Closing Up Shop

Well folks, I'm starting a new chapter in my life.

Join me? linenandtea.wordpress.com

The 30-Day Challenge

Back in May, before I switched coasts, I decided to try being a vegan. Now, if you know me even in the slightest, chances are I was ordering a steak while eating cheese the last time you saw me, right? Yeah, sounds about right.

But, in reality I was in a bit of an unhealthy funk and it was beginning to make a bigger impact than just my waistline. Doctor visits were becoming much more frequent than I would have liked to realize and I just didn't have energy.

So, I picked up Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Life and changed my habits. Her book has an entire education section on how foods effect your body and nothing felt over the top or pushy. Just logic, which I appreciated.

Now, I have been meat and (mostly... there have been a few slip ups) dairy free for 30 plus days! I feel healthier, I'm losing weight (which can also be attributed to the fact that I'm walking a lot more nowadays), and I'll see about the doctor when I got for a shot in mid-July. Here's hoping I'm okay.

How long this will last, I'm not sure yet. I like the way I feel as a vegetarian/vegan. I just feel lighter and cleaner. Although, I may let real cheese into my life from time to time, but still not on a regular basis, I don't see meat playing a big role.

Regardless of if you would ever consider changing your diet, I really encourage everyone to read The Kind Life because it is always important to understand what you are putting into your body and the resulting effects.

New City, New Outlook, New Life

I've officially been in SF for 25 days. 25! That's insane!

It feels like I've been here forever. It feels like I've finally come home. I must say I'm completely in love with the City (which is what the locals call it, so whenever I mention "the city," I do not mean New York, ya dig?).

If you asked me to describe exactly what I love about it, this would be my reply in list form:

• the architecture
• the food
• the people
• the outlook on life
• the walking
  
• the farmer's markets
• the ferry building
• the water
• the bridges
• the cityscape
• the culture
• the hills
• the weather (although I hear it has been exceptionally sunny for June)
  
• the trolley
• the possibilities

To say I'm happy is an understatement. I finally feel whole again, like little pieces of my soul were scattered about this city just waiting for me to come find them. It's like being in love, not with a person, but an idea.

For the first time in a long, long time, I'm living my life for my life, not my career. My purpose is to be happy, to love what's around me and drink it all in every second I can.

I am home.

A bit funny that I am isolated from my friends and family, and this is the first time I can recall being this happy. The last time I was this isolated was when I lived in Rome for five months, where I had a MUCH different outlook, but also was in a much different situation. Now, I feel like I'm meant to be alone, floating out in my universe, just stopping back in for moments. I get lonely, sure, but I've grown so much by being alone.

Little by little I'm more willing to do what I want to do and not what others would like to do. I'm realizing more and more who's worth keeping in touch with and who is not. I'm learning people will always come and go in your life, but you will always have yourself and gosh darnit, you better love who you are and what you stand for because it will come down to just you. To quote one of the saddest movies ever (Up in the Air), "we all die alone." So true.

My intention with this post was not to be morbid and depressing though, I'm simply trying to make a point that I think my soul is a bit different than some. I'm a wanderer. I'm an observer. I will forever keep moving, letting those I love catch up with me from time to time.

I found my heart in San Francisco

Well, it is official: I am a resident of Nob Hill beginning May 28, 2010! (Isn't it beautiful?!)

More updates coming soon... I promise.

Time

"And the things that keep us apart keep me alive,
and the things that keep me alive keep me alone."

Funny thing about time, it just keeps rolling.

It's hard for me to think it's been three months since I've seen my sister. Two since I've seen my mom. Four since I've seen my dad. It's weird because it begins to feel like this continuum. It's unimaginably long and unbelievably short at the same time. It begins to feel like time stops, although I know it keeps moving. It just keeps rolling by.

