Ria Ray

I love the look of these uplifting products, lip balm and "mantra ties," from artist and healer Ria Ray.

How can a soap claim to not only clean your hands, but "freshen your conscience and inspire your soul?" Because it is created using the glycerin that is left over from the bio fuel (which powers cars) that's made from the waste grease from the kitchens of Los Angeles restaurants. When further soap is then used in the bathrooms of those restaurants where it originated, it creates a "perfect, sustainable circle."

When human ingenuity is applied in a mindful way to everyday solutions, I get a glimpse into a future that feels so good. It looks and smells good too.

Happy Earth Day

Earth Day was yesterday, I know. In 1970 it was visionary to designate one day of the year but, honestly, in 2009 who would dispute that every day is Earth Day? Not my friend Cynthia Brennan. Last weekend was the opening of her new market, Table, in Bedford Hills, NY.

As a mom, designer, artist and entrepreneur, Cynthia is one of the most talented (and busiest) people I know. I remember when she discovered the food market 2 doors down from her sustainable design shop was closing. She became passionate about the idea of opening a year-round, indoor farmers market to sell organic and/or local, artisanal quality food. It has been a long, uncertain trip up a very steep learning curve, but the result is a wonderful gift to our community.

Cynthia's husband Patrick, an architect, completed the build-out of the space using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification practices, and every interior detail has been thoughtfully and artfully designed by her. The newspaper flowers and glass globe sculpture in the photos demonstrate Cynthia's signature style!

Maybe I should mention that the food is de.li.cious. Executive chef Jonathan Pratt and his team use the seasonal ingredients currently in their inventory to prepared foods for eat in or take out. I cannot recommend Table highly enough for anyone living in the area.

Table was featured today on Martha Stewart's blog.
The photo of the Israeli couscous beet salad is from Martha's post. I have had it several times already and it is amazing.

Cynthia is enabling conscious food choices and for that I say congratulations and thanks!

it's what's inside that smells so good

LIGHT comes from within (spirit), PEACE comes from within (mind), BEAUTY comes from within (soul), JOY comes from within (emotion), LOVE comes from within (heart)

I stopped in my tracks when I saw these perfumes at Anthropologie and stood there, smelling each one, touching the well designed packaging, and savoring that feeling of discovering something that resonates as brilliant and inspired. Hoping to love the smell of LIGHT most of all, I could not deny the beautiful fragrance of LOVE and PEACE, and so, undecided, I did not make a purchase.

I was still thinking about it after getting home, so I looked on line and became more smitten when I read about Sarah Horowitz-Thran who created the perfumes and says "Finding the perfect fragrance for you can bring you into the moment and remind you of who you are."

What an idea. And what if somebody had bottled and was selling the present moment, you could spray yourself and stay awake and grounded in your true self, giving you access to the potential that surrounds you in each moment? How much would you be willing to pay?

The irony is that it is free and available to us 24/7 if we choose it. But, while we're working on that, a brilliantly named beautiful scent couldn't hurt.