wake up and smell the...

 I first saw a reusable coffee filter at my older sister's house before I even drank coffee, so the idea has been in my mind for many years, maybe 10 or so. When I began drinking coffee the normalcy of paper filters was enough to make me not consider an alternative, although I hadn't forgotten about the cloth ones I'd seen. Then, after moving from England and to LA, I bought my first sewing machine and I now have a special power that I didn't before! Things I used to feel were beyond my ability to make can now be made, and that gives me so much joy.

And so, the coffee filters. We make coffee everyday and the idea came to me slowly and then all at once. I had the cotton because I had bought it for another purpose (eye pillow bags, though it turned out to be too stiff) and so things just came together. I am selling these on my Etsy Shop and hopefully in some local Los Angeles cafes. (Please get in touch if you are interested in selling them).

I've made these coffee filters out of 100% unbleached cotton (which was made in the USA).You can use these just like ordinary filters and your coffee will taste great without the environmental impact of using a new paper filter every time you brew. Plus you will never have to buy the paper kind again!

Instructions are as easy as pie: 

-Place filter in coffee maker basket and brew as you normally do.
-After coffee is made, take grounds out of filter and dispose of them (I compost them).
-Rinse filter in cold water, squeeze out excess water and hang to dry. 

Happy Coffee Brewing! 

lovely lavender

Okay, I love to sew. And I love to sleep...

These eye pillows were inspired by my sister-in-law, Katie, who wanted me to make one for a Christmas present. I was excited by the idea and went about finding the right cloth and filling. The pattern is incredibly simple, but the end product is versatile and something to be cherished. I chose organic cotton for the front and an extra soft reclaimed flannel for the underside of the pillow. The inside is filled with dried buckwheat, giving it just the right weight, and lavender which is a sleep aid and can sooth an anxious mind. These are great for getting rid of stress and headaches, or for your yoga practice during calm and meditative moments. They can also be placed under the pillow on your bed or try putting it in your clothing drawer to give your clothes a subtle smell of lavender. So many ways to enjoy such a simple thing!

The bag, such a good idea! I have made these cute drawstring bags for carrying the eye pillows, which keeps them clean while they travel in your purse or yoga bag.

You can find these for sale in my Etsy shop!

Find out more about Katie (yoga teacher and journalist) by checking out her blog: lightonbalance.blogspot.com/

summer paintings

Eve after the fall, based on the sculpture by August Rodin 

Nels and Eline's apartment in Rotterdam.

River

Waves

I painted these this past summer while in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Jesse and I had just moved out of England and were spending the summer in Europe doing fun things and visiting friends. My color palette grew into shades of turquoise contrasted with warm oranges and reds. I posted some of these in the summer but I wanted share them again after I scanned them with a higher quality scanner (it makes all the difference!).