Far Away Gardens

I took this picture in Shanghai almost three years ago. I don't remember exactly where it was, but I remember it being somewhere touristy.

It's amazing the small pockets you can find, even when you're in the biggest of cities.

I still love this pictures. It glows with a sort of haze, kind of like the memories of my trip to China.

How To: Find Your Suitcase Soulmate

Besides my Passport, there is no object I love more than my suitcase. I only have one, and it was given to me as a graduation gift ("Oh the Places You'll Go", but in an object, instead of a book.)

Anyhow, I wasn't given the opportunity to select it myself, but it's still one of my favorite things.

Steps for finding your suitcase soulmate:

1. Pick a size that you can carry on your own, if it was full of hardcover books. 

i.e. it should be small.

This is the number one, most important rule. ALWAYS pack light. You can purchase things you need along the way if you have forgotten them, but 9 times out of 10 you won't use everything you packed. You should be able to pack for most trips (2 weeks or less) in a carry-on, and without stuffing it. Overpacking, unless you're Anna Dello Russo, makes you look like a novice. At everything.

2. Consider where you travel most often. Business travel requires a much different suitcase than a casual holiday traveler. A ski bunny needs luggage that would be wrong for a weekend in Bahia.

3. Organizational Opportunities.

i.e. multiple pockets

4. Aesthetics and Price

Here are my pics for luggage that fits all the criteria for numbers 1-3. For criteria 4, the beauty is, it's entirely up to you.

This is the suitcase I have. While its not the distressed leather beauty of my dreams, it is really practical, and really light. It also can be rolled, or thrown over your shoulder with added backpack straps. It's also really small, but fits a lot. Highly recommended.

From top to bottom: Go Lite, Lotuff, J.Crew, Brookfarm General Store, Tumi for Opening Ceremony

Desert Daydreams

images: 1, 2, 3, 4

I've been caught having some major desert daydreams lately. I'm completely unsure of the cause, but there's something itching in me to go out west to the dry, hot and barren.

There's something about Marfa, TX that just seems like a distant planet in our own backyard.

There's a feeling of old world ghost-town, but with a smidgen of Brooklyn-hipster, and topped with a good-humor hat. It seems like the perfect destination for a road trip with friends.

Of course, those are the type of trips that make you never want to return, so maybe it's best to just put this one off for a while.

Marching Band of One

This editorial from Jalouse was featured in the February 2008 issue, but it still feels more relevant than ever. Skye Parrott captured such a magical melancholy with her hazy use of light, juxtaposed with bold color. 

It does everything a great editorial should; it transports, it inspires, and it relates to something below the surface, as well as above.

It also, just so happens, to capture all of my gypsy day dreams in a few photographs.

Earth Day: Save the Bees

images: the selby

Everyone has their environmental cause. For some it's vegetarianism, for others, it's preventing drilling for oil in Alaska. What really gets my wheel's turning: Honeybees.

Honeybees are a vital part of the ecosystem, and due to global warming, their numbers are dwindling. Fast. Losing the honeybees would not only mean the extinction of one of my favorite condiments, honey, but it would also damage every plant that relies on their pollination to produce food, which is roughly 1/3 of the food supply.

All in all, it's a real disaster. Its not just Bee Movie in 3-D. It's a real problem. Here's how you can help.

Things That Are Awesome Thursday: Saturn Dance

This video by Sander van den Berg is absolutely stunning. It only features real footage from Space, and focuses on Saturn's rings.

The way the music pairs with the images, it's almost like ballet.

Mind- Blowing, if you ask me.

Let Me Share My Favorite Things

Meet my new obsession: Svpply

As I see it, the internet is for no purpose other than sharing information. 

Wow, enlightening, I know.

Anyhow, as social media becomes more pervasive, it seems as though the most popular platforms are based on identity. Sharing who I am, what I'm doing, where I am, etc. etc.

Anyone sense the irony, I am blogging....

But, my new social media obsession is Svpply. The whole sight is designed for the sharing of beautiful products. It allows you to build a distinct identity based on one of the most popular activities on the interwebs, window shopping.

Unlike Pinterest, Svpply is focused. It is only about products. It's a product junkie's new best friend.

Take a minute to check it out, create your own account, and let's start sharing awesome things.

Find me: here

I should add, that from a buyer's perspective, this website could prove to be an invaluable tool. It allows you to practice curating collections, without the presence of money, or even better, a boss. I wouldn't be surprised if this became a new essential element on resumes within the next year or two.

Sign up, start collecting. Get ahead of the curce.

Music For When You're Not In the Desert

It seemed like the whole world was at Coachella this weekend.

Living on the East Coast, means that running off to California for a music festival in April, just isn't really in the cards (read: lots of dollars).

No reason to sit at home and mope.

Sure, I didn't spend Saturday night raging to Radiohead, but I did spend all day listening to this mix tape.

Enjoy!

Salted Earth and Before Breakfast Dreams

 

I stumbled across these photographs of Bolivia by Jérôme Galland. I'm smitten with the barren landscape and vibrant pastel colors of this distant place. 

The emptiness of the horizon is almost otherworldly.

I've never spent much time thinking about Bolivia, but now I will have to add it to my ever expanding list of "must-see" places.

all photographs were taken from the photographer's website. please visit to see more of their works.

Fresh is More

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I'm not a minimalist.

As much as I would love to be, I simply cannot.

I define myself as a collector, one who is always looking for new inspiration, and as a result, surrounding myself in these things.

I'm not a hoarder, but it's safe to say, that my dwellings currently reflect a "more is more" philosophy.

Now that summer is approaching, I find myself responding to clean, minimal, yet loving, decor. There aren't very many "things." Yet, you still get the feeling that it is a home, and an opportunistic one, at that.

Who really needs all these things, when you have beautiful fresh light and soft white linens?

As far as apartments are concerned, is there anything that matters more?