Southern Nomad

The Common Folk Collections: No. 2 Americana

The Common Folk Collections: No. 2 Americana

Americana taps into that nostalgic yearning that this generation has for something that feels just out of our grasp, that ability to unplug and have more quiet moments enjoying the beautiful simplicity that is life. We long for that adventure which at times might be a lonely pioneering path but more often means meals round the table with friends as laughter sparkles in the air. 

Americana is more than the rugged cowboy or bull rider (though they sure can be fun to spend time with! I remember once being held in mid-air by my ankles, buff bull riders = trouble) it's the American craftsman who prides himself on his work, it's the band whose music is so contagious you go from foot tapping to full out dancing and it's those mason jars that make everything feel special (whether a candle or a salad).  

I so look forward to exploring this collection because I know we will uncover more than a few treasures. Oh and I can't possibly forget to mention that this collection just happens to coincide with one of my favorite bands, The Lumineers, being nominated for a Best Americana Album Grammy.

“Americana, as defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA), is "contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band.”

Common Folk Collections: No. 1 Dutch Renaissance Revisited - Food

Common Folk Collections: No. 1 Dutch Renaissance Revisited - Food

"Enchant, stay beautiful and graceful, but do this, eat well. Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food as you devote to your appearance. Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress."  - Charles Pierre Monselet

The blog that launched my obsession with Dutch Renaissance is “What Katie Ate”, it was my first glimpse of the Dutch Renaissance style being revisited in a modern way. I found the way which Katie Quinn Davies would photograph simple food against dark rustic backgrounds quite enthralling. For example this photo of pomegranates stayed with me for months:

 

These images of food so brilliantly captured, remind me of Christmas Eve dinners where after having been out of the house all day while my parents decorated feverishly, we would come home to a Christmas tree twinkling with little red candles, the sound of German Christmas carols and a table spread with the most fabulous dinner you could possibly imagine. On these special occasions my Mom pulls out the fancy white porcelain plates with the little blue flowers to serve her fabulous German knodel and roast. I could sit for hours in that moment…

"She breathed in, and in that one; quiet moment felt herself come back together again."- The School of Essential Ingredients, Erica Bauermeister

There is such power and beauty in food. I find that many of my favorite memories are those which have taken place around a meal. If  perhaps this post has inspired you to try cooking something of your own for friends and family, Katie has a quite simple recipe for Baby Minted Potatoes with Lemon Oil & Sea Salt which might be a good place to start:

"All any man can hope to do is to add his fragment to the whole." - The Art Spirit

If you would like to purchase or look more closely at the What Katie Ate book you can find it at the following locations: Anthropologie, Amazon, Barnes & Noble . Please visit again tomorrow as I will be posting on Dutch Renaissance and Interior Design.

Image One: Cheese, What Katie Ate

Image Two:  Pomegranates, What Katie Ate

Image Three: Christmas Eve at the Swaty's

Image Four: Baby Minted Potatioes with Lemon Oil & Sea Salt

Announcing: The Common Folk Collections

“When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becoms an inventive, searching, daring, self- expressing creature. He becomes interesting to people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows there are still more pages possible.” – Robert Henri

Many of you who read this blog know me to be a person of endless rabbit trails. My sisters, if asked, will roll their eyes and list off the countless mini-obsessions that they had to endure (everything from leper colonies to all things french).  My Mom, well, she sums it up as my simply becoming a character in one of the ever changing fantastical stories being composed in my head. How about you? Have you ever had one of those moments where you discovered something so incredible you thought you might burst if you didn't share it with the world? The hole in the wall cafe whose owner made you feel like you had just arrived at home, the song that caused a knowing smile to spread across your face (this band is destined for greatness!), or the book that met you at the perfect moment (articulating a dream hidden deep within). 

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.  ~ Clay P. Bedford

We live in an age where a wealth of information and potential inspiration is at our fingertips (countless bloggers, pinners, iReporters, youtube prodigies and so on), not to mention we just kicked off 2013, with probably a few resolutions/goals. Each of us has a unique role to play in this grand story, but many of us get stuck between inspiration and action. Perhaps we are waiting to receive a detailed map or hoping to be presented with a perfect plan? Much of the time pursuing our dreams requires the great risk of taking the first step onto a dark path we know we have been called to but we can't see in it's entirety. Oh and did I mention there will most likely be struggles and challenges along the way that test the core of who you are?

I remember hearing a quote that went something like “how many authors have gone to their graves with unwritten books” and I wonder how many of us are living unwritten lives?

