Your Deal

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May 18, 2012
Personal & Interior Style
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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?

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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

The Beach

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May 17, 2012
Travel
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Our grandparents built a summer home in Huron, Ohio in the 1950s and it has been part of our family ever since. This home has been a place to spend the summers and share countless memories playing cards, drinking milkshakes, swimming, etc. There is really no place like it. From the sprawling farms to the ice cream shops, it is certainly a place to get away from it all. After a lovely yet busy Mother’s Day weekend, Albert and I decided to take a mini-trip to the beach.

We enjoyed some orange sherbet, took a 7 mile bike ride and made a home cooked meal. It was quiet, slow-paced and wholesome. It was exactly what we needed.

Homie of the Day: Monica

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May 16, 2012
Homies
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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!

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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.

Talking Tonglen

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May 15, 2012
Holistic Living, Music
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It’s looking like we have a few days of rain in store in NYC.  And after a whirlwind trip home to Cleveland over the weekend, I could use the soggy weather to spend some time at home tending to the little things that pile up when you haven’t been around for awhile.  Lucky for me, the atmosphere in my apartment has been greatly enhanced by the addition of Farrell’s plants and her boyfriend’s record player, which they generously moved over to my place before heading out of town, and which make the setting over here all the more suitable to really embrace some springtime showers.

“Colorblind” by designer/illustrator Mathiole

Laying low and setting aside adequate time for myself to do things like unpack my suitcase, put away my laundry and go through the mail has been for me something akin to an acquiring taste.  On an unconscious level, for much of my life I think I put off such tasks, largely to avoid feelings that might come along with “not doing something.”

The other day I was listening to a podcast which was discussing the process of feeling rather than avoiding your feelings.  It discussed the Buddhist practice of tonglen, and since then I’ve been wanting to talk about it with you.  As I understand it, tonglen helps us experience and process life’s biggest feelings.  You know, the title wave type feelings that I hope you don’t experience very often but come into all of our lives at some time or another, and feel like they could just completely take us out.  (I imagine tonglen is also completely applicable for more day to day experiences as well.  I feel pretty sure that Buddhism – or the universe for that matter – isn’t judging the magnitude of our feelings in this regard.)

The practice is to train yourself to recognize, on the onset of such a feeling, that other people in the world also experience the same feeling.  “Just the thought that other people feel this opens it up” as Pema Chodron explains.  All you need to do is allow yourself to fully feel the feeling as you inhale.  Then, on your exhale, you release the feeling in honor of freeing everyone who experiences it from it.  That’s it.  All you gotta do.  On the spot or in a meditation – either way does it.

Tonglen dissipates the illusion of isolation and facilitates empathy.  You can read more about it here.

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Picturesque

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May 14, 2012
Pictures
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Every week we ask friends to send us a picture they took and tell us a little bit about the pictures. This week, however, our awesome friend Becky sent us a couple of her favorite pictures of late so we decided to dedicate this week’s post to her. Thanks, Beck!

My little brother, Danny, as he prepares for his first flight lesson!  He starts flight school this summer and once he obtains his private flight license, he will start school for air traffic control in the fall! So proud of him.
This is the oil pastel and watercolor kindergarten art collaboration at my elementary school.  It went up in the hall for the art show last week.
A few weeks ago, I had a relaxing afternoon hiking and sitting by the water at Strouds Run State Park in Athens, OH.
Got caught by this train right next to my back yard last Friday when I was almost home from my last day of student teaching.  I really love getting stopped by trains.
Took this shot as I drove into West Virginia from Ohio for a day trip this past Saturday.

One Word, Two Ways: Origin

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May 12, 2012
One Word, Two Ways
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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!

Get Real

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May 11, 2012
Holistic Living
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Although this image might feel like too much to take in, I do think it is important to be aware of the chemicals in your beauty products.  After slowly transitioning to all natural products myself, I have found that I have fewer headaches, less skin irritation and an over all clearer mind.

If you are interested in looking up if your products are safe or not, plug them into the Skin Deep Database. You will find that some of your products are safer than others.

If you are in search of new products, check out some of my favorites here, here and here.

Dance Dance Evolution

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May 10, 2012
Inspired & Inspiring
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“This is enormous.  It’s epic.  Anytime a President of the United States takes a stand on an issue like this, it reverberates around the world.  And in many ways it changes the world.”
-Brian Ellner, Human Rights Campaign
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image via mathbabe.org

I was really disheartened yesterday morning when I heard news that North Carolina had passed an amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions.  The old-school song lyrics of The Youngbloods’ “Get Together“ ran through my mind, “C’mon people now…”  Admittedly, I heard the phrase in a much more exasperated tone than its 1960s vibe of peace, love and understanding; but nonetheless, c’mon!

