I started writing here in 2013. My son was just a year old and I craved a place to write down my thoughts and collect the things I found interesting. While I love this little space I created on the internet, it has run its course and I will no longer be writing here. Come and visit me at my new website!
I’m putting up all of my go-to recipes (that you can print or download!), lists of my favorite pantry/kitchen/skincare items, videos on Leitz Pilates, and more to come. I hope you will find something there that is useful, will improve your life, or bring you joy. And ideally, all three.
I just returned from spending two weeks in Paris with my husband and son. It was my first time to Paris and my first trip overseas in 20 years. The last time I was in Europe, I used an MCI calling card to call home…on a payphone. Obviously a lot has changed since then, not least of all myself.
It was such a treat to see my son, who is 11, experience his first proper trip and to be reminded of the importance of travel not only in shaping your sensibility and how you see the world, but also how it can foster gratitude for home and your own day to day life.
We ate, and walked, and saw art. I practiced my French and saw my French teacher twice, a delight after only knowing each other through the screen for the last several months.
Before we left Seattle I spent a lot of time figuring out what clothes to pack: how things could go together, how I could wear something over and over again, how I could be comfortable but also look pulled together and feel like myself. I have never planned my wardrobe quite this thoroughly and it was a really enjoyable experience. It made adjusting to the shifts in weather, activity, or mood a piece of cake.
Here I am heading to the airport doing my best layering for temp regulation, options, and depth (one of the many things I’ve learned from Amy Smilovic this year). Some of those layers became a scarf, a pillow, or a blanket on the trip over, plus it saved room in my luggage…
Speaking of luggage, we bought The Medium from Away just before the trip which was the perfect size and I used my small carry-on as well…
My favorite simple go-to tote is this Baggu crossbody duck bag (seen below) which I used nearly everyday. It has an adjustable strap and hugs close to the body, and easily fit our umbrellas and jambon et beurre sandwiches…
Also from Baggu, I usually have one of these standard bags folded up in my bag (not just while traveling but at home as well) just in case…
The most important thing I brought with me to Paris were my Brooks Ghost 15 shoes. I also packed my Nike Jumbos which are no doubt “cooler” but since I knew the primary thing we would be doing is walking on concrete, I built my wardrobe around these shoes.
I walked at least 18,000 steps every day for two weeks straight, and my body felt fantastic. It solidified what I already know, that walking is incredibly important and necessary for us humans and something I am going to double-down on and prioritize at home.
Something else that I wore repeatedly and worked well with the Brooks style-wise were a slouchy pair of trousers. I scored these Tibi Stella ones on sale (and then took them to Nordstrom to be hemmed) and they are a fantastic pant. The current ones can be found here…
Unsurprisingly, we found lots of delicious things to eat.
We enjoyed a magnificent food tour in the Marais with Paris by Mouth. Our fantastic guide Faye (a Brit and now Parisienne for 14 years) was so delightful (she also showed up wearing a Wu-Tang beanie) that it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. And my son, who at home I’d classify as a picky eater, tried it all with gusto - the stinky cheeses, the pâté, the wine…
We had a spectacular lunch at Mokonuts, which had been on my list after reading this article about them in the NYT a few years ago…
Petit Bao was also great. We visited twice to get our fill of dumplings. And I had the best smash burger of my life at Blend (which we also visited twice)…
But the front runner was our incredible Lebanese meal at Kubri…
Everything was so bright and flavorful and complex but accessible that even my (now formerly picky) son was wowed. At his request we made a reservation for lunch the following week…
Another highlight was my son searching for Invaders. I first learned about Invader through Banksy’s film Exit Through the Gift Shop, but was reminded by my friend Omar about the FlashInvaders app that tracks the Invaders you find. We would make a point of taking the long way to the restaurant so we could wind through the streets and look for them. After dinner one night in Saint-Germain it was pouring and dark but we spent some time walking around before catching the metro home and were rewarded by finding a very cool Chewbacca and C-3PO. It was fun in and of itself but as a parent raising a human in this time of constantly being cajoled into looking into your screen instead of what’s around you, I was especially proud when he said “Can you imagine if you were just walking around the street looking at your phone, you’d never see them!”
And now it feels wonderful settling back in at home, seeing my clients, and re-stocking the fridge and thinking about what to cook. I am making time for that daily walk, looking forward to seeing my French teacher once again on the screen next week, and am paying gratitude for this life I get to live.
