Pulling Against Gravity

Is it difficult for you to slow down this time of year? It is for me. And I loathe it. Partially, my disposition is truly sensitive to the hustle and bustle around me. It is easy to get caught in the spin, looking for a way out, to stop and breathe, rest in the grace and precious gift that this approaching season is truly about--yet, I find myself here far too often. Spinning, spinning, spinning.

And instead of just dealing with it, and accepting that in a month or so I'll get to breathe and stand firmly on two feet, I need to make myself stop. A pulling against gravity has to happen to get me there, and make me slow down. Do you ever feel that way? 

I found myself this past Saturday afternoon, thinking I could pile on a mile high to-do list, and that after the to-dos were checked off that Matt and I would meet up for a night of Christmas decorations, finding the perfect tree, hanging twinkle lights across our front window, and snuggling up for some eggnog and a movie. But my piling on, that list I made that was only of my doing and of my high expectations, burnt me out. Come 9 o'clock I was exhausted, and nearly in tears as I had no drop of energy left for decorating. My heart was broken. Broken all because of my doing, and my inability to slow down. I look back now and ask myself why I had to get those things done. Why were they so important--and to the extent of burning me out enough to have nothing left for my favorite thing of all time--decorating for Christmas? Not in the slightest.

Tomorrow we head out to Kansas for Thanksgiving. Matt's entire side of our family will be together in one place. And for me, right now, this is a gift. A reason for me to slow down, a pulling against gravity that will pick me up out of my busy little Denver sphere and plop me in a town with expanse fields, corn stalks for miles, homemade pies, and family. I want to have a season, or a life really for that matter, where I can slow down and easily get out of the spin. I don't want my own anxiety or need to accomplish things get in the way of new memory making, traditions culminating, and the simplest things I find so much joy in. Wouldn't that be the best gift? A box of encouragement wrapped up with string and parchment paper, that would overflow patience, a slowing down, a heightened sense of joy for the little things, and a buffer that would warn you if you were getting pulled in, starting to spin, away from the way you are supposed to live?

I want that for Christmas. And I'm pretty sure we can figure out a way to give it (without string and parchment paper).

8 Ways You Can Give To A Women's Homeless Shelter

Thanksgiving is three days away, which means its that time where we feel even more compelled to give thanks and give back. And although I feel we should embody this compulsion as a way of life, not just around the holidays, sometimes it is hard to get there (or know where to give, and how), and embrace the art of unconditional giving. So, over the next few weeks there may be a few more posts with ways that I hope inspire giving back--and not just now, but year round. 8 Ways To Give To A Women's Homeless Shelter was an article I wrote for Thoughts By Natalie last month. You can read the original piece--over here ; or read it in full below. To find a women's shelter in your community, you can simply search by starting here.

Over and over, I am reminded of this reality: Our world is fleeting. Unlike me, there are woman who lack the privilege to choose from a closet full of clothes when deciding what to wear. They do not have a full pantry, where come breakfast, are faced with the choice between oatmeal or peanut butter toast. There are women who do not get to choose between hitting snooze or waking up early to go on a run. You see, there are woman (women just like you, and just like me, with personalities, passions, and working hearts and minds) who wear one outfit each day with hopes that maybe, just maybe, they'll get to wash it in a shelter sink that night. There are women, who are given breakfast bags and food despite whether they like it or not. And women who, upon waking up when the sun rises or when the temperature's too unbearable for sleep, do not get to stay in the warm comforts of a bed because bus routes don't care about snooze buttons, and signing up for shelters means early rising. It's these realities, those of the women I have gotten to know and care for while spending nights at a women's shelter—I'm reminded over and over that my comforts are not for keeps.

Many people ask how they can help, or what they can do to make a difference in the lives of homeless women. Not everyone can give up a night or two each week to stay awake while women sleep and find safe sanctuary in a night shelter. And not everyone feels comfortable giving to the individual standing on a street corner asking for help. But before you decide where you fit, and how you are willing to give, remind yourself of this: Your comforts are not for keeps, just as their comforts were stripped. Not everyone who is homeless chose to be that way. And if you can't give anything at all, remember that simply saying "I hope you find a warm place to sleep tonight," can speak volumes to the person who receives them. Because, really, what I've come to know in my time staying with woman at a shelter in Denver each week, is that the biggest things you can give is acknowledgment and words that make that individual feel seen, and even more—valued. In a world where homelessness often becomes invisible to those who are not around it, or choose not to see it, simple words can be the biggest way to give.

