From the monthly archives:

August 2009

New Creative E-Course From Susannah Conway!

August 20, 2009

Don’t you just love it when one little thing leads to another and you find yourself somewhere delightfully unexpected? Well, something like that happened to me this morning: it began with a sweet comment from Jamie on this post, mentioning that she would like to learn more about photography. Which reminded me about Susannah Conway’s Unravelling e-course, which I have heard wonderful things about and is something that I am dying to try. I ran over to Susannah’s website to check in, and lo and behold – not only is there a new session of Unravelling: Ways of Seeing My Self beginning September 28, but Susannah has another class up her sleeve as well! Would you like to hear more? Of course you would!

For those of you who are not already familiar with Unravelling, it is a unique photography course that includes a combination of photo and writing assignments along with videos from Susannah. It is not a traditional “how-to” type of class, but from what I understand it is more of a creative, exploratory experience, which sounds absolutely wonderful to me! Susannah has now added a second course, called Unravelling Further: Exploring the Senses, which builds on the work done in Unravelling. Susannah describes it beautifully on her website, so I will borrow a few words from her:

Each week you’ll be given a series of photo assignments, projects and challenges designed to reawaken your senses and encourage you to interact with what’s around you in new ways, in turn making every day feel richer and enhanced…By the end of this six-week e-course your eyes, ears, nose, taste buds, fingertips and intuition will be switched ON.

I read this and immediately thought, yes, yes, YES! What could be better than learning to tune in to your senses and enrich and enhance your everyday life?

I had never tried an e-course before this Spring, when I signed up for the Blogging Your Way e-course (taught by Holly Becker of decor8) – and I was amazed with not only how much I learned, but also the lasting connections that I was able to make with wonderful bloggers from around the world. I know that every course is different, but I am mentioning this just in case you are wary of signing up for an e-course. Don’t be! It’s so much fun! I am seriously thinking of signing up for one of Susannah Conway’s e-courses this Fall, even though I will also be taking two design classes at RISD – but hey, sometimes when it rains it pours, right? An Autumn filled with inspiration and learning is sounding really, really good to me right now.

{images: Susannah Conway}

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Bringing Dreams And Passions To Life

August 19, 2009

in The Sweet Life

Mm, I am just having a delightful day. I took an extra long break at lunch and went to buy myself a few treats: a bouquet of fresh flowers, organic soap, a wonderful smelling chamomile and rosewater “complexion tonic” from a small local company Farmaesthetics, and an iced coffee. I’ve also been thinking about something that I would like to discuss with you: passions and dreams. You may remember when I have touched on these topics in the past, but it’s been a while and I think it’s high time we talk about it again, because it is very close to my heart – and because I have a little fun news to share!

I think that most of us are not short on dreams and passions – we’re short on action! It is so easy to go through life just dreaming away without taking concrete steps toward your goals - but it’s so important to make that effort, for your own sake. If you never take the time to explore your passions, let’s face it – nobody else will be disappointed. But how will you feel? I think sometimes we just need to give ourselves a little kick in the butt. Ahem. For instance, one of my long-held passions is for interior design. Ever since I was a little girl making dolls’ houses, rearranging the furniture in my room, and flipping through my Mom’s Tricia Guild book, I have had this obsession with interiors. But somehow, for years and years I just set it aside, thinking it wasn’t “practical”.

Well, guess what? I am finally taking a step to begin exploring my passion for design. I have signed up for two interior design classes this Fall at RISD, and I am so excited!! Nervous, yes, but also totally elated. It just feels amazing knowing that I am taking a step in the direction of my dreams – and even if I end up going in a direction I don’t expect, at least I am going.

We’ve been waiting all year/For someone to just say/Everyone f***s up/It’s gonna be okay

- Rilo Kiley, Take Offs And Landings

Cheeky quote, I know! But my point is, if you are holding back from taking a step in the direction of your dreams because you’re afraid you won’t be perfect, don’t let that stop you!! No one is perfect. Start small and just do something because you want to. And you never know – it could eventually lead you to a new career, a new place to live, or a new adventure.

