A couple of weeks ago, I returned to NYC from Portland with my battery recharged and some fun stuff in my bags. Here’s some of what I brought back:

I couldn’t pass up that wooden hand or the palo santo sticks from Red Fox Vintage.  Palo santo has been used since ancient times by the Incas, and is burnt to purify a room much like sage. It belongs to the same family as Frankincense, so it has a nice sweet smell and is very soothing. I like it because it’s subtle and doesn’t irritate my lungs like some incense can.

The shopkeeper gets hers shipped from her daughter in Equador. She told me that, unlike a lot of palo santo sold in the US, hers is not chemically treated. Good to know!

I found this beautiful paper, handmade from recycled cotton rag, at a local art supply store. The bag on the right is filled with kava kava (also known as awa), which I picked up from The Herb Shoppe.

Kava is a polynesian herb which I was first introduced to by some friends in highschool and later explored more while living in Hawaii. I’ve tried many forms of kava over the years and some is definitely better than others. I’ll be sharing some tricks I’ve learned to prepare it and how to find good quality kava in future blog posts.

It’s a very calming herb and definitely stimulates creativity, so I’m excited to see what happens when the paper & kava come together. I’ll keep you posted!

Amber (possibly for a future necklace), ocean jasper, and Mount Tabor leaves.

Lately I just can’t seem to pass up an interesting stone or leaf.

I justify my growing collection of items like this by telling myself they’re good for inspiration.

Now it’s time for me to use some of the materials & inspiration I’ve been gathering and get to work!