of course i got this faux-suede bag in noir, but isn't it darling? $9.99! a friend had this at the studio yesterday and i raved about it so she sent me the link. voila!
picked up some peacock blue, slate grey, and noir legwarmers plus a fabulous flower pin at H&M in ny on monday. $26 total. love being a frugalista! the flower pin has been a great addition to my winter hat and will be versatile for my hair or summer dress next season.
in this economy, it can feel good to indulge in a small or inexpensive accessory that can brighten up your everyday staples. it's also nice to recognize how little we truly need! although i've missed picking up soy candles, bath products, or earrings on a whim, it's refreshing to focus on the basics.
any great bargains or DIY frugalista ideas you'd like to share? do tell!
------------- on wednesday i was a guest on channel 8's let's talk live. here's the video of us chatting about the six movements of the spine and hip tranquil chickness. enjoy!
i received these darling, thoughtful gifts wrapped in "follow your dreams" ribbon! unfortunately, i don't have an e-mail or snail mail address to send a thank you so i'm sending a shout-out to amy on the blog. look at these cute books she made with varied colorful paper envelopes inside, tied with varied ribbons with "explore," "wish," and "domestic goddess" on the outside.
merci, amy. i think these are darling and so beautifully crafted. please let me know where to find you to send a proper thank you note via snail mail. xo
during my monday jaunt to new york i was lucky enough to meet eco-designer pioneer deborah lindquist. her designs are genius, inspiring, and incredibly fun. check out her website - such fun, sassy ideas. we'll be hosting two "remake what you already have" workshops at the showroom this spring - jewelry and clothing. i love the notion of working with what you have - creating a whole new look from what hangs out in your closet. frugal, sustainable, and mindful!
attention all dc hip hop yoga fans, on friday from 7:30-9:30 i'll be leading a workshop with ps24. nothing beats yoga to live music, especially with these fabulously talented men (one is a former yogi of the month). come join the fun if you're free. details at tranquilspace.com.
today i had an interview on channel 8 discussing yoga you can do anywhere. of course i went over my favorite six stretches of the spine. make sure you're getting yours: forward bend, back bend, side bend, side bend, twist, and twist. these are critical for keeping you supple, healthy, and dare i say happy? take a moment to indulge in some much-needed self care. what does your spirit crave? a little journal writing, a little dance (maybe a lotta dance), a massage, a hot bath (about to take my 2nd one today), a kind gesture to a co-worker, a hug, a smile. do it!
february is a hard month for many people and it's a must-have to keep your heart center and your spirit satiated.
despite having an unpleasant cough, sniffles, and looking a bit frail, i hopped the bus to nyc today. it was my only chance to hit my favorite design show to get a sneak peek at what's haute for fall. already sent in some color requests to my fabric supplier, but haven't settled on the palette yet so this is always a great dose of inspiration. sure, i'm by no means 100% (more like 65/70%), but i'm able to walk, put on lipgloss, communicate somewhat coherently, and very grateful to be on the upswing. decided not to push my luck with a usual whirlwind day-in-ny extravaganza so i'm just focusing on this event and taking an early bus back. boo.
with my book deadline less than a month away now, it's time to kick it all into high gear and put my focus and energy on giving it my all. i've tried to carve out as much writing space as i can over the next few weeks. with writing you need big chunks. it's not as easy to get into the writing mode between meetings, classes or appointments. not like you can with a quick down and dirty journal entry. speaking of which, i'm putting the final words into my current journal. started on april 15 and finished today. it's always interesting to bring a portion of your life to close through the finishing of a particular journal. this one was blue, spiral bound, blue unlined pages, and has seen me through an interesting 10 months - studio move, challenging economy, new book contract, move to showroom, 5 year celebration with beau, holidays in oklahoma, teaching at kripalu - all sorts of shifts, changes, and celebrations. i'm grateful for the lessons learned and can't wait to scribble my first notes into a brand new slate of a journal tomorrow!
what do your journal scribbles have to say?
one final thought from the bus: follow moi on twitter. it's fun, i'm following martha stewart, obama, and all sorts of other fabulously creative folks!
Bonjour! Welcome to the 147th edition of tranquility du jour: a guide to bringing tranquility to your every day.
Today’s show menu features happenings and musing on the freelance life with Michelle Goodman.
Workshops + Retreats: Join moi for our next le chic teleclass chat Bloom into Spring on March 23 PLUS events around the globe: a luxurious weekend of tranquility and creativity at our 3rd Annual Hip Tranquil Chick retreat in a lovely farmhouse not far from NYC March 27-29, a decadent retreat to Costa Rica over Memorial Day, a summer solstice staycation in DC on June 20, and another tranquility-filled week at Kripalu August 9-14, 2009. All the scoop is on my workshops page.
