most mornings.

most mornings look like this. and i love it soooo much.

5 things i'm into right now.

1. magic eye. haha! remember this? i still have a book, and i've been magic eyeing pretty much every night before bed. it's really relaxing. patrick can't do it and keeps saying i'm just making the whole thing up.

2. this song. obsessed.

3. gussets on pants. oh. my. god. now i know what i've been missing. all future purusha pants will feature this.  the greatest addition to athletic pants ever!!! 

4. trader joe's. this place just amazes and inspires me so hard. patrick and i have been loving shopping here since we moved to CA. you feel like a gourmet wordly chef perusing the aisles for truffle pizza, thai dumplings, palak paneer, macaroons, and gorgeous stinky cheeses. and leaving the store with 4 grocery bags full for about $100 is freakin' a miracle! i've honestly been quite fascinated with tj's as a business as well. they are SO smart in how they manage the chain; not opening too many locations, vertically integrating the business (keeping all products internal, or putting the trader joe's name on each product instead of selling goods under brand names), and (my favorite!), treating the employees well and paying them more than any other grocery store. did you know a tj's manager can make a 6 figure salary?! and have you noticed that pretty much everyone at trader joe's is happy and nice? AND they give out samples?! ok, i could go on and on. but seriously, trader joe's, you are doing it right.

5. slowing down. man, this can be a hard one for me. i tend to have a lot of nervous energy, so i'm drawn to working my body with some intensity, hoping it will slow my mind down. sometimes this works, but other times what i need is to take my time and not push my body so much. this weekend i took the lovely and peaceful tracee stanley's yoga class at yoga desa in topanga.

what a goddess! tracee stanley!

 it was just what i needed- deep, detoxifying, mind clearing, flowing with enough long holds, and a reminder to find the nurturing mother within each of us. i am the type of person that definitely needs to be refreshed on the importance of doing what is healthy not just for the body, but for the entire being- body, mind, and soul. the brain and the nervous system need to be exercised and rewired as much as (if not more than) my arms and shoulders (and my shallow desire to sculpt them). it's a great reawakening to remember the body will follow the mind. i don't need to worry about my body looking toned and in shape, because it just will be naturally when i take care of my whole being. what a weight off my mind, and what an easier way to view my practice.

well i hope your monday is a happy one!

namaste. :)

a different reality.

c/o kristin burns

this morning i feel a little shaky.

i had a really beautiful dream last night, and this morning i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. i dreamt my sister lucy was still alive. not an unusual dream for me, i get these from time to time. typically though i dream lucy has come home from somewhere and she is still 15 years old. not in this dream. somehow, my mind created lucy to be a perfectly beautiful adult version of herself. she would be 31 years old, and that's just how she looked. in the dream i could not stop crying, i was just sobbing non-stop. but not because i was sad, because i was overjoyed to have my sister back. i kept saying 'i've been wanting a big sister SO bad. i am happy.' and i hugged her soooo hard. and touched her hair, which she had highlighted with some honey blonde in her brown hair. it was really soft. lucy told me she worked in politics, and i was impressed, but not surprised. lucy was always so smart, thought for herself, and challenged authority. then... i woke up.

damn. i cried a bit this morning and patrick held me. perhaps in another dimension somewhere, this reality is real. i kinda wish i could go there sometimes, and see what kind of person i would be. but i guess i can only visit these far off places in my dreams. it's better than nothing though, isn't it?

yesterday i wore one of lucy's old dresses, this lovely banana republic black dress that is just timeless. i slept in it too, so maybe that's why lucy came into my dream space.

i've begun my day with my head somewhere else, and sometimes, you have to. it's interesting, though painful, to think what could have been. and maybe it exists somewhere in this infinite universe. perhaps i got to view this life through my dream... or maybe dreams are just a mixture of crossed wires that don't make any sense. either way, i haven't felt a sadness like this in a while. easily teary eyed. ugh. well, it will pass.

