Art makes the world go round

Art tells us a story about our culture, our history, our politics, our religion, our loves, losses, darkness and light. And the artist who creates leaves behind a piece of his or her soul.

This is why I love art.

Yesterday, we spent an afternoon at the Cleveland Museum of Art. With a collection of more than 43,000 works from around the world, the Museum features substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art as well as significant works by Caravaggio, El Greco, van Gogh, Monet, Warhol, Picasso, Pollock and more.

And in keeping with the original vision of its founders, the Museum is always free ("For the benefit of all people, forever").  

I love taking the kids to see new things. To let their eyes and ears absorb beauty. I want them to grow up knowing they can create beautiful things themselves. To express from the deepest parts of the soul. To tell their own stories and share their experiences with others.


A look at the work of American painter William Henry Johnson.

2014: The year in ideas

Merry Christmas!

Illustration by Phoebe Thomas.

The whole wide universe

There is no one like you in the universe. You are unique. You are special. You matter.  


Get the most out of your life. (TEDxSF)

The flu

Hi lovelies. I've been struck down by the flu and can hardly lift my fingers to type the words you are reading now. Fever, chills, sore throat, congestion and the mother of all back aches are keeping me housebound. 

Talk to you when I'm alive and kicking!

XOXO.


Illustration by Saul Herrera for Getty Images.

Quote for Tuesday

"Being a mom has made me so tired.
And so happy."
-Tina Fey

Love match

Young, fashionable Koreans are showing off their relationships with carefully coordinated clothing. It's kinda cute and kinda corny. What do you think? Would you dare to match outfits with your significant other?

Street style couples. (Pinterest)

I love you, blogs and coffee

I saw this print in my friend's home office and instantly fell in love. As a newspaper reporter turned magazine editor turned blogger (with a serious coffee addiction passion), I gotta get my hands on one of these!


Print by Made by Girl.

Art of the marbler

Making stuff is really cool. As evidenced by this 1970 short film, which documents the art of making marbled paper. 


Speaking of making stuff, have you heard of Wool and the Gang? So cool.

The night Lennon died

John Lennon died 34 years ago today.

I found the most fascinating post about his death on one of my favorite blogs. The night Lennon died, someone made a six-minute recording of what was playing on FM radio in New York City. It's eerie, sad and like traveling back in time. 

Click here to listen. 


The front page of the NY Times the day after Lennon was shot. 

Quote for Monday

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. 
I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times 
hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, 
then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
-Marilyn Monroe

The Moped Diaries

Discovered this charming short film by Tyler Nilsen and Nick Vitale called "The Moped Diaries." It has a wonderful Wes Anderson flavor to it. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.


This one is really good, too.

Kale quinoa breakfast (yum!)

How mouth-wateringly delicious does this look? As an egg and kale and quinoa lover, this dish would be my perfect breakfast. I'm gonna make it this weekend for my family. 

Click here for the recipe. 

Happy eating! 


Photo from goop.
My chicken soup recipe, if you're looking to warm up.

#GivingTuesday gift guide

We Americans love to buy stuff. We love sales even more as evidenced by special offer shopping days like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. (I wonder what we'll make up next? Buyers Remorse Wednesday?) 

I think the best one of all is #GivingTuesday.

I don't know about you, but during the holidays I get wrapped up in my gift list. I spend a lot of time putting requests together, editing and re-editing my list, adding items for my children, for this friend and that relative, careful not to forget the teachers, the school secretaries and the mailman.

#GivingTuesday reminds me that the holidays are about spreading cheer and good will to people I will probably never get a chance to meet: the orphan in war-torn Syria, the West African doctor working on the front lines fighting Ebola, the single mom living in poverty in this country.

There are so many great causes out there:

> 1 in 3 women in America are living in or close to poverty. For the first 3,100 donations received on #GivingTuesday, World Vision and Thirty-One Gifts will match each donation with the gift of a tote filled with essential hygiene supplies including a toothbrush, soap, shampoo and a hairbrush for a US woman or girl in need.

> The Samaritan's Purse Christmas Catalog includes the gift of clean water; refugee relief in places like Syria, Iraq and Sudan; support for our veterans; and even gifts like building a school or a house!

