Daily Inspiration

Meditation Reduces Depression, Fatigue, Anxiety In MS Patients

A new Swiss study reports that a form of meditation known as mindfulness may help patients with multiple sclerosis.
Patients with MS — a nervous system disease that typically surfaces in early adulthood and can cause muscle weakness, coordination/balance problems and thinking and memory problems, among other symptoms — often suffer from depression and anxiety.

The study compared multiple sclerosis patients who meditated to MS patients who didn't. Dr. Moses Rodriguez, a professor of neurology and immunology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who's familiar with the study's findings, said meditation is safe and cheaper than the drugs that MS patients take.

"Patients should try it and see if it is helpful for them," Rodriguez added.

Previous research has suggested that half of MS patients suffer from depression during their lives and that anxiety disorders affect one in four. About two-thirds say they feel fatigued, with up to 50% saying fatigue is their most disabling symptom. (MORE)

Source: USA Today

Autumn Weekend.

via

Have a great weekend :)

•••

paper wigs to make . . .

with halloween coming up

i am inspired by these paper wigs
to make here

A Room of One's Own - Fictional Spaces

A study for Ernest Hemingway

A living space for Haruki Murakami

A kitchen table for Zadie Smith

A boudoir for Virginia Woolf

Here is a great editorial produced by The Guardian last year where they created four ficitional spaces inspired by four novelists using the season's home products. I'm an avid reader and thought that this was a great idea. The interiors are quite well suited to how the novelists and their writing style have been perceived.

Photographs via The Guardian.

The Wardrobe Project: T-Shirts and Sweaters and Blouses! Part 1

Oh My! (Sorry I couldn't resist) Guess what I edited after Dresses?

I couldn't stop myself last night. I got through all three.

As I mentioned in my last post, I started with T-shirts last night as I thought they might be easier to edit.

Here's what I started with. This is the pile which resulted in me dumping the drawer of tank tops and camis onto the floor:

This is every single t-shirt I own. I included anything that was a jersey knit, be it printed or even embellished.

You might be asking yourself "What is in that blue bag at the end of the rack Lisa?". It's a bag of worn, maybe stained, maybe bleached out tee-shirts I own that I was planning to dye (like this blazer) someday. I decided to include them. They are part of my wardrobe. I am keeping them around so I can do something with them (which I haven't). Sigh.

Oh! And as I was gathering all of the tees I forgot about the one I was wearing!

Hello!!

So here are the numbers:

Total Number of T-Shirts: 37

(including long sleeved, and the one I'm wearing and any embellished tees)

Total Number of Tank Tops: 7

(I consider these the ones with thicker straps)

Total Number of Camisoles: 16

(I use these for layering)

Grand Total: 48

I actually thought there would be more. But just under 50 is a lot. I know...

At any rate, I started to edit. I tried a different approach than last time.

On the first pass I separated the for sure "keeps" and the for sure "gives" and the "maybes"

On the second pass I compared the "maybes" with the "keeps" to see if there was any overlap (like 2 black t-shirts for instance) and then I kept the best one.

This seemed to be working!!!

I was totally brutal this time! Maybe it's because t-shirts are much more disposable than say...dresses!

I was still hoarding tees though. Like this one. The colour in the collar is leached out and become faded and I still kept it! (Shame on you Old Navy, this happened shortly after I bought it, last fall. ugh.)

Things like this tank, I have kept because I love the punchy colour and I just LOVE the flower detail on the strap. But, it's WAY to short on me now.
Solution? Remove the flowers and find myself a new tank top. Or use them for some other project.
So that's what I did.

Or, I was finding several instances of situations like this as I edited. When I find a t-shirt I like, I usually buy one in every colour. Like these. Smart Set: 6 years ago (they have washed SO well! Go Smart Set!). I've worn them a lot. I think it's time they go. So they did. (Go Lisa!)

So how did I do?

SO GOOD! (happy dance ensued!)

