the couple very well.  Monetary gifts were always quite welcomed and were often more or less prevalent based on the city in which the wedding takes place.  I know from personal experience, in Cleveland more people bring physical gifts to the wedding venue than in NYC, where envelopes are often more common.  The couple’s life stage is also an important consideration.  Obviously, a couple that is a little older and has been living together for some time is likely to have a more complete array of household items than a younger couple just starting out.

Specifically, some of the non-registry gifts mentioned were:

  • Experiential Gifts – these included a night at a bed and breakfast, symphony tickets and helicopter ride during the couple’s honeymoon.
  • Consumable Gifts – such as a membership to a wine/cheese of the month club, a gift certificate to a nice restaurant and a starter collection of spices.
  • Personalized, Monogrammed and Engraved Gifts – etsy.com is great for this and there are more options than I can begin to name.  Many of my friends mentioned heartfelt sayings they received, either engraved on a platter or nicely framed.  One received a beautifully framed heart shape map cutout of where the couple was married.  Another mentioned a wall hanging that has a photograph for each letter of their last name.  The options are really endless in this category.
  • Gifts to for Starting a Life Together – this one is my personal favorite; one couple received a set of unique Christmas ornaments to decorate their first Christmas tree.
  • Vessels, vessels, vessels – many people mentioned lovely serving trays, crystal platters, sterling silver dishes, bowls and trays made by local artists and the like that are either used frequently or saved for very special occasions.
  • Sentimental Gifts – a few different folks received extra-special bowls and dishes from their families country of origin.  Another’s most personal and sentimental gift was a song her husband wrote and performed for her at the wedding.

via I Thee Wed

That you to all the beautiful brides in my life for your feedback!  xo

Picturesque

By
June 11, 2012
Pictures
Leave a comment

Every week we asks some friends to send us a picture they took and tells us a little bit about it. Thanks for the contributions this week friends!

Amy – Sydney, Australia
Expensive Australia!

*
Paul – Los Angeles, CA
This is a photo from my trip to LA.  It is of my other friend named Lulu [a lot of Lauren’s friend’s call her Lulu] and a stray bunny.

*
Ddeani – Cleveland, Ohio
The Great Grain Moth Bandit!

*
Lauren – New York, NY
I got the opportunity to go to the Apollo Theater’s Spring Gala last week, honoring Lionel Richie! I snapped a few pics during the event which included performances by Gladys Knight honoring Ella James (pictured below), Chaka Khan honoring Whitney Houston, Donnie McClurkin and the Tuskegee Choir (phenomenal!) and, of course, Lionel Richie. It was a great evening!

*Farrell and I are headed off on what’s bound to be an amazing trip to Peru with our family. It’s a trip our mother has wanted to take for years and we’re all excited for the adventures ahead. We have tons of great posts lined up while we are away, so keep coming by and we’ll look forward to sharing pictures and stories from the trip when we’re back!

Dreaming Big!

By
June 5, 2012
Holistic Living
Leave a comment

Our homie, Erin of Well in L.A., invited us to participate in her Dream Big series and we are featured today on Erin’s blog!  So, hop on over to check out Farrell’s and my thoughts on our approach to work, wellness and what we’re all about!

*
*Also, give Erin’s “Manifesting Magic” playlist another listen and start manifesting those big dreams into reality!

Montreal

By
May 31, 2012
Travel
1 Comment

I took a quick trip to Montreal to meet up with friends over Memorial Day Weekend.  It was the first time I’d been there and we had a blast.  It was a very laid back trip and we spent our time mostly walking around, eating and drinking.  We rented a very cute apartment in the Plateau district via airbnb.com and began each morning with bagels and coffee on the patio. We spent our first afternoon walking through Old Montreal and were treated to a little French Canadian “Zou Bisou Bisou” to get the weekend rolling.


Inside Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell

Inside Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell

These Bixi bike rentals are stationed all over Montreal.  Though we didn’t get a chance to ride them our first day, we were definitely not leaving town until we made that happen.

To our taxi driver’s relief, we hopped a cab back to our apartment just before 8 p.m.  For the past week or so, there are have been nightly protests in Montreal opposing an increase in college tuition.


The evening protests take the form of peaceful banging on pots and pans.  I captured this scene on the street.  People also gather and parade through the streets.