> Every year, Doctors Without Borders provides emergency medical care to millions of people in some 70 countries around the world. Some of their on-going work include life-saving surgery in war zones, fighting against maternal mortality in Burundi and Sierra Leone, and treating children suffering from tuberculosis in Tajikistan.

> Every year 170,000 children are born with cleft lip and/or palate. This congenital deformity makes it difficult to eat, breathe, speak properly and smile. Most families cannot afford surgery. Organizations like Smile Train and Operation Smile provide free cleft repair surgeries to those in need.

> Sponsorship through Compassion International means you can help provide regular medical check-ups, educational opportunities and spiritual support for a child in need.

> Empower a family by helping to bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. Donate honeybees, a flock of chicks, rabbits or a goat through Heifer International.

> Unicef says 91% of every dollar you spend goes directly to assist children. Your donation could provide vaccines and insecticide-treated bed nets, emergency relief and School-in-a-Box kits.
  

Illustration from HelpInk.org

This week's obsession: Unker's

A few weeks ago I had the will but not quite the back.

The lawn was covered with ugly, soggy, dead leaves. In short, the backyard looked terrible. Perfect opportunity for a workout, I thought as I pulled the rake out of the garage. Two hours later our yard was triumphantly leaf-free but I could barely move my back without wincing. It hurt so much to inhale was a chore.

The good folks at Unker's rescued me. This magic goo, made with essential oils and all natural ingredients including eucalyptus, wintergreen, pine needles and menthol is like Bengay or Tiger Balm but without the potentially harmful chemicals. The husband slathered a good amount on my sore back for three nights in a row and my pain vanished.  

I love this stuff! Sometimes I'll open the jar and just take a big whiff. There's something soothing about its minty scent. (In fact, I'm doing a lot of sniffing of it as I write this.) 


More good stuff that's all-natural.

Quote for Sunday

"Life is like a bicycle. 
To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
-Albert Einstein

Thanksgiving gems

These videos are Thanksgiving gems! 

This first one is too cute not to post. A dedicated man lovingly prepares a tiny Thanksgiving feast for his tiny, furry friends. Precious!

What can I say about the next video? #lol #funny #hilarious #youknowyoudothesamewhenyougohomeforThanksgiving




Be forewarned about the last video: it's a tearjerker. 



An Argentine boy receives a cutting board for his birthday. The grateful boy tells his parents he can't wait to use it to cut food. Then his parents surprise him with a second gift, a much-wanted tablet.

Apparently, his mother saved and saved so she could buy the expensive device for the boy. His reaction to his mother's generosity is just priceless. A beautiful, shining example of the true meaning of thankfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving, loves!!


Thanksgiving etiquette. 

Thanksgiving dos and don'ts

There are some things that are simply imperative on Thanksgiving. Like a perfectly golden-brown turkey and cranberry sauce made from scratch (never, I repeat never, use the canned kind!). 

I grew up with a Korean mom who lovingly and painstakingly took up the American Thanksgiving tradition. For as long as I can remember we had the full Thanksgiving spread: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy made from the turkey drippings, green beans, buttered corn. On the other side of the American feast was its Korean counterpart: kalbi (barbecue ribs), a variety of kimchi, japchae (glass noodles), buchim (potato pancakes) and plenty of panchan (assorted marinated vegetables and roots). 

Mom cooked and prepped all week. Every chance she got in between her busy full-time work schedule and raising us young pups, she would slave away in the kitchen boiling and salting vegetables, marinating beef short ribs, making homemade kimchi and studying her trusted turkey recipe. 

Now that I'm a mother myself and raising my own young pups, I think of all the details my mom put into Thanksgiving to make it a beautiful and memorable occasion. In fact, I always think of her when setting a table or preparing a meal.

I came across this great article from Bon Appetit about modern Thanksgiving etiquette. I think it offers fantastic advice appropriate not just for Turkey Day, but any event where you find yourself a dinner host or guest. I think Mom would approve, too.  

Ten of my favorite nuggets:

> There must be music: a music-less house is missing something. 