Featured eco-luxe TranquiliT: 50% off your ENTIRE TranquiliT order 2.22 and 3.1 only. Use code AUREVOIR because we're saying "Au Revoir to Winter" and ready to welcome spring! Join TranquiliT's facebook page. Featured guest: Michelle Goodman Michelle Goodman is the author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube and My So-Called Freelance Life. Her articles and essays about alternative careers, human mating rituals, and cultural trends have graced media outlets such as ABCNews.com, CNN.com, Salon.com, The Seattle Times, BUST, Bitch, The Bark, and several anthologies. In her sixteen years as a full-time freelancer, she's had the opportunity to wrangle text about computer games, marital aids, dog pajamas, home colonics, and just about anything else that can be sold. She lives in Seattle with her eighty-pound lapdog, Buddy. For more scoop on the so-called freelance life, visit her blog at Anti9to5Guide.com.
down and out for the third day in a row with this yucky bug. to make matters worse, one of my dear friends is in town and i haven't been able to separate myself from bed to see her yet. funny how just a few days holed up at home can feel like eons!
i got tickets a couple weeks ago to go see swan lake at the kennedy center tonight. beau says we can't go unless i'm feeling better so i've got 3 hours to have a big turnaround. gotta pull it off as i've been dying to see this for years and we have fabulous tickets.
i've been able to reschedule or get coverage for obligations the past 3 days and am so grateful, but i do feel like life is passing me by while i wait for a recovery. have also determined that i'm a horrible sick person. thank goodness it doesn't happen very often. energy and buzzing about incessently is where i find comfort, normalcy. not curled up in bed with tissues and hoards of over the counter meds nearby.
i'm sure there is a *very* important lesson here and once i have the energy to write in my journal, it may appear. until then, i'll keep taking deep breaths, looking for a silver lining, enjoying the cuddle time with my fancy felines and lovely pug, and napping away. i've clocked so many shut-eye hours the past few days that i think i'm caught up for life! can't wait to be able to taste the icing of a cupcake again, put on makeup, and return to healthy, full days.
down for the count with some yucky bug. started yesterday with what i thought was low energy. intensified to full on "bugginess." since i'm not a very good sick person (who is?), i wanted to pull together some tips (while i'm lounging in bed) to assist you when caught with an uninvited bug.
1. soak in the tub. fresh out of my 3rd soak in less than 24 hours. helps relieve the achiness. 2. sip oodles of tea. downing throat coat tea like it's going out of style. even double bagging it. 3. infuse your water with emergenC. it makes your water taste like tang (yum!) and is full of loads of vitamin c. 4. release guilt. yes, deadlines are looming. yes, there are many other things you "should" be doing. yes, lying around doesn't feel terribly productive. but your body needs this to heal! 5. curl up with your beloved furry friend. louis is keeping me great company and it can be nice bonding time. 6. keep technology nearby. ONLY if you *must* be accessible, have your laptop, planner, and cell phone within reach to handle any emergencies or promises you made pre-bug. 7. stay grateful. it can be easy to take energy and health for granted. 8. let go. bugs find their way to you. fighting it saps energy. release into it, savor the down time, and let go of trying to control. 9. read. keep a good book nearby to pick up, savor a few words, and surrender when energy lessens.
i hope these few tips help you stay sane while waiting for the unwelcomed bug to move along! feel free to add some to the mix as i'm sure all of you have helpful hints. here's to your health!
TranquiliT was featured in Crystal Couture's runway shows Monday and tonight. Here are some images of the lovely ladies in the all-in-one wrap dress worn various ways.
a BIG shout-out and thank you to the lovely lara from oregon. i received the sweetest card via snail mail (always a total treat). it has a bunch of yogis with blank minds except for one girl with a cupcake in the bubble above her head while the teacher is saying "right now everybody try to clear your minds." it made me giggle because the simple act of clearing one's mind is SO much harder than it sounds and i thought the cupcake in the thought bubble was pretty clever, especially considering my addiction.
tonight was the second runway show for TranquiliT and we featured the all-in-one organic bamboo wrap dress worn 10 ways. the girls were GORGEOUS and it was fun wrapping them into the final piece. thank goodness for a backstage stylist who was uber creative (note the wraps tied around the girl's arms in the off-white dress).
an inspirational quote i came across and had to share: "my ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living." - anais nin
what ideas are lurking within? sometimes the harder we try to find them or push for clarity, the more fleeting they become. through living, the answers arise.
another great quote that speaks to this by rilke:
“be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and books that are written in a foreign tongue. do not now seek the answers which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. and the point is to live everything. live the questions now. perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
may you continue to live with intention and allow what is underlying to bloom forth. we can all use more inspiration, love, and compassion. your gift is unique. bring it on, ladies!
