PL Summer Inspiration

Love

Fresh and healthy greens and veggies

Stripes

Relax

Fresh beverages

We are so excited for the fresh breeze of summer to come! Only a few weeks away from sunshine and warmth. Here is our summer inspiration collection to welcome the season with good energy, love, style, and health :)

Taken by Trees new album. Exotic and soothing. 

Maxis, flats and denim jackets for the day

Soft floral prints and Audrey Hepburn, our timeless inspiration. 

Yoga. Namaste :)

Dancing

Free summer waves

Loose blouses and printed bottoms

Flowy fabrics

Ocean breeze and printed maxis

Lotus, a symbol of purity and beauty

White maxis and smiles :) 

Wise words

Fresh flowers

Self love

Lifestyle: Spring Cleaning with Victoria

         Creating a theme for certain areas of my home is something I love to do. It seems to give a home more personality, and most importantly, a reflection of who you are. Amongst our PL ladies, I'm definitely on the far side of PL boho chic (Cynthia Vincent, some Rory Beca, BB Dakota and prints/textures of Maison Scotch), mixed with a little bit of Woodstock-hippie (my impossible obsession with Free People). Hence, my style from clothing to decor leans more on the busy/eclectic side; mixing patterns and textures, layering everything, using mixed media, and incorporatnig flowers in any possible way...including my hair :D

      With that being said, I tend to surround myself with none other than flowers, ethnic printed fabrics that catch wind easily, and a generous supply of inscents and candles. Anything that contributes to a peaceful and open-heart enviroment.

           My desk has always been a crazy melting pot of graded school papers, uncapped pens and markers, smeared inscent ash and magazine tears (that's a third of the list). The pile eventually became too distracting, so I decided to rejuvenate my desk into something that was more... me.

         I took this as a way of "spring cleaning"; cleaning with attempted creativity in order to create a visual representation of your soul's story. That is, taking reclaimed items and giving them a decorative purpose instead of getting rid of them. You could also consider it indoor recycling. A Green Movement contribution:D

        Throughout the progress, I got more and more into creating this "story"of mine, and it ultimately became a two hour session that felt more like 10min. It was simply exhilarating in the most unexpected way. In that, I'd like to pass on my new "spring cleaning" recipe to you, and encourage all to try getting in touch with yourself by turning your surroundings into bits and pieces of you. The energy and space around you will feel more peaceful and even more exciting.

        The next time you find yourself with nothing to do on an afternoon, try re-decorating your jewelry in a unique way,creating a story out of your kitchen decor and supplies, or using old scarves you bought from the flee market years ago and turning them into drapery to hang over your bed.

The possibilities are endless :)

A simple side view of the mix.

Adding flowers to my desk seemed to make the overall feeling more fun and playful. To me, flowers symbolize happiness, freeedom, and new beginnings :)

When taking off my daily armor (layered bangles, necklaces and usually my favorite PL vintage gypsy earrings thanks to Kara's genius vintage seeking skills), at the end of the day, I tend to get lazy with putting them back where they belong. It's an impossible situation of mine, so I decided to embrace the flaw and turn my end-of-day laziness into a form of necklace drapery. That way, no matter how carelessly I fling my necklaces onto my desk, they'll still somehow manage to go along with the look...I hope ;)

I found this wooden hand at Leaping Lotus, located right accross the street from our Solana store on Cedros Ave, and have had it for years. It has always added an interesting touch to a given space, especially for jewelry. I think they still sell these! 

I find that empty wine bottles go to waste often, when they could be used for other things. So instead of throwing them out as a part of my spring cleaning, and spending more money on buying candle stick holders for added decoration, I decided to turn this bottle into one! I love the way the wax drips down the bottle. 

My favorite circle glasses from Free People, and Marc Jacobs Gardenia spray that I occasionally like to sprits around my room. Gardenia is beyond soothing.

Although there was no functional purpose in adding my paint stained mason jar of paint brushes into the mix, they hold the significance of  painting and art being my soul food, an add to my story.They should belong with my other art supplies, but I figured it would be cool to place items in a location that it usually wouldn't be in. Makes things more interesting. Try it!

Ah! My favorite candle of all time; Anthropologie's Volcanoe candle sent from the heavens. A must-have all year around.

