Where to buy cool affordable art to start your collection. A home that is ETHEREAL. Airbnb commercials that won't leave my mind. Top tier things I should have on subscription & a soup.

FIVE

Welcome back and thank you for reading. I really appreciate the feedback and the few that have voiced their kind words! It feels good to know there are actual readers out there!

1.WHERE TO BUY COOL ART THAT IS ALSO AFFORDABLE

Art is expensive like very very expensive and for good reason, you are paying the artist for their time and craft and some pieces take weeks/months/years to create. Yet, there is still a way to start your collection reasonably and work your way up. I will include a few amazing websites below but let’s start with flea markets!! A charming irishman sold me a piece at the Santa Monica flea market recently for a great price. It’s a huge piece and would have been at least a $200+ if you saw it hanging at CB2 etc. Flea market pieces are so unique because they usually come with a great story. There are so many talented artist and thrifters at these fleas so that is a good place to start.

If you don’t live by any great flea markets, there is always Etsy which is superb. I will probably do a whole newsletter just on Etsy shops/finds because I go far down the Etsy black hole and have lots to share!

Here is an example from Etsy below, it is a vintage piece but it is an original, signed and dated by the artist and a very good price at $68.

This below is also an original piece and $32. Art is obviously very much a personal preference so I highly recommend searching original artwork on Etsy and see what you fancy.

Ukrainian artist below, love these colors:

Something for our beige girls too:

Or you can start with prints- hence the cat lady piece below, this is a digital download but they come super high res, so it does really look good blown up and framed. I do prefer original art but I think these can look very nice as well. Prints are fun!

This above is also a print, prints are also much more affordable and a good place to start. I prefer to get them pre-framed if possible. I am very into vintage art exhibit posters as well (1, 2, 3):

This would also be darling for a kids room:

I’m also very into this:

Now for some amazing websites to find art- from both established and up and coming artist: Partnerships editions (aims to make remarkable art accessible to all- they also have events and exhibitions), Spacey Studios (mission is to empower everyone to be a world class collector- museum quality!), 1st Dibs (great for furniture too), MoMA. Another great place is your local art school! Catch the artist before they make it big time and score some amazing pieces- Minneapolis has a great art sale at MCAD every year. Also support your artist friends! Buy their art! Commission a piece as a gift.

2.The Hourré House

I really can’t believe some people live their day to day lives in homes like this. Imagine reading a book here?? Taking a bath? Cooking? Swimming? Located in Labastide Villefranche, on the outskirts of the french Basque country- it brings the outside inside and is a beautiful sustainable work of art. Words can’t really suffice so take a look at the images below.

“Manifesto for a living house. In many ways, Hourré epitomises our approach to space, landscape, ways of living, and sense of freedom. Moreover, it stresses the priority that we give to what is already there, what is free, and what is yet to come. Also, unlike a lot of ”one-trick poney” buildings that we see, it's a project that is generous with ideas!” See more here

Anyways, yeah. Wow. See more here.

3.AIRBNB COMMERCIALS

I have been thinking about these two commercials by Airbnb since they came out. Brilliantly done. The first commercial below was shot by the photographer Dani Pujalte and it’s actually his grandparents. Superb.

4.AMAZON THINGS I SHOULD HAVE ON SUBSCRIPTION

I know Amazon sucks but unfortunately I do still buy things from there because it’s too easy and fast EXCEPT for books, I always try to buy from a local bookstore. Here are things that I truly use all the time and repurchase again and again.

• Dirty labs laundry detergent- smells like magnolia, bergamot and cedar. You will SNIFF your towels. It’s also a clean product.

• Rollbahn notebooks- they are the best notebooks. I use them for journaling, to do lists, doodling etc etc.

• Muji pens- I didn’t know how smooth and controlled my handwriting could be before using this pen.

• Authentic beauty concept shampoo- my hairdresser at Andy Lecompte salon in West Hollywood recommended this shampoo and my color and shine has LASTED.

• Glass cups with a top + straws- these are very fun to sip an iced matcha out of.

• Amber book reading light- I read with this light and it makes me feel warm and sleepy.

• Milk frother- this changed my matcha life. It makes the creamiest foamiest oat milk (you can put any kind of milk in it) to add to your tea/matcha/coffee.

• Ninja blender- I swear by this thing. It is so powerful so it can still give you those super thick and creamy smoothies.

• Vegetable peeler- when I say this peels your vegetables in seconds, it is the only one I will use.

• Stain remover- I spill everything and this gets ANYTHING out, it’s bizarre.

• Exfoliating mitt- your skin will thank you- the SOFTEST of your life.

• Ice roller- after a night of too much wine or really any morning to wake yourself up. It’s Wim Hof for your face.

5.A REALLY GOOD SOUP

I have a lot of food allergies and basically cook 95% of my meals. I really do feel better when I eat my own food so that is part of it but it can get verrrrrrry tiring to constantly be cooking. So soups that I can freeze and big salads for the work week are my jam. I want to cook a lot more new recipes this year.

This soup surprised me, it is DELICIOUS. I ended up putting it in the blender for more of a creamy tomato soup vibe and WOW WOW WOW. It was even better, I always paired it with some avocado toast and sometimes ate it served on top of rice. DELICIOUS. It is THOUP season. You do need an instant pot for this recipe but you could also make it on the stovetop. I loooove my instant pot.

Vegan Instant Pot White Bean Soup

Also, I make this salad below all the time and I feel like it’s a good reset for my body when I feel like I haven’t been taking care of it. This salad always makes me feel good and helps to heal my gut. It’s also really simple and fast to make! I bring it to work.

• Mix of arugula, spinach and lettuce (I like shredded lettuce)

• Cranberries

• White Northern beans

• Cucumbers

• Green Onions

• Radishes

• Celery

• Avocado

Dressing is just olive oil, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey and salt.

Some favorite food follows: Carolina Gelen, Justine Doiron and Calum Harris.

Thank you so much for reading and see you next time!