******* Saturday, June 20 - 10am-4pm @ Josephine Butler House in DC
Join Kimberly Wilson, author of Hip Tranquil Chick, for a day designed to reflect, inspire, and create action around the summer solstice! Sip organic tea, savor succulent fruit, and mingle with like-minded women in a gorgeous ballroom in the heart of DC. Spend time nurturing your spirit with modules on yoga, creative expression, journal writing, and goal setting. You will leave with action steps and a vision board to help facilitate continued growth. Bring your yoga mat, journal, colored pens or pencils, magazines to cut up, and an open heart.
Investment: $125, includes oodles of tea and treats, yummy vegetarian lunch, tranquility-filled goody bag, and mindfully extravagant modules. ********
the ladies from the new year's gala wanted a mid-year check-in event so, voila, here it is! join moi to celebrate the solstice and indulge in a much-deserved staycation. register at kimberlywilson.com.
today was action-packed with prepping for and attending crystal couture's green gone glam event. here are some photos from TranquiliT's feature on the runway which was uber-exciting. ana and moi were busily fitting the models, choosing their shoes, and setting up the TranquiliT booth. note the photo of moi coming out at the end with the models - felt so project runway!
one designer at the event was em of goodwill fashions and she's fabulous! LOVE the reuse of goodwill clothing. genius! we hope to have her at the showroom to lead a class soon on remaking your old clothing. check her out.
the first edition of the spring lookbook is out and the items will be available late march. check out spring at tranquilit.com/spring09.pdf. yay! requested lab dips for fall yesterday. any color requests?
by now you probably know that i'm obsessed with yoga and creativity (cupcakes, too). i'm excited to share that i'll be leading a 3-part series on the fusion of yoga + creativity starting thursday, march 5 - march 19 from 7:20-9:20 at tranquil space.
we'll explore how yoga's yamas and niyamas tie into your creative practice, ways to live creatively (even if you think you aren't an artist . . . yet), and the joy of journal writing. of course we'll have OMwork (homework to do in between sessions). each session will be accompanied with yoga, mini meditation, and creative play. come one, come all. i promise you will LOVE it!
march 5 - week one: creative tools (journal writing, yoga, meditation, and more) march 12 - week two: explore 8 delightful petals of creativity march 19 - week three: living life with creative flair + making micromovements
don't live in dc? i may record it and offer it as a tranquility on demand offering. click here to see all we currently have in the "library."
i couldn't take living out of tiny hat boxes any longer. sure i have an entire wall of closet space, but it is my only storage space in 600 square feet so it also holds luggage, roller blades, gift bags, beach wear, linens, and my shoes. shoved inside multiple hat boxes were undies, camis, leggings, legwarmers, socks, stockings, and lounge wear. as you can see, the hat boxes were bursting at the seams. during yoga class on friday night, i had the grand idea of transferring all the product into a real life dresser. unfortunately there is no space in my boudoir for a dresser so i would have to make space in the closet. easy enough. headed to ikea, napped while beau put the beast together, off to some friend's for v-day dinner, home at 1am and up until 3:30 am organizing it. topped the adventure off with scented damask drawer liners (see photo)!
oddly enough, i woke up this morning feeling much lighter. it's amazing what a little organizing can do for your spirit.
spent the afternoon doing a photo shoot of chez moi, my office at tranquil space, and the TranquiliT showroom to add to this website. a little something to give insights into my creative spaces. there's an amazing book called where women createthat served as the inspiration.
gonna lay out the week in my planner pad and host a tranquil space foundation board meeting by the fire. a full day that started with an empowering ashtanga yoga class! not bad for six hours of sleep. i'm going to be delighted to crawl under the sheets tonight!