I once heard that the mostly likely factor influencing whether a person is homophobic is whether or not that individual knows an openly gay person.  While I’m not implying that individuals opposing same-sex marriage and union are thereby homophobic, the opinion certainly conveys and perpetuates a strong degree of separateness, and emphasizes difference.


The national conversation on gay marriage took quite a different focus just a few hours later in the day when President Obama affirmed his support of gay marriage, making him the first in-office U.S. President to do so.  In addition to mention of openly gay members of his staff and those serving in the military, the President spoke of the role his daughter’s, and their dinnertime conversations, played in forming his belief.  A belief that has been coined an evolution.  And isn’t that the way evolution so often happens – from one generation to the next.

As timing would have it, our openly-gay father is hosting a fundraiser this evening in his home in Columbus, Ohio for U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.  If elected, Rep. Baldwin will be the first openly gay person in history to serve in the United States Senate.  

Though it may often be a process of evolution, you cannot deny the power of someone speaking his authentic truth, especially when that dialogue takes place across generations.  Today I’m feeling quite inspired and hopeful by the actions taken by two fathers – our President and my father.  Their leadership, courage and decision to speak their truth makes us all a little braver and all a little better.  And it helps to set the rhythm for this dance dance evolution!

Homie of the Day: Erin of WELL in L.A.

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May 9, 2012
Homies, Music
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Recently, while perusing the internet, we discovered Erin of WELL in L.A.  We immediately loved her style, her message and all the applicable information she is sharing about wellness and entrepreneurship.  So needless to say, we were pumped when she agreed to homie it up over here at Sister Disco with a guest post – and accompanying playlist (download the full version here) – on the topic of manifestation.  Thanks, Erin!!

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For this Type A girl wrapping my head around a concept like manifesting induced the phrase “right… only in California.” There must be something in the water because after 2 years in the Golden state I’m seeing a shift in my state of mind. I’m closing in on thirty. And finally beginning to understand that the less I try to force life the more I enjoy it. I spent the better part of my late twenties struggling to make life fit in the box I had carefully constructed in my early twenties. Ditching the box, the plans that belonged to the me who was trying to please everyone else and coming into my own has made the world a much more lovely place. Manifesting has been been my secret weapon in deconstructing the life I thought needed to live.

Initially manifesting scared me because it’s such a “squishy” term. It’s having a vision, but being open to knowing the outcome may surprise you or exceed your expectations. It’s equal parts push and pull. The manifestation of things is with you – always – but until you acknowledge and recognize its presence and power in your life, you’ll never be able to fully bridle its beauty or power for use in your life.

Whoa… just a minute. Erin – you’re talking crazy talk. Give me a concrete example of what the hell you’re trying to say.

Okay, okay. I had a friend in college who had an uncanny ability to make things happen. She prayed. And asked others to pray for her when she needed something to happen in her life. She needed a plane ticket to visit a loved one who was nearing death. We were sneaking our way into theaters, splitting Subway footlongs between four people and scrounging $5.00 for bottomless cup night at the bar. Coming up with money for an airplane ticket seemed impossible. Within a week of asking, $500 showed up on her doorstep. Ask. Be open. And you shall receive. There are several other instances with this friend – receiving a bicycle, clothing, a pair of shoes, finding car rides for long journeys and a few more examples. She is open, she asks and the universe rewards her willingness to be a part of something bigger than herself.

Maybe prayer isn’t your thing. It’s semantics in my world. Manifestation is beautiful in the sense that you can adapt and give it meaning in a way that feels right for you. Call it spirituality, setting an intention or simply acknowledging gratitude for what our lives and the Universe has to offer. That’s manifestation.

I started my own journey with manifesting late last year. It takes time, courage and clarity to say what you really mean and what you need in order for manifestation to work its magic in your life. I admire people who can do it right away. It’s a gift to be so open and willing to trust. Saying what I want is the first step. I’ve been working on removing my barriers and negative thought patterns. As a result, I feel blessed, abundant and open to the gifts that have come my way.

I’m working on clarifying what it is I want out of life. I want to write a book about my wellness journey, to work with creative & passionate creatures and to live life on my terms each day. I’m chipping away the broad set of goals and becoming more clear by working on these three items in some capacity each day. Living in L.A. has caused a big internal shift in my life. I see people living their dreams and the accompanying patience, work, love and drive paired with their manifestation. You can’t help but be energized and feel a buzz from whatever it is they’re putting in the water here.

I would love to know your thoughts on manifesting. Is it BS? Has it changed your life? And because this is SISTER DISCO I want to leave you with a fun “manifesting magic” playlist.

Be WELL!
erin

About Erin Haslag:
Erin of WELL in L.A. works with Big Dreamers to overcome their fears and dismantle roadblocks to success. Her services range from a bi-monthly “best of the web” digest for business owners to one-on-one intensive consultations & strategy sessions. Her mantra “Life is short; live it WELL” is threaded throughout her work, play and life. Find her @WELLinLA on Twitter or contribute to the WELL Facebook community.