A majority of the time I wondering where I'm headed. What is it I'm hoping to find? Hoping to reach? Then I begin to wonder would it even help knowing? I usually conclude that it wouldn't. Because any answers wouldn't keep me from moving forward. That's all you can do. Keep moving forward, right along with time. Just keeping rolling on.

The seasons shuffle like playing cards. Before I realize it, Spring is appearing. Life is reappearing, but it seems jaded. It feels muted here. I just keep waiting. Waiting for Spring. The rain feels good. It darkens the branches and ground. The green looks bright. Soft, clean, new. It is my hope. My proof that time is moving forward. Rolling.

Talk don't change a thing

For your listening pleasure... I give you The Temper Trap.










And, because I love you so... Florence and the Machine





Kind of makes the day worth waking up for, no?

C'est Mars!

Bonjour mes amis! -- Good morning my friends!
C'est Mars! -- It's March!

(Sorry, leftover appreciation for the bilingual closing ceremony)

So glad this year is moving right along! Because as this time keeps tick-tocking its way to June, I am getting closer to San Francisco and warm weather!

Never underestimate my love for Summer
... and farmer's markets
... and sandals
... and dresses
... and tans
... and fresh flowers
... and pedicures
... and green grass
... and barbecues
... and fresh seafood
... and kayaking
... and driving with the windows down
... and sunshine.

Did I mention that I am a fan of warm weather? And that winter is my least favorite season (except for the month of December... and late November)? Oh, I have, good, just checking.

Talk to you soon,
Lover of warm seasons

Commence hyperventilation

Dear Fate,

With today's lovely, lovely email from Barney's, all my dreams were presented before me on a silver platter. I've been dreaming about these boots since then and then again here, and now they are on sale... with free shipping!!!! Ahhh, I want them!

Many thanks,
M

Cover it up

Sometimes I wonder how old I am. Yes, I know when my actual birthday is. I can subtract the current year from the year I was born and voila.... not my real age. Because my real age is portrayed in my deep affinity for cardigans. Oh yeah, I said it. It is out in the open:

I. LOVE. CARDIGANS.

All J.Crew

So, again, I ask... how old am I?

Lead with the right foot

I hate starting the week a step behind, but I somehow managed to do exactly that this week. Here's to hoping you don't fall pray to the same slush brain syndrome that I sometimes do!




... and no, this song has nothing to do with my current situation, I am just really enjoying it right now. If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend downloading it, burning it, whatever you choose, and blasting it in the car.

I love when a good song drowns out your thoughts.

A good Trench

A classic Trench Coat should be on every respectable woman's list of must-have clothing items. This one item has power! It oozes style. I'm talking about the good, unassuming "oh, this 'ole thing? I just threw it on!" kind of style.

The "I wear what the Brits wear" - Burberry


The "I'm an avid traveler" - J. Crew


The "Short classic" - The Gap


The "Low-key is always approachable" - Banana Republic


The "New generation" - Urban Outfitters


And I need one. (I would like to be a respectable, fashionable woman, okay?)

So, which one?

If you know what's good for you

Go see the latest issue of Lonny. It feeds the soul.

... and it makes me want to get organized simply for the beauty of it...

Now seriously, go! You won't regret it. I promise.

Stripe happy

Anthropologie's spring line is totally up my alley, especially these stripes! Look at this deliciousness:


I want them all! I'm also dying for these Frye boots:


And these from Urban Outfitters, but they don't have my size anymore. Drat!

Since they don't have my size, I suppose I'll have have these:

Oh, the woes of settling.

Cleaning house!

For some reason I woke up with a mission on Saturday morning to clean house! I've been dying to go through everything I own, donating what I don't need/want and pitching what is just plain done-zo, but with my horrible head cold last weekend the mission was delayed... but not forgotten.

So, up and at 'em I arose and went straight to work! By 11 a.m. I had covered anything harboring clothes, kitchenware and electronics. I even went through my fridge and pantry. Needless to say, by the time I was done the boxes were lined up at the door like soldiers heading for their home country:

Which just brought one question to mind: How does one accumulate so much "stuff"?

