It’s been a lot of sitting out on the roof after work the past few weeks, sometimes with friends, sometimes with just me. I’ve never been more grateful for Saint James. To have a place to always come back to, a place to create in, a place to grow in, and a place to be my best self in. I’ve rearranged furniture, created a home office space to work in, finally invested in a full length mirror, and have tried to keep fresh flowers around. Excited to let the curtains get caught in the wind as we start to move into fall, and looking forward to cooking all the warm things. I love watching how this space grows and evolves, and I love documenting it.
August Mood
To a month of trying new things, of learning french, of morning walks to get coffee and staying to write, of getting out, and going blonde.
July Mood
To a month of putting the past behind me, of welcoming the new, of many beach days, of summer dresses, of cold white wine with friends, and of saying goodbye to 25 and hello to 26.
June Mood
To a month of grace, of quiet nights on rooftops, of watching the light fade later, of simplicity, of the welcoming of the heat, of turning inward.
Bits & Pieces
Still on such a high from Paris + Barcelona, I’ve been trying to take a vacation state of mind to my real life. I’ve started french classes, spending more time reading at the park, and have been filling my calendar with all the fun things I want to do this summer. I’m excited to use Paperless Post to plan an upcoming birthday party for myself. Here’s this weeks bits & pieces:
Obsessed with all things Helen Levi after visiting her studio and scoring some things at her sale. I’ve got my eye on scooping up these for my kitchen.
Slathering myself in this, and can successfully say the instagram hype is real.
Reading this and highly recommend for a sunny day in the park.
Tried acupuncture for the first time at this place, and am hooked.
Drinking this as an alternative to an after work beer, and into it. Peach ginger is my fav.
Xx Ruby
Solo in Paris // Barcelona
Realizing I’m in a place where I’m not tied to really anyone, anything, I booked a last minute solo trip to Paris and Barcelona. Taking time to be in an unknown place, get out of my day to day, and just do me, was probably one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a while. There is something so powerful in traveling solo. I love the feeling of wandering streets, connecting with strangers, having endless amounts of time to do whatever. It challenged me too, in the best of ways. I let go of expectations, sat with discomfort, and got lost a few times. However, through all the wrong turns, moments when my phone was about to die, and feeling like my feet were literally going to fall off from walking so much, I always found my way back. I think that was the greatest lesson I learned.
I found the following on a post card in a bookstore in Paris which sums it all up perfectly.
“I once saw A.T dedicate a copy of Bon Voyage for a friend. He wrote, I wish you a Bon Voyage, is there anything better that we could wish anyone?… Whether we are discovering the savage beauty of Crete, building a new life in Paris, experiencing the exhilarating chaos of New York City or languid afternoons in the relentless sun of Province, it’s about absorbing, digesting, and how all of these experiences change and expand our own lives, where ever we may live. Because isn’t this what life is about at its core? A fantastic journey… I too wish you all a Bon Voyage”
May Mood
To a month of stepping outside the day to day, to giving myself a break, to going on vacation, to spending more time out & about.
April Mood
To a month of keeping things simple and finding all the beauty in the process, to doing things that make me happy, to surprising myself of what my body is capable of, and to a month of moving like me.
Lately
March Mood
To a month of trusting myself, to not settling for less than, to taking care of my heart, and knowing without a second thought that gut feelings are guardian angels.
Feb Mood
To a month of making my wants a priority, to trusting my gut — my truth, to being bold, to kicking ass, and to knowing that the only way forward is through. Looking forward to the many realizations I’ve yet to come to, all the boxes I’m going to check off my to do list, the endless amounts of tea I’m going to drink, and the go get em’ shoes I’m going to buy.
Interior Inspo.
If there's one thing I could spend hours doing, it's looking at photos of interiors. I swear I was probably an interior designer in my last life. While the design of my apartment is a constant project I'm working on, I've lately been focusing on updating the things in my space. After a year and a half, I'm starting to realize that my once bare apartment now has a ton of stuff in it. I'm talking candles shoved in cabinets, highly stacked dishes and cups I never use (I'm a sucker for a glass), and piles of books I swear I'm going to read. Accumulating stuff is a funny thing. I'm not really sure how it all got there, and I don't use half of it. As I begin to declutter, I'm keeping a few of these photos in mind.
