Friday Favorites

Today was a good day. The thunderstorms that the weatherman had promised us, ended up arriving sooner than originally scheduled. So we slept through all the doom and gloom, and when we woke it was clear skies and 75 degrees. Good deal. In the morning we got our orders packed up and shipped off, then we used the second half of our day for a trip to Whole Foods. We don't live high-flying jet-set lives anymore, so for us, a trip to Whole Foods is damn near electrifying! (I'm only slightly kidding) But honestly, we love Whole Foods. I guess you could say that outside of making art, cooking is the passion that Aaron and I share. It's the daily activity we do together that re-centers us.
So…at home we cook 100% vegan. Fortunately, we live in a time that makes it very easy to be vegan. In the past it was so difficult for vegans to find viable food options in any place other than the health food store. But now, conscious eaters can get nearly everything they need at their local run-of-the-mill supermarket. And I'm not talking solely about vegetarian or vegan foods…there are also tons of organic, non gmo options of everything in most grocery stores. I know that obesity and bad food are at epidemic levels, but on the flip side of that, I'm proud of the progress that's been made when it comes to the availability of GOOD foods.
Ok, with that said, Whole Foods carries a huge load of the more specialized food items that we can't find at our nearby grocery store. They have so much good stuff for vegan cooking! There is Tempeh galore, all sorts of Seitan options, every variety of vegan cheese and vegan frozen pizzas, endless soy yogurt options…When we finally make our rare visit to Whole Foods, only then do we realize how many compromises we were making with the shopping we were doing at our usual grocery stores.
Wow, I didn't plan on opening this blog post with a monologue about grocery shopping…I honestly just wanted to talk about how our day went! :) But there may be a tiny thread that can tie this together. Above, I had said that we now live in a time that makes it very easy to be vegan. And this makes me very happy. The marketplace is dictated by one single thing: money. Not compassion, not good consciences, not personal responsibility…nope…just money. So when I see all of these vegan/vegetarian food options in the store…or all of the stuff with labels boasting "Organic and GMO FREE"…I know that these items are there because there are lots of people buying them. There is a DEMAND for these good food products…and the food industry is meeting the demand. We are an ever changing society. The optimist inside me believes that we are constantly changing for the better. And it's not just with food of course. The art world has opened up wider. And decor, design, and fashion as well. When I'm on Pinterest and Instagram I'm always coming across brand new beautiful things that I've never seen before…new great artists are cropping up every day. There is a world of art & design that is ever changing…and each new step is more mind-blowing than the last. I count myself lucky to be a part of it…even if my part is only that of "conscious observer". We are living in a great time.
Ok, those are some pretty broad statements. Now let me change my focus to some individual things that have caught a little piece of my soul. First up is the art of Terri Brooks, seen above and directly below. As you know, I'm a huge fan of black & white. It's just so aesthetically pleasing to me. But in Terri Brooks' work there is so much more than mere color scheme going on. It's actually her lack of color that calls attention to the other aspects of artwork. Through the absence of color we are able to focus fully on the process…the layering, the texture, the techniques. I love her work.

Be sure to click her name above to see more of her art.

I've always liked tortoise shell for it's resemblance to leopard print. I think these Hadley sunglasses could totally work for me. Sometimes you just need a big bold statement piece smack dab on your face! You can find these in the Moorea Seal shop.

What is it with me and lamps?! Seriously, I feel like I share a lamp in every single Friday Favorites. I guess I especially like when lamps crossover from "necessary object", to "piece of art". I think this one achieves that crossover in spades!

I love these mint shoes. First off, they're the type of shoe that surprises you when you see that it's a heel. And the color is just so perfectly potent. I'm seeing them with a mostly black outfit…or maybe there is a bit of floral print in the ensemble…and the leaves of the floral clusters are exactly this minty tone. Sounds like an outfit I should render in my Art Journal.

This image is fantastic! Again, be sure to click the link to see the rest of the series. I just love subtle color like this. There are so many photographers I admire who use color ever so sparingly…their pics look black & white at first glance…but then after a minute you absorb their use of color. Love it.

I adore this gold striped stoneware pitcher from the Oh Joy! for Target Fall collection. Again, it's the absence that will make the appearance of color that much more of a bold statement. Meaning…imagine how amazing this pitcher will look with a bouquet of bright pink roses stuffed in it! Oh my gosh…the shimmery gold will LIGHT UP! It looks like a trip to Target may be in order.
Ok, that's my current Friday Faves. I actually posted them prior to midnight…so it's still technically Friday. ha! I hope you enjoyed. And me and Aaron both wish you a very happy weekend! xo, Jenny…and Aaron