Fresh white corn

Firm, slightly green tomatoes:(Photo credit: er, me…)

Fresh basil, avocados and best of all…

Purple bell peppers. How could I not have known these things existed? Thanks to the farmers market at Fillmore:

(Photo credit: Molly Watson)

Combined, most of these ingredients make the dish Rick and I have been living off for weeks now. Sunset Magazine’s stupendous Corn and Avocado Salad. Here’s a picture of it to make your mouth water:

(Photo credit: Annabelle Breakey, c/o Sunset Magazine)

Of course, for the aesthetes among us, the colors will also inspire. But for all of us, the taste will just really amaze. I will be quite beside myself when the season ends! Here’s the recipe. Dead easy and the dressing is beyond. I added the purple bell pepper after spotting and smelling them at the market. Smoky, a little sweet. Delicious!

Yep, i’m talking about fashion obsessions. The one thing you always need more of, regardless of what sense, practicality and your finances tell you. In the spirit of sharing my secret shame. i’ve decided to out mine to the world. Here’s a peek:

1. Striped tops – maybe it’s the omnipresent image of Coco Chanel, so alluring in her Breton sailor top, but this one tops the list for me. And i STILL haven’t tracked down the perfect version. Until i do, i’ll keep adding to my ridiculous collection. And i’m not the only one. I spy that Jigsaw has one that could be a contender though… And check out style crush Alexa Chung rocking one at a festival:

2. Black dresses – a very common one this. My rationale is that they are the one thing you can always throw on and it will look good. I’m definitely someone that loves the idea of jewelry and handbags, but then in reality, ends up hitting the edit button and always ends up taking off pretty much every accessory. So for me, a good black dress with some nude or black shoes, is a real staple. I even wore one (ok, two), for my wedding. Check out this beautiful version from UK outlet, LK Bennett. I once spent a considerable amount of money on a wool black dress from their winter sale, and i can’t count the value i’ve gotten out of it in terms of cost per wear.

3. Retro style Anthropologie patterned dresses – ok, this one is quite specific! But i bet i’m not the only woman with this, ahem, problem. Anthro does a lovely line of floral, or quirkily patterned dresses, that are often 40s or 50s inspired, and very flattering to curvier figures. I’m a fan of a random pattern, like birds, or bicycles, as well as a lovely floral, so always find something there to feed my obsession:

So now I’ve outed myself completely! Feel free to laugh if you see me out and about in one of these three items. Or shoot me a warning look if you spot me at a cash register about to add to my collection!

Now I’ve shared mine – here comes the hard part. What are your fashion obsessions? Please share! (I promise i won’t tell…)

So I was delighted by Vogue’s thoughtful article on one of its own, in the latest issue of British Vogue. Pure bliss for me, reading about inspiring style while getting over a nasty cold, in the Sonoma sunshine!

Grace is an original, and a rare person in the fashion world that hasn’t let changing times, new technology and commercial pressures, muddy her pure point of view. Grace creates the most inspiring fashion tableaux, and will to go any length to get the perfect shot. Driven purely by her artist’s eye, her pictures sell clothes more effectively than any number of Z-list celebs with a massive Twitter following could ever do.

One of my favorite ever shots of her, (sadly i can’t find it online to share with you), was of model Stella Tennant, snapped mid-dive into a swimming pool, wearing a tweed suit and rainboots, yet somehow the epitome of chic. How does Grace do it?? And how much work must have gone into getting that shot?

Here’s to an inspiring original.

I loved it too. But my moment of truth and beauty came at the little-known Capuchin Crypt. This is a small crypt, unassumingly tucked away off one of Rome’s busiest streets. It is decorated (if decorated is the word) with the bones of hundreds of monks. Painstakingly arranged in beautiful patterns. I wanted to write about it, but then found this eloquent blog post from The Life of a Lost Muse, that did it for me: http://thelifeofalostmuse.blogspot.com/2010/05/capuchin-crypt.html

Thanks for putting it into words. So beautiful, heartbreaking, and such a useful reminder of our tiny place on the earth. I unearthed a few more pictures from Google images that i wanted to share (photography was not allowed inside):

So, after my favorite colors of Italy, here are some of my favorite shapes. Shout out to our beautiful hotel in Amalfi, the Luna (an old convent), for providing most of these, although the Vatican museums were kind enough to donate a few…

So, i was delighted and inspired by the range of color on display – some natural, some not, some vivid, some muted. Here are my favorites:

Starting in London, where my mom traveled down especially for the day, we had a wonderful time with friends and new additions, plus an amazing break with perfect English weather!

