On Being the Change....

I stopped a guy from harassing a woman on the train tonight. I wasn't the only one who felt something was off about the man's behavior towards this woman, but the others later told me that they didn't know how to approach the situation. I simply asked the woman if she was okay. Even when the man became belligerent (at which point the whole train had my back, don't worry mom) I calmly ignored him and continued to make sure the woman was okay and felt safe. This is probably the adrenaline talking, but being a decent human being felt really effing good tonight.

Please and Thank You...

 

Reader, do you have experience with gardening? I have killed almost everything I've ever put in a pot. I'm looking for something low maintenance and beautiful. If you have learned to help plants grow, can you tell us (me?!) your secrets?

...People For The Trees

Via NITCH

Ram Dass // "When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying, ‘You’re too this, or I’m too this.’ That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are."
NITCH is easily one of the most interesting and uplifting Instagram feeds I follow... I am always learning something new. Having a light shed on the inner souls of artists, etc. I love - and some I didn't know I loved, yet - somehow gives me the tools necessary to believe in myself. At least one more day.

Excerpted From the Sunset Series...

I am still learning how to take pictures that I love... the good thing about the sun is that it has a history of being patient with my learning curve. I took this when I lived in Washington, North Carolina - right where the Tar River lets into the Pamlico Sound.

Mood...

Source.

On What Does 'Adult' Even Mean...

Via Tokyo-Bleep

Recently, I saw a presentation that Elizabeth Gilbert made as part of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday series titled "Flight of the Hummingbird - The Curiosity Driven Life". This struck a chord in me as I have never felt particularly passionate about one specific thing; rather, I have been curious and even fascinated by a host of topics and opportunities.

Sometimes, this makes me feel like I don't adult very well... Our society seems to be so convinced that there is a passion for every person and a career path that corresponds to every passion. And if you haven't found it yet, you a) need to be patient, b) need to try harder, or c) the universe hates you.

If those are my options, then with all due respect to the universe - bugger off. Maybe my passion is curiosity and my spirit animal is a hummingbird. ...for today, at least.

Whither Can a Lover Go, But to the Land of His Beloved...

Thank you for a lifetime of encouragement, rest in peace.

On Artisinal Fashion...

The B.Yellowtail Collective is described on their website as "heirloom, artisinal fashion pieces; one-of-a-kind cultural gems; handcrafted & designed by Native American Artisans; where tradition, beauty, and culture meet authentic Indigenous design." 

Friends, I am of the opinion that fashion is art and that art is a conversation. For too long, Native American and other Indigenous People's contributions to the world of fashion have been translated into a single language, so to speak. I am so happy that other voices and aesthetics are coming through. Not in cacophony but in harmony.

On Fish and Grits....

So, sometimes I think I'm hilarious. Like when I try to sneak words in on Words With Friends. Usually, my attempts are rebuffed ...like language isn't fluid and organic. This rejection has, upon occasion, inspired some Prince-level shade. But mostly it's a chance for me to laugh at my own jokes.

Destination: Iceland...

My friend Kimia (uber-talented Painter/Art Curator of Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York) just had what looks to me like the the most breathtakingly beautiful wedding anniversary vacation possible. Generally, I'm not one for chilly destinations, but I guess they had their love to keep them warm. Plus a geothermal lazy river. You know, just in case style.

Reykjadalur, Iceland

Skaftafell, Iceland

Geothermal Hot River... NBD

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

So what do you guys think? Iceland is the new Bali?

**All photos are courtesy Kimia's Instagram. Support the artist.

On Footloose and Fancy Free...

Via Knockturn

"On the swing ride at the Hampstead Heath Fair, England, 28 March 1932".

Carnival or playground, I have always loved swings... but there's something about this picture that's especially hopeful. These women had more personal freedoms than any of their many times great-grandmothers before them, and while unrest was brewing, Europe was not yet in the throes of war. It was okay to just be happy and free.

On Dreamy, Cozy Life Dust...

Saffron and Lilies

A dear friend of mine just moved back to the States after being abroad in Australia with her sweet family for a few years. You should check out her blog... but only if "life is beautiful/hilarity ensues" strikes your fancy.
So, like, everyone.

On Life As Art...

"I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art." - Helena Bonham Carter

Timeless and Classic...

