hopes that reach the sky

hi everyone... this is a quick little post about a blog my cousin joe let me in on and i couldn't wait to share it with you. the url is HOPES THAT REACH THE SKY, but i believe it is called THE BEGINNING. whatever the case and for some reason, i CANNOT get enough of it!!! the universal blog is filled with awesome quotes that definitely strike a chord with me. i think everyone can relate to at least one of the items posted. the blogger exhibits all kinds of images (although, i could probably do without some of the celeb photos). its a quirky little combo of words, photography + design and i just love it! here are some photos and quotes i am reblogging, but be sure to check out the site directly. currently, i am working on a new post about my own little creation called "fashion karma." until then...enjoy!  ♥ ♥ ♥  xo nikki

 

 

 

 

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IF THERE'S LOVE

citizen cope

♡

punk mandala

"Jesus died for somebody's 
sins but not mine
Meltin' in a pot of thieves
Wild card up my sleeve
Thick heart of stone
My sins my own
They belong to me, me"

patti smith has a lightening bolt tattooed on her knee. she is a joan of arc, she is a warrior. she is not just a muse. she is an artist, poet, musician, fashion icon, mother, and activist.

about a month ago a dear friend of mine, matt burns, wrote to me after having read my blog. he himself, is a designer and a musician and one who loves to be inspired (he is wickedly funny as well). matt had an inkling that patti smith's autobiography JUST KIDS would, in his words, "touch my soul." HE WAS RIGHT! i cannot believe that i have not delved into the work of this great artist until now. some may think patti smith is over the top when it comes to her music, and yes, she definitely walks to the beat of her own unique drum! but this is exactly what i find so appealing. she is an ever-inspiring icon to many who get where she is coming from.

patti smith was born in chicago, but shortly after moved with her family to rural south JERSEY where she was raised (a jersey girl like me). from an early age patti smith innately knew she had something creative inside which needed to emerge. her book begins with...

"When I was very young, my mother took me for walks in Humboldt Park, along the edge of the Prairie River. I have vague memories, like impressions on glass plates, of an old boathouse, a circular band shell, an arched stone bridge. The narrows of the river emptied into a wide lagoon and I saw upon its surface a singular miracle. A long curving neck rose from a dress of white plumage. 

Swan, my mother said, sensing my excitement. It patterned the bright water, flapping its great wings, and lifted into the sky. The word alone hardly attested to its magnificence nor conveyed the emotion it produced. The sight of it generated an urge I had no words for, a desire to speak of the swan, to say something of its whiteness, the explosive nature of its movement, and the slow beating of its wings.

The swan became one with the sky. I struggled to find words to describe my own sense of it. Swan, I repeated, not entirely satisfied, and I felt a twinge, a curious yearning, imperceptible to passersby, my mother, the trees, or the clouds."

patti + robert, nyc, 1962

JUST KIDS is patti smith's, magical yet brave story, of the beginning of her life as an artist and how this adventure unfolded back in the late 1960s. leaving her roots in new jersey, she moved to new york city with only a few art supplies, a small suitcase of secondhand clothes, and thirty-two dollars she found in a telephone booth for the bus ride. it is about the unconditional love affair between two young artists who met by fate, patti smith and robert mapplethorpe, also an iconic artist and photographer. bound in innocence and completely committed to each other and creating art; they steadfastly carved their way to fame, in a time where poetry, art, and rock n' roll were all colliding.

"Robert spread it out over the floor for me to see. there were drawings, etchings, and he unrolled some paintings that reminded me of Richard Poussette-Dart and Henri Michaux. Multifarious energies radiated through interweaving words and calligraphic line. Energy fields built with layers of word. Paintings and drawings that seemed to emerge from the subconcious.

There were a set of discs intertwining the words EGO LOVE GOD, merging them with his own name; they seemed to recede and expand over his flat surfaces. As I stared at them, I was compelled to tell him of my nights as a child seeing circular patterns radiating on the ceiling. He opened a book on Tantric art. "Like this?" he asked. "Yes."

I recognized with amazement the celestial circles of my childhood. A mandala.
I was particularly moved by the drawing he had done on memorial day. I had never seen anything like it. What also struck me was the date: Joan of Arc's feast day. The same day I had promised to make something of myself before her statue.