i was telling patrick this morning, grief and pain from tragedy seem like they are forever stored in a part of your brain. they never go away, they're just pushed elsewhere, like clothing in the back of a drawer that you rediscover one day and say 'i forgot i had this'.

so deep breaths i am taking, gratitude for the love i have, i'm reflecting on.

and i'm going to go watch will ferrell on youtube. haha. aaah, life, you are a strange thing.

behind the scenes.

c/o kristin burns

hello!

i had such a great time shooting with kristin and noelle last month! it was really sweet to shoot at my house and see kristin create such beauty out of the backdrops i see everyday. noelle and kristin combined- oh my- the photos are heavenly! i'm going to be posting pictures daily, and adding new items to my shop for fall. 

yippee!!

good morning.

c/o kristin burns photography

just dropping in to say hi! for some reason i don't have much to say today. huh. oh well! hope you have a really lovely and happy day! xo.

together.

hi! me again, in my favorite purusha people blue pants. :)

so as a lot of you know, i'm {finally!} expanding a bit. woohoo! hiring a seamstress to help me out, and probably a pattern maker. this is all very exciting to me!

thinking about having clothing made, without me doing 100% of the work like right now, is freakin' incredible. it feels like such a blessing. i'm happy to be building relationships with other talented people, and creating the purusha people team and family. i feel calm and confident about the direction of my business, and know i'm doing the right thing by taking it little by little. ha, laugh if you will, but i've watched A LOT of the shows 'shark tank' and 'dragon's den'. there is always sooo much to learn about how to run a business. i am such a novice, but i also believe my naivety can work for me. i'm super optimistic, and trying to just stay in the moment so i don't worry about the future and the workload that awaits! but for sure i have my moments of fear, laziness, worry, intimidation... it's all part of the game of life though, isn't it?

at the end of the day, being who i am, born with these amazing opportunities, i am so fortunate. it's not even fair. as much as i get frustrated from time to time with america {the "wars" we're in, the constant disagreements between political parties, the amount of poverty and poor education that is becoming more widespread}, i know i've been dealt a pretty good hand in life. and i do owe it to america- my freedom to start a business as a woman, my awesome education, my safe car, my loving parents and sister, my supportive boyfriend, the library, my friends that always encourage me, etc a million times over- this all makes me who i am. as my business blossoms, i will never look at is as something only i built. i'm part of a team and proud of it! i believe purusha people will become a powerfully positive business in the united states, and i am honored to give back to the country that's given me so much. it will be beautiful!

namaste.

omg.

friends, oh my gosh, i am so excited!! the photos by kristin burns are pretty much done! of new purusha people fall/winter 2012 and spring 2013! featuring noelle beaugureau! she is a delight, such a beauty and a kind soul. eee!

i'll be posting photos next week, and adding new items to my shop and my new website in a few weeks! so much goodness in store!

above is me (obviously!) in purusha's new high waist big flare yoga pants. 100% made in topanga, CA with all the love in my heart. isn't this photo unreal?!?! kristin is beyond talented. how lucky am i?!

i am so grateful for the lovely women in my life that inspire, encourage, and believe in me. thank you, truly. namaste.

monday morning.

and i'm back to work. such a pleasure to have something beautiful and worthy to devote my time to.

