I am craving the nights where I don’t have to wear slippers, sweatpants, long tees, sweatshirts, and robes to bed! I am so sick of this Winter, specifically the cold! And hopefully soon, I can wear just a sleepshirt to bed, and be warm enough. SOON knock on wood. I am super excited about wearing the Josie Spicy Essentials Sleepshirt — and it is exactly that — spicy AND essential.
Spicy! Bright!
New nut butter obsession, thank you very much! Big Spoon Roasters is so good that you want to use a big spoon (get it?) and eat it all up. Big Spoon Roasters makes handcrafted nut butters from scratch in Durham, North Carolina. If anyone knows how to work with nuts, it is Southerners. They create the nut butters from nuts and honeys from local and like-minded farmers.
The Upper East Side of NYC has a new cheese shop! And it’s beyond amazing! Lucy’s Whey recently opened in Carnegie Hill, joining stores in Chelsea Market and East Hampton.
I recently fell in love with a cute little pouch that is the perfect size to throw in my purse. Not only is the size perfect, but the colors, look, and overall aesthetic of the little bag are divine.
Love the colors and peacefulness of the pouch. Serenity. In a pouch.
As a dry Vata chick who lives in freezing cold (and therefore super dry) New York City, my body is constantly on the look out for moisturizing, hydrating, soothing, delicious lotion (that is 100% natural and free of chemicals). Sounds like a difficult task, right? Earth Tu Face to the rescue!
Ironic, right? We are in a massive Polar Vortex Part 2 in NYC, and I am writing about summer shoes??? BUT…..Espadrilles are my new jam –especially when they are colorful, playful, fun and different. Which makes the We Are Handsome x Soludos the perfect shoe! (And yes, I realize that in most places in the country it IS still winter, and will be for quite some time, but hey, SPRING BREAK is around the corner!)
Beachy!
Now that the Christmas Tree is gone, we have lost the beautiful smell of pine in our apartment….and how I miss it! So instead of pine trees, here are my three current scented obsessions!
Three smells in three different forms, material, sizes, and shapes! WAM!
YEAH, I KNOW, this post is totally in your face about buying Natori, but hey, that is in part what I’m about. And not only should I promote Natori items, but I want to as well! So here are my top Natori gift items for Holiday 2013. And some pictures of the Natori (senior’s) Winter Wonderland apartment.
The holiday tree at my in laws apartment (Josie Natori)
Winter is here in NYC, which means it’s hat, glove, scarf, and mitten time. One has to bundle up to survive the cold. However, doing errands (especially pushing a stroller, carrying kids, picking up toy cars and airplanes) is almost impossible with normal gloves. My new jam? Fingerless gloves! They are warm, cozy, and give you the freedom and flexibility to move your fingers around. PLUS, they look cool. Kind of like leg warmers for your wrists.
I am a health freak as I love my gym, nature, fresh air, chia seeds, coconut, and vegan concoctions. And yet, I am a sucker for candy, too. I KNOW, right? Hard to believe, but I love it. I hoard Halloween candy all year because I love the shiny wrappers and the delicious, chocolatey, oh-so-sweet treats inside. Drooling now. And it is so cliche, but a candy store to me, is well, like one big candy store. I can’t just look, and I want to taste everything — it all looks delicious and I NEED. EVERYTHING. THEN. AND. NOW. SHAKE. SHAKE. CONVULSIONS.
Picturesque Sockerbit in the West Village of NYC.
SIMPLE SYRUP TIMES A THOUSAND! Morris Kitchen is a Brooklyn based company that makes exotic and tasty syrup for cooking and cocktails. A versatile product that enhances any plain, simple drink.
Rhubarb!
I do not have a green thumb. Actually quite the opposite, as every plant I ever get dies within a month or two. I love orchids, but I always gets sad when they wilt away, become flowerless, and end up turning into a big, depressing, bleak twig. So I was terribly happy (is that an oxymoron?) when I found handmade paper flowers from The Green Vase, when wandering around one of my favorite stores: John Derian. 