how to have your own closet/cabinet/drawer miracle:
1. observe what isn't working. during a podcast interview on decluttering and simplifying last week, i looked around my pink palace with a longing to do the same. 2. see the forest for the trees. let go of what you aren't wearing or using. 3. bring what you are wearing or using to the forefront. easy access, baby. 4. divy the items up into clusters: undies, beach wear, lip glosses, moisturizers, tools, photos 5. get the right tools: a dresser, hat boxes, baskets, bins, shoe boxes, over the door shoe holder (great for accessories, too) 6. voila: bask in your newfound organization - even if it is at 3:30am
today was blissful. always a treat to step outside of the daily grind. i woke up, hit the computer (as i often do BUT am trying to wean myself from), churned out oodles of work, and rushed to the cathedral for an all-day pre-conference intensive on the Redvolution (you may recall sera beak from a former podcast). once there, i settled into an experience where we are seeking to connect to our "divine spark." she asked us questions like "who am i?" "why am i here?" "what is the next step to take in my life?" "what is something to do every day to build my connection with Spirit?" good stuff!
i took photos of the cathedral, bookstore (you just know i had to find that), the lovely lavender display, the darling tea shoppe cottage (soooo cute - want to live there), and the fairtrade dark chocolate brand, divine, that they sell. i'm usually a milk girl, but i had to get my antioxidants!
a total treat to truly bask in my creative day (try to savor fridays for creative work). now to tackle some exciting projects with a breath of fresh air and divine spark!
book group tonight at tranquil space! we're discussing eat, pray, love. come if you can! xo
come see TranquiliT hit the runway monday, wednesday, and friday and shop other fabulous local lines at crystal couture next week here in the dc area!
save the date for some super savings + sip mimosas at our dc showroom on february 22 and march 1 from noon - 3. here's the skinny:
we're making room in our tiny showroom to bloom into spring. shop TranquiliT's winter palette (slate, cranberry, au naturel) and designs at delightful savings (up to 70% off). in addition, i have cleaned my closets and has oodles of TranquiliT samples and fun pieces to add to the mix. all proceeds from the "clean closet" sale will benefit tranquil space foundation. learn more at http://www.tranquilspacefoundation.org. to double the eco-fun, on march 1 local designer liz matthews of even keel will be there to join in the fun with her line of yoga apparel. all styles are made with a soft sustainable blend of bamboo and organic cotton fabric. all items will be on sale. get a sneak peak, please visit http://www.evenkeelyoga.com.
join the TranquiliT facebook page to stay in the know on sustainable savings.
spring sprung today in dc. donned flip flops. got a mani and pedi. life felt lighter. gearing up for the spring collection of TranquiliT and hope to have the lookbook to share shortly. yay for bright colors and a theme focused on blooming fully. isn't that what we are meant to do?
"and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom." ~ anais nin
fresh home from a newly formed biz/book discussion group with a few lovely femmes. such a treat to connect (+ bond over vino) with like-minded ladies. truly refreshing.
this lovely book, choosing me before we, was sent to me in early form to read and comment on. i got the final version in the mail a few weeks ago and took it with me to peruse while writing last week. late last week i turned it over, read the endorsements, and thought "ah, i wish they'd used mine."
lo and behold, i look at the small print on the cover a few moments later and there is my quote. i was delighted. squealed with joy.
i so savor moments of surprise such as these and wanted to share the darling cover. new world library and author christine arylo did a beautiful job on this book.
interviewing two amazing ladies tomorrow night for the podcast: christine mason miller and kelly rae roberts. i hope you continue to glean inspiration for living a mindful, creative, vibrant lifestyle through all the delightful people we get to "meet" together through tranquility du jour.
although this image translates a bit purpley, it's a fun reminder of all the ways to wear our beloved all-in-one wrap dress. one dress. multiple styles. coming in noir, peony, iris, and bluebonnet this spring!
yesterday four of our fabulous tranquil space teacher trainees came to the showroom for our teaching circle. the circle was complete with a visit from my 7-year-old beau, gota, homemade sushi by his mother, homemade vegan cupcakes, the setting of intentions, the creation of our group name (svadyaya) and the joys of learning to teach yoga. look at the creativity oozing from these yummy concoctions!
Bonjour! Welcome to the 146th edition of tranquility du jour: a guide to bringing tranquility to your every day.
Today’s show menu features happenings and musing on zen, business, and less is more with Marc Lesser.
Workshops + Retreats: Join moi for our next teleclass Bloom into Spring on March 23 PLUS events around the globe: a luxurious weekend of tranquility and creativity at our 3rd Annual Hip Tranquil Chick retreat in a lovely farmhouse not far from NYC March 27-29, a decadent retreat to Costa Rica over Memorial Day, and another tranquility-filled week at Kripalu August 9-14, 2009. All the scoop is on my workshops page.
Featured eco-luxe TranquiliT: Sneak peek at spring 2009!
Featured guest: Marc Lesser Marc is the founder and president of ZBA Associates, a company offering coaching, consulting and facilitation services. Marc's skill and passion is assisting individuals and organizations to fully engage with their strength, power, and innate wisdom.
