Crunchy

Eka Pada Uttana Padasana - One Legged Raised Pose

I still slide my hands under my hips to support my lower back.

& Featuring what fun it is to be a hippie yogini (mommy).

PLASTIC - it’s everywhere!! I’m pretty sure my underwear is made of plastic. I am just so over plastic. & Chemicals. Unnatural clothing, bizarre body products. PLASTIC. …

Post-birth of each child I give myself a pass — the generosity to be gentle and relaxed with my otherwise crunchy ecological, home and health rules. (EG processed foods ordered in, tacky crafts or mittens overnighted in bulk.) But, youngest Bébé is now three, so I am no longer in ‘survival mode’ and am empowered - aka ruthless and rageful - against the world’s BS once again. 🐅 All crap must go.

Fashion Rules

Eka Pada Ardha Navasana Baddhanguliyasana - One Legged Half Boat Pose Interlocked Fingers

Using interlaced fingers to coax and then train the leg to straighten. For some of us it’s a process 🥵

As I am perpetually attracted to and distracted by bright, shiny objects and innumerable looks, modas and trends, I have to condition myself not to try every cut, color and material …

We should (in times of limitless options) make our own little unspoken edicts (whilst free to disobey and evolve said mandates constantly). Such as : 

FOR FASHION (currently) - 

1. No writing. Strong personal pet-peeve, should be its own post.

2. No logos. Especially not on heart or head!!

3. No black. Unless for equipment, like sports.

4. No polyester. Though also OK for athletic / specialty purposes. 

5. No bands around the diaphragm. Camisoles in lieu of bras.

6. Streamlined underwear sets.

7. No high-heels. Low heels on occasion. Thick soles for dusty country living. 

8. Soft style hair ties.

9. Mascara is for special days. 

10. Shop while on vacation. Too taxing during regular family-life days. 

11. The word ‘fashion’ gets a bad rap - and I keep hearing use ‘style’, but I like the practicality of fashion being a ‘system, manner, method, approach’, and the DIY aspect that to fashion is to ‘make, manufacture, construct, build’.

Your mat as an island

Vasishtasana - Forearm Side Plank Pose, with elbow twist

Oblique strength 👙

Your mat = your own little world. Today I left my rose quartz colored, woven cotton yoga mat in the yoga studio’s ladies room. Sob! I’ll pick it up next time, of course. I use a yoga rug and cannot believe this style has not caught on (I’ve seen only one other) as I give it zero complaints and many acclaims. 💕

Not crabby

Eka Pada Ardha Purvottanasana - One Legged Reverse Table Top Pose

Eka Pada Ardha Catuspadapitham - One legged crab pose 

🦀 

Just hanging out, letting your light shine. 

Certainly we do not neeeeeed skin tight, synthetic leggings (or polyvinyl thermoplastic mats, tritan water bottles, laminate floors, foam blocks…) to train. 

Gaseous 🌬️

 

Ardha Pavan Muktasana - Half Wind Removing Pose

Release blocked energy channels. 

 Handpick preferences and priorities. Your own, not others’. 

Eras

 

Era of refinement.

Be true to yourself in this present-day era: balance inner knowing with open curiosity. There is always room for improvement. 

Mirror rorriM

Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose arms wide 🐍 

When we lessen our own material requirements, (persistently removing those pesky impulses and cravings one-at-a-time,) the incessant worldly demands of our children (and other household members) no longer vex us, as the mirror aspect is removed. 🪞 

XS enough to schlep XXL loads.

Anonymous

 

Shop (even for household items,) more than once a week and you may be a shopaholique. 

Peppy steppy

Walk about the neighborhood. 

Clothing as KOSHA - SHEATH 

More PEP in my STEP this AM thanks to the husband who scooped up and brought back with him a small assemblage of attire from my main closet at home whilst there on a work day (I am on a month-long uninterrupted ‘reclusive’ vaycay). I didn’t realize how fatigued I was of my pathetic selection of duds (it is ASPEN, after all,) until I donned a neon swimsuit, gingham dress, silky cardi, pink suede sneakers and got a NEW LEASE ON LIFE!

Unfortunately? But powerfully! Clothing acts as a sheath - energetic layer - which can be used to our advantage (or disadvantage). 

P.S. The procuring of such items was made possible by strategic, color-coded closet organization (and periodic paring down,) allowing myself to plainly explain and my husband to effortlessly locate the 10 or so sought-after items in mere minutes via FaceTime. 🛍️ 

Purchase less, create more ✌️

Best of Aspen

 

Blue Cookie Muncher Ice Cream 

PARADISE BAKERY, Aspen

 

💚🌳En route to the muncher 🍨 💙

My Armoire

 

As a former clothing COLLECTOR (hoarder-squirrel 🐿️!) this is a new frontier for me —

Wear your SEASONAL (shop once quarterly max) wardrobe so much that there is no question as to whether you love and keep the clothing longer OR, NO QUALMS, they’ve fulfilled their destiny and you don’t! 

