keep it small.

this saturday. keep it small, keep it local. do the small business saturday thing. this whole concept was learned into me at a young age and is one of those things that makes more sense to me than say, being able to tell time on a clock with roman numerals. but it just makes sense, right? shop the stores in your hood, shop the stores where they know you by name (and kombucha flavor). shop the stores that give back, enrich and sustain your community.

i could go on forever about my love for the small guy so here are a list of my go-to's. and clearly a last minute realization but after you small business your saturday away come home and watch this movie by the fire. ultimate underdog local biz. 

and, i would love to hear some of your favorite small businesses. share away. 

| spruce mn |
recently have fallen in love with this place. the instigator of this love fest  was the fact that they create beautiful simple bouquets and put them in beautifully simple vases. because seriously, who wants a flower arrangement is those ugly, tacky over-the-top typical vases that floral studios use. yeah, you know what i am talking about? spruce is the studio doing something different, and doing it well. girl's gotta appreciate a nod to simple taste done right. 
ps. how fun would it be to take one of their holiday classes 

| midwest mountaineering |
i literally have never left this place empty handed. and whenever my sister is in town she always makes sure she gets a midwest run before her flight home. second floor will blow your mind. and the workers know their stuff. which is so refreshing and at a place like this, super interesting. 

| hunt & gather | 
a new gem that i have recently been exploring. and a gem that you could explore again and again and find new nooks and crannies every time. this past visit,  sarah scored the coolest bright yellow window shutter that was all worn and patina'ed in all the right places. we hung it over her couch the long way for a cool wall installation peace.they just have so much cool reclaimed stuff. AND a room full of succulents. loot heaven. 

| patina white | 
whenever i am home and get to go to this studio i am blown away and every time i drive down the gravel driveway i think to myself that beth is like the emersonmade of minnesota. she does some unreal stuff. with loads of lake life style. too good. 

| rock paper scissors | 
my favorite paper store of all time. i feel like i have talked about it before. but man, it's killer. 

| home |

the sense of place that brought me to appreciate and love the small.

love list: city

because every city has loves, and all the loves need a list.

| peace food cafe | 
(image source: peace food cafe)

my sister has only been talking about this gem for months now.this past weekend the pilgrimage to the famed peace food cafe happened. and a love affair was cemented. i had a roasted japanese pumpkin sandwich with walnuts, cashew paste and greens. it was out of this world. the speed in which i finished it was pretty astonishing. and their juice repertoire, wow. i had green lemonade- greens, apple, lemon and ginger root. yeah, that happened.

| organic avenue | 
(image source: organic avenue)

confession, i was attempting to hit up peace foods for plane snacks before i headed to the airport but they don't open 'till 10am. this across the street, doesn't suck as an alternative though, yeah? (also should note, me seeking out plane snacks is a common ritual, that normally results in me almost missing flights. this was no different). and again, the upper west side just killing it with fresh juice bars. in a weak moment, i bailed on the green juice and got organic avenue's chocolate love smoothie. Purified Alkaline Water, Dates, Cashews, Irish Moss, Hemp Seeds, Cacao Powder... i don't even know what alkaline water means but i'm into it now.

| le pain quotidien |

Le Pain Quotidien, doesn't take long for this place to feel like home. my obsession began summers ago and has not faded. it's one of those places where i literally could eat everything off the menu, and be forever happy. and super important to note that all le pain's have a huge communal table, barn wood, reclaimed, awesome. ga, i could go on forever on how much i love this place. i get real nostalgic for the place this time of year too, in london there was a le pain around the corner from the school i studied at. and we would go there to study, well mostly just eat, and drink endless coffee out of their pot of french press. sense of place. dam, i love le pain. 

| otto | 
(image source: otto)

i first came to otto my first summer nannying in the jerz. my aunt does not mess around 

with good food. (read more about her food and life gypsy genuis status here: devil & egg). i don't think i have been back to the city since that first summer without a trip to otto. yes, we have a serious obession with this place. but their pizza, their bellinis... not worth missing. this time around, hurricane sandy left otto out of commision for a few days and when they were back up and running they had to make slight adjustments for that gnarly little storm. their swiss chard + goat cheese pizza was sandy-affected, so my sister and i had the tomato + pecorino + egg pizza and then loaded the arugula salad right on top. stellar. otto, you never cease to amaze. 

| eataly | 

eataly, wow. i really can't even to express this place in words. didn't have adequate time to take it all in. the conversation between my sister and i pretty much sums up how stoked i was to check this place out though. 

N: we're at eataly.

K: ahhhggggg WAIT FOR ME.