Holiday Spirit
I miss good ‘ole fashioned holiday spirit. These days is feels like the holidays are wrapped in shame and tied with a big fat ribbon of guilt. Even just a small sampling of recent conversations with my friends reveals that we’re all suffering from the same feelings of lack—there’s just not enough time to get it all done. For example, one of my girlfriends wrote, “I’m hunched over my computer, feverishly ordering yet more last-minute xmas gifts and pouring over my extensive end-of-year to-do list (gets longer, not shorter, why?)!” That was on December 10th.
The Art of Display
One of the things I love most about browsing my favorite stores is to see how they reinvent their space. As a frequent visitor, I may be familiar with their merchandise, but I’m always amazed at how the art of display can make me see things in a whole new way. Products I thought I new are showcased in a new light, and suddenly everything in the store feels fresh and unexpected.
Flower Box
The majority of my creative inspiration comes from wandering around my life with my eyes and heart wide open. Creativity, I find, is like Starbucks—it’s everywhere, unless you’re looking for it, in which case it’s nowhere to be found. One day, while strolling aimlessly through the city, I happened upon a pretty little flower shop where they packaged tiny bouquets in what reminded me of old hat boxes. How cool, I thought! I immediately imagined offering this to someone as a gift. The last thing anyone would expect when opening the box would be a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, and that’s what I just love about this idea—they’ll never see it coming.
Setting the Thanksgiving Table
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the stuffing, the pumping pie, and the easy flow of wine into glasses that clink with the people you love. I love how the entire day is spent anticipating the time you’ll spend gathered around the table to share a meal. There’s a beautiful simplicity to Thanksgiving. It’s not about gifts or gimmicks or fancy, shiny mementos – it’s about giving thanks for what you have.
Summer Home
There’s something about the summertime that begs us to settle in, spread out, and relax. The spring and fall, by nature, encourage us to move through change; we’re prompted to explore and transform within the context of transition. Winter is the time to hibernate, so while we might be nestled in our homes, the focus is on retreating inward to conserve enough energy to burst open come spring. The beauty of summer is that all has already been achieved—the seeds we’ve planted and tended are now ripening before our eyes. Our job is simply to enjoy the fruits of our efforts. For me, summer is the perfect time to practice the art of being.
Paris On My Mind
I’m missing Paris like crazy these days. It’s been a while since I’ve been back and my heart is literally aching. I’m dying to put on a fabulous dress and just wander the streets until I get hungry enough to sit down at a café and promptly devour an entire baguette and wheel of Camembert by myself. I want to take le métro to the flea market where, upon arrival at Porte de Clignancort, I’ll have to lift the little latch in order to exit the train. I want to dip my fries into my poulet rôti au jus at Brasserie Lipp. I want to drink red wine until my French just rolls off my tongue.