Marc was the founder and CEO of Brush Dance, (www.brushdance.com) a publishing company that creates greeting cards, journals and calendars, for 15 years. He holds B.A. degree in psychology from Rutgers University and an M.B.A. degree from New York University’s Graduate School of Business.
Marc has been practicing and studying Zen for 30 years and is a Zen teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi, author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years and, in 1983, served as Director of Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the West. He currently lectures and teaches in both the business and Zen environments. Marc co-leads (with Norman Fischer) Company Time, retreats for business people at Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm.
Marc has been a member of Social Venture Network, a national organization that combines business, social responsibility and spirituality, for the past 10 years and now serves on the SVN Board of Directors. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of the San Francisco Zen Center Board of Directors and is a member of the Zen Center's Outside Financial Advisory Board.
Prior to attending business school, Marc was an executive search consultant in New York City, placing high level finance candidates in Chase Manhattan Bank, Merrill Lynch, and other major New York banks. He also worked for a New York management consulting firm on a project of researching the size and viability of the cellular phone market for AT&T.
i wanted to share a recent feature on joy yoga's blog. she highlighted my passion for ABBA's dancing queen (the ultimate girly song) and eco-luxe living. read her post here. get your dance on!
i'm heading back to dc and stopped to download oodles of e-mails from the past few days. wanted to say a BIG merci beaucoup for those of you who passed along your self-care and style suggestions via facebook. if you didn't have a chance and have one (or three) to share, please pass it along. i was able to write approximately 9000 words (1/4ish of the book) so the week was productive. sad to leave the space as it has served moi well over my past few jaunts and i heart the owner, trudy.
before i hit the road, i wanted to share a few writer's quotes to help inspire your own inner muse:
And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live. ~Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 19 August 1851
My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living.~ Anais Nin
the past 48 hours have been blissful, exhausting, and encouraging. i got a late start out of dc and arrived to the writing house around 7:30pm on monday. did some editing and headed to bed shortly thereafter.
up early on tuesday to an amazing winter wonderland vista (photo taken of the porch outside my desk window) and had a phone conference manager meeting with the lovely team back home. afterwards i returned to my computer only to be overcome with exhaustion. took a decadent 3-hour nap. yum! have been writing non-stop since then, but finding my momentum has slowed.
have 3 full chapters left and a march 15 deadline. 1.5 days to go here at the retreat center and need to carve out oodles of editing and writing time when i return home. how best to translate the mindfully extravagant lifestyle?
i'm truly blessed to be able to take this time to connect to my creative muse. however, sometimes i feel like she is playing hide and seek with moi. do you relate with your own creative endeavors?
when my father would go off on one of his research adventures to obscure places, he would always leave a note that said "off to the hills, back in spring" or something equally sweet. despite my plans to be at the writing retreat center by now, i've been trying to handle projects that were backlogged due to a full schedule last week. no problem, i'll be on the road shortly, settled into my writing room by 7:30ish, and ready to face my muse.
this week is just what the doctor ordered (especially since i have a march 15 deadline!) and it feels good to have my ducks in a row even if i'm getting a later start. sometimes you have to throw the best laid plans to the wind, do what feels right, and just keep going! life continues to throw curveballs and i'm finding that the less i fight the balls, the more i enjoy them. let go and open up to a world of fluidity. it feels good.
since i don't have internet access at the farmhouse i'll be writing in, i plan to get a dose on wednesday night when i head to town. look forward to reconnecting with the world then. in the interim, i'm heading to the hills and hoping my muse will join moi!
i'm so delighted to share a few photos from our spring shoot. the spring palette (bluebonnet, peony, iris) looked beautiful on our model, allison. featured photos: all-in-one as a one-shoulder in peony, 2-in-1 long sleeve in bluebonnet + palazzo pant, sleeveless wrap dress in noir, longer cardi-shawl in iris over noir jumpsuit. i hope you love it as much as i do! the line is currently in production and will be unveiled at our spring trunk show mid-march at the TranquiliT showroom. details forthcoming.
Marc was the founder and CEO of Brush Dance, (www.brushdance.com) a publishing company that creates greeting cards, journals and calendars, for 15 years. He holds B.A. degree in psychology from Rutgers University and an M.B.A. degree from New York University’s Graduate School of Business.
Marc has been a member of Social Venture Network, a national organization that combines business, social responsibility and spirituality, for the past 10 years and now serves on the SVN Board of Directors. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of the San Francisco Zen Center Board of Directors and is a member of the Zen Center's Outside Financial Advisory Board.
