Things I Love: The Best Body Oil, Puppies, Macrame for Beginners

I’m a firm believer that happiness is something you work at and cultivate through intentional choice. For me, happiness comes in part from finding and saving lists of products, ideas, and designs I love. Instead of keeping that list to myself, I figured I’d share it here. These are some of the things I’m loving right now.

Everyday Oil

If this oil came in a five-gallon bucket size, I’d be all over it. Morningtide, a lovely home and clothing shop in the Berkeley area, first turned me onto this magic potion. Not only has it made my skin feel smooth and moisturized, but also clearer. I find it helps heal blemishes and cuts and scrapes faster. And you can’t beat the scent. The blend of cold-pressed plant oils (Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Argan Oil, Jojoba and Castor Oil) and essential oils (Palo Santo, Lavender, Geranium and Clary Sage) smell amazing. Bonus points: it’s made in my home state of North Carolina. Get some, stat!

Image via Everyday Oil

And Sometimes George

I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a cute puppy. But who isn’t, really? This adorable, adopted pup belongs to badass hair artist Kristen Ess (we can talk about her extensive talents in another post), and I’m pretty sure I’ve liked every single photo she’s ever posted of little George. Is this life-changing, need-to-know information? No, but it makes me smile on the daily.

Spirit Daughter

As you can probably tell, I’m into astrology, horoscopes, and the power of the moon. I found this account when looking for insight into moon phases and am loving her Instagram stories with daily tips. Picking up a new moon workbook is high on my list of to do items.

Image via Spirit Daughter on Instagram

Macrame: The Craft of Creative Knotting for Your Home

There is something lovely about holding a real book. The internet is an amazing resource, but it can be overwhelming, too. This book on macrame is a well-curated resource for learning some basic knots and getting inspiration for projects of your own, beyond the patterns included. If you’re more of a “cook from the recipe” type, the author, Fanny Zedenius of Creataholic, has created modern patterns for plant hangers, wall hangings, and even a macrame-topped stool.

Women Who Run with the Wolves

I devoured this book and had more than a few “damn, I feel that” moments when reading it recently. The construct of teaching through fables and stories really resonated with me. This one will be on my shelf for a very long time, with many quotes like this one highlighted:

“It is said that all that you are seeking is also seeking you, that if you lie still, sit still, it will find you. It has been waiting for you a long time. Once it is here, don’t move away. Rest. See what happens next.”

Magic Lessons, a podcast by Elizabeth Gilbert

For anyone who is working on a creative venture -- or working up the gumption to start one -- this podcast is a good motivator. I just started listening and am looking forward to putting on an episode when I’m in my studio or office working on new things.

Joy Williams’ album Venus (acoustic)

This collection of songs has been on repeat while I wrote this post. Joy is the lady half of now-defunct Grammy-Award-winning band The Civil Wars. Her voice is haunting and emotional and so beautiful. It really gets to shine on this album of acoustic versions from her solo debut.

So there you have it -- a few of my current favorite things. I hope you get a little happiness out of some of these. Have a wonderful week!