this weekend was happy and relaxing. friday night patrick and i saw 'kumare' in LA and met "kumare" (vikram gandhi) afterwords! i really enjoyed the movie, and totally recommend everyone see it. the main message of the movie was an uplifting one, but both patrick and i agreed it still felt a little off to fool people into thinking you're someone you're not. there was a little Q & A after, followed by social time. i shook vikram's hand and asked him my questions, and patrick as well. but we were left a little underwhelmed with his answers and his manner in meeting fans. vikram seemed like he didn't want to talk to us and kept looking away, such a sharp contrast from kumare in the movie. i kinda wish i coulda met kumare instead! on the drive home patrick cracked me up, complaining how he really dislikes "hip" people, or folks that just think they're too cool. but who knows, i'm sure touring with your movie gets tiring and people must ask a lot of the same questions. and sometimes people are just shy. i know i am, and i hope i would never come across as thinking i'm "too cool!" hehe. what else... we went to the beach on saturday and liam was in heaven, as usual. he played with his friend duke, an italian mastiff, and his new friend lua, a toy chihuahua. i was really afraid liam would step on the little thing and break her leg! saturday night patrick and i made an "irish dinner", 'cause we've been listening to and enjoying irish music. it was salmon, mashed potatoes, leeks (ugh i thought these would be better than they were, just like eating onions!), kale salad, and guinness. oh yeah!!! sunday i spent the day working on some big good things for purusha! woohoo! you shall see soon! and finally, we've been listening to r. kelly's 'i believe i can fly' A LOT. ha, it's such a good inspiring song!! whenever our neighbors walk by we try to be sure to turn it down, a little embarrassing it is.

today purusha people work continues, as always. i am so lucky.

my mantra.

it's easy. enjoy.


i've been saying this to myself the past few days. so much of what i expect to be difficult ends up being easy, or not as challenging as i thought. usually the worst part is the thinking about what i don't want to do, and not the thing itself.

this morning, on my run, going up hills... it's easy. enjoy... suddenly i'm smelling flowers and remembering the sacredness of each breath. today, while i screen print... it's easy. enjoy... oh yeah, my job is WHAT I LOVE (duh!!!!), and it's fun to create something beautiful.

why not find the ease in the moment? it's always there, we just have to choose it. take some deep breaths, soften the face, and remember that being alive is not permanent. today, right now, is holy, it's all we have. enjoy it. it's easy. :)

a sloth.

that is all.

a challenge

good morning!

today, i am inspired. i just read the latest post from one of my favorite blogs 'oh she glows'. i clicked the link, expecting one of angela's usual awesome recipes, but found FEAR instead. when i first saw that word, and then the title, 'august challenge', i actually felt really afraid! AH! i don't wanna face my fears! to me, that means i have to. i don't want to face fears, there's this obvious internal struggle, so i must work on this.

angela's challenge for anyone who wants to participate is to face one fear everyday. oy. sounds scary, but i'll say, also a teensy bit empowering! getting comfortable and building a predictable routine in my life gives me a sense of security, but what if my day was shook up a bit? would i still feel so complacent? no way. i think i would feel freedom, adrenaline, yep fear, but also a confidence beyond what i'm experiencing right now. there is ALWAYS so much more space for growth, to become more yourself. it's a neverending journey and there's no destination. just always moving up up up, down sometimes, and all around. staying still, staying always in the comfort zone, seems like a slow death that we barely saw coming...

the challenge includes writing in a journal what you do each day that scares you. the fears can be little or big. doesn't matter. today i already have a fear to face, ugh... it probably sounds silly to those of you who've been through a lot doctor-wise (surgery, pregnancy, disease, etc), but today i'm going to a new doctor for my annual ob-gyn appointment. i think a big point in this challenge is, each of our fears are very different, and that doesn't matter. what matters is looking that fear in the eye today, no matter how petty others may think it is. i realize going to the ob-gyn for a checkup is no biggie, and i am so lucky i can even go and that i'm healthy. but the irrational part of me, the fear creator, is whispering... ooh that pap smear pinches doesn't it, and what if they find something, some lump, and what if the pap comes back abnormal... and driving through LA is scary... EEK! stop voices! tell me something good!

the thing about fear that rocks if the feeling after you do what you gotta do. pure incomparable bliss. there's nothing like it. the endorphins flood the brain, and just WOW! so worth it.

angela posted this quote, and i'm in love with it:

“Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.”

― C. JoyBell C.
wanna face the fears with me? xo.