I recently spent time in Wyoming at Ucross, an artist residency near the Big Horn mountains and a 30 minute drive to the small town of Buffalo, a small Main Street kind of town, home to the Occidental Hotel and Saloon (which hosts live music and lots of taxidermy animals), Margo’s Pottery (an amazing ceramics store with work by Margo herself and local ceramicists in the area), the Wildrose Tearoom (which has fresh scones and a huge tea selection) and Lolly’s Sugar Shack. Lolly’s is a coffee shop/bakery that shares space with the Virginian Restaurant, details of both which are showcased here. They are housed in a former bank turned jewelry store with all the original details including the tin ceiling and even the bank vault door. The owner of Lollys told us that many old timers come in and say they bought their wedding rings here back in the day when it was the local jewelry store so it seems a place of good memories (not sure if the bank was ever robbed like in the movies?). Sadly we couldn’t eat at the Virginian because it is closed due to staffing issues but we got to look around. It is definitely of an era. My much loved grandmother (who I never got to meet but I’ve heard she lives on in me through my eyes and temperament) was named Virginia and this whole establishment reminded me of my grandparent’s time, complete with a cut out of John Wayne (who’s movies always seemed to be playing on the TV in the background at my grandfather’s house when I was little (I found these movies all very boring)) and that reproduction of the painting “Three Girls Reading” by Walther Firle, which hung in their house.

It was 25 years ago that I first saw the Madonna Inn driving south on the 101 in Cali and thought whatever THAT is, I have to stay there! Fast forward to this past weekend, when a dear friend of mine got married in SLO and my wish FINALLY came true! The Madonna Inn is an over the top Americana kitsch interior fairytale where understated is not an option and the default color is pink. Opened in 1958 with 12 rooms, it morphed into a vaguely Swiss looking sprawling complex that now boasts 110 guest rooms, each uniquely decorated with themes like Caveman, Hearts and Flowers, the Matterhorn and Sugar and Spice, to name just a few. It also has a restaurant with a classic supper club vibe complete with round pink booths and a dance floor that hosts a live big band and a dance floor (which was being cut up by REALLY GOOD swing dancing the night I was there). For my stay, I was looking for an over the top ultra saturated floral experience dripping in pink 🌸🌷🌺 (it’s my alter ego to my minimalist leaning, usually dressed in black, New Yorker self) so I chose the Floral Fantasy. It did not disappoint. Check it out !

Happy Halloween! 🎃 Or, Happy Samhain! ✨For those of you who don’t know Samhain, or Sauin is a Celtic festival on Nov 1st that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. When this was celebrated back in the day, we have to remember there was no electricity or fresh produce to be shipped in from some far off country available at the supermarket. This was the time of year when one had better be ready for the winter with food stocks, candles and a stock pile of something to burn to keep warm. It was also considered a time when the veil between the spirit world 👻 and our world was very thin. How could one not think about death at this time? It was a time to honor and connect with those who came before us and keep mischievous or nefarious spirits at bay. (I highly recommend The Blindboy Podcast from Oct 23, 2024 which does an amazing breakdown of this holiday in the Irish tradition). With this in mind I went digging today for my copy of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” by Margareta Magnusson to re-read excerpts. Alas I can’t find it which means one of my guests must have “borrowed” it from my library (it’s ok I forgive them! I couldn’t put it down the first time I read it either). Döstädning as it’s called in Swedish (Dö is “death” and städning is “cleaning”) is basically the art of cleaning up and minimazing your possessions now so that after you die this task is not left to those loved ones who stay behind. We accumulate so much in a lifetime and I believe this is the ultimate gift you could give to those who love you. It’s hard enough to deal with the emotions and processing around losing someone you love than adding to this the task of going through and purging everything they own, especially in America with houses with very large footprints. I highly recommend it as a read no matter where you are in your life’s journey.

Domicile usually skews minimalist in aesthetic tastes due to its decluttering and streamlining tendencies but sometimes I just have to post some homey vintage boldness and color! I recently stayed at my friends Clare and Kurt’s home, the Jackrabbit Hideaway in 29 Palms, CA and it was such a lovely stay. They have done an amazing job sourcing fixtures, furniture and knick knacks, keeping the language of mid century modern desert kitsch alive and well in their colorful desert oasis. Hand made curtains with desert themes, bamboo blinds filtering the light, a bright Mexican plastic table cloth, and original artwork add to the cozy atmosphere (I’m vey proud that a chair I reupholstered when I was 23 made the cut!). Sitting outside on the white metal swing under the green pergola watching killer sunsets made it really hard to leave 🌅 PS you can stay here! Book with them directly @jackrabbit_hideaway for your next trip to Joshua Tree! Tihe park is only a short drive away.

After three weeks living on the road, I’ve decamped to Joshua Tree to process and edit footage and just relax and regroup and prep for the next leg of the journey. I’m staying at a few different places in order to check out some new spaces. When the exterior is really what the interior is all about, with these almost 360 incredibly expansive views in north JT, one doesn’t need to be fussy about the space. Keep it simple, minimal and comfy. Done. When the wind wasn’t howling outside (as it loves to do in the desert) I enjoyed so much peace and quiet here with the birds and the lizards.

It’s a snowy day here in Brooklyn and what better way to spend it than flipping through this cookbook The Beauty Chef by @carlaoatesthebeautychef that I’m currently obsessed with: I love her philosophy of clean eating and the recipes have very unique combinations of flavors and textures that are inspiring me and pushing me out of my auto pilot, ho hum, let’s just get fed way of eating I seem to have fallen into due to cooking burn out. This book makes me want to cook again! Also the photography is gorgeous.

Clutter clearing doesn’t just have to do with just getting rid of stuff. It has to do with looking at what we bring into our lives in the FIRST place. Wired just published an article (link-bio) published on Grist about fashion’s POST manufacturing pollution that I highly recommend- it’s a fascinating read. I remember when I had first heard of this mountain of discarded clothing in the Atacama desert and found the whole thing very disturbing and confusing. Why were there massive piles of clothes littering a pristine desert in Chile of all places, like a mini oceanic garbage patch? Then it burned. Having worked in the fashion industry myself (#2 polluter next to oil) it made me want to be extra conscious of what I consume. Here are some guidelines I use: ✨Quality over quantity. Even if it means paying more $ for less items, it ultimately is worth buying quality items that last longer over cheap stuff that falls apart in 5 washes. Find small companies or even individuals that make small batches of timeless well-made pieces. ✨Buy vintage and second hand. These clothes already exist! You also get a lot of compliments on vintage pieces bc they are truly unique one of a kinds. ✨Research the companies you buy from. I use Good on You, a website that rates dif brands on their sustainability practices. There is a LOT of greenwashing happening esp with bigger corps. So find out what sustainable actually MEANS to the company. ✨Buy non “plastic” fabrics like all natural organic materials like cotton, linen and wool. But note even then it can be hard to get a piece that is truly made from 100% natural materials bc of polyester thread, tags or plastic buttons. Check out brands like @abch.world whose mission is to create truly circular fashion or look up compostable underwear! Its a thing. ✨Buy with intention and buy what you truly LOVE ❤️ so you actually want to keep what you have! You want to open your closet and be syked at what you see! You could even go as extreme as a capsule wardrobe but that is for another post. These are small moves compared to the corp level but you can still play a small part and stop buying smthg just bc it exists. Remember: your $ has power.