Lux Lotus

My Life in Pictures: Starting the Day

There's a scene in The September Issue where Vogue creative director Grace Coddington is in a car en route to the couture shows in Paris, and she relates a story about the famed British photographer Norman Parkinson telling her to, always pay attention or you may miss something that will inspire you. She always thinks of that, even in the back of a cab. "Mindfulness," being wholly absorbed by the present, is a central concept in Buddhism, and all forms of meditation. Usually when I open my eyes in the morning I start returning emails within moments, out of habit. Today, though, I woke up slowly, observed the rain, and decided it called for pancakes. So I made some! And savored every bite.

What Do You Do?

It occasionally comes to my attention that many people have no idea what I do for a living.  I am an independent public relations representative and consultant, and I advise clients on strategies to more effectively reach their ideal, natural audiences. I work a lot with books and writers, and also bands and films, too. I like to think of my clientele as creative professionals and organizations with cultural projects, broadly defined. A new project that's launching today is internationally bestselling author Meg Cabot's popular eponymous site, which has had a relookage, as the French say, by Hanee Designs. I worked with Meg and her team on evolving the content mix to stay true to her voice, and to her readers. We met over lunch at Brasserie earlier this year and clicked and started work on this project, and when I was in Palm Springs, her agent called me and asked if we might continue our collaboration, which I very much enjoy. Some highlights since we've started working together: Meg's contribution to Significant Objects, and when NPR picked up one of her blog posts. In other news today, at The Huffington Post, the unicorn-emblazoned t-shirt that I inspired is Two Dollar Radio's top seller. I'll be at the Center for Fiction's Writers Conference next month.

My True Love Gave To Me (Five on It)

I thought there'd be an even dozen volumes to this year's Lux Lotus Gift Guide–– kind of a super-Windowlicker–– but I got tapped out at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. I suppose my true love & me would find something else to do for the last five days of Christmas...

My True Love Gave To Me (Vol. VII)

"Love" bracelet–– $3,850 at Cartier

"Dessert" print (limited to 15)–– $10 at M+E

Cheeky

This morning I woke up bright and early for a special occasion–– having a chandelier hung! (pictured). Later I went out to pick up my new blush pink floral '70s Balmain silk dress from the cleaners, and my vintage nightgown from the post office. On the way, I discovered a new cafe I've been dying to try is open... sort of! Cheeky Sandwiches is in the midst of a soft opening. It's on Orchard between Hester and Canal, and you can't miss the big blue shutters. Inside are the loveliest handpainted murals, painter's stools, and creme soda so good it made my hands shake. I had the most sublime buttermilk biscuit with scrambled eggs, Tabasco and muenster cheese. The chef even told me about a licorice shop in Nebraska that I haven't been to yet (I'm going back in June to teach at the Summer Writers Conference). I asked the owner, who's from New Orleans,  if it would be alright if I wrote about his place on my blog, and he said, of course, and asked me what kind of things I write about. "Oh, you know," I replied, "Museums, clothes, expensive things I'd buy if I were rich." He laughed, and said, "You're like a little girl." Sometimes.

My True Love Gave To Me (Vol. VI)

SixCup Handblown Series Glass Coffeemaker–– $77 at Chemex

Heirloom Blanket in Ivory–– $214 at Pendleton

Fendi Peek-a-Boo Tote–– $2420 at Neiman Marcus

The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook–– $40 at bookstores

Lux Loves: Anita Loos

One of my favorite reading experiences of all time was when I spent a couple of weeks at an ashram (yoga retreat) in rural Quebec, and would walk miles each way into the nearest village to buy almost any English books I could find. Most memorably, I read Vanity Fair, Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre and Gentleman Prefer Blondes; the latter, a Jazz Age satire penned by Anita Loos, probably about ten times. When I read that she wrote the screenplay for Red Headed Woman, as I came across it at Kim's on my way home tonight, I bought it on the spot. Urbane, earthy and sly, Loos' crisp dialogue (as uttered by Jean Harlow, no slouch herself) had my mouth ajar from the first scene.  Naturally.

Insight

Tonight my beatific beauty artist friend, Anne-Francoise Potterat, whose paintings have been the first thing I see when I wake up for the last few years, invited me to join her at meditation at Tibet House. Only as it began did I realize the teacher was the famed Sharon Salzberg! I feel renewed, kinda like after those dreamy weeks I spent Upstate this summer with Namgyal Monastery.