Sometimes I wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Sometimes I scowl instead of smile. I tend to be a glass is half empty kind of gal, but I'm optimistic that I can change. But it's a process and since I'm not there yet, sometimes I need a reminder that things will be A-okay.

So a new item on my wish list is the Don't Worry Mug from Rock, Scissor, Paper, a sister/sister stationary company out of Los Angeles (I mention this because their So Cal upbringing influences their mod, colorful designs). Like Brynne Cogorno's notecards that grow, Rock, Scissor, Paper's lineup of mugs, coasters, and stationery are all you need to brighten your day.

Rock, Scissor, Paper
11851 Glencrest Drive
San Fernando, CA 91340
Tel 818-361-1142
info@rockscissorpaper.com
Don't Worry Mug, $14.00, 3 3/4" tall x 3" diameter, dishwasher and microwave safe

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P.S. - Have a school, team or non-profit fundraiser coming up? How about nixing the sugar habit that typically goes along with it. Contact Rock, Scissor, Paper for details on how you can fundraise with them instead.

Image via www.rockscissorpaper.com

Aside from bills and advertisements, I hardly ever get "real" mail anymore. If it weren't for my subscriptions to Sunset and Runner's World, I might forgo checking the mail altogether. But I'm hoping that the hit letter writing has taken is just cyclical---that one day we'll all wake up with great penmanship and remember how much fun it is to hold a handwritten note in our hands.

To help us on our journey is Brynne Cogorno, owner of Backward Prints, an eco-friendly stationary line that I came across at the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach, CA. I *love* Brynne's notecards. They have an organic, homemade quality to them (not only in the look and feel of the paper, but in the artwork as well). And the designs are happy. Whether they're robots in love or those Matryoshka dolls you'll remember from your childhood, they simply make you smile and want to send a note to someone (anyone, really).

Brynne's cards are 100% biodegradable and recyclable. And given some sun, water, and time, they grow. Isn't that something to write home about? I think so.

Backward Prints
www.backwardprints.com
beezi@me.com
949.275.1926
Individual cards are $3.50 and up or $20 for a 6-pack of 3.5"x4.25" cards (yes, youu can mix and match!)
Available at her online store and etsy.com

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Image via backwardprints.com

I love beans. Don't laugh! I know what you're thinking right about now, but seriously, beans are practically perfect in every way. They're jam packed with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, and low in fat. Bonus: They're super easy to prepare. Toss them in a crock pot with some chicken stock or water, and you're done. And as for their ill side effect, it's nothing a little Beano can't handle, right?

Last night I cooked up some Yellow Eye beans that a friend gave me from Rancho Gordo, a "New World Specialty Food" producer based in Napa, California. Among other things, Rancho Gordo peddles heirloom beans---lots of hard-to-find varietals like Moro (said to be slightly fudge-like, dense yet non-starchy) and Vaquero (which have striking black and white markings much like a dairy cow's). Up until now, I'd thought beans are beans, right? But a couple bites of the Yellow Eye beans, and I was convinced that their heirloom beans are a huge, no, enormous step up from your typical canned or dried beans---something that has to do with the fact that Rancho Gordo grows their beans in "limited quantities to ensure quality and more importantly, freshness." 

So eat your Rancho Gordo beans, and take heart that you are supporting a small mom and pop-type operation that supports local agriculture and works to help small farmers in regions like Mexico to continue growing their indigenous crops (read more about their RG-XOXOC project).

Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food
1924 Yajome Street, Napa, CA 94559
Tel 707-259-1935
customerservice@ranchogordo.com'
Shop online or find their beans at a store or Farmers' Market near you

I like wine, so no matter the color, the sweetness, or the container it comes in, I'll give it a try. Guess you could say I'm non-discriminatory when it comes to wine. And while I like to try new ones, there's a special place in my heart for old favorites like Sauvignon Republic.

If you haven't heard about this boutique producer, here's the 411. The dynamic foursome behind the project are John Buechsenstein, Chef John Ash, Paul Dolan, and Tom Meyer. Individually they're all heavyweights in the world of food and wine; together they're a force to be reckoned with.

Some might say it's risky to produce only Sauvignon Blanc (from around the world I might add), but I say it's daring and brilliant---and it's at least half the reason I love Sauvignon Republic so much (the other is the taste, of course). You've got to admire a company that walks to the beat of a different tune and happily so.

