Last week, I ordered some kind of pineapple/chili dish served with tofu, grilled cashews and steamed vegetables. As I noshed, I wondered: “Why don’t I ever cook with pineapples?” Rectified this gross culinary negligence by whipping this up tonight. The base of the curry is an almond butter sauce I made, along with carrots, garlic, grilled peanuts, almond milk and coconut butter. Seared the pineapple in coconut oil along with red onions. Served over brown rice, red rice & black barley, with a side of split pea mash. Incredibly delicious. Not low fat. At all.
This is the story of three pairs of dope ass shoes, one skirt, two dresses and one shirt that can double as a (short) dress. I estimate that I got about $270 worth of clothes for the cost of two drinks at a rooftop bar in Manhattan. Behold, the glory:
Ellen Tracy denim & leather pumps. Approx value: $70. I paid: $15.
Love these. And they’re comfortable too!Zora’s always trying to get shine.
Naturalizer sandals (perfect condition – apparently never worn).
Approx value: $75. I paid: $7.50
Naturalizer sandals. Perfect condition. 90% off.
You didn’t believe me when I said they were in perfect condition? Would I lie to you?
Maternity sundress by Heidi Klum. Approx value: $25. I paid: $2.
One woman’s maternity dress is another woman’s come up..
Striped shirt. Approx value: $10. I paid: $3.
I love stripes. Especially in the summer
Peace sign skirt. Approx value: $20. I paid: $6.
Sundress of unknown provenance. Approx value: $20. I paid: 6.
I think I’m most excited about the shoes. The $15 heels were a splurge – I almost never pay more than $5 for clothes or shoes, but these just fit so perfectly and looked so damned sexy that I felt compelled to make an exception. When I slipped them on, a crowd of ladies at the shop ooh’d and ahh’d at the glory. I can see them now, with some denim skinny jeans – or shorts. Lawd. And those Naturalizers? I mean.. perfect condition! Not even a scuff on the heels! Incredible find. The “maternity” dress is lose and comfortable – perfect for lounging around the house on these hot summer days.
Now remember. Thrifting is not only amazing because of the gorgeous clothes you can find, but more importantly, it helps make the world a better place in tangible ways. If you shop at a legitimate, not-for-profit establishment, you are often able to contribute directly to charitable organizations. Thrifting is also great for the environment — it’s a fashionable way of recycling and cuts down on waste. So get out there and pop some tags already. And while you’re at it, donate something, too!
So, one of the very exciting things going on in my life these days is hot yoga. I’ve been to six (90 minute) sessions so far and I’ve already begun to experience profound spiritual insights – insights that I had already glimpsed before but that are now beginning to settle more deeply as embodied realizations. Now, I’m not a yogi by any means — I’ve dabbled in yoga but have been seriously out of practice. The prospects of doing yoga in room heated to 120 degrees seemed so absurd, intimidating and frankly impossible that I put off trying it for a very long time — until now. Anyway, I’ve decided to do a series of vlogs chronicling what it is like for me to climb this hot yoga mountain. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on combining the physical practice of yoga with spirituality.
Organization has never been my strong suit. That said, I’ve found myself progressively filled with the Spirit-of-Getting-Shit-Together ever since moving into my apartment. That Spirit, however, has moved rather slowly. The fact that my closets have been pristine and organized for the last year is a first in the history of my short life and nothing less than a monumental achievement. Most of my rooms are usually in a state of order. But there have been certain spaces — drawers and cabinets — that remained in a perpetual state of disarray.
Looking for anything under the kitchen sink always gave me heartburn.
In any case, over the last week, I’ve set about slowly bringing order to the chaos. One of my perpetual problems was not having a dedicated space for tools. I had a hammer under a table, another one in the pantry, screw drivers in the kitchen, nails and screws running wild and free in various containers and drawers. It was just awful. It occurred to me that the magical invention of the toolbox would solve all my worries. Amazingly, I had never, ever, owned a toolbox in my entire adult life.
Under the bathroom sink. That before shot is so incredibly embarrassing. But you need to understand just how far I’ve come…So sad. So very, very sad.From junk drawer to “this-is-fucking-awesome” drawer.
Anyway, enjoy these before and after pics of the wondrous transformation taking place within my space. Oh and go read this fabulous book by Julie Morgenstern – “Organizing from the Inside Out”. It was recommended to me by my colleague, fellow blogger and new friend Tanya Golash-Boza. Started reading it yesterday and I’m loving it. I’ll need all the help I can get when I start working on my next organizational projects: 1) getting my filing system in order and 2) making the attic a functional space.
