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One Word, Two Ways: Homemade

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April 21, 2012
One Word, Two Ways
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Every week we pick a word and each do a post on that word. This week: Homemade.

I don’t know what it is but I’m falling hard for this latest neon trend.  I can’t seem to get enough, which is actually not true at all, as I think it only take a little pop to make the neon vibrance known.  I’ve been seeing a lot of homemade/DIY inspiration for ways to bring just the right amount into your life.  These are some of my favorites from around the www.

Neon Piper Throw Pillows / Neon Toe Shoes / DIY Neon Canvas Mousepad / Neon Dipped Kitchen Utensils

Hey ya’lI!  I went to my first Texas wedding last weekend and I loved it! My friend Sarah, the lovely bride featured below, added so many creative and thoughtful touches to her wedding day. Guess what?! They are ALL homemade.

Sarah made banners that said CAKE, MARRIED, GUESTS and FOREVER AND A DAY that hung throughout the venue. They added such a darling and personal touch.

The bride is also a baker by trade and made the cake for the wedding. This wonderful dessert was  apple spice layered with honey leche white cake. But here is the real kicker – at the rehearsal dinner the bride and groom asked everyone to decorate the cake. Here is the result:

Though she did not make the china by hand, Sarah spent months collecting antique plates and mason jars. If you look closely, you can see that she wrapped the mason jars in old lace that belonged to her grandmother.

Sarah wore her family friend’s wedding dress on her special day. Not only was the dress gorgeous and a perfect fit, but Sarah had an after dinner cocktail-ish dress made from the train of her wedding dress. Is that not the best idea ever? (Notice the cocktail boots)

By the end of this wonderful evening, every guest had a hand in the celebration.

I wanted to take this opportunity to say congratulations to Sarah and David. They are a true match and it was an honor to celebrate their love with them. Cheers!

Pocket Full of Fun

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April 18, 2012
Personal & Interior Style
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Readers, are you aware that next Thursday is Poem in Your Pocket Day in NYC?!  A wonderful tribute to the art of poetry no doubt, but let us not neglect the pocket itself in this fine celebration.

In its sartorial role, the pocket has the power to carry an air, while its utilitarian purpose frees our hands, generously holding our stuff.

And how much does it brighten our day to find a forgotten dollar or two in there?  Who of us (discount shoppers, you know who you are) hasn’t found ourself sorely disappointed to learn that no, a garment’s pockets are not simply sown shut; they are in fact simply an illusion.  A sad, disappointing illusion in which functionality has been traded for savings.

These little compartments hold space for our style and for our belongings.  For some next week, they may hold words that speak to the one who put them there.  All little reminders of who we are.

Click through images for source info.

Homie of the Day: Mary Blakemore

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April 17, 2012
Homies
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Today, we have a special treat for you, as we are so excited to share the amazing work of our friend, Mary Blakemore.  This girl is awesome and we love her multimedia creations.  In her own words, Mary explains, “The last four years I’ve been building a world using photography, video, collage, and painting.  It’s part autobiography, part dream world.  I’m interested in female relationships both as they are in reality and as I would like them to be.”  When you’re done here, make sure to head over to Mary’s site to see more of her current and completed work!

No. 151

No. 149

No. 148 Still from Blind Man's Bluff

No. 147 Diamondface 1

No. 146 Still from "Seltzer"

No. 145 Head to Toe

No. 143 Still from "Tennis player"

No. 141 Video_Still_2

No. 146 Seltzer water

No. 143 Tennis player

Picturesque

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April 16, 2012
Pictures
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Whatup everybody. Hope you all had a lovely weekend. We’ve asked some friends to send us a picture from their weekend, and included a couple of our own. Take a gander.

Lauren – Brooklyn, New York
These girls asked me to take a picture of them. They looked so rad, I asked if I could take one of my own.

Bridget – Washington DC
Cherry Blossom tree in our front yard.

Brian – New York, NY
Awesome faces at Satsko.

Albert – Houston, Texas
Pig roast at my friend’s wedding.

One Word, Two Ways: Self

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April 14, 2012
One Word, Two Ways
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“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”
Frida Kahlo

Egon Schiele

Andy Warhol

Pablo Picasso

Salvador Dali

Francis Bacon


kjhkj

dfa

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.  It will not lead you astray.”

-Rumi

Give It What You Got

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April 13, 2012
Holistic Living, Inspired & Inspiring
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Sell the Sizzle by Kasey McMahon

We’ve posted about spring cleaning a few times in the last couple of weeks (mostly, as it relates to de-cluttering and cleaning out closets).  But what about the same concept as it applies to one’s ideas?  When we hold onto things emotionally, they manifest as tention, tightness, aliments and disease in the body.  When we hold onto objects we no longer need, they clutter our spaces and weigh us down.  So when we hold onto ideas, it only makes sense that they would stagnate, instead of flourish.

We de-clutter to clear and make space.  We take baths and get massages to relax and rejuvenate.  And the natural circulation of our ideas best positions us to live freely, and with ease.  To grow, to evolve and to improve.  Or better said, in the word of En Vogue, “Free your mind and the rest will follow.”

Namo… Namo…

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April 10, 2012
Inspired & Inspiring, Music
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I recently began taking yoga classes at a new studio, thanks to a Groupon I bought several months ago and finally redeemed. A lot of the teachers play music in the classes and one I was in last week started with Krishna Das’ Baba Hanuman.

Hanuman, Ravi Varma Press, 1910-1920’s

I was so pleased to be reminded of this stunningly beautiful track. I knew it first in its remixed version and in its original form second.  Both are simultaneously powerful and peaceful.  I hope you will listen and enjoy.

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“Let the river of these Names take you…
Let yourself float in the beauty of your own heart
into the ocean of Love that fills all space,
that ALWAYS is…
that ONLY is.
When we know ourselves to be That,
then we can be This too.
Then we can play,
We are free and bound in the same breath,
The breath of the One breathes in us.
It’s OK to be messed up, to feel small and sad and hurt
with no hope of ever seeing a good day.
It’s OK to forget, to be forgotten,
to be left behind,
It’s OK to be betrayed, strung out on everything
that everyone has ever done to us and we can’t ever forgive…
Because
The breath of the One breathes in us.
Breathes us.
Even when we don’t know.

Where is this One? How can we find that One?
The Saints say that the One is hidden in the Name.
The Divine Name. The name of Love.
And that by constant repetition,
gradually but INEVITABLY
the Presence that is hidden in the Name reveals itself!
Where? In our own hearts!
The medicine of the Name
hidden in the sugar syrup of music
begins to cure us of our sadness;
begins to cure us of our fascination with STUFF;
to cure us of thinking that happiness will come to us from the outside;
that if we have just one more hit; a better car;
a more beautiful lover, or more beautiful lovers;
a good relationship; a better relationship; ANY! relationship;
it will be enough.
When the Buddha came out of the jungle after His Enlightenment,
he said, “YO! Monks…guess what? Stuff doesn’t make you happy.
The nature of stuff is that it will be NEVER be enough!
Or something like that…”
– Krishna Das via here

One Word: Farrell

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April 7, 2012
One Word, Two Ways
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Each week we pick a word, and both do a post based off that word.  However, this week I’m sneaking in and changing it up because  today is Farrell’s birthday!!  I couldn’t have been blessed with a better sister and friend; and I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to celebrate her with you today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FARRELL!

I asked many of the people in her life to send me one word to describe Farrell.  These are the words they chose.

*Thank you to everyone who helped out with this, especially to Teddy for the word layout.  And no need to stop here.  If you have a word you’d like to add, there’s plenty of room to do so in the comments.

Homies of the Day: domestic construction

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April 5, 2012
Homies
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Fellow Cleveland native, Maureen Walsh, and Trish Andersen are the amazing duo behind the multi-disciplinary design studio domestic construction (www.domestic-construction.com).  We are totally inspired by domestic construction’s creations as well as the philosophy behind their work.  So, we’re psyched to show you a sampling of their work below.  However, make sure to head over to their website as well to check out the full range of projects.

domestic construction's loft photo: http://www.unusuallyfine.com

fit for habitation installation via domestic construction

custom exterior for neighborhood salon via domestic construction

grounded: a unique flooring alternative via domestic construction

Also, check out the video below to hear more about domestic construction in their own words!

Domestic Construction Artist Feature for mb! by Mercedes-Benz from Nicolas Doldinger on Vimeo.

Between the Lines

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April 4, 2012
Inspired & Inspiring
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“Stories you read when you’re the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you’ll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit.”
-Neil Gaiman

As someone who generally likes to hold on to books I’ve read, my bookshelf serves almost as a photo album to me.  Most everything on it, as well as the bookshelf itself, conjures its own story, or brings me back to another time in my life.  Various books I’ve read remain forever connected with different periods of my life; looking back at their titles I can easily recall whatever it was I was experiencing at the time I read/bought/received each book.

I’m someone who reads in spurts.  For a given period of time, I’ll constantly have a book I’m reading.  Then, I’ll hit a down cycle and stop reading for weeks, or even months.

Several years ago, I lived in India for six months.  I brought only two books with me.  But as it turned out, I had a ton of time to read while I was there.  So, I read anything other travelers left behind, along with a wonderful selection sent to me mostly by my father, and a few others.  When I now look at the compilation of books below, most of which I did not select on my own, it serves to bring back so much more that what is written in their pages.  I am equally reminded of the feelings and memories I have of being there.  I can see the details of my open-air bedroom, recall the feeling of the ceiling fan above my bed and relive the escapism that the books gave me while trying to make my way through a world that was so clearly not my own.