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5 Ways to Embrace the Fall Vibes
Happy Fall Everyone. I am so excited we are finally in my favorite season of the year. To me, THIS is most wonderful time of the year. Cooler temperatures, darker days, comfort food, sweaters and snuggling up while we watch Sunday football. Who is with me?
Living in Southern California, summoning those Autumnal vibes can be a bit of challenge, as you can imagine, with the summer heat lingering on just a bit longer than we’d like, the sunshine and the palm trees (no, I am NOT complaining) we just have to get a little more creative here!
I am a huge fan of tradition, especially the seasonal ones, so today I am sharing 5 of my favorite simple ways to embrace the fall vibes so you don’t let this amazing season pass you by!
5 Ways to Embrace the Fall Vibes
1) Get yourself that Pumpkin Spiced Latte. Better yet, make one yourself at home without any weird ingredients. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, that feeling of a warm mug in your hands. I make my own pumpkin spice blend every year and I insist that my PSL have actual pumpkin in them. It’s my favorite. If you aren’t one for coffee, maybe aan adult beverage like a Pumpkin Spiced Martini will do ya? Or how about some easy to make Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter or Maple Glazed Pumpkin Spice Almonds.
2) Embrace the scents of fall, turn your home into an aromatic autumnal haven. I love to diffuse these 100% pure essential oil blends in this Autumn Treasure set from Plant Therapy throughout our entire house. It’s an incredible way to shift your home from summer into fall. The natural warming, gently spiced aromas instantly gets you in the mindset of all things fall, the comfort, the coziness, the feel goodness. If you are anything like me, scents are a HUGE memory trigger and these blends have transported me back to update New York where I grew up, every time I diffuse them. I can feel smell the woodsy vibes as if the leaves were crunching right under my boots, I can smell my mom’s apple crisp bubbling over in the oven. Besides diffusing these scents you can also use them in DIY projects, I recently added the Spiced Orange to a homemade wreath I made. These essential oil blends are the perfect way to instantly get yourself into the fall mood and even better they are 100% PURE no synthetic fragrances, no concern for sourcing and no buying from reps with this family-owned and run business.
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for a super special offer from Plant Therapy. But, don’t wait, it’s only good until September 25.
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Simple Self Care
I am excited to bring you the first post in an ongoing series from Brook Albrigo, a Shamanic Reiki Master and very dear friend of mine. You have heard me speak previously about the very important roles that reiki and the subtle body have played in my healing journey, I have also shared very specific details of healing sessions with Brook. Brook will be joining us here monthly to share more about reiki and the strong influence in which energetics can play in healing, including simple tips to restore balance and promote vitality and wellness.
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When will the rollercoaster of emotions from the past few weeks stop? The severe divisions, the resulting solidarity being shown in protests and by people vowing to stand up for one another, the complete shock of realizing how profoundly the beliefs of others can potentially affect us. If the current events have left you raw, breaking down crying at the grocery store, or fumbling for control of your anger or incredulousness perhaps what I have to share can help you get your bearings amidst absorbing other peoples’ emotions and amplifying this difficult time. The beauty of this is that we are all waking up to just how deeply connected we are to one another.
In hindsight, as I was in Yosemite national park a week before election day, the powerful flow of the storm fed waterfalls and rivers were a premonition. I gathered strength from the waters, mountains and trees not knowing I was being prepared for the events that were to follow. As a shamanic healer I use a technique known as Nature divination- the practice of connecting to elements in nature to receive guidance. Messages come from particular nature spirits -like trees, plants, mountains or waterfalls. We believe in shamanism that everything has a spirit living inside of it that we can communicate with if we learn how to listen. On my solo adventures on hiking trails, I gave attention to each rock, tree and animal; tuned to receive messages. Lucky for me, I was alone and spared the curiosity of fellow hikers wondering why I was talking to a tree!