Now that my apartment is officially cleaned out, I've got a plan. As I mentioned, I'm not going to purchase any more furniture until I'm on the other side of the country, BUT swapping furniture in my rooms and rearranging the layouts can give a pretty darn good face lift to any space.

So that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm taking inventory and then breaking out the graph paper folks!

If you haven't heard, as a kid I would scale down all the furniture in my room to have a graph paper model to play with the layout until it suited my fancy. I also had a binder full of my favorite bedroom designs from various magazines and catalogs. Yeah, I was pretty much sold on being an interior designer or an architect until I made the realization that I hadn't taken an art class since the 5th grade. Womp womp womp.

But, here I am! Employed and able to satisfy my passion for interior design on my own time. Ain't life grand like that?

Since we're on the topic, I'll leave you with some amazing photos from Elle Decor:

Coolest kid's bedroom ever! I love the idea of using a map for the wall treatment. Is anyone else really hoping the third drawer has a really small "c" above the handle?

What if...

... I had RED HAIR?!?!?!

(I tried to warn you what happens when I get restless!)

I wouldn't permanently dye it, just a color depositing shampoo or a semi-permanent dye (I got reprimanded last night for dying my hair... apparently fine hair can't even be jazzed up with color. COME ON PEOPLE!!! Give me something to work with!)

A good haircut

A good haircut is hard to come by when you have fine, hard to manage, doesn't really follow the general rules of physics hair that I have, but alas, I must bite the bullet and get one every couple of months.

So, yesterday, I went to basically the ONLY salon in the Central NY for this:


Did I get this? No.

Did I expect to get this? Not really.

Did I still hope to get this? Yes.

Do I often dream of waking up with thick, wavy hair? Yes.

Do I realize the unlikeliness of this actually happening? Yes.

Do I contemplate shaving my head to see if different hair grows back? Yes.

Would I ever do this? Not unless I went crazy.

I'll sing you to me

I just watched the movie "Australia" and I felt compelled to comment on how much the little boy from the film just swept up my heart and took it with him when he went on walkabout. (Should it be went on A walkabout? I can't tell... hopefully no aborigines readers take offense)

But the thing that tugged at my heartstrings the most was when he said "I'll sing you to me." The phrase was used in circumstances of good-bye and had the same emotional pull as saying "I love you," but perhaps just a bit more. To me it felt so much deeper, it was as if saying your souls will be listening, always open, always waiting.

There's just something so beautiful about the idea of singing your way to someone.

In need of some design?

I realized there has been a lack of interior design in my 2010 life! Ah, the horror! So, will I be taking on extreme tasks that I will never complete (like reupholstering the chair I've owned for eight months)? No. Is it on my never ending to-do list, sure, but am I making it a priority? No. Not until I know if it will fit in my SF room. If it's just going to be in storage for a year, all the more reason to hold off on making it pretty!

So what will I do this year? Define my design. Window shop until July/August.

So, this is me window shopping via lonnymag.com.

First stop: J.Crew

Last stop: Kate Spade

These two shops explain why designing my place is so hard and so easy all at once. I love beautiful things, that's a given, and a like things to look classy, also a given, but properly balancing black and white motif with big, bold patterns, sparkles and colors that can make a statement? That requires having a larger picture and taking it slow.

I think I did a good job describing what I prefer when I was trying to win Pioneer Woman's latest giveaway:

"Mmmm that’s tough, I would have to say neutrals for the overall theme, but with highlights of pale yellow, shimmery grays and turquoise… and bright, grass-color green!"

...with one correction: nix the grass-color green for CORAL. I absolutely love love love the orange-y reddish pink color (like the color of those pumps in the last photo that are just out of focus).

Winter in the mountains

While I'm tripping on my country-living kick, I figured I'd share some Winter '07 pictures that are fueling my ridiculous daydreams about cowboys.