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it should all be your favorite.

happy monday!

i've mentioned this already, i'm currently reading a day in the life of a minimalist by joshua fields millburn. it is so great and practical, pretty much just short essays on how to live a zen lifestyle. one chapter that really struck me was 'when every thing is your favorite thing.' to make life simpler and more enjoyable, we have to clear out the clutter. from our minds, our bodies, our homes, and our wardrobes. millburn got rid of most of the clothing he owned, and kept only his very favorite things. now when he looks around his house, everything is very special, high quality, and appreciated. we truly do not need such excess, a closet full of dresses and coats, 10 pairs of jeans, 15 pairs of yoga pants...

i will be the first to admit i am guilty here with the too much clothing thing. i actually don't have that many clothes, but i do have a lot that i never wear. and it's just taking up space in my life and in my mind. why do i feel like i have to hang on? these things are beginning to own me, i now see. while i take a short break from work during the holidays, i plan on going through all our stuff and cleaning out what we don't use. i think it will be tough at first, but it will obviously feel amazing when we only keep what we use. rather than gather material possessions, i plan on focusing on gathering beautiful relationships, more healthy habits, and exciting new experiences. that's where it's at!

this mentality of course also spreads into my work. i want whatever you buy from purusha to be your favorite. i constantly work to improve what i make, testing it out on myself to figure out what works and what doesn't. i'm using the best quality fabrics i can find and my seamstress nadya is freakin' amazing. she's a perfectionist when it comes to sewing and takes a lot of pride in what she does. i plan on doing a special nadya post soon so you all can meet this wonder woman that is sewing your beautiful clothing!! i love her so much, and i know you will too! meanwhile, the dyeing and screen printing are getting better and better as well. i am for sure realizing i would much rather have you, my cherished customer, wear one pair of amazing purusha pants all the time rather than 5 pairs of cheaper versions of purusha pants.

so here's to your favorite things! may they bring you joy {may purusha be one of them!}, and may they bring you peace. namaste.

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worth it.

hi my sweet people. how are you this happy friday night?

purusha's evolution continues.

recently i've had a lot of thoughts about worth. what is my time worth, my work worth? what are my products worth? what kind of business do i want purusha to become? do i feel confident in my products? do i feel proud of what i do?

today i got down and dirty updating every listing in my etsy shop. oh boy, not something i've been wanting to work on, but it has been long overdue. the reason i knew i had to do it is this 'quality kick' i'm on (i think it's here to stay). what i make has to be the best, at least in my eyes. beautiful presentation, super high quality products, and something i would obviously want to buy. for the past 3 years i've been buying blank white pants from american apparel and dyeing and printing on them. the quality is good. but i want great. so now i have my amazing seamstress nadya helping me, and we make a beautiful amazing quality pant from scratch that i feel really proud of. i've slowly been integrating these new garments into my shop, and i still continued to sell some of my first generation american apparel hand dyed and printed stuff. i kept them listed because i wanted to keep my prices low.

this morning though, i had sort of an epiphany. i'm not a sweatshop and definitely not a factory. each purusha piece is made one at a time, by happy people that are treated well. love, creativity, and positive intentions are sewn, dyed, and printed into every garment. and we work damn hard on them. because it's not a factory, we do it all from home in small batches. so why am i trying to price my clothing like it's made in a factory? why am i trying to be something i'm not, and compete with businesses that are in a different category than me?

sometimes when i got to the fashion district and visit stores that have tons of inventory i feel kinda overwhelmed and sad. just. so. much. stuff. too much. too much crap. and waste. i don't think i ever want to be a really big business. because you lose so much when you go too big. you loose the chance to create a family from the people you hire; knowing them, and knowing what's going on in the work space and in the store. of course i want purusha to be a success, but i don't think i need to go american style-all out-ginormous for that to happen. i have this feeling a lot of people want to go back to buying from small businesses. the economy is rough, but i know i still make that splurge purchase on something i believe is of high quality and is in line with my healthy lifestyle. i actually feel like the less money i have, the more careful i am spending it. i don't spend a little here and there on junk because it adds up and over time i'm just left with poor quality garbage. do you know what i mean?

