If this election has done anything, it has pointed up the grave flaws in our government and political system. We HEAR that many people in our country feel forgotten and uncared. We’ve witnessed extraordinary levels of fear and its companion, anger and hatred. And we see that we are not a one person/one vote nation. It is truly dispiriting. So we’ve compiled a few things to do to keep moving toward the positive.
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Over the years, I’ve learned a huge amount from wine connoisseur and cook Josh Eisen, including essential lessons about the many things you can do with “ends” of bottles of wine left after a meal. These pears are one of my favorites.
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Over the past few months at Swiss-Miss, we found two related ideas that really hit home and made us think hard about what we really want.
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We’re smitten with this chair by Pascal Anson, a wire frame with one thousand pieces of ribbon, rope and string that were individually tied it, creating upholstery and wondrous visuals. (And metaphorically, it is a reminder of the possibilities in the everyday, which we need right now).
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We’ve collected a few bits of wisdom and thoughts on……the clear…..next…..steps….
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Has any election in America’s history created as much anxiety as this one? It seems like our very lives are on the line. So we’ve put together some instructions for navigating Election Day.
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We recently read: The purpose of meditation is to awaken in us the skylike nature of the mind…Beautiful. We can think of no better inspiration for that idea than these images, poem, music…
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Roasting shrimp in their shells on a bed of hot salt renders them moist, perfectly-seasoned with a pure concentrated ‘sea’ flavor. They are meant to be eaten with one’s fingers, dipped into a sauce, in a slightly pagan summery ritual that’s a pleasure in winter.
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A big part of what Improvised Life does is challenge assumptions, whether it be how our space is supposed to look, or what we are supposed to be doing, or HOW WE ARE THINKING. So we love and appreciate Sandra Davidson’s Pink Fluff…
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After the clothing line I was designing got derailed by a health crisis, I blamed myself for not getting it done. A conversation with Sally (and Mike Tyson by proxy), gave me a very different perspective.
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Although pegboard is commonly used in kitchens and workspaces (think Julia Child), we realized we have rarely seen it to clad ENTIRE walls, as a design element unto itself.
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This astonishing chair, a mashup of plastic and stone, is from Sidewalk Salon, Manar Moursi and David Puig’s book about makeshift chairs they encountered while walking around Cairo, Egypt. They remind me of a fragment of Neruda’s Ode to a Chair.
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What could be better to celebrate Halloween than with cosmic “pumpkin stars’ recently discovered by NASA? (Video link here)
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Arriving at a Halloween party in full costume when no one else is is kind of a drag…as is NOT wearing a costume when everyone else is (downer). How to dress for a Halloween party you aren’t sure if people are going to be in costume or not? Mira Keras found inspiration in member of the…
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This video of Merce Cunningham’s ‘Scenario’ is a lovely thing to look at first thing in the morning AND its costumes by Rei Kawakubo gave us inspiration for Halloween creations. But the best costume idea we’ve heard was from Chris Eldredge.
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One of my favorite chilly-weather dishes is also the homeliest-looking. But a leg of lamb cooked seven hours unattended when I’m home working elicits sighs and raves at a dinner party that night, and sublime leftovers in the days that follow.
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We were thrilled to learn of an alternative to sitting meditation that doesn’t require that you actually DO the impossible-for-many-people practice of following your breath. It’s totally pleasurable, has many of the effects of meditation, and you can do it at home.
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3-star Michelin chef Massimo Bottura believes that is essential to make poetry in everyday life, even with mistakes we make…as he did with a lemon tart. But this three minute video is way more than about that lemon tart. The guy is a philosopher…
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After Improvised Life’s part-time editorial assistant Mira Keras had a health challenge that lasted months, causing extended leave from her two steady gigs, her laptop broke. It happened just as she was feeling well enough to return to virtual work at Improvised Life AND when her emergency-slammed finances were at an all-time low. She told me about…
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It’s tempting to imagine that writers are creating from glossy white offices, with fresh cut flowers, and lattes in artful cups. It can feel like if that’s not your reality you’re not “doing it right”. That’s bullshit.
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