Sunday Comforts and Living Intentionally

Sometimes, the soul needs comfort food. Sunday was drizzly and slow, and filled with hot coffee and 50s music. The pup (recovering from some nasty puppy virus) curled up under the couch and napped on-and-off.

Family-life has been a little crazy and a little sad lately. Boyfriend played Fallout (I'm not a huge gamer, but man, post-apocalyptia is somehow soothing when shit hits the fan), and I lounged with the recovering pup and pulled out the ol' tarot cards. Sunday was a big thinking day, and I think I'm better off for it.

I've been playing a thought exercise: What would it look like if my aspirations and aesthetics (no matter how indulgent) were fully realized? What elements of that life speak the most to me? Why not try to make that a reality? I love my 9-5 job, but I've been tinkering with the idea of picking up a side gig that would, admittedly, be a little indulgent. I can't jump wholeheartedly into something without considering it from all angles, though, so that's where I'm at. Investing (literally) in a new project is a scary prospect -- we have a mortgage now, after all. At the same time, it's nice to have this business-life yang to balance out the family-life yin.

How are you doing, honestly? What would your ideal lifestyle look like? Why not chase that?

Witches and Spice Bottles

One of the perks of having your own place is being able to shape the ~feel~ to match your aesthetic. For example: I would love to live in Miyazaki's bathhouse or one of the his witch-houses, so I'm arranging and displaying spices in a way that feels about the same. I would love to have an authentic, floor-to-ceiling apothecary drawer filled with spices and herbs -- for now, this is a close second. Don't ever be afraid to favor your soul's aesthetic over practicality. Indulge!

Basket the Border Collie

PS - This is why I have been MIA...

So, looks like I let another month slip by without a check-in. Oops. It has been a busy month, though, because we bought a house. On a whim (basically).

We had been looking for an apartment somewhere along the train line for a while, but Drew found a rad house and we decided to take a look at it. Start to end, the process took two days (the house was only on the market for those two days!) It's a really neat, 100-year-old bungalow, and it's the perfect size for us. We're formally closing at the end of July, which leaves plenty of summer nights for our new yard.

I'm super excited to live with Drew in a more serious way, and I'm really looking forward to making the space feel like home. Money is going to be tight for a while (duh), but I found a few cheap essentials on Craigslist and Overstock that have me really excited (I don't know if I ever imagined I could be excited for a couch to arrive in the mail.)

Speaking of finances, I've also picked up a freelancing gig at one of my favorite publishing houses. The work will be sporadic for a while, but it'll be a nice way to make a little extra on the weekends. (I've got my eyes on you, pendant lights...)

In other news, I'm on the hunt for a new favorite under-$10 bottle of wine. If you like the same reds as me (bold, full of tannins), check back every now and then -- when I find a gem, I'll post it.

Happy first full day of summer to all of you!

Six Ways to Use Crystals in Home Decor

I began my crystal collection back in middle school, around the time my friends and I thought we could learn mystical secrets through the right pairing of incense, crystals, and potions (incidentally, this was just before we came to terms with the fact that we weren't going to get our letters from Hogwarts.) After rediscovering the old wooden box that contained the collection, I've been finding ways to incorporate the small treasures into my surroundings. These are some of my favorites. 

1. Arranged on a surface   This works best on a simple, uncluttered table or shelf.

2. Collected in a handmade display   You can buy the one pictured here. Or, if you're feeling handy, you can scrap together one of your own.

3. Tossed into a bowl   A close cousin to arranging them on a table. Leaving crystals out in a bowl invites guests to pick them up and rifle through the collection.

4. As a solitary statement piece   A favorite piece of crystal can easily stand alone as a statement piece on a bedside table or end table. (A larger stone is especially striking.)

5. Tucked into a garden wall   If you're lucky enough to have a large geode, you can add a bit of magic to your garden by tucking the sucker alongside other stones in a rock wall. 

6. Bookending your library   These beautiful geodes can be purchased on Etsy, but any set of heavy crystals make for stunning bookends. 

Sources 1, 3, 4, 5