I will leave you with this from James Clear’s always insightful weekly newsletter:
Historian and author, Howard Zinn, on the importance of what you choose to emphasize:
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
We have a Vitamix blender that we use daily, but I recently bought this Zwilling personal blender that is perfect for smaller tasks like grinding flaxseeds, making dips, salad dressings etc…
I don’t really wear much makeup, but I have strong brows and never leave the house without grooming them. I’ve tried so many brow gels, soap brows, you name it, and nothing holds a candle to Half Magic Grippie Brow Scultping Gel…
For some reason I greatly dislike trimming and filing my fingernails, but I like to keep my nails short which means I have to do the task quite often. These thin Deborah Lippmann eco nail files make the job less tedious…
I’ve been enjoying the occasional iced latte at home with Blue Bottle Craft Instant Espresso. One teaspoon, 1oz hot water, lots of ice, and your milk of choice…
I’ve had this excellent bit of wisdom from James Clear on my fridge since February. It has become my mantra and keeps me moving forward in the direction I want to go…
Happy spring! It’s still very chilly here in Seattle and I’ve delayed starting my garden, but the birds are singing, the light is returning and I just finished a big spring clean-out at home…
While I wait for my Piet Oudolf inspired perennial backyard to make its return I’ve been paging through Piet’s new book which is full of inspiration…
Speaking of inspiration, my friend Jessie introduced me to Amy Smilovic’s amazing book The Creative Pragmatist. It’s the most favorite thing I’ve purchased for myself in a long time...
Continuing on the topic of fashion, I just bought these superwide-leg jeans from Madewell that I love and feel great in…
And I wore these new Adidas Always Original pants to the studio this week and four clients asked me for a link so they too could get them. You can’t tell in the photo but the stripes are sheer. They do have a très bizarre “whale tale” insert (why?!) that you can see in the photos, but I just took a pair of scissors and cut it out and now they are a normal but très cool pair of pants…
My husband needed a new speaker for his studio and selected this compact but mighty (and beautiful!) Marshall bluetooth speaker…
For a long time I used to make my own almond milk which isn’t difficult but it is time consuming. I just discovered this almond milk concentrate from JOI (it’s made with just almonds so it’s essentially a blanched almond butter) and it is so good and so easy I will never go back. Available directly from JOI or Amazon…
Over the last several months I have been learning French. We have an upcoming trip to Paris later this year which gave me the nudge to start, but I am continuing with such devotion motivated purely by my own enjoyment of practicing and seeing it slowly come together. It makes me so happy to practice and it has been such a treat to learn something completely new at 40+ that is not related to my work. There are so many great resources out there if you want to learn a language. Here are a few of my favorites:
Fluent Forever is great for ear training and pronunciation.
These petite (just over an inch!) bronze feet are for my beloved coach who is a fellow movement nerd and knows that feet are THE thing when it comes to moving well in one’s body…
I have this sweet little Clare V. poche below that I wear all the time. The green and black check is no longer available but I think this black quilted one is pretty great…
This No Thank You sweatshirt was my birthday gift to myself this year…
And these way high drape pants from Everlane are fantastic. I have a linen version and the black ones. They are incredibly flattering and comfortable, and they look awesome with my Nike Blazer Jumbos…
I love the prints from Sandgrain Studio. This one is for my nephew…
And for several of the ten year olds in my life, a Magic 8 Ball…
When we had our neighbors over for Thanksgiving, we sat around the fire after dinner talking and I offered decaf coffee. The delight was noticeable and it occurred to me that I don’t think a lot of coffee drinkers stock decaf at home. I think it would be a treat to receive a bag of beans if that is the case and the Night Light Decaf from Blue Bottle is my go to.
Lastly, Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks is a book that changed my life. I’ve gifted it to several people and I’ve been trying to write a blog post about it since I finished it back in March but am still working on it. So in the meantime, go buy yourself a copy!
Hello again. The holidays are upon us. It feels like they arrive sooner and sooner as the years go by. Maybe that’s just what happens as one gets older. I think it’s also because my son is now 10 and he’s changing and growing so fast that you blink and half the year has blitzed by.
We enjoyed a lovely, low-key Thanksgiving at home joined by good friends who happen to live right next door. It’s the third year in a row we’ve spent together. We roasted chicken, made mashed potatoes and gravy, and as many vegetable sides as we could fit on the table. I always make something that involves pie dough ever since I discovered the ultimate gluten-fee pie dough recipe four years ago. I wrote about it then but it’s worth re-sharing. It is something to behold. The Only Pie Crust You’ll Ever Need…
I usually opt for a simple galette over a full-blown pie. This apple one sweetened with maple syrup is still a house favorite…
I’ve been absent writing here primarily because I have been deep in my groove teaching the last several months. I’m really excited about the direction my practice is going and I will start posting Pilates videos on my channel again in the new year. I’m really looking forward to sharing.
These sharp looking Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 are my new studio shoes that I’m loving. I can really sense my feet and the ground when I wear them. I have another pair for everyday use and someone often tells me “I love your shoes!”
At home we just finished watching Andor which was a stellar series. Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars film (and an excellent film in it’s own right, Star Wars fandom aside) so I had high hopes for Andor. It did not disappoint.
My go-to soundtrack at home these days has been anything from Nils Frahm. Beautiful, ambient, and always seems to suit my mood…
To keep my cuticles from getting haggard this time of year, the only thing that works like a dream is the cult classic Egyptian Magic. You can find it nearly everywhere (Costco included). I slather it on my hands before bed.