I told him this, and he responded that the drawing was symbolic of his own commmitment to art, made on the same day. He gave it to me without hesitation and I understood that in this small space of time we had mutually surrendered our loneliness and replaced it with trust."

flower by robert mapplethorpe

 

after reading JUST KIDS and falling in love with patti smith and her inspiring, and often times spiritual story, i needed more! while saturating myself with her music, specifically her debut album HORSES, and searching for more information about her,  i came across a beautiful documentary by steven sebring. the film called DREAM OF LIFE aired a few years back on PBS. of course I couldn't wait to share this with matt who watched it this past weekend and loved it. he wrote "it gave me a real sense of who she is and how she lives her life. very inspirational and moving. i love her natural way of being and sensitivity to everything that surrounds her. she's a true individual, not a follower...." (see i told you!!!) the moving film is a work of art in itself. it documents 12 years of patti smith's life, with clips from her early years in new york city to close to present time, giving a glimpse into her life, as not only an artist, but a wife and mother to her two children jackson and jesse.

(left to right) jackson, patti, and jesse at home, photo by annie leibovitz

patti smith is a legend; an early pioneer of punk rock. she is an artist's artist. she is the paragon of cool, yet she does not seem to have a celebrity air about her. she has integrity and she is sincere. patti smith is, as matt said, not a follower but completely individualistic. she believes and states at the opening of the documentary that "life is an adventure of our own design, intersected by fate, and a series of lucky and unlucky accidents." this cannot be more true. patti smith is definitely of her own design. these are prolific words to live by and a question we should all ponder. ARE YOU OF YOUR OWN DESIGN? 

i just don't think i can do patti smith's lyrically written autobiography or the documentary justice in this post. i have not given the whole story about her fascinating life so that you have the opportunity to uncover all the intricate details on your own accord. you have to experience her music, her poetry, her art to feel the mandala unfold. her story truly is poetic, spiritual, and beautiful. and i promise...it will definitely inspire you! xo nikki

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GLORIA

horses

patti smith

♡

a hard drive

VINTAGE PHOTO VIA CHICO MOTO, BUT I SPOTTED IT ON 4Q CONDITIONING (THANKS TO BOTH!)

sometimes technology really gets me down and i just want to go back in time to much simpler days. my imac's hard drive decided to fail, so it might be a week or two before a new post. just letting everyone know that i am in fact still blogging! i have three new posts in the works so until then... xo nikki

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TIGHTEN UP

brothers

the black keys

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the bliss bubble

JUMPING ON THE GROUNDS OF KRIPALU AND A STATUE OF BUDDHA (BELOW)

 
...still trying to remain in my "bliss bubble" after attending my first-ever yoga retreat. i have been sitting here staring at this blank screen trying to figure out how i could possibly sum up the weekend i experienced, with one of my best friends lauren, at kripalu in stockbridge, massachusetts. it was as yoga has always been to me... magical, eye opening, inspiring, and deeply fulfilling. OM...

"kripalu center for yoga & health is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the art and science of yoga to produce thriving and health in individuals and society. for more than 30 years, kripalu (kri-PAH-loo) has been teaching skills for optimal living through experiential education for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. it is the largest and most established retreat center for yoga, health, and holistic living in north america. programs at kripalu are led by many of the world’s most accomplished teachers in yoga, self-discovery,
and holistic health and are



designed to provide people with tools they can apply in their daily lives. program topics include wellness, ayurveda, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, relationships, meditation, spiritual practice, professional training, and much more. yoga programs are offered for people at all levels, feature all yoga traditions and styles, and include therapeutic yoga, yogic anatomy, and trainings for teachers. many kripalu programs offer continuing education credits for professionals in fields such as social work, counseling, nursing, and massage and bodywork." -via Kripalu.org

HAVEN CAFE AND BAKERY LENOX, MASS

before arriving at kripalu, lauren and i had lunch at haven cafe and bakery in lenox, mass. this adorable and inviting place run by owner and head chef, shelly williams, is definitely worth the stop if you are ever in the berkshires. she also catered my sister's wedding at stonover farm (a beautiful bed and breakfast) in lenox so i was excited to get another taste of her yummy food. we shared chicken quesadillas and polenta with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pesto. everything is local and organic and shelly even offers gluten free options... DELICIOUS and healthy too!!!!! so on to why we came to the berkshires....