*
Following the “pandemonium” we ended the day with a fabulous dinner which included a cheese board, olives, french fries and rotisserie chicken and vegetables at the nearby and lively restaurant, Buvette Chez Simone.

via buvettechezsimone.com

The next morning we started our day with a fun and delicious brunch at Lawrence Restaurant.

Following brunch, we headed out for a walk through the Quarter Latin/St. Denis Street.  Once there, we started noticing all of these older individuals, suspended in chairs above the ground.  It turned out to be a performance art piece, “x-fois gens chaise” by Angie Hiesl.  At first it was puzzling, then mesmerizing, then nerve-wracking as ladders were set up, one by one, for the chair-sitters to climb back down to the ground.


“One is knitting, another folds laundry and a third is eating. All of them appear to be floating above everyday concerns, their strange position adding an enchanting note to the cityscape. Old age becomes urban poetry, insisting that we stop and take a look. Affixed to the façades of buildings on St. Denis Street, they are an evocative display of passing time, blurring distinctions so that life becomes art. Some might walk by without noticing them, but others will raise their heads and stop to gaze at this surprising image of mature angels adding a touch of grace to the urban space.”  via Goethe Institut

We continued with a walk down Sainte Catherine Street and afternoon drinks in The Village, Montreal’s gay neighborhood.

photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell

photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell

photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell

For our last evening in Montreal, we enjoyed a decadent and leisurely, four-course meal at le Quartier general with apportez votre vin or bring your own wine.


And as I said, we weren’t leaving until we all took a spin on the Bixi’s.   This was definitely an instance of saving the best for last.  It was perfect weather for a wonderful night ride back to the apartment.  We all wished we had one more day to ride all over the city.  It was a great trip with old friends and a lovely way to kick-off the summer!

Me on a Bixi photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell. Meaghan on a Bixi photo credit me.  Sorry for the poor quality, Meg!

Mike’s on bikes photo credit Meaghan Calcari Campbell

*Special thanks to Meaghan for sharing her fabulous photos with us!

Inside Out

By
May 29, 2012
Holistic Living
3 Comments

Hey everyone.  I just got back from a quick trip to Montreal, which I’m looking forward to telling you about later this week.  For the time being, suffice it to say, we ate and drank very well – and often.  I have a pretty quiet week ahead and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to revisit a simple, self-designed cleanse I have done a couple of times.  It’s pretty much just a 3 day raw food situation for the purpose of giving your body a chance to slow down, eliminate toxins and allow for a subtle reboot to the system. It is generally advised that one do this type of cleanse during a time that you can otherwise take things easy.

image via Pinterest

The Plan

Immediately upon waking-up:

Cup of Warm Water


*

Breakfast:

Green Smoothie
Ingredients: Spinach, Kale or Chard + Banana + Frozen Mango or other fruit(s) of choice + Water + Oatmeal (optional)

*

Mid-Morning Snacks (as needed/desired):


Coconut water

Fresh fruit

*

Lunch:

Leafy Green and Vegetable Salad with Nuts and/or Grains

*

Afternoon Snacks (as needed/desired):

Raw Veggies and/or Fruit

Nuts

*

Dinner:

Fresh veggie juice

*

Before bed:

Warm water

Things I’m going to avoid:

Caffeine (Eeks! Wish me luck!), Sugars, Alcohol, Dairy, Meat, Processed Foods

In my opinion, the goal of these things should not be a quick fix to loose weight or “get healthy.”  I don’t think it’s necessary to feel hungry while on a cleanse, but rather to be really mindful about what you’re feeding yourself and how you are feeling.  In the past, I found the reintroduction of various foods/drinks after the 3 days to be among the most beneficial and informative aspects of cleansing, as it gives you an opportunity to become aware of the various effects produced by specific items.  

One Word, Two Ways: Shape

By
May 26, 2012
One Word, Two Ways
1 Comment

Hooded eyes kind of run in my family. Once I embraced them and learned how to apply make-up accordingly, I was much better off. Check out the image below for info on your eye shape.

Image found here.

I’m in the market for a suncatcher.  I love the colorful yet transparent addition they bring into a space. I thought I’d bring you along for a browse through some of the many shapes out there.  What do you think?

