Go Green

I just purchased these colorful "Go Green (Forever)" stamps from USPS. Not only are they a helpful reminder to each and every one of us to do our part in being kind to the environment, their "forever" status guarantees that you can use them to post mail in the United States indefinitely, regardless of the next postal stamp price increase (which is bound to happen, sooner or later). As is often the case, it's doing the little things that invariably creates the most impact. Turning off a light here, fixing a water leak there. If enough of us choose riding a bicycle over driving a car or remember to bring reusable bags to the grocery store, we can change the world, people. Buy them here.


{Image from USPS}

Santa Monica Farmers Market & Good Food Festival

I'm not the only one who's recently turned 30. The beloved Santa Monica Farmers Market is also celebrating the big 3-0 by throwing what will be the very first Southern California Good Food Festival & Conference. On the agenda? Chef demos, doc screenings, and a fancy Localicious Gala where chefs from top LA restaurants (think Rustic Canyon, Animal, Spago, A.O.C., and more) will create signature dishes using fresh, local ingredients from the farmers' market. Where do I sign up?

{Image via Grub Street LA}

Nurturing my inner green thumb

Loving this post on the exceedingly popular A Cup of Jo blog about nurturing house plants. T mocks my planting-tending abilities - I've been known to kill a plant or two in the past - but I swear the green thumb is in my genes: my father's a farmer, so surely the apple doesn't fall far from the tree? Even if where it lands is a little questionable. There's hope for me yet!

P.S. The image above is a snapshot of the home of Deborah Needleman, former editor-in-chief of the now defunct Domino magazine. RIP.

{Image from Lonny, via A Cup of Jo}

Changes

Nothing signals autumn quite like the start of September. Even if mother nature isn't exactly hopping on the autumnal bandwagon - she can be a bit stubborn, holding onto summer longer than she sometimes should - there is a feeling of change in the air (I've waxed lyrical about this before). Bouquets of sharpened pencils, crunchy leaves of red and gold, nubby woolen socks, cuddling up underneath a warm blanket at night as the brisk night air drifts through an open window, steaming mugs of spiced apple cider are all conjured, at least in my mind, on the 1st of September. Though sometimes it takes awhile to coax Autumn out her shell, she nearly always does. And it's well worth the wait.

{Image via Flickr}

30

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday (talk about a milestone). There's something about entering a new decade that sort of stops you in your tracks a little bit. It's the ideal time for reflection and rumination, for thinking about goals and dreams not yet achieved. It's tempting to get caught up in the past and dream/worry about what's to come. And there is plenty of time for all that self-evaulation and planning. But right now I think I'll just sit here and enjoy a slice of decadent birthday cake and be grateful that I've made it this far, alive and pretty darn happy to boot. What more could a girl ask for?

{Image of Marilyn on her own 30th birthday from This is Marilyn}

Getting Frisky

Lately I'm coveting some leopard pieces to integrate into my fall wardrobe. Leopard can be a bit tricky - it's far too easy to veer into trampy territory - but when done right, it can look exceptionally chic. Rose Byrne knows what I'm talking about.

{Image via Go Fug Yourself}

Birthday Owl

So my birthday is in 11 days (and it's a big one). What are the chances of one of my friends sending me this owl birthday card? Good, very good, or slim to none? I guess I'll soon find out! This darling owl comes courtesy of Sycamore Street Press, one of my new (to me, anyway) favorite letterpress companies. They happen to be looking for an intern at the moment; the job sounds like a blast and would be perfect for anyone with a letterpress fetish (like yours truly). If only I lived in a gorgeous mountain valley town like Heber City, Utah. Le sigh.

{Image via Sycamore Street Press}