zip it up!

This past November through January, I did not have a car. No car in Atlanta? That's unheard of. How did I get around? Mostly, on my bicycle. No snow here, so I just threw on a few layers and my backpack and pedaled to teach yoga classes. For errands and grocery shopping, I joined zipcar. You may have seen zipcars parked around downtown and midtown. There a zipcar parked a few blocks from my house. After I signed on for a yearly membership, I just reserved a car online for the day and time I needed the car. I received a membership car that I waved above the windshield to open the locks, and with the key inside, off I went. There was always a car nearby when I needed one, and they were new and clean. Occasionally I drove a Prius, a BMW Mini, or the super-efficient Honda Civic. There are also a few small trucks around town that would be good to borrow if you needed to haul furniture or move.

It's a great option for visitors or travel (your zipcar membership is good in tons of cities) or if your car is in the shop. I highly recommend signing on with zipcar, and exploring other options for transportation, like walking/biking, and using marta.

Driving less gives your life a new vantage point. Instead of being enclosed in your car, you're interacting with the environment. When I lived in Chicago, I didn't have a car for two years. I walked or rode public transportation everywhere. I loved it. I read a lot of books on the train. Walking the mile to the El in the morning got my brain and body moving before work, walking home was meditative and calming after a long day, and especially lovely in the warm months. I also super toned legs from all the walking, a positive side benefit. Also, no car insurance, maintenance, and parking fees. So I'm trying to find that same balance here in Atlanta. I have a car now, but my personal code is never to drive when I could walk. So I stroll down to the post office when I'm shipping boxes for my business teddylux. I ride my bike to teach yoga classes. Occansionally DC and I walk or ride bikes to nearby restaurants. Once we rode our bikes to Daddy D'zs, loaded up on barbeque, beer, and fried okra, and the pedal home was torture. :)

seriously, if you are interested in giving zipcar a try, click on the zipcar above and get $25 in free driving credit. Not just in Atlanta, but nationwide.

new downtown yoga class

Starting in September, I will be teaching yoga again at Rejuvenate in the Sun Trust Building. I'm glad to be back on the schedule at this innovative spa/studio, and their yoga room has the best view of downtown Atlanta!

Wednesday nights, 6 to 7 pm, Rejuvenate, Sun Trust Building, Lobby Floor.
Parking garage underneath the building.

check out the Rejuvenate site

start with a smile...

recycle, cut + sew

when i'm not teaching/doing yoga, i'm usually creating and making stuff. In 2004, on a whim, I started a business called teddylux cashmere, based on teddy bears I was making from recycled cashmere sweaters. I sell online and locally around Atlanta. In 2006 I shot an episode of the HGTV show "That's Clever", showing how I make a bear. It aired in 2007. In 2007 I was commissioned to create a custom cashmere polar bear for the Coca Cola Museum store in Atlanta. In 2008 I added a line of recycled cashmere headbands, glitzed with vintage rhinestones and reworked costume jewelry. This spring I changed the bear shape to the cuties you see here, and added elephants and bunnies to the mix.

Everything I make at teddylux cashmere is recycled, one-of-a-kind, and earth friendly. I have always been so fortunate to have a core group of customers who value handmade gifts. If you are looking for a unique gift for a new baby, child, or girlfriend, please take a look at teddylux!

farmer's markets in atlanta

this morning my husband and i rode our bikes to the Piedmont Park Green Market. It's on Saturdays, and features local organic produce, breads, pastas, cheeses, honey, granola, and more. The market was buzzing with people shopping organic and supporting local farmers and artisans.

Normally I have private clients on Saturdays, but i had today off, so it was a special treat to bike on over to the Park, shop the market, and do a lap around the park. We bought some tasty looking tomatoes from 2 Doves Farm and a big bunch of basil and cucumber from another organic farm. We're going to make a killer cucumber salad, and I'm going to put some of the tomato on portobello burgers we're grilling Sunday night.

