Sometimes I write personal essays on motherhood. This is one.
We’ve been here for only a minute. I glance down at my red-faced infant. The desperation on his face echoes the ache in my breasts. If we don’t find a place to nurse in t minus 15 seconds, we’ll both explode.
Read MoreApril was our last month in New York. Keenan surprised us with this book right before we pulled onto the road for the final stretch of our cross country move. Keeps the faces and places we love fresh in our minds. His thoughtfulness is above and beyond.
Man, missing New York so much lately. Not one thing in particular, and probably more my people than anything. What I'd do for a bowl of ramen or a walk around our brownstone neighborhood at dusk, though. Also, a little trip to Fish's Eddy and the Japanese bookstore we loved one more time.
In place of a 'New York favorites' or 'What to do in the city!' post, I feel the need to sit and write every memory I can remember and send it in an email to myself. I can't bring myself to share New York memories just yet. Feels too personal and almost sacred. So dramatic, I know.
Brooklyn, you sucker.
I'm a huge fan of Maria Kalman. This Portrait of Creativity video is an insightful interview into her life growing up, creative inspiration, her love of New York City, and some of her recent projects, like the book out called Girls Standing on Lawns. Meeting her at a Creative Mornings a couple of years ago was one of my bucket list moments. She told me she loved my name, we chatted for a minute about New York, and she signed my illustrated Elements of Style book. Pinch me.
We're here.
We now live in one of the most beautiful cities I've ever laid eyes on. Over-sized fuscia blooms and swaying palm trees and ancient eucalyptus trees. Bungalows, hills, and green for miles. There's a contentment in the air—superfluous Vitamin D, tacos, and open space, I think. I'm still wrapping my mind around people living here. California always meant vacation to me. But here we are, doing the laundry and going to church like normal. Driving? Driving. Driving everywhere! It's so strange. Our own personal cheerio and iPad universe flying down the freeway to our next house hunt appointment.
I feel pangs of missing for Brooklyn—but mostly for my friends and family there. I didn't realize how ready we were until we took the plunge and found just what we thought—another amazing life on the outside. It was so hard to see it but we knew we needed it. It was time.
These pictures make me cry. Will Silas remember his birthplace? (Does he even know he was born in the same hospital Dr. Mindy Lahiri delivers in?!) Will he remember the cherry esplanade, surrounded by best friends and sneaked snacks and the perfect early Spring day? Will he remember his first Indian food, or shrimp tempura sushi, or pork bone ramen? Or the Fireworks on the Hudson, or Storm King, or early morning bike rides through Brooklyn Bridge Park? Does any of this stuff even matter? We lived a simple life inside our tiny, but perfect-for-us apartment. It was where we ate together, cried together, invited friends over, and learned how to depend on and trust in each other. When I think of where we brought our two boys home from the hospital, I think of home. I love home. I miss it, and so desperately want to recreate that sense of security and us-ness in this new place.
I do love a fresh start. As Anne Shirley's teacher always said, "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." I'm on the cusp of getting down the two-kids thing, and trying to wrangle this new place with all its new (old) ways of life, as well as some side projects, and feeling a little overwhelmed. But I'm trying to maintain perspective: gratitude for all these opportunities for learning and patience to take them one at a time. Ugh, patience is the worst. I like things now, just the way I like them! and everything about what I'm doing in my life is the opposite. But I know I need to be and let be. Everything will work out.
Three cheers for a good night's sleep and a fat, brand new sunny day.
This post is a collaboration with a new and talented photography friend, Mariliana Arvelo. With six days left in New York City, her pictures of my boys and I in our daily visit to the playground mean more than anything. xo
I've grown to love Brooklyn playgrounds with a fierceness. When you don't have a backyard, and your baby is scootering naked across your new chaise lounge, the playground becomes an all-inclusive oasis. A place of freedom, hard truths, broken toys. The land overflowing with organic snacks. What I didn't realize was what a gathering place of awesome grown-up humans it is, too. Not only did my oldest get to interact with (correction: steal from) kids of all different ages and backgrounds, I got the lucky chance to get brave or be lonely. And I'd rather be Chatty Kathy and try to reach out than be Lonely Mom any day. (Lonely Mom is so, so sad. She's come and gone, but ugh, she's sad.)