A practical way you can give, helping women feel cared for as if they were guests in a dear friends home, is by donating a few things to your local shelter. Women at the shelter often ask for the simplest of things; mostly items that we take for granted or bundle up as our very own comforts.

ONE: Gently Loved Blankets

Think of your coziest spot. It typically involves a blanket. Shelter's are often strapped for blankets that aren't from the "reject" pile, which means many of the women sleep with itchy fabrics or throws that are too small for warmth. The next time you do some cleaning out, and find some cozy blankets in your giveaway pile, perhaps drop it off at a local shelter.

TWO: Brown Paper Bags, or preassembled Breakfast Sacks

Not all shelters provide breakfast bags for the women before sending them off to greet the day. But should they, brown paper bags and ziploc baggies tend to run out of quickly. Donating these goodies can help keep breakfast bags assembled. You may want to check with a local shelter to see if they are in need of preassembled breakfast sacks. Especially if you're a foodie or love to bake, what a great way to give back by baking muffins, cooking hardboiled eggs, and placing fresh fruit all together for the women to enjoy.

THREE: Face Wash

After a long day, how refreshing a clean face feels! Donate travel size, or full size, face wash for the shelter to offer to the women. As many shelter's do not have showers, a sink to wash one's face is a simple luxury.

FOUR: Magazines

I brought magazines into my shelter the other day and the women LOVED it. They told me that the magazines, and books, that are donated get brought to other shelters and rotated around, making reading while laying on their cots before sleep a bit more like home.

FIVE: Soap

This is a daily necessity, and often shelter's run out of a simple thing like soap. Any toiletries are always a great thing to donate, and shelter's are always so thankful for having extras on hand for the women that stay each night.

SIX: Wet Wipes

Travel wet wipes that the women can carry in their bags to and from shelters and around the city are a small comfort that makes a big difference. How great it feels to be able to sleep with clean feet, or use the wipes when a shower isn't readily available.

SEVEN: Socks

Every weekend I have women asking me if we have more socks. And more often than not, we don't. The next time you're at Costco or Ross, pick up a bargain package that is filled with socks that you could give to your local shelter. Warms feet during cold winter days outside can make all the difference. How simple socks are, yet how high the demand is for them at the shelters.

EIGHT: Coffee

When the lights go on at 6 o'clock at the shelter I volunteer at, coffee is surely what gets the women going. Yet, we run out quickly. Typically, it is the hosting church or building that spends their budget on things like coffee beans, cups, creamer, and sugar packets. Donating bulk sized ground coffee may keep that coffee available for the entire month. Think of how much you enjoy your cup of jo--so do the women at the shelter! For those women who set off to go to job interviews, meet with case managers, and walk the cold city streets this fall and winter, that cup of warm brewed coffee can really start the day off great.

Fishtail Braids, Coats, and Slavery Footprints

Hurray, it's the weekend! I'm looking forward to a movie night out with Matt, coffee with Anne, and hand-painting our Christmas cards. Not to mention bringing down the Christmas decor from the rafters  before we drive out to Kansas this week (and I will most likely be listening to this and smelling this while decorating). What about you, what are you up to?

And now for some interweb links:

I can't stop thinking about this coat after trying it on at the Anthropologie fashion show. Or this one.

In celebration of the Hunger Games second movie hitting theatres, how about The Hipster Games trailer?

A handy article on how to clean and care for your boots. I'm living in mine this week, how about you?

Have you ever calculated your slavery footprint. You may be shocked as I was.

Have you signed up for the latest about Nellie Magazine's launch? (You can find out more from Natalie!)

My saving grace for dry winter skin.

Let's make these for decor. And this for dirty clothes management too.

And in case you were absent the day/year that every girl learned how to make a fishtail braid (like I apparently was), teach yourself with the help of Libby of A Lover's Anthology.

Windy Thoughts

A little thought for your Thursday. How has the wind carried you, lately?

WEAR | Peruvian Scarf

Dress // Thrifted   Earrings // Anthropologie Sale  

 Scarf // Hand-made in Peru   Knee Socks // H&M   Boots // Steve Madden

My Peruvian scarf is the comfort blanket of scarves. Made of alpaca, and purchased on our travels in the Sacred Valley last year, it has become my go-to scarf. Even being as bright red as it is, I find it works with nearly everything. Every girl needs a scarf in their wardrobe that when they close their eyes, it feels like that are wrapped up in a warm blanket in the sanctuary of their bed. That and knee high socks. Boots and knee highs are like PB & J. You can't have one without the other.

