Happy Friday! I Love my “Friday Favorites” column and have received a lot of feedback saying that you do, too! However, since the free time I have to focus on my blog has become more limited, I have found that having to find things I am loving in various categories can sometimes hinder me from being able to share the rest of my favorites with you. As a result, I thought, why not shift the focus to a broader “Friday Five” highlighting the five things that are on my mind that week? So, here we are, with the first installment in this new iteration of the column! Before I dive in, I just want to thank you all for your readership. I started this blog in July 2007 and for the first twelve years, I managed to write new posts five days a week. That’s a lot of content! As my design firm has grown and I’ve added new projects into the fold such as our store, product design, my book, etc. time has become more scarce and hasn’t left the opportunity to keep up with my blog as much as I would like to. I post on Instagram everyday since that is a much faster way to share content and it seems to be where people spend more time nowadays. Before I dive into my “Friday Five”, I’d love to hear from you about the kind of content you still crave on La Dolce Vita as well as whether you prefer to engage with your favorite designers and bloggers on Instagram or on blogs. Thanks in advance!
ONE: I love Leon Bridges and recently heard his new song “Texas Sun” which is a collaboration with Houston-based group, Khruangbin while driving to San Antonio a few Weeks Ago. Much like most of Leon’s music, it feels both classic, yet completely fresh. It’s an easy, feel good song that I can’t get enough of!
TWO: Like most of the world, I am deeply saddened by the passing of Kobe Bryant and his 13 year old daughter Gianna along with seven other souls who perished in the tragic helicopter accident in Los Angeles on Sunday. I have been so moved by the whole thing which is interesting considering I didn’t follow Kobe’s career very closely. However, one can’t help but be impacted when someone whose life (or in this case lives!) was so full of promise is cut short. Kobe was an extraordinarily gifted athlete, but more importantly, he seemed like an incredible athlete and person who chose to use his platform to empower others. I feel terribly for all of the families and loved ones left behind by all of the victims. I don’t know about you, but this situation has made me more mindful of my words, my interactions with others, and just how precious life is. Life is short and it is up to us to make every moment count.
THREE: I’ve mentioned before that I get anxious when I experience turbulence on a flight. My heart beats really quickly, my palms get sweaty, and my mind starts racing. Wearing my noise cancelling Bose headphones has helped tremendously. I’ll usually just turn up the music when the flight get bumpy. In the past, I haven’t had a lot of time to get into podcasts, but lately, I have been saving them for flights and it has become one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I love to learn, so I tend to enjoy design industry or business focused podcasts the most. My two current favorites are the Business of Home podcast hosted by the wonderfully insightful Dennis Scully and Second Life hosted by Hillary Kerr, founder of Who What Wear which focuses on successful business people who left their first career to pursue their passion in their second career– something to which I can certainly relate!
FOUR: After indulging over the holidays, I wanted to do a bit of a detox in the New Year. I had some business travel earlier in the month, so about two weeks ago, I got more serious about eating better and cutting out some bad habits. I decided to try Sakara’s 10 Day Reset and loved it. I followed the program pretty closely, but I did have protein at dinnertime most evenings since I didn’t want to make two different meals for Fabian and I. I also drank coffee everyday even though you’re supposed to cut out caffeine and I had wine a few of the nights. I know myself and didn’t want to be unrealistic about what I could give up. I need coffee in order to get going in the mornings and sometimes, I just need a glass of wine after a long day at work! That being said, I did not have dairy, sugar, or anything very processed. Even with my “cheating”, I have felt amazing, I’ve been sleeping better than I have in a long time, my stomach is flatter, and I have lost 4 pounds since I started last Monday. The 10 Day plan is over now, but I plan to continue taking the Probiotic, the Detox Drops (I’m obsessed! These pure chlorophyll drops actually taste amazing and have so many benefits.), the Sakara Life powder mixed in smoothies as a meal replacement (This powder is so good! My go-to smoothie has been frozen strawberries, frozen mangoes, fresh blueberries, fresh raspberries, almond milk, a ton of fresh baby spinach, and the powder.); and the Detox tea. I’d also love to try their meal delivery system sometime, but wish they offered a breakfast/lunch combo only in Houston, but their current plan is for 3 meals which wouldn’t work for me. If you aren’t ready to commit to the 10 Day Cleanse, you can try their Discovery Kit with a lot of these same items.
FIVE: I haven’t shopped for myself in a while, but I have added a few things, several of which are on sale to my wish list. Here’s what I am currently coveting: Blaze Milano Blazer, Lizzie Fortunato Necklace, Valentino Leather Medallion Slingbacks, Alexis “Tereasa” Dress, Sparrows Weave Wicker and Leather Bag
