Quilt Pieces
Good Morning you hopefully-finding-moments-of-rest Summertime relaxers.
I’ve struggled with what to write this month. I have these ideas and I keep thinking that one of them is What I’ll Write About, but then upon further scrutiny it turns out that The Idea I Had was not the full quilt, but just a Quilt Piece. And by the time I got to the absolute last moment I could write this, all I had was this stack of (what I thought) were six unconnected Quilt Pieces. Turns out, as always, they weren’t as disconnected as I thought.
The first Quilt Piece was this habit I have in the morning where I open my kitchen window and put this little Prism Toy on the sill so it can catch sunlight, causing the whole room to swirl in rainbows. Or at least that’s what it’s supposed to do. Because every morning I put the little toy on the sill, and 99% of the time the sun never catches it (something about the awning on the window I think?). But, I still do it every morning, hoping that today is that 1% kind of day.
The second Quilt Piece came when I was listening to this Dare to Lead episode when the guest just off the cuff threw out this theory about how he thought that your 20s were defined by this desperate search for home now that you’d officially moved on from the place you’d grown up. And that hit me like a ton of bricks, because I’ve been feeling this desperation around Writing lately (the words are slow - they’re deep and wonderful - but slow) and now I’m realizing that it’s because WRITING was the home I found in my 20s, and without it - or even fearing I’d have to go without it - makes me feel unmoored and at sea.
The third Quilt Piece came when I was listening to that old Capital Cities song, Safe and Sound. I realized I sing along with it all the time and never really processed the lyrics. And after the last 16 months where we’ve felt NEITHER of those things on a scale we’d never imagined, it was a gut punch to try to conceptualize of a place where I felt both safe AND sound.
The fourth, fifth and sixth Quilt Pieces came at me on one day. I was scrolling through Instagram and came across one of those inspirational memes that said something around, “The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.” Of course I’d heard that saying before, but… something about it hit different this time. Because, the fifth Quilt Piece was - I’ve also been thinking a lot about how I keep wanting to GO somewhere hoping to “fix” myself - get unburnt out, find my smile like City Slickers, or just learn how to rest even - and then it dawns on me that I’ll have to take ME wherever I go, and chances are VERY HIGH that I’ll be the same burnt out, unsmiling husk in that mud bath in Calistoga as I am here in Los Angeles. And the sixth Quilt Piece came when I was listening to some podcast (probably Dare to Lead who am I kidding) where they were talking about how hollow it is for organizations to seek growth just for growth’s sake, that - in fact - it’s far more meaningful to align that growth with an impactful and deeper mission statement.
All six of these Quilt Pieces are about creating a space where you feel the unabashed joy of waiting on a rainbow, are able to do something that gives you purpose and where you feel safe and sound. A space you can water with an embarrassingly large watering can that’s overflowing with water because you are rooted in a deeper vision for how you want your space to grow and understanding that because you’ve created this space, that no matter where you go you’ll bring the peace of it with you. As I stood back and took in all six Quilt Pieces, I realized that this is a quilt about HOME.
I think, especially after this past year, a lot of us are taking a look at and ultimately redefining some really big concepts in our lives - i.e. What does a home look like? What does connection look like? And what does a career look like? And as I stitched together those six Quilt Pieces I now know that I’m still searching for whatever version comes next, but now - at least - I know how to build what I’m looking for. ‘
What about you? Have you ever really thought about what you wanted and needed in a home?
Each month, I’ll gather:
❤️funny tweets
🤩stuff to watch, read and listen to
🤝great follows on social media
🌈 music to soothe
🕯calming things
*****
❤️
🤩
I’m in the “troll the documentary section of Acorn” phase of this pandemic, and I have found some truly amazing hidden gems: Stitch in Time is a show where a fashion historian chooses 6 portraits that tell the story of that moment in history, then 3 amazing seamstresses recreate the garment using only tools from that era and it’s SO GREAT. Not only is it on Acorn, all 6 episodes are also on YouTube, including this episode on Marie Antoinette.
Another gem I found was this documentary on The Brilliant Brontë Sisters. This doc had personal letters I’d never heard before - it was really great. (this one is also uploaded on YouTube if you don’t have Acorn.)
I love a good music documentary - especially one that explores creative partnerships and the creative process - THIS one about the Kings of Convenience is great - and will definitely make you want to go to Norway. (thank you to Adam for this one)
The new Kings of Convenience album is the peaceful dream you need in your life right now. (thank you to Adam for this one, as well)
I’ve also been listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald lately. The way her voice fills up a home — it just compels you to breathe and let yourself swoon a little.
And it wouldn’t be a Liza Newsletter without a link to some Dare to Lead episode - THIS one with Charles Duhigg on Habits and Productivity was amazing, mostly because there was NO talk of hacks or tips - it was the deeper conversation I was looking for in regards to “why can’t I just sit down and DO this?”
This is a great Lo-Fi Beats Livestream that actually has a Pomodoro Timer baked into it. It’s been SO HELPFUL.
🤝
(I couldn’t get the Example Links to work, so I screenshotted them like a 👵🏻👵🏻👵🏻)
Follow Poetry is not Luxury to get little delicious bombs of wonder in your timeline.
Follow Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS for all things COVID + Vaccine (especially if you have someone in your life resistant to the vaccine, her information has worked to assuage concerns)
Follow Nikole Hannah-Jones as she begins her journey as the Inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University.
🌈
🕯
One of my friends sent me one of THESE Zodiac Sign Boxes for my birthday next month and it is TRULY wonderful. The smell of that candle… DIVINE. Also, in buying stuff from this store you’re helping a really wonderful cause.
I’ve been on the look out for a new shower gel and THIS one? DEAR LORD. The smell! The lather! The soft skin! I love it. (thank you to Leona for this - she also recommended THIS face mask)
I know I bang on about Universal Standard a lot, but their stuff is just so frickin soft. There’s a HUGE sample sale going on right now and I beg of you, get in there and buy yourself something soft and wonderful.
My new go-to lunch is chicken + Boon Chili Oil and I swear to god, this chili oil makes EVERYTHING better and I’m at the point where I just put it on everything.
This one is going to frustrate everyone NOT in LA - and not able to have food cooked by my Step-Dad - but I’ve been going to Gwen butchers for a few years now (thank you to Adam and Andrew for turning me on to them). For his birthday, we gifted him with the most glorious pancetta… I mean, phew. We also got him some bratwurst and Italian sausage and some pasta from Italy along with Santa Barbara Olive Oil.
This one is for my Fantasy Home Office, but these wall-mounted Paper Rolls are a dream, right? I can’t wait to have a wall of these babies. (Thank you to Elizabeth for the link.)