Yay! And look at my TOOLBOX! #babystepsintoadulthood
I’ve been living in my apartment for a year and a half. It’s taken that entire length of time to get all of my rooms fully furnished and decorated. Two rooms — my office and my laundry room — were ongoing disaster zones. Last winter, I finally found the energy and ingenuity to get my office situated and beautified.
The laundry room, however, lingered in disarray. It’s hard for me to convey just how awful it was. Imagine a beautiful space — hardwood floors, full length mirror, plenty of natural light, with a washer/dryer stacked in a recessed corner — strewn with clothes, shoes and assorted crap. I had to pinch pennies last year, so furnishing this room was not an option. All I had in there was a lonely ironing board, a makeshift cabinet that I found in the attic and hampers of various shapes, colors and sizes. It was a hot mess.
Every time I entered that space, I felt a micro-moment of tension and stress. My chest tightened, my breath caught in my lungs. A little self loathing caught in my throat. Finally, a few weeks ago, my budget allowed a little room to get my shit together. So I set to work trying to figure out what to do with the space.
The room itself is kind of an odd space to wrap your head around. It’s pretty small – about 9 by 10 feet. On the upside, there’s a closet and the washer and dryer are flush with the wall, making them, in principle, unobtrusive. I knew I didn’t want the room to just be used for folding and ironing clothes. For a long time, I dreamed of turning it into a boudoir, complete with a fainting sofa, a shag rug and, oh I don’t know, something kitsch like a mannequin. But I also wanted a legitimate guest room. Could I possibly do both?
It occurred to me that I needed a guestroom more than a boudoir and a futon would get the job done. But I also needed this room to serve another functional purpose–storing my clothes. After a year of hardcore thrifting, my wardrobe had quadrupled. Both of my closets were filled to the brim with clothes, which is why I often had things piling up in the laundry room. It became clear to me that I needed a real chest of drawers. So I went to St. Vincent de Paul – my favorite thrift store for finding beautiful furniture. Not only did I find a fabulous futon — complete with wooden frame and a new, sealed mattress — but I also found a new, matching chest of drawers. Both items were being sold at about 50% the cost of retail. I was a little concerned about two things: 1) that the room would feel crowded with the futon open and 2) the fact that I didn’t have space for an end table. But it all worked out rather beautifully. With the futon open, the room feels cozy and the chest itself serves as a nice “side table” to place your belongings.
With the furnishing issue solved, I now turned my attention to the laundry facilities themselves. The washer and dryer were an eyesore. What to do? For a long time I’d envisioned covering them with a curtain, but not being very handy, I was unsure of how to make this happen. I knew I needed a rod that would curve on one end and connect directly into the wall on the other. So I took a trip to Home Dept and described what I had in mind to one of their awesome assistants. She suggested a getting a regular curtain rod and flatting out one of the ends so that it could go straight into the wall. That cost me all of about $1.50.
This makes me so happy.
For the decor, I got just about everything from Kmart and the thrift shop. Found some cute curtains and pillows to match the futon and got a gorgeous, opaque, floor-to-ceiling curtain to cover the washer and dryer. For the chest, I found a neutral table runner, a little vanity mirror, a fountain and lamp. My absolute favorite addition is the “jewelry” box I contrived from stackable plastic containers I found at Kmart. Storing my (costume) jewelry was a big problem. I had a real jewelry box, but it was so tiny that it could only fit a fraction of my earrings. I also disliked the little jewelry box because you had to open up every compartment to see what was in there – and frankly, I ain’t got time for that. For a year and a half, I’d gotten by with piling up my earrings, necklaces and bracelets on the window sill of my bathroom. That worked for a while, but I started to run out of room and earrings would routinely fall on the floor, behind the sink and into oblivion. I needed a system for organizing the jewelry that would not only keep everything orderly and accessible, but would also allow me to easily see everything I had. The stackable, transparent box I have now perfectly fits my needs and is aesthetically quite pleasing to the eye.
I’m also obsessed with this pretty macramé plant hanger I found at Home Depot. Another sales assistant gave me this kickass idea when I told him I was looking for a pot. The lush green of the plant suspended by the window adds a touch of natural beauty that really sets the room off.
The LED votive makes the room feel so warm and cozy at night.
So yeah, I could not be more pleased with this space now. I smile every time I do the laundry, pulling back the curtain for the “big reveal”. The chest has solved my clutter problem – now all of my clothes have a home. The futon is comfy, the space is functional. The whole vibe is boho beautiful. And Zora has another room to layer with cat dander. Purrfect.
*And yes, I know I have to fix the curtain rod behind the futon, which has been warped due to outrageously disorderly conduct by the guilty-looking feline pictured above.
Aware of Awareness 