Mountain Mama Summer Wardrobe, as of Late July:

💚keep 💛this is its last season ❤️already out the door  💙hmmm🧐

💛Silver espadrilles - wearing through

❤️Black river shoes (pictured above) - stretched from last Summer, already said See Ya (poubelle)

💛Flip-flops - maintaining

💛Crazy Crocs - worse for wear, as used for all hikes and most bikes

💛Purple bandana bikini - hanging on for dear life

💛White & Blue One piece - yellowing at edges 

💙Tomato soup cashmere sweater - soft as ever, maybe showing age?

💛Skull Sweater - last hurrah 

💚Prairie skirt (pictured) - good to go 😅 

💚2x Shorts - just fine 

💚Taupe linen pants - surprisingly great

💚Flowered cross-body bag (pictured) - still fresh 

💛Rose tote - wilting

💙2x Camisoles and 2x T’s - washing well

💚Sweats - new this trip :)

💚PJ’s - beddable 

💚Silk Dress - unfortunately unworn since childcare disappeared into thin air 🌬️ 

💚Shiny amethyst long cardigan - keeper

💚💜Jewels - lovely and sentimental as ever.💕 

The forced Capsule Collection that comes inherently with travel is blissful. My dear friend says all of her belongings (ALL!?) would “fit into an armoire”. What a beautiful image and, sigh, dare I say, Holy Grail, in these excessive times. 

Dirndl

 

Dirndl 

Liebe - Love

How do we, as women, find our personal UNIFORM in the current CHAOS of literally unlimited options?

You are yours 💘

 

What’s the next ITERATION of YOU?? Decide as though no one else gives a !&*% — because they don’t!! 💜💕💔

Collect stars

 

Dandasana - Staff Pose

Stars not stuff. 

👙 Freshies 🍦

 

Prasarita Padottanasana - Wide Legged Forward Bend 

variation Both Hands on One Ankle

Returned home from the neighborhood pool today and threw my swimsuit in the garage’s trash still wet. 💦 Why oh why am I wearing these tired, faded, stretched separates to the splashy parties ?? SAYONARA !! 🍑 

Clear the decks !! 🌊 

Close and Click

Aparigraha - Yama of non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-attachment 

It’s finally here. Mommy’s ‘off’-season. No birthdays or holidays in this home until October and I’m giddy. I sat at the coffee shop this morning practically levitating; Easter was my final hoorah and it’s behind me. 

Of course, there will still be endless playdates, gatherings and pool parties in our near future, but those parlous (albeit winnowed* and well organized!) DECORATION BINS are now clicked shut and closed up in the cupboards — for nary half the year !!!!! 🥂 

*Some sizable, substantial decorations have only lived with me through 2 years, 2 rounds of celebrating, but were a mistake that must be acknowledged and their donation pick-up is scheduled. I hope it’s not too inconvenient to pass along life-size trick-or-treating statues, giant glowing snowflakes, glitter encrusted cranberry wreaths, golden light-up nutcrackers, and stoic German Santa Clauses in May…

Get it together

 

Dwi Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (Vrschikasana Pada) — Two legged Downward Facing Dog (Scorpion-esque)

If you take your kids to the store, plan on buying them something — “one salty snack, one sweet”, “one snack, one drink”, “one non-food item”. If you don’t want to buy them anything - don’t bring them!!!!!

PS : Offering to buy GUM can generally seal the deal. 💋 

SUPERficial

The Material World is frivolous and should delight. If it’s weighing us down, we must rethink our approach. 

Outshine

Above - SunBum, Mineral Fusion, Pacifica, Physician’s Formula, Dr Haushka, Waleda, A La Maison, HoneyPot, ORL… fond of them from old fashioned trial and error. Personal, empirical data that no amount of “(online) research” could ever compete with. 🤓

Learning is EXPERIENTIAL. All of the second-hand information in the world can never top trying something for yourself. 🎩 Just as all the 1000’s of product reviews cannot substitute for physically testing said commodity 1st-hand. 💋

 

🤵‍♀️ Look Cute - Have Fun 😻

Shopping should be FUN. In France they would say it should be a ‘pleasure’. As a necessity of most modern lives, we may as well know our Shopping Style to make it gratifying, if not a thrill ;)

• In Person or Online
• Morning or Evening
• Dolled-up or Incognito 
• Full Price or Bargain
• Specific or Open-ended
• Marathons or Sprints
• Prepped or Impromptu
• Focused or Multi-task
• Alone or Accompanied 

Personal Profile: Anytime I Order I feel I could have fared better In-Person, I hit the shops upon Opening, I Preen enough to be friendly and decisive, I dwell if it’s not a Steal,  I’m capriciously receptive to Unplanned Purchases, I Pack numerous drinks and snacks, I must have my own Bags and a vacant car, phone calls are Silenced, I shop Alone or with my mother ❤️…