Moving Forward and Coping
Our store gives me the opportunity to be in contact, albeit distanced, with such a variety of people. Not alone is that delightful and at times inspiring, recently it also given me insight into our collective conscience, especially that of New Yorkers. On more than one occasion I have asked one of my regular customers, whom I haven’t seen in a while, ‘How are you?’ They answer the automatic “I’m fine” But in practically every instance, within a couple of beats, we look at each other and laughingly acknowledge that no one is ‘fine’ right now and far from it. I could get whiplash from the myriad of emotions in a given day. So many of us are grappling with the current landscape. Trying to get through by creating a new normal. The city as we knew it may be in the past but there is a reason this city is called New York. Because it has continually renewed and reinvented itself and there will be a new NYC better than ever before. In the meantime, we need some self-care. Read on…
Anyone who knows me knows how important laughter is in my life. So for an escape from all the gloom and doom in the news, take a break with some laughter with these amazing women and one guy, in comedy - Caitlin Reilly, Celeste Barber, Jordan Firstman, and my good friend Judy Gold, her podcasts are hysterical.
Cesar (my wonderful associate at the store ) and I recently went to Mood Fabrics (of Project Runway fame) to buy some fabric for our Fall Window. The place is ‘out of this world’. Three floors of gorgeous fabric and haberdashery that begins to feel more like an art gallery than a store. So even if you don’t have any sewing projects planned...ever... take a trip to the store just for the pleasure of it. Or to the flower district or just to a different neighborhood for a change of environment.
As was promised in a previous blog entry here is my review of the Always Pan. After countless uses, I can say it’s pretty awesome. Besides being easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing, which in a tiny NYC kitchen is very necessary and it is a pleasure to cook in. The only con is that it does discolor on the bottom from high heat but fortunately, that’s not something I see when I’m stirring.
I’m so excited that the Bronx Botanical garden is open again. Talk about losing yourself in nature and beauty. My last trip there will always be a treasured memory.
Shopping! Particularly at OUTLETTE. Yes... this point may be self-serving but I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels watching our customers come in and lose themselves in the store. Trying on pieces and often leaving with something that makes them feel transformed. As you may have seen on our social media and website, in addition to our fab jewelry collections we are also carrying some amazing home decor and bags There is no better time than now to enhance your home environment in addition to yourself. And remember everything in our store is not affected by the COVID 15 (Ibs), unlike at least a third of my wardrobe :)
If you are reading this I know I don’t need to tell you the importance of wearing masks but let’s take it to the next step and have some fun with it, with some inspiration and the wonderful silk masks from KES, especially the VOTE one, we are carrying in the store.
One of the tenets of my life is a philosophy by Nietche (handy having a philosopher son) called Amor Fati. The love of fate. I recently went through a break-up with someone whom I thought was ‘my person’ and although it has been a very painful process my belief in Amor Fati has allowed me to move on. In this case, the belief that my true person is out there and I must just continue on my path. And like everything in my life, good and bad, it has brought me to this point. Maybe we can also apply this to Covid. The tragedy of the lives lost and affected are felt by us all but is there anything that we can look at in our lives since, as a silver lining? Something that is instrumental in changing your fate which may one day be realized as for the best. And if not maybe we can use this time to create it.
And finally, I love your visits to the store, your support, and your messages. Don’t stop, we will all get through this together.
Love,
Ruth
xox
