And not because of some tragic plot twist, but because of what it says about the reality of the lives of so many minority kids in this country and their relationships with the police that are supposed to serve and protect them…
Jill Platner is going to turn your bathtub into a work of art
JILL PLATNER | Made on Crosby Street from Jill Platner on Vimeo.
This video celebrates the work that went into the design and fabrication of Jill Platner’s new Isla line of bathroom fixtures for Waterworks.
I have been close friends with Jill Platner for my entire adult life. Every season, for as long as I’ve known her, she holes herself up in her studio for an intense period of time, stays up till the wee hours, doesn’t return any of her messages and then, just when you start to get worried, emerges with a brilliant new collection that is better than anything she’s produced before. This happens every single time. Without fail.
But this month she’s outdone herself by emerging with not only a new collection of jewels, but the most sublime family of bathroom fixtures a person could ever imagine. With the esteemed brand Waterworks as her partner, Jill spent the past two years drawing and sculpting and dreaming and manufacturing a whole new take on the bathroom fixture. It’s enough to make me want to rip out my entire (rental) bathroom and replace it with this stuff. They are by far the most beautiful spouts and hooks and shower heads I have ever seen.
And we can all get our hands on them via Waterworks.
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Monday, Monday… Or a few links to topics that I am suddenly more interested in now that I am “of a certain age”
See? Look! More and more people are buying vinyl records every minute.
Vinyl is back!! I just knew there was a reason why I never got rid of my records…
Turns out if you reveal your math anxiety to your kids while trying to help them with their homework, it’s worse than if you don’t help them at all.
They say that calling yourself a “feminist” is old school, but lots of us disagree. Take this quiz to find out what kind of feminist you are.
So I finally succumbed and got myself a pair of reading glasses… And then I watched this video of Dr Mercola giving advice on how to naturally improve your eyesight… which led me to this more informative video about the Bates Method of improving eyesight (which I watched despite the slightly odd vibes of the narrator). That video led me to this potentially more practical video filmed from a mountaintop in North Carolina, which is the last video I watched on the topic. Not because I don’t love going down the YouTube rabbithole, but because I had to go pick up my kid from school.
My two favorite fashion blogs for grown-ups are Girls Of A Certain Age and Accidental Icon, almost more for what they write about than for the clothes they promote. (But don’t get me wrong… I like the clothes too.)
Wait a minute… there is such a thing as pelvic floor physical therapy?
18 songs that I feel like listening to right now because it’s my birthday
Seems like only yesterday…
I’ve been around for, like, ever.
So now it’s time to celebrate!
It ain’t over till it’s over…
Is this turmeric latte the answer to all of my problems? Maybe…
Sure it’s March, the days are getting noticeably longer (though that’s about to be rolled back a bit this weekend) and it was 70 degrees in New York City today. But don’t let that fool you. It is still very much cold and flu season. And there’s something nasty going around which I am determined not to catch if I can help it. I’ve upped the family’s daily dose of elderberry syrup and am trying (trying) to get enough sleep.
But the thing that I think may be really keeping me sniffle free (thanks to my friend Rita) is this most delicious ginger and turmeric latte which has now become part of my daily ritual.
It’s filed with all sorts of great things: turmeric (anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, supports liver function, plus lots more) ginger (which we all know is a wonder herb when it comes to fighting colds and flu) and, of course, coconut oil (which is as close to a nectar-of-the-gods as you can get in health terms). Add to that it’s almond milk base and you’ve got yourself an incredibly delicious soothing velvety mug of heaven.
It’s super easy to make (unless you are crazy like I am and feel the need to make your own almond milk, which is without a doubt better tasting, but which involves a bit of advance planning as you have to soak the nuts overnight). Start warming up a cup of almond milk. Then grate a teaspoonful of fresh turmeric and the same amount of fresh ginger into a blender with a tablespoon of coconut sugar, a pinch of sea salt and 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and combine. Once you’ve got that going, add the warm almond milk and blend till the whole mixture is smooth and frothy.
Here’s the original recipe on Goop, if you want a more traditional format. But whichever set of instructions you choose to follow, just make sure you try this… You won’t be sorry!
Less paper towels in 2016!
Swedish sponge from ancient industries.