Something else kinda magic that I discovered lately thanks to Kate Moss is Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist. Kate uses it on her self-decribed “shabby looking hair”and it is the only product I’ve ever used that really gives my own “shabby” toddler hair some life without any stiffness or stickiness. It’s my hair but way better.
Signing off with some wise words that a dear friend sent me last week:
“In order to understand the world and to understand ourselves we need to experiment with ideas, to revise our opinions, to have courage to make mistakes, and to start over again.”
Chapter One I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost... I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter Two I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place. But, it isn’t my fault. It still takes me a long time to get out. Chapter Three I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in…It’s a habit…but, my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter Four I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. Chapter Five I walk down another street.
My son heads back to school tomorrow. It has been a wonderfully laid back last two months but we are all ready to step back into the daily routines of school-life. I have been neglecting my yard as a whole this summer in order to focus on other parts of my life. But earlier in the season I did plant a jasmine which is now happily making its way up a defunct utility pole outside my kitchen window…
And I did get my vegetable garden planted…
It was my first time growing lemon cucumbers…
I also gave our front entry a little facelift. I painted the front door a new shade and changed our house numbers to these Asbury house tiles from Schoolhouse Electric that are ever so charming on my little 1940s house…
Another summer highlight was making this gorgeous merengue (my first ever!)…
Which was used to make this gorgeous pavlova which we shared with our neighbors. Nigella Lawson is an excellent guide if you’d like to try it…
My husband finished his Remember You Must still life series which I think is just incredible…
A few weeks ago my son and I followed my husband on a photoshoot to Kauai. It was my first time to Kauai as well as my first trip since before COVID, and it was magical.
I was so out of practice packing for a trip that I felt rather inept in figuring out what I needed to bring. Thankfully, packing for Hawaii is a good way to get back into practice as all you really need are shorts, a swimsuit, flip-flops, and sunscreen. And in our household, an Aerobie Superdisc…
As summer approaches here in the PNW, here’s a short list of some of my favorite summertime necessities, starting with sun protection.
A hat is always a good idea, (I prefer a ball cap). And definitely sunscreen. I wear sunscreen on my face every day, even in Seattle in February. I like a tinted one as it doubles as a sort of foundation. I love this SkinMedica Essential Defense Mineral Shield Broad-Spectrum SPF 32…
This All Good tinted sunscreen has been my favorite high-zinc formula the last several years. It doesn’t feel impossible to rub in like so many other zinc sunscreens and it doesn’t leave a white cast. (You can also find it locally at Pharmaca and PCC.)
We mostly used this EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50 when at the beach and swimming. But when I’m home and just working in the garden, or I’m going to be out in the sun all afternoon wearing non-beach clothing, I prefer this EltaMD UV Lotion Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 Plus that has a thin consistency, rubs in like lotion, and doesn’t leave a residue on my clothes…
I often get heat rash or eczema around my neck from too much heat and sun. I like to wear a linen shirt with the collar up at the beach or tie a scarf around my neck. Eczema or no eczema, my favorite body lotion that I use daily is this Aveeno Eczema Therapy. It isn’t greasy, rubs in great, is easy to find, and is also affordable…
There are so many cool things from Baggu right now that are great for summer, the beach, or just home…
I have this Cloud Bag which is a fantastic beach bag. It has a large capacity but folds up small, is lightweight, washable, and it zips. The Travel Cloud Bag is an even bigger version…
The OG standard Baggu is great for everything from hauling groceries, snorkel gear, and sandy beach toys…
I’ve been occupied the last few months with a little expansion project: I opened a second Pilates studio in my neighborhood. It has been wonderful splitting my time between the two spaces, seeing my longtime clients at my original spot, and teaching brand new faces only a ten-minute walk from home. Each space has its own different but equally lovely vibe and moving between the two each week feeds my creativity and excitement about teaching.
With the new space so close to home I’ve been spending a lot more time working on my own fitness and these Alo high-waisted 90s capris are my most favorite for moving. (These Lululemon Align High-Rise ones in black camo are great as well.)
As I’ve chosen to prioritize teaching and moving right now, I’ve consequently chosen to devote less time to meal prep and being in the kitchen. The cookbook I’ve been reaching for most these days is Dawn Perry’s Ready, Set, Cook. It is a fantastic book and a good fit for my life when I need something healthy, delicious, and quick.
One of my favorite non-alcoholic beverages right now is Ghia’s Le Spritz in ginger. I love their whole “clear-eyed and high-minded” vibe.
For years I suffered from pretty major cystic acne. Paired with intense seasonal allergies and a number of food sensitivities it became clear through lots of research (and the help of my doc) that the root cause of all these “unrelated problems” was an imbalance in my microbiome. It was a lengthy process getting it all back on track and ever since I have made sure to really prioritize my gut health and take a proper daily probiotic. My preferred one is made by Seed.
We watched 14 Peaks on Netflix last fall and I wrote down this quote in the film by the legendary climber Reinhold Messner that I keep returning to…
“Most of us are forgetting that from the beginning of our life we are approaching death. Life is absurd. But you can fill it with ideas. With enthusiasm. You can fill your life with joy.”