> Organize your home: so there is room for coats, a place for children to play and somewhere for the adults to escape.

> Guests should be prompt, but NOT early: the unexpected early guest is a pest.

> Ignore the host who tells you to "Just bring yourself" -- you should never arrive empty handed.

> Hosts should take every care in creating a seating plan that encourages lively conversation, quarantines quarrelsome personalities, sparks new friendships and accommodates the delicate (consider the sample seating chart below).

> I LOVE this bit of advice regarding conversation: The victorians played a parlor game where participants stood in a circle and tried to keep a feather aloft by blowing. Too soft a blow and the feather falls; too hard, and it flies out of the circle. This is exactly how conversation should work: where everyone cooperates to keep a subject afloat, without wallflowers or blowhards deflating things (again, consider the chart below). 

> Argument is not conversation, and rudeness is never wit. Keep jokes short and stories shorter. Listen and laugh.

> Let kids be kids: it's a long day -- give them space to watch a movie or play outside.

> Phones are the nemesis of conviviality. Meals like Thanksgiving should be havens from the intrusion of work and social media. So Instagram your thumbs off before and after the meal, but in deference to the cook, turn off and put away all devices while there is food on the table.

> Modern technology has not yet replaced the handwritten thank-you note -- rather it has made it more precious.

Click here to read the full article.


Illustration by Mary Kate McDevitt. 

#FergusonDecision

This week's obsession: cheap nail polish

Who doesn't love pretty nail polish? And who doesn't love it even more when it's cheap? My current obsession is Wet n Wild's Spoiled nail color line. I especially appreciate the thicker, larger brush (for easier application) and the formula sticks (even after two weeks, my manicure will rarely chip)! 

But the best part is the price tag. You can find all 72 shades at CVS for... what? Yes, $1.99 each!


Pretty ice blue nails, just in time for winter. 

If--

Every now and again, one comes across a set of words so beautifully crafted (like a lovely string of pearls!) that it leaves a mark on you. I feel that way about this Rudyard Kipling poem. 

Words of wisdom to last a lifetime. Hope you are inspired and blessed by it, too.

XOXO.

*** 

If- 

By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a [wo]Man, my [daughter]!*

(*adapted from the original poem) 

"Flying Bird" by Calum Margetts.

Yep, I like Taylor Swift

Okay I'm coming out of the pop music closet and admitting to you all that I'm falling in love with Taylor Swift. I just can't get her new album, 1989, out of my head. 

Watch this hilarious sketch from Saturday Night Live to see why there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of us Gen Xers who just can't shake Taylor off. 


16 reason why we love TS but are too embarrassed to admit it. (BuzzFeed)

Fake it 'til you become it

Can our body language change the way we think and feel about ourselves? Yes, says social psychologist and Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy.

Look at the photo of Wonder Woman (above) and take in her "power pose." When you feel powerful you're more likely to pose like this. But it's also possible that when you fake it -- say you strike a confident pose while not necessarily feeling very powerful -- you can alter the way you feel about yourself. You can actually affect testosterone (the dominant/power hormone) and lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in your brain!

We all know our minds can change our bodies. Turns out our bodies can change our minds, too.

Check out Cuddy's fascinating and inspiring TED Talk.



Next time you're feeling pitiful, stand in a posture of confidence. I was feeling pretty powerless yesterday (see my post about feeling blue). So this morning I tried power posing for two straight minutes (Cuddy's suggestion). And you know what? I felt a lot less like the Cowardly Lion and more like Wonder Woman. 

Our bodies can change our minds.
Our minds can change our behavior.
And our behavior can change the way our lives unfold.  


Want to lean in? Try a power pose. (Harvard Business Review)

Feeling blue

I wish you could see outside my window right now. Not all of the trees are bare yet. Orange and yellow leaves are hanging on for dear life as a light snow dances around them. Like maple leaf-shaped cookies dusted with powdered sugar. Something's not right: poor autumn couldn't figure out how to exit stage left so winter could make its grand entrance. 

But wait, isn't the first day of winter like five weeks from now?

