Quintessence Is

Since October 2014, I’ve been working full-time as the Director of Content and Marketing for Parachute, a home essentials brand based in Venice Beach and founded by Ariel Kaye. Parachute is a direct-to-consumer business, and by simplifying the traditional retail process from start to finish, we’re able to deliver premium quality products without the higher price tag.

Beyond the dreamy bedding collections and accessible pricing, I was attracted to Parachute because it’s an eco-friendly and socially responsible company. I’ve never been interested in fast fashion or services that are not environmentally sustainable. So when I discovered that Parachute is made of 100% Egyptian long-staple cotton, manufactured in an Italian mill that’s been family-owned for 80 years, certified Oeko-Tex and packaged in reusable fabric pouches, I was impressed immediately.

Having worked as a writer and branding consultant for many years, I was separately inspired by the public’s growing interest in sleep and wellness. You spend a third of your life in bed, so your sleep experience matters! Working with Parachute has enabled me to research, create and publish content that both enhances your sleep experience and inspires your waking moments – stories that investigate various sleep trackers, educational pieces on choosing a pillow fill that’s best suited for individual sleeping habits, bedroom decorating advice from interior design experts and helpful tips on how to care for different bedding fabrics. It’s smart, it’s fun and it’s content I’d read myself – which makes all of this work extremely rewarding.

Land is a commercial and artistic design firm by Caleb Owen Everitt and Ryan Rhodes. Based in a brick warehouse shop in East Austin, Texas, these dudes are turning out some of the best and most interesting work I've been seeing lately. In the words of Stay Wild magazine, "their hands are the face of your favorite outdoor brand." And indeed they are. Their typography, art and miscellaneous branding for clients including Poler Stuff, Patagonia, Deus Ex Machina and the like have solidified the look and vibe of the outdoorsy revival. Below are some of my faves...

My good friend just left on a jet plane to Tokyo and I'll be living vicariously through her adventures. I've been wanting travel to Japan for ages – somebody get their Tourism Board on the horn! Inspired by her upcoming jaunt and a recent post on Jackie Magpie, here are a few Tokyo snaps from around the interwebs. Their appreciation for pastels is seriously next level...

Fake sushi.

Edible Hello Kitty.

Tokyo intersection.

Kawaii bridge.

Street style.

Tokyo Nakame lanterns.

Strawberry confections.

Kawaii ferris wheel.

I don't require much reminding to hit the road and discover this great big beautiful world. But I still appreciate the message behind this photo series, We Are Tiny, by Randy P. Martin.  

Shout out to Miss Moss for sharing the hidden gem that is Juanel de la Forêt's Instagram feed. A photographer from Cape Town currently working in Paris / London with her partner Jesse-Leigh Elford, de la Forêt takes eye catching snaps of her day to day life between traveling and shoots.

French photographer Florian Beaudenon's series Instant Life offers a peek into the homes and lives of different men, women and families, inviting viewers to survey their belongings and behaviors from a bird’s-eye view. Very cool.

Girls and Machines is a pretty great tumblr I stumbled upon recently.  Some of the images can be cheesy and/or chauvinistic, but they are all a revelation. As a sociologist and riding enthusiast, I've always been intrigued by the interplay between women and wheels – and by society's representations of the two. Photography throughout history has depicted girls and machines as empowering, fetishistic, sexist (and so forth) depending upon the advertising, propaganda and fashion at hand. Below are a few random favorites from the blog. Check how they differ in their portrayal of women! Wild.

Good Year Tires, 1964.

Mini Cabriolet, 1991.

Ford Mustang, 1969.

Lancia Gamma, 1976.

De Soto-Plymouth Coronado, 1954.

Chevrolet, 1966.

Amante, 1969.

Volvo P1900, 1956.

Peugeot 504, 1971.

Ferrari Studio, 1974.

Welcome, friends, to the Madonna Inn, the delightfully kooky and kitsch landmark hotel in San Luis Obispo, CA. No road trip up the coast would be complete without a stop at this legendary and conspicuous haunt.

Behind these double doors awaits an explosion of color.  No, seriously, stay back if you have an aversion to pink.

The inn was established in 1958 by Alex Madonna, a successful construction magnate and entrepreneur, and his wife Phyllis. Visitors passing through are welcome to take in the outrageously decorated steakhouse, bar and world famous bakery on site.

I really love the hashtag challenges that Design*Sponge has initiated via Instagram. The venerable blog selects a monthly theme, idea or challenge and collects entries via hashtag, the best of which are showcased on the Design*Sponge website. They've all been beautiful and really fun to partake in, but I think the recent #DSLettering challenge might be my favorite thus far.

In the words of Design*Sponge founder Grace Bonney, "There is absolutely an art and a real skill behind exquisite lettering, and this month’s challenge is about celebrating and showcasing that art everywhere you see it. So when you’re out and about, snap a picture of eye-catching lettering you see near you...signs, cards, details on packaging."

To celebrate my birthday this year, I explored Catalina Island for the first time. I snorkeled, swam, biked, boated, ate, drank and watched a full moon rise over the coast of California. Sigh, what a day...

Unbeknownst to me, Catalina Island is considered 'The Birthday Island' -- meaning free ferry ride, free ice cream, free coffee, free parasailing, and all sorts of other deals on activities, shopping, dining and lodging.