But that was just the start. Impossible to post about everything we saw and experienced in Rome and on the Amalfi Coast, so here are the vital statistics and best shots!

• 3 cities: London, Rome, Amalfi
• 20 gelatos, especially hazelnut and Nutella. Especially Rick
• 60 photos, including this one:

• 30 times we asked for ‘il conto’, after swearing to each other to use our Italian more
• 2 bouts of travel sickness on Amalfi’s amazingly scenic, but very twisty roads
• 45 minutes travel on a hot sticky day to reach the world’s best cacio e pepe pasta
• 1 day to discover the wonders of pecorino cheese with honey

• 5 bowls of pasta all’ amatriciana
• 76 times we had to consult our map in Rome
• 78 times we had flash arguments about directions in Rome, always resolved by a ‘well, which way is the gelato place?’ conversation
• Endless times we were speechless about what we were seeing, in Rome and in Amalfi
• 2 sets of happy tears on seeing the Cistine Chapel
• 1 set of happy tears (mine), on finding my favorite Italian cookies in a grocery store
• 9 times that Rick said he’d be happy to live in Rome. Forgetting that a basic grasp of the Italian language would be somewhat helpful in pursuing that goal
• 7 pounds that I probably gained during our trip in my own personal Eat, Pray, Love homage. O Jenny Craig where art thou? Seriously.
• 15 instances of counting our blessings that the hardest decision of the day was finding the place with the best cappuccino
• 2 very happy honeymooners:

But to me, the real prize has been this. Whatever mood I enter the yoga studio in, I always come out feeling better. 100% of the time.  Yoga’s ultimate gift is that it can take your emotions and use them to shape your practice in a meaningful way.

Feeling a little tired and under the weather? Take it slow and steady, and your poses will reward you, by letting you sink into them, without needing to force anything. The yoga breath takes you there, and it feels loose, fluid and graceful.

Feeling exhausted and wrung out from a day at work? Sat in a chair, with a to do list that stretches to the ceiling and glued to your chair? Impatient and stressed? Take those feelings into your practice and you’ll find strength, again through your breath, that enables you to go deeper into each pose. You actively enjoy the feelings of discomfort as you stretch contracted, knotted muscles and connect with the stress, so you can let it go. Again, it’s all about leaning into the sharp corners.

The poses in yoga remain much the same. So much so, that people ask me if i get bored with doing the same ones, in a similar order, most days of the week. But there is endless variety and challenge in each one, they take a lifetime to master, and they can always be improved. Better yet, you can get a different read on each pose, every time you sink into it, using your mood and emotions to guide you.

To me, yoga’s ability to take what you’re feeling, and use it to better your practice, deepen your understanding and improve your experience, is priceless. And a hugely valuable life lesson.

And I’ve also written about the broader benefits that a regular yoga practice can bring. Increased mental clarity, more focus, and a greater sense of control over the things that well, you can’t control. It’s very different to the Lindy Hop adventures Rick and I went on last year, but I’ve experienced similar benefits. Dance and yoga – I always hoped I’d find my way back to both.

So, now that we’ve discussed these benefits, can we get to the good stuff? Because girls, really, when all’s said and done, yoga is all about the clothes…

I joke of course, but come on! Admit it, there’s definitely a culture of yoga style out there, and even just looking at some of it makes you feel healthier, more glowing and more zen. Or at least that’s what the advertisers will have you believe! And even though I consider myself a fairly savvy consumer, and am definitely into yoga for the holistic health benefits, I’m not immune to some gorgeous yogi style.

So I was thrilled to discover Athleta, a Gap offshoot, very similar to the ubiquitous LuLu Lemon in style and aesthetic, and a brand that seems able to balance the practical needs of various sporting activities with every girl’s need to look cute while doing them!

So far, i’ve only plumped for the black harem pants pictured below, hoping that they look a fraction as cute on me as in the picture, but there’s a whole long list of things I’m lusting after. Of course, that would be denying my yoga principles, but a girl can dream while she takes a few long breaths from the diaphragm. Right??