John Buechenstein is their globe-trotting winemaker, zipping around the world to create Sauvignon Blancs from three unique terroirs all celebrated for their ability to produce top notch Sauvignon Blanc---the Russian River (California), Marlborough (New Zealand), and Stellenbosch (South Africa). Alone they're all superb and ideal food wines; together they're a perfect academic study into regional differences. Why? Sauvignon Blanc picks up characteristics of the terroir in which it's grown, so take a sip and you get a reflection of place----which is kind of romantic in my book. And delicious...

Sauvignon Republic
info@sauvignonrepublic.com
Current vintages of their Marlborough and Russian River are available at select Trader Joe's
$6.99/bottle (a steal!)

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Image via www.sauvignonrepublic.com

If ever there was a treat ripe for a makeover, it was the popsicle. Outdated flavors in neon hues made them decidedly retro, but not in a good way (think artificial flavors and colors, and high fructose corn syrup). They were slated to a life of mediocrity until now...

Behold People's Pops. All-natural ice pops (and shaved ice) made from local, sustainably-grown fruits and herbs. The company whips out unorthodox flavors that light up your taste buds---like blackberry and jasmine, watermelon, cucumber and hyssop (wondering what hyssop is?), and rhubarb and spice. But these are pops for the people, so there's something for everyone. Not a foodie? That's okay. There are more traditional flavors just for you like "straight-up raspberry" and organic lemon.

The dynamic trio behind People's Pops are Nathalie Jordi and her partners, David Carrell and Joel Horowitz. What began as a one-time act of benevolence to support a friend's summer market became a catalyst for an ice pop revolution.

Read a bit of their blog, and you'll want them to be your next Facebook friends. They traverse the world of entrepreneurdom with wit, humor, and a sterling attitude despite getting caught up in a mini-legal drama with Unilever (who knew the term 'popsicle' was trademarked?) and breaking down (often) in their company van. They're certainly the underdogs of the ice pop world, so you can't help but root for them. The fact that their pops are so GOOD doesn't hurt either...

People's Pops
Chelsea Market - Arcade
425 W. 25th Street
NY, NY 10001
people@peoplespops.com
Open 10 AM to 8 PM
About $3.00-$3.50 a pop
You can also find them at Brooklyn Flea on the weekends or check out their Twitter feed for updated locations.
  
**Not in or around New York? Whip up your own Blueberries-and-Cream pops (recipe via Tasting Table).**
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Looking for someone who loves hot, steamy showers and long soaks in the tub. Pretty, sweet and bubbly. Likes a good lather. Good hygiene is a must.

A friend recently introduced me to Napa Farmhouse 1885's handcrafted, organic soap in their signature scent and I have to say, we're a perfect match.

1) I don't like heavily perfumed products. This soap has a delicate fresh fragrance with hints of meyer lemon, mandarin orange, lavender and rosemary. 2) I have dry skin. This soap is super-moisturizing (I didn't have have to lotion up after showering and it's winter, people!).  3) I hate toxic relationships.  It's handmade from organic and sustainably farmed ingredients grown in bucolic Napa Valley. What's not to love?

But if this relationship doesn't workout, I've also got my eye on their dead sea mineral mud soap and lavender bath soak.

Napa Farmhouse 1885's organic soap in "signature scent"
$7 for a 4.5 oz bar

Napa Farmhouse 1885
www.napafarmhouse1885.com
napafarmhouse1885@gmail.com

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I'm not a big fan of "look at me" jewelry.  Sure, there's a time a place for them, like the red carpet or the runway at Fashion Week, but I can't say I frequent those places ever.

Instead I'm running around the neighborhood with my dogs, shopping the local farmers' market or heading down to the library with my son for storytime. Which is why I love the pieces at Anna's Jewlery Design.  It's not just that Anna is a friend (she is). It's that her pieces are beautiful, elegant and understated enough to wear everyday. They're also handmade (I know, I've seen her at work in her studio in Sonoma, California).

I bought myself the ring (pictured above) from the peace collection and am smitten with it. I don't drop this much money on jewelry very often, but Anna's pieces are ones I can imagine handing down. And I feel like I'm simultaneously investing in my friend while rooting for the brave little artisans that have taken the plunge into entrepreneurship. 

Anna's Jewlery Design - www.annasjewlerydesign.com
707.321.3479 or anna@annasjewelrydesign.com

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