I have met the most amazing people at the playground. As I'm typing, I'm visualizing dozens of them—one of my most recent favorites was a mom from my new neighborhood. Just before I slipped Silas into the swing, she pulled out an already damp wipe from her jacket pocket and wiped a muddy puddle from the base of our swing, saving our first kind-of-Spring morning from cold, crying abyss. From that second, we were friends. Co-parents, almost. Our kids 'played' together. It was more about us tracking them under the monkey bars, through the slide—while coming in and out of conversation about our impending move to San Francisco, her story of going back to art school, our kids' milestones. Next to the giant X-O-X-O spinning blocks, we talked about how it's hard, like really, really hard sometimes, to just live here. To be a mom and try to feed and protect our tiny humans. To feel such love and such frustration with a place. The ups and the downs and taking chances on a thankless city year in and year out. And she said it so perfectly, almost in a whisper like she was honoring the confidants we had become to each other, It's New York. We're here. It's amazing.
And it is. It is so amazing.
So many thanks to the amazing Mariliana who captured these amazing photos of my boys and I at one of our last playground jaunts in our neighborhood, ever. It's home away from home, where my monkeys get the monkey out; the place where we get some sunshine after picking up a couple chocolate chip cookies at Choice. (Which, of course, my new friend at the playground recommended. They are as good as or better than warm Jacque Torres cookies!) I have never worked with a photographer who understood wild and skeptical toddlers (Silas) and completely indifferent babies (Sondre) so well. Mariliana is a DELIGHT to work with. If you live in the New York City area, or will be here visiting, I highly recommend Stylish Hip Kids Photography for capturing your family or a big event. Thank you, Mariliana!
And for fun, our favorite playgrounds in Brooklyn in order:
The Nature Playground at Prospect Park (a park made out of fallen trees from Sandy. it even has a sand pit!)
Pier 6 Water Park at Brooklyn Bridge Park. (Head out early on a Saturday morning, bike along the water, eat a croissant at Mazzola's in Carroll Gardens for breakfast and a Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory cone for lunch, and have a totally magical family morning.)
Underhill Avenue (lots of toys for little babies to play with)
I've been rolling this post around in my head for months but it wasn't until today that it felt like it all came together. I'm hardly the early-adopter tech guru or social media socialite, but I think that's why my opinion can and does matter. Pictured above is a shortened grid view of September 16, 2013. Highlight of the day? A trip to the pediatrician for his two-year appointment. (But really the walk to and from, which is beautiful.) For him? That sucker. Pictures below were all taken by me on various days from the last 218 I've posted on Days. I will not lie: Scrolling through hundreds of pictures to find a few made me cry and feel incredibly grateful for my sweet family and our wonderful life. Wow.
I'm not a 'selfies' person. You know, flipping my iPhone camera around and snapping photos of my cute new haircut or oversized sunglasses while fellow New Yorkers snicker as they brush past me. I'm eternally embarrassed of taking pictures of myself. I think I'm fine looking and happy with myself generally (despite an ever-growing baby belly) but I really don't see the point or want to take the time. Or I didn't. But now I do.
A few days ago, I glanced at Days, like I do everyday, and realized I'd reached 218 days posted. No fanfare, no likes, no free stuff. Just a little button that read 218. It gave me pause. I began scrolling back through my feed, through time, re-living my favorite moments from the last four months. For every photo there was a small memory, and a picture in my mind that I had not just photographed but remembered. Each was a mental link to a memory to a another memory. Reviewing the pictures stirred up super sweet memories of my son beginning to talk, Springtime in New York, final goodbyes, cutting off 15 inches of my hair and a modeling casting for Si (so weird!), my June birthday, finding out the gender of our second child in a small dark hospital room, and all the learning and emotions that go along with working and raising a family.
There was also a second birthday for our little boy and a growing baby bump. And then there were the five months of morning sickness and exhaustion and the frustration with just not feeling like a functioning human being, because I was growing one. It was cathartic, (like re-watching a familiar and favorite movie that I had seen a thousand times). I crave that thoughtfulness and quiet and it's difficult to find a device or technology or app that can actually facilitate that in my own busy life.
