Back To College
I went back to college this weekend.
My cousin, Brooke, & I were having some major cabin fever so I took a mini weekend trip to visit her at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. We tasted amazing local foods at the North Market in the Short North District & had the best ice cream I've ever had at Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream for lunch. The market was filled with delicious smells like fresh meats, spices, vegetables, chocolate!, waffles, donuts, etc. while the ice cream shop gave me a ton of design inspiration.
I love visiting thoughtfully designed shops because when it's done right, you don't notice. It's a natural experience that takes a lot of hard work to procure. I appreciate the time it takes to think of every detail & I hope to create a shop experience like this someday!
We wandered into many cute vintage & craft shops, bouncing our ideas for dream spaces & wardrobes off each other. We found some maps at a quirky paper shop & as my cousin sifted through a box of hundreds of quotes—looking for the perfect one to brighten a friend's day—I realized what a special woman she's becoming.
I was reminded of the roller coaster that is moving away from home & living on your own for the first time. The independence. Not having to answer to anyone about your decisions. Meeting people who challenge you to think differently. Trying new things. Breaking out of that old shell. Visiting her this weekend made me realize she can handle her own. She is so kind, so sweet, and doesn't take anyone's bullshit.
A few things she's taught me:
It's ok to dance by yourself & love every minute of it!
You can be honest without being brutal.
You won't always have the best days but that should never stop you from laughing because life is funny that way & hard times will pass.
So take it from Brooke this week, break your routine & dance to this song, brave ones (I know I will be):
Good Mud, Personal Legends & Sex
There is one great thing about all this snow & that's reading great books! It feels amazing to hunker down with a good book, a cup of tea & lose track of time. Good for the mind & soul. I always feel relaxed & recharged reading away from the glaring light of the screen.
Here's my current list (from left to right):
Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community by Wendell Berry
The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
The Smell of Good Mud by Lauren Zuniga
The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture by Wendell Berry
The Wisdom of the Native Americans by Kent Nerburn
Have you read any good books lately? I love to add to my library!
Rose-Colored Glasses
Today, my horoscope said I was best off wearing my rose-colored glasses & keeping my mouth shut so that's exactly what I did. I was going to make brownies for my friend's birthday tomorrow but found I didn't have brownie mix or a pan so I read all night instead.
I went to yoga & accepted that patience is the only way I'll learn the moves. I think that's why I keep going back. Because I'm not very good at it & the people there like me anyway. Who knew that thinking, analyzing & reflecting LESS would take me to places I need instead of stewing over the places I think I want. You knew? Well, then, please, help a sista out next time! There's a subtle—and crucial—difference between letting your dreams guide you & letting them put on the pressure that hinders you from reaching for them.
Oh & thanks to this amazing lady for always lending me her rosy frames. xo dreamy ones, Em.
Lemon & Honey Face Wash
I've been seeking new ways to take care of my skin since I looked on the back of my face wash cleanser bottle & didn't know any ingredient listed beside "water". After some research, I found this 2-ingredient moisturizing face wash that was easy to make & lasted a while. After trying this for a month, I've tweaked the original recipe to use 1/2 a lemon for lemon juice with 1 tbsp. of honey. My face feels softer & a lot of blemishes/scars started to diminish after 1 week of using it consistently. I was originally using it to moisturize my face but found the lemon's antibacterial properties prevents acne & its citric acid acts as a delicate skin peel, removing the top layer of dead skin cells (be careful of minor stinging if you leave it on too long or have an open wound).
Using a few homemade alternatives like the Lemon Honey, Honey moisturizing face wash makes me feel good about what I'm putting on my face. Lately, I've been more curious about the skincare products I use because when I go to the store the best-designed package stands out to me more than the effects the ingredients could have on my body (curse of a designer!). Making my own removes all of that nonsense, leaving me more money to make other poor buying decisions with.
All-natural baby! If only I could have picked that lemon myself...
25 Days of Thanks
25 days, 1 notebook & whatever pen I could find.
The month of November challenged me to be more thoughtful & kind. The smile on the waiter's face when he found the note next to our coffee cups, the responses from old friends when they unexpectedly heard from an old friend & the grumpy neighbor who must have found the note in his door; he waves to me now. Intentional appreciation for daily wonders made me see the wonders of the world.
Filled up with thanks. Goodnight, world.
Winter Replenish
Every ounce of me wanted to conquer this year's resolutions. The sequin hat I wore while nursing a wee hangover gave me the confidence I needed to be on my resolution game & look sexy doing it. I was going to dominate 2014 in one day. I washed my face with a homemade milk & honey face wash. I woke up the next morning & thought of 3 things I was grateful for before getting out of bed (pre-coffee!). I drank double the amount of water I usually do. I went for a walk midday, taking in the crisp air & beauty around me. More prayers of appreciation. I prepared a healthy meal in the crockpot so we could have dinner at a normal time.