Last but not least, my favorite necklace that I will forever cherish by Cynthia Dugan (thanks Mom). No matter where I place it, it always seems to make everything around it look like art. Try taking your favroite piece of jewelry and turning it into a display :)

Daily Om: Inspiration

February 20, 2013 Learning from the Big Picture Cycle of Life by Madisyn Taylor While we are on earth we are all human beings in different phases of our lives and soul development. As we walk through the world, the people we encounter appear so different from one another. We see babies, old men, pregnant women, and teenaged boys. We know couples on the verge of marriage and lonely widows. We interact with toddlers and the terminally ill. As different as each person seems, they are all living the human experience. They are just at different places in the cycle that begins with birth and ends with death. Every phase of the cycle of life has its gifts and its challenges. Each stage is temporary and ultimately gives way to a new phase. This ephemeral quality makes each phase precious, because it will never last.  One of the wonderful qualities possessed by babies and young children is that they are unaware that a cycle of life even exists. They simply are present to wherever they happen to be right now, and they don’t give much thought to the past or future. Being around them reminds us of the joy that comes from living fully in the moment. On the opposite end of life’s cycle are our elderly role models. They are a reminder that each phase of life should be treasured. Time does pass, and we all change and grow older.  Being aware of the cycle of life and our place in it makes us wiser. As we develop a true appreciation for the phase we are in, we can savor it more. A new mother going through a difficult time with her infant can more easily embrace her challenges because she knows that her child will grow up, and she will long for this time again. Difficult and challenging periods are inevitable, but – like everything that is a part of the cycle of life – they are temporary. When we are fully engaged with life, we get to savor and grow from each phase, and we are ready for the next one when it arrives. Fully embracing wherever you are in the cycle of life is the very essence to happiness.

February 20, 2013 Learning from the Big Picture Cycle of Life by Madisyn Taylor While we are on earth we are all human beings in different phases of our lives and soul development. As we walk through the world, the people we encounter appear so different from one another. We see babies, old men, pregnant women, and teenaged boys. We know couples on the verge of marriage and lonely widows. We interact with toddlers and the terminally ill. As different as each person seems, they are all living the human experience. They are just at different places in the cycle that begins with birth and ends with death. Every phase of the cycle of life has its gifts and its challenges. Each stage is temporary and ultimately gives way to a new phase. This ephemeral quality makes each phase precious, because it will never last.  One of the wonderful qualities possessed by babies and young children is that they are unaware that a cycle of life even exists. They simply are present to wherever they happen to be right now, and they don’t give much thought to the past or future. Being around them reminds us of the joy that comes from living fully in the moment. On the opposite end of life’s cycle are our elderly role models. They are a reminder that each phase of life should be treasured. Time does pass, and we all change and grow older.  Being aware of the cycle of life and our place in it makes us wiser. As we develop a true appreciation for the phase we are in, we can savor it more. A new mother going through a difficult time with her infant can more easily embrace her challenges because she knows that her child will grow up, and she will long for this time again. Difficult and challenging periods are inevitable, but – like everything that is a part of the cycle of life – they are temporary. When we are fully engaged with life, we get to savor and grow from each phase, and we are ready for the next one when it arrives. Fully embracing wherever you are in the cycle of life is the very essence to happiness.

February 20, 2013

Learning from the Big Picture

Cycle of Life

by Madisyn Taylor

While we are on earth we are all human beings in different phases of our lives and soul development.

As we walk through the world, the people we encounter appear so different from one another. We see babies, old men, pregnant women, and teenaged boys. We know couples on the verge of marriage and lonely widows. We interact with toddlers and the terminally ill. As different as each person seems, they are all living the human experience. They are just at different places in the cycle that begins with birth and ends with death. Every phase of the cycle of life has its gifts and its challenges. Each stage is temporary and ultimately gives way to a new phase. This ephemeral quality makes each phase precious, because it will never last. 

One of the wonderful qualities possessed by babies and young children is that they are unaware that a cycle of life even exists. They simply are present to wherever they happen to be right now, and they don’t give much thought to the past or future. Being around them reminds us of the joy that comes from living fully in the moment. On the opposite end of life’s cycle are our elderly role models. They are a reminder that each phase of life should be treasured. Time does pass, and we all change and grow older. 

Being aware of the cycle of life and our place in it makes us wiser. As we develop a true appreciation for the phase we are in, we can savor it more. A new mother going through a difficult time with her infant can more easily embrace her challenges because she knows that her child will grow up, and she will long for this time again. Difficult and challenging periods are inevitable, but – like everything that is a part of the cycle of life – they are temporary. When we are fully engaged with life, we get to savor and grow from each phase, and we are ready for the next one when it arrives. Fully embracing wherever you are in the cycle of life is the very essence to happiness.