I'm not an over-sharer (I think?) but I find myself utilizing Days like a personal record. I take pictures of my house, clean or dirty; 90% of my pictures are of my son and I don't give a second thought as to whether that's "baby picture overload" or whatever; my captions are sometimes personal/sometimes matter-of-fact; sometimes my days are "fully" recorded; sometimes just a single moment to mark that the day had passed What I'm getting at is that I don't feel social pressure or performance stress from Days. That makes me want to yell with happiness and say, This is it! This is not Facebook! This is not Instagram! because it is so refreshing to just be and let be. I feel like I have real ownership of how I use it and it feels so good. There's no set standard or Days etiquette—it feels like unchartered waters and the privacy settings and interface allow it stay like that. You could take a million pictures and filter the heck out of every photo and seriously create the most beautiful keepsake to print/tweet/share to everyone you know. Or, you could share your Days with the one person who knows you best as a way to keep in touch that no text or status update could rival. The user has the power to iterate and interpret the app like none I've ever seen. I am so excited to see what's around the bend in Version II.
(And yes, I take lots of pictures of food. Just like everybody else. :))
This post is for anyone wanting to know more about the Alt Summit blogging conference. If you want to read more about Alt, here's Five Tips for Alt Summit, a recap of Alt Summit NYC, a recap of Alt Summit 2013, and a declaration that bloggers are so much more than bloggers. Thank you so much for visiting and I love your comments.
All photos by the wonderful Alt Summit photographer, Justin Hackworth.
Whew! I was fortunate enough to attend Alt Summit NYC last week and I'm excited to share a few pictures from my day at the Martha Stewart Headquarters with all the other Alters.
I got to Alt halfway through the day so unfortunately I missed Grace Bonney's wonderful talk, crafting time, and a delicious lunch. The first thing I caught was a panel on social media with social media directors from Warby Parker, MooMah Magazine, and Lucky Magazine, moderated by Gabrielle Blair. (Great recap of the panel here.)
Following the panel, there was a 9 x 5 panel : Nine NY-based speakers speaking for five minutes each. This was a genius idea! I loved hearing from so many speakers and it kept the ADD at bay. And! So awesome that my husband, Keenan, was presenting.
He spoke all about online youth culture, improbable artists, and why the internet has made it possible for people who would've never been artists or perhaps never had a creative outlet, to become super successful tastemakers and creators. He surprised everyone by even tearing up half way through as he shared the personal stories of several teen "improbable artists" that inspire him online—I know how passionately he feels about the good and the possibilities that exist on the internet. I feel the same way. He briefly mentioned Days, a visual diary app he and his amazing team launched one month ago, and it was so fun to have so many people come up to us afterward to ask questions or give feedback on how they love the app.
After a brief break (during which Keenan and our friend Danny admitted that they felt like they were at an awesome baby shower:)), we met again for the final speaker: Garance Doré. I admit I was unfamiliar with her blog until the conference. Shame on me! She was flawlessly candid and beautifully French, and I loved all of her business advice. You can read more about what she said here.
Then, the party didn't stop as we headed to another room decked out in true Martha Stewart fashion. It was so over-the-top beautiful.
I reconnected and bonded with the other Design Mom contributors—Amy Christie (DIY), Gabrielle Blair (The Design Mom herself), Amy Hackworth (Family, Parenting, Life). Missing Carter Higgins (Children's Book guru), Lindsay Johnson (Living Well Series), and Raleigh-Elizabeth (Food and Entertaining). I love how this picture captures just how excited we were to be together in person. It's a really amazing thing to collaborate every day online and then *finally* get together in person. I always love running into Brooklyn friends like Mim, Mara, and Jenny (though I didn't get any pictures!) and meeting new and awesome people like Chris, M.J., Ellen, Paige, Molly, Dervla, Jessica, and Cigall. It was also fun catching up with friends from ALT SLC like Haeley and Rashi.
I loved ALT NYC and am so impressed with the organizers behind the event and their impecccable attention to every tiny detail. It's an exquisite experience.
