I’m quite partial to funky style and truly admire those that rock and own their inner funky.  I’ve been a long time fan of the picture above (via The Sartorialist) because it just expresses so much personality.  I think it conveys a sense of inner freedom and ease.

I also really like a home interior that incorporates some funk and I think the motto below is right on for how it can be achieved.

Manhattan loft of Andi Potankim via YOU ARE THE RIVER

Baile Funk, also called funk carioca, is a Brazilian dance music that originated in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and is heavily influenced by 1980s Miami Bass music (like 2 Live Crew!) This is some serious party music, where thousands of young people gather together every weekend to shake their asses.

Description found here.

Also, check out the documentary, Favela on Blast, for a closer look into baile funk.

I stumbled upon this post on a lovely blog I follow called The Positivity Blog and I really loved it. I know Oprah can be cliche, but I really believe there is something special about this woman.

After Albert and I decided to travel, a lot of our friends told us they wished they could do what we were doing and I so badly wish they just DID do it. It was/is a completely scary decision, but that is part of the thrill of creating the life you want to have.

Oprah’s 7 Tips for Creating the Life You Want:

1. Keep your focus in the right place.

2. Redefine failure.

3. You are fuelling your own fear.

4. Do the right thing.

5. You get what you give. In more than one way.

6. Let go of the past. Live in the present.

7. It’s up to you what happens.

Check out Oprah’s fully detailed list for creating the life that you want, here.

I came across these necklaces by meshu recently and am totally in love with the concept.  You can create your own design based on cities or places you’ve been to (or like, or want to go to, etc.) and they laser cut the infographic of the various destinations into jewelery.  As you know, I love maps and globes, and actually have several small maps of places I’ve traveled framed above my bed.  Wearing the locales takes it up a notch for sure.  Also, wouldn’t this be such a fun thing for Farrell after her trip – a little wearable memento of all her travels!

Images from meshu.io

via Pinterest

Effort for Distraction
By Josephine Miles

Effort for distraction grew
Ferocious, grew
Ferocious and paced, that was its exercise.

Effort for distraction strained,
Legged in the hour-like single stretch
Its heels and sight to feel, so slit its eyes.

Effort without effort or with
Greatest possible effort always centered
Back in the concentrated trough where lies

The magnet to the filings,
The saw tooth to the tongue,
The turn of life to a returning life.

By all the traction of mind and spin of spirit
Having gained grasp gasped to bear it,
Having got ground groaned, furious title holder.

Paced and cried, so sore for a different direction, grew
Ferocious, grew
Unkind to strength that gave it strength to grow.

*

Ferocious to me equals animal prints and I am a sucker for animal print (especially leopard). I do realize when over used, animal print can be tacky and played out, but when used every now and then, I can really dig it. Check out my favorite animal print things:

via Pintrest

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

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.

My dad was named the second Edward Farrell in my family and my little brother was named the third. I was named Farrell sometime in between. I was researching the origin of my name recently and this crest came up for “The Farrell Clan”:

Black greyhound crest: in Irish folklore and particularly in Gaelic poetry and mythology the hound is often used as an epithet to describe a valiant warrior.
Golden crown of a duke: (as in the Lords of Annaly: the Farrells). The gold colour denotes generosity and elevation of mind.
Golden lion rampant: (rearing): the lion signifies bravery and nobility.
Green field of the shield: green signifies hope, love and joy.
Motto: Prodesse Non Nocere (To do good, not to do evil).
Cu Reabtha (The rampaging dog) – Another popular motto, but not the official.

(Crest and description taken from here)

I am not sure if it is my recent obsession with Game of Thrones or my Irish roots, but I feel a renewed sense of pride in my name and its origin.

I gotta admit, I’m a sucker for a cover song.  The original source always provides a familiarity from which to enjoy something new, in the context of something already known.  While trying to pick a few songs to include to illustrate the point, I discovered LP. Ummmm, am I late to the party?! An early adopter (that’d be cool). Regardless, this is an amazing artist. You heard it here first, or again. Either way, incredible!  Listen!

Each week we choose a word and each do a post based on that word.  This week, the word is Time.

“To the tick tock ya don’t stop, to the tick tock ya don’t stop.“

I can’t say I have a great forte for punctuality but I do love the look of a creative clock.  What time is it, you ask?  Now.  The time is now.  Get after it!

