typically I am decisive

but didn’t really feel like picking out a dress today to wear tomorrow.  I did pick shoes….the same pair I wore to prom at 15.

December 31, 2008 | brook
Posted in clothing, travel | Tagged | Comments Off

a nice sofa replacement


Phat Knits by Bauke Knottnerus » Yanko Design

 

December 26, 2008 | brook
Posted in materialism | Comments Off

thoughts from dec 25 2008

Recently started reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.  Stephenson is one of my favorite authors of all time, and I’m not sure how I didn’t get around to picking up this book till now (probably because I believe in judging a book by its cover, and this one is now heavily in paperback edition with an obscure symbol on a black background.)

(aside: you’ve gotta love Stephenson’s description of why his website is not pretty.)

Anyway, Cryptonomicon is exactly what I was looking for a couple weeks ago when stranded at the airport, relegated to reading an intensely depressing Philip Roth novel because it was the only brand-name author available in the STL airport bookstore/ DVD store.

I’m in the mood for books that fit these criteria:

  • fast
  • escapist
  • not of the “romantic comedy” variety
  • smart
  • technology-oriented
  • contemporary
  • fictional
  • no torture scenes.

suggestions welcome ;)

somehow, searching for information about Stephenson led me to this interesting art piece by Timothy Hutchings:  the war game is set up by gallery visitors.  how fun.

almost makes me miss art school…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

as far as resolutions go, I use my blog to track what I intended last year (god forbid I have to remember this stuff.)  Here was the list I made last Christmas (old blog).

Here’s how I did:

1. switched to imac and macbook pro.  No longer have a PC desktop, still have a dell laptop for work.

2. save money.  I think I spend less: eating raw means hardly ever eating out.  My personal expenses run (all inclusive, house, car, food, etc) ~$1500 per month, unless I travel for fun (rare). I tracked all personal expenses for a few months to figure this out.

3. my vacation was a disaster as far as relaxation goes ;)   it happened in July, and my goal was to have my place painted at the same time. This meant I spent a lot of time moving furniture and the rest at my parents house.  The paint job looks beautiful though.

I promise, for 2009 I’ll pick a few resolutions that are more challenging.  08 choices were pretty pathetic in my opinion, though I did get a lot of stuff done this year beyond them.

December 25, 2008 | brook
Posted in purpose | Tagged , | Comments Off

thoughts on travel

1. really don’t think TSA special screening is random, despite the little chat they give you before the patdown.  I’ve only been selected twice in my life, both times I had changed my ticket outside of security without 90 minutes of departure.  (one of which was yesterday.)  Standing in line to board the plane, I started looking at other people’s tickets-  the specially screened ones are stamped with red ink all over…everyone else in line who had one spoke with accents indicating they were foreign-born.

2. rental cars in DC and St. Louis come with window scrapers, but ones in Boston during a storm they don’t.

3. XM radio is really, really cool and what I want for Christmas.

December 20, 2008 | brook
Posted in travel | Tagged | Comments Off

somebody will find this amusing…

since the raw food thing, I’ve developed a bit of a system for food while traveling.  Pictured below- that’s for 36-48 hours, with the idea that I wouldn’t have to eat anything acquired in the location being visited….most of the traveling I do now is brief, near airports, and doesn’t give time to go find some palatable food to eat.  If I do buy something out there, it’s usually fruit.

dates with coconut butter filling are my staple-  but require a toothbrush nearby! the idea behind the preparation is, just as TSA will let you have your peanut butter sandwich but not a jar of peanut butter, they won’t take date+coconut butter sandwiches…

and I just gave up on the water issue, and buy the terribly unecological but tasty fiji water available at every airport starbucks for $4.

December 19, 2008 | brook
Posted in food, travel | Tagged , | Comments Off

i should stay off the computer today…

you know, I’m usually pretty technically capable.  Except for today, where I’m having a lot of one hit wonders (one hit of the keystroke).  This afternoon I misguidedly allowed facebook to email my contact database (over 700 addresses)  with a photo of myself and a “check out my profile” message….hopefully, most people will receive it as spam. :)

This evening every comment on my blog got marked as spam and disappeared from view (except in the database, but don’t really feel like digging through that right now.)

