An Appointment With Yourself

Words & Photography
by Taylor Adams



Time is moving by so quickly these days and it's not always easy to find hours to create while working full time. But this is not a dream I'm giving up on.

I work full time for a social media agency, so I am lucky in that it allows me to work from home and create a flexible schedule. However, it can be difficult to balance everything that needs to get done in a day and find time to dedicate purely towards pursuing my studio work. I’m not the best at setting schedules for myself, but with days that only seem to get busier, I’ve realized that I needed some sort of system to ensure I set aside sessions each day to create.



A few months ago I read Lauren Graham’s memoir “Talking As Fast As I Can.” I definitely recommend this book if you’re chasing a dream and need a few of those reminders that nobody got to where they are overnight.

Lauren dedicates a chapter in this book to explaining a writing method she learned from screenwriter Don Roos. “The Kitchen Timer Method” is simply setting an appointment with yourself everyday. It may be 1 hour or just 30 minutes, but this appointment is completely and 100% your dedicated time to create. With a timer set to your designated time, and with no phones, no internet, and no distractions - your appointment is to be used uninterrupted until the timer goes off.

So around mid-afternoon, when the light is best in my studio, I put my phone on 'Do Not Disturb,' close my computer, and set a timer for 1 hour. 

This method is geared towards writers but I thought it could certainly apply to making artwork, or any creative passion for that matter. With a growing need for some structure to my studio practice, I decided to give it a try. So around mid-afternoon, when the light is best in my studio, I put my phone on 'Do Not Disturb,' close my computer, and set a timer for 1 hour. I push my to do lists to the back of my mind, mentally log out of work mode, and immerse myself in the process.



I’ve learned that this hour doesn’t have to be anything grand. I don’t have to make leaps and bounds of progress, the important part is being present in the time that I have. Sometimes I paint through the whole hour and other times I pause during painting to write pages in my sketchbook, cataloging my thoughts and actions. Sometimes I take time just to sit and study the panel I’m working on. I notice the subtle shifts of my media as it dries, study the marks that I’ve made, and use these observations to inform my next move. I pay attention to the play of light in my studio and take time to appreciate the the little shells, momentos, and bits of inspiration scattered around me. In the midst of busy days, I’m learning to slow down.

I’ve learned that this hour doesn’t have to be anything grand. I don’t have to make leaps and bounds of progress, the important part is being present in the time that I have.

Coming out of this hour, I feel more focused, more energized, and ultimately happier. Some days this hour may be the only time that I get to create, but just knowing that I got that even that little bit of studio time in makes me feel better about my day. If you’re struggling with finding balance for your creative passion, I encourage you to give this method a try. Whatever you choose to do with your appointment, I’m sure it will be the highlight of your day, and I think we all deserve a little time to slow down and feed our souls with what makes us happiest.

A Little Break

Words & Photography
by Anna Núñez



Taking a little break from a project that I've been working on
all morning and afternoon (yep, I think my eyeballs are gonna fall out)
to stop and smell this eucalyptus and admire our makeshift bar cart.

It's funny how a rusty shelf on the side of the road in Tally
can turn into something like this.

A Cast Iron Skillet

Words & Photography
by Autumn Jordan



I feel like my better side shows when I'm wielding a cast iron skillet. After a few month slump of feeling uninterested and uninspired in the kitchen - switching things up, namely simplifying, has me ready to get back to it.

With only an open fire, cast iron skillet, kettle, some wooden utensils, a paring knife, and the most delightful farm-fresh ingredients from the rolling green mountains...

With only an open fire, cast iron skillet, kettle, some wooden utensils, a paring knife, and the most delightful farm-fresh ingredients from the rolling green mountains - my favorite meals in recent history came to life in the Vermont wilderness. Wildly excited to reacquaint myself with my sweet little kitchen back home and see what comes forth now that my little garden and market season are in full-swing.

Blue Bottle Coffee

Words & Photography
by Katie Timmerman





Thanks Blue Bottle for constantly fueling my love of coffee and toast.

Blue Bottle Coffee //
582 Mateo St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Basic Moments

Words & Photography
by Naomi M.



Sitting on the floor, brushing my girl's hair.
It may seem basic but moments like this mean the world to me.

Afternoon Dining Room Scene

Words & Photography
by Lean Timms



An afternoon scene in our dining room.

Low shadowy winter light, huge gumnuts that made me stop the car and 'community prune' in South Australia, a new linen tablecloth...

Low shadowy winter light, huge gumnuts that made me stop the car and 'community prune' in South Australia, a new linen tablecloth from Linenfox, and three very special linocut prints gifted by one of my most generous, supportive and insightful friends, Cecille. I love that each piece has found a home in this space.

Pie Lady

Words & Photography
by Holly Easters



A key lime pie for Caleb.
To be honest, when I grow up I just wanna be
that super cool old lady who's known for
baking some really dang good pies.

Date Your Wives

Words & Photography
by Cassandra Louise



I am so thankful for a husband, who makes sure we get away every couple of months.
Cheers to meals I don't have to prepare, sleeping in and through the night,
uninterrupted conversations, belly laughs, and hand holding!
Husbands, PSA, date your wives and whisk them away.

Table And Chairs

Words & Photography
by Charley Taylor



I never wanted the table and chairs that have been in my family for generations
UNTIL my dad was about to send them to the consignment store.
Now they live at my house and I couldn’t imagine
anything else between these white walls.

These Moments

Words & Photography
by Rebecