Car wash

F: How is it to spend a week in Cleveland in the first week of May?

L: Aside from a few chilly days, it is absolutely gorgeous here! There are tulips in bloom all around. The lake is totally captivating and the sunsets have been so colorful. It’s a beautiful time of year in Cleveland!

F: What is something you can not wait to do once you get back to NYC?

L: Hmmm…right now I’m so focused on getting on the road and then having everything in order for the markets I’m doing on Saturday and Sunday that I haven’t really thought much further than that. I think it’s going to be great just to get out and walk around once I’m there.

F: What is your favorite item for the Disco Emporium that you purchased since you have been home?

L: I went up to this vintage store on Detroit Rd. in Lakewood called “Future No Future” and definitely splurged on some great finds. There’s one yellow dress with bright flowers on it that is a little big for me but I’m considering keeping it and having it tailored to wear to some of the weddings I’m going to this summer.

F: Do you miss LA? If so, what do you miss the most? If not, no worries 🙂

L: I miss you guys. I miss the grapefruit swirl at Sweet Rose. I think about LA and the palm trees and the feeling there a lot but I don’t think I’ve been away long enough to seriously miss it.

F: Would you rather climb the highest mountain or go to the deepest depths of the ocean?

L: Yeeks! Neither! The thought of climbing the highest mountain sounds terrifying and does not appeal to me at all. I love the water and would generally choose it over a mountain but I don’t think I want to be at its deepest depths. Maybe if I could fly to the top of the highest mountain and get out, that would be my choice.

Wall outside of The Springs in Downtown LA

L:  How are you liking your new bike?

F: I love it! I have started to ride it every day. It is comfortable and smooth. I am looking forward to using the basket for riding to the beach. Thanks, Mom!

L:  Are there any movies out right now that you want to see?

F: There isn’t anything that really strikes my fancy. I have been wanting to go see a movie but every time I look, nothing looks good. I guess we gotta wait for those summer blockbusters.

L:  Where is your favorite place to eat in Santa Monica?

F: Satdha!

L:  When do you think you’ll use the gift certificate for voice lessons that I gave you for your birthday?

F: Oh man. I am really excited and really nervous about it so I need to get used to the idea and then I will do them. I was thinking this summer in July. Of course I will keep you posted.

L:  What is energizing you lately?

F: Since I have been taking a break from coffee – I would say my morning workouts and my morning smoothies make me feel awesome.

Infinity Box (No. 6), Radiance by Matt Elson

F: What is the thing that made you laugh the most this week?

L: I think I laughed the hardest this week when we were joking around at your apartment the other day. I know you have some video of my madness but I’m trusting you’ll keep it to yourself.

F: What is the most inspiring thing you heard recently?

L: People are real, but the crowd disappoints

Every crowd, sooner or later, will let you down.

The crowd contains a shoplifter, or a heckler, or an anonymous boor who leaves a snarky comment.

The crowd loses interest, the crowd denigrates the work, the crowd isn’t serious.

Worst of all, sometimes the crowd turns into a mob, out of control and bloodthirsty.

But people, people are real.

People will look you in the eye.

People will keep their promises. People can grow, can change, can be generous.

When in doubt, ignore the crowd (and forgive them). When possible, look for people instead.

Scale is overrated, again and again.

–Seth Godin

F: What picture most represents your time in LA?

L: This one.

F: What are you looking forward to the most in the next couple of months?

L: Lake Erie.

F: When and where will your next Disco Emporium sale be?

L: In New York City! May 9th at Hester Street Fair and May 10th at Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg. I’m super excited!

L:  I just started reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.  Have you read it?  Seems right up your alley!

F: It is pretty funny you should mention this since my entire team has all read it. I think it is funny that it has been around me for this long and I still have not read it. I would really like to. I think in some ways I am not trying to be MORE tidy. I do like the concept of looking at things you own and asking, “does this bring me joy?” and if it doesn’t pitch it. I am always looking for excuses to get rid of anything.

L:  What is something you’d like to accomplish this year?

F: I would love to stop wanting to be different in any way. I would love to accomplish just being ok with where I am and who I am at all times. I think that might be really hard to do in 1 year, but why not shoot for it?

L:  Would you rather have a weekly massage or a weekly hair blow out?

F: 100%, without a double a weekly massage.  What can I say, I like massages. Blow outs are awesome and feel special. I have to admit though – I start to miss my curls.

L:  Do you believe that the way you do anything is the way you do everything?

F: I sure hope not! I am so focused and detailed at some things and then I really “foul up” others. Take cleaning for example. I am such a ridiculous cleaner. I take my time and scrub every last bit. However, sometimes I just roll out of bed and brush my teeth and dress like a scrub. So – no I don’t believe that to be true. It’s too definite.

L:  What’s a recent favorite song of yours?

F. At this point, I can only speak about Sia. Elastic Heart is currently my favorite.

When we were growing up we lived two streets over from our cousins, Tricia, Jennifer, Stephen and Colleen DeJohn.  We were always back and forth between houses and they were basically like our older siblings.  Though we don’t get to spend as much time with them these days as we’d like, we love them so much and are all still very close.  Today’s Coast to Coast post is a three-parter and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  Thanks cousins!!

From left to right: Stephen, Colleen, Tricia & Jennifer

Colleen:  What are you planning for Rocco’s birthday since he’s turning 10 (and entering double digits is a big deal)?

Tricia:  We are planning an extravaganza, of course! We usually do a joint birthday party with both of his families and invite everyone–his entire class and our neighbors and so many other friends. It is a zoo and quite a front-end production for me. I wanted to create something different this year. So, for his 10th, his other mom and I are taking Rocco and 3 friends to Great Wolf Lodge in Washington. It is an indoor water park and hotel and it looks like great fun. I always want to do a separate thing with him, too, so later in the summer I will take him and some kids and other adult friends and we will go to a Treesort! It is in southern Oregon and you actually sleep in tree houses. It’s very fun.

Colleen:  Do you guys have any trips planned in the coming months? If so, where, when, what, etc.?

Tricia:  Funny you should ask that. Just last night Janice was saying she really really wants to go on a trip. We discussed Las Vegas for 3 nights or a weeklong trip/cruise to Alaska. I am up for either one and we were thinking of planning it for July.

Colleen:  What are you most looking forward to now that the brutal winter is VERY SLOWLY starting to thaw?

Tricia:  Our winter in Eugene has been different from yours, to say the least. Let’s put it this way: every single day in February was blue skies, sunny and around 60 degrees, give or take a few. Bees were actually pollinating my camellia tree outside the kitchen window on January 30th. Even though this weather is gorgeous, it is also scary to think about how hot summer will be, or how hot 2025 will be, and how hot our Earth is getting…

Colleen:  What new recipes are you perfecting or sharing?

Tricia:  Oh boy, good question! I get a CSA box every couple of weeks so that drives a lot of my home cooking. I just made a delicious potato soup with lots of onion and cheese thrown in. For Easter at our neighbors house, I made a delicious roasted asparagus in walnut oil with garlic, parsley and fresh lemon squeezed (not ‘squoze’, side note) on top. YUM! My friends Cheryl and Ben and their kids are coming over for dinner this weekend and I am preparing a Moroccan feast! I will make Bisteya, plus a chickpea and sweet potato dish as well as a zucchini dish. Cheryl is bringing dessert. I am excited for it!

Colleen:  Have you been binge-watching House of Cards, Bloodline and Kimmy Schmidt (or any other Netflix series)? if so, what do you think?

Tricia:  House of Cards is so February 2015! Done. We are binge watching Inside Amy Schumer and she is hilarious! I’m kind of digging Backstrom on Hulu because it is odd and crime drama-y. Because Janice has never watched Entourage, I am re-watching that with her disc by disc and we are on season 3. It is one of my all time favorite shows and I cannot wait for the movie to come out.

PS I’ve never heard of Kimmy Schmidt or Bloodline. Should I?

Tricia: What is the very best thing about living near Mom and Dad as they age?

Jen:  I am happy that they are a part of my daily life. I feel fortunate to be able to help them now as they get older as they always helped us growing up.

Tricia: You’re a hometown girl and have lived in Cleveland almost all of all your life. If you ever think about living somewhere else, where would that be?

Jen: Definitely, in a warm climate near a beach! While I’ve not made it to Hawaii YET, I imagine that is a place I would be very happy!

Tricia:  What are you reading right now that is really stimulating?

Jen: Do People and US Magazine count? Just kidding! I’m currently reading The Girl on the Train for book club. It’s a New York Times Bestseller. I’m not very far but it’s getting rave reviews.

Tricia:  What feelings come up for you as our parents put the Nicholson house on the market?

Jen:  It’s interesting because when mom and dad first moved out of the Nicholson house, I was pretty sad. It was our childhood home and held so many wonderful memories. After most of their stuff was out, I went back in and everything but the basement was empty and I burst into tears. Lately, since we are finishing up cleaning out the basement, I feel like “get it done and over with.” This has taken so long and it has been frustrating at times. I do hope a young family buys it and finds as much happiness there as we did.

Tricia:  As a recent entrant into your 40s, what do you know about yourself that you did not know when you were in your 20s or 30s?

Jen:  Probably the biggest thing I learned about myself is that I actually really like alone time. I never thought I would as we were always surrounded by people growing up and I was reticent to live alone. Turns out, sometimes all the commotion is too much for me and I need to be alone and have quiet around me. I still LOVE all the get togethers and family time and fun but I also need a balance of alone time.

Jen: What surprises/fascinates/frustrates you about Cleveland since you moved back?

F:  Tell us about your next showing of The Disco Emporium? What are the deats?

L:  I’ll be selling at the Artists & Fleas market in Downtown LA on April 18th and 19th!  I also have a bunch of new pieces to be photographed and posted online.  You up for another photo session??

F:  Where is your favorite place to eat in Los Angeles thus far?

L:  Dune over by Teddy and Kelley’s is so delicious!

F:  Where is one place that you still would like to go in LA?

L:  I still haven’t been to the Griffith Observatory and feel like that needs to happen.  A visit to the Adamson House in Malibu that was recommended to us last weekend also looks worthwhile.  We should check it out while mom is here.

F:  What is one thing you miss about NYC?

L:  I miss my friends!

F:  Do you like DIY projects? If so, what is one that you would like to do? If not, what’s up with that?

L:  I want to think I like DIY projects but I’m usually deterred by having to gather all the necessary supplies.  That being said, I’ve always wanted to take up tiling.

Despite also being from Cleveland, I met sisters Annmarie and Natalie DiLillo years ago in NYC and we’ve been friends ever since.  Can I just tell you how fun these two are, and how much they love each other!  It’s the best.  (You might recognize Natalie as one of the faces of The Disco Emporium)

Since Farrell and I are now on the same coast, we’ve invited Natalie and Annmarie to do today’s Coast to Coast post.  Thanks so much, ladies!

Annmarie

N: After 8 years of living in New York City, you have relocated back to our hometown, Cleveland, OH. How’s that going for you?

A: It is great to be back home. I love that I get to see our family a lot more often and I don’t have to use public transportation.

N: Cleveland is said to be going through a renaissance, what are your thoughts on this?

A: I think that the Cleveland I left eight years ago is definitely not the Cleveland I came home to. I returned to a lot more high quality restaurants and a better nightlife.

N: How has your dog, Franklin, adjusted to mid-West livin’?

A: He loves it and he hates it. He loves the amount of space he has inside and outside. But he hated the snow and how cold it was this winter.

N: You’re getting married, how’s wedding planning?

A: Honestly, I have done nothing for the wedding except find a venue and pick a date. The whole thing seems kind of overwhelming at the moment.

N: Do you miss me?

A: YES! EVERYDAY! MOVE HOME NOW!

*

Natalie

A: You went to Bali in October to get your yoga teacher training, how was that?

N: It was absolutely life changing! I have been practicing yoga since 2003 and becoming a teacher has been a dream for a while. The hardest part was to stop making excuses why it was not the right time and just do it. It’s so easy to convince ourselves why something isn’t logistically perfect when in reality we are just scared of diving in and making changes in our lives. I am so happy I finally did it! Bali is the Island of the Gods, and was a perfect setting for such intensely introspective work.

A: How is it having your boyfriend live in LA when you live in NYC?

N: To be frank, I had no interest in a relationship, especially one that would be long distance but when you meet someone who just fits you know longer have a choice; it happens. Lately, I have come to see that certain things seem to be beyond our control. (Smile).  He and I live alternative lifestyles that involve occupational and leisure travel, so we have made it work through random dates in several states, extended visits, texts and phone calls. It’s pretty new so it hasn’t worn on me yet but I sure do miss him on the daily.

A: Do you have any plans to move to LA or back to Ohio in the future?

N: Sister, you know me too well to ask such a question! I can’t even tell you where I’ll be this weekend with any certainty! But I do know LA and Ohio are in my future.  As permanent homes, hard to say, we will see. (Wink)

A: Are there any major differences living with our brother compared to living with me?

N: Haha, yes! You’d be horrified with the cleanliness of the apartment. When you lived here I could eat off the floor, with brother, the five second rule is not an option!

A: I know your boyfriend loves dogs, will you ever get a pet?

N: I have both a cat/dog allergy making full-time living with an animal quite challenging. Also, I travel too much to be a good canine mother. If my lifestyle changes to where I am in one place more consistently I would consider it. Maybe a monkey one day!

F:  What did you think of the channeling circle we went to on Tuesday?

L:  Overall I liked it. When it first started I felt a little freaked out, then a bit difficult to take seriously. But as the night went on, I thought the medium communicated/said a lot of interesting stuff.

F:  What do you like the most about being in California?

L:  It’s a real toss up between being close to you guys and the weather. Let’s just say it’s a good combination.

F:  How are you feeling about the soft launch of The Disco Emporium?

L:  Great! There’s a lot more I want to do with it but I’m having taking it one step at a time and having fun.

F:  Is there anywhere else you would like to explore in the Southern California region?

L:  I want to spend more time traveling the coastline.

F:  How is your “to-do list” method working out?

L:  I tend to write a lot of lists and rarely refer back to them so recently I started a draft email to-do list that I’m working off of (or correctly, off which I am working). I’m finding the method pretty good but not earth-shattering. I think I need to do a better job of determining what my priorities are each day and sticking to them. Otherwise I find my attention wandering from thing to thing and thing, and the whole day just passes by. It’s a work in progress.

L:  Tonight (Thursday) is a full moon, do you have an intention and would you like to share it?

F:  Everyone is mentioning the full moon to me this month so I feel that it is significant and I want to take it seriously.  My intention for this full moon is to let the past go and feel inspired by the future.  I feel really good about this intention and hope to bring it to life.

L:  What is one of your favorite Instagram feeds?

F: The Chalkboard Magazine @thechalkboardmag, Design Love Fest @designlovefest, Valley Cruise Press @valleycruisepress and HoneyLunne @honeylunne.

L:  What day of your 90 day work-out are you on?  Are you liking it?

F:  I am at the end of week 8.  I had a bit of a hiccup during my vacation and am having hard time getting as motivated as I was before. But, I know this is all part of the process.  I still love the workouts and know that weeks 9-12 are going to kick my ass.  I will keep you posted for sure!

L:  Have you listened to any good podcasts lately?

F:  I have been trying to listen to more music lately, so I have opted out of the podcasts game for now. Some of my favorites though are This American Life, Here’s the Thing and Fresh Air.

L:  Do you have a Suz memory you’d like to share?  I’ve been having a lot of dreams with her in them lately.

F.  What?!  You are just telling me this now through our blog and not in person. What kind of dreams?  I want to know everything.  I wish I was having dreams with her in them.  I was thinking about her so much in my meditation last night.  I miss her so much it almost breaks my heart to think about her.  Some of my favorite memories of her today are having her there at Teddy and Kelley’s wedding, making cookies with her around Christmas and basically every phone call I have ever had with her.  I wish so badly I could call her.

F:  What does your horoscope say for today and do you think it rings true?

L:  It says, “If you think you have to prove that you have something valuable to offer, Scorpio, consider this carefully. You’re naturally friendly and can get along with almost anyone. This may already be your strength. You have something great to bring to a crowd. Consider being yourself and not trying so hard to feel a part of things. Look at your qualities and you will prove your worth to yourself.”  This does feel particularly poignant to me today so thank you, Horoscope.com.

F:  What was your favorite part about being in Mexico?

L:  The national sites in Mexico City were so grand and awe-inspiring that they made feel very curious to know more about history, architecture and a variety of other topics.  The sense of curiosity was invigorating.

F:  Do you think that we will look back on 2015 as being one of the best years of our lives?

L: Ha!  I have never thought about that.  Sure; let’s do it.

F:  What is your favorite meal that Albert has made for us?

L: I’m really into the spaghetti with meat sauce that he makes.  Simple and delicious!

F:  Who is your favorite character on the show “Parenthood?”

L:  As you might have gathered, we’re pretty deep into this series.  I don’t know whether calling it a guilty pleasure is quite right but it’s close.  Anyway, I think Julia might be my favorite character.  She’s responsible and driven but can still be light-hearted and fun.  Let’s just say she doesn’t sweat the small stuff.