“Perhaps a book is a weapon; perhaps an unwritten book is an even more powerful weapon than one which has been published. It has a way of filling the air with its menace or its promise, the sweet art of what might have been.” - Colm Tóibín

My hope in curating these “common folk collections” is to provide a glimpse of inspiration, a platform for dialogue, and resources for activating your dreams (i.e. – events to attend or experiences to create, opportunities to network, books to read, perhaps even a new obsession?). You are the curator of your own: collections, inspirations and dreams. May you be inspired to become a master of your craft and invest it into the common good.  

"Creative visionaries with a purposeful mission to be of some use to humanity always change the status quo for the better." - Origin of Inspiration, Samuel Adoquei

 

New York: A Treasure Map of Light - Part 1

As our plane was flying above the city I thought to myself "I wonder what it would be like if there was a treasure map of light to the city"? Imagine places where there would almost be some kind of special light/ glow causing you to pause and open your eyes a little wider. What if every city had a guide highlighting it's most magical corners and incredible inhabitants who perhaps are tucked into random areas, often overlooked? 

Looking back at the last couple of days I am certain that I stumbled upon this treasure map of light. I am constantly enthralled in wonder... 

 

Our original plan to fly standby into Laguardia did not work out, but we managed to catch a flight to Newark. When we arrived we decided to be daring and rent a car, because of all of my luggage (six suitcases). My dad did a phenomenal job of navigating the crazy streets of New York. We pulled into Sunset Park Monday evening around 8:30/9pm and my incredible roommate, Shaun, received us with such genuine warmth and hospitality. As the neighbors looked on with curiousity my suitcases were lugged into the apartment (thank you Shaun for your help). When I opened the door to my "shoebox - 9x6" room I felt immediately at home. Shaun had made my bed with a lovely quilt, set a present wrapped in Parisian paper and a "Welcome Home" sign on the pillow.  Those special touches made me feel like maybe I could really feel at home in this BIG city. 

Tuesday, we had a plan to tackle my room. After finding the perfect bedding, curtains, and lamp at Ikea (fyi: my Mom is a rockstar decorator) we pulled away and Mom spotted what looked like it might be cool lofts or an abandoned warehouse. My Dad graciously drove us over to satisfy our curiosity.Turns out that fascinating building was:

Fairway Market of Red Hook

480-500 Van Brunt Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

(718) 694-6868

I was overwhelmed by the Fairway Market. Let's just talk about their olive oil and olive bar for a second... The olive bar is spectacular, buckets upon buckets of different olives filled with almonds, garlic, imported from here or there, seasoned with this and that. And as if their olive bar didn't win me over already they had to go and out do themselves with the olive oil. The photo you see below is just a portion of what they offer. Oh and in case you don't want to stare in despair at all of the bottles trying to rack your mind for any tidbits of Julia Child or Martha Stewart wisdom that may help in narrowing which olive oil you should take from the shelf, they have a bar with bread so you can try the different oils and tapenades. 

Wow! I just realized this post barely covers our first two days and has already gotten quite long.. Did I lose you Courtney? I think I will wrap this up now and come back in the next couple of days to share part two with you. But before I end this post, I just want to say I would not be here without you. Each of you have in some way invested into my life and sent me to New York in such a way that has made it really easy (fingers crossed, knock on wood) to transition into this new chapter in my life. I know I am not the only one in the midst of a change, there are quite a few of you out there at a fork in your own journey and I just encourage you to DREAM BIG, or as my Mom says "The dream you don't even dare to dream" (THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM). It doesn't matter if you are moving cross country, starting a new job, taking what may seem like a small risk or just stepping back to evaluate where you are in your life - each is an equally important step towards becoming who you are. I can't wait to hear your stories, because I have a feeling they are going to be pretty gosh dang amazing. 

top image: heat map of tweets and photos by Eric Fischer

Happy Weekend!

Wow. Can you believe it's finally (almost) here?! I move to New York on Monday. My parents will be in New York with me for two days before they have to return to Seattle for a wedding. I have already informed them of the top priorities for when we arrive: Ikea and Trader Joes. I thought it best to make use of the limited time I will have, with their extra arms, to stock up on lots of pasta and tomato sauce. My Dad on the other hand has been doing his research scoping out coffee shops. I have this sneaking suspicion that finding good coffee might be number one on Dad's list, well, that and maybe visiting the Frick.