I was intensely concerned with the violence and conflict at Standing Rock in North Dakota and while the guidance I sought was regarding that situation, I found it to be relevant to what we are experiencing today as a human collective and have felt comforted by receiving this knowledge. When we feel helpless, sometimes that is a sign that we need to re-center and remember that we are part of a higher calling, a bigger picture, and we should listen to our guides that are right in front of us everyday. This is how I was able to maintain the past week and be of assistance to others.
I realized the tools and techniques needed to ground and care for ourselves may get lost in the daily shuffle of life but they are always there and I have created a simple list of self-care rituals to help us all through. We just need to decide our well being is worth making the time for and be willing to get a little bit out of our comfort zones. -
Meet Brook: Shamanic Reiki Master
I am so excited to introduce you all to Brook Albrigo, a very dear friend of mine. You have heard me speak previously about the very important roles that reiki and the subtle body have played in my healing journey, I have also shared very specific details of healing sessions with Brook. I am very honored to announce that Brook will be joining us here monthly to share more about reiki and the strong influence in which energetics can play in healing, including simple tips to restore balance and promote vitality and wellness.
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If someone had told me 6 years ago that I would become a Shamanic Reiki Master I would’ve laughed in their face and told them to get their head checked. Those words just didn’t exist in my vocabulary until the day, immobile and injured, I sought physical pain relief and found healing on an extraordinary level.
The path that followed was one I never for one moment felt that I chose, but rather that it chose me. I had to surrender to it or be dragged kicking and screaming. Either way, THIS was happening!Before I discovered healing through energy work, I was completely comfortable in my routine of self destructive and toxic co-dependent ways. I was living in New York City, working in the beauty industry, sometimes working weeks without a day off. I was convinced all the sacrifice would pay off – it’s all part of the ‘city hustle’ and you can sleep when you’re dead, right? The stress and disregard for self care was so out of control that I had developed insomnia, digestive issues, a constant eye twitch and I couldn’t calm my nerves enough to take the subway home without at least two drinks in my system.
Looking back and knowing what I know now, this was all just a major distraction. A diversion I had unknowingly created to avoid the real issues underneath the surface. I was more willing to sacrifice my health, happiness and overall well-being than face the hard truth – I simply did not love myself. Even worse, I hated myself. I had been on antidepressants for years trying to numb this feeling of never being enough or worthy. I was adept at smiling and pretending that I had it all together, but deep down was this great deal of self loathing and suffering. While initially antidepressants did help me get through a tough time, I had come to rely on them for too long and wanted to eventually come off, but did not think I was capable. All of these circumstances combined with my Saturn Return (an event that happens to all of us about every 28—30 years which brings about major change), the perfect storm was created.
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Ace Hotel and Swim Club Palm Springs
Earlier this Spring we celebrated our one year anniversary of living in California. We’re continuing to spend more and more time getting to know our new home state. There’s just so much to do and explore out here. The only thing we’re short on is the time to do and see everything on our long list.
Mid-last month my husband, Mark, and I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary and the 11th anniversary of our first date. We wanted to do something special, so we decided a quick trip to Palm Springs would be the perfect romantic getaway. As a girl from the East coast that now lives less than 1 mile from the ocean, I am surprised to say there is something about the desert that leaves you feeling recharged and inspired. It’s an amazing escape from the reality of daily life, replaced by feelings of solitude. Yes, even when sitting in a hotel pool surrounded by other people.
After hearing so many wonderful things about The Ace Hotel and Swim Club from many of our Southern Californian friends, I decided to check them out online. The photos were gorgeous, but more than that, I was really impressed with their sustainable practices. They even had a restaurant called The Kings Highway which served locally-sourced food! All things considered, we knew this was the place for us. It seemed like the perfect place to escape life for a bit. Plus, we could take our dog, Seri, with us, which really sealed the deal.
