A Dose of the Delightful

Currently Delighted By: This Necklace from Toast

I love the simplicity and organic feel of this wood and metal necklace from Toast UK. Alas, if you live in the US like me, there's no store to visit, but you should absolutely and most definitely visit their website! Bonus: they're having a huge sale (this little number's part of it), plus they follow a number of ethical policies that truly make shopping there feel good.

I particularly love their statement "We do not make throw-away fashion." Of course, most things go out of style eventually, but in the era of fast fashion (and fast everything) it's refreshing to happen upon a brand whose goal is for people to keep its items in use for as long as possible and not dispose of them come next season.

Their House & Home section is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Happy Monday! I hope your week's getting off on the right foot.

DIY Peanut Butter Update: Sweetened With Maple Syrup

When I posted my DIY peanut butter recipe, I mentioned that I had plans to try a version sweetened with maple syrup instead of honey. I finally did, and the results are in: I like it even better than the original! It's subtly sweet, and not at all too mapley. I also decided to cut back on the coconut oil this time since you can definitely taste the coconut. Instead, I used a mixture of coconut and safflower oils. If you're not familiar with safflower oil, get familiar! It's an incredibly healthy oil and has no noticeable fragrance or taste - making it a perfect substitute for canola oil.

Here's a modified version of the recipe:

3 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
1 tbsp coconut oil 
1 tbsp safflower oil
Sea salt to taste
Maple syrup to taste

You'll also need a food processor. Process peanuts one cup at a time; add coconut & safflower oil as you go.

This really is incredibly easy to do once you've done it - it takes literally 5 minutes, and the reward is some of the best-tasting peanut butter ever (at least that I've had). It's so good I'm definitely guilty of getting out a spoon and going to town - another reason I'm glad it's so easy to make more!

Sneak Peek: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Artwork by Yayoi Kusama

"I, Kusama, am the modern Alice in Wonderland."
-Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama 

It's only fitting that the self-described 'modern Alice' was commissioned by Penguin to create artwork for a new edition of Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, to be published February 2. (Side note: can you tell I really like Penguin Classics? They've done so much amazing stuff in the past few years, working with incredibly talented artists, illustrators, and typographers to produce gorgeous covers & interiors).

Cover, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Artwork by Yayoi Kusama

Kusama is pretty fascinating: since she was a child, she's suffered from hallucinations that obscure her vision with spots. She's also battled with mental illness from childhood; she checked herself into the Seiwa Hospital for the Mentally Ill in 1973 and resides there permanently of her own accord. Her perspective on the world has translated into whimsical, surreal artwork - perfectly in keeping with the feel of the fantastical Wonderland world Carroll created.

Chapter 5: Advice from a Caterpillar

I'll definitely be adding this edition to my bookshelf - it's too beautiful and unique not to.

More about the artist:

Yayoi Kusama grew up in Japan and studied a traditional style of painting called Nihonga, but disliked the formality and rigidity of the discipline. She started painting abstractly and, after time in Tokyo & France, moved to New York at 27 in the late 50s, making a name for herself in the 60s Pop Art scene.

One of her recent installations, created for the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, comprised a pristine white environment Kusama created, which was then finished by her tiny collaborators: thousands of children that filtered through the museum and plastered the space with bright stickers.

If you happen to be in London this spring, a retrospective of her work (over a 40 year period) will be on display at the Tate Modern from February 8 - June 5.

Good Causes: Crewcuts for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

This 'Victorious' tee has been around for a little while, but it's so cute I couldn't resist posting about it.

Not only is it adorable, but it also supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, so what better way to help than with a gift for a child? All proceeds from the shirt go directly to LLS (and J. Crew generously waives all shipping costs).

The illustrator behind the design, Dallas Clayton, is a pretty outstanding guy with a mission to spread through his Awesome World Foundation,  "formed in an effort to promote children's literacy by encouraging kids to dream and dream often." 

Here are a few of his warm & fuzzy illustrations - they're perfectly imperfect in a way I can remember relating to a as a child, like the work of Quentin Blake, Shel Silverstein, and Dr. Seuss.

 

He also has a website full of original watercolor art for kids called Dallas Loves You. It's all so happy and positive, I feel good just looking at it!

Design Mom just posted an interview with him, and it makes me like him even more!

Click through for a few more of my favorite illustrations of his.

Currently Delighted By: These 6 Natural Grooming Products

One of my numerous resolutions for this year was to not only cut out products with ingredients I consider non-negotiables for both me and Earth, but also to make sure I find natural products I like just a much as the questionable ones I used to use.

I get pretty indignant when I think about the fact that super expensive luxury beauty products often share many of the same principal ingredients as drugstore varieties: cheap petroleum-derived fillers like mineral oil, petroleum, and paraffin (none of which I particularly want to slather onto my skin). In most cases, we just end up paying for their packaging and marketing, not for ingredients of true quality and purity.

There's been quite a bit of trial and error in my hunt for natural beauty goodies, but I actually own and use all 6 of these picks as part of my daily grooming.  

1. Organic Almond Lotion, Compagnie de Provence, $32. Nope, it's not cheap. But it smells subtle and fresh, is completely natural, and ultra-moisturizing. When I think about the fact that we absorb much of what we put on our skin, buying lotion that doesn't contain ingredients soaked with chemicals like pesticides & herbicides seems a little less frivolous. While there are plenty of inexpensive organic lotions out there, I like using this one as my occasional fancy indulgence. Plus, it comes in a sturdy brushed glass jar I intend to turn into a vase (or recycle).

2. Blossom Natural for Her Deodorant, Herban Cowboy, $6.66. I love what this deodorant doesn't contain: aluminum, triclosan, parabens, or petroleum products. Plus, it's been a struggle finding a natural deodorant that has a non-musky, granola-y scent. This one smells fresh and flowery. 

3. Honeysuckle Bath & Shower Gel, A La Maison de Provence, $7.46. This product is a perfect example of the idea that a product doesn't have to be labeled 'natural' or 'organic' to contain safer ingredients - the formula is actually a very old-fashioned one.This stuff smells so good it's unreal! I'd never seen it before but found it on a trip to Whole Foods. The ingredients couldn't be purer: coconut & olive oil, natural vegetable glycerin, argan oil, vitamin E, and natural fragrance from plants & essential oils. Another thing that sold me on this soap is that it lathers so well - lots of natural shampoos and soaps I've tried don't (because they don't have harsh sulfates), but this one accomplishes it through vegetable glycerin.

4. Sandalwood All Natural Lotion, Shikai, $7.99. Again, this stuff smells unbelievably delicious - Gardenia is another favorite of mine from Shikai. The ingredient list is simple; the lotion moisturizes better than many I've tried.

5. Moisturizing Lip Balm, Primavera, $18. Also not so cheap, but you're getting 95% organic ingredients - and because my lips tend to suck up moisture like a cactus, I want to make sure that what they absorb is wholesome. Subtle flavor and slick texture - not too goopy or liquidy.

6. Nudist Lipshine Stick in #3, W3LL PEOPLE, $23. This one is really like a lipstick. The texture is a bit sticky, so it stays on for hours, and one tube lasts and lasts. Ingredients are extremely high quality - there's not even a smidge of something remotely objectionable.

Read on for tips on how to clean up the inside of your bathroom cabinet!