Roll Top Back Packs

Lately, we've been spending most weekend days outdoors. Even on early work days I find myself hurrying to City Park or Central Park to snatch up those last moments of light before the sun sneaks away for its slumber. I suppose now, my Colorado intuition is starting to set in and I know that warm sunny days are necessary to catch and enjoy before the winter arrives; besides, let's be honest, the California in me needs all that it can for good measure. (Although, even a winter day in Denver can be bright and cheery--more sunny days than San Diego they say!) We recently hiked over at Red Rocks, and all the while after our half day of hiking, I couldn't help but want to sew a hiking backpack. I do love the convenience of REI, but now that I have a large workspace, and almost functioning sewing machine, and a few skills to call my own, I really want to make a day pack (that could also double as my pack for summer biking, trips to new cities, overnights, etc etc.). These are a few of my backpack inspirations, sticking to mainly roll-top styles as what I could see myself making:

1 //  2 //  3 //  4 //  5 //  6  

7 //  8 //  9 //  10 //  11 //  12

Also, how simple and darling is this leather pouch DIY (Hobby Lobby has some great leather options) and this rope tote (doesn't this remind you of the Project Runway unconventional challenge?). And just in case you want a roll top backpack, but have no desire to sew your own, Barnacle Bags has a great Etsy shop that I have loved browsing for inspiration.

Rooftop Blues Party | Photography

When my friend Aubrey asked me to photograph her and Matt for their Christmas card this year, I was one so flattered, and two thrilled. You see, if I'm completely real, I wish that photographing people was my job (that, or any work that captures the beauty of life). I love capturing moments in such a tangible form as photographs. And for my first official request to play photographer, it was perfect because Aubrey is super dynamic and pretty much a dream to photograph with her joyful personality overflowing on film. And her and Matt's love for each other is as clear as day. She wanted a downtown setting, since their lives are completely centered around it, so when Aubrey planned a rooftop birthday celebration at Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art, it was pretty obvious where these photographs needed to be taken - on the rooftop. This is just a little sneak peek. You can see why I loved photographing these two. They're adorable and the setting (that wood!) was just to die for. 

(all photographs taken by Lauren Tien)

The Rich, The Poor, & The Great Outdoors.

Working in the heart of downtown, its hard not to miss the socio-economic differences that stand out so starkly. One moment you are walking in Larimer square, ladies' at valet parking donned in fur coats, expensive lofts, and restaurants with reservations booked for months; and a few blocks down the way a man walks by hoping to find sanctuary in a warm shelter bed that night, no shower for days, and only a few bucks in his pocket which may be just enough for a warm meal. Every city has it,  this high and low, the well off and the less fortuned, only blocks apart. I find myself in the middle, seeing and knowing both, and living my life amongst the two. What I find is that apart from it all there is the outdoors, the wide expanse, the places free of reservations, free of dress codes, and open to all. I love these places, so wide and open and free (in more ways than one). And more than just a love for the great outdoors, I love that there are no opposites here, that there are no huge gaps where one has more than the other when walking through a field of wildflowers, or up a snowy pass, or near a bustling creek. Everyone has the same amount, when it comes to the great outdoors. Like it's supposed to be this way. And when everything that creates the highs and lows, rich and poor, fortunate and not--when that is all stripped away; creation is still left standing, ready to be explored, and it doesn't matter if you are donning a fur coat or only a few bucks in your pocket--everyone an have the same amount, the same sunshine, the same cricket noises, and the same wind whirling by.

Saw Horse Desk | Part One of Two

This post is more show than tell, more camera savvy than instruction savvy, and more spacious than cramped. And I promise, dimensions, materials needed, and the play by play for this spacious beauty of a desk to be written about soon (just in case you want to spend a weekend busting this one out, like we did). For now, I'm just going to post this quick so I can look at the photos again and feel so proud that we made it.

Home and Dutch Apple Pie

I used to be that girl, at eight year old slumber parties, who would miss her mom and want to go home in the middle of the night. Miss home and want to skip out on feeling uncomfortable in an unknown place. Sometimes I would get to go home. My mom, or dad, would drive and pick me up. And I felt safe. But eventually, I had to stay the night. I grew up, and eventually slumber parties were no big thing when it came to being away from home.

And I'm learning that for the past four years, having moved every year, that I have had a difficult time feeling like I'm home. Sometimes I've felt like I want to cry, or maybe I do, because I want to feel like I'm truly home. 

There is something about the home you grow up in, or spend most of your years in, or perhaps more the comfort of a mom or a dad, that sometimes lingers longer into adulthood than we like. And we have to grow up, and eventually have our new homes become no big thing, because, well, they are home now.

