9/29/10

roots: New England Home by Shelia Narusawa Architects




After everywhere I have traveled over the years (with exception to Iceland), you just cannot take New England out of me, especially when it comes to rustic gray shingled cape cod houses with white trimmings, light sand, pigeons, and black accents with wispy grasses all about. Growing up not too far from the seaside in Connecticut, I was on the beach as a child always collecting shells and staring into the blue horizon surrounded by saltbox houses and weathered buoys.

This summer home, located in Chatham, Mass., was designed by Shelia Narusawa Architects.

9/28/10

WORDS UP / be you


JUST BE YOURSELF. NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE IT BUT AT LEAST IT'S REAL.
-Tara Hogan / INK+WIT

artist spotlight: Stewart Haygarth







Born in Whalley, Lancashire, UK 1966, artist Stewart Haygarth, works on design projects revolving around the collections of objects. And, in a consumer driven world where much of it ends up in a landfill, I find this amazing that a creative genius can transform part poppers into a functional design. "The objects are normally collected in large quantities categorized and assembled in a way that transforms their meaning". Haygart's work takes various forms such as chandeliers, installations, functional and sculptural objects using eyeglasses, clear and translucent objects, primarily made of plastic, and glass.

Also featured at top above is "Framed", a conceptual showstopper featuring lengths of colored picture frames bracketing a marble staircase for this year’s London Design Festival

recycled beauty: Chandeliers by Carolina Fontoura Alzaga



Amazing. Carolina uses bike parts to make these beauties in her series entitled, Connect. "In her work Carolina integrates her hybrid identity, global perspective and socio-political interests."

"Connect is a series of sculptures made of recycled bicycle parts of varying size and shape. This body of work draws inspiration from Victorian chandeliers, DIY and bike culture, and the use of unartistic materials.

This work addresses class codes, power dynamics, reclaimed agency, and ecological responsibility. The bicycle chandelier is the conceptual point of departure for this ouvre. In this series the traditional chandelier is seen as a bourgeois commodity and the bicycle parts as a symbol for self-propelled movement. These subversive objects challenge the aesthetics of wealth by visually contrasting the classic elegance of the candelabrum with the newfound elegance of discarded, mechanical bicycle parts.


Connect is a metaphor of potentiality, a statement, and a proposal."

9/27/10

ceramics: Caroline Swift





A beautiful image for Monday. Caroline Swift's ceramics are delicate and magical.

9/24/10

custom mobiles: INK+WIT Pommebirds






It was a dream project. Four fabulous ladies contacting me to make a custom mobile for their dear friend having baby. The mommy loved the Pommebirds print so we used the birds as the main characters. There are 22 laser cut bristol board birds shown here suspended from a custom cut acrylic wheel. Hand assembled by INK+WIT. Please inquire if you would like a custom mobile. This was a lot of fun. I will also be offering a similar mobile before the holidays.

info@inkandwit.com

9/23/10

Global Mala events start today at CNY Yoga Center

(image property of Mayupuris)


We are so blessed at CNY Yoga Center to have a wonderful sangha (community) where there is trust, friendship, and humor. Founders, Lorie Bebber and Lisa Sarick created CNY Yoga Center many years ago and have nurtured it together perfectly.

We have many schools of asana and philosophy at CNY yoga. Dharma Mittra Yoga, Kripalu, Yin, Restorative, Pre/Post Natal, Yoga Kids, and Tripsicore (Edward Clark). If you are near Syracuse, NY you can practice at the Liverpool or downtown Syracuse location or both!

Today, in honor of Global Mala, we kick off trance dance, led by Lorie Bebber. Inspired by Shiva Rea, this free form movement helps harmonize the mind and body rhythm and nurtures the dancer in all of us which often gets ignored.

The Mayupuris are coming tomorrow and we will be hosting Dharma Mittra's great practice, Maha Sadhana Saturday. If you are close by we would love to see you. You must pre register. Details here at CNY Yoga Center.

All donations raised will be donated to the Humane Association.

A note about Global Mala:

Yoga for Peace is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a "mala around the earth" through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 19th or 20th, Fall Equinox as the yoga world's offering to further the UN International Peace Day." Each center offers their form of a Yoga Mala according to their yoga tradition and inspiration:

108 Sun Salutations (or variations of 27, 56) / 108 rounds of mantra such as the Gayatri or Maha Mrityanjaya / 108 rounds of a kriya 108 minutes of meditation, kirtan or movement meditation

Win a $50 Gift Certificate on A Cup of Joe


Perfect for the holiday season. Win a $50 gift credit towards any INK+WIT purchase. Enter to win on A Cup of Joe

9/22/10

INK+WIT custom baby announcements: Forest Friends



Baby announcement I designed this past year. I love that the parents wanted a frog in the design.

letterpress: Boxcar

INK+WIT: Off to Cursive in Grand Central Station







Super excited to see INK+WIT in Cursive!

