It is always such a pleasure to collaborate with Rylee Hitchner and Joy Thigpen, two of my very favorite ladies. For the latest little project–notebooks for workshop attendees– we did a variation on what we've done in the past, this time a black notebook with striking gold decals. Joy has a few workshops lined up for this summer and fall. I hope to enroll myself one of these days. Thank you, you two!
{Photo courtesy of Rylee Hitchner Photography}
It was such an honor to be commissioned to create this tattoo for Karl. I'd worked with Karl and Gina of Kymera Studio on this branding campaign for Cantadora Communications. I love the work they create. Here's the story from Gina:
In celebration of our 10th anniversary, my husband Karl decided to get a tattoo to commemorate the occasion. He decided on his beloved name for me, gina bella. Even though our love began 10 years ago, it has never been stronger. We absolutely love spending every moment together, which is good since we also work together! Our life is a wonderful adventure, and we look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries together - maybe we'll mark each decade with another tattoo!
Thank you to tattoo artist Gemma Pariente at Full Circle Tattoo in San Diego, and to Gina for the photos.
This weekend we had a pretty glorious visit to Umbria, my first. The very impossible thing about this country is just when you think you've discovered the most beautiful place, you suddenly find another. Such was the case with Orvieto, Todi and Montepulciano. We were invited to a memorable lunch at Fattoria San Martino where Karin and Antonio have created a paradise on earth. Karin lead a tour through her garden picking wild herbs (which we sadly missed) that she then used in an lunch that highlighted each delicate flavor. Karin is a designer and artist originally from Copenhagen and her impeccable eye for beauty shines through in everything she touches, from the food to the farmhouse decor. A lot of ink has been spilled on their collective gifts. If you have the chance to pay them a visit for an overnight stay or meal, you will never forget the experience. I promise. What became clear from this weekend, after a revelatory meal at Antica Hosteria de la Valle in Todi, where the chef is from Scotland, is that the mix of a northern European precision and creativity infused with Italian spontaneity and informality is, for me, a perfect combination that I now actively seek out. So: if you know about any northern European doing awesome things in Italy, please email me. I definitely want to meet them. Many thanks to Karin, Antonio, Helene and all at the Fattoria. We're already planning our return visit.
Yesterday was a glorious, unforgettable afternoon. I went a bit overboard at the specialty Asian market, made a rainbow summer roll feast, and invited friends over for snacks and calligraphy. Simone and 7 year-old Polly were in from Paris, Helene and Oscar came up from Montepulciano, Melissa traveled from Arizon, Stacey from Cape Cod, Julie from Canada and Betty and 2 year-old Alma from around the corner. We frolicked in the sun, picked flowers in the courtyard, Betty gave the girls neon pink tattoos and we spent a leisurely few hours with ink, pens, flowers, strawberries and lots of chatting.
Adding to items 1 - 10, here is the next installment of my favorite Florence spots, 11 - 20.
11. A Piedi Nudi Nel Parco is a clothing shop featuring Florence designers where everything costs four digits. If I had a bottomless bank account, this is where I'd shop.
12. Perche No gelato is in the top five. Their coffee crunch and mint are to die for.
13. Puimelli gloves has adorable designs, and end of season sales
14. Fabriano Boutique sells a favorite gift: a rainbow set with a different type of paper in every notebook.
15. Mario Volpino beyond the rhinestones are some simple suede heels and flats in bright, unusual hues not found elsewhere.
15. Eleanora shoes has a nice selection of earth tone shoes in silver, gold, gray, brown and black. On Porta Rossa, right next door to Napapijri.
And as for things money can't buy:
17. San Martino Oratory is a heartbreaking church that has historically served the poor. Inside are frescos depicting the work of the benevolent procuratori: paying for a funeral, settling a prisoners debts; giving out clothing and food. There are two donation boxes, one on the left where people can request anonymous financial assistance and another on the right where you can donate.
18. The safe in the Napapijri shop is one of three confusing experiences where you go into a very modern clothing shop to seek out beautiful secret treasures. Head in, up the stairs and towards the back where you will find a stunning 15th century safe built in to the wall.