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Because everything “cool” that I discover is from my mom, here is the most recent find: whole grain, organic, artisan cookie mixes! Made in Oregon (obvi), these mixes come from Southern Oregon’s Butte Creek Mill. And it has been in operation since 1872 — long standing coolness.
Butte Creek Mill
This past summer in Oregon, I noticed that every little baby wore amber necklaces (just like the adults wore tye dyes and birkenstocks). It looked hip — the orange, yellow twinkle and shine — but I knew that there was more to the story than just aesthetics (hippies don’t care about being stylish). And sure enough, there was.
But check out the cuteness! The look alone is worth it to me.
While totally old fashioned and retro, I have a soft spot for all letterpress and stationary (gasp!). And I have totally fallen in love with the wittiness and humor of the cards from Dude and Chick Letterpress. The founders, self described as a dude and a chick from Minnesota, sell their cards at various boutiques nationwide and on etsy.
Summer is right around the corner. Literally. And boy, do I have some wants and wishes! Here they are:
Yep — totally obsessed. But how can I NOT be? I love the fabric, the stripes, the colors, the lightness, and the overall look!
Silk tye dye scarf? IN LOVE!
A necessary luxury. Soft, perfect, lace, and the just-right base lining.
Printed stretch silk jumpsuit in black/grey totem print. Deep v-neck. Slanted front pockets. Oh. My. God. Perfection.
An original way to remember a special occasion. Choose a type of metal and leather color wrap. How fun and personable is it?? Hellooooooo (late) Mother’s day present!
Contributing editor day at the JGB. Take it away, Ali!
Did you know that perfume was originally used by ancient civilizations for communicating with the gods? Yosh Han knows that and countless other elements about the therapeutic properties of essential oils and aromatherapy, or trans-aromation as she calls it. I believe she was born to be a perfumer– even the Chinese character for Yosh means “fragrant”. How cool is that!?
Yosh is my dear friend and is truly an enlivened artist. Always traveling the globe offering scented aura readings and sharing her full wardrobe of perfumes with those she encounters, she is a rare blend of wildly successful entrepreneur and feminine, passionate soul centered visionary. Every time we are together the conversation takes us on a ride that stirs my soul and creativity.
Yosh Han began her career as an apprentice to a perfumer in Aspen, Colorado where she learned to identify and combine essential oils and perfume essences. Today, inspired by all things that evoke emotion and memories, she combines the art of perfumery with the science of aromachology.
She founded her company Eau De Yosh in 2002 by developing a strong clientele who wanted their own signature perfumes. Yosh calls upon her deep and abiding connection to flowers and herbs instilled by her mother, a trained master of Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging and a disciple of herbal medicine to fragrances that stir the senses, fascinate the mind and enchant the soul. Yosh integrates her spiritual connection with her aromatic artistry and teaches others about vibrational perfumery, edible essences and aromatic attunements—fragrant meditations.
Based on moods, personalities and intuition, each fragrance is crafted using the finest ingredients from all over the world, then assigned a numerical value that corresponds to the fragrance family and resonates with principles of Chakra energy and numerology. Tell me how many perfumers you know who offer scented aura readings at Barneys? I know of only 1!
Thanks to a friend, I was recently introduced to the amazingly chic baby quilts made by Haptic Lab, a Brooklyn based company (of course, everything cool is either from Sweden, Paris, or Brooklyn… or Eugene, Oregon).
Haptic Lab, founded in 2009 by architect and designer Emily Fischer, creates original, striking, and beautiful soft-map quilts. The Baby Soft-Maps are custom printed, hand-knotted, and 100% natural cotton. These quilts depict the map of a city or town of importance, whether it is a birthplace or a place with some other significance. They make incredible keepsake gifts for newborns, play mats for toddlers, and are just the perfect pop of color on your child’s bedroom chair. They can also be displayed as wall hangings. VERSATILE PRESENT, HOLLA!
