Cue the Inspirational Quote

“You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.” –Anonymous

It’s always nice to have a blunt self-reminder, especially when its honesty is borderline palpable. We should preface the proceeding inspirational train of thought by saying that last week we were taken by a horribly misquoted Heraclitus, something along the lines of “nothing is forever,” which we then tried to spin into a ray of positivity (and by this we mean we tried to give a pep talk to the overwhelming sadness of a well written diary entry), but failed miserably. We thought this week we’d take a different approach, opting for a quote thats anonymity meant less time spent resolving its apparent identity crisis and more time reflecting on its meaning.

What we were trying to extract from last week’s three-word thought was something along the lines of “don’t be afraid of change” and “never settle.” Sure, these are remarks you’ve heard maybe a thousand times, but at some point you must prompt yourself to act on them. Frankly, we could give you a million and one reasons to discontinue your epic daydreaming charades, but no one can better convince you of this than yourself.

Change is maybe one of the hardest and most rewarding aspects of life. Embrace it.

And because we’re sure you’re dying to read the saddest (short) story ever written (kidding, we all know that was every one of Nicholas Sparks’ novels – again, kidding), we’ve attached an excerpt from the perfectly inspirational gloom of last week’s post below:

This excerpt, though sullen, probably couldn’t be truer:

“The point of this post is to prompt self-reflection. These moments are never the easiest to partake in, especially when they require sorting through that box you’ve had packed away in your mind’s attic for the past year (maybe longer). And we think it’s time. You owe it to yourself to always look beyond what you can make out in the distance. “

Inspiration: Interior Meets Fashion

We love a good excuse to mesh different niches of the design world, so today we’re sharing some style similarities we’re seeing in both the fashion and interior realms. Each of these dress picks were inspired by the colors and patterns of these trending interiors. And, if we were to guess what women might wear in these particular environments, we think it might look something like this…

Shop these looks online and in store!

*Interior images courtesy of Design Sponge and Apartment Therapy

Weekend Inspiration: dose. market

Instead of spending Sunday morning gossiping over mimosas about our weekend affairs, we took to dose. market for a little local inspiration. Getting an early start to the day was a reward in itself—we woke up around 8:00 AM, definitely a feat for a Sunday. However, we quickly learned that our first dose. experience would fully outweigh our “seize the day” feel good vibes.

Typically when you think of markets you imagine sprawls of booths, product representatives vying for your attention and really, a sense of being utterly overwhelmed. Dose. was more or less the exact opposite. If you’ve never been in the River East Art Center, it’s a quaint space with ultra high ceilings and tons of light. The space is a perfect blend of outdoor market charm with the mere convenience of being indoors.

Strolling from booth to booth we laid eyes on everything from organically baked goods to hand embroidered bibs, dresses and tunics. If there ever was a feast for the eyes, this was it. We tried rich, handcrafted chocolates in flavors like lavender vanilla and dulce de leche, sampled bloody mary mix from Stu’s secret recipe (who could say no?) and tried on trendy recycled frames from an optical boutique in Wicker Park. We also signed up to receive emails about upcoming events at Apartment Number 9, which yes, is a men’s store, but we’ve decided to take a new approach to dating (this was absolutely their idea—maybe).

There was more to visually and mentally digest than you would think there was room for, which made the good two and a half hours we spent browsing fly by like a conversation with your best friend. Of course we should mention that we stumbled across C/FAN who was showcasing their ever-popular highlighter furs (Sarah has their hat in chartreuse and absolutely swears by it). We’d just seen them at Cerato earlier that week so it was a pleasant surprise to run into them again! Another added bonus was meeting the writers behind the revamp/revitalization of The Chicagoan. We love a good read and their first issue (might we call it a small book) was chock full of brilliantly crafted articles.

If you couldn’t tell by our avid raving, dose. market is definitely up there on our Chicago favorites list. Not only were we introduced to some seriously ingenious products from local entrepreneurs, but were able to meet the inspiring individuals behind them.

Dose. market is an absolute must, just make sure to check the dates—it’s an experience you have to plan for! Get Dosed, here.

