Young Living Thieves

Young Living has a high quality essential oil product list. Just in time for the cold season and any season really is Thieves Essential Oil. Use the oil for dietary needs, aromatic infusions, or for topical uses.

"Thieves® was created based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health."

Thieves Essential Oil

Thieves® Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash

Thieves® Spray - use on door handles, toilet seats, and any surface that needs cleansing to protect from dust, mold, and undesirable microorganisms

Thieves® Soft Lozenges - quick breath freshener - soothing relief for your mouth - contains Thieves® essential oil blend and the essential oils of orange and peppermint

FIRINN

Jewelery, Object + Custom Design by Sydney-based designer and artist, Chloe Elizabeth

"The word Firinn is of Scottish Gaelic origins, meaning “The Ultimate Truth” which is something that Chloe Elizabeth resonates strongly with and aspires to achieve through her daily life, her art and her design."

FRED BARE

FRED BARE, located in Australia and New Zealand. They have a creative vivid lien of clothing and eye-ware for children.

Wonderful photography by Wendell Levi Teodoro

White Forest Pottery

Nancy Bauch’s work is meditative, simple, and lovely. Her art reflects the philosophy of “wabi sabi” an aesthetic that honors the beauty of imperfection.

{ WORDS UP } no.8

cool collection by Sandra Juto

Sandra Juto

beauchamping

Etsy Shop

Jochen Gerner

Jochen Gerner

Branchages, 2003-2008
techniques mixtes sur papier
21 x 15 cm

Nic Webb

UK creative artisan, Nic Webb, hand carves each of these beautiful pieces out of fresh living green wood. He collects wood as he walks around the British Isles.

“When I begin carving I look for the differing qualities in each piece, allowing the grain and character to influence the design. Each spoon evolves to have its own personality and when finished becomes a showcase for the limitless beauty of wood.”

Natalie Portman in V Magazine

Miss Portman is an amazing person for many reasons. One in particular, she is an avid animal rights activist. She was a long time vegetarian now turned vegan. I think we can all agree the list of good things about her goes on and on. Her beauty stops you dead in your tracks and then there is the intelligence and charm. The acting ability and fine art of cinema. The line of vegan shoes and keen fashion sense. Natalie's pics in V Magazine are all over stunning.

Tales of Light by Heidi Romano

Minimal and intricately beautiful. Melbourne, Australia fine art photographer, Heidi Romano's collages of plant life are calming and uplifting to the senses. Found via Design*Sponge.

shop
blog

Fern the Kid arrives at Woodstock Sanctuary

In the light of holiday season please take a moment to watch this lovely video about Fern, a rescued animal. The incredibly kind hearted Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, who I have had to pleasure of working with on a tshirt and letterpress print to raise money for the animals has undying love and determination. Jenny, seen in the video is a die hard salt of the earth lady. I am so happy the animals have a nice place to go and live in life.

I could go on about my animal and vegan food views and at some point I probably will, but for now, I offer this post to Fern the Kid and all the other animals out there that I dearly hope make it into the arms of a loving person.

Animals just want to live, love, and enjoy life. Just like us. We are not separate.

Sharpen your chocolate pencils

I really wish I could say I came up with this. Produced by nendo / Oki Sato / Tokyo

Diane Steverlynck bookmark at moob

Brilliant bookmark idea by Belgium designer Diane Steverlynck . Found at moob. A Large paper clip covered with braided silk threads.

found via Lushlee (awesome blog)

Julie's Favorites, Kookie Karma

Originally found via happy lady eats, Kookie Karma is on my list of raw vegan treats to try. They are gluten, soy, and dairy free. Founder, Julie Novotny, also has a great blog called Pure Mamas full of healthy information and fun articles.

Poster Cabaret

I am a huge fan of The Small Stakes. New poster shown above of the Monsters in Folk concert. Also shown Why? poster. Found on grain edit.

Bea Szenfeld

Swedish designer Bea Szenfeld via a cup of joe

baileys home and garden

baileys sells a mix of vintage and new from a variety of sources sharing the qualities integral to our repair and reuse.

They reuse "unloved bits and pieces (small or large) that we find on our travels, and give them a new lease of life - it's our version of recycling... so abandoned bobbins from old textile mills turn up on our shelves as egg timers, lamp bases or string holders; scraps of floor board become mirror frames, tables or even kitchen units."

baileys has restored their residence, Whitecross Farm. A series of run down buildings now beautified with baileys great eye and love.

Hope you had a great weekend!

This past weekend the sun was shining in New York. I could take 60 degrees all year round with sun. Ahhhh! Some pics from the Erie Canal walk near my house. You can feel winter coming in these images.

LARK

Found via decor8, Lark is a lovely boutique that originated in England but has since moved to Victoria, Australia.

Lark's products are hand-made, high quality, ethical, appealing and fun.