The baby quilts measure 42″ x 36″ and are available in three colorways (pink map, orange backing; navy map, green backing; green map, blue backing). Soft cotton loops are stitched to the binding of the quilt so it can be used as a wall-hanging. And you can personalize the quilt with the child’s name, birthdate, and up to three different locations.
Colorful map
Up close
Personalized name
If I had all the time (and money) in the world, I would look (and buy) everything on Etsy. So many creative, fun, and handmade toys / clothes / pictures / purses – you name it -, to choose from. (For those not familiar with Etsy, check out my post on my visit to their pop-up shop here).
And this includes, a super-duper cute and fun cat top. First spotted on my sister, Galen, it was something so whimsical and fun that I had to immediately get it for myself too. It was worth every cent of the $24 I paid it.
Tee-shirt version
Tank version.
Although sold on Etsy, these cat shirts are created by BAF (Burger and Friends), an Austin, Texas based t-shirt and accessories company whose clothes feature great colors and neo pop-inspired illustrations. They also have a love of cats and feature a variety of different tees with different cat phrases and designs.
Rocking out
What can make a toothbrush deserve its own blog post? A commitment to environmentalism and a unique subscription option that is affordable and good for your teeth! Not to mention unique packaging, materials and bent-body design.
Preserve
preserve. indeed.
Preserve launched in 1997 with this incredible toothbrush. They make the toothbrush, and then when you are done with it, you can send it back to them so a partner company can grind it up and turn it into plastic lumber for other plastic goods (picnic tables, park benches, the sorts). It is the epitome of recycling! Preserve toothbrushes are sold on drugstore, amazon, and even Whole Foods.
Deets.
Yep, it is made from 100% recycled, BPA-free, #5 plastic (for some incredibly interesting research on plastic, take a look at Dr. Giora Proskurowski‘s work. FASCINATING stuff) and the toothbrush bristles are made of new nylon (germaphobes, no need to worry).
Feminine body.
For an annual $15 subscription fee, Preserve will deliver a new Toothbrush every three months (just what the dentist orders!). It’s actually a great deal. For those who can’t wait, Recycline offers four American-made brushes in a bulk pack, complete with return-mail packs. Amazing, right? Happy Brushing your teeth! ESPECIALLY AFTER ALL THE EASTER CANDY FROM YESTERDAY! Have a great week!!
True story: This hippie dippie chick loves her nails painted. I know, SO not what you would expect, but I can’t help it! I just need my nails painted — red, magenta, burgundy, orange, whatever color it is, I LOVE it. One of my splurges and girlie habits. So, when I recently came across Tom Ford and his beauty collection, I went nuts. Not only are his beauty products to die for (a whole separate blog post coming), but his nail polish is unbelievable.
Seriously, unbelievable. I love the colors, the look, and its lasting effect. My usual lifespan for nail polish before the first chip is 24 hours. Even with a busy week of cooking (lentil balls — post on Friday), building (rocket ships for the little boy), and packing (spring break), one week later, my nails are practically chip-free!
16 colors to choose from. All sleek, chic, vibrant, and luscious!
So even though it has a hefty price tag ($30), it is worth it. Promise. It is a perfect pick-me-up present for yourself or a friend (what is better than getting a nail polish delivered to you on a bad day?).
Can I have ALL OF THESE please?
Sleek, black box. (Yes, we are in Florida on Spring Break).
I love jewelry — gold, silver, turquoise, diamonds, plastic, beads, whatever! And I particularly love special and memorable pieces that are symbolic and meaningful. So, to me, a locket necklace is the perfect piece of jewelry. Dainty, beautiful, with a little hidden secret photograph inside. LOVE.