Get Inspired: Matthew Hoffman

In need of some serious inspiration, we Cerato ladies decided to spend our Friday night perusing the local art scene. The work of Matthew Hoffman was on display at Public Works gallery and Sarah (Cerato’s Manager) is a serious fan. So began our quest, a Friday night spent doing something other than the usual cocktail hour-turned-dancing circuit.

The very essence of Cerato comes from its origin as a remedial flower used to instill intuition and self-confidence, which we instantly found connections to in Matthew Hoffman’s pieces.

We love anything with a good message or an inspirational thread and Hoffman’s work certainly fulfilled our longing for both. Much of the beauty in his work wasn’t so much in the treatment of materials, but in the message relayed through them. The narration, carved with a laser cutter, included brief witticisms and pleasant, reassuring thoughts. As Public Works put it:

“Working primarily in his wood shop, Hoffman uses his most recent work to form a tide break against the waves of negativity in the world around him.”

Sometimes we forget not to dwell on the menial, negative things in our lives, which Hoffman makes a point to address through words and repetition carved in fluid, bulbous gestures. Aside from the meanings themselves, Hoffman uses self-made typeface to aesthetically add strokes of positivity to our everyday.

Moving from piece to piece we laughed, related and in the end, felt a bit somber. Not somber in the depressive sense, but in one of hope and reflection. Below are some of the pieces we really enjoyed from his show. We hope you enjoy him as much as we did, and be sure to check out his artists’ website: Matthew Hoffman!

*”Hey” Smiley courtesy of Matthew Hoffman

Ten Ways to Seize Leap Day

With the beautiful weather cueing our much-anticipated arrival of spring, we’ve decided to spend today brainstorming ways to seize a 24-hour period that only comes every four years. On that note, the key is to be spontaneous!

1)   If you’re spending the day behind a computer or at a desk, we suggest taking a moment to send someone you love an email/Facebook message/text/hand written letter about how much they mean to you. Try doing this for someone you’re not in constant contact with (we’re thinking an old college/childhood friend).

2)   On your lunch break go outside and breathe some fresh air. Put a smile on your face, take a stroll and say “hi” to a stranger. You will feel refreshed in no time and surely you will have brightened someone’s day.

3)   Do something creative. Maybe you’ve been putting off making that beaded bracelet for your friend or even yourself, or maybe it’s something as simple as framing and hanging pictures from the holidays. Whatever it may be, open a window, let in the breeze and really enjoy spending time with yourself and your craft.

4)   Today is all about you. Too often we get caught up being there for everyone else, neglecting our own wants and needs. Well, Leap Day doesn’t come often, so today is the day to be selfish. Book a 60-minute massage, change the polish on your nails (may we suggest the Essie colors from our Polished to Perfection post) or find a new beauty product that really puts a spring in your step!

5)   Nike is having a one-mile run/walk challenge for Leap Day and what better way to carpe diem than to throw on running shoes and go for a jog outside. Not only will you feel great about yourself, when someone asks how your day was, you can brag about completing the Nike Leap Day Challenge!

6)   We think you should invest in a new book (poetry, novel, book of photography—anything inspiring), because today is the day to fill your head with something other than work. Look for something fun and easy, a quick read that will make you laugh (we suggest Beth Harbison, Candace Bushnell and Sophie Kinsella).

7)   Start a journal/sketchbook. Each of us is a writer or designer in our own right and we should all have a means to tackle these creative moments. When you feel inspired by a storefront or the colors in a pattern of a throw pillow, use your journal to jot them down. If we just remembered to keep tabs on the beautiful, creative thoughts that flow in and out of our minds, we would surely have piles of sketchbooks lying around.

8)   Leap into spring with a new pair of shoes. Although we’re ready to show off our pedicures, there’s nothing better than a beautifully boxed pair of sandals sitting in your closet waiting to be taken for a stroll. Besides, if you really can’t deal with the anticipation, there’s no rule against wearing them while you cook or clean!

9)   After work today stop at your local grocer to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables. Take cues from a healthy recipe you spotted online or let the produce section inspire you. We suggest you throw together a shrimp salad with your favorite fruits and vegetables, a great little reminder that summer isn’t too far off!

10)   Make ten goals for your future. Whether they’re about fitness, dinner with a long lost friend or getting that promotion at work, take time to incorporate these “seize the day” gestures into the rest of your 2012.