February, lately

Besides the image above I snapped on a whim? Scale. Moody rooms. Intentionally petite original art that shows up in a big way. The confidence of choosing something that doesn’t politely coordinate. A return to depth over brightness. Less “open and blurry,” more intentional and grounded…but with ease.

Want a peek at my saves? I can’t stop thinking about these…or this…or this petite lovely…

And this fixture? A little unhinged. The price? Also unhinged. But it’s all about a mood...and I’m here for it.

There’s a lot of “safe luxury” floating around. Beautiful. Perfectly matched. And yet… missing tension. When everything aligns too easily, instinct quietly exits the room. The hunt for something special, something singular, is always where it’s at. Which leads me to…

Spent a (short) weekend in NYC and found myself at the Not-A-Normal Brooklyn Show. A one-weekend retail pop-up featuring over 60 vintage resellers. Mostly fashion with a bit of art and handcrafted treasures woven in. Even more fun: it was held in the historic One Hanson Place. The kind of event where you have to dig. Where not everything is for you. Where you leave with one thing, not ten (but couldn’t resist and bought myself a little something from this artist). More shows on the calendar… if you’re in NY while one’s happening, don’t miss it.

My own reflex to say yes to what’s convenient. Projects. Opportunities. Even aesthetic decisions. If it sharpens the point of view or pushes me into exploration, it stays. If it blurs it, it goes.

…a Italian sideboard that feels slightly 1987 in the very best way… which absolutely is the point.
…a small, layered landscape that would disappear in a safe space but shines in just the right spot.
…flights to New York, again. Morning light in a city that never sleeps does something to my eye that no algorithm ever could.

The conversation around “lived in.” It’s no longer about imperfection. It’s about friction. Personality. The detail that technically shouldn’t work… but does. The same could be said for people. ;)

I’m having a memoir moment. From Joyride by Susan Orlean (a “magic carpet ride” through her life) to Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage (by Belle Burden…and, yes, it’s the one you’ve seen everywhere)...I love that back-door look into someone else’s lived experience— the parts they wouldn’t put in a press release. Outside of memoirs, I also read Heart the Lover by Lily King, and, not gonna lie, I find myself thinking about it quite a bit…so unexpected.

Until next time…