so now my etsy shop is 100% handmade from scratch purusha pants only. everything is awesome and so soft. the fabrics are thicker than before to last longer and keep from going see through. all pants now have the diamond gusset at the crotch for comfy mobility, i can accommodate different inseam lengths, and pants go up to a size 24. rad! and i just put up an add on listing for organic cotton. when you buy pants and want them made with organic cotton lycra, instead of conventional, you just buy that listing too! so sweet right?!

patrick and i had this talk today about being true to yourself. you don't always know what you want, so sometimes you have to wait and keep working and be patient. you look to others with experience for inspiration, but ultimately you can only create from what feels like your style. today i realized that my style is based highly on simplicity and minimalism. i honestly don't want my customers to buy a ton of clothing! i'd rather they buy a few super lovely long lasting pieces and wear them forever. it just makes so much more sense. only purchase what you need.

this to me, feels like the definition of worth. i strive for everything to just keep getting better and better, i'm dedicated to that goal, and it makes me proud.

have a beautiful high quality weekend!! lots of love to you!

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continued thoughts on minimalism.

i'm really feeling quite taken by the minimalist concept. it just seems so much easier and more natural to think, act, write, and respond only in accordance to what is necessary. in american culture, and most modern first world cultures, we have such an ingrained desire for more. more friends, more money, more work, more possessions. and it's exhausting and wasteful. too much stuff weighs on your mind; i can feel it when our house is cluttered, when my to do list is too long, and when i go shopping and feel the mentality that what we have is never enough.

it's kinda tricky to be a clothing designer and a wanna-be minimalist, but i believe this way of life will actually help purusha to grow. to narrow down my focus and cut down to what is the bare minimum will make my designs and the management of my business simpler. like most people, i admire and look to steve jobs. i think about how simple apple products are, and how there aren't hundreds of products to choose from. the designs are simple, elegant, and attractively functional. a steve jobs quote i think about often is, something along the lines of, 'you have to really like what you do everyday. if there are too many days in a row where you don't feel excited about what you're doing, it's time to do something else.' i feel increasingly passionate about changing my business model- cleaner designs, small amounts of limited inventory, and less complications associated with made to order custom pieces. i'm also toying with the idea of providing a lifetime guarantee on garments, once i find the quality to be of that level.

my journal this morning while meditating reads:

~less is more

~less plans, less lists, less work, less worry

~what is the bare minimum?

~do i need this? this thought, this task, this purchase?

~less = quality, not quantity. quality = full intention, richness, concentration.

life suddenly seems much more pleasant when we keep only what we need, and let go of the rest. namaste.

1

only what you need.

good morning! i hope you had a beautiful happy weekend.

today i am giving a lot of thought to the concept of minimalism, and applying this notion to purusha. i truly find it so interesting to watch as my baby business evolves and changes over time. one of my favorite things to do is just sit and think, let my mind wander to plans of the future (they can be very grandiose!), and mistakes i've made in the past.

i started purusha in 2009 without a clue, to be honest. i didn't know what products would sell, what would be popular, and what image i was portraying with my brand. i was in a very 'let it flow, don't over-analyse, abstract art' phase. i lived at home with my parents, did paintings and wrote poetry most days, and had little to no responsibilities. i taught myself to screen print, and didn't really know what to do with it. i was heavy into indian shit- hinduism, yogis, sanskrit, and the like- and thought, hey why not put this stuff on clothing?! purusha was kinda an experiment, one of my many business ideas i tried out. there was no pressure and i certainly didn't have a business mind set happening. i sometimes miss this carefree phase in my life, but i've changed in so many ways as i've grown with purusha that there's no way i could go back and be satisfied.

