Every now and then something reminds me why I set off to live a more conscious life to begin with. It hits me like a ton of bricks. Reading an article about unfair wages, a news story about injustices beyond my control, learning about yet another company with shady business practices that we all, it seems, must conform to. All of these have been little reminders this week, and the best thing I can do is in some small way make a difference. Even though the things that weigh on me lately have little to do with shopping or design, I like to think the things I write about will help someone else take that first step to a more conscious life too—even if it starts with buying your next blanket from one of the sites on my list as opposed to the mass-produced alternative. Even a blanket has its implications. Sometimes I don’t see it that way, and sometimes it’s the only lens through which I look at the world. When thinking of all these heavy topics, we make a choice to be hopeless or hopeful.It’s a conscious decision.
Photo gifts from Artifact Uprising
I can’t remember the last time I’ve printed photos or given a photo gift, and it’s something I used to do all the time. It was our anniversary over the weekend and we also are looking for a new apartment so it seemed some meaningful little gifts were in order. I put together this wood calendar through Artifact Uprising and was so so happy with the results, twelve sturdy matte squares to make our recent trip up the California coast evolve from four days to one year.
A turquoise coastline in Big Sur, rocky shores of Monterey, Painted Ladies in San Francisco…
I wrapped it right in the kraft paper the box came with. No surprise that I finally decided on what photos to print less than a week before I needed this gift, so I couldn’t blame AU if my photos were late. Luckily, they arrive early and we got to review our photos over an anniversary latte.
I guess I had forgotten how nice it is to hold memories in a hand. There are also 25 packs of photo prints, so I ordered one full of little adventures over the last year or so, but those will be saved for new walls.
Pasadena, whole 30, + boho thrift style
Last Friday night I told Kevin, Tomorrow we’re going on a sunrise hike. Sounds good, he said, in a tone that made it seem like we go on sunrise hikes… ever. We got up the hill at 6:30 and watched the sun rise over LA. It was chilly, windy, and the perfect start to a day left unplanned. One of the challenges in minimalism is to leave a whole day unplanned. I cannot remember any time in my life I’ve done this. Plan, plan, plan. We didn’t even plan to leave this day unplanned, it just unfolded that way. After our hike we stopped by a little coffee shop on fountain ave, got a delectable Paleo breakfast (the last days of our Whole 30 are reserved for yummy breakfast dishes) drove through the hills, sorted out some things at home, then continued to Pasadena for some wandering.
Outfit: Thrifted from top to bottom, except the purse, a boutique find in Larchmont. Especially proud of my $3 Levi’s.
One of my favorite discoveries in Old Town Pasadena was this little collection of shops in a shared space with exposed brick and minimal decor. It housed an ice cream shop, pie shop, florist, tea stand, and of course, a juicery. In case you’re wondering if I broke down on day 23 of my Whole 30, I didn’t–I was relegated to cold brew only. Pie, I miss you, I sure miss you.
In related news, our Whole 30 month is coming to a close today. We made it through 30 days of no processed foods, no added sugar, no dairy, no grains. If you know me, you know my sweet tooth is a little out of control. I think sugar runs through my veins. I blame it on my chocoholic father! So I’m really proud I did this for myself–just me, and I’ve learned a lot about food and what I want to eat. The sugar cravings haven’t really gone away, but I learned grain-free really isn’t so bad (well, sort of, I love cake. I want cake.) Tomorrow’s our 8 year anniversary and we will indulge in Stumptown lattes and baked goods and a fancy meal. I know that’s missing the point but I’m proud as can be and will be making healthier choices in 2015. This girl even signed up for the gym. And has even gone twice. How ya like them apples? (Actually, I prefer farmers market oranges. The sneakiest of desserts.)
Have a lovely weekend!
Fair trade Guatemalan bags
I can’t get enough of the ‘ethnic’ trend right now. In fashion, design, and decor, stunning color combinations and pretty, intricately woven threads are mixing with bohemian eccentricity and breathing new life into both styles. I recently thrifted a cute “woven” bag that I love, but am saving my pennies specifically for an authentic Guatemalan beauty like the ones below. Let me tell you, the designs are endless. Generally no two are alike. They’re definitely investment pieces, but I can’t see me getting sick of one of these any time soon, not to mention the amount of money I’ve spent on lower-quality pieces over time…
I actually wear a lot less color in everyday life than my style posts + pinterest boards show. but then I get lost in color, pattern, texture. and then I think, maybe it’d be best to stick with something like no. five, subdued but no less of a statement piece. Are you into the woven trend yourself? Sources below.
mu’s bags / one world projects / altiplano / hiptipico / five + six both from athinaeum
Introducing The Blog Market
This post is a long time comin’ but I thought it’d be best to really get going before doing a full feature on a project I’ve been working on, The Blog Market. TBM is a website dedicated to providing resources for creative + productive blogging. It was founded by Jennifer of Earl Grey, who loves sharing her passion for design + websites. Here’s a little background on her inspiration behind The Blog Market…
I always meet people who are interested in blogging but don’t know where to start. Blogging involves a lot of steps (design, networking, content development) and while there are endless resources out there, sometimes it’s hard to know where to look. The Blog Market stemmed from a desire to make those resources accessible to everybody. I’m hoping that through our content, we’ll be able to show others that designing and maintaining a blog is more fun than it is stressful.
Once Jenn told me about her lovely idea, I was happy to get involved. Like I’ve mentioned before, I think writing and creating is a process, and a lot of that process gets lost online. Since December, we’ve posted on a bunch of topics from CSS tutorials (that would be all Jenn, btw!) to Etsy tips. Click the photos below to go to some of our faves so far…
(Her CSS Basics series is v-i-t-a-l.)
We’ve received a ton of great feedback about The Blog Market so far and I’m really excited for the year. Be sure to find my weekly posts on the blog + sign up for the forums to join the community.
Minimal vs. Clearing the clutter
Minimalism was a buzzword in 2014 and it’s gaining real traction for the new year. Somewhere along the way, it went from being more of an arts and design term to something that encompasses an entire lifestyle. There are so many reasons to be drawn to a minimalist lifestyle, like streamlining your wardrobe (thus spending a lot less on clothing!) and making room for the important things. At the same time, there are things in my life that are decidedly not minimal, ranging from the way I hoard scraps of paper to use in craft projects to several to-dos/goals/plans/manifestos going at once, in a handful of different notebooks, my phone, my mind, and mistitled Word documents.
2015 is the year that I streamline and clear away the clutter. But it isn’t the year I become a minimalist. There will likely always be a glittery mess of handmade gift tags scattered across my desk, but I can live without the stack of junk mail buried underneath the rarely worn clothes in one of our dresser drawers. Life is messy; I accept this. I want to create, and when you create, there’s always more of something. Then again, I’ve never been one for DIYs I don’t need in my life—I prefer to spend time on a project that will serve a purpose in some way, large or small. [Read more…] about Minimal vs. Clearing the clutter