Here are the results:

Total Number of Tees Remaining: 15 (from 37)
(This includes the one I'm wearing, 2 band tees I can't say good-bye to yet and a vintage knit that my grandma gave me)

Total Number of Tanks Remaining: 3 (from 7)

Total Number of Camis Remaining: 5 (from 16)
(2 were relegated to pjs. We'll see how that goes when I sort them. They're days may be numbered)

Remaining Grand Total: 21! (from 48)

Here are the shots of the keepers for your viewing pleasure(scroll back up for a reminder of the befores!):

Please don't get me wrong. This was VERY hard for me to do. It made me nervous. It made my heart pound. I had to take many deep breaths.

I only kept those things in heavy rotation and got rid of anything that was not in perfect condition.

This has left some SERIOUS holes in my t-shirt wardrobe.

I am Missing:

Basic Crew Neck Long Sleeve Tees - 1 in Black, 1 in White
Basic Crew Neck Short Sleeve Tees - 1 in Black, 1 in White, 1 in Grey
Basic Tank Tops - 1 in Black, 1 in White.

I'm starting a list so I'm prepared when I start shopping!

Stay Tuned for Part 2! T-Shirts were such a success that I couldn't help but do a few more last night!

Lisa.xo

Daily Inspiration

Yoga May Have The Power To Fight Fibromyalgia

Yoga exercises may have the power to combat fibromyalgia - a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain, according to new research conducted at Oregon Health and Science University.

"Previous research suggests that the most successful treatment for fibromyalgia involves a combination of medications, physical exercise and development of coping skills," said James Carson, a clinical health psychologist and an assistant professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine.

"Here, we specifically focused on yoga to determine whether it should be considered as a prescribed treatment and the extent to which it can be successful."

In this study, researchers enrolled 53 female study subjects previously diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The women were randomly assigned to two research groups. (MORE)

Source: Sify

the hairy growler . . .

the hairy growler

" enter a world where

pennies become pendants &

cutlery becomes couture"

this work is so beautiful

"a recycling obsessed jeweler"

after my own heart.

Glass Domes



Photograph by James Merrell

I've always been intrigued by large glass domes - especially when there is something interesting inside them like the above image. They give a 'museum' and European quality to the objects on display.

The Wardrobe Project: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

So last night (you'll notice all the pictures with the flash taken at night) I officially started The Wardrobe Project.

I started by taking stock of all the places in the house where I keep clothes.
Here they are in all their not so glorious glory:

You remember my closet from yesterday's post (this is in our second bedroom on the main floor which happens to act as my dressing room). This is the everyday closet. Stuff I like to keep out "just-in-case" and stuff I wear regularly:

Here is the closet in the third bedroom on the main floor (which is occupied by The Boy's RC hobby supplies. This closet has off-season clothes (including coats) hung in it. I also keep my collection of vintage that I do not wear regularly in here, such as vintage cocktail dresses and furs. I also keep costumes hung up in this closet:

This is the front hall closet. This holds the usual stuff: coats, shoes, boots, hats, mitts etc...:

Here is the pile of clothes in the bedroom that are usually left beside my side of the bed (or in this case on top of Dave's kennel). This is a collection of what I have worn after work in the past few days. It regularly gets taken back to the dressing room (I somehow can never remember to get UN-dressed in that room. ha!). It's usually a collection of jeans and t-shirts:

Here is the drying rack in the laundry room which houses things which sometimes never make it upstairs (nevermind on hangers):

And last but not least is the rack of vintage clothes I have in the basement which I am amassing to start selling on etsy or consign next year. All of which will not count towards The Wardrobe Project, but I wanted to show you how many clothes are really in this house. I had to buy an extra clothing rack to accomodate them(The Boy has all of his things in the master bedroom closet for those who are wondering) :

Plus this bag of summer shoes I tossed down there last week:

So that's all of my dirty (and not so dirty) laundry.


And so the editing begun. I started with my favorite clothing item! Dresses!

I emptied the drying rack from the basement (well see how long I can go without it!) and brought it upstairs to begin my sorting. I gathered all of my dresses onto the rack. This actually stressed me out a little as I knew I was going to force myself to part with some of them. I stopped thinking about it for a moment and started to count.

