V-day is coming early this year over at the Gilt Groupe! Ditch the Victorias Secret Pink spit-up-stained cotton T-shirt and sweat shorts at the bedroom door; here's all a mom needs to feel like a '30's screen siren!!
The Lake and Stars underpinnings via Gilt
(Make sure the Mr. gets a sneak peek at the A-list PJ's - Date night just may end early... "Uh, check please!")
Remember this Puzzle cutting board I blogged about a while ago? If you thought that was great for a party, check out this one! Beautiful solid acacia wood - displaying the most gorgeous and natural grain - interlock or come separate for cutting, serving, and entertaining. Plus, this is the type of kitchen goodie that manages to make your kid's daily cheese and crackers look rustically chic (not to mention fun!). Treated and finished with mineral oil, this 6 piece cutting puzzle is fabulous form + function + fun! Puzzle board from VivaTerra, $39.00
I just thought I'd give you (my original devoted readers) all a heads-up about a new development: I took a job doing some freelance writing for the Algemeiner Newspaper Publication. My first piece is on Tu B'Shvat and is printed in this week's paper. Wanted to share it with you all first! (You can read the Algemeiner E-Papers here.)
Going Green? Plant a Little Seed.
Am I the only one, or has the term "green" got you feeling blue as well? Are we truly a generation in agony; subjecting ourselves and our children to environmental damnation? For as long as I can remember, environmentalism has always been generally frowned upon by union of the orthodox ("Money going the way of the whales? Feh!"). But far long before WALL-E programmed the masses with the guilty conscience of spoiling the planet, before a (rather fabricated) Truth became Inconvenient, and even much earlier than Willy was set free, we were given the secret to existential longevity: waste not.
Believe it or not, recycling is not quite as new-age as we'd all like to think. When theTorah is referred to as a "guide to life", it is most definitely meant to be taken literally. We were given the key to being green - long ago and far away, atop a mountain amidst the Sinai desert; it was given in the form of a prohibitive commandment: Do not destroy. There it is, in all it's glory - at the very crux of Jewish ethics - simplistic, minimalist,modern.
In early Rabbinic Law (as mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud), the "do not destroy" principle applied to a myriad of things: the wasting of lamp oil, the tearing of clothing, the chopping of furniture for firewood, the killing of animals etc. Though, it should be noted that originally, this law was rooted as a Biblical commandment that was limited to times of war, and forbade only the cutting down of fruit trees. Fruit trees! Imagine that. The Israelite army forges though enemy-lines and into conquerable land, at which point they must remember to "watch out" for the fruit trees! The Lord is truly One of Kindness and Compassion (suddenly the save-the-whales-naysayers look like the ones in need of savior...!).
I don't know if you've ever got to really thinking about the general concept of Tu B'Shvat, but the enormity of an agricultural holiday on the Jewish calendar has always got me contemplative. Celebrating the "new year" for the trees can seem a bit extraneous, even when viewed in reference to calculating the beginning/end of the tree's life cycle for the purpose of the biblical tithes involving trees and fruit (which is, by the way, the practical reason for the marked holiday). As a child, this day was reminiscent of enjoying some dried fruit, and possibly potting some wintertime bulbs in little terra cotta planters at school; as a mother, this holiday conjures up strong emotions and intense resolutions. Somehow, when thinking about Tu B'Shvat, I wind up on the beaten path of man being likened to trees. As cliché as the whole "man; a tree in the field"-thing may sound, it still manages to take me to the awe-inspiring place of people; of birth, and growth.
Did you know that once a seed is planted, it is continuously in a state of growth? Should that growth cease, the plant would promptly perish! Am I alone here in my fascination, or is this concept truly as enthralling as it seems to me? We all plant little seeds on earth, in one way or another; be it a humanitarian project, a new charitable fund, a novel form of education, a personal resolution, or even an actual child. Once begun - in order to sustain the life of those seeds - we must ensure that they are in a constant state of growth! There is no such thing as just existing, they must be growing! It sounds quite simple, really: atop a stable foundation, a healthy seed yields a healthy plant, which in turn, with care, irrigation, and sunshine, yields a healthy tree with firm roots; producing sweet fruit.
I think this holiday is a time to stop questioning the stability of our own foundation, the nicks and scratches we may have been subjected to as seedlings, the ill effects the elements have had on our branches etc. It's a time to just plant! Get on with what is globally important - our contribution to future life on earth is being even more environmentally responsible than instituting a neighborhood compost center in our backyards. It's time we think about what and how we are planting, what we are giving to the earth and how we will embark on making it a lasting, healthy, and fruitful contribution.
This can mean something entirely different to all of you respectively, and take it as you will. To me, this means trying - really working hard at - forgetting all the many ways I feel my Jewish education may have been tainted, my chassidic beliefs may have been altered, my personal outlook on life may have been manipulated etc. and just focusing on infusing my children with the values, principles, and ideals that I believe to be true and integral to Jewish continuity.
God commanded us against destruction; and in doing so he taught us an ancient - albeit, everlasting - lesson in environmentalism. He also gave us a day to celebrate global growth, and instructed us to plant and cultivate His earth. On this holiday, you can reach out through the JNF and donate a tree to be planted on our Holy Land's soil, or this year you can try a bit harder, and take a deeper look inside. Search for something dear to your heart, something you'd like to contribute; plant a perfect little seed... and watch it grow.
May we, as a people, merit to witness the Torah as a literal Tree of Life to those who cleave to it, and may all who uphold it be openly blessed.
I hope you all enjoyed the extra little bit of weekend we were graced with. The weather here spiked to the 80's (!!), so I've simply been frolicking outdoors - it was the kind of weather that brings you an intense amount of actual physical pleasure - and it was glorious! On Sunday I found myself leafing through the Urban Outfitters early spring catalogue and wound up in a state of shock a few pages in; a full-headscarf wearing, high buttoned blouse sporting, long sleeved clad women - who looked an awfully lot like my 2nd grade Hebrew teacher - was splashed across their main spread! Is that model from Boro Park? Did the folks over at Urban find some fashion inspiration from the many religious jewish women who frequent their stores? How is that now a trend?? After studying the photoshoot a bit more, I realized that this whole thing was in fact shot in Israel (looks like Tel-Aviv). So while the headscarfs and blouses are part of the Urban spring collection, I know beyond a reasonable doubt that these style trends were most definitely sparked by the ultra-orthodox ladies of the land. I mean, when I'm in Vegas with friends we get a nice amount of stares for covering out hair by the pool - I never thought I'd see a fashion lineup of hot models at the Dead Sea shore in bikini tops and tichels! Someone should tell Urban to start carrying the Milano WiGrip! :)
But that was early Sunday morning. Sunday evening brought something entirely more stupefying altogether: the couture at the Golden Globes. Hollywood's red carpet was a shroud of coverage! I honestly couldn't get over the long-sleeved revolution (we won't mention the low-dip backs, it's the front that's topic of interest)! I know the runways have been getting much more coverage over the past 3 seasons, but this was absurd! Apparently the right to bare arms has been eclipsed by the sleek long-sleeve trend... and they all look ravishing, to boot!
There's just something so astonishing about seeing Angelina Jolie, a sex-symbol of today's world, with her partner Brad Pitt, an absolute classic Hollywood icon - in a dress that is far more modest than anything I can manage to bring myself to wear!!
Modestly seems to be the latest in fashion trend policy... good luck keeping up!!
Spotted this "work for free" flow-chart from Jessica Hische and I think it's worthy of some lofty office wall space. Print it, frame it, hang it. This is the freelancer's/working-girl's guide!! Made me smile (and cringe, a little).
(You gotta click and open it up to get the full genius effect.)
