The sun has just set in Vancouver, I think; the rain has been hiding it all day. I went out only for a little to walk the streets to my favourite restaurant for brunch where I lingered for hours (I always do, here, far too cosy to leave especially if you ask for the table by the fire) followed later by coffee where I flipped through some glossy magazines for as long as I could. This trip has been particularily busy, so much so that I extended it by two days just so I could have some time off. I’ve come to realise over the past few months I’ve been terrible about doing nothing at all. Each moment has been filled.

Since September I’ve been working like a mad woman on so many different projects (movie production, a seasonal gig, getting ready for my gallery showings, travel writing, etc) that I literally have not stopped to rest or catch up with my life. So many things became indulgences that I just couldn’t do; reading, tea drinking, visiting, playing, napping. And living in Santa Monica where the sunshine is always out, people are always busy and plans are always being made, it’s been hard to slow down. The fact that my flat feels so exposed with windows of sunlight that pour in, light furniture and walls doesn’t seem to help matters either.

Currently I’m on the top floor (31st) at the Westin Grand Vancouver in a suite that’s made up like a little warm, cosy little European flat with mustard-yellow silk drapes that cover floor to ceiling windows on two sides. Light wooden furniture, used simply, are shown off by a gorgeous dark green rug and a mahogany table and brown couch. The bed in white with far too many fluffy pillows and duvet top have given me the most amazing sleeps I’ve had in a long time. The rain and wind have been beating against my window for the last four days now – something I haven’t experienced for so long – and that’s been begging me to just relax. To not write, to not catch up, to not set up more appointments, to do not one thing at all. And with the amazing stereo playing my CD and tea brewing in the little kitchen, I don’t really have a good excuse to not chill out. It’s the perfect setting.

The trick is to just go with it.

By letting it go!

By forgetting this vaguely pleasing dream, this evidence of our smug vanity, and making ourselves ready for a new ideal.

By considering the body of material from which it is good sense to choose when we have a house to decorate.

By taking upon ourselves the duty of self-taught lessons of sincerity, and common sense, and suitability.

By learning what is meant by colour and form and line, harmony and contract proportion.

When we are on familiar terms with our tools, and feel our vague ideas clearing into definite inspiration, then we are ready to talk about our ideals.

Excerpted from The House In Good Taste by Elsie de Wolfe, published 1913.

For example, the bed. After much deliberation (I rang the Four Seasons LA who said they were no longer selling the Sealy’s due to getting new ones not available for 8 weeks) and four horrible mattress shops (it felt sleazier than car shopping), a Tempurpedic Bed from Relax the Back was bought (with 10% off if you have medical reasons). I’d always received really good care from that store and a call to the Chiropracter reveiled this would be an excellent choice. What sold me was the 25 year warrenty and a 90 day return policy without stocking fee. Now, I do not have to worry about the mattress.

Then, there was linens. Oh how I’d always wanted a fluffy bed like at the fabulous hotels. Something calm, serene but no frou or girliness. I’d always adored the duvet covers and inserts from Shabby Chic but would never justify the price. So instead, I purchased things that seemed like it – things that wore too quick, were stuffy, had no fluff, look crap and cheap and made me always search for something better.

I decided to stop this pattern and yesterday I spent a couple of hours in the shop, asking questions, getting help, feeling served and educated and purchased a duvet insert (which, I must confess is the most glorius insert ever), a zippered duvet cover in serenity white rose, two Euro pillows (36X36, fluffy and only $20!), matching shams and one king size pillow for me. Now, when I walk into the bedroom I cannot wait to jump into the pile of down. It looks so amazing, it feels even better and now it’s one thing I can cross off my list of thoughts for years to come. I have freed myself from bed worries.

The same goes for a Herman Miller Chair that I’ll be ordering. I’ve gone through so many office chairs that have chipped, bent, stopped working, warped and just generally become rather gross. So instead of replacing every year I’m investing in the best I can get (this was inspired by staying at the fabulous Swirly’s house for all of last week who had the very chair. I thought it was brand new but it was 8 years old!). On a trip to their showroom in L.A., I went up the secret elevator, was greeted by a personal sales assistant who explained all the chairs, what it could do, fitted me and then wrote up a proposal. With a 25 year warrenty combined with everything else, it seems like money well spent.

I’m going to do this with pots and pans and a couch. I don’t need to do this with a desk, a tv cabinet, rugs and whatever else because that’s all decor to me (and I’ll be doing a go at the famed Santa Monica Antique Market & Long Beach Outdoor Market later this month for a browse of second-hand goods). I just want basics that will last. No more disposable. No more worrying.

Although I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, purging everything last year and moving into the current flat has been the biggest push. Living without furnature and things for over two months really made me realise what I do and do not need and where I really want to put my money.

