When shopping this holiday season, whether for yourself or others, I highly suggest shopping consciously.  What does this mean exactly?  To me, it means shopping sustainably and/or from independent designers/storeowners.  I’ve put together some beautiful products for you to peruse, along with a "not-so-holiday" playlist because there's more than enough holiday music going around.  Listen here.

The last time I saw my friend Meredith, she was wearing a pair of the most incredible velvet socks.  They’re by Simone Wild and made in Germany.  I instantly fell in love.  I wanted to pet them, yet simultaneously steal them off of her feet.  I’m obsessed!  I love that they add not only holiday spirit to any outfit, but also coziness and warmth.  I’m about to buy myself a pair.   You should too - purchase here. 

Figs Underwear recently launched with a beautiful collection of undergarments, objects, and loungewear - all to encourage women feel sensual and confident in their bodies.  I am crushing hard on everything, especially on this stunning olive robe.  Their products are made here in Los Angeles.

Linen is my favorite fabric.  I wear it and sleep in it.  If I could, I would build myself a hut made of it.  I love its imperfections - its rich yet worn texture gives it the perfect lived-in feel.  If you can’t already tell, I love things that are slightly undone (perhaps because I am always striving to forego my perfectionism).  Linen allows me to be a little messy.  It’s also made of natural fibers, which makes it a sustainable fabric and a great choice for environmentally sensitive beings (ehem me).  Deiji Studios is a bedding and loungewear company based in Byron Bay, Australia.  They source their linen from France and stonewash it for ultra softness.  Their linen is environmentally friendly and hypo-allergenic.  I love this striped sheet set for a bit of character. 

My esthetician, Hayley, introduced me to Pai Skincare a couple of years ago, and I have been obsessively using their products since.  This mask is the most luscious, healing, and yummy mask I’ve ever used.  It leaves my skin feeling soft and looking radiant.  It’s incredibly hydrating and calming, which is perfect for skin after being exposed to the cool, dry air of winter.  You can purchase it here.  All of Pai’s ingredients/products are sustainably sourced and ethically made, and free from parabens, alcohol, phenoxyethanol, petrochemicals, detergents, and artificial fragrance.  

I met Agnes Baddoo this past weekend at the Echo Park Craft Fair, and I fell in love with her bags as well as her warm personality.  Her bags are made of leather and will age beautifully with wear and use.  She’s based locally in Los Angeles.  Shop her collection here.  

Sheldon Ceramics is a pottery studio in Los Angeles, and all of their pieces feel so earthy and warm.  They hand-make every piece and formulate all of their glazes from scratch.  I absolutely love their Farmhouse Spice Jar.  It’s petite and rustic, and I want one to house every one of my individual spices!  

This beret is tres chic.  Need I say more?  I don’t need to, but I will tell you where to get this baby and what it’s made of.  It’s 100% wool with an elastic band inside for extra comfort.  Clyde is a New York City based company, and their products are handmade in a small factory in New York State.  I’ve tried on and touched their hats in person, and they have a certain finesse to them that I find are missing from other brands - they are truly special.

“Our way: Exceptional quality. Ethical factories. Radical Transparency."  You can find this quote on Everlane’s website, and it’s damn true.  Everlane’s products are incredibly well-made in eco-conscious and ethical factories.  They even reveal their cost per item, so you know exactly what you’re paying for.  

For Black Friday, rather than having a sale (Everlane’s items are already on a “sale” price model), they encouraged shoppers to still purchase, but for a greater purpose.  The profits went to their denim factory in Vietman, Saitex, in order to provide clean, healthy meals to its workers.  They partnered with Freight Farms, which basically creates hydroponic farms in shipping containers (read more here), in order to execute the mission.  THAT is an incredible gift to our earth and its people for the holiday season.

I not only believe in this model, I also champion it.  I’ve given up fast fashion for good.  No more Zara.  No more cheaply made crap just so that I can enjoy a fleeting trend for one season, while many other people (and the environment) suffer in the process.  I’ve been implementing this for over a year and a half, and I haven’t looked back.

This year for the holiday season, I’m not caving into the massive holiday sales.  Why?  Because I will end up buying things I don’t need.  I am not straying you away from getting those incredible timeless boots that are half-off - that saves you money on a major staple.  But I do suggest to not shop on a whim, even if it means “scoring” things on sale.  I spend more money on individual items and end up spending less money overall.  How?  Because the items I purchase last, and therefore I need less.  Since I’m fulfilling my truest wants by only acquiring what I absolutely love, I don’t feel the constant need to consume more.  I’m only human, and of course I want things, but this want is quieter than my ethical philosophy.  

Here is Everlane’s philosophy:  “At Everlane, we’re not big on trends. We want you to wear our pieces for years, even decades, to come. That’s why we source the finest materials and factories for our timeless products— like our Grade-A cashmere sweaters, Italian shoes, and Peruvian Pima tees.”