In case you're interested, I created a short Q&A all about Alt Summit based on some discussion with friends and questions other bloggers have been asking me about my experience at the conference. After I attended ALT SLC, I wrote something I titled Not Just Bloggers Anymore that made big rounds because it wasn't a typical ALT recap. It's what I had to write instead of a rundown on business cards or outfits. I also wrote something about being terrified to act on a good idea, which readers loved. I can't tell you how many people have emailed or talked to me privately about this exact feeling. If you have any questions, comments, or tips, leave a comment at the bottom or you can send me an email at koselicummings @ gmail . com.
On the Fence about ALT in general?
If you're on the fence about whether to purchase a ticket for ALT SLC, or a little lost in the blogging world, you may like my tips for Alt Summit NYC and a post about why bloggers are so much more than bloggers these days. Blogging conferences have the power to jumpstart your creativity, re-evaluate your business goals, and connect with people you should be connected with. It's also an incredible way to make friends that love the same things you do—which is super powerful whether you're a huge blogger or just starting out. If you can go, go. And if you want a ticket, you have to get it FAST the day it's available. They sell out in minutes.
Did you prefer ALT SLC or ALT NYC?
I attended ALT SLC in January 2013 and now ALT NYC in June 2013. To me, the two felt very different. The NYC conference was a one day conference only 45 minutes away from my house: the SLC conference was a solo, red-eye flight with my toddler and several days of 5:30 AM-11:30 PM networking. (Not to mention commuting in blizzard-like conditions!) The branding is similar, the people are still just as kind, and the topics and speakers were just as on-point. Both are super exciting to participate in and both have incredible networking opportunities. NYC feels small compared to SLC—in scope, venue, and in number of participants. It just depends on your budget and business needs. That being said, I loved being completely immersed at the SLC conference—I attended alone, packed everything I needed for the day (I commuted 40 minutes by car each day), and just made friends and learned all day long. It was heaven for me. It was a welcome change from my distracted day-to-day as a mom and part-time writer and I honestly didn't think about anything but the conference until the fourth day when I suddenly missed my son like crazy and raced back to my parent's house to cuddle that baby like crazy. If you can go, go! If you're on the cusp of starting your own business or blog and you need that final push, Alt Summit is it.
What should I wear?
Something that makes you feel bangin'. That was hard for me to do at Alt NYC because I'm six months pregnant and in that weird in-between stage, but I did the best I could. I really think spending a little money and making sure you love every detail of your outfit goes a long way in an intense social situation like this. You don't want to be fussing or worrying about anything during the conference. That's time wasted! So buy those shoes or splurge on that gorgeous black dress if it helps you feel confident. The SLC conference requires several outfit changes for all-out evening parties each night—NYC is one outfit for one day.
A few tips on what to wear:
*All-black is slimming and looks chic and pulled together in pictures. I LOVE Gabrielle's jumper, and I also always love a perfect pencil skirt and button-down collared blouse. It ALWAYS looks so good.
*Statement jewelry and lipstick can add a pop in photo booths,
*Stuff a light pair of comfy flats in your bag, but wear your favorite shoes the majority of the time. There's a lot of sitting.
All that being said, beware of rumors that Alt is all about fashion or looking perfect. It's a business conference, not a beauty pageant. It's so important to stay true to you and your own personal style. You don't need a whole new wardrobe or the perfect highlights—honestly, that's time and money wasted if you don't have a purpose for attending or haven't done your research on the speakers and those you'd like to connect with. Research first, fashion second. Dress for yourself, not for others.
What about business cards? (!!!!!)
I have to laugh because everybody goes c-r-a-z-y about business cards at Alt. It's a little funny considering actual printed business cards are a bit dated (though I do love them!). But it's become a staple of Alt to exchange business cards with almost every person you meet. A clear, beautiful card that clearly states your blog or business, your name, and some contact information is most important. But there are so many variations of a business card that pop up at Alt it's seriously incredible. As long as it's true to your brand and business and isn't too huge to fit in someone's bag, go for it. :)
Pro tip: Do your research! Try to get to know the names + blogs of the biggest bloggers who will be attending the conference so you don't find yourself slipping them a business card without any idea that they could be a future mentor for you. It goes a long way when you know a little about someone or their work when you're introducing yourself! On that same note, don't ignore anyone. Learn to slip in and out of conversation gracefully, but remember that this is a very tight knit community with a lot of super talented, super hard-working individuals who are (or are on the cusp of) doing amazing things. Always respect what others are trying to create and never doubt their sincerity.