Cantena Wall Clock / Art Deco Origami Clock / Homemade Ball Clock / Recycled Bike Wheel Clock / Rotary Phone Clock

I thought this would be an appropriate TIME to introduce you to one of our mentors.  “So long, Carrie Bradshaw—there’s a new role model for go-getting thirty-somethings. Gabrielle Bernstein is doling out inner peace and self-love for the post-modern spiritual set.”—Elle magazine

Gabby puts out a weekly vlog, this week’s was on stretching time!

Each week we pick a word and both do a post based off that word.  This week, the word is…Image.

I have a special affection for Google Images, in that I love it.  I also have a book called “The Yoga of the Nine Emotions: The Tantric Practice of Rasa Sadhana.”  The book centers on the practice toward achieving mastery of one’s “most important and basic” emotions: Love, Joy, Wonder, Courage, Calmness, Anger, Sadness, Fear, and Disgust.  I thought it would be interesting to do a basic Google Image search on each of these nine emotions, and select one of each to present a full spectrum image of all of them together.  So that’s what I did.

Click for image source, from top to bottom:

Love / Joy / Wonder / Courage / Calmness / Anger / Sadness / Fear / Disgust

Lately I have been wanting to write about body image but I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. When the word image came up for our word of the day, I thought it would be a great way to start. I know I am not alone in saying that I am really tough on my body. I have had phases of extreme weight loss and extreme weight gain and I did not feel complete in either one of those places.  As the years have progressed, I am proud to say that I love and accept my body much more than I ever thought I would. But, it is an ongoing process. 

A couple of months ago, I read a post by this brilliantly strong woman. She had just had a baby and woke up early and went out for a walk.  When she reached for the top of the hill she was hiking and she heard a voice that said:

You’ve got to trust me.

When I am hungry I will tell you.
You’ll hear it in chambered echos, grumbles and moans.
DON’T FEED ME, until you hear my call.

When I am lonely I will tell you.
A lump will well up in your throat, like you’ve swallowed cotton and tears will form in your eyes.
DON’T FEED ME, try making a connection with the fine collection of friends you love.

When I am anxious I will tell you.
Your heart will beat fast, your breath will struggle to leave the lungs, and you might feel full of fire.
DON’T FEED ME, instead sit down and fight for those breaths, let the oxygen pour into you—clearing the veins and vessels, close your eyes, identify the fear that is squeezing you.

When I feel depressed I will tell you.
There will be a significant lack of energy, a slumpy reaction to bed-leaving, my mind will slow down and thoughts will become like black puffy clouds.
DON’T FEED ME, instead fill your head back up with new thoughts, ideas from books and discussions. Replace the dirty fuel in your mind with clean energy.

When I feel stressed I will tell you.
Like rubberbands squeezing around your cranium, your head throbbing, your stomach turning, your muscles tightening.
DON’T FEED ME, instead write it all out, everything you are feeling, look over the list and examine.

When I feel sick I will tell you.
Fevers, aches, pains and physical discomfort.
DON’T FEED ME, take care of me, bathe me, give me lots of water and put me to bed.

When I feel happy I will tell you.
Goosebumps infiltrate your skin, you will feel light and airy, propped up on energy, buzzing in your blood.
DON’T FEED ME, use the excess vivacity to spread your sentiments to someone else.

When I feel sensual I will tell you.
Your skin will turn pink and glow. Your mouth will involuntarily smile, your body will hum with awareness.
DON’T FEED ME, you know what to do. 

When I need exercise I will tell you.
Your legs will ache to be walked, your back will beg to be stretched, your heart will ask to be throbbed.
DON’T FEED ME, walk me. And don’t exercise me until I say so, please, or we will battle.

When I feel lazy, content, competitive, peaceful, overwhelmed, snippy, snappy, hot, cold, tired, frustrated, thirsty, full, beaming and bright I will tell you.
DON’T FEED ME, none of these sentiments require food. Excess surplus will have to be stored. I will have to make more of us—human shelves in rolls and lumps—to organize the overflow intake. Don’t make me do that, please. There are babies to feed, children to squeeze, a husband to kiss. Right now, we don’t have a lot of steam to become a storage facility as well.

But when I feel hungry I will send you a message of emptiness of stomach, dizziness of head, a sensation in your mouth extending into your throat that reads, I NEED FOOD, PLEASE DON’T STARVE ME.
Then, feed me.

Though in all those instances, I would probably do the opposite of feed myself, her post is a great reminder for me to listen to my body and remember to love it unconditionally.

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!

“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