Coasters. I’d like to thank Pinterest, craft blogs, and Instagram photos of perfectly styled tabletops for popularizing this seemingly minuscule home decor detail. Now I’m nuts for them. The patterns, the colors, the shapes—who knew I’d be gaga for something that keeps water rings off precious tables?
But there I was gawking at Rissa Sandman’s coasters on Pinterest one fateful night. I loved the simplicity of her designs (hand-painted styles that come alive on a blank white slate) and the use of recycled cork on the bottom. (And by the way, she’s currently offering free shipping with a coupon code on her Etsy page!) Even amidst a huge wholesale order, the central Californian carved out time to share her rituals—and a giveaway for a set of handmade coasters! More on that below:
But as it turns out, this girl has a keen eye for a whole lot more. Today Priya chats about appreciating a fine veal agnolotti, her crazy-cool fitness obsession, and what she’s discovered in her new neighborhood of Harlem.
The penny trick: You can remedy droopy blooms by tossing a couple of pennies into the vase. The copper reacts to the plants, and just like that, the stems start to straighten out. I owe this bit of flower power to Lexi Foster of Leaf it to Lexi, who hosted a class on florals and building terrariums at my local West Elm just a couple of weeks after I had moved here. She was sweet, knowledgeable, and incredibly welcoming, which was very much needed for my new-to-San-Diego excitement/nerves.
Since then, I’ve followed her work from weddings—check out this sustainable kumquat tree centerpiece!—to magazine covers to features on sites like Style Me Pretty and 100 Layer Cake. She has a knack for color and incorporating non-flower elements, so it’s no wonder that pretty much every arrangement of hers is Pinterest-worthy.
And between daughters who surf and parents who make and sell their own jam—it’s clear that she surrounds herself with a lot inspiration. Today she talks about her favorite book, cooking ruts, and the bliss of laundry day.
A San Diego newbie reached out to me recently after seeing my 22 San Diego Musts post. Being new to the area, she wanted to meet a fellow transplant and try one of the coffee spots on my list. (We actually ended up at my new favorite place, Young Hickory.) I thought I’d be imparting whatever lessons, tips, and tricks I’ve gathered from my 1+ year in this city, but as it turns out, I was way more excited to hear her story.
Her name is Anabelle Harari, a food justice fellow and world traveller. After graduating from college in 2011, Harari knew she wanted to travel. Backpacking in Europe? No. Trekking in South America? No. She instead volunteered in Nepal, working in a Kathmandu slum for four months, teaching about environmental issues at a local school, and launching a school gardening program. She also educated local women on health and basic nutrition. Harari then traveled all over India, worked on her blog, got to know farmers, villagers, and NGOs, and spent time in a Kerala ashram.
THEN, she spent a summer teaching gardening and social justice in Canada before moving to Jerusalem, where she worked at a Jewish-Arab school, running their community garden. This past September a fellowship opportunity brought her back to the States and into the beach community of Encinitas, just north of San Diego. There she lives on a 67.5-acre property, developing sustainable agriculture systems and working on state policies for the Hunger Advocacy Network.
OK, are you as impressed as I am? Read on to learn more about Harari and how this nomad is settling into a life of staying put (for now):
It was a chalkboard scribbled with “Surf Board” that drew me in. Charity Hestead had Instagrammed a shot of the board, and I just loved the hilarious mix of DIY dainty and raunchy Beyonce. Since Instagram is a bit of a rabbit hole, I descended deep into her feed to find a fellow San Diegan, social media maven, and vintage shop owner with a penchant for crafting, hiking, and a strong commitment to Beyonce lyrics. (Another chalkboard shot reads, “I woke up like this.”)
I asked Charity to tell me a bit about herself and her rituals, because if a girl has that kind of taste in song lyrics, she must have good taste in everything else, too. Today she talks about no-regret donut breakfasts, growing a garden in an apartment, and doing the long distance thang.
I first spotted Regina Morrison’s accessories line, Acute Designs, at beloved San Diego boutique Pigment in North Park. I loved how delicate the earrings looked—simple enough to jive with San Diego’s laid-back dress code but still unique and stylish. Once I discovered her headbands and hair pieces, that’s when I really fell in love. They’re intricate, delicate, and feminine, worn just as easily for your wedding as they are to a nice dinner out.
Regina herself is an inspiring woman. A former slave to the 9-5, she quit her day job and found her way to owning a business. A self-made woman indeed! Today she shares a peek into her creative process, which involves her two awesome dogs among other things.
And make sure to scroll all the way through: We’re giving away an awesome Acute Designs piece!
It all started with this print. I love everything about it—the typography, the simplicity, the power of coffee! Once I spotted it on Ann-Marie’s blog, I wanted to find out who was behind it. And that’s what led me to A Pair of Pears, the blog, graphic design business and paper goods company of Jake and Jamie Bartlett of Los Angeles (clever blog name, no?).
What began as a way to stay in touch with family after they got married and moved to SoCal (a week after graduating college!) blossomed into a beautiful blog, documenting their L.A. happenings, adorable dalmatian, Pixel, and graphic design musings.
They’re honest, sweet and super talented. And I love the name Pixel for a pup. Let’s get to know them:
As I get more and more into the world of natural, holitsic, healthy living—a by-product of growing up + living in California—I’m discovering more and more health food blogs, something I never used to be that tuned into. Much to my delight, one of the blogs I found was by a San Diego-based holistic health coach. Chassie of Forkin’ Healthy shares recipes that are approachable and easy to understand without forcing us to buy all sorts of expensive natural food ingredients.
She also teaches cooking classes, offers detox programs and hosts events around San Diego. (The next one is March 22.) And much like many health food bloggers, Chassie didn’t always have such a well-balanced diet. Girl loved Slurpees! And if a girl who loved Slurpees can blossom into a holistic health coach, then we know there’s hope for all of us.
Today Chassie talks about her current favorite cookbook, raising chickens on her one-acre property (!) and how bunnies can be a total buzzkill.