Pictured above, I’m wearing this cashmere sweater, and these gorgeous Italian shoes - paired with vintage Levi's and a vintage blazer.

You can transform your lifestyle by changing your relationship to your things - your home items, your wardrobe, or both.  We have relationships with our objects, whether we are aware of this or not.  If you need help implementing this philosophy or a philosophy that works for you into your life, feel free to inquire about a session.  A friend of mine calls it “object therapy,” yet it’s ultimately about strengthening your relationship to yourself.   Spots are limited. 

Powerlessness.  I am powerless over people, places, and things.  Yes.  All I can control is how I respond.  Yes.  I am powerless to the will of the universe, and when I try to control everything, I become too hard, too stiff.  The world around me becomes too small.  

Somewhere along the way I misdirected my own power.  I became so intent on always doing the right thing.  To listening to some outside force.  What does the universe want for me?  Where am I supposed to be?  How is it supposed to be? In doing so, I stifled myself from making any forward movement in my life.  Big decisions became seemingly impossible, and indecision lead to inaction.  I was suffocating in my own idealist righteousness.  

But what about me?  What about what I want?  I forgot to trust my own desire.  I recently had a thought, a deep knowing, that I am conscious enough to follow that desire.   To do what I want.  To trust that I will be held regardless of what decisions I make.  That I can only do my best.  That indecision is more detrimental than making a “wrong decision” because without decision, there are no lessons.  No growth.  Taking risks - when the risk involves acting from our truth - allows us to know ourselves better.

Just like our decisions, our objects can either take us further away from ourselves or they can bring us closer to who we truly are.  They either create separation or connection.  We can give away our power to our objects by purchasing them or using them for the wrong reasons - to look cool, to fill a void, to complete us in some way, etc.  When we misdirect our power, we can veer from our truth in small ways or in big ways.  Are you holding onto something that's no longer serving you?  Perhaps something an ex gave you?  Or a gift from a friend that you really don't like?  Why are you keeping it?  Maybe you don't want to let go of the past, or you don't want to offend a loved one.  Your power (in the examples here) is directed at longing for a different time in your life or at people pleasing.  When you get clarity on these questions, you can start to clear out things that are simply taking up space in your life - physically and energetically.  

You can make simple, small steps to start directing yourself on a clearer path of truth.  Choose items that connect you to your center rather than items that create distance between yourself and your authenticity.  If you're acquiring something new - how will this object serve you?  Will it be apart of a daily ritual (mug for morning tea, incense holder for meditation practice, dish for hand soap)?  Is it to fill an empty shelf?  If so, did you see an picture on Pinterest and hunt for something online in order to re-create the image, or did you happen to stumble upon something unique at a flea market that you felt drawn to?  

With the holiday season here, we are urged to consume through Black Friday sales and through pressure to buy multiple gifts for friends and family members.  Purchasing in a frenzy in order to make quick decisions or to score items on sale is not a mindful practice.  The key is to slow down.  To quiet the needing, so that we can collect, rather than consume.  

I am available for one-on-one sessions to help guide you on this journey.  Learn to strengthen your connection to your objects, and in turn, to yourself.  I have a limited amount of open spots for the remainder of the year.  Book your session here.   Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.  

Photograph by Lauren Moore

Lacy Phillips of Free and Native is a breath of fresh air, a huge light, and one of the most generous people I’ve ever met.  She is also incredibly talented, and I continue to do the work she puts out because it truly works.  She has helped me to shift major blocks in my life through working on her method (in both private sessions and workshops).   I urge you to read her enlightening blog and sign up for one of her offerings - she is a gifted woman.  

I had the pleasure of staying in her beautiful home for a few weeks over the summer.  Part of my journey right now while living without a home includes traveling from place-to-place (read more about that here).  Lacy’s has been my absolute favorite home to stay in.   Partly because her home feels like a sanctuary, but also because it is full of intentional objects.  From her grandmother’s vase in her powder room to the ceramic bowl that holds salt in her kitchen - everything has a place.  She gets it.  Her home reeks of her.  Well, it doesn’t actually reek, because this would imply unpleasantness, which is the opposite of how her home feels and smells (it smells of the most delicious blend of essential oils, palo santo, and incense).  But her space feels like her.  It exudes her energy.  Lacy obviously does not acquire things for status or vanity because she feels whole within herself.  Everything in her home aids in her lifestyle, carries a meaningful story, or simply is there to being warmth and joy.   

We can all live this way, and we all deserve to live this way.  It’s why I do the work that I do.  To help people to transform and/or curate their spaces to reflect who they are and to assist in how they live.  To me, beauty without intention really isn’t beautiful.  It feels empty.  We can emphasize the marriage of beauty and intention by realizing that they are the same.  That beauty comes from mindfulness, from nature, from slowing down, from our hearts.  How do you intend to live?  To be?  Sit with these questions.  Keep them in your awareness.  Allow your decisions around what you bring into your home and your life to reflect your answers to these questions.