spirit tea + swedish indie pop = cheerful!

Don't discredit the power of a delicious cup of tea and upbeat music when you're feeling down. It's not a Bloody Mary and a Xanax, but it'll do the trick;) I recommend this Mexican Sweet Chili tea by Yogi Tea, which was recently introduced to me. It's perfect for cold winter nights and the flavor is warming and memorable. Have a cup of that and put on Jens Lekman's "Night Falls Over Kortedala." I dare you to not feel better! It's Swedish indie pop music, and what could be wrong with that? The album is impressive, totally unique, whimsical, fun, slightly melancholy, and witty! Sometimes we forget how to cheer ourselves up, but it's important to remember that the simplest tricks can move mountains. Be good to yourself! Do it!

new painting!

Oh boy! I'm really glad that British engineer, Denys Fisher, invented the Spirograph machine. Because now I can make paintings like this one I just finished. There are infinite possibilities for unusual shapes. And I love using tiny brushes to fill them all in! It's a methodical process that takes more time than it looks, but it's totes worth it! My color pallet was inspired by Necco Wafer candies, which taste horrible but look beautiful. I spent many years in Boston, where the Necco (New England Confectionery Co.) factory is located. It's funny where you find your color inspiration!

P.S. Don't sleep on the Necco font. It's a winner.

proud moments

Since 2000, I've been practicing yoga. It's a labor of love, because you have to be really patient with yourself, mentally and physically. You spend your time trying to bend deeper or trying out a new pose that seems next to impossible. And it's just magic when you have a breakthrough, because you've reshaped the way your body can move. Today, I experienced such a breakthrough...
I went to an amazing class with my yoga buddy, Susan, who is all kinds of awesome. During the class, we were doing pretty difficult stretches and binds mixed with hardcore vinyasas. I was having trouble with this particularly tough sitting bind, and the teacher came right over to me and pulled my arm and twisted it behind my leg and around my back and grabbed my other hand and wrapped it around the opposite way until my hands were clasped backwards and behind my whole body. It's not a natural or easy pose and needless to say, I felt really proud. It was a humbling experience, because I never thought I could do a bind like that. And this wonderful teacher just saw that I could, and gave me a hand. And I did it! And it felt amazing, mentally anyway:) Being encouraged and helped by someone who doesn't even know you is a really sweet moment and it reminds you of the good in people.

field trippin'

This past week, I went field trippin' with my roommate to the outskirts of Red Hook, which has a ton of cute shops and yummy restaurants. Brownstone Treasures is an adorable space that has a great selection of vintage furniture and collectible items that are in super good condition and not picked over. The prices are really reasonable for Brooklyn, and the turnover is high-which rules. I found my dream dresser in the window. It's actually a smaller version of one my dear friend Coco has that I sweat hard. It's a mid-century modern jam with diamond cut outs that reveal INTERCHANGEABLE colors of Formica in the the best pastels. You thought those kinds of options only came with your swatch watch! Sucka!

Brownstone Treasures: 220 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
P.S., They have another store called Yesterday's News located nearby at 428 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

peaceful tiny bunny

This is the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

my Grandpa.

When I was little, I never understood how amazing my Grandpa was. I would go into his taxidermy shop, feeling sorry for the animals and I would tell him about how Bambi's mother was shot, etc. As I grew older, I began to appreciate his art and feel really proud about his creations. I am completely fascinated by him. He is the simplest, most practical man I know and I am enchanted by his talent and how he thinks nothing of it. I'm truly fond of how he is constantly involved with a project, like making wine, or collecting honey from his beehives, or stuffing a giant turkey in flight. Thanks Grandpa, for keeping it extra real! By the way, the white goose and the javelina are moving to Brooklyn soon!!!

vintage milk glass

Vintage milk glass is my new favorite obsession. It's perfect for me because it's white, it's elegant, and the designs are adorable. I especially like the plates with the open hole designs. I paired a cute one I found recently with a dark lavender ribbon and hung it in my kitchen. This is a darling way to decorate and it's has a super charming effect. It's probably one of the cutest ideas I've had recently. My roommate said it looks very Pride and Prejudice, which made me smile.

mini gallery

Ever wonder what to do with all those little mementos of inspiration? Hang them out to dry! I fashioned this adorable clothesline out of twine and clothespins so that I could hang my favorite photos, Polaroids, and lots of art postcards. It's totally D.I.Y. and a super simple way to display your most inspiring images. The best part: you can rotate your mini gallery as often as you want! Get motivated and dream on!

cornrows

Which cornrows should I get? I like the ones that come with a beard. The local beauty shop on Metropolitan has these two options in the window display. I passed them during my walk and I am having a hard time deciding which style is best.

it's beautiful here

I'm feeeeeeeeeeeeeeelin' this amazing wall hanging. It doubles as a coat rack, but whatever. I would love to come home to this phrase everyday. Stunner.

your granny embroiders!

And so do I!!! I've been embroidering like crazy because I'm trying to stay out of trouble and off the streets! These designs are too sweet and gracious though. It's a good start, but I'm thinking about more ruthless designs.

brunch is to live!

Sunday brunch is probably one of the most relaxing and rewarding parts of the week. My friends and I are so enthusiastic about it, in fact, that we have officially designated ourselves a brunch crew. I casually suggested that we should have a brunch crest and Erica Freyberger (of Iceberger Gallery http://www.icebergergallery.com/) totally made it happen. Here is our impossibly funny (and quite bad ass) brunch crest! Top that!