Cursive is an independently-owned boutique located on the 1st floor of abc carpet & home and the 2nd Cursive is located inside of grand central terminal: lexington passage. Cursive carries a unique blend of stationery, jewelry, and decorative objects. The Outback Safari Friends and Arctic Friends stamp sets will be at the Grand Central Station location. Each set comes with a black ink stamp pad enclosed in a muslin bag. Cursive will also have our limited edition of the Thanks for being so dear letterpress notecard sets. Each box custom made by me. Not the actual box but all the twill ribbon and washi tape assembly. Yes, it was quite tedious to make those boxes but they turned out very special.

Thank you Cursive!

Cursive New York
abc carpet & home
888 Broadway (18th/19th Streets)
(646) 602-3806

Cursive New York
grand central terminal
lexington passage
(212) 867-5550

9/21/10

SPONSOR GIVEAWAY: Indian Textiles by Saffron Marigold








Don't miss this one! Saffron Marigold is being ever so generous and offering a lovely giveaway on INK+WIT. All you have to do is leave a comment about why you love anything India and Saffron Marigold will pick the winner. You will win 2 17x17 one-of-a-kind hand printed and fair trade linen slipcover cushion/pillow covers. Morning Dew and India Rose.

• Exquisitely finished with neatly interlocked seams. Immaculately tailored flap closure at the back • Printed on preshrunk superior soft cotton. Machine wash, gentle cycle, cold water, mild detergent • Hand printed using intricately carved wooden blocks See Saffron Marigold's creative process here. Really special.

Winner will be emailed Monday next week. Please be sure to include your email in response or send a copy of your entry to info@inkandwit.com if you prefer to keep your email private. Thank you.
Good luck. Om Shanti (peace)

listening to: Ernest Ellis - Loveless



My new fave. Australian Ernest Ellis had me at Loveless.

9/19/10

gifting: INK+WIT Bunting




A lovely gift for a baby shower or birthday present. INK+WIT bunting made of bristol board and natural felt. Laser cut in the US. Designed and assembled by INK+WIT. Italian cotton ribbon by Angela Liguori.

fall faves: All Saints New Lookbook


I am attached to going here and wiping out the store!

9/16/10

Wedding: INK+WIT Surya design for Bella Figura





My Surya design for Bella Figura. They were printed in pewter and black inks on white paper and feature a pewter envelope liner.

Letterpress project designed to benefit youth: Feedback Loop Project







The Feedback Loop Project is made up of 25 leading letterpress printers each created 50 limited edition notebooks with Loop paper donated by Mohawk. They are being sold on a special storefront on Felt & Wire Shop. 100% of the proceeds benefit kids via School: by Design

Also a catalyst for change, Mohawk Fine Papers donated the paper; and the printers could pick any stock they wanted (!) from the Mohawk Loop paper line.

All books sell for $15.

Meet the principles of Design Ignites Change in this interview about School: By Design.

Help spread the word:
•Tweet it: #feedbackloop
• Invite friends to post on Facebook.

TEMBEA BAGS


Great for the market, travel or storage. Tembea (Japan)

9/6/10

Blog Book Tour: 27 Things to Know About Yoga by Victoria Klein





It is with great pleasure and respect to introduce my dear friend and author, Victoria Klein. Victoria and I met a few years ago and it was an immediate friendship. Very obvious we were meant to meet! We had the great blessing of being able to work together on a piece for Yoga Journal. Victoria interviewed me for the November 2008 Om section of Yoga Journal. Thanks Victoria and YJ!!!!

Victoria and I share many things in common. We both love New England. I grew up in Connecticut and now she lives there. We love design, photography, writing, California, and yoga. Yoga being what ultimately tied us together. I am so thankful to Victoria for including me in her books special thanks section. Wow, so nice of her, right! Her new book, 27 Things to Know About Yoga, is a great travel sized read accessible to all interested in yoga for the first time or long time practitioners. There are so many Yoga texts out there and it can be intimidating to figure out which ones to read. Victoria's book is friendly, educational, and written in question format with straight forward answers. In addition to 27 Things to Know About Yoga you may also want to check out three more staples for yoga reading, the Bhagavad Gita (Nikhilananda), Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, and Autobiography of a Yogi. And, do not be afraid of any of them especially the long versions. They are texts you will read over an over again. If you read only one verse or page a day you are doing great ; )

I put several questions together for Victoria about yoga and you are sure to find inspiration in her answers.