Here are the totals after I finished sorting and counting:

Total Number of Dresses: 67
Total Number of Vintage Dresses: 42
Total Number of Vintage Dresses Worn: 22
Total Number of Dresses Worn (including modern): 44

Which Leaves:
23 Dresses Owned and Never Worn

I felt not bad after I counted everything. I have worn at least 2/3 of my dresses! Go Me! I have worn all but one of the modern dresses I've bought. It was really some of the older vintage dresses that I have never worn. Ones which I keep because I think they're pretty. Like this one:

So then the tough part started. The Editing.

This was so hard!!!! In my usual habit I rationalized every dress!

Here is one of the highlights (lowlights?!):

This is the only modern dress I have bought that I've never worn. And that is only because the strap broke on it the first time I tried to put it on. I've owned it for almost 8 years and have never fixed it. This admission depresses me.
The worst part is, I thought this one would be a no-brainer: Never worn: TOSS!
NOPE! When I hung it up to take the picture I had a good look at it and thought "this dress is so cute! With tights and a belt! I could totally fix the strap! It's silk for godsake and 90's grunge is coming back!"
I am so dumb.
It's in a "Repair" pile as we speak. (But on a bright note I am second guessing that decision as I type this).
THIS IS WHY I CAN'T GET RID OF ANYTHING PEOPLE! I AM INSANE!!!

OK. So I know you're all asking yourselves how many dresses did I actually get rid of?

Well this is a truly sad admission: 5 total. Yup. 5. Out of 67.

HELLO MY NAME IS LISA AND I AM A DRESS-AHOLIC (clothes-aholic?!)!

This is how it went down:
1 very damaged dress was thrown out (after I salvaged some trim off of it)
2 vintage dresses went down to the sell rack in the basement
2 dresses went in the give-away pile.

That's it.

This leaves me with 3 remaining Dress catagories (as I see it):

1. Dresses I wear regularly
2. Dresses with sentimental value (like my grad dress and a few my grandma gave me) + amazing vintage dresses I consider part of my collection.
3. Drsses I want to mend/repair (like the silk "grunge" dress). Which I have given myself a timeline for. If they're not completely repaired and ready to wear in a month I am getting rid of them. (it was the only way I could do it!)

So it was a bit of a dissapointing, slow start. I thought in the beginning that dresses would be a good place to start, but I think they're in fact too close to my heart. Now that I think about it, I'm more attached to my dresses than any other clothing item in my closet.
Maybe I'll come back to them after some practice on other things.

At any rate (sorry for the long post!!), I will systematically go through every piece of clothing. I'm hoping to tally up the numbers and see where I land at the end for fun!

I've also had a few emails/comments that a few of you would like to join me! Welcome! Let me know how you're doing!

Tonight I'm working on t-shirts, camisols and tank tops. Hopefully it'll be a bit easier.

Lisa.xo

Daily Inspiration

Yoga: WWJD?

Christians all over the world must be asking themselves "What would Jesus do?" about taking part in the ancient tradition of yoga.

That's in light of a recent commentary on the inherent conflict between the practice of yoga and the practice of Christianity that's been making news since its publication on line last month. Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler wrote an essay in which he urged Christians to reconsider practicing yoga, a discipline he views as a spiritual endeavor -- and one that conflicts with Christian teachings.

It's an age-old debate: Must all who do yoga embrace its spiritual teachings, or can you justify taking advantage of its physical, mental and emotional benefits and pleasures while setting aside its more mystical side? (MORE)

Source: Washington Post

wendy froud . . .

did i tell you . . .

during the summer i was so very lucky

for i got to see a collection of work by

one of my all time favourite's

wendy froud

i blogged it here

Adore Magazine

Here's another magazine to check out - this time it is a decorating magazine fom Australia and it is online. Read the first and spring edition of 'Adore' here.
Photograph via ABT.

The "Ah-Ha!" Moment: The Wardrobe Project

I've been racking my brain for the reason for my serious lack of motivation when it comes to posts these days.

This morning it hit me!

My Fall/Winter wardrobe is missing the simplicity of my Spring/Summer wardrobe.

I love my summer wardrobe. It's easy to mix and match. I love the simplicity of throwing on a great dress adding accessories and walking out the door.