I never understood how profoundly the weather could affect me until we moved from California to Cleveland. When the human body has absorbed an overly-generous amount of sunshine over a period of years, even decades, and then moves to a part of the globe where snow and gray skies can linger for half the year, the results can be traumatizing. I never saw a doctor or got diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure last year's Polar Vortex gave me Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

I'm a California girl doing my best to thrive in Midwest conditions (well, I was born in Iowa and lived there for a decade so I should know how to survive a winter storm, right?). But even after almost two years here, some days are harder than others.

Today, I feel kind of blue.

Maybe it's because it's 31 degrees outside and the sun is nowhere to be seen. Maybe I'm just impatient and I want my dreams to materialize. Or maybe I just want a little bit of this right now:

Last summer, my cousin and I were talking about surviving bad weather. She mentioned her stepdad, who is from Norway (a country where its inhabitants endure long, dark winters and sometimes no sunshine for two months!). Norwegians arm themselves every year with a steady supply of cod liver oil, light boxes, exercise and fresh air, and plenty of positive attitude. When darkness falls, they embrace their cozy sweaters, hearty soups and lots of candlelight.

This year, I'm going to do the same. 

How about you? Does the weather affect you, too? In what part of the world do you live and how do you cope? I would love to hear!

   
Illustration by Yours Truly.
How Norwegians survive dark winters. (My Little Norway)

This week's obsession: letters & initials

Doesn't the English language have a wonderful-looking alphabet? I love the power in the straight geometric lines of letters like Z, V, T and L. And the whimsy in letters like O, Q and S. Then there are letters that play both roles, fanciful and bold, like P and B.

Of course my favorite letter is J. Not only it is the first letter in my name but it is lovely in form and function. I can picture myself hanging out on the scoop, my bottom snug in the J's curve while my legs dangle off its end. On rainy days, I could add a line to the top of my J to keep me dry. When the sun is out and I want a tan, I can go without the "hat." J's next door neighbor I is the only other letter that can have it both ways. Aren't we the lucky ones!

Here are some of my favorite things featuring letters, initials and monograms.

A lovely monogram crest journal.

An art deco-inspired sterling silver monogram necklace.

The ubiquitous and must-have canvas tote bag.

This monogram tote is pretty cute, too.

Pretty plates designed by a calligrapher.

Holiday cocktails on this gold-leaf monogram serving tray.

Tell me letter writing isn't a lost art. 

This gold initial necklace is just lovely.

Letter hooks to hang your coat.

A monogram glass globe ornament to adorn your Christmas tree.

And these felted monogram ornaments are just darling.

Put your initials on this soft dip-dyed ombre throw. 

I give these monogram mugs as holiday gifts every year.


Monogram Marquee Lights. (Anthropologie)

Kristina Wong

I recently discovered actress, writer and performance artist Kristina Wong. I'd totally have a martini with this chick. 

Smart, funny, irreverent, thought-provoking. My kind of girl. 


Best interview ever. Kristina totally killed it. (AM Tonight)

How we got here

The journey to outer space begins in the womb...


The birds and the bees, explained. (HowStuffWorks)

Ballet at 40 (portraits of a rookie)

Girl before a mirror.
(All photos © Hilary Bovay)

"So when are we gonna see photos of you in ballet class?" my best friend asked when I first told her about my Ballet at 40 series. "I want to see you in your leotard!"

OK, loves. Here you go. 

Me in all my spandex and lycra glory. 

XOXO.    

A big THANK YOU to the wonderful and talented Hilary Bovay for capturing images of this wanna-be ballerina. And a shout-out to Cleveland City Dance and my ballet instructor, Julia Galletta, for letting me stay after class and doing extra barre exercises with me.  

Photos by Hilary Bovay.

Braving Ebola

Take a moment to absorb these moving portraits from the men and women braving Ebola at a treatment center in rural Liberia.

Today's New York Times features intimate portraits and stories documented by award-winning photojournalist Daniel Berehulak, who captures the physicians, nurses, microbiologists, sanitation workers, gravediggers and Ebola survivors who are on the front line of this health crisis.  

   

Remember to say a prayer for them and for all the families of the reportedly 4,900 people who have died from this devastating disease. 


Photos by Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times.

