simply put

do you ever find yourself racking your brain for a good solution to something, only to realize that the simplest solution is probably best and, well, simplest?

throughout the winter, i've amassed quite a collection of the recycled coffee trays from my local coffee shop. every time i get to my desk, the idea of throwing out the carrier just bugs me - it seems too significant; too much material to use just once and get rid of. so i got to work on thinking of what i could do with them to make better use of them and create less waste. i considered the following:

-a place to start seeds inside
-a bracelet holder, since i have so many beloved bracelets
-a countertop fruit holder
-an art project involving children and markers

as i thought about these concepts, the carriers continued to pile up. and when i can't decide on a course of action, sometimes (and only sometimes, truly), i think about the concept of occam's razor which, more or less, translates to the notion that the simplest answer -- or the one which makes the fewest new assumptions -- is often correct.

so i brought all the carriers back to the coffee place i got them from so they could be used again. DONE.

and they gave me a free coffee to thank me.

tiny treasures...over the shoulder

sometimes i just feel overwhelmed by the awesomeness of a good find...can you relate? when i was in bath and body works mourning the discontinuation of my beloved vanilla noir, i spotted these nylon totes and i wasn't as sad. i went for the lime chevron and the blue ikat, but the other prints are great too.

i've long loved nylon totes and i use them for little gifts, for carrying stuff in matching style and for keeping one in every nook and cranny of my life. what's special about these is twofold - first, the pouch they roll into is attached, which isn't always the case, so there's no little pouch to keep track of. and secondly, and this is the best part, the straps are long enough that you can comfortably wear them on your shoulder rather than having to hold them.

so these are this week's tiny treasure. if you need an almost-neon pick-me-up, the lime chevron is your answer.

images

a fall bounty

a couple weeks ago, my sister molly and i met our friend rebecca at the farmers market near our office at about 8 am. it was so beautiful to be there first thing in the morning on a cool, crisp fall day, and the morning sunlight streaming in created a totally different feel than i've felt at the farmers market before. it was like an otherwordly light filtering through all the layers of beautiful greens and colorful shapes.




as we perused, we talked about the ways we shop for produce and how to minimize waste and maximize the use of seasonal produce when it's at its best. just a few days before that, rebecca had emailed me to pose this question for discussion:

do you have a game plan when you go to the farmer's market? like, do you go there looking for particular things or with a recipe in mind? or do you just go and see what's there and figure out what you will make with it as you go along? it's just so hard to resist the beautiful things that they have there, especially when you don't know if it will still be available the following week.

so we walked and talked about this conundrum that i think a lot of people feel in some form. my personal thought is that it's a great idea to have a plan B for everything you buy at the farmers market. for example, you might see some beautiful squashes and peppers you want to try - interesting colors and shapes, and you have lofty goals of sauteeing or grilling them, drizzling with some herb-infused olive oil, blah blah blah. and that would be lovely. but if it doesn't happen, for whatever variety of reasons make things like that not happen, then you can have a plan in the back of your mind to make a big pot of chili on sunday to use up the things that never made it to their culinary promised land.

and about the idea of not knowing what will be available next week making it hard to pass over something particularly interesting, i say ask the sellers. one of the best things about farmers market shopping is that you're buying directly from the source (which is so nice in so many ways). they've known that huge eggplant since it was this big. so they'll gladly tell you when things will be available and when they won't, even when they're at their peak. and they can also give you ideas of how to prepare each specimen if you're not sure.


one of my favorite things at the farmers market is seeing vegetables in their full, uncut form. it totally makes them more exciting to use, though it can sometimes be a little intimidating. seeing them (and buying them) that way makes me feel even more connected to the true source of this goodness, and that's really something to feel good about it, especially in a food world that we know is over-processed and so very disconnected from its source and its intended form.

i was happy to see all the gnarly and huge heirloom tomatoes (the uglier the better, right?) after last year's tomato issues. these are the kind of tomatoes that just sliced on a plate are a showstopper.


what have you been buying at the farmers market? and do you have a system or strategy to share?






some more honey living farmers market posts:

fresh ideas
local harvest
on the grid
good and green

woodn't you rather?

in our technologically advanced world, things can be so cold, you know? not only in the spiritual sense, but in the very real tactile sense, especially as the weather cools...everything is metal and glass and cold and hard-edged, so i was instantly charmed when i came upon these real wood skins for apple products from karvt (unfortunately these are not available to the PC world, but there is a basic version available through schtickers).






i just love that these are sustainable and responsible, totally unique as no two pieces of wood are alike, and also totally affordable (nothing over $35!). i think my favorite colors are the chocolate walnut and the natural cedar. the iPhone covers are $15 for the 3G (note: front cover only) and $25 for the iPhone 4...holiday gifts, anyone?
and i love the idea of warming up and office space with these enzo star boxes made of sustainable sheesham wood, don't you? something like these on a desk or work surface would just warm it up instantly, as opposed to the cold, utilitarian black and metal versions we're used to, and they're so much more whimsical than the buttoned-up wood options out there.

i love that beautiful wood can be enjoyed in so many ways...we don't have to be in the market for a big piece of furniture to enjoy it.

images from linked sites

a cut above

when i gasped upon seeing these kimberly mcdonald earrings, i knew they were meant to be shared. and meant to be owned. by me. well, until then, let's just observe and weep.










using interesting geodes and rare gemstones, kimberly mcdonald's designs are unique and eyecatching - classic and edgy in the same moment. i love how she uses diamonds in conjunction with the other materials - so thoughtful and restrained to not go totally rogue where tradition is concerned. sometimes they're dainty and pave, sometimes raw and uncut.
and she's a firm believer in reusing materials, rather than continuing to deplete natural resources, which makes each piece even more lovely and one-of-a-kind, which is so special. here is what she says:

there is such an abundance of material out there, we need not continue to harvest many of the materials needed to create. i like to think of each creation as an extension of what nature has given us and we strive to preserve the integrity of the material and its unique energy. we also strive to reuse rather than reap. jewelry was initially created to carry symbolic talismans and stones of energy or import. i believe it should still have that meaning and that we can accomplish this without pillaging nature.

amen sister.






and can i just say...OMFG.



kimberly's designs are sold at only a few places which are here.

images from rockras, la mag, pierce mattie public relations, modern jeweler, polyvore, jewelsnob, browns fashion, life-content, kaboodle, the cut london, holt renfrew, beauty lab ny, jewelsfile, gem gossip, elle