Farmhouse Estate – Sonoma Wine Country
On Tuesday it suddenly dawned on me that I had a holiday ahead; it felt like I had found $100 bill in my back pocket! I usually flip when I find a $5, so the realization that I had three days off sent me over the moon. It’s been a long time since my Lova and I were able to escape, so we decided to scramble to plan a last minute holiday.
To be honest since my December birthday I have had a lot swirling through my head and somehow things seem more urgent and unclear than they used to. I guess that’s what happens when you approach the tail-end of your 20’s, but it seems I must resolve to let it go and get back to enjoying what comes my way. My first attempt at this will be at the lovely Farmhouse Inn in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma wine country.
Believe it or not this will be our first trek into wine country (not including a quick trip to Napa for a disappointing meal at Bouchon, but that doesn’t really count). So, I’m looking forward to our country cottage on the estate and the wine tastings and, let’s be honest here, the artisan cheese snacks that will undoubtedly accompany it.
I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead of you, complete with an extra day and some time to enjoy living. Deep breath. Relax. Smile.
Filed under: Art and Design
What a cool concept! Antrepo Design Studio has created series of alternate branding treatments for some familiar products in order to showcase the power of simplicity. Minimalist effect in the maximalist market really gets you thinking about all the unnecessary elements on packages you see everyday. The more simple variations really show how important typeface is to a brand.
I just love this idea; think how much better your pantry and cleaning closet could look. I must admit that on a few of them (Nutella, mostly) I prefer the simple variation versus the more simple variation, but overall the less-is-more is definitely working for me.
What do you think?
[via Minimalissimo, all images via Antrepo Design Studio]
Dr. Bronner’s family of soaps
I adore my Dr. Bronner’s soaps, they make me happy. Yes, washing my hands with his soaps actually makes me happy. And reading the label is always interesting. All of the soaps are vegetable-based, completely biodegradable, made from organic and fair trade oils, and have no synthetics or preservatives. You can actually recognize all nine of the ingredients on the label, and checking in at the Cosmetics Database shows it’s ranking as a wonderful 1-2 (which is not always easy to find). The scents come only from the essential oils, so no fragrance has been added. I’ve admitted it before: I am a perfume/fragrance brat. I’ll have none of it, thankyouverymuch. I use almond in both the liquid and bar soaps and it smells heavenly; nothing artificial or overpowering, just a soft natural almond scent that reminds me of cookies for some strange reason.
Aside from the lovely smell and all the benefits of organic and natural ingredients, converting to a natural soap is an easy way to make the transition toward a cleaner house, and here’s why: last April the FDA announced that there may suddenly be a concern with the commonly used antibacterial chemical triclosan. Found in everything from toothpaste to deodorant and liquid soaps and hand sanitizers, the chemical is so prevalent that it is found in 75% of the population’s urine. Recent studies have found that triclosan disrupts normal endocrine functions (by mimicking hormones produced by the thyroid), while other studies have shown it to affect sea life, even preventing photosynthesis in diatom algae. In short: a chemical employed since the early seventies, presumed to be completely safe (by the FDA in spite of mounting evidence) until last spring, is currently being investigated, but still exists in nearly every health and cleaning product available.
Triclosan
Switching soaps is an easy and fairly inexpensive way to remove a few more chemicals from your home. Compared to many conventional soaps it may be more expensive, but seeing as how some countries and politicians domestically are asking that triclosan be banned from children’s products, it is definitely worth making the switch.
Very easy to find, and liquid soaps are often available in bulk-size. Check your local natural food store or buy online here.
Uh-may-ziiing! Probably the site most responsible for my lost productivity, I often rely on Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist to whisk me around the world in search of style and inspiration. Watch the just-released video below to see the short documentary from Intel. I was surprised to hear that there really are only a handful of images a day that he’s inspired to take. Fascinating.
[image via The Sartorialist]
Filed under: Videos
I was a bit apprehensive in the beginning, but I soon grew to love HBO’s series Boardwalk Empire. The sets, the fashion, and the politics of prohibition America make for a great story, and the characters and the actors that portray them are fabulous.
If you were into the show as well, you’ll probably get a kick out of this behind the scenes video showing just how much movie magic is needed to recreate the Jersey Shore of the 1920’s. Check it out!
[image via HBO, video via Brainstorm Digital]
Filed under: Fashion
Now that the holidays are over it’s now time to shift focus to the many, many resort collections that are making their way into purchasable territories everywhere. I think the reason I’m always so excited for resort-wear is not because I have an occasion or need to dress as if I’m vacationing in the Mediterranean, but because I often day dream that I am. After all, what does one look forward to between the months of January and June? Zip. This is precisely why the latest collection at Calypso has me envisioning a carefree and casual holiday in the sun and the sand, and a wardrobe updated with some spring naturals and lights. (I have way too many darks!)
I love how simple and classic these styles are; perfect for mixing and matching, and very easy to recreate with any brand at any price point. Perhaps a bit more preppy than I usually dress, I am still finding some great inspiration in the latest lookbook. Check it out!
Update: It was just announced that there will soon be a collaboration between Calypso and Target. In case there was some sticker shock from some of the items above you’ll be very happy to know the come summer we can all enjoy a taste of their classic, care-free styles. Can’t wait ’til the first images are released.
[images via Calypso]
Can’t wait to get a hold of these in August when they’re released. Lots of other lines too, but these are my fave.
I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for anything recycled. I just love the thought of trash being reincarnated into something new and useful, which is why I was taken by these simple (and stylish) little sticky notes. Great as page markers I wish they were bigger so I could replace Post-Its.
Designed by Naruse-Inokuma Architects
While we’re on the subject of stickies and Post-It’s, have you heard about the health issues one town in Minnesota is experiencing because of polluted water from 3M? The water quality for Lake Elmo had extremely high levels of PFC’s, but 3M is claiming the chemical is not harmful. According to the Wall Street Journal,
3M was accused of disposing perfluorochemicals, or PFCs, by burying them in the ground and piping them into surface water, which then flowed into the Mississippi River.
Very sad, but sadly not surprising. Check out Change.org to sign a petition in support of the lawsuit.
At the end of this year there will meet and then exceed 7 billion people living on our planet. This three-minute, no nonsense typography video from National Geographic kick starts a seven part, year-long series on global population.
In this time of resolutions and crash diet beginnings it seems we often forget to think about the world outside of ourselves. If you take a second to think about it, I mean really think about it, the New Year is a very selfish time. Just on the heels of time when we’re all guilty of overindulging, it seems the meaning of resolutions has gone right out the window with the true holiday spirit. As much of a humbug as that makes me sound I really hope to use this time to think about my place in this world as 1 out of 7 billion and think about the message of balance.
Ooh, my favorite! 