All images via Etsy.com

From top to bottom:
1 /  2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

The Story of Three Wrongs

By
May 23, 2012
Inspired & Inspiring
Leave a comment

I.  John Baldessari Wrong 1966-1968

“Baldessari created this work after looking at an art instruction book about how to properly compose images. He said:

‘The person that did the book had sketches of the scene, of let’s say a landscape-but there would be two. And one would be right, according to him, and one would be wrong. And I loved the idea that somebody would just say that this is right and this is wrong. So I decided I would have a painting that was wrong, a work of art that was wrong-which seemed right to me.’”
(via LACMA)

*By the way, check out “A Brief History of John Baldessari” narrated by Tom Waits – in under 6 mins.

*

II.  On Being Wrong


 “The miracle of your mind isn’t that you can see the world as it is,

it’s that you can see the world as it isn’t.

–Kathryn Schulz via Ted.com

*

Kathryn Schulz: I’m interested in this idea that having your perspective challenged produces anxiety. That comports with something another therapist said to me, which is that our capacity to tolerate being wrong hinges on our capacity to tolerate emotion.

Harville Hendrix: I think that’s right. To entertain the possibility that you’re wrong is to feel anxiety about your inner organization, as well as shame, embarrassment, and even guilt about the erroneous perspective. And shame and guilt are almost intolerable emotions. So in order not to experience that anxiety and shame and guilt, you become rigid in your perceptions.

(via Slate.com)

*

III.  PREPARE TO BE WRONG

Bram Vanhaeren

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

-Sir Ken Robinson

One Word, Two Ways: Look

By
May 19, 2012
One Word, Two Ways
1 Comment

I have a total style crush on fashion exec Taylor Tomasi Hill (seen before around these parts here).  It isn’t that I even love all of the things she wears that much – though some of it is awesome.  Mainly, I like her look.  I like its simultaneous consistency and variation. And I like that it remains interesting even when she doesn’t incorporate much color.

(All photos via Pinterest)

Get the look: Mad Men Yourself.

Your Deal

By
May 18, 2012
Personal & Interior Style
Leave a comment

There was a time in my life, let’s call it the late nineties, when I always had a deck of cards in my purse.  They got a particular amount of play (wha!) on summer evenings, hanging out with friends. Euchre was the game and we all knew how to play.

I like the idea of hosting an old-fashioned card party a la Etheline Tenenbaum or Betty Draper.  My ideal scenario would be to string some lights in my fantasy backyard patio (add outdoor space to my manifestation list!), pull out the card table, mix up a pitcher of Pimm’s Cup and play a few rounds with music wafting through the windows.  Doesn’t that just sound lovely!  Who’s in?

*

Image Sources:
String lights / Record Player / 56th Studio Chairs / Soane Card Table / Potted Palm Tree / Pimm’s Cup / M & S Vintage Tumblers / Card Club Cocktail Napkins

Royal Tenenbaum Card / Hermes Playing Cards c. 1948 / Mayan Jokers / Ace of Diamonds / Mayan Playing Cards / House of Snowball Playing Card

Homie of the Day: Monica

By
May 16, 2012
Homies
Leave a comment

I think it’s fair to say that I spend more time with Monica than I do with anyone else in my life. She is my friend and colleague and we spend our days sitting approximately four feet from each other. There is no topic too big or too small to be tackled in such a proximity. We know each other’s humor and trigger points. We can read each other’s silences and have thoughtful discussions regarding our lunch opinions on a daily basis. Today, I am excited to say, we are bringing the conversation your way with a guest post by Monica herself. Thanks, Monica! Enjoy!

*


Recently I came across this quote and at first glance I thought, really?  (Add sigh and eye roll here). Honestly, it annoyed me.  I thought, that’s nice, moving on.  But something brought me back to it and I began to dig a little deeper.  I stared at the quote and realized I was annoyed because the truth was staring me in the face, and sometimes I can’t handle the truth. (Who in the hell let Jack Nicholson out?).  It was then I understood that the quote is meant to inspire.   Remove some (all is expecting too much) obstacles and appreciate life right here, right now.

Happiness is a state of mind!  It is not a distant destination never to be reached.  Whoever created this idea, and got me to buy into it, makes happiness seem like a remote and isolated place. Sometimes my expectation(s) of happiness is far greater than reality and I am missing out.

The one thing I am sure of is happiness is meant to be to be shared – expressed deeply and fully.  Maybe not everyday all day but most of the time.  It keeps us healthy and begins with self.  There is nothing to wait on or for.

So, I am happy today because I choose to be and I know that ChillBerry (think Pink Berry but with an uptown attitude) will be open when I get out of class tonight.  See, there is happiness in the present and future.