I found this resource, georgia organics, for a list of farmer's markets in Atlanta - there's a lot!

lululemon atlanta

have you been to the lululemon store in atlanta? it is a mini-showroom on Highland Avenue in Morningside, not quite a full store, but they carry plenty of options for yoga tops, pants, and activewear. They use technical, sturdy, stretchy, wicking fabrics, and welcome feedback on how to make their gear even better. lululemon is rather pricey but their items definitely wear well, and of course I am in yoga gear as much as possible!

Recently I've been wearing the groove pant, which has a colorblock waistband on one side, and solid black on the other - it's reversible. At first, I thought the reversible concept was silly, but now I love it. I'm also trying out an ujiyaii tank and an organic cotton tank.
I'm hoping that more yogis and fitness folks shop the store so it can expand into a full-blown store with the full lululemon line - they don't sell online.

A fabulous thing about lululemon atlanta is that they offer free weekly pilates + yoga classes every weekend, often led by studios around town. They also offer free health-centric workshops to the community - i went to a very groovy one in May on journal writing. The philosophy behind the company, based out of Canada, is very uplifting and empowering... check out their manifesto.

check out lululemon in atlanta. my friend from teacher training, Missy, is usually working there, and she'll get you all set up with what you need. It's so important to be comfortable in your yoga clothes!

staying hip + tranquil in the heat

ah, summertime in Atlanta. Hot, hot, hot. Steamy, steamy, steamy. I've been riding my bike a lot to teach classes and it's been so fun. My '82 Benz lacks air-conditioning, so i prefer pedaling through traffic, possibly creating a little breeze, rather than sitting in traffic in a hot car.

fabulous DC-area creativity maven, yogini-businesswoman, and eco-yoga-clothing designer Kimberley Wilson, "The Hip Tranquil Chick" (check her out, she's so inspiring) recently blogged about staying relaxed and happy in the summer heat. Her suggestions:

- drink oodles of water
- don fabulous sunglasses
- wear a flowy dress
- enjoy the complimentary hot yoga
- apply waterproof mascara
- surround yourself with people who make you laugh
- go for a swim
- stay locked up in AC with a yummy book (for an even better dose of tranquility, add in a yummy cupcake)
- don open-toe shoes and get a pedi
- drink more water
- eat a yummy spinach salad with strawberries
- focus on all you have to be grateful for
- call someone you love and thank them for being in your life
- meditate on a comfy cushion
- write it out in your journal

for me, i love to eat tons of fresh fruit - i just got a big bag of cherries, which I'm hoping came from northern Michigan, near where my cottage is - they grow the most and best cherries in the US.

I also tend to make a lot of fruit smoothies. I worked at a vegetarian restaurant many, many years ago and came away with this simple recipe:
in a strong blender,put
organic apple juice (approx. 3-4 cups)
1 banana
handful of frozen fruit of your choice: cherries, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes
a few teaspoons of organic vanilla yogurt
Blend well. Take a test taste. If you want more sweetness, drizzle in some honey or agave nectar and reblend. Also, for a thicker smoothie, add a few ice cubes.

yum.

ode to boo and spooky

we have 3 dogs, all of them rescue dogs, two are "sisters", beautiful junkyard shar pei pit bull mixes that someone in our neighborhood abused and then abandoned. Despite their bad reputation, Doug took them in about 7 years ago, (we were dating at the time) and they were mean, mean, mean. Strangely enough, their names were Petite and Babette. Doug changed their names to a more befitting Spooky and Boo. Upon meeting me, Spooky promptly bit me in the leg - from behind- a sneak attack. Luckily things went uphill from there and with a stable home, regular meals, nature hikes, and lots of love, the girls have mellowed out considerably. A sneak attack is more like dogbreathy licking. Dog #3 is a ridiculous Katrina rescue puppy, a small wirehaired terrier mix that runs circles around the big girls. More on him later.

our dogs expand my heart constantly. this quote, by the Dalai Lama, on people, animals, and our big, happy planet:

the creatures that inhabit this earth--be they human beings or animals--are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.