Lark founder, Allison, continues to make many of the products herself. She also works with skilled local craftspeople, and with non-profit community organisations, including an organisation of women artisans in rural Bangladesh and a group of adults with disabilities closer to home in Central Victoria.

Have a calm relaxing weekend

I took these two shots in Portland, Maine a while back. I have since altered them a bit but love how tranquil they feel.

Enjoy your weekend. Get off the computer and play outside, even if it is cold.

Cheers!

Field by Dominic Wilcox

Dominic Wilcox created a field from 400 eco-friendly shoes as part of the London Design Festival. "Sponsored by Terra Plana, the ethical shoe company, Wilcox has applied a touch of magic to the shoe laces as they rise up in unison and grow towards the window's light."

I WANT TO GO TO THIS DENTIST

Can I book an appointment? I need my teeth cleaned actually. It has been six months.

This is the most amazing dentist office I have ever seen.

photo © Sergio Pirrone // icon-eye
Architect // Designer: Keisuke Maeda / UID
City: Fukuyama-city, Hiroshima // Japan

The world needs a fast

Since most of the word is on the Internet it might be time to all get together and do a global fast since we are kind of running short on food. Even if you have plenty, someone else does not, and guess what, sooner or later it will catch up to all of us. Perhaps, take a break from the pork for while and buy some local apples. Ask yourself, is this food really serving me? How do I feel? Where does it come from? Who prepared it? Who harvested it?

Read more at National Geographic

Selgas Cano Architecture

Selgas Cano, a Spanish architecture firm, has an incredibly earth friendly office built right into nature. Their glass roof and in the ground structure caters to using natural energy.

Raw Vegan Portobello “Burger” Patties from G Living Chefs

For all of you out there who eat raw, eat vegan, eat meat, eat everything, this is a recipe for you. I will be making these today.

VIA G Living

For the Burger Patties:

½ cup ground flax seed

¼ cup hemp seeds

2 Tbsp fresh-chopped parsley

½ tsp fresh chopped thyme

1 Tbsp flax oil or olive oil

1½ Tbsp nama shoyu (or soy sauce)

1 tsp pressed garlic

½ tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp mustard (stone-ground brown mustard preferable)

¼ cup chopped walnut pieces

2 medium portobello mushrooms, broken into large pieces

(GET THE FULL POST WITH DIRECTIONS HERE)

Alice in Waterland by Elena Kalis

Alice in Wonderland, one of my all time favorite stories. Interpreted in water? Very interesting and so appropriate for this whimsical story.

"Elena Kalis is a visual artist that was born in Russia and is specialized in underwater photography. She has been living for the last ten years in the Bahamas and for the new version of the story she chose her daughter as the perfect model. The results are some really fascinating photos that not only transmit all the surrealism and imagination of the original story, but take it a step forward. Between a mermaid and a survivor of a shipwreck, caught between fantasy and reality."
(source: yatzer)

NEVER FOR GRANTED

Today, November 4th, 2009, is one year exactly our cat Uma returned home after a six week vacation as I like to call it. However, it was not exactly a vacation, for her or us. Or, probably the neighbors I hammered to look for her and put out food and water. Luckily, the neighborhood was beyond open-hearted and receptive to her displacement.

I remember the day exactly... it was around 6pm, getting dark, and Uma was out front by my car. She stared me right in the eyes and took off in a bolt. Like, she had a mission. I felt really strange for about an hour. I had gone out for a walk and at the end starting running, actually sprinting like I had to go home. My husband was in charge of looking after Uma when I had left the house. Our cats take random breaks outside to enjoy nature but are house cats. They were never left alone to go out overnight. I knew as soon as I got in the driveway she was gone. That look, it was all too affirming that this day was an auspicious one. And, Mercury had just gone into retrograde. Call it what you will, but check out when it does and you will see that all mechanical devices go ape-shit and you feel like you entered the Twilight Zone. Proceed with caution at this time.

I entered our house, where Uma's sister of the same liter, Abby, was lurking around the door. Of course, she knew the story, but alas, could not say, "hey Uma went on an adventure hunting chipmunks and will see you in six weeks." Or better yet, is trapped in a basement up the street, which we believe was the case. I had a lot of tension with my husband for not trying to look for her right away the minute I left but knew it was not his fault. And, he actually thought, after we talked, she was in the house. It is easy to jump the gun. Still, the rajas as we say in yoga, the irritation, hyper energy and heightened action moving through me was overwhelming. I wanted to lock him out of the house. Interesting what past karmas show up at times of vulnerability. Meaning, my mother always blamed my father for everything and here I was blaming my husband. I knew in the moment I was having a breakthrough that my feelings were all just an illusion, a past learned behavior and they had to be rectified. Thank you, Uma, for that lesson. It was not like I was walking around blaming my husband for things but I was looking for a body of energy to dump my lost cat anger and sadly, that was him. Watch your thoughts and actions. Rule number one of this long story.

