We are each a beautiful, unique snowflakes, right? But we also have a lot in common.
I love this list (from brandyismagic) of five life experiences that everyone will encounter:
I’m feeling a need for a fresh color pick-me-up to mark the start of this sunny, new season. I’m thinking a coral-pink for lips and orange on my nails. What do you think? Are you craving new colors for summer?
Seen above: Clarins Crystal Lip Balm | Dior Addict Ultra Gloss | Chanel Glossimer | Yves Saint Laurent Sheer Candy | Essie Nail Polish in “Fear or Desire”
Despite the overcast weather today, summer has hit NYC. And summer mean unending festivals, markets, concerts, and events!
If you aren’t already signed up to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon or attend the giant The Great GoogaMooga festival in Prospect Park on Saturday, I suggest heading to Manhattan to support some small, artisan businesses at the Crafts in Chelsea Spring Festival. The event has been organized by Etsy {New York}, the local Etsy street team, and it will be held on 21st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, from 11am to 4pm.
“Focused on local, handmade goods, Etsy New York artists will offer high-quality, handmade wares to those who seek the unique and one of a kind. Makers will be on hand to show and sell distinctive jewelry, hand screened t-shirts, felt toys, spa products, letter-pressed cards and stationery, upcycled bags and many other cool accessories. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the creator or designer of the products they see, an experience not to be overlooked.”
And if you don’t get your festival fill on Saturday, you can always come to Park Slope on Sunday for the Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair.
Need a little whimsey and color in your office? Or maybe in a child’s room or nursery? Erin Loechner (of Design for Mankind) has a quick tutorial for how to create a neon dino garland over on the HGTV blog. If dinosaurs aren’t your thing, you could spray paint any type of plastic animal… neon sheep would be cute!
Do you run or own a vegan craft or food business?
The Seed, a special vegan edition of the Bust Magazine Craftacular event, is now accepting vendor applications. The event will be a “vegan expo celebrating compassion, creativity, and social and environmental consciousness.” It will take place June 16 & 17 at 82 Mercer in Soho, New York. Vendors must apply by May 14th.
For interested attendees, early bird tickets are available now for $15.
I wouldn’t necessarily think that a very specific, seasonal, gourmet food business would be a recipe for success in NYC, but People’s Pops proves me wrong.
The fresh, local popsicle company was started by three friends, Nathalie Jordie, Joel Horowitz, and David Carrell, in 2008. They launched their operation selling at the Brooklyn Flea and now sell seasonally at markets and venues all over the city and wholesale to New York Whole Foods stores. They also just opened their first year-round, brick and mortar location in Park Slope (which I visited on Saturday and tried a raspberry and basil pop) and they have a cook book coming out in June. They produce more than 10,000 popsicles a week using locally sourced fresh fruit and herbs.
What are their secrets for food biz success? Carrell shared these tips on Portfolio.com:
I might also add live in Brooklyn to that list. There is definitely an artisanal food explosion happening in our neighborhood. Are you tempted to get in on the trend?
This is an interesting video — it portrays the all-in lifestyle of entrepreneurism. And around the 3:30 mark it also shows one of the great downfalls of smart businesspeople — thinking you can do it all, and worse, that you should. He touts the idea of having one voice — he does the pitches, writes the copy, runs the business. That kind of thinking may be okay when you’re bootstrapping, and hell, being an entrepreneur at all requires some casual hubris, but once you’re up and running, it seems to me a pretty quick way to kill growth potential.
What do you think?
(Oh my!)
Part I — Part II:
Do this tomorrow. Especially if you haven’t already made Cinco de Derby plans. And maybe add a tequila mint julep.
I think I may have highlighted this when Jane Brody first stated her mission to rid herself of clutter, just because I really enjoy an uncluttered space — both for work and for life. Anyway, she’s well on her way now, but the project has also become much more interesting.
It’s no longer just a question of what stuff to get rid of, but what other detritus is cluttering up her (and all of our) live(s).
In [Barry Dennis'] view, a tchotchke can be almost anything that takes up space, both mental and physical, that might better be occupied by something else or nothing at all.
Now expand your definition of your life’s particular tchotchkes:
Mr. Dennis cites several “tchotchkes” I might never have thought of: electronic equipment that keeps us from living in the moment; people who are an emotional drain instead of a joy; piles of CDs and DVDs that are never watched or listened to; food that gets stuffed into an already satiated body; and unwanted or unloved gifts from people you nonetheless care about.
And from there, make a list of the stuff, physical and not, that you need to start trashing. Two of Dennis’ examples stand out as relevant to me: food and technology.