But I ache sometimes. And as embarrassing as it is to say it, its been a journey to not feel homesick. Even now, as much as I love Colorado, I get that feeling every so often that I want to call, get picked up, and go home. But then tonight, as I walked into the kitchen, with all of the lights off in our house, Matt asleep on the couch, the dim stove light on, and opened the refrigerator door for my second piece of dutch apple pie (hey, it's my birthday), this overwhelming feeling of home gently hit me as I sliced into the crumbly pie topping and slipped it onto a clean white plate. It all felt familiar. Like what the home I always miss feels like. And I felt safe. 

I know that sometimes I might be homesick for my old home--yet I feel that tonight I was given a gift. A moment where I felt overwhelmingly thankful for the home that we have here, and what that finally feels like after so many years of moving from town to town. What a perfect gift to receive on my birthday.

WEAR | High Waisted Florals & Birthdays

Blouse // Urban Outfitters (old)    High Waisted Skirt // Rustic Thread, Denver

Boots // Steve Madden (last Fall)   Leather Messenger Bag // T-Nobile Leather Shop, Rome

All through my college years, once November 7th came, it meant birthday celebrations began. My  friend Serena's birthday is November 7th, just three days before mine, and we always managed to have a combined birthday party. One year it was a fondu party, another a riveting night of Bunko, and somehow one year we managed to have candy filled piñatas while our friends, blind folded, batted away. Serena and I live states apart now, so no more combined parties, but I still think of November 7th as the start to birthday celebrations--and the mark of savouring another year older in some celebratory fashion. So how will my 28th year commence? (Well, almost commence, as I realize my actually age does not change until Sunday...) With Iron and Wine! Playing here! In Denver! I cannot wait to hear one of my favorites with my favorite (Matt, in case you didn't know). I have been looking forward to it for MONTHS. In other birthday weekend news, we are having a pre-Thanksgiving day feast on Saturday with our cousins and hopefully I'll have some down time to enjoy the new desk before Monday comes ;) I'm pretty sure a birthday breakfast might happen, since breakfasts are another favorite of mine. But in the meantime, since I may be off adventuring this weekend, enjoying pumpkin pie, spending time with Matt & co., and being a new age and all--I'm saying happy weekend early! And if I had to pick my birthday outfit, this one would be it. Although, you might find me in comfy fleece on my birthday this year...

From Pinterest to Home Depot, In Sickness or Health

It is literally in sickness or health when I get overly stuck and determined to complete a project. This time, in sickness, I stayed committed to the saw-horse desk. The turn around time from point of conception (i.e. ogling over all the saw-horse desks on Pinterest) to point of a desk sitting fully built and in our spare room...I'd say about a week. Which is pretty fast considering all that has been going on in our work lives, and weekend lives (and all while being under the weather). Literally, after our three hour hike on Saturday, as if that wasn't exhausting enough at this altitude and with a chest strong dog pulling the ENTIRE way, we decided that we were going to build (or more truthfully, I begged Matt and said it would be the BEST early birthday present ever if we could make this desk as soon as humanly possible). And off to Home Depot we went. List in hand, and forever later  (because we had the Home Depot lady cut the table top and I swear the people in front of us had an entire house pre-cut for them), we returned home that night with all the suplpies we needed. That was Saturday.

Sunday afternoon came, and the saw came out, and the garage turned into a painters lair. And oh how thankful I am for music to pass the time, because with sanding, painting, and reapplying, Lord knows you need it. With Matt on the saw, myself on the sanding and painting, the legs, table top, and everything was prepped and painted for assembly on Monday. This part took a few hours. Pictures and steps to come (Remember, I did this project despite being ill, and probably overdid it with everything else going on --such is life sometimes, right?-- so the photos and steps aren't nearly ready for sharing).

So then Monday came, and with this viral party that is going on in my throat and head  finally taking over and a three hour doctor's appointment (thank goodness I brought Cold Tangerines to get me through the waiting!), the desk was assembled and clutter ensued,  but that is about it. This post is a bit of a teaser with a few photos of things from table top view, I know, with the reality that things might get moved around and restyled once I'm back up and running at full blogging speed--the name of the game, right?

But Lord have mercy, I am sitting here right now, at the desk, and the space this thing has! I have so much room! My computer takes up all but one tenth of the entire surface. I just cannot wait to show you! Soon, my friends, soon!

DIYs Pictured:

Wire Chairs Redo // Chartreuse Pencil Holder 

  Succulents & Painted Jars // Clothing Hanger Art Display