I've been thinking about the differences between fashion and style, lately. As Scott Schuman recently said, fashion moves quickly, but style is forever. My personal style has been in a bit of flux, of late... but then so has what I want people to know about me based on first impressions, I suppose. To wit, I'm really feeling the looks below.

Via The Sartorialist

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm a little bit obsessed with Italy at the moment.
But I love the way they're wearing these shirts - it goes a long way towards solving the issues women typically have with getting shirts to close in the front.

Challenge Accepted...

Courtesy SoulPancake

On Thinking Out Loud...

Courtesy I Lady Jay

To breaking silence and speaking our truth...

New Music. New Art. In Real Life...

So. Freaking. Excited!

Okay... Really, San Francisco? I mean, I was already in love. And then you bring this to the table? Swoon!

Mic Drop on Hollywood...

Dumbfoundead... Support the artist!

A few years ago, as I was settling back into life in the States, I had an epiphany of sorts that I'm sure struck most people long ago.... The internet felt really white to me. 

This is because much of what I because much of what I use the internet for is to keep tabs on art, music, fashion, and other manifestations of 'culture'. So I guess what I was finally noticing is how white pop-culture is. 

I love the way that Jonathan Park, aka Dumbfoundead, has turned the insidious whitewashing of Hollywood around. In an interview with NBC News, he shared "I wanted to flip the script on the conversation everybody was having about the whitewashing of Hollywood and 'yellow-wash' some of the most iconic films starring white male leads." Genius.

Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective

I hope that these are as fun for you as they were for me...!

Backstage at Oscar de la Renta

(But Nicki Minaj looks a thousand times better than the mannequin, just saying)

Punk Rock Princess

Jem and the Holograms vs. The Misfits

An avid gardener, Oscar de la Renta often drew inspiration from nature. 

Oscar de la Renta often looked to other cultures for creative inspiration...

East Asia

Russia

The Oscar de la Renta Retrospective at the de Young Museum was beautifully curated. I did my best to capture the essence of his work, his passion. These are just a few of the pictures I took today; for simplicity's sake, I present them in the rough order of their presentation...

 (okay, seriously? I love everything about this)

Mr. de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic and trained under Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo in Spain as a young designer. These pieces highlight the influence Spain and her culture had on his aesthetic.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective exhibit at the de Young.... and I'm going! I love the art of fashion, and this feels like a real treat - I hope to be able to share some pictures, but at least some delightful anecdotes, soon!

The Song That Has Me Dancing Around the House...

O-Ophelia... The Lumineers

It's come to my attention that there's a little concert in Napa this weekend... these gems are playing it. I, alas, will not be in attendance. Mostly because I found out about it too late, but also because it turns out that I'm also allergic to festival concerts. Or so my experiences in Coachella would have me believe. 

But if (when?) you find me dancing a merry jig around the streets of San Francisco, you'll know that this sweet song is on loop in my head.

On Keeping It 100....

The first blog I ever wrote (A Day In The Life...) started as a way for me to quickly and easily (lazily?) let my family know what kinds of adventures I was getting up to once I moved abroad. It became part of me in ways I may never even fully understand.
When I moved back to the United States, I entered a period of depression that I still struggle with sometimes - even nearly five years later. My writers block has been a major frustration to me, and even though I've dabbled in starting other blogs, nothing felt right. I have started this blog for myself. A place where I can curate the Internet in ways that make me smile, and hopefully strike conversations that help positively shape the discourse of society.
I will think of this as my late night, drowsily formed mission statement. As my creative courage comes back, it may change. But for now, I'm happy.

Exquisite Storytelling...

Kirsty Mitchell
Wonderland

There is something really special about this project - it calls to mind some of the work that Alexander McQueen would do... I have the feeling that he and Ms. Mitchell's sweet mum are as enamored of this project as I am. ...wherever they are.

Where Magic Happens...

Taken in downtown Wilmington, NC

Once upon a time, my kindergarten teacher asked me to draw a picture of my favorite animal... I drew a unicorn. Obviously.

On Compassion as Freedom...

"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe"... He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature... Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security." - Albert Einstein

Five weeks in San Francisco, and I'm already in love...

Courtesy Trader Joe's 

City Hall ...no big

Connect Four

Disco at Uniqlo