The Ace Hotel and Swim Club caters to a very distinct crowd – the youngish, design-driven professional who has a taste for all things trendy. This meant that every detail was perfectly curated and sincere creative thought was put into even the smallest, nearly missable, finer points of each room. Nothing was left un-thought of and undesigned, yet it never felt overdone or like too much. Think bohemian camping meets Mad Men. It literally is a vintage meets modern, mid-century oasis that on one hand feels totally untouched and on the other, it feels like a place created to be the most perfect display of everything that is “it” right now.
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Hey friends!! Happy almost weekend and happy April to you all! 😉 I hope the spring is finally starting to show itself for you, wherever you are!! Here in Southern California, we actually had a chilly week and it was so welcomed and lovely! Here’s some photos from the last few weeks over here in my world! What’s going on in your world currently?
I was so super excited to get my hands on the beautiful new Oh She Glows Cookbook from Oh She Glows. As a fan of Angela’s blog for many years, I was really anticipating this book and it certainly lives up to the hype. So many wonderful vegan recipes!I am just loving my new Little Moments mediation cards from the beautiful Kristen Hedges. They are currently sold out, but keep checking back, she will have them in stock again soon, I am sure.
I love getting letters from my niece, Teagan and nephew, Noah – back home in NY. This time around I got a beautiful new photo of Teagan, taken by Buffalo Baby Photography my friend Jess’ brand new business. How adorable is she??
A recent haul from our gardens!! Loquats and avocados.
Got an advanced copy of the Blend Girl’s new book that officially releases on 4/8. Look for my full review and a giveaway this weekend!That’s me, just hangin’ out at the Pixies Hollow at Disneyland 😉
Some new tea towels hubby and I designed and hand silkscreen printed, they are also available as 8×10 prints. All are available in the Tasty Yummies store, now. -
Photo Fun Day Friday
Hey guys!! Hope everyone is enjoying their November. I feel like this is the calm before the crazy holiday storm! I personally love this time of year and cannot wait to get into all the festive stuff. I tend to get started earlier than most folks. (As you’ll see.)
Have anything fun planned for the weekend? We’ll be setup at the Patchwork Show in Long Beach this Sunday 11/17, selling our hand printed goodies. If you are around Southern California, come by and check it out.
My brand new 8×10 Namaste. Designed and hand silkscreen printed by yours truly. Available in the Tasty Yummies etsy store.
Finally got these hung in our new home. Reppin’ our roots and our present.
Look at that baby!!
REAL apple cider from Western New York. Who knew it would be this hard to get good cider out here. Thankfully our friend Frank shipped us some from Buffalo!
Went to see NIN last weekend at the Staples center with Meg and our hubbies. The suite tickets were sweet!
Scenes from the Rose Bowl Flea.
Scenes from the Rose Bowl Flea. A Buffalo skull like this one, will be mine for our dining area! I can’t wait. Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Hey all, happy weekend to you! Hope everyone is well. It’s been a busy couple of weeks here. Lots of house guests, lots of events and lots of living/loving life! Here are some snaps from the last 2+ weeks! Hope you enjoy.
Our booth at the Abbot Kinney Fest a few weekends ago
End of day cuddles. The best kind. Read the rest of this entry » -
Photo Fun Day Friday
This is a short but sweet one. We have been quite busy this week. After having my parent’s here for a visit last week, it was back to reality and back to work for us. Can’t believe it is already July next week. We have a fun weekend planned, with some relaxing and some fun. I am headed up to LA on Sunday for the Wanderlust Yoga in the City event at the Santa Monica Pier. Any of you headed there?
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, no matter what you have planned!
We went for an amazing bike ride to the beach the night of the Supermoon and it was epic. So beautiful. I hope you all got to experience it as well.
The pictures do it no justice. At all. Did you get to see it?
Made a bowl of my vegan avocado chocolate mousse. Man, I forgot how good that is. Read the rest of this entry » -
Photo Fun Day Friday
Happy Friday guys!! I will keep the chatter to a minimum on this one, since I have to finish cleaning up the house and go to the airport to pick up my parents!! YAY!!!