So, what are your untapped passions? Is there anything you would like to explore or something that you have recently started exploring? A class or workshop you would like to take? A hobby you would like to try? Chime in – I always love hearing from you!

{images: Laura Gaskill}

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Daily Mood: Soothe Your Senses

August 19, 2009

in Mood Boards

Good morning, friends! I woke up feeling so good this morning, there should be little cartoon birds frolicking about tweeting and fetching ribbons for my hair! I think it just hit me that despite the labor that a move entails, in 10 very short days I will be handed the keys to my very own house. Can I just say, yay!!!! This morning I found myself inspired by all of the lovely Etsy sellers out there working hard to make delightful handmade creations that enhance our everyday lives, and I’ve put together a dreamy little selection of some of my current favorites that are all meant to soothe your senses. Enjoy!!

Clockwise from top left: Beautiful bottles of handmade vegan perfume from Sweet Anthem; Gorgeous cotton voile tunic dress from Plum Pretty Sugar; Sip a cuppa organic tea from joie de tea; Feel like Alice in Wonderland with a sweet little necklace from Sea Unicorn; Fragrant Lavender sachets sewn in vintage hankies from Bananasaurus Rex; and Fleur De Sel Caramels to share with a friend, from Have It Sweet

I hope each of you has a beautiful, wonderful, splendiferous day!

{images: linked to individual sources above}

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Away We Go…To Ca’ Di Gosto {Umbria}

August 18, 2009

in Travel

Ready for a bit of travel inspiration? How would you like to go to the Italian countryside just in time for the harvest season, and learn to cook in a gorgeous old restored farmhouse in Umbria? Oh, yes? I thought you might be interested…

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Ca’ Di Gosto is a B&B as well as a cooking school, and the owners will take us on trips to local markets to shop for ingredients (always with a stop for a perfect cappuccino along the way) and then return to the house to cook a delicious Umbrian feast. We can hang out in the fantastically rustic kitchen and sip wine as sauces and stews bubble away on the stove…

…and try our hand at making fresh pastas and ravioli, along with a few English sweets and treats (the owners are an English and American couple), mm. Feasting, lounging and exploring the countryside sounds like a plan to me!

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And if it gets a bit too hot in the kitchen, we can always cool off in the lovely hillside pool!

Ca’ Di Gosto B&B and Cooking Classes

{images: Ca’ Di Gosto}

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Blog Of The Week: Emma’s Corner

August 18, 2009

in Blogs,Personal Style

Good morning! I am feeling so much better today, thanks to my afternoon off. I took a nap, tidied up the apartment, and in the evening cooked a nice dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine with B. I think it is really important to recognize when you are not feeling your best, and give yourself permission to have a little down-time instead of feeling the need to runrunrun nonstop, do you agree? And then this morning, I opened the sweetest package containing a gift from dear Michelle – thank you, thank you! Getting packages in the mail makes me feel like a million bucks. So, on with the blog of the week! My pick this week is Emma Thorn of Emma’s Corner – Emma has an amazing sense of style, so if you enjoy street style or are looking for new, original outfit ideas this is a fantastic place to visit. Let’s take a look…

I read a bit about Emma’s background in a recent interview with Antler Magazine and was fascinated to learn that while her mother is Swedish, Emma was born and raised in Spain – so her outlook is a blend of both of those cultures. Even though we are so much more connected these days and many people around the world have access to the same types of things, each culture still has its own unique aesthetic sense and I love seeing how people dress in parts of the world far away from where I am!

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I think what I adore most about Emma is that she obviously has a lot of fun with fashion and style – definitely not a “fashion victim”! Each outfit seems to tell a little story, and the photos are completely dreamy. Her blog is mostly in Spanish, but she does post bilingually in Spanish/English quite often, so I’ve found that I can follow along most of the time. And if you took Spanish in school, why not use this as an opportunity to brush up? Much more fun than a textbook!!

Always original, Emma tends to pull together outfits with a mix of vintage pieces, cheap & chic items from chain stores, and a few really special accessories. She reminds me of what fun it was to be a little girl playing dress-up – how nice it would be to capture that feeling again as an adult!