19. In the men's clothing store Cornlinai you'll find a gorgeous little 14th-century fresco chapel to the Madonna (pictured above). Head to the right and by the dressing room.
20. Next door at Murphy & Nye you'll come upon a full wall of the remnants of a scene depicting wool production.
I'm having a bit of a panic attack thinking about our departure from Florence in three months. I imagine the scene of me kicking and screaming as I'm dragged away in a tangle of ribbons, pasta and gelato spoons. This will be painful.
I'm going to do my best to make a list of my 100 favorite things and experiences, in addition to updating this more comprehensive map that I'll be adding to. Here goes:
1. &Company Shop. We can't even talk about it.
2. Zeb Restaurant, where Giuseppina and her son Alberto have treated us like family.
3. Le Volpi e l'Uva, our neighborhood wine bar
4. Mark the Librarian at the British Institute
5. I Tatti. Again, we can't talk about it.
6. The Boboli Gardens, and hearing the announcement of its closing every afternoon.
7. The display of fresh fish every day at the Golden View Open Bar
8. The Orpheus Fountain at Giardino di Pal Vivarelli Colonna (pictured above)
9. The salted walnut Greek yogurt at Il Re del Gelato
10. The fettunta celebrating the new olive oil
Karen recently wrote to share her tattoo story. Nearly every tattoo represents a daily reminder of something or someone, and I love that Karen chose this simple phrase that speaks to her vocation.
My tattoo is almost healed - should I say "our" tattoo, as you did the most important part? I really love it. I finally found my vocation, and knitting "a few stitches a day" is part of my life, part of me... I love being able to express my creativity in my knitting designs. And it's so much better than the "infinity sign tattoo" that I had in mind at first. Thanks again for your amazing work, it was a pleasure to work with you - your did an amazing job by mixing different fonts for me. merci merci !!! Karen
[Tatto by Kate Davies (Toronto)]
Thank you to Karen and Kate!
Do you know about the Easter tradition of the 16th century wooden cart that is hauled by four white oxen to the Piazza del Duomo, covered in fireworks, and set alight by a flaming papier mache dove that ziplines out of the church? You don't? Well brace yourself for the scoppio del carro (explosion of the cart).
Since I've arrived Betty has told me stories of this tradition, which her family has been a part of for generations. The Soldi family is in charge of making and orchestrating the fireworks for this affair. I would ask her to tell me about it over and over again because what she was describing all seemed, frankly, ridiculous. So the Friday before Easter we went to Porta al Prato where the carro (cart) lives. The Soldi family gave me a very special glimpse of their artistry and by Sunday, rest assured, I totally got it.
The 30 foot tall, 40 ton cart lives in a space between two buildings that was once a street. Outside of this home is a marker with a quote from Dante. The Soldi family spends the week before adorning the cart with hand-crafted fireworks. The view inside the has commemorative inscriptions from 1622, the Fascist regime, and the many artisans who have restored the cart over the years, in addition to a sheet with that year's fireworks lineup. Criss crossing it all are the ignition wires for thousands of fireworks. (Yes, this was a bit terrifying). On Easter morning, four white oxen bred for this purpose are hitched to the cart and haul it through the streets to the Duomo. They deposit the cart and hang out in a nearby piazza where spectators admire their flower garlands and gold-painted hooves and horns. At the end of mass, the priest sets fire to a papier mache dove inside the church that ziplines out the door and, if all goes well, ignites the fireworks (the year of the flood, inauspiciously, it didn't). It is a spectacular show that ends in a modest flourish of three white flags unfurling at the top And then, of course, there is a Renaissance costume parade.
