P.S. You can pick up a pack of “edible flowers” at Whole Foods with the fresh herbs.

Also, a little tip on how to make clearer ice cubes.

While creating this space-themed series, I spent lots of time browsing the www in search of any and all creative concepts revolving around space, galaxies, planets, elements, and anything other-worldly. There is such a plethora of creative people and projects out there – doing creative research like that always makes me reflect on what a magical place the internet is!!

There were many many things that caught my eye, but this animated short film by Pixar called La Luna, totally stole my heart – the way a great film should. Enjoy!

P.S. We also had a great time with these simple yet wonderful sensory discoveries: Moonsand, Galaxy Dough, and Space Putty (scroll down a bit)!

My mom has been making this crustless spinach and cheese quiche for as long as I can remember. It always seemed to pop up on the dining room table whenever celebratory meals were thrown together, and a slice of it always found its way to everyones plate – even the kids! My siblings and I dubbed it “Popeye Pie”. Yes, we were that oldschool. :) It’s low-fat, low-carb, and ridiculously easy to conjure!

Spinach + Muenster Quiche

- 2 cups Frozen Spinach (defrosted and drained)

- 1 tablespoon Light Olive Oil

- 16 oz. Sliced Muenster Cheese (shredded would work fine too)

- 5 Eggs

- 1/2 cup of Flour

- 1 lb. Cottage Cheese

- 3/4 teaspoon Salt

Whisk eggs, break up the sliced cheese, and combine all the ingredients together in one bowl. Pour into an lightly greased quiche plate (I use this basic one for so many things!) and bake on 350° for 1 hour. That’s all. Enjoy!

I think this is something you either completely relate to or something you have no issue with. When I’m hungry – all hell breaks loose. My family has gotten to know this so well, that when I start my b*tching my husband says “okay, why don’t I watch the girls while you go make yourself some lunch?”. Ha! And it always works, too. Even my 4-year old has caught on; when I’m threatening too many time-outs Freida will ask me “Mommy are you feeling crabby because you need something to eat?”. She just melts my heart. And then we share an apple + peanut butter and all is well with the world.

Check out the other adorable stationary goods from Print Smitten on Etsy. I’m particularly fond of this hilarious beard card, and I really love their gift tags.

Last night I went out with a friend of mine, just to grab a drink or two and gab about life. While sitting in a darkened industrial-chic bar and exchanging thoughts about childrearing and upbringing, we haphazardly dappled in the topic of little girls – it was a few short sentences, and then it was over, we continued talking about something else. But I was still thinking about it by the time I settled into bed a few hours later. Little Girls…

I often catch myself wondering about the way I’m raising Freida, and how it sometimes feels like instead of empowering her I’m stifling her. It’s not that I really notice it while I’m doing it, but every once in a while she’ll say something that will completely make me cringe (“Do I look really beautiful today?”) and leaves me pensively combing the way I treat her and her little girlfriends. The truth is, I do often say things about her looks – it just comes out so naturally, the same way I smother her in kisses all day, I tell her she’s a little beauty. But! When I hear it out of her own mouth, it gives me a bit of a sinking feeling, and I know it’s not the greatest way for a 4 year old to be talking…

It’s not so much the concept of her being aware of her looks or her clothes or her hair – that I find natural, normal, and even wonderful; it’s the fact that I don’t want her to be misguided into possibly thinking that looks are the only thing, or the most important thing, that matters in social life. I want her to be deeply aware of the fact that her peers throughout life will value her for her character more than her wardrobe!

A few years ago I read a really wonderful article about How to Talk to Little Girls, and after a bit of web browsing I found what I was looking for. It was a piece written by Lisa Bloom for Huffington Post, and it touched upon this topic in such a simple practical way!

“Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse, which is to tell them how darn cute/ pretty/ beautiful/ well-dressed/ well-manicured/ well-coiffed they are… It’s our culture’s standard talking-to-little-girls icebreaker, isn’t it?”

And it’s so true! Whenever I meet a little girl, the first thing out of my mouth is something about her looks! It’s almost instinctual to me to compliment her on something as a way of striking up a conversation. But what I fail to realize is that striking up a conversation that begins with looks is setting up for a conversation about looks. That’s not much of a conversation at all. How exciting can it really be to talk about how her mommy made her pigtails and braided them like this or that…? What a waste of an introduction to a little person who likely has so much creativity/imagination/curiosity to offer up!

“Try this the next time you meet a little girl. She may be surprised and unsure at first, because few ask her about her mind, but be patient and stick with it. Ask her what she’s reading. What does she like and dislike, and why? There are no wrong answers. You’re just generating an intelligent conversation that respects her brain.  You may get some intriguing answers. Tell her about your ideas and accomplishments and your favorite books. Model for her what a thinking woman says and does.”

