Hi everyone! We hope you enjoyed your weekend. Here are this week’s pics:
Lauren – New York, NY
don’t make the scene. be.
Four chairs, Ludlow St.
Birgit Brenner at Marc Straus Gallery
Nails, nails, nails, nails, nails on Chrytie St.
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Farrell – Los Angeles, CA
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Team retreat in Big Bear, CA
Filled with arts and crafts
…jumping and swimming…
and Aqua Flight!
Cover of the New York Post, 9.11.14
Wallplay billboard art by Cash4
The night that Suz passed away I had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to write down all of the things that she taught me. I thought I would share this here so that I will always know where to find it. The list keeps growing everyday.
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Suz’s Lessons
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How to show someone how much you love them with a couple squeezes of your hand.
How to cook, cut and make food.
How to whistle.
What songs to sing on a road trip.
How to bake.
How to show loyalty.
How to stand up for and advocate for yourself.
How to be a good host.
The importance of setting a mood.
How and why to keep up traditions.
The importance of writing letters.
It’s the little things that count.
Always take in your surroundings. The air, the sounds, the smells and appreciate them.
Save money.
How to pick the right healthcare.
How to throw a great party.
How to make your house smell like Christmas
Count to 10 before you respond when you are angry.
How to make someone feel special, loved and important – hear them and know them.
Be thoughtful.
Send cards.
How to wrap a present with a matching bow and how to curl a ribbon with a scissor.
How to share my struggles and how to celebrate my accomplishments.
How to listen to people.
How to appreciate the beauty in all things.
How to make a bed.
How to fold my clothes.
How to perfectly plan and time a Thanksgiving dinner.
AND…
Trust in Yourself. Do What’s Right.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to one of my favorite souls, Kaya! Kaya is not only my co-worker, but one of my best friends. She is always the person I turn to when I want to talk about anything. Her heart is so deep and thoughtful and I love having her as a friend. Without further ado, here is Kaya.
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“Getting Deep”
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Hello Sister Disco family!
I saw this funny and interesting article about how to turn small talk into deep conversation on TED.com. As an introvert with a desire to only connect deeply this completely intrigued me.
There is value in small talk. It makes some people feel comfortable, it can create a foundation for building a relationship, and it’s not exhausting. The challenge is that some of us want to be whole heartedly invested in every encounter that we have. I personally love to walk away from a conversation feeling like I’m in the cosmos, thinking about the bigger picture of life, and even feeling more inspired to live passionately in each moment. I hate to coast; it’s not my style.
Since moving to L.A. I’ve had some of the most meaningful conversations in my life as well as some of the most painful/awkward/get me the heck out of here conversations. The dichotomy has been fascinating.
But, I am finally learning that people are willing to go deep, and if I want that from them, then I have to take that proverbial ball in my court and aim for connection (Yikes!).
I used to believe that some people were incapable of breaking surface talk and others were born to philosophize. I ran with the philosophers, so the others could take a hike. That is simply untrue (for the most part).
Human beings love to connect. We love to tell stories. Storytelling separates us from other animals. People want you to care about their story and vice versa — note to myself!
So the article includes tips like ask for stories, not answers, and strays from expected responses.
I hope this article gives you something to think about. I certainly felt inspired to change and strengthen day-to-day conversations. And while I may not always succeed at creating connection with every human being I encounter, at least I can say I gave it a shot.
“Go ahead, be bold. Upend the dinner table conversation! Turn small talk into big ideas at the next summer wedding reception you’re forced to attend! You never know which ideas will be worth spreading next.” — Chris Colin and Rob Baedeker
Here’s to connection and getting deep!
P.S. A full blown shout out to the queen of connection aka Farrell Feighan. The girl has a gift, and I’m honored to be her friend.
I got back to New York on Sunday night and have been slowly reacquainting myself with life here, reluctantly easing my way back in for fear of moving away from all the sadness and beauty of the past week. Last night I sat down at my computer, unsure of what to post I mindlessly began tumbling through this site until I saw a link that simply said Listen. I clicked, this played:
This past weekend we said goodbye to one of the most important people in our lives. Suz lived with us for many years while we were growing up and basically played the role of a third parent in our family. Suz was an ever-present source of love and support to each of us; we loved her more than I could ever begin to convey in words. She will be forever remembered, forever missed and forever a part of us.
It’s Friday, people! This week has been particularly crazy – from work to personally to musically. Sometimes you just have to bust out some old ones to feel like yourself again. This is what I have been blasting to get me through the week.
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The Fugees – The Score (Full Album)
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TLC – Crazy Sexy Cool
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Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
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Brandy – I Wanna Be Down (Remember?!)
artwork by Helen Frankenthaler
i can like blue grass
then not at all
i can paint blue skies
that don’t belong
i can stay put
more than you been gone
i can remember
and forget all the same
i can start over
not remember your name
F: Can you please share with us what you have been listening to?
L: I’ve been feeling in a musical rut lately so I’ve been revisiting a lot of classics. I’ve also been enjoying this old Henry Threadgill album.
F: I know you have been staying at a friends place for the past week or so, what is your favorite part about it?
L: Yes, I’ve been staying at my friend’s awesome apartment for the past week and a half while they’re out of town. It is a gorgeous place right on the water. Pretty much every rooftop photo I’ve posted over the last year or two has been from their rooftop (including the photo above). My favorite part is being right on the river. It is really interesting to watch all the activity on the water, plus everything just feels really calm and peaceful up there. The apartment itself is also bigger, airier and all around nicer than mine so I’m generally enjoying all of those things. It’s been really good for me to have a change in my daily routine. I like being in a different neighborhood and feel a little bit like I’m on vacation. I’m going to be sorry to see my stay there come to an end. Luckily I have a few more days before I head home!
F: Now that your painting lessons are over, will you take another class of some sort?
L: I think I will. I’d like to take another class in the fall. I think I’ll stick with oil painting for now, though I’m curious to try out acrylics and watercolors too.
F: Are the fall trends starting yet? Have you seen any changes?
L: Hmm. I feel like I always fall short on answering your NYC fashion questions (no pun intended but I’m happy it happened!). I’m seeing some women in somewhat slouchy, cropped trousers. There are also still a lot of skirts/dresses being paired with ankle or tied-up distressed boots. Up until the last couple of days it’s actually felt like fall but we’re back to hot summer weather so I think people will be trying to get a few more of their summer pieces in before Labor Day.
F: Have you been watching any movies lately? Any good ones?
L: I have been watching some movies lately as my friends also have a projector and movie channels at their place. I watched Dead Poet’s Society the other night, which I’d never seen before. I also rewatched Moonrise Kingdom, which I enjoyed much more the second time around. I started Gravity but turned it off after about 20 minutes; in addition to being generally stressful to watch, the damsel-in-distress nature of Sandra Bullock’s character really annoyed me. I just don’t believe that someone who has been trained to carry out a mission in outer space would lack so much confidence and be so overly apologetic as Bullock’s character is in the beginning of the movie.
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