December 18, 2008 | brook
Posted in organization | Tagged | Comments Off

arch


as you can see, it’s a snowy day in st. louis. the airline was nice enough to call me this morning at 7am to tell me that my 3:30pm flight had already been canceled. 

December 16, 2008 | brook
Posted in travel | Tagged | Comments Off

woven dress take#1


December 16, 2008 | brook
Posted in clothing, sewing | Tagged | Comments Off

energy levels

Over the past two months, I’ve started to notice some significant energy gains, which I’ll attribute to the raw diet since little else has changed- and most of my calories come from raw sugars and saturated fat!

Eating 99-100% raw for 8 months now, I’ve felt great, but for the first few months didn’t really feel different physically.  Currently though, I find that if I don’t travel by foot 8 miles per day or more, I’m almost agitated by the unexpended energy. This typically is split between 2-4 miles of walking to and from the office, and 6 miles of running outside.  My yoga and weight lifting have slacked off. :)

I would point out this is different from a compulsion to exercise, which I recognize well and is a different feeling.  There is no sense of pushing myself to go run now, or a sense of ‘ought to.’

I suspect that over 60% of the calories I consume every day come from  dates, honey, and coconut butter.  The first two items are dense sugars, and the latter is primarily saturated fat. I eat more than the RDA of saturated fat a day, all in the form of coconut butter.  Otherwise, I eat greens, vegetables, apples & bananas, and flax seed or chia seed.  Very few nuts or other oils.

This morning was an ice storm in Portland-  I wish I had taken some pictures-  and this afternoon I went for a run as usual-  going 10.5 miles, my furthest ever, without the slightest sense of pushing myself.  One hill had to be walked, due to the ice, but otherwise was continuous running.

December 12, 2008 | brook
Posted in food | Tagged , | Comments Off

staff picks: holiday 2008

(We sent this out as a newsletter earlier this week, and I am just remembering to repost it as a blog!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Holidays from brook there!

Need any ideas for your holiday gift-giving?  Look to the brook there team for your inspiration!  Just in time for the Holiday Season, we’ve put together a list of our must-have items.  Our Staff Picks: Holiday 2008 list will help anyone in search of the perfect gift!

Don’t forget to treat yourself for being so good this year, our list will certainly have an idea or two for yourself.  Go ahead, you deserve it!

Brook’s Favorite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blue dress Designer, Brook DeLorme

Waist Dress in Lavender

“Not only is the design of this dress quite flattering, the bamboo makes for an extremely soft feel.”

Anna’s Favorite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blue dress
Fashion Design Assistant, Anna Ray

Long-sleeve Waist Dress in Pink

“I love this dress because of its comfortable material, yet chic look.  You can wear it casually or dress it up a bit. It’s fun and quirky- that’s just what I love!”

Kenny’s Favorite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blue dress Kenny Mazige, Model

Men’s Organic Cotton Jacket in Stone

“I love this jacket’s high collar, as it keeps my neck warm and toasty, without the need of a cumbersome scarf.”

Tyler’s Favorite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tyler Briggs, Director of Sales

Tube Shirt in Pink

“Besides this unreal color, and the fact that Anna and Brook created this from start to finish before I even finished my morning coffee at the studio, the Tube Shirt is one of the most comfortable tops.  The material, combined with the thumbholes, make this top so luxurious, chic and ready to wear anywhere.”

Meredith’s Favorite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meredith Perdue, Publicist

Button Neck Shirt in Slate &  Quilted Skirt in Deep Plum

“Together, the Button Neck Shirt and the Quilted Skirt, is an unbeatable pair- perfect for a variety of situations.  With the shirt half-way buttoned, you feel laid-back and comfortable.  Adding the skirt dresses it up a bit, and you’re instantly ready to start your day with a sense of stylish confidence.”

Brook’s (other) Favorite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blue dressDesigner, Brook DeLorme

Bra and Panties in sea & black

“Simply put, the newly-launched underwear line is sweet and colorful.  Plus the pieces are super comfy!”

December 10, 2008 | brook
Posted in clothing | Tagged | Comments Off