My new home, though small, is so beautiful, charming and light that I don’t want to gauk it up with junk and impulse buys. I’m taking the time to research things and purchase what is really good for me. And it’s the most relaxing what to setup home that I can think of. Because once it’s all set up, it’s set. No worrying about repeating next year or the year after.

But I recently purchased a couple of cookbooks and have become really inspired to cook. The problem is I own no cookware. None. Not even a microwave.

The world of cooking is full of opinions and I am overwhelmed by choices. So, if you are a cook, what do you use, what does one need and, do tell, where are the deals?

Things I need that I know I need:
- Microwave
- Pots & Pans (but which? How many? Stainless? Cast Iron?)
- Knives
- Cutting boards (I’m leaning towards these beautiful bamboo ones I’ve found at Whole Foods. I don’t like plastic)
- Measuring cups and spoons

I should like to add that I was reading the December issue of Martha Stewart Living today (December 09 – and I have to say the latest issues are fabulous. I used to dislike this magazine but now, it’s very useful) and there is a section entitled, The Right Tools. Here’s a quick rundown of what they suggest (all of which I do not have, so if you have ideas on brands or if these things are, in fact, useful, let me know):

1. Essential Knives (serrated, slicing, japanese cooks, paring)
2. Japanese Mandolin for slicing
3. High quality stainless steel kitchen shears
4. All-steel, u-shaped peeler
5. Cotton flour-sack towels
6. Stainless-steel footed colander with large holes
7. Spider strainer
8. Wide stainless-steel nesting bowls
9. Box graters
10. Tongs
11. Basic metal whisks
12. Cutting boards
13. Measuring cups & spoons
14. Stainless steel spatulas
15. Oven thermometre
16. Sharpener & honing steel
17. Digital Timers
18. Silicon Spatulas
19. Wooden Spoons
20. Citrus Press.

- Gaiam Organic Home: luxury linens that are all organic. Their main page has really amazing home goods (a little washing machine for clothes! fabulous!). They also offer gift registries (I’ve gone crazy with mine password:alexthegirl).

- Lifekind: the best organic beds around. These have been highly recommended from all over. Not only do they customise a bed, but they offer a 30 day exchange and a 20 year warrenty.

- AFM Safecoat: Safe paint

- White Lotus: organic futons and frames. I’ve never liked futons but after seeing some of these frames, I’m reconsidering.

- Vivaterra: wonderful home goods from spa to kitchen (beautiful recycled glass glass. I’m eyeing the contour dinnerwear).

As mentioned, I’m starting small, one room at a time, with going organic. It’s an investment and I don’t want to be overwhelmed with doing everything, so here I start.

My goal is to get an organic wool or rubber mattress, wooden slat bedframe (I currently have one, but it’s rather crap after 5 years of good use. Time for new!), cotton sheets, wool duvet, new pillows, organic rug and depending how the new flat goes, some organic paint for the walls.

The next step will be the lounge (a couch, a table), kitchen/work space (table, chairs, rugs) and that’s as far as I’m going with the exception of new linens (towels, bedding). I’m not going to do everything organic (for instance, I don’t care so much where my cookwear comes from as long as it’s stainless and affordable. Plates? Don’t care as I like to mix and match older styles and other bits will come from whereever).

Because I live simply, don’t like clutter or things, and because I’m selling off every bit of furniture I currently have, I can really start new. New without going crazy. It’s interesting and I have to say, rather exciting.

So while I poured over the magazine last night before bed, I started to think about what it’d be like to once again have a cosy space with fresh air coming through a window, a duvet that is light yet warm and sheets that are the softest things I’ve ever felt. And when I thought about it like that, the cost, the effort, and the learning curve didn’t seem to be such an issue.

Quality over quantity. Health over convience. Totally.

(PS: I’ve been overloaded with rec’s for organic living and I’d kindly ask if you have one to make, to please hold off. As mentioned, I know how to do the organic living as far as food, health, home care. I’m now going for the bedroom and furniture and that I’ve got under control at the moment. Thanks!)

It’s no secret that I am a huge believer in organic products; I buy all of my food from Whole Foods and do not eat meat with antibiotics, diary that uses hormones and other foods that have lots of chemicals in them.

When cleaning my home, I use organic products – no Lysol, bleach or Mr. Clean. I am a firm believer that inhaling these chemicals is bad for you and the environment. Who wants to spray their kitchen counter with chemicals then plop some food on it? Not I. My skin is sensitive enough without having to worry about what my washing up liquid is doing.

I’m no hippy or new age girl but a believer in good, clean, preventive health. The extra cost for natural products is worth it to me; I’ve saved so much in healthcare and just feel so much better. In fact, in the three years Chris and I have lived this way we’ve had neither colds, headaches or any other typical ailments (my hospital stay had to do with genetics).