Jan. Mood
To a month of only doing the best of the best, to sitting with every decision, to putting in the work, and knowing it’s all worth it. Looking forward to cooking warm meals with friends, slow nights, earlier bed times, and really investing in myself and my goals.
The Tulum Guide
Whenever I travel, I always find myself nose deep in list after list, taking note of everything I NEED to do. Tulum is a tough one because really the most important thing you should do there is lay out on the beach, marg in hand, and relax. However, if you're like me and get the urge to leave the beach, here are a few of my recs:
EAT
OJO DE AGUA for the. best. mango juice + açai bowls
THE REAL COCONUT has the most delicious green juice + bone broth. We ate breakfast and dinner here and as a breakfast lover their scramble did not disappoint.
POSADA MARGHERITA is one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever eaten at. I know Mexico typically isn't known for their Italian but their pasta is delicious. The second you sit down you are greeted with a lovely bread, cheese, and olive spread.
DO
BEACH it up all day long, get the tannest you've ever been, and read a really good book. I highly recommend staying on the beach side of Tulum so you have easy all day access to the beach. Some hotels will let you lay out if they aren't busy, but you can't always secure a spot.
HIRE A DRIVER & GO TO THE COBA RUINS. We all pitched in about $100 and hired a driver for the day to take us to the Coba Ruins. Totally worth it. They are about 45mins from Tulum and there is so much to explore. Go in the am so you don't totally melt in the afternoon heat.
YANN WELLNESS SPA was a serious highlight of my trip. Rather than booking massage (which I totally recommend when going to Tulum) I booked a Limpia Santiguada. It was an energy healing massage/ therapy. Since, I'm into these kinds of things I felt amazing after, and really cleansed.
SHOP
COQUI COQUI was a pit stop on our way to Coba. It is a hotel/ perfumery. They sell the loveliest scents. I treated myself to a candle.
MIXIK sells some sweet typical artsy Mexican souvenirs. I picked up a few matchboxes to bring home.
STAY OR HANG
COCO TULUM is where we stayed and it was lovely.
SANARA is where I would stay if I went back. Loved the vibe and they had a really nice setup.
BE TULUM is the ultimate dream spot. Super expensive, but worth it to try to get a spot on the beach for the day.
18 Things From 2018
2018 was one of the hardest years. I felt like I started the year truly waking up to my life. Fresh out of a summer breakup with one of the loves of my life, I threw the sulking away in January and started to navigate all things me. I looked at every aspect of myself and challenged myself to grow. It wasn’t the most comfortable or easiest, but I’m grateful for all the lessons it taught me. Learned/ experienced the following in 2018:
Realized how to be a better friend, and started investing all my time in those relationships.
Had the best girls trip to Tulum (where I got a life changing massage), Spent some time with my family in LA , reconnected with old friends in Berlin, traveled solo to Amsterdam, got too much sun in Montauk, and finally crossed an upstate getaway off my list (something I wanted to do for ages).
Worked the hardest I ever worked, while balancing a full time job and being a student.
Finished my Fashion Marketing degree at Parsons.
Realized I created a really special home for myself in New York, filled with home cooked dinners with friends, and a space I put a lot of work into.
Got more in touch with practicing mindfulness/ meditation.
Said goodbye to some special people in my life because they no longer served me.
Listened to a whole lot of music, and realized it’s the best cure for when I get the loneliness blues.
Learned how to take care of my body.
Started a skin care routine I didn’t abandon after a week— it even includes sunscreen!
I really put myself out there, and dated fearlessly.
Found the love in cooking, and the importance of it when the love fades. I really got into meal prepping.
Further developed my sense of style.
Invested in an actual bed frame after 3 years of not having one.
Killed my cactus, but vow never do so again.
Hosted 15 people in my tiny New York Apt. for Thanksgiving. I made the best apple pie ever from scratch.
Worked on my relationship with fitness, and found the fun in moving my body.
Learned that step one is to breathe.