I would be fooling myself if I claimed I could completely cut out all paper towel usage, but damned if I’m going to let that stop me from making a serious dent in my consumption.
So, in the spirit of every little bit counts, I give you these Swedish sponges which are kind of like a cross between a paper towel and a sponge. They are super absorbent, but also reusable and, quite frankly, they last far longer than any sponge I’ve ever had in my kitchen. When they get dirty, you just wash them and they are as good as new. I’ve had mine for about 6 months now and they are still gong strong.
I haven’t done any official measuring, but I do know that I go through far fewer paper towels than I used to. Plus I don’t feel the need to keep several rolls on hand as replacements, which gives us more room in our already overtaxed utility closet. And anything that helps save the trees, which helps the ecosystem and which helps save the air we breathe, is fine by me.
Baby steps…
Monday, Monday– or more links about Black History on the last day of Black History Month which will hopefully be the first day of the rest of the year during which we all aknowledge the role that everyone has played (and continues to play) in shaping the United States
You might not be able to tell from the photo, but this is a video of Chris Rock’s opening monologue from last night’s Oscars where he rips into the Academy for the absence of Black nominees this year.
Who knew that eBay has a style blog? Well I do now, and here’s what they have to say about Black History Month Sneakers. (Which, by the way, I didn’t realize were a category all to themselves…)
Listen to the Voices from the Southern Civil Rights Movement by checking out the huge archive of radio shows and interviews collected by The American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
Time Magazine for Kids has a great online resource of articles, photos and videos about African American History for the younger generation. Because the more our kids know, the less likely they are to repeat the same mistakes again and again… and again.
10 little known (and yet highly significant and super interesting) Black History facts.
TED put together a playlist of 11 talks to celebrate Black History Month.
And last but not least, Morgan Freeman finds the whole concept of Black History month ridiculous. With good reason.
Yesterday, at some point…
I mean, who doesn’t want to go to the circus after seeing this poster?
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Yesterday, at some point is a series of photographs that describe a moment I experienced during the previous day. The posts are meant to be stand alone images, though at times I can’t control myself, and I end up expanding the caption into a more lengthy bit of text. Hopefully the extra information is useful, or at least interesting. If not, feel free to ignore it.
The struggle against the ravages of winter continues…
I know that the traditional 14th wedding anniversary gift is roses, but we gave each other a lazy lunch and some herbal treats from Remedies Herb Shop instead…
My husband and I recently celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary! Hard to believe it’s been so long. I would say it feels like only yesterday that we were walking down the aisle together, but in reality it feels more like last week. Or maybe two weeks ago. Time has flown, but a lot has happened as well.
We had a glorious and slightly boozy lunch at Prime Meats, a meticulously wood paneled, slightly Germanic feeling, old New York kind of spot in Brooklyn’s Caroll Gardens. And then we wandered down Court Street and found ourselves in one of my current versions of heaven: a beautifully appointed herb shop.
Remedies has a long wall lined with jars of dried herbs, plus tinctures, creams, soaps, balms… you name it. I pretty much wanted everything. And the woman behind the counter (a friend of the owner’s) was a super knowledgeable practicing herbalist. Just the kind of angel one wishes were always a stone’s throw away.
We managed to escape with only 4 things (see the photo above) Burdock root to add to the bone broth I should have already made (but I swear I’m gonna do it this week!), some Hand to Hand salve for helping to repair dry heels and palms, a bundle of sage to burn for a little aromatherapy of the soul, and lastly, some charcoal soap with shea butter to purify as it moisturizes.
A lovely kit with which to begin year #14…
Monday, Monday– or a few links for helping us learn how to do stuff
The photo (and instructions) for how to make this lovely magazine holder come to us from Design Sponge.
First off, NY Times’ Florence Fabricant show us how to cook salmon.
Since we’re in the kitchen, here’s how to season a cast iron skillet.
And now that your skillet is properly seasoned, here’s how to keep it clean.
Keep your reading material organized once you’ve made your own canvas magazine holder.
While we’re on the topic of reading, here’s how to educate yourself (aka how to learn basically anything you might learn in school at home, online, for free)
It’s winter, and we all suffer from time to time with chapped lips. Here’s how to make your own lemonade lip balm.
And last but not least, how to spot a sign from the universe. Because who doesn’t want to know how to do that?