To date, this is my favorite Florentine tradition. How utterly remarkable to take an artifact that is so old and full of history and make it so alive and vibrant through the generations of livestock; their breeders; the Solidi family; restorers; priests; congregants; observers; parade participants. Can you imagine doing the same thing with Michaelangelo's David? "Today's we haul this marble statue out with livestock, wrap it in fireworks and set them off in a public square." There is often an air of somber fragility in the halls of the Uffizi. This ruckus tradition could not be more the opposite, or more delightful. A million thanks to Betty + Pirotecnica Soldi for such a memorable experience. (You can see a video of it in year's past here. It really doesn't do it justice).
As some of you might recall, when Sheryl Sandberg's TED Talk came out I was really taken with what she had to say and wrote Sandberg a letter of gratitude. I just finished reading Lean In and wanted to follow up that post with some thoughts on the book…a little review. Have you read it? Will you indulge me?
There was one topic so blatantly omitted that I almost thought the book hadn't download completely: women entrepreneurs (namely: every woman listed here). There is not a single full sentence, let alone paragraph or chapter, devoted to this mushrooming class of women who have decided to take control of their own fate, instead of joining in the Sisyphean task of changing power dynamics from the inside out that Sandberg advocates. Elementary buzz words (from Sandberg's own industry no less) like "innovation," "invention," "entrepreneurship" and "disruption" are virtually non-existent, nevermind promoted. Instead, the book is focused on increasing women in positions of power in "governments, corporations, academia, hospitals, law firms, non-profits…[and] research labs." That about sums up Sandberg's scope.
But with the power of technology, innovation, and education, that model is becoming– and arguably has become– obsolete. Her approach already feels outdated. In short: Sandberg's book is written squarely for women (like her) who possess the admirable patience and perseverance to log decades working for men like Mark Zuckerberg, and, perplexingly, not a call to arms for women to become the next Mark Zuckerberg. This approach seems so uninspired that it is hard to see how Lean In will inspire a revolution. Her call to arms seems to be, "stay put, lean in and and claw your way towards something that resembles 'power' so we can claim victory when the face of 'power' looks more equal." To my mind, increased power and victory for women will not come solely from playing nice within existing empires, but from building empires of their own. Sandberg's book reads like an instruction manual on how to run on a hamster wheel of corporate or traditionally defined success when, ironically, she leads a company founded on the exact opposite of these ideals by a visionary college dropout who wanted to upend the world order (for better or worse).
Every role model I have–Tina Roth Eisenberg of Tattly, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge,Gina Trapani of Lifehacker, Maria Popova of Brainpickings, Caterina Fake of Flickr, Jen Bekman of 20 x 200, Robin Chase of ZipCar, Twyla Tharp, Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co– (the list goes on and on)–has "taken the off ramp" (in some cases quite early) and, through ingenuity and grit, created her own highway. They haven't had to elbow for a seat at the Old Boys Club table. They've built their own damn table.
For well-educated women entrenched in and committed to transforming behemoth institutions: Lean In is the roadmap for you. Godspeed. But for creative, enterprising, scrappy, imaginative, restless, optimistic women of every stripe eager to carve out a fulfilling career I want to say this: you don't need to wait for power structures to change, or for someone to pick you. Pick yourself. I urge you to check out this list of female entrepreneurs and familiarize yourself with the 300 women listed there. (And I wish Sandberg would do the same). They aren't leaning in. They are leading the way.
I still think Sandberg is an admirable role-model, and I'm grateful for the debate she's inspired. But where she sees a crisis, I see a Renaissance. Her book made me wish she could hang out with some of the women I know and admire, away from the corner offices of Google, Ebay, Goldman Sachs and Yahoo! Because y'all are awesome.
Hello there, friends. Let's just pretend that the month of February didn't happen, shall we? In fact it did, and there is so much to catch up on. I'll be revisiting some memories. Thanks for sticking with me. I've missed you. For now, I wanted to share these photos featured on Once Wed of Chris and Jenet's stunning wedding. What an adorable couple, and what a memorable evening. Whenever I hear that Jose Villa and Laurie Aron's are involved in anything it's impossible for me to say no. It's delightful working with visionaries like these two. And beautiful printing and design by PS Paper. Thanks to all for including me!
Photography by Jose Villa | Planning/Design: Laurie Arons Special Events