I recently came across a collection of lockets from Monica Rich Kosann, and I was instantly sold. Each of them is so beautiful and unique, that it took me a while to settle on just one. They are all so incredibly special. The Monica Rich Kosann collection is designed to offer customers heirlooms for their generation. As she claims, “A woman can tell her story through her jewelry. Living with and celebrating the memories we create each day in our lives is universal to all of us.” And I fully agree .
Lockets and charms. All with a personal touch.
A locket truly captures a unique moment, and it is extra special that you can keep that moment close to your heart. Plus, little kids love opening up lockets to see what is inside. Well, at least my monkey does. Every night before bed time, he asks to see what is inside of the necklace. Melts my heart.
So many options to choose from!
My Valentine’s Day wish list is below, but first I wanted to take a second to congratulate my mother-in-law on receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at last night’s Femmy Awards, the annual gala thrown by The Underfashion Club. It was an amazing event at Cipriani 42. Mom left the crowd speechless, as she broke down crying thanking the industry and more importantly, the amazing team at Natori. What a night! Below are some pics…
The Saks Team! Ron Frasch (who presented the award), Deborah Walters, Mrs. Natori, Wendy Gottfried, and Elizabeth Yee from Natori.
Yes, that is guest host Carson Kressley from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy! Also in the picture: Francine Klein and Liz Hospodar from Bloomingdale’s (honored as Retailer of the Year), and Ken
The Natori Team! Ken, Serena Godwin, Jocelyn Hazen, Mrs. Natori, Yuki Okamoto, Elizabeth Yee, Kleo Makridakis, Grismar Bueno (sporting a fierce Josie Natori bracelet!), and Angie Coulter
Congrats again on an amazing achievement. Onto the post!!
Can you believe how time flies by? Thanksgiving came and went, Hannukah, Christmas, New Years, and now VALENTINE’S DAY? Wild, right? I feel like we just celebrated Turkey Day and now it is mid February! GULP. So, nothing better than a one-stop-shop for all the Ladies in your life on www.natori.com.
My top Valentine’s Day gifts are hot, sexy, and perfect to give yourself on behalf of your main squeeze? (Does that count as a gift?)
Nothing Plain Jane about this bra. Goodbye boring nude bra, hello sexy mama! This bra is a pick me up to make anyone feel sexy, supported, and seamless (who needs a therapist when you have this bra?) The modern floral lace covers the cups without darts and seams, shapes the neckline, and gives the body an updated retro look.
You work out so you can wear this solo, right?
HAWT.
up close.
I am the parent of a toy-obsessed son. Although an avid reader (for a 3 year old), he loves playing with things more than anything (like, say, eating food or going on a walk). Currently, these are his (and my) 5 top rated toddler toys!
Indoor tents seem to be all the rage for toddlers during the Winter months. It is a playground inside a home. Not that there is a slide or anything in the teepee, but it is a place to run and hide in, and an escape from the rest of the world. And the parents.
I think I am more in love with this teepee than Cruzzie is. It is beautiful, artistic, handmade (sold on etsy by a company called House in Habit), neutral, and oh-so-fun to hide in!
(2) Magna Tiles
Building blocks, creating puzzles, being creative… the sky is the limit with these magnetic tiles. Fun for kids and adults, too!
Until recently, my music listening set-up in our apartment was less than ideal. We have Sonos set up, but for whatever reason, we rarely use it, and when we do it is to listen to NPR. So like a college student, I basically only listened to music on my iPod and through computer speakers. But no longer, now that I have JAMBOX! Not fancy enough to have a built-in speaker system, but too old to not have speakers, I have found the perfect middle ground, with this tiny, amazing, innovative, and hip speaker system (thanks for the gift, brother and sister in law!)
Jambox comes in two different sizes; big and little. Both use the same wireless technology and have a deep, rich sound!
It is like a modern day ghetto-blaster! WHAT UP!
TEENY TINY!
Even the packaging is ultra-chic, modern, and fresh.