It's hard to imagine that once my feet hit the ground in New York, I will be there indefinitely.. In the past I have always extensively planned for the couple of days I would have, to soak in all the city had to offer. Whether it was visiting my favorite fashion magazine store near Bryant Park, having breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien, sitting on a pew at St. Batholomew's Church, going to Uniqlo on Broadway to stock up on my favorite jeans or ducking into The Strand to load up on books, I made the most of every moment.

At this moment, there are definitely more than a few butterflies in my stomach... A fellow blogger, Oh Happy Day, has inspired me with her writing about the risk she took in moving to Paris. In one of her blog posts she talks about the uncertainty of it all, how scary it is to go somewhere without having everything figured out. I am super thankful that my housing is secure but I still am working on pinning down the job, which is kind of a big deal, but I know it's just a matter of time.

Thank you everyone who has been reading and commenting along the way, your words are a great source of encouragement to me. The next time you hear from me, I will be writing from New York!!

Fashion: Atelier De L'Armee

Atelier de l'Armée has released a perfectly rustic Fall 2012 Lookbook. Their handcrafted and one of a kind bags transport you to an era of simplicity and canvas tents. Is it just me of does the lookbook make you think of Hemingway?

Even though the collection focuses on men, I could see myself carrying their bags. I like the idea of infusing a little raw simplicity into every day city life.

"For the love of the old, the worn, the rusted, the faded, the stained and the patched.

Atelier de l'Armée is a company that offers an environment where beautiful collectable items are brought together and presented for a reintroduction to the world.

Our collection consists of two things. 

Our heritage clothing is a carefully selected mix of rare handpicked second hand items  and most are collectables. Some have been customized, other have been adjusted, but most are untouched. All are denim related or inspired by vintage workwear and military clothes.

Our bags are all hand crafted from nothing but recycled materials in our small workshop in Amsterdam. These, mostly, military materials have retained their strength and aged beautifully over time. Since they were designed to survive a war they can surely handle the concrete jungle of modern day society in their new forms. 

In general we can say that all items that pass through our hands will leave us as pieces of art. You will either wear or carry our products with pride or frame them on your wall like a new painting. "

 

Weekend: Beach House

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun." - Unknown

After planning the beach house weekend for months, we finally arrived late Friday evening just in time to fall into our cozy beds. We awoke Saturday to the perfect morning (almost).. the smell of chocolate and almond croissants wafting through the house and the tunes of Norah Jones, slowly tugging each person from their dreams...

with the help of the crazy rooster next door who was not as gracious. He determined to add his voice to the chorus of crickets outside and had been summoning us all to greet the day, since the wee hours of the morning...

Steaming cups of coffee and toasty croissants in hand, we curled up on the porch to soak in the view. 

After the coffee did its work, the crab pots were pulled up...These two I tell ya :)

Then Peter took us out on the water.. much merriment ensued.

Elisa and I are pretty sure we should have won some sort of gold medal.. for how we managed to hang on for dear life! Pretty sure Mr. Captain (twinkle in his eyes) was seeing if he could knock us off :)

"Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches."

 - Wesley to Buttercup, The Princess Bride

Living the salty life.

We wrapped up a lovely day on the water with a little tour.. Brinkley was in dog heaven with his ears flapping in the wind.

Isn't "Barnacle" a beauty? Poor thing, not sure why he got stuck with such a horrendous name..

Sunday morning we had a bittersweet breakfast of beautiful views and our delicious tradition of donuts and coffee. We all sat together trying to not think about the fact that after the relaxing breakfast we would have to return to the clock, our schedules, and each head in different directions..

I think Brinkley agreed with everyone else, we should just stay in this little world away for as long as possible...

Bathrooms were wiped down, carpets were vacuumed, the boat and crab pots were put away, everything was tucked into it's perfect little place. The house became quiet and this little guy began his watch once again.. waiting for the next visit.

Thank you Cline Family for hosting us and creating lovely memories! You are incredibly generous and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. I look forward to our New York adventures, and Christmas Eve (of course!) when we can all be together again... I have a feeling there will be LOTS to catch up on :)

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” -Mother Teresa 

Happy Weekend!

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend! I am looking forward to soaking up some rays and spending time with this incredible family. See you all next week - and the countdown to New York begins in earnest (one week! ekk!).