Out with the old, in with the new

Sometimes you gotta let go. Yes, the two of you went everywhere together. You were inseparable. Good times were had. But you can't keep going on in this crazy manner. Someone is gonna fall apart. It won't be you. You'll be fine. The poor sneakers on the other hand; they were faithful but now is the time to say bye bye.

I didn't think this day would come so soon. But after our most recent outing to the lake, my trusty yellow Converse sneakers finally said, "Enough!" I came home from the beach that afternoon, my feet not quite feeling right. I surveyed the holes in the soles of my sneakers. Yep, clogged with sand. No matter how much I shook them out, I couldn't get rid of those tiny granules of annoyance.

Plus, years of constant wear had resulted in broken down canvas, dried out rubber, frayed edges and did I mention the smell? I can't tell you how many times I've thrown these puppies in the wash. Just can't get rid of that musty, not-so-fresh odor. Yuck.    

Well, I guess this means we're breaking up, I told the sneakers that night. Truth be told, I was a bit heartbroken.

You see, my sneakers kind of saved me. It was 2009 and I had just been laid off from a job I loved. I was completely blindsided. As an award-winning editor of a small, family-owned magazine I was sure the publisher would consider my position indispensable. But recessions bring out the worst in people. That day I worked 15 hours, making sure every story, every photo and every caption was edited at least three different times. I felt great about my team's hard work. The issue looked beautiful. 

Eight hours later, I got canned.

After the shock subsided (about a week later), I felt like the jilted lover. The girl who got sucker punched by her sweet, seemingly good-intentioned boyfriend. In short, I got dumped and I felt like sh*t.

So I sought refuge. I did what all sensible, intelligent women do after a break-up. I went shopping. It didn't make sense to buy something fancy since I wasn't going into an office anymore (and I wasn't going to be earning a steady paycheck for a while). Plus, losing my job meant more time spent with my toddler. I suddenly got excited by the prospect.

I saw those yellow Converse sneakers and it was love at first sight. Practical. Low-key yet stylish. Comfortable. I went everywhere in them. Explored new playgrounds and parks with my son. Went on road trips. Romped around the beach. Dressed them up with skirts and silky blouses. Dressed them down with t-shirts and yoga pants.        
The bright yellow represented happiness and hope (corny, but you should know by now that I'm a bit sentimental). The durability of the shoe symbolized adventures ahead. And my sneakers were kind of an F-you to what had happened at work. I will thrive, I said to myself and the world. Just watch me.  

And so my yellow sneakers journeyed with me through major life events. Childbirth for the second time. Career successes. Another job loss. Deaths in the family. New additions. A cross-country move. New explorations. Hitting the 10-year mark with my husband. Turning 40.

As you can see from the photo above, my sneakers took a beating. Look at them. Shapeless. They look deflated and exhausted. The life sucked out of them. So I broke down and recently got a new pair. Flawless and white. I wore them a few days ago and I was a bit embarrassed because they are so new. My old Converse was my badge of honor. These new ones kind of make me look like a poser.

I'm wearing them almost every day to break them in. The first few days they rubbed me (my pinky toes, to be exact) the wrong way. But they're getting to know me and I'm getting comfortable in them.

What happened to the old sneakers? Well, I didn't have the heart to throw them in the trash. They're collecting dust in my closet, a relic of the past. Perhaps they are a little resentful that I'm all about town with their newer, shinier cousins.

Actually, I think they are happy for me. We had a good run.      


An ode to my sneakers.
I wear my favorite things until they die.

Autumn leaves

The prized possession I received for my 40th birthday was a nifty new camera. Getting my first DSLR camera was a long time coming. After relying on my iPhone for photos, I felt like it was time for an upgrade.

I took my Canon Rebel T5 out for a spin for the first time last week. I've already taken some 400 photos. Most of them are crap to mediocre. But then I got a few gems, like these of my kids frolicking in the autumn leaves.

Here's my daughter, who is obviously very comfortable in front of a lens. What a cutie! 

And my son, who earned extra allowance raking leaves. Go Caden!

Enjoy the outdoors, everyone. Happy autumn!

It's starting to get cold here in Cleveland and not quite ready for this.