What should I pack?
Ez of Creature Comforts pulled together a comprehensive list here. I'd also add an extra pen, snacks, (I have hypoglycemia so this is a must!), two pouches for your business cards AND for the cards you collect, lipstick and a compact, and a list of Twitter handles and email addresses of those you want to connect with while at the conference. At ALT SLC, I wasn't staying in a hotel downtown so I had to pack everything I needed each morning. I stashed my evening clothes and freebies by the coat rack every day and it was totally fine. The bathrooms at the Grand America are big and gorgeous—plenty of room for getting ready for the evening parties. Or you can make friends with someone staying at the hotel, like I did with the awesome Gay last year, and change there. All in all, don't stress the changes. It's not a big deal when you're there and in the mode.
Any other tips/questions/comments on Alt Summit in general or on specific elements of the conference? I'd love to hear!
Anyone else have a hard time scrolling up in iPhoto? I get so schmoopy. I just want to freeze this moment forever.
This post is for everybody thinking about attending/prepping for an upcoming Alt Summit blogging conference. I wrote it in preparation for my first Alt NYC in 2013. Since Alt was such a game-changer for me, I thought I'd share a few of tips from my Alt Summit SLC experience. (You can read my other posts about Alt Summit here (Alt Summit NYC Recap and a few tips), Alt Summit SLC 2013 here, and a post triggered by a theme at the 2013 conference that bloggers are doing (and should be doing!) so much more than blogging called Not Just Bloggers Anymore. Hope you enjoy! Would love to hear your comments!)
1) Wear something you feel amazing in. Spend a little money and wear the skirt that you know looks *amazing* on you, or that blouse that has the perfect sweetheart neckline. Do your make-up, do your hair, and do all the little things you might do to treat yourself before a very special event. (Manicure, haircut, hair masque, eyebrow threading, etc. Whatever.) I'm not a high-maintenance girl but I always wear a little more make-up and make sure every piece of my outfit won't give me a second thought. It makes the WORLD of difference when you're not fussing with your hemline, or hiding your peeling nail polish. Feeling confident allows you to take the focus off of you, and puts it on others—which is where you should be investing all your energy at an event like this.
2) Bring beautiful, clear business cards. 100-125 should be plenty. Bring one pouch for cards collected, and one pouch for your cards. Bring a pen to jot down notes on your meeting/that person/things you don't want to forget directly on the card. This is so, so important! My friend Miranda from One Little Minute brought a college ruled notebook and took notes throughout the day and every night on every person she met and everything she learned. You'll totally forget everything by the time you get home so make clear, detailed notes about each person you want to reconnect with. You will not regret this, I swear. If you have time, also add every person you meet on Twitter, or people you want to meet with at the conference beforehand.
3) Be able to describe what you do and what your blog/business is in one clear sentence. If it's undetermined, that's okay! Just make one clear statement about what you're in the process of making. It's a Hello/Elevator pitch in one. Make sure it's short and sweet.
4) Research, research, research. Know who's sponsoring your dinner, who else will be there, and the ins and out of the location, dress code, etc. Find out who else is attending Alt (especially those you admire, the speakers, or possible collaborators) and connect within the next few days via Twitter or Email. (If you haven't already!) When you're at Alt, text, tweet, or email those you want to meet and make it happen. To top that off, bring a notebook and jot down all the Twitter handles of the bloggers/sponsors you'd like to meet with. Then, when you're available to meet, send a quick DM or email. This worked like a charm.