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. I will be busy enjoying my parent’s company this upcoming week, but I have some fun posts lined up for you guys. I hope you enjoy.
Our booth in Silverlake this past Saturday.
Set up all day on Sunday at the Rose Bowl Flea. Such a fun event!
I recently discovered how smart it is to zest my lemons before I juice them for my daily warm lemon water. I keep a container in the freezer and I just keep adding to it. It’s great to toss into pasta dishes, in salad dressings, etc.
Look at this beautiful juice. I cannot recall everything that was in it, but it definitely contained beets 🙂
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Photo Fun Day Friday
I skipped my photo post last week inadvertently, the weeks just fly by way too fast for me. Here are the last two weeks of fun. Hey by the way, how the heck is it June already?
We have had a handful of events we did for work the past few weeks and we’ve been squeezing in fun where we can. My parents get here a week from today, so we are working like crazy to be able to take off as much time as we can while they are here. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THEM!
We have two events this weekend where we will be vending at, Silverlake Art Craft & Vintage and the Rose Bowl Flea, if you happen to find yourself at either one, come on by and say Hi!
A super yummy post-run green smoothie. Check out the recipe on my Instagram.
Our booth setup for Patchwork Fair in Santa Ana two weekends ago.
A backyard BBQ wouldn’t be complete with a fun teepee!
We played some board games at our little Memorial Day BBQ. This was a fun one. What’s your favorite board game?
I love the amazing sun our deck gets for the first half of the day. I love practicing out there.
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Happy Friday, friends!! Hope you all had a really great week and I hope everyone has an amazing weekend ahead. For my American friends, Happy Memorial Day weekend. We finally got our grill, it showed up today, so we are having a little BBQ here at our house on Monday! Do have anything fun planned for the (long) weekend?
My sweeties on a walk around the lagoon by our house.
I am not sure who loves when we babysit Lucy more, us or our cat Jpeg. He just adores Lucy.
A quick and simple Spring pasta dish I made for dinner the other night, with peas, feta, mint and lemon zest.
Sunset beach bike ride. I am not sure I will ever get over that this is where I live now.
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Photo Fun Day Friday (on a Monday)
I realize it is Monday and I am a few days late on my Photo Fun Day Friday, but with my sister visiting, I wanted to keep all the photos for one big post and I also didn’t want to be a slave to my computer while she was here. We had an amazing time together and we got to show her all around! It was soo much fun, I just wish it didn’t go so fast and I wish I knew when I would be seeing her again! That’s the worst part of moving away from your family 🙁 My parents will be here in just over 3 weeks though, so we get another amazing week of family time coming very soon!
Our favorite house guest, Lucy! How cute is she?
Our newest art print – Goin’ to the Beach – can you tell we have already been inspired by our surroundings?
Our Mad Men inspired print, You’re a Marilyn or a Jackie, recently reprinted and rereleased.
Our booth at Unique LA last weekend. Brand new design, constructed completely out of recycled wood pallets.
Seri and her favorite Auntie, my sister, Vicky! So so happy she came to see us for almost an entire week! Just wish she didn’t have to go 🙁 Her trip went way too fast.
Cocktail on a rooftop in Venice Beach.
The skate park in Venice Beach.
Vicky on the Santa Monica pier.
The old crew back together again!
Beach day in Laguna Beach. So beautiful there.
Our matching “Seester” tattoos!
Hosting a little giveaway over on the Tasty Yummies Facebook page to celebrate 4,000 likes!! Go enter now, I am selecting the winner, at random, tonight.
Vicky’s first trip to Disneyland!
Space Mountain. Love Summer in the back, ha!
An update on our little hummingbird nest that is cozied up in our grape vines. Look at that tiny little beak.
Mark looking all dapper over a virgin tiki drink at Don the Beachcomber.
Sharing a Scorpion Bowl at Don the Beachcomber on Vicky’s last night!
Long Beach Pride Parade yesterday. What an incredible event. So amazing!