purusha is like a puzzle to me, a game where i have to go back and unlock doors with keys i find in future levels. i love math and problem solving, i hate giving up. i love branding, and finding a way to identify what you love in material things. i'm fascinated by reinvention, by constantly revising what you thought worked into something even better. and you need the journey for that, you have to trust that every step you take will bring you where you're meant to be. each supposed set back can actually be a new path along the trail you never noticed before on the journey.

for example, my turnaround time for orders. 3-4 weeks, usually. my customers are so freakin' rad and unbelievable that they wait. and they don't just wait, they wait with a kind message, and words of support and love. it's amazing, it blows me away. but i want better, and i think you all deserve better. every once in a while i get a customer that wants to cancel a transaction, or messages me with bluntness that they've been waiting too long. this of course upsets me a lot. but it shouldn't. this is business, and i for one love getting a product i order online quickly. like zappos, you want to order again because you know you'll get your coveted item fast! i'm not saying i'm anything like zappos, and for now i still am a small one woman business, but i want to evolve. and i am eternally grateful for my customers that voice their dissatisfaction with waiting. it hurts for a second, but i think it hurts because i know the truth is there.

friday night i couldn't wait to just lay in bed and think, to fall asleep to visions of purusha one day, and hopefully dream of secret ideas i didn't even know yet. in my sleep i had visions of simplicity. just the word simplicity inspires me to find a way to live and create with only what i really need. especially at this time of year, where giving and getting are so exploited, i feel like the idea of keeping life simple and minimal is totally a refreshing wake up call. i want minimalism to carry into my purusha shop, and i want to be able to let go of old ideas and designs that i'm afraid to deactivate.

i have 97 items for sale in my purusha etsy shop. for me, this feels like too much. and quite a few of my listings are 2 + years old. i deactivated a bunch of things over the past few weeks, partially because i am growing allergic to dyeing, and partially because i just don't feel excited about them anymore. customers still bought these items, so i was afraid to unlist them, and they held sort of a sentimental aspect in me. they were some of my first works and first purusha photos, and i didn't want to see them go.

i hear a quiet voice tell me, 'let go. be true. move forward.' yes, this is what needs to be done.

purusha has changed and will continue to change just as i do over time. my plans for purusha contain very minimalist themes. i want to keep things fresh, and i want to always be excited about my creations. beginning in 2013 i plan to have inventory, items will be in stock and ready to ship right away. i don't like making you wait. but with having inventory there's a trade off. i won't carry some looks anymore, there won't be as many different garments for sale at one time, and styles are going to change frequently. the clothes you see in my shop this week might not still be there in 3 weeks. and of course, the quality of purusha will just continue to get better and better, including more organic fibers like bamboo, organic cotton, and hemp. with minimal living i adore the idea of having less clothing, but more high quality clothing. i hate throwing things away and getting rid of clothes, so i would rather have a few gorgeous life long pieces than many fast fashion potential throw away poor quality items. wouldn't you?

i just ordered 'a day in the life of a minimalist'. i think it's going to be an awesome awareness expanding read. feel free to give me any feedback on this post. i'd love to hear your thoughts. please know any criticism is helpful! thank you with all my heart!

today, i plan on keeping it simple. xo.

1

a daydream could be real.

this morning i dreamt. while awake, i imagined a new reality that exists all the time if we only choose to notice it.

in this space i've lost my identity. i'm not hayley, the woman with all her hopes and fears, i'm no one and everyone. i'm watching it all with supreme awe and amazement, like a child. everything around me breathes: the plants, the dirt, the insects, the rocks, the buildings, other people. it all pulses and vibrates together like a song. i can't find where i end and space begins, the lines between us are erased and we are just particles all here right now. i am born and i die, over and over again. i'm afraid of nothing because i can't feel the emotions, i can only watch them like an observer.