5) Be a confident floater. I love a person who you can float from one person to the next, pull others in, step away when it's time, and most important, just be fine alone. You'll exchange more business cards, meet more people, and have more fun if you're confident and independent. I attended Alt SLC alone, like a lot of attendees, and it was THE BEST THING EVER. I saw a few friendly faces from Brooklyn and Salt Lake City, but other than that I was a free bird. It opened up my time and energy to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to. This led to meeting some incredible bloggers that I may have not met otherwise and making some really, really amazing friends. On that note, do not be scared to introduce yourself to whoever you'd like to meet, however amazing/talented/beautiful you think they are. You do not want regrets the next morning, my friends. And if you do not say hello to ______ when she was standing right in front of you, you will regret it.
I really do feel like ALT SLC was a game-changer for me and really pushed me to put some ideas in motion that I was absolutely terrified to act on. I'm sure I'll feel the same encouragement and sense of community at ALT NYC this week. Ok! I'm super excited for Thursday. See you all there!
P.S. — Will I see you there? I'd love to meet you. You can catch me at @OriginalKos or email me at Koseli Cummings @ gmail . com. If I knew what I'd be wearing, I'd drop a hint so you can find me but seriously, just look for the pregnant girl in heels.
Image via Vogue.com courtesy of Random International.
The Museum of Modern Art just opened a room that will rain for 99 days. The field of falling water pauses whenever a human body is detected, giving guests the feeling of controlling the rainfall. (The MOMA warns there is a risk of getting a little wet — and discourages high heels.) Unlike traditional art shows, visitors are encouraged to take pictures and share them via social media. You can even see a live stream here.
We can't wait to go! If you're in New York City, it's open until July 28. What's the most amazing art installation you've ever experienced?
P.S. — Remember the cloud room and the book maze on Design Mom?
...I'm sure it's not the largest, but it's the tallest I've ever seen. It's located near South Street Seaport, on Fulton St. It's not pretty but it is amazing. I would never park there. Update: Just googled car elevator and found this youtube video of this exact garage. Apparently the lifts move horizontally and vertically.
Just came across these images by Alexandra Valenti via It's About What You Leave Behind, one of my favorite Tumblrs.
We went on a quick trip this weekend and surprised ourselves with how refreshed we felt when we returned home. It's amazing how getting away for just a day can widen your perspective and re-focus your goals.
Mind if I wax a little personal? I have some creative projects and ideas that are scaring me to death—enough so I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger. They came to me last fall and I've stewed and sat on them for months. For too long. The fear of the unknown is rendering me immobile; the domains and URLS sit empty and untended.
So many are getting it done. My husband inspires me always with his ceaseless non-complaining and natural drive. He's a natural start-up entrepreneur: obsessed with learning, making "it" better, and working with smart people who inspire him. He and his Co-founder Jeremy and their super cool team are building a consumer tech product that's really amazing. I can't wait for its wide release within a few months. Tireless work, mind-bending smarts, and the confidence to challenge everything seem to be integral pieces to anything great.
The women behind Swiss Miss, Brain Pickings, Oh Joy, Design for Mankind, Design Mom, City Sage, Two Tiny Kitchens, Smitten Kitchen, Stephmodo, One Little Minute, Alt Design Summit and other blog conferences, A Cup of Jo, Fresh Exchange, Kelsey's Essentials, A Blog About Love, and so many others inspire me to be better and make a difference, however I choose to exhibit that effect. A start-up, a business, a blog, a move for social good, by being a community leader, creating children, building a home environment that's a love-filled refuge, being the best spouse/daughter/sister/friend/neighbor possible. Whatever it is. When I see fresh starts, communities with power, and ideas that can make the world a better place starting with people just like me, I think I can do it. However small. Among the giants, smaller bloggers and business owners and individuals are doing incredible things with bare bones budgets and extremely limited time. I can hardly let my ideas simmer and cool when I'm surrounded by so much inspiration and knowledge.
If my idea is personally meaningful, it's worth the work. And I should share boldly with the hope that it might be meaningful to someone else.
Have you ever had an idea, project, or event that scared you like crazy? As I wrote this, a flood of terrifying firsts came to mind. My first freelance writing project, first job out of college, first day at Penguin, first time quitting a job (This deserves a post. I'm off the charts scared every time I quit something.), first time driving in the city. There's too many to count! I can't wait to hear your tips on getting over the inability to act and your scariest to-dos you overcame.
