This print by Marc Johns says it all. For purchase here.
Read MoreWe Leap into The New Year (With Yoko Ono, Mary Oliver, Muybridge, More)
As always we are taking the week between Christmas and New Year’s off. It’s a time to slow way down and reflect on the year that’s passed so quickly, and on the new one we are about to begin. Here’s a few of the things we look at, and think about.
Read MoreHappy Holidays from Improvised Life
Years ago, Maria Robledo sent us these photographs of charming graffiti she spotted painted on plywood. They perfectly convey the magic of the season, and its hope…
Read MoreMindful Eating’s Role Model, via Al Hirschfeld
When I was a kid, the legendary carciaturist Al Hirschfeld gave my father this drawing of a French gastronome savoring escargots in a Paris bistro. Nobody had to tell this guy about Mindful Eating. He’s a model for for it.
Read MoreLast-Minute, Inexpensive, Artisan-Made Gift (They Won’t Throw Out)
actress Hari Neff said hers was a pineapple a schoolmate gave her many years ago. There’s nothing worse than a bad gift you don’t know what to do with that and you just throw out. You can’t throw out a pineapple. We heartily recommend this inexpensive gift for friends and family (or even yourself), that is way better than Neff’s luscious pineapple…
Read MoreItalian Pot Roast (Fast, Freezable, Perfect for Dinner Parties)
The Italian pot roast I had many years at a dinner party has haunted me ever since, lurking in my memory as pure deliciousness. It is perfect for entertaining: it can be made ahead only has to be reheated to be wonderful. It you call it by its Italian name, it tastes even better.
Read MoreGift: Spring Bulbs for Effortless Blooms + Magic
I rely on spring bulbs for their ability to bring a breath of spring into our wintery lives slowly, miraculously, over several weeks.
Read MoreLil Buck Dances with Modern Masterpieces + Yo-Yo Ma
Wondrous to watch, Memphis-born jookin’ dancer Lil Buck took us right OUT of our momentary cocnerns. Check out his utterly expressive dances to works of modern art AND in collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma,
Read MoreSaying NO to Holiday Gift-Giving Guilt (Mira Keras)
Despite all pressures and temptations, this year I will not be buying any Christmas gifts this year; I’ll use other strategies to show my love.
Read MoreGift: The Essential Rumi’s Poetry and Wisdom
The Essential Rumi is a beauty of a book, one that you can open anywhere, even mid-poem, and find a perfect bit of illumination. It makes a fine gift. Here’s a taste with a new way to read poetry.
Read MoreImprovised Life’s Thoughtful Un-Gift Guide
Here’s our list of things we think are worth giving for the way they expand minds/hearts/creativity, or are just downright useful…
Read MoreGogo’s ‘Focus/Fuck This’ Practice
My daughter is two years old and is learning so much right now. Mostly, we are practicing patience. It’s easy to get frustrated when chubby little hands fumble zippers or shoe Velcro or doll clothes…To bring her down to earth, I say to her “FOCUS”. Then she usually repeats it back to me, sounding a lot like “FUCK THIS”.
Read MoreGift: Yayoi Kusama’s The Little Mermaid for Adults and Children
The inspired pairing of Yayoi Kusama’s drawings with Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale has resulted in a unique experience. The text and brilliantly patterned images infiltrate the senses in unexpected ways.
Read MoreString Light Wreaths, Trees and Freeform Decorations
Terrain’s circular displays of their holiday lighting made us think “wreath” and gave us lots of ideas. Just coil the lighting (using a form if necessary) and tack it to the wall. There are all sorts of iterations of lighting made into wreaths, decorations and wall trees.
Read MoreDangerous Curves: Pole Dancer Roslyn Mays’ Most Rebellious Heart
Our friend Merete Mueller’s documentary Dangerous Curves, featuring pole dancing powerhouse Roslyn Mays, was featured in the New York Times’ Op-Docs series. The film is truly a celebration of ‘a most rebellious heart’.
Read MoreDaily Labor: Nye’s Poem, Patti Smith’s Mistake, S.J. Bernstein’s 3-words of wisdom
We’ve been thinking about the theme of ‘daily labor’ in poet Naomi Shihib Nye’s poem ‘Frankly’ all week. Patti Smith, S.J. Bernstein’s and Ram Dass converged to illuminate it.
Read MoreFood Gift: DIY Chocolate Shards or Slabs with Surprising Flavors
Shards of chocolate embedded with surprising flavors and crunchy elements make terrific gifts for much less cost than pricey “artisan-made’ chocolates. Here’s how to make them.
Read MoreThe Fabulous Revenge of Analog
According to David Sax author of the Revenge of the Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter, analog, that is, the very tactile world of things outside the computer, is experiencing a bracing revival. Here’s how analog sparks joy and balances digital life.
Read MoreOde to Age (Antidote to Agism) with 40 Portraits in 40 years
Everyone we know seems to be feeling old, time flying, obsolescence. Daily, we find ourselves doing things to antidote the agism in our head, about OURSELVES. We find this Ode to Age helps mightily.
Read MoreOverpainted Nails (Why Stay Within the Lines?)
Recently, we came across two rather astonishing plays on “nail polish”. We think they are both rather liberating. The bottom is particularly smashing.
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