i walk around like this, in a wonderland, stopping to look at water on a branch for what feels like an hour. everything is so extraordinarily gorgeous. i look at other people and see we are exactly the same. we're all visitors living in a body for a while, until we go back into another particle collection and live there in some other beautiful form. we are born, we die, we are born again. i keep seeing this natural process. and i love everyone and everything because we are no different from each other.

slowly, i begin to come down. i can sense hayley again. i see her waiting for me to return to her and we can reunite in consciousness. but now i see her differently. she needs protecting from herself, she needs me, this higher view, to keep her safe. i can't let her habitual thought patterns block me out completely. why would she let herself tell her Self those things, those thoughts of fear and worry? she needs me to tell her she's beautiful, happy, and has nothing to be afraid of. i'm always here for you... i whisper as we merge again.

i am hayley again. i feel so warm, like nothing can hurt me. there is no urgency, nothing needs to be done, no thoughts need to be mulled over. there's only now. it feels like a lovely summer night with the windows open, laying in bed, listening to van morrison, with all the people i love around me. i have nothing but compassion for myself and others. i know with this mindset, with help and guidance from my higher self, i can't go wrong. i can handle it all. life and death are the same, pain and pleasure are like waves that will forever flow through time.

we are all one, exchanging air and life freely in this moment. why do i forget? i just need to take a trip, and be reminded of who we are. my dream is real.

17

colors of my garden giveaway!

good morning my sweets! i have such a special treat for you today!! yay i'm excited!

my dear friend emily {also amazing mother, wife, sister, daughter, awe inspiring yogi, multi-talented healthy living extraordinaire!} creates THE BEST body care products i've ever tried! her shop on etsy is Colors of my Garden, and i can already tell her business is going to be such a success because her products are beyond brilliant. everyday i use the sage oat soap, the wake up call coffee vanilla scrub, and the vegan body butter (with lavender and vanilla) and i go to heaven. seriously, i now light candles in the shower and dive deep into the all natural aromatherapeutic goodness. best part is, because the ingredients are 100% organic and natural, you can eat them them if you want! i took a bite of the coffee scrub, felt like a weirdo, and still wanted to keep eating. hehe, it's awesome. that's how you really know it's safe to put on your body, because your body does absorb what you put on it. our skin is our biggest organ, so we have to be be super careful about what products we use. our bathing rituals are basically food for our skin.

emily, the kind and generous soul that she is, is giving away one organic vegan body butter (pictured above)! this stuff is sooo great, i really can't say enough. a little goes a long way too, but somehow i still managed to go through a whole thing in a month (i ordered another last night!). it's thick and super moisturizing, but it's not oily like some natural creams. the body absorbs it quick and then you are just a super soft mama! the ingredients are only unrefined shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, infused herbs- grown in emily's garden in connecticut!, and essential oils of your choice. all organic. so dope. last time i got lavender and vanilla for my added scents, this time jasmine and vanilla.

you also might recognize emily, she is one of purusha's beautiful models.

to enter the Colors of my Garden giveaway, comment below and let me know what essential oils you would choose for your organic body butter. for an extra entry 'like' Colors of my Garden on facebook, and mention in your comment that you liked the page! giveaway ends next wednesday, december 5th. winner announced thursday, december 6th! good luck! have a beautiful, natural, and peaceful day!

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still feeling thankful.

my thanksgiving in photos :

slept in, made pancakes, basked in sunbeams.

my sweet lil sister came over and got right to making the vegan pumpkin pie!

sipped on wine, ate some cheese and olives during the day. my favorite things!

thankful for this dude.

and for this silly girl.

and for this doggie that likes to be a part of the action!

thankful to skype with my parents.

went on a walk around our neighborhood.

i love my sister so much!

ridiculous dancing while dinner was cooking. to 90's music no less. (la bouche, ace of base, it was god awful wonderful!) and a goofy smiling doggie in the forefront.

the feast!

the climactic gratitude. so good.

hope you had a happy thanksgiving, and may we let that feeling of thankfulness spill out into all our days. xo.

