indulgence + discipline

it really does cost more to live la vida local. but after three+ weeks of focusing the bulk of my spending locally, I believe it is so worth it. I feel like I'm actually preparing and eating real food. this may sound silly, but it I am amazed at how I had become accustomed to tasteless crap and fake plastic food. I feel fantastic. and not only about my body, but that I've contributed to my community and supported people who are producing high quality healthy food. my shopping basket above is filled with free-range organic chicken, goat cheese, gouda, nicoise olives, lavender honey (not shown) and the best freakin' antipasti in all the world from my newest favorite local haunt, the bedford avenue butcher shop.

on the flip side, the great closet transformation of 2009 has really opened my eyes to how much money I spend on clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry, etc. etc. etc. so get this: I am hereby vowing to forgo purchasing these things for two months*. (baby steps, I know.) I have plenty. more than plenty. and I'm becoming aware that the process has become more about acquiring and having than a desire to dress stylishly. for the past five years, I have behaved like a greedy little magpie and I need to check it. I am prepared for symptoms of withdrawal and have asked ken to pull the anthro and j.crew catalogs from the mailbox to help me resist temptation. my friends, I am on fashion hiatus. now, off to sort more clothes...

*if, by chance, I run across the perfect green 3/4 sleeve bateau neck sweater and/or brown pointy-toed alligator pumps, I will purchase...these items are on my "always on the lookout" list and I know better than to pass them up if I find them.

oh, and teal mary-janes!

soul food

so yesterday, I escaped from my office at lunch. I try to get out most days, but usually it's with a coworker and we are just focused on food and talk. yesterday I ventured solo to meet our newest downtown friend, bittersweet.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here {wink}, but I love clothes. and handbags. and boots. and I love spending my time looking and touching and imagining them on my body. bittersweet has a mix of casual and funky that suits me perfectly.

I'm dreaming of bringing home these boots. I have a paisley dress that would make them so happy.

happy friday friends. go discover a local beauty.

la vida local, part deux

not that I needed another project.

she is one of my new babies. one of five heirloom tomato plants purchased for 75¢ each at the farm market who will make their summer home with the herbs on my south patio and hopefully keep my little family in luscious tomatoey goodness all season long.

have you read animal, vegetable, miracle? it has been sitting on my bookshelf for several months and I just picked it up last weekend. wow. I have read a lot of books about food and nutrition, but none have scared and saddened me (in a good way...to propel me to action) as much as this one. I've been pretty loyal to local farm markets, but the vast majority of produce purchases over the span of my grocery shopping life have occurred at the supermarket. half-way through the book, I know I need to change that.

we are lucky to have a city farm market open six days a week all year round, so I will be visiting more than saturdays (and it's crazy I haven't done this before...it's a short walk from my office and yet I was so stuck in habit that I arrived at 7am on the weekend instead!). we also purchased a share in our local farm co-op, which delivers the freshest, just-picked produce and eggs and meat from the surrounding mennonite farms to a drop-off point just down the street from my house once per week. I love this. I just wish they actually came in a horse and buggy.

and then there is this desire to grow some food myself. I've never journeyed into growing more than flowers and herbs. this little book (and the website) have me excited to see what I can do at home. with my trusty gardening assistant right by my side.

I was born and raised in california's great central valley, which supplies a good portion of the world's food. during my life, I witnessed the transition from family farm to this concept of agribusiness. I always thought it was a good thing...bigger farms=more food, right? I really had no idea how capitalism was screwing the food chain and our potential survival. read the book. you won't regret it.

are you supporting your local farms or do you grow it yourself?

la vida local

when we first moved to this little southern city nearly eight years ago, we fell in love with the green hills and blue skies. there were cute little cafes and other local restaurants so we swore off the olive gardens of the world for local cuisine. sadly, the shopping scene was not so abundant. in the past eight years though, new shops have opened that beg me to spend some of my money locally. I still do most of my clothes/shoes/handbags and interiors shopping out of town or online. but since I don't want things to go back to the dismal state they were in eight years ago here, I've been trying to spend more money locally.

neighborhood shops like folk (like a baby anthropologie), culina and the farm basket make it easy for me. there are also great garden shops and even a little local hardware store a few blocks away (we still have to go to lowe's for the big stuff). but I'm still pulled to target and old navy for cheap stuff and to nordstrom and anthropologie (both out of town) for the really, really good loot. still, I'm doing a good bit to support my homies. go here and find out just what this could mean for your own town. that's what I'm shooting for in june: 3/50.