I’m fortunate to be writing from Miami (and won’t even let pals in SF onto the sun here) at the Wanderlust Festival’s first East Coast conference. The yoga, music and mindfulness conference has expanded beyond Squaw Valley (whose wonder you can read about here) to a hotel that rivals any Ace in white linens, reproduction Wayfarers, and exquisitely designed toothpaste packaging. The Standard–not be confused with the New York hotel of the same name as it’s printed upside down–has a giant pool that at the moment is filled with rosé-hazed yogis.
It’s lovey, and ridiculous. I was thankful that at the start of an asana class instructor Elena Brower–she of YogaGlo online videos that a friend got me hooked on for practicing at home–acknowledged the group’s good fortune given natural catastrophes and current political unrest. We had the over-the-top luck of worrying about frying in the sun at the same moment we could be concerned for our survival, and I’m so glad she was open to discussing it. It feels like celebration in the face of tragic global news, and if you follow Brower’s line of thinking, there is actually something you can do about it.
First, by acknowledging the disconnect and disparity. Then by finding healing space within ourselves and having real-time awareness of our behavior. And finally be sharing our empathy, “broadcasting” openness, and helping heal.
I like this concept, and I don’t know what it looks like for me yet. But given how much her ideas have struck me this week–including the concept that there’s enough work for everyone, especially sometimes competitive groups of urban yoga teachers–I’ll be checking in with it, and would love your own thoughts around gratitude and grief.
Chalk it up to wanderlust, but when designer extraordinaire Lenny Naar passed along Me No Speak, it made me bust out a world atlas. SF-based travel writer Cheryn Flanagan and IT specialist Benjamin Kolowich independently publish a book series that travelers can use to point to the things they want, need and think when they don’t speak the local language. The concept was born out of a hungry night in a Chinese hotel room with hand-drawings created in lieu of spoken communication, and the rest is, well, picture perfect. The guides are also available as an iPhone app should you Turkey or Thailand-bound.
A Big Apple-based pal turned me onto Scribe, a Sonoma winery whose vineyards stand where an industrial turkey farm was the most recent occupant. Once founders Kristof Anderson, Andrew Mariani and Andrew Avellar cleared the buildings and debris (no small feat), a cellar and hacienda have had room to shine. When I visited over the weekend, a group of Cal architecture students were on hand to plan a set of packable and reusable houses for migrant workers that will be tested on the property later this year. The winery is currently “soft opened” for tastings and will be hosting its first wedding this weekend. Mazel tov.
Graphic designer extraordinaire Jamie Panzarella passed along Raleigh Denim: Handcrafted in North Carolina from David Huppert, and I loved it after a) researching small batch denim crafting in SF for The Bold Italic, and b) taking a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains last weekend. And not to fear: you’ll see more from the Ladywood founder when her new design for this here site is unveiled in early September.
I may not yet have unpacked from yoga classes at the Wanderlust Festival (relax–thanks to striking Vacation Rental by Owner gold, they’re clean) but have now reviewed the images more times that I care to share. Highlights of the second year of the summer fest include fantastically-led outdoor classes under inflatable shapes, Ritual coffee available via bike and Airstream, and quality time with mindfully-minded folks. A set of “Speakeasy” talks led by Wisdom 2.0 conference founder Soren Gordhamer focused on meaningful connectivity, and I’d like to see more along those lines next year. See official photographer TinyWater’s great images should you not be able to get enough; they’re best enjoyed when set to the sounds of a roving band.
As ALARM Press introduces its newest magazine title at Chicago’s Glessner House Museum tonight, I’ll be scouring the book for work including a white Moleskine for Yoox, graphic hand printed stockings, and Joshua Tree’s most compelling rentals. Style arbiters and creative pros take note: Design Bureau is “dedicated to delivering honest global dialogue on design from diverse disciplines” and will be offering both a print magazine (covering packaging, products, travel, architecture, et al) and The Intelligencer, an e-newsletter that promises weekly inspiration.
Ah, Thursday. I’m glad that the newly opened HUB SoMa community and co-working space will be making almost-the-weekend better with tonight’s Kiva Social. If it’s anything like last year’s HUB Berkeley party for Kiva’s anniversary–as in good food, music and lots of smart folks–those who find themselves at the Chronicle Building starting at 6:30 are in for a treat of the microfinance, international development, and financial access varieties. The event will double as a sendoff for this quarter’s 37 Kiva Fellows as they embark on international visits to borrowers. Raise a glass to them.
In returning stateside, I’m thumbing through images of the fantastically colorful work of French artist turned Barcelonesta Miss Van. I first got turned onto her fairytale-esque outdoor and exhibit work by Nicholas Ganz’s book “Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Women” and was reminded that she’s been working in Spain recently when stumbling upon large-scale renditions of her work in a gallery/clothing store in the the Raval neighborhood.
As Ganz explains, I looked at (quite expensive) prints of her notable work longingly: “Miss Van’s exquisite taste and her impeccable sense of style let you know that this work was done by a woman’s hand. With each piece, she deftly balances the playful and the alluring with a precision and skill that allows her characters to be insightful, multi-dimensional and fully realized.” Yet the Euro does me wrong on the ownership front.
My most recent sleeping bag purchase was for a thin and inexpensive bag (the two often going hand in hand) bought early in college, and I have rarely paid them much thought since. Enter ALITE Designs, a new SF-based camping goods company whose neon backpacks and tents have me eagerly planning for this summer’s Wanderlust. Founded by former North Face design director Tae Kim, the Potrero Hill-based company will be releasing their Spring 2010 line this Friday at a party with Kelly Malone’s Indie Mart.
After creating products for elite athletes and Everest climbers, Kim said he became more passionate about getting everyday individuals outside with friends (and their dogs). “With so many places to be outside in San Francisco, like Golden Gate Park, Dolores Park, Fort Funston and Stern Grove,” Kim said, “it was easy for me to convince my friends to leave their boring jobs and start Alite Designs.”
The resulting offerings include Japanese-style fisherman’s packs and magenta and red Sexy Hotness sleeping bags that can be zipped together (for pals, not those nights after outdoor festivals, por favor). I’m a fan of the prices and the color palette, which feel like a rendezvous between Rainbow Brite and classic L.L.Bean.
(Also, two points to ALITE for using the customer feedback solicitation tools from Get Satisfaction–a good partner for getting started on the eve of the social CRM company’s unveiling of the Facebook Social Engagement Hub.)
I’m unabashedly excited about the international premier of the Global Lives Project tonight at the Yerba Buena Center. After watching some of the early footage from the library of human life experience’s “day in the life” shoots, seeing the completed videos records of ten people from around the world who represent the diversity of the global population should be most intriguing. (Not to mention a testament to founder David Even Harris’ vision, the assistance of volunteer videographers and producers worldwide, and a fair amount of free translation software.)
I’m fortunate to be writing from Miami (and won’t even let pals in SF onto the sun here) at the Wanderlust Festival’s first East Coast conference. The yoga, music and mindfulness conference has expanded beyond Squaw Valley (whose wonder you can read about here) to a hotel that rivals any Ace in white linens, reproduction Wayfarers, and exquisitely designed toothpaste packaging. The Standard–not be confused with the New York hotel of the same name as it’s printed upside down–has a giant pool that at the moment is filled with rosé-hazed yogis.