I even had time to get my 2014 Daily Planner! A mini-tradition I look forward to at the beginning of each year. I took the deepest nap of my life before dinner was ready…& then I woke up in one of the worst moods of my life. It could have been the pressure I put on myself to continue improving every day of this new year. Or it could have been my body saying it couldn't take any more stress, anxiety, or mental games from the whirlwind of a year that 2013 was.
Either way, I lost complete focus of the world in front of me. You know, the one I am fully immersed in right now. Not the one that was or the one that is going to be. I couldn't snap out of it. I failed at 2014. And it was only January 2nd.
It was in this 'tude I found The Wisdom of the Native Americans. It's a compilation of ideas, values & ethos many Native Americans believed in despite the Europeans' need to conquer by breaking trust agreements & inducing horrible treatment. This book made me realize how off-kilter our society is with what's truly important. It led me to look inward. Not much has been "resolved" since my mini-freakout yesterday. I'm 23 & have no idea what I'm doing. It's all I could come up with. I may never live exactly like the Native Americans did but hearing a group of wise Chiefs reminded me that peace is internal. You do not find it in money or power or materials. It begins & ends with nature. What has been here all along. What has survived the overuse & negligence.
So instead of resolutions, I'm seeking 4 feelings this year. Starting with replenish.
REPLENISH: I want to feel replenished in my mind & body. I'll be experimenting with meditation, DIY's that include natural ingredients for products I'm putting on my skin, mindfulness with what I'm putting in my body & whatever else comes my way. I don't have a plan other than this—you have no idea how that tilts my psyche—but I'm excited to see what happens.
4 feelings for 4 seasons.
I'll be sure to tell you how it's going. What feelings would you like more of?
Notebook Love
I am a list-maker. I make lists of lists to remember my lists (because doesn't the checking off of things feel so good?). I have found more convenient ways to keep track of all my to-do's, thoughts, questions, and ideas but there's something about writing in a notebook with my favorite pen I can't let go of. So if you crave a fresh sheet of paper to mark up with tasks or are longing to vent on a page because you can guarantee she won't peep a word, this list of notebooks may be of interest to you:
The Confidante
The notebook I turn to when the world goes quiet. She holds my ponderings, frustrations & everything in between. Same.
The Nature Lover
I got these cute little things at a paper show. The covers are made of natural ultra-thin wood veneer & printed with a gold foil stamp. They feel like you just chopped down the tree to take notes but without the guilt of deforestation. The supplier assured me with enough facts that I believe the company is sustainable & replenishes more than what they take. Same (send a request) or similar.
The Go-Getter
This planner has enough space for the busiest of days, a secret pocket in the back for those inevitable scraps of unreadable-yet-important notes and a cover that makes you want to get shit done to the tune of any musician at Woodstock. Similar for 2014
The Idealist
Nothing like a classic to let your craziest ideas run free. I jot down fleeting thoughts from poems to personal branding exercises in this notebook. Some of the ideas come to fruition, some don't. They all hang out together here, judgment-free. Similar.
There are so many great resources to find the perfect notebook. I've listed a few of my favorites. Where do you find your gems?
Calm amongst the storm
I've never been one to stand calm and wait for the good to come to me. I've always chased what I wanted. If I didn't, my want may change its mind and go looking for someone else to love. For instance, in 3rd grade it was the cutest boy at recess I'd chase after. By the time I reached high school, it was a starting spot on the varsity basketball team. The latest dream I had a death grip on was becoming a graphic designer with a college degree. I guess I thought if I worked harder than anyone there wasn't a chance I would not get what I was running after. I would will it to happen if nothing else. But now I'm starting to question if the running is towards something or just in circles.
With life as my teacher (no more professors, woohoo!) I'm thinking it would do more good to sit still and listen than to chase blindly. Lately, I've exhausted myself with worry and overanalyzing. I've actually become a control freak as a reaction to these mind games. Seriously. I control how the toothbrushes sit on the bathroom sink. I move them back in place if they're positioned differently than how I left them. I put ingredients back in their rightful places before Joel has used them to make dinner. I pick up before things get out of order, afraid of those messy thoughts. I make decisions at work to cover all the bases but I often miss the mark. Quality, not quantity. No heart.
“If you have patience, you have the whole world at your feet, for everything worthwhile in life comes to he who stands calm.”
This quote keeps popping up in my head as I go about my days this week. It's become my mantra I didn't consciously choose. "Stand calm. Stand calm. Stand calm." Methodical and comforting, like the rain I've been hearing at night. I think whoever wrote this was on to something. Maybe the answer is in slowing down, not speeding up. I think my body knew it before my heart and head could catch up. I was compelled all summer to take pictures of my feet in the different places I wound up. I didn't know it then but my feet were trying to tell me something."Emily, let's stand calm."