2

everyday let us be thankful.

today, let us feel the abundance all around us.

here in topanga, california, usa, planet earth, milky way, universe i feel utterly perfect. not perfect as in there is nothing wrong, but perfect that all is as it should be and i am beyond fortunate. i have more than enough love, work to do, food to eat, and goodness to share. i am healthy and all that i love surrounds me. what i have loved and lost isn't gone, she is with me everywhere; in the trees, the air i breathe, and the hugs i exchange today. life is not easy or painless by any means, and nothing stays forever. my youth, my energy, people i love today won't always be around. so what better way to reflect upon my gratitude than to respect this abundant impermanence?

today, let us be thankful for life as is. the good, the bad, the beautiful moments, i accept and appreciate them all. with deep conscious breaths, care from our fellow beings, perseverance to keep pushing through the soil to reach the sun, life is an amazing and mysterious adventure we are blessed to experience. i'll take the pain, the craziness, the mundane any day for the brilliant moments of unconditional love, laughter, and delicious nurturing food.

we are so lucky to be alive, aren't we? i am thankful. thank you.

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the necessity of the gusset!

hi!

the gusset! hmmmm... unless you are a seamstress or a lululemon employee, you most likely have no idea what a gusset is! i didn't know until a customer asked about it about a year ago. a gusset is extra fabric at the crotch area of pants that make mobility with the legs much more comfortable. i am probably one of the minority that doesn't really get bothered by/notice lady lines, or camel toe (ugh gross term!), but i know many many women want to avoid this..eh hem.. look while wearing tight yoga pants. understandable! hehe !

let me just say here, that none of my first generation pants (all styles that i sell in my shop before i started working with my seamstress) have had a problem with lady lines. but i most definitely find the gusset to be super comfortable to stretch your body in. it just makes more sense to have a pocket to protect your... vagina. there said it. so what. haha it had to come up in this post.

all of my new pants and shorts, and bottoms from here on have the gusset. i did some snooping around lululemon (well not snooping, anyone can read the customer reviews to products. it just feels like snooping when i'm trying to fix problems customers have with lulu.), and noticed that they changed the shape of the gusset. from a diamond to a triangle. ladies are complaining that the triangle does not work, and ends up more towards your butt when wearing the pants, rather than at the crotch where it's supposed to be. lulu will probably fix this, but i want to tell all you ladies now that i have the diamond gusset!!! muahahah!!!

purusha is here to make you comfy and beautiful, and i will always always listen to my customers. you, my reader and customer, are EVERYTHING to me. my relationship with you is as important to me as my relationship to a close friend. i create for you, and am completely driven by your feedback. {side note- i'm reading a book right now called 'the man who discovered quality', that discusses the philosophy of w. edward deming, the dude that basically turned japan into a reputable high quality product mecca. he says that the first step to developing a quality business is to plan a product or service that is constantly improving to meet a custumer's need (and provides jobs). i'm sure i will write a post about deming soon! he is already inspiring my business hugely.}

so enjoy the gusset, i knew we had to have it! and feel free to give me any other feedback on products at anytime. thank you! namaste.

1

my favorite things. {and buy from indie sellers this holiday season.}

good morning my loves! how are you? i feel great today, i had such a peaceful productive weekend.

i am gearing up for the holidays- both as a supplier and a customer! i want you all to know, i'm going to be doing a special black friday-cyber monday sale in my shop! to be honest, i despise this whole 'black friday' thing. ugh, especially the day after thanksgiving, when we reflect on our gratitude for what we already have! i never go out on black friday, but i do love shopping online for sales.

so check into my shop this weekend, and i will definitely be posting on here, FB, and twitter when the sale goes live!

and please check into independent stores online and in real life! please avoid wal-mart and other big stores where your purchases only go to support the people at the very top, instead of local folk that benefit directly from your purchases.

below are some of my favorite items from my favorite etsy sellers and friends. enjoy!