But food and cleaning materials is all I’ve done thus far. I’ve never really thought much about other things such as furniture, linens, paint, and where things were made. And I thought, if I’m eating and cleaning well, paying attention to those labels, why stop there?

One of the areas of health that has eluded us is sleep. After several moves in a couple of years our once nice bed has become broken. The room we’re in now isn’t the healthiest nor the nicest and our bedding has begun to suck. Chris has sleep issues which cause me sleep issues and in desperation, I picked up a wonderful book for information on how to create a better bedroom. It gave me ideas not just about the bedroom, but also how to make my home a little more healthy.

We’ve both realised that without sleep, everything suffers and we had already vowed that our number one priority in the new flat was to invest in an excellent bed with a fabulous duvet, linens, frame and paint. This book helped me to realise that I want a natural wood frame, a great mattress, organic cotton and linen sheets and milk paint for the walls instead of regular latex (when I painted the walls in my last bedroom, the paint smell kept us up for weeks).

I’ve been surfing through one of my favourite companies, Gaiam, and have found natural bedding from mattress, recycled wood frames, pillows, duvets and sheets. I’m going organic.

Sometimes people do not see the value of things, just the cost. Why spend so much on a bed when you can get it all for $5 at Wallmart? First, for my health and second for the environment. I want to do my part so that buying organic is normal, healthy living is normal instead of it being some crazy persons’ kick.

It’s my goal over the next several months (December through March) to chronicle the creation of a home, from scratch, in a healthy, organic, pretty way. I’ll try to share purchases (like another great book on healthy home living from Jane Alexander), information and ideas because generally when I’ve looked for this information, it’s always been by people with lots of money and way out there ideas (I’m not into crystals, hanging symbols all over or chanting). I want to show it in a more real way, for every day.

Link One: Lifekind for wool and rubber mattresses and bed frames.

The more I cut my roses, the more they grew. I realised that without their deadweight, the bud had more strength to bloom.

It’s strange, selling off bits of my home little by little. First all the junk went when I moved two months ago. More recently, a side table went to a lovely girl, shelving units went to a family, bookshelves to a man down the street. Slowly my home is becoming less a home and more just a building – and an empty one at that.

When we made the decision to move we began to think of it in terms of starting over. Five years ago we packed up a very old, sad little Toyota with a few of our belongings (I only owned books and some clothes; he brought not much more) and drove from his home clear across the country to Seattle where we moved into a very tiny studio with absolutely nothing. No money, no jobs and no furniture.

Five years later, we had built-up a little something but it still wasn’t quiet right. First, we’ve moved five times within the same area which hasn’t helped us to feel connected to any one place. Also he, so busy with everything and I, held up writing in my flat, haven’t really meet people here (which was alright as I must confess Seattle people bug the bejesus out of us – especially the women. So competitive, bitchy – meow!). Also, lifestyle wise this area doesn’t rack it up for us. It’s very corporate, one-way of being, not so creative, not a lot happens (the downtown area with the exception of bars, is quiet after 6PM). Without much to do locally, we began to take a lot trips to visit our friends around the world and celebrate holidays in style. Coming home was always bitter sweet; nice to see our kitty, not so nice to be where we were. There just wasn’t a future here that we wanted.

So this fall, with no reason to stay, the decision was made to move away. And then began a very strange set of extraordinary circumstances that lead us on a grand adventure to a new place. One should never question strange events so we didn’t and instead just agreed to move without any jobs, home, connections or knowledge. Everything pointed in that direction and we thought it’d all become clear once we were there.

The move would not be easy nor inexpensive. That lead us to selling everything we owned and move with nothing. The bed – gone. The shelves – gone. Desk – get rid of that. TV stand – no more and on and on. Get rid of as much as possible. As much of the past, of the impermanence, of the stuff that once served a purpose but didn’t now as we changed. Start over.

At first I have to confess it was hard to let go of these things. I’d always been a vagabond, traveling the world and living out of a suitcase. To own a bed, have a place for my books, a stand for my fish well, it felt good. Despite not having a lot (I’m still a minimalist) I had grown attached to what I had.

But the more I let go, the more free I felt to really move on. I began to think of things I could do in the future. And although it’ll most likely take us several months to purchase things and get a home, which means we’ll probably be sitting on the floor for awhile and eating on paper plates, I thought how lucky I was to have this chance. A chance to really see who I had become by letting go and moving forward and grow into it instead of being trapped by who I was.

It’s been an interesting experience to shed myself of all these things. I now have the freedom to move at the drop of the hat and the way that things have been working as of late, perhaps that’s how it will be.