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS AT HAVEN

POLENTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, MUSHROOMS, AND PESTO AT HAVEN

KRIPALU is a stunning place, with rolling green hills, beautiful mountains and a lake that provides the most gorgeous eye candy!!! the annex building, where lauren and i stayed, was modern and most importantly environmentally green. it gave us the most perfect resting place when we were not practicing yoga. not only was the annex building beautiful, but the grounds were as well. sculptures, flowers, even bunnies were sighted during our three day weekend :)

A SITTING AREA INSIDE THE ANNEX

OUR ROOM EVEN HAD MARIMEKKO PILLOWS!

PRAYER BEADS AT THE KRIPALU STORE

SCULPTURES AND TOMATOES ENTWINED

TWIN BUNNIES, HOW CUTE!

SHIVA THE LORD OF TRANSFORMATION

lauren and i signed up for yoga evolution with travis eliot. a yoga teacher from santa monica, california. he brings a street vibe to his practice, along with a really chill positive attitude. travis shares his own personal knowledge and holistic views about the different aspects of yoga which truly allow the student to become their own teacher. we learned about...

"kirtan which comes from the yoga path of bhakti (love and devotion). it is the chanting of traditional sanskrit mantras synergized with dynamic melodies. it is the calling, the yearning, the crying to connect with the divine. the beauty is that chanting shows us we are already in this state of "oneness," it's just about dissolving the maya (illusion) of separateness. chanting ignites every life-tron of our being absorbing us into a state of bliss. add the power of chanting within a group setting and ecstasy becomes absolutely boundless!! kirtan is for anyone and everyone regardless of background. It is the universal language of the heart..." -via www.traviseliot.com

 

TRAVIS PLAYING THE HARMONIUM DURING KIRTAN

we were also asked to set our sankalpa (intention) on what we wanted out of the weekend and of course we did some serious power yoga which helps to rid the body of toxins, open channels, get endorphins going, and deepen the breath...so there was breathing, breathing, and more breathing(pranayama)! along with travis and his beautiful singer kelsey, we chanted to ganesha to help remove obstacles and to shiva the lord of tranformation in hopes to all evolve in some way. on saturday, we did a three hour long dynamic yoga class (which lauren and i swore we would not get through after the two hour class the previous night) but the energy in the room carried and filled us with what we needed to finish. sunday we ended with a relaxing flow of yoga that definitely opened our hearts to allow for an evolution; to help us transform in a positive way and bring this energy back into our lives at home. i have always wanted to become a yoga teacher and this experience definitely rekindled that inside of me!

KELSEY AND TRAVIS RIGHT BEFORE KIRTAN

 ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA AKA DOWNWARD FACING DOG

LAUREN & I: OLD FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS

GANESHA , A HINDU GOD, CREATES THE FAITH TO REMOVE ALL OBSTACLES

the simple truth is...yoga has always been there for me, keeping me calm in a world that can often be hectic and chaotic. the weekend at kripalu reminded me just how important yoga is to me and how it can not only give me a strong body and mind, but a full heart. it just takes looking inside and staying present. the yogis teach us that everything we could ever want already exists within...all the love, all the creativity, all the grace, all the health....we just have to tap into it! ♥ namaste, nikki

psssss: the gesture namaste represents the belief that there is a DIVINE spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. the gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "nama" means bow, "as" means i, and "te" means you. therefore, namaste literally means "bow me you" or "i bow to you." -via yoga journal

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ONE ROAD TO FREEDOM

fight for your mind

ben harper
♡

there's no place like home...

six months before my first son christian was born, i left the magazine world, GLAMOUR to be exact, to become a full-time mom. i do not think at the time i realized how hard it would be to forgo my creative outlet, and instead be nursing and changing diapers. BUT when i do something i usually go all in! six years later and another baby born (micah is now two), i have learned the importance of my personal space, the place i spend the most time with my boys. i believe i spun a lot of artistic nature into my surroundings, so much so that it became my new creative outlet; my palette and my painting. i understand the need to express inner thoughts, ideas, and theories about life and have these concepts eventually displayed in a tangible space, one that we all know as HOME. so when i found THE SELBY IS IN YOUR PLACE, revealing many different types of creative individual's homes, the site immediately became one of my absolute daily favorites. shortly after, most of these beautiful and inspiring photos were published in a book of the same title.