Update: Thank you so much for the wonderful support and feedback! I appreciate it so much and really feel like even the process of writing this out helped me see there's no chance I'm not going forward with my creative project. Thank you again. Love how Original Archiving Co. readers and the creative community in general rallies. I've been asked by a few people to write a few more posts about the ups and downs of being a "creative", so I'll be be working on a few more essays on topics like knowing when to quit, the act of quitting (quitting deserves a two part series I think), collaborating nicely with your spouse, how I love working with designers, the story on how I became a copy writer in the first place, and what it's like to be married to a start-up guy. I'm excited.
Image via Kauffman Mercantile
It's cold and snowy so we're hunkered down for the day. We're supposed to get another Nor'easter (is this word odd to you, too?) this weekend. I love brisk winter air but the gloomy days are outstaying their welcome. Anyone else ready for Spring?
We're having dumplings with our neighbors and catching up on some *exciting* side projects this weekend. (I can't wait to share in a few months!) Here's a little film about the evolution of photography and a new favorite blog (that Gabrielle linked to today as well!) to take you into your weekend. Have a good one.
P.S. Just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful response to my non-traditional Alt Summit Recap. I'd pulled together photos, quotes, links to my favorite new blogs, etc. but for some reason it just didn't feel right and I had to pull together the thoughts that scared me and write them down. Hope you enjoyed it. And if you want to continue the conversation about the future/power of blogging, I would love that. Please contact me on Twitter @OriginalKos.
A wall should not be blank unless you intended it to be.
Oliver Jeffers is a children's book author and multi-talented artist. He collages, paints, designs, illustrates, and builds. People like him inspire me and make me feel like I haven't done much in my life, but in a good way.
I want Land of Nod to help me transform our bedroom closet into a miniature napping room for our son and paper the interior with this birdie wallpaper. It doesn't matter how small it is if there's thought in every detail, right?
Letter pressed business cards designed by my in-house designer, Mr. Keenan Cummings.
Happy Friday everyone!
I'm happy to be home. Our flight was perfection from the sweet girl sitting next to us, to my son sleeping almost the entire way. It was a miracle. We're getting organized, doing laundry, and catching up with friends. It was windy and cold yesterday but we braved it and went out to check-in on all our favorite places in the neighborhood—the playground, the corner store, and the library. It feels good to be back. I love this city so much. It's in my bones and though it's awful and exhausting and expensive at moments, it's just as beautiful and magnetic. Do you feel that way about where you live? It's taken me a long time to embrace living in New York City but once I did, it was a downward spiral. :)
I want my Alt post to be thoughtful and exact so I'm spending my time composing a recap. Thanks for your patience. In the meantime, enjoy this pony in a kitchen. And have a wonderful weekend. (Man, I love the weekend. But I do miss TGIF Fridays. Boy Meets World anyone?)
Since I was at Alt last week, here's my Design Mom posts from the past two weeks.
A Book for Naomi—a darling gift for a little niece
Done Not Done—a new app for storing the things you want to do, but don't have to
Mr. Bliss— A Norwegian explorer and his Cheese Doodles. Watch this now!
A Transparent House—a house that looks like a giant ice cube
Lapka—a new app that monitors your environment
Etymology—a short film on why there is a 'b' in doubt
Vegetal Identity—literally, a green logo
Photos via Blissful Blog.
...with a pony in the kitchen. This is the most beautiful, inspiring thing I've seen all day. I love a good mix or quirk and beauty. I love that they've embraced color and sentimental objects in the children's room. And the wooly poof in the living room? That looks like the perfect reading spot.
What is the most beautiful thing you've seen today?
Image via An Old Soul Romantic. D.A. is back!
Happy New Year!
We are back. We came home to a sparkling apartment and a new stack of Crate and Barrel dishes thanks to our wonderful Airbnb guests over the holidays. They left a tiny chip in one of our bowls and delighted us by buying a whole new set to replace it.
Every time I return from a trip, it takes a few days to reorient myself and settle into a routine. (Especially if that trip involves red eyes flights, roomy houses, missed siblings, cousins for Silas, and sprawling Targets.) But we've been back to the playground to see familiar faces, visited best friends, made a trip to the library, said hello to the grocery store, and eaten too much gluten-free chocolate cake so I think we're adjusting just fine. I do love this city.