Daily Om: Letting the Curves Take You

February 8, 2013 Letting the Curves Take You Control by Madisyn Taylor The answer to control is practicing surrender. Trying to maintain control in this life is a bit like trying to maintain control on a roller coaster. The ride has its own logic and is going to go its own way, regardless of how tightly you grip the bar. There is a thrill and a power in simply surrendering to the ride and fully feeling the ups and downs of it, letting the curves take you rather than fighting them. When you fight the ride, resisting what’s happening at every turn, your whole being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion. When you go with the ride, accepting what you cannot control, freedom and joy will inevitably arise.  As with so many seemingly simple things in life, it is not always easy to let go, even of the things we know we can’t control. Most of us feel a great discomfort with the givens of this life, one of which is the fact that much of the time we have no control over what happens. Sometimes this awareness comes only when we have a stark encounter with this fact, and all our attempts to be in control are revealed to be unnecessary burdens. We can also cultivate this awareness in ourselves gently, by simply making surrender a daily practice. At the end of our meditation, we might bow, saying, “I surrender to this life.” This simple mantra can be repeated as necessary throughout the day, when we find ourselves metaphorically gripping the safety bar.  We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great mystery with courage. When we see people on a roller coaster, we see that there are those with their faces tight with fear and then there are those that smile broadly, with their hands in the air, carried through the ride on a wave of freedom and joy. This powerful image reminds us that often the only control we have is choosing how we are going to respond to the ride.

February 8, 2013 Letting the Curves Take You Control by Madisyn Taylor The answer to control is practicing surrender. Trying to maintain control in this life is a bit like trying to maintain control on a roller coaster. The ride has its own logic and is going to go its own way, regardless of how tightly you grip the bar. There is a thrill and a power in simply surrendering to the ride and fully feeling the ups and downs of it, letting the curves take you rather than fighting them. When you fight the ride, resisting what’s happening at every turn, your whole being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion. When you go with the ride, accepting what you cannot control, freedom and joy will inevitably arise.  As with so many seemingly simple things in life, it is not always easy to let go, even of the things we know we can’t control. Most of us feel a great discomfort with the givens of this life, one of which is the fact that much of the time we have no control over what happens. Sometimes this awareness comes only when we have a stark encounter with this fact, and all our attempts to be in control are revealed to be unnecessary burdens. We can also cultivate this awareness in ourselves gently, by simply making surrender a daily practice. At the end of our meditation, we might bow, saying, “I surrender to this life.” This simple mantra can be repeated as necessary throughout the day, when we find ourselves metaphorically gripping the safety bar.  We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great mystery with courage. When we see people on a roller coaster, we see that there are those with their faces tight with fear and then there are those that smile broadly, with their hands in the air, carried through the ride on a wave of freedom and joy. This powerful image reminds us that often the only control we have is choosing how we are going to respond to the ride.

February 8, 2013

Letting the Curves Take You

Control

by Madisyn Taylor

The answer to control is practicing surrender.

Trying to maintain control in this life is a bit like trying to maintain control on a roller coaster. The ride has its own logic and is going to go its own way, regardless of how tightly you grip the bar. There is a thrill and a power in simply surrendering to the ride and fully feeling the ups and downs of it, letting the curves take you rather than fighting them. When you fight the ride, resisting what’s happening at every turn, your whole being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion. When you go with the ride, accepting what you cannot control, freedom and joy will inevitably arise. 

As with so many seemingly simple things in life, it is not always easy to let go, even of the things we know we can’t control. Most of us feel a great discomfort with the givens of this life, one of which is the fact that much of the time we have no control over what happens. Sometimes this awareness comes only when we have a stark encounter with this fact, and all our attempts to be in control are revealed to be unnecessary burdens. We can also cultivate this awareness in ourselves gently, by simply making surrender a daily practice. At the end of our meditation, we might bow, saying, “I surrender to this life.” This simple mantra can be repeated as necessary throughout the day, when we find ourselves metaphorically gripping the safety bar. 

We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great mystery with courage. When we see people on a roller coaster, we see that there are those with their faces tight with fear and then there are those that smile broadly, with their hands in the air, carried through the ride on a wave of freedom and joy. This powerful image reminds us that often the only control we have is choosing how we are going to respond to the ride.

The Daily Love

TODAYsQUOTES 

"Love makes us wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose and a flow of creative ideas. Love floods our nervous system with positive energy, making us far more attractive to prospective employers, clients, and creative partners. Love fills us with a powerful charisma, enabling us to produce new ideas and new projects, even within circumstances that seem to be limited. Love leads us to atone for our errors and clean up the mess when we've made mistakes. Love leads us to act with impeccability, integrity, and excellence. Love leads us to serve, to forgive, and to hope. Those things are the opposite of a poverty consciousness; they're the stuff of spiritual wealth creation."

- Marianne Williamson, from her new book "The Law of Divine Compensation"

Manifest

Don't forget that ;)