todd selby, the man behind the project, is a photographer and illustrator. his photos portray an insider’s view of creative individuals in their personal spaces with an artist's eye for detail. the selby is filled with ideas and details that are beyond inspirational, and also international, featuring interiors from manhattan to milan to mexico. here are a few selby images for you...

SO... i thought i would give you an insider's look of the home i share with my boys, our portugese water dog talulah, and our hermit crab hermie (christian would not be happy if this creature was not included- lol). now i am nowhere near as cool as any of the peeps in the selby, but it certainly can't hurt to share. the home is a 1972 wide line ranch that sits on a mountainside, 40 minutes outside of new york city. we like to call it the tree house, as it is surrounded by many tall oaks and pines, remember a woodpecker did fly in! i love that it isn't far from the city and all its culture, yet we get to enjoy nature, privacy, and quiet on a daily basis (well at least when the boys aren't screaming!!!). it is an everyday event that christian and micah spot a red cardinal or an owl from our windows. although, i have to admit sometimes the wild turkeys stomping around on our roof can get annoying, but it's worth it!!! hope you enjoy the view...

bohemian modern: living in silver lake by barbara bestor

besides the selby book, i have a few other favorite interior home and architecture books that i draw a lot of inspiration from. the first book and my personal favorite is barbara bestor's BOHEMIAN MODERN: LIVING IN SILVER LAKE. she is a yale graduate of architecture, the mother of two girls, and has her own incredibly hip architectural design firm in LA, california. talk about doing it all!!! her work mixes vintage and modern seamlessly. she is also into being cost effective (for example: she loves to use commercial windows because they are less costly). she is definitely my hero!!!

 domino the book of decorating by deborah needleman, sara ruffin costello, and dara caponigro

the second book worth mentioning, and one that is closest to my heart for a few reasons, is DOMINO THE BOOK OF DECORATING. i was a huge fan of domino and used to work with sara ruffin costello, the creative director, back in the day at glamour magazine. she is not only extremely talented, but also one of the nicest people in the industry. domino had perfect idea after perfect idea and it is just plain sad that it folded. so many of us miss you domino!!! luckily we have a book that commemorates this awesome mag.

downtown chic by cortney and robert novogratz, photos from their great barrington home

via cococozy

the last book to mention, but certainly not the least is DOWNTOWN CHIC. some of you may have caught the show 9 BY DESIGN on bravo a few months back giving us a glimpse into the life of the novogratz family. husband and wife design team cortney and robert novogratz are the founders of sixx design in new york city. not only do they have seven children (yes you heard me correct) but they also have a great eye for mixing old and new with tons of bold color and a slight quirkiness that always pleasantly surprises. my favorite, is their great barrington, massachusetts country home. not only do i dig the yellow shutters, but the open sun-filled rooms with pops of color throughout make me SMILE.

via cococozy

 





i hope you enjoyed the insiders look at my home, as well as, four of my favorite books: the selby is in your place, bohemian modern: living in silver lake, domino the book of decorating, and downtown chic. for some it may be overwhelming to feel you can achieve what these books illustrate, but really it is possible and it does not have to cost a pretty penny. garage sales, flea markets, ebay, and even ikea are all inexpensive ways to find the diamond in the rough, that one piece that makes your home individually unique. all you need is the inspiration, that photo that sparks the idea. maybe some of these images or books will do that for you or maybe you already have done that for yourself. whatever the case, creating your space so that it portrays who you are inside is like using your home as a palette. this means that everyone can be an artist, everyone can CREATE in some way, shape, or form. don't sell yourself short!!! xo nikki

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SADIE

the milk-eyed mender

joanna newsom

♡  
"down where i darn with the milk-eyed mender
you and i, and a love so tender,
is stretched-on the hoop where i stitch-this adage:
"bless this house and its heart so savage."