I'm full of thoughts and inspiration, like all of you. There's nothing like the new year to spark freshness and creativity back into all our cold winter hearts. I'm following Erin Loechner's lead—and not making resolutions this year. Her first post of the new year captured the angst I've been feeling about the internet, media consumption, the future of blogging, the original thought and relationships missing online, and what I felt was missing in my own creative life. (Future post on these posts forthcoming.) Like Erin, I want 2013 to be the year I embrace my natural curiosity more fully. The Year of the Curious Kos. More thought, more action, less fear. I think Original Archiving Co. will be better for it.
I have several new writing projects and collaborations in the works that I am excited to share. Once my thoughts are pulled together, I'll let you know just what they are. I'm so happy to be continuing as daily Discovery Editor for Design Mom! I absolutely love contributing to one the best design and motherhood blogs out there, alongside Gabrielle and the other incredible contributors. It's a dream come true. You can see all my posts here. If you don't already follow me on Design Mom, I'd love if you did. I write daily about the coolest or most beautiful thing I've seen that day. I'm going to start linking to my daily posts in a Friday round-up here on my own blog, too. You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, too.
Happy to be back, friends. Thanks for being here.
Every summer we go to Shakespeare in the Park. It's an annual reminder that this city is magical and that I should stay. We go early and wait in line, talking and hanging out. Then we buy a tuna sandwich at the cafe which comes with Rick's Picks pickled green beans and pickles and take our seats. At our first play, it was opening night of Twelfth Night. Anne Hathaway was the lead. A raccoon darted across the stage during the shipwreck and the entire audience giggled like happy-drunk children. Crickets chirped, the sun set bloody orange behind the outdoor stage, and Hem serenaded the night. Hugh Jackman and his wife sat four rows in front of us and after the show, he dropped his tickets on the ground and we picked them up, hyped on Shakespeare and perfect moments. I don't know what we did with the tickets.
Buy these beautiful illustrated plays here
I am so excited to share pictures of the Land of Nod holiday pop-up shop! I met Tina, Bekah, and Yoko handing out Tattly tattoos, got a SmileBooth snap with Keenan (blackmail worthy), and ogled over the vast amount of adorable things I wanted to buy for my son—and for myself. My favorite item was the oversized plush s'more. Are you kidding? We'd have to buy a brownstone to accommodate him, but what else could we do?
Lovely shop, Land of Nod. Spreading holiday cheer and beautiful things for all to see. Open until December 27 on 136 Prince St.
On Friday night, I went to the second Design Debate Club event kindly hosted at the Etsy Pop-up shop in Soho, New York.
First, the shop. This is the first time Etsy has ever done anything like this. It's the biggest online handmade market so for them to open a brick and mortar store in the middle of Soho is pretty amazing. I'd heard of the all-nighters and scrupulous attention to detail the Etsy collaborators had put into the shop so I was anxious to admire their incredible work. It did not disappoint. It's seriously amazing. Industrial exposed light fixtures, handmade tags with a custom illustration by Tuesday Bassen on every item, gorgeous artwork (some for sale), holiday gifts, handmade jewelry, and enough products that you can look at for over an hour and still not get through everything. Etsy bought the goods for sale outright. There are clothes, vintage shoes, pillows, screen printed posters, totes, picks from Tavi Gavinson, embroidered pillows of Martha Stewart's and Swiss Miss's heads, ornaments by Tuesday Bassen, tiny knitted baby sweaters. On this particular night, there was also a barber cutting men's hair for free as well as a surprise dance party by Pat Mahoney. We danced late into the night, until the Dry Soda ran, well, dry. The shop is only open until December 8, so if you're in New York, hop to. It's a sight to see! Follow #etsyholidayshop on Twitter for real-time updates. Greene St. btw Prince St. and Houston.
Second, Design Debate Club. I am not a designer, but I am married to one. I didn't know it at the time, but there was a line snaking down the block for guests wanting to get in. I don't blame them. How can you resist bow ties, beards, and a philosophical oxford style debate about design with smart people? It was an awesome night.