I went out right away looking for Uma. I walked for hours through the rain, crying, almost throwing up, feeling like I actually wanted to scream so loud she would hear me. It hurt more than anything I had ever gone through in life so far. I have never been pregnant and given birth and this cat felt like a huge piece of me. The closest I had ever felt to this mental pain was accepting my mother's downward spiral into homelessness. Another story and too much information right now about me. But, what the hell, I have always been a straight shooter and find interest in people's journeys through life with challenges and how they overcome with honesty and integrity. Thank you mom for helping me find my strength in life through perseverance. I hope you find yours again. Uma certainly found hers by finding us 6 weeks later.

A lot happened over six weeks, as you could imagine. There were spottings of Uma, phone calls, and out pours of support. I actually called Find Toto, a lost pet service, and had them call 1000 people within a 10 mile radius of our house to leave contact info about Uma and go online to see her picture. I did everything. I hired two animal communicators and sat in deep meditation until I could accept she might be gone. Hoping secretly she would reincarnate as my child if I ever had one.

During my searches, everyday, at all hours, I wept in the woods watching bluebirds circle above me, scared people as I lurked in their yards looking like a crazy burglar, called her name everywhere, dropped catnip all over the neighborhood, and left water and food at various points. I would shake in realization that perhaps this separation was preparing me for my mom's death soon as she was and still is not well.

There were days, weeks, and soon a month where I just sat in silence with Uma's picture surrounded by candles and visualized her finding us again. At one point I finally let go. I said, if she is gone, she is in peace and I need to move on. It was really hard. Really f-ing hard. Attachment is one of the Yamas, rules or observances, in yoga science. Also, referred to as Aparigraha or non-possessiveness. If you are attached to people and material things you will suffer greatly. They all eventually go, disappear, and what then do you have left? We must embrace what we have in our life at all times. As my teacher, Dharma Mittra says, "be ready for a blackout." We take so much for granted, our family, animal friends, and especially the environment. If you are so unbelievably thankful always, resting the heart on the divine nature within you an all around you, you will have some peace throughout the hard times. You will see the mind and how it traps us in the illusion we are alone, wrecked, poor, rich, depressed, fat, tired, and even happy. Always be neutral, not attached to this or that. Enjoy the material plane, your car, your house, but realize it can go. None of this should be depressing but should be helpful in the goal of self realization or even partial self realization. The ultimate goal of yoga.

Uma returned after six weeks. Six weeks of the hardest tapas (yogic austerities) I have ever gone through in my life. She returned the day Mercury went out of retrograde. The day I drove home from CT after seeing my family, and spending Halloween weekend in NYC dressed up like a cat. The day I sat on my back porch when I got home finally from NYC and smiled contently sitting in a lawn chair waiting patiently for her. A day when I trusted my intuition and looked at her sister perch herself at my feet in the kitchen and give me a sign everything was okay. I walked outside at that very moment to find my beloved cat on the front steps. I carried her in the house, laid on my office floor with her resting on my face, all emaciated 6 pounds of her, and just thanked the universe for her being here now. She lost half her body weight. I lost half of my attachments.

She returned to health after a week and is still here with us now. But, I always, when I look at her, know someday she will be gone, and that every moment with her, my husband, friends and family, are the greatest gifts I can ever embrace in life. Always, always, be thinking positive thoughts. Every thought lands where it is intended and will in effect have a reaction. You are what you believe.

~ OM ~

CONGRATS ASHLEY of FERN ANIMALS

Add a personal touch to your wedding with a pair of custom designed birds to top your wedding cake! These birds are completely handmade using vintage and recycled materials. They stand approximately four inches tall and are stuffed with 100% Organic Cotton!

I met Ashley Anna Brown, creator of those gorgeous little hand made animals at the BUST Holiday Craftacular last year in NYC. She is adorable. She puts a lot of love into these amazing petite creations. I am happy to say she was chosen as the DIY Wedding Crafts Contest winner by Martha Stewart Weddings for her patchwork bird toppers. Congrats!!!!!

A lovely example of a beautiful Dharma Mittra yogi, Kimberly Snyder

Kimberly Snyder is a lovely yogini and student of beloved Dharma Mittra. Kimberly, I hope our paths cross next time I am Dharma's shala. You are lovely. And, your skin glows. Check out Kimberly's skincare line, Envision Beauty. Kimberly is also a raw chef and nutritionist. She is incredibly inspirational, honest, and motivating. Thank you Kimberly!

Cristiana Couceiro

Cristiana Couceiro is a freelance illustrator, working and living in Lisbon, Portugal. And, she makes my eyes water as I cannot stop staring at her collages.

CONTACT
7dias7@gmail.com

SELECTED CLIENTS
Audi Magazine, Bis Publishers, BBDO Irish International, Condé Nast, Le Cool Magazine, Magazine das Artes, Mother London, Neon Gold Records, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Picador Books, piXiu Films, Umbigo Magazine, University of Toronto.

{ WORDS UP } no.7