Isn’t this a fantastic fix to a common problem? I’m so excited to put this new tactic to use, and I can’t wait to meet or greet a little girl and see where our conversation goes. It can be as simple as what she ate for breakfast, why she’s most excited for summer, what kind of music she likes best, or even what her favorite color is (contrary to popular belief, it just might not be pink!). I know I would love the refreshment of someone meeting Freida at the park and asking her something about herself, or even complimenting her on her monkey bar skills instead of her blue eyes. And I know for certain that Freida would react marvelously to a question that actually makes her think, and values her being and opinion.

So ladies, let’s get to it and fix the world problem of self-sexualization one little girl at a time! Who’s with me?

Therefore, I think she definitely needs (read: I really want) one of these darling Lumineers prints from The Little Illustrator. How cute?

I’ve been sitting for hours at the computer these past few days, catching up on boring work mostly, but I’ve been working on some fun projects as well. In any case, music is always the only way I get through work days. And good music is even better. But! When the good music comes along with an insanely mind-blowing music video? Well, that’s just the kicker.

I’ve had a few songs on repeat for a while (I’m totally one of those annoying people who can listen to the same track for eons of time before moving on), and when I finally went looking for some creative inspiration and checked out their official music videos – well, I literally have no words for these artistic animated stop-motion magical creations. Prepare to be blown.

(The Shins, The Rifle’s Spiral – created by Jamie Caliri)

(Liz Green, Bad Medicine – created by Joseph Brett)

Like most of my neighborhood right now, I’ve been completely enwrapped in the new season of Mad Men. The 2 hour premiere had me benched in its iconic riveting drama (I’m usually too ADD to sit through a full-feature film of 90 minutes or more!), and this weeks episode, To Have and to Hold, left me entrapped in their mid-century modern world – thinking about their lifestyles and relationships in a way one usually only thinks about themselves… Aside from obsessing over the time-period pieces of furniture and fashion, I’ve been thinking lots about the contrast in the roles of the sexes, racism, and even politics. TV has gotten seriously thought provoking, ladies. And I’m loving it.

Anyways! While the world was waiting anxiously for the premiere of Season 6, heaps of graphic artists and designers produced pieces inspired by the Mad Men time warp. This collection from Shutterstock made me look: Mod Men, The World of Man Men Through a 21st-Century Lens:

I know I’ve posted here before about the concept of honest photography, but I thought I’d revisit it once more via the most honest wedding photos I’ve ever seen. When we were in Florida back in January for my brother Yossi’s wedding, Zalmy Berkowitz  (remember this honest photographer?) joined in the celebrations by gracing us with his camera lenses (and his presence). And while a bearded dude in a kasket with several leather camera straps around his neck (talk about hipster) may not bear any semblance of “professional photography”, the captured images emanate beautiful honestly. Seriously, have you ever seen a more radient bride?? He captured her beauty. In the most natural, personal way. To me these photos feel so alive and intimate, I almost feel like I’m invading someones personal space…

And how about those family photos? The ones where the camera boss sets you all up to “perfection”, tells you which hand to place over which, and just how to ever-so-slightly tilt you chin forward and gently smile? Ha! This man is evolved. And honest. :)

Not to mention, he gets results. Have you ever seen a more happy family photo? It may be imperfect, but it’s so much more real! And so much more us.

I’m particularly partial to this shot, in the way my girls are so used to their crazy-ass daddy that they can’t even be bothered to look up at him flinging himself off a sofa. They are so comfortable in the photo setting, they hardly notice there’s a photographer at all; they’re just stuck on the fact that they are jet-lag, hungry for dinner, and annoyed at the windier-than-expected weather. :)

But the greatest outcome is the love. How he captured the love…

It really feels too personal, right?

Photography is an art form. One that has been long lost in a rolodex of generic professional wedding photographers, sears family portraits, and studio shots. The life has been sucked out of this genre for much too long, it’s time to go back to raw and organic film (literally, this guy uses actual film!). So do yourself and your family an eternal favor – seek out an honest photographer.

You can see a slew of more wedding photos and find out lots more about Zalmy here.

I was recently helping out a friend and working on some branding ideas for his startup company. While pouring over the internet for fresh and current branding inspiration I happened upon Hipster Script and it made me smile. These posters were created as a series to promote the new typeface, and are hilariously perfectly clichéd.

P.S. While we’re on the subject of hipsters, remember Tattly? Today they launched a wickedly beatific typography tat created by an über-hipster-artist acquaintance of mine. Snag this motivational tat by Menachem Krinsky over at Tattly.com!