My Life: A Magical Chapter Coming To A Close

Lately, I have been walking around in a bit of a surreal haze. The clock keeps ticking and the days are flying by. 11 Days till New York. If you were to catch a glimpse of me walking down the street, or sipping from my cup of coffee, you might wonder where precisely I am because you would see a far off look in my eyes. I am trying to pin memories to paper.. I am soaking up every "last before New York", the "last" time I will.. have a spontaneous photo session with my sisters, go to breakfast with my Dad, have my mom sit with me while I pack, walk into Arabica Lounge, visit to Le Panier with Katrina, adventure with Meg, chase pigeons with Morgan & Adam (wait I didn't do that?!), explore with Kelsey, hold a wee little Aice in my arms, look for treasures in a vintage store with Jen, spend time at the beach house with the Clines, go to a movie with Courtney, and on the list goes..

I don't know if it's because I am seeing everything around me with so much reverence right now or what.. but I feel ridiculously blessed. I keep asking myself "Is this my life or am I in a movie?" . Let me explain...

Friday evening at Elisa's birthday, dinner was followed by ice cream from Pepperdock, giants pulling chairs out of trees trees, finally settling in on Alki with a teeny tiny movie and the backdrop of the setting sun and sounds of waves..  

Sunday, we had the Unger family over for dinner.. because the house was so toasty my Mom said we should just take the kitchen table into the garden. Why not? Everyone does that right? I felt as though I was a part of the eccentric/artistic Wellwood family, hosting one of their midsummer night parties from A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book. Next, I was sure I would be pulling a bottle of some sparkling beverage, out of the stream, where it was being kept cool.. 

Elisa hung mason jars in the cherry tree and the lights were still twinkling when I took one last look before going to bed. That night, I feel asleep with a contented smile on my face, wondering if the evening had a been a dream.

Tuesday evening was an Italian themed dinner, hosted by my lovely friends Meg and Katrina. I arrived to fresh limoncello drinks served in vintage glasses and then settled into the family room snacking on delicious appetizers while listening to Nat King Cole tunes float out of the record player...

I will forever cherish the conversations we had about dreams, "romantical", "Holly Lobby" and "photographers stalking sunrises"...

I consumed so many olives I was pretty sure I was going to explode...

Can you see how much I loved the Limoncello fancy drink?

Not only is this girl cute, but she sure can cook!! Thank you Meg for slaving away in the kitchen and make us such a delicious dinner. 

Katrina helped me eat the olives.. and we talked... and talked... many rabbit trails.. my favorite. I had to keep the tears from bubbling up because at the back of my mind I kept thinking how much I will miss our conversations.. It is so rare that you find someone who challenges you creatively and is also willing to run with you down fantastic rabbit trails, laughing like a little child with eyes sparkling, at the treasure you just might uncover.

As I walked out the door that evening with my little Italian goodie bag in hand, I had to keep myself anchored to the pavement, because my head was in the clouds.. It was as though the girls knew just what my heart wanted most but I could have never put into words. So many moments lately have been magical and I feel utterly overwhelmed. I am storing each and every one of them away in my heart and will pull them out to keep me company on the rainy cold days that will inevitably come.  

"To know that a choice will bring you life, and also bring you tears, and to choose it anyways - that is courage. 

This is what I am learning from a particular couple of people in my life right now.   To choose pain in order to bring you closer to another, or loneliness to come closer to a dream.  Neither can be done without great strength, great love, and courage.  To know this will hurt, and decide it is worth it." - Katrina Hope

Letters To And From Brooklyn

Earlier this year I started a Pinterest board "30 for 30 in 2012" and one of my goals was 
"to write more letters" I had no idea when I created the board the unique way in which this would become a reality. I never imagined a move to New York would be the key to my goal, but I am most looking forward to the letters that will come and go from my little place in Brooklyn. There is just something about writing to friends across country and around the globe for that matter that causes a person to want to speak more clearly, more beautifully. Perhaps you know when putting pen to paper that your letter may survive for generations? You begin to evaluate what is truly important, what is worthy of mentioning? Letter writing causes one to look at life through a different lens.

Favorite quotes about letters/letter writing:

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.  ~Phyllis Theroux

Letters are among the most significant memorial a person can leave behind them.  ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I am tired, Beloved,
of chafing my heart against
the want of you;
of squeezing it into little inkdrops,
And posting it.
~Amy Lowell, "The Letter"

What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters.  You can't reread a phone call.  ~Liz Carpenter  

The one good thing about not seeing you is that I can write you letters.  ~Svetlana Alliluyeva

I consider it a good rule for letter-writing to leave unmentioned what the recipient already knows, and instead tell him something new.  ~Sigmund Freud

I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wake-up letter. - Steven Wright

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