Take it away Victoria!

"I never get sick of talking about yoga … but I do get sick of being asked the same questions over and over again. Enter: 27 Things to Know About Yoga – my very first book! Just 175 page & an affordable $9.99, 27 Things covers all the basics would-be yogis wonder about and an introduction to advanced concepts many have never heard of (8 limbs of yoga, anyone?).

As part of my blog book tour for 27 Things, I’m overjoyed to be visiting my great friend Tara Hogan here on Ink+Wit. Long-time readers of Ink+Wit might remember my 2 holiday wish list posts from last year. post 1 / post 2. This time, Tara is interviewing me!

What inspired you to practice yoga?
50% curiosity & 50% boredom. I like to try new things, but I also get bored very easily, especially when it comes to staying in shape. A new fitness center has recently been built in the small CT town where I went to high school. My mum had tried a yoga class there & said I should give it a try. One class and I was hooked. Yoga appealed to my desire for variety & personal exploration.

How long have you studied yoga?
That first class was either 2000 or 2001 – that’s nearly 10 years of practice now! It’s very crazy to think back and just how much my life has changed since then, but I’ve always had my yoga.

Who are your inspirations? What books do you look to for guidance?
There is always someone around to inspire me. Family comes first, especially my father. He passed away a month before he turned 49 in 2006, just 2 months before I moved to San Francisco. I never had a chance to introduce him to yoga & how it had helped me. I practice because he can’t; I follow my dreams because he can’t.

My Mum, who first introduced me to yoga, continues to be the coolest Mum anyone could wish for.

My husband, who goes to the Marines Corps boot camp on September 13th, is an obvious inspiration. He’s doing something that I could never imagine doing. I’m a writer, he’s a fighter – somehow, we compliment each other.

Oh wow – books; we could be here chatting for ages about that! I found Georg & Brenda Feuerstein‘s Green Yoga to be very informational & inspiring. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading as many yoga books as I’d like to, but I do have long list of books waiting to be read. A few on the list:
Mindfulness Yoga by Frank Jude Boccio
Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers
Yoga: The Greater Tradition by David Frawley
The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope
The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman’s Guide by Nischala Joy Devi
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra


What are some studios you study at/teachers you admire?
I recently returned from a 2-week trip to San Francisco. I lived in SF for 3 years (2006-2009) & worked at Yoga Tree, a local yoga studio for a year. While there, I delved deeply into the world of yoga and met some amazing people, some of which I interviewed for 27 Things.

During my return trip, I had the pleasure of meeting up with two of those amazing folks: Les Leventhal & Peter Guinosso. Ironically, they both teach heated classes – styles I naturally shy away from. In just a year and a half, both of these men have made exceptionally progress in their lives, both personally & professionally, thanks in part to their yoga practice. These fellas were so different from the men I met years ago, yet they were still the same. They both had a new glow & positive energy about them that I’ll never forget. Other teachers that I am drawn to are Cyndi Lee, Catherine Chapman, KK Ledford, Janet Stone, and Elise Lorimer.

As far as studios, I wish I had some to recommend, but I’ve been maintaining my practice at home for nearly 2 years. I very much want to get back into studio classes, but cost & schedule have kept me from that.

Next on my list to try:
Yoga Center of Collinsville
West Hartford Yoga
a retreat at Kripalu


How does yoga help you? It keeps me sane – there’s no other way to put it than that. I’ve suffered from clinical depression, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety for nearly 10 years. I used to take medication, but now I don’t. Why? Yoga. Yoga stills my body and my mind. Yoga helps me put my world into perspective. Yoga slows me down and sets me straight. Yoga grows my confidence and silences my ridiculous fears. All in all, yoga has helped me find out what “me” really is, and with every practice, I am reminded of that person and how she is connected with everyone and everything.


How do you think yoga has changed in the last 10 years?
One word: immensely. Almost every gym has yoga classes now & yoga studios are almost as popular as coffee shops. Living in a small city in “the land of steady habits”, I was surprised to find a practice like yoga. Since then, yoga has become popular with wrestlers and football players, celebrities and groovy grandmas. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of yoga.

Also, there is the business side of yoga. It is a massively popular niche market that is difficult to mix with the actual traditional practice of yoga. That is the major issue for the next 10 years of yoga."

Om Shanti Victoria. Thank you so much and congratulations to you!
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