Winnipeg is very cold in the winter. I believe that my HUGE wardrobe is getting in the way. I simply have too many choices in the morning (Sorry, I'm just not a lay-out-my-outfit-the-night-before kind of girl. I've tried and innevitably the next morning I change my mind and put on something else.).
This plethora of choices is making me indecisive and when this happens I give up on "the cute put together outfit" and put on a t-shirt and bottoms. Well this is just happening too frequently these days.

So this morning while getting dressed I decided it's time for some simplifying.

And so was born The Wardrobe Project.

Here are my goals:

1. Edit my closet leaving only those pieces which I love and wear reguarly.
2. Once edited, figure out which wardrobe basics I am lacking.
3. Hunt/Shop for those wardrobe basics and only purhcase quality items.
4. Define my style and look for trend pieces/accessories that match it. Only buy pieces I absolutly LOVE and ADORE.
5. Get a great haircut and buy the products my stylist reccomends.
6. Organize my wardrobe effectively. Including separating summer and winter items.
7. Pretty up my wardrobe. Including buying matching hangers and storage boxes.


Sounds simple right?

I feel as though I have a few obstacles standing in my way:

First: Money. A lot of my goals include shopping and purchasing. I am on a strict budget right now due to my job with less than full time hours. This means that saving will be important to reach these goals. And that it will take time to accomplish them.

Secondly: (this is the big one people!) I'm a bit of a clothes hoarder - and by a bit I mean I have clothes in practically every room of the house. I have a hard time getting rid of things. I always feel like I will use it again eventually. I feel fantastic when I give away a small shopping bag of clothes I haven't worn in 8 years. When likely I've only given them away because I'm out of hangers for the millions of things I've just bought.  This will be difficult and it will likely take time, maybe tears and A LOT of will power.

But I'm determined to do it.

This is the current state of my closet. (I am embarrased to post this)

It is always like this. In the morning I try something on, reject it, toss it in a pile and move onto the next thing. Then it stays like this forever. I simply have too many clothes.

I never thought I would say that.

So in starting The Wardrobe Project I am hoping to simpify my life and my wardrobe choices without losing those pretty vintage touches I love so much.

In the next post I will show you just how much I really have (all the closets). I'll break down the numbers as I begin to sort through it all.

Lisa.xo

Oreo Cupcakes

Gestern selbst gebacken, nach diesem Rezept!

Tatsächlich meine ersten eigenen Cupcakes, sehr lecker!

Heute gab's dann "selbstgekaufte" Cupcakes und Cookies

im Liebes Bisschen in der Schanze, definitiv eines

meiner Lieblingscafés, zu finden in der Eifflerstraße 47!

Habt einen schönen Abend :)

•••

Daily Inspiration

Meditation As Medicine Can Be Effective

I have chronic illnesses. Are there medical benefits to meditating? How do I meditate?

Your physician should evaluate your illnesses and pains. Patients may become frustrated with their medical care or feel that they can enhance this care. There are many modalities that encompass a broader view of medicine to help self-manage chronic pain and illnesses and meditation is one area that may provide additional help.

Research shows there are many medical benefits to meditation including relief from chronic pain, lowered blood pressure, increased blood flow to the brain, enhanced immunity, improved concentration and emotional health. For example, during childbirth, many mothers are taught to focus their minds and to perform special breathing methods to overcome the pain of labor and delivery and help them stay in control. As a doctor, I have seen patients use meditation to lessen pain and anxiety in the emergency room and clinic with good results.

Meditation is mindfulness, a consciousness to the present. There are many types of meditations. All individuals, regardless of age, can practice meditation. There is no one correct way to meditate since everyone is an individual, but here are some pointers for beginners: (MORE)

Source: Danbury News Times

georgina warne . . .

i have fallen in love with the

wonderful hares of

georgina warne

Home NZ Magazine

The October/November Home NZ magazine out now.

I've scanned the contents page of the magazine - that's our styling work!

A great photo of Amelia and Neil in their Living room.

Neil on the deck with Otto the cat. The Dining area to the right.

The cool entertainment unit designed by Amelia (and styled by me!)

Remember my posting a while ago when I styled for my architect sister, Amelia and her hubby, Neil for an upcoming magazine shoot? Read it again here.

Well, the October/November Home NZ magazine is out now and it looks great. Here are some of photographs by Paul McCredie that made the pages - click on the photos to see them larger.

I also scanned in the contents page of the magazine as it is a close-up of our styling work. Very cool. Get your copy now...

Photographs by Paul McCredie.

Phoenix Park - 10th October

Contact info including email and phone for businesses, medical, professionals and more

Prices below are only valid until Friday

VOLUME PRICING

2 lists - $99 each
3 lists - $75 each
5 lists - $64 each
7 lists - $52 each

Choose from any list below:

[ HEALTHCARE ]

> Complete US Physicians Database
> Chiropractic Doctors in the USA
> American Holistic Medicine Providers/Clinics
> General Dentists in the USA
> American Veterinarians & Veterinary Clinics
> US Hospitals
> Nursing Homes int the US
> Pharmaceutical Company Employees
> Physical/Occupational Therapy Clinics and Therapists in the US
> Oncology Physicians in the US
> US Surgery Centers
> Massage Therapists/Therapy Clinics in America
> Acupuncturists/clinics in the US
> Medical Equipment Suppliers(USA)
> Mental Health Counselors (USA)
> Optometrists/Clinics (USA)
> Psychologists (USA)

[ BUSINESS LISTS ]

> Hotels in the USA
> Realtors in the USA
> USA Business Database
> Manufacturer Database (USA)
> Financial Planner Database (USA)
> Finance & Professionals Database (USA)

[ CONSUMER LISTS ]

> USA Consumer Database
> Credit Inquiries Database (USA)
> American Homeowners

[ PROFESSIONALS LISTS ]

> USA Lawyers Database
> Criminal Attorneys in the US

Email me for counts, breakdowns and sample spreadsheets: ResultsDrivenIdeas@gmx.com

Forward email to purgefile@gmx.com to purge you from our records

glass acorns . . .

blow glass work acorns

by

dante marioni

Meal Plan Monday

It's been quite a while since I've done a Meal Plan Monday post, so I figured it was time to start it up again! I love seeing other people's meal plans and getting fresh, new ideas!

This week I wanted to see how cheaply I could feed us. I ended up spending only $45 at the store for the entire week's worth of food! I was pretty stoked about that. I'm usually really good at planning my meals around as much of what I already have on hand as possible, but this week I did an even better job than usual. Typically we spend anywhere from $60-$75 per week on groceries, so this was quite drastic difference. It helped that we stocked up a couple weeks ago on all the meat, so I didn't have to buy any of that this week. But still!

So, on the meal plan are (in no particular order):

Lemon linguine
Chicken and dumplings
Feijoada
Fettuccine Alfredo & rolls
Chicken poulet
Tuna noodle casserole
Chili mac

What's on your meal plan this week??

Daily Inspiration

Club Helps Students Slow Down And Relax

In a dim room, students sit comfortably in a circle, some with their shoes off and others perched liked cats. Undeniably, this is a group that knows how to relax despite the chaos of the outside world. This is the USU meditation club.

The club was founded last year by Jan Summerhays, an ecology graduate student. Summerhays was a member of a meditation group called the Cache Valley Buddhist Sangha, which meets every Monday at 7:15 p.m. at the Cache Valley Unitarian Universalist building. Summerhays said she realized there was a community of people that meditated, but knew there was also a group of students interested or curious about meditation who didn't have an opportunity to pursue that interest.

Summerhays said with the help of English professor Michael Sowder she formed a club on campus. Since last year, the club has picked up more momentum and has brought in several new members. Unlike the meditation group that meets Monday nights, Summerhays said the USU Meditation Club is non-denominational and is not aligned with any specific religion or tradition. (MORE)

Source: The Statesman

Short Hair and Sunglasses

via

This is my favorite autumn-streetstyle so far!

I love this look!

•••

Pale Blue Sofa

Here are some of the latest promotional photos of Sofia Coppola's handbag range for Louis Vuitton - however, it is the pale blue sofa that I am admiring more...
Photographs via Habitually Chic.