(Photo credit: Athleta.com)

Even though my schedule is pretty insane, I’ve tried really hard to go to as many classes as I can after work. It’s been tough to get there on time, and i’ve even refused a few midweek social occasions so i can make my class (I know, crazy), but I averaged about 4 classes a week, plus either a gym session or a hike on a weekend too.

So, how do i feel? In one word. Renewed.

When i started the month, it had been many years since I’d set foot in a yoga studio, despite being a pretty intense devotee in my 20s. I was feeling fairly burnt out, a little overwhelmed by a lot of changes in my life and just a little rundown. And on the first few nights, i found myself silently wondering, “why am i in a really hot room, with a bunch of strangers, stretching my limbs until i feel they might fall out of their sockets, and trying not to fall over?” I was stiff, unpracticed, and being a perfectionist, unhappy with what i saw when i looked in the mirror. I couldn’t even breathe properly! (Note to anyone interested in yoga, the breath is all important, and it can be very, very hard to get right). I felt out of shape and out of synch.

But, I persevered. Even when i didn’t really feel like it. And even one trying Sunday morning after a late Saturday night out. I guess yoga helps sweat the toxins out!

And little by little, I started to feel better. The poses came first. I got accustomed to the awkwardness of a lot of them, although I still have a long way to go. Have you ever tried to pretzel your way into Eagle pose, or the dreaded Awkward pose? Yes, there is a pose named for what it is! I’m making progress, but i still get days when the thought of having to go to the next pose in the series just makes me want to weep. Or when my legs shake so much, they might give way. And believe me, yoga teachers show no mercy in their pursuit of your betterment. Which is as it should be. But i still struggled with the breathing, even as the poses got a teeny tiny bit easier.

But then came something even better than starting to get the hang of the physical poses. I started to feel mentally clearer. During yoga, you need periods of intense concentration, followed by a relaxation into the deep foundation of the fullest stretch. Relaxing into something that hurts? Yep, sounds counter intuitive. Until you remember the advice of Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron, who tells us to “lean into the sharp points” of life. I remember reading this in her book “When Things Fall Apart“, and it made so much sense to me at a time when I really needed it. I’d forgotten this wonderful gem until I started up a regular yoga practice again. In those moments of discomfort, even pain, there’s a great learning moment, followed by moments of clarity.

And that’s what yoga’s benefits are all about.

Since doing regular classes for a month, I feel more clear-sighted, calmer, more productive and more positive. Plus, I can’t deny the purely aesthetic benefits of seeing long-forgotten muscles start to tone up! There’s a long way to go, and I haven’t turned into a smiling Buddha overnight. Far from it. Life continues to throw challenges and curveballs, and i don’t always deal with them as gracefully as I aspire to. But yoga, like life, is a daily and ongoing practice. You learn, grow and develop each time you practice. Just like in life.

I also love how Brenda P from cool yoga blog “Grounding Thru The Sit Bones” describes her yoga practice: “I like the logic and structure. I know one thing will lead to the next and, as this progression unfolds, I will move deeper into the practice and into calm. I can rely on it. It’s not that the rest of my life is super-chaotic, but my yoga practice feels like my protected, quiet center.”

As a self-professed lover of structure and organization, and someone who appreciates knowing what is around the corner, there is something in this statement about yoga that soothes me and appeals to me on a very deep level. It’s exactly that – a protected space which I can rely on, and where there is always room for my feelings and for my forward development. Regardless of the mood in which I enter the class, there is always something new I can pull out emotionally, mentally or physically from a class, even if the poses proceed in the same manner and same sequence each time. And it doesn’t judge you if those steps are baby steps one day, and giant leaps the next.

It also brings back my long-forgotten muscle memory. Honed from years of dancing, but discarded as I entered a new phase of adulthood, it just feels good to point and stretch again. As basic a pleasure as it is, pointing my toe and stretching my foot makes me remember what my body can do.

Even after the longest day, and as I finish my first 30 days and dive into the next 30 (yes, i’m continuing the practice), I always, always, feel better for having dragged my behind into that class.

Even if i still don’t have a clue how to breathe…

Photo credit: Andrew Woodburn