I first met Farra Miron at a recent Madewell event here in San Diego. She was so lovely and incredibly friendly, but I was equally impressed by the desserts she had made and all the seriously exquisite vintage glassware she presented it in. As the aptly titled Hostess Haven, Farra provides rental tabletop pieces as well as baked foods and styling services. (Just take a look at this gallery of her food creations!)
When I asked her if she’d be willing to take part in my series, Farra admitted that she’s “a routine girl.” Judging by what she’s shared below, I’d say she’s my kind of girl. Today she talks about lemon pistachio donuts, Ayurvedic food and what entertaining means to her.
I kept seeing the same charming San Diego-themed greeting and post cards around boutiques here, and finally I had to ask, “Who makes these??” And that’s how I came to know of Katie Hart, a stationer and illustrator whose line Odd Daughter Co. (named for her mother’s middle school nickname, which was a clever play on her last name “Evenson”) is full of witty, whimsical and adorable paper goods. I love this one:
Perhaps even more amazing is her recent venture, Paper for Good, a line of products, like this Improve the World print, which gives $5 of every purchase to UNICEF to aid Syrian refugee camps. I’m a wee bit obsessed with her paper products and even more in awe of her success at a young age. Click on to hear about how she brings fall to San Diego and what she does while watching her favorite TV shows.
I love a well-made product with a story behind it, but I wasn’t always like that. (Cue: image of bags upon bags of short-lived Forever 21 clothes.) Ever since watching artisans make incredible crafts and wares within small communities in South America and Asia, though, I’m so much more interested in supporting small business owners in my own country.
Enter: The American Edit, a new site founded by fashion and housewares industry vet Rita Mehta, who had trouble finding fashionable womenswear and home decor with a Made-in-America stamp and decided to fill the void herself. TAE is like a beautifully curated encyclopedia of the best in American-made goods — things like jewelry from Catbird, wood products from A Sunny Afternoon and a whole lot more organized by location, maker, purpose or product. I love the quick-hit header that explains what each shop is known for, the bright, airy photographs and the site’s slick layout.
An inspirational woman with a revolutionary idea? Obviously she needed to share her rituals. Read on to find out about why she heads back to bed in the mornings and what her 30-before-30 list is all about.
While window shopping in South Park’s Graffiti Beach I spotted some uber-cool sunglasses and discovered they’re made by a San Diego-based line called SOLO Eyewear. Started by Jenny Amaraneni and Dana Holliday, SOLO sunglasses are made with recycled bamboo and each pair purchased funds eye care for people in need. Sweet combo, no?
Today these talented entrepreneurs are talking about beach runs, mentoring students and chinchillas. (Their rituals make me seriously excited to live in SoCal!)
In this series I often feature people I’ve never met but admire from afar. Today I’m so happy to introduce you to a fellow blogger friend I’ve had the pleasure of actually meeting. (Imagine that!) Rashi and I connected through our mutual friends and as soon as I discovered her blog, Bucket of Squash, in late October, I quickly emailed her to tell her I was in love with her design style. Thankfully, she didn’t think I was a creepy girl fan, and after years of hearing about each other, we finally met up in NYC for coffee to talk blogs, design and everything in between.
One thing I took from our year-long backpacking trip is that a person’s energy can be one of the best ways to connect (or stay away from someone). And all I could feel when I learned about branding/design agency Hey, Sweet Pea from random Internet browsing is oodles of positivity. From their fun bios to their active and engaging Facebook page, this husband-and-wife team are all about motivation and goal-setting. Even though I haven’t worked with them, browsing on their site and social media channels for even a few minutes made me want to go-go-go.
Let’s get to know this cute, talented couple on today’s rituals.
If there’s one thing that gets me excited about reading (or anything), it’s food. That’s why I’m so obsessed with the blog, PAPER/PLATES, founded by Chicago journalist Amina Elahi, who, with her editorial team, recommends books and the recipes inspired by them. They’ve also started a virtual book club, interviews the literati in a series called, “At the Table With” and maintains a TBR (To Be Read) list, a weekly compilation of the best book and food links from around the web. All that, and an amazing blog name to boot!
Today, Amina talks to us about flexing her green thumb, avoiding the doldrums of working from home and remembering the beauty of the ‘burbs.
(P.S. Amina and I had a bit of a cross-blogging extravaganza this week. Check out my feature on PAPER/PLATES from earlier this week!)
The only thing that makes me feel better about being an Instagram addict is that my stalking introduces me to new and talented artists — like Arielle Vey, a San Diego-based photographer I recently came across. I love everything about her photos, from the composition to the contrast to the styling. (Seriously, check out her Instagram feed.) I reached out to Arielle because surely a girl with that great of an eye must have some rad rituals to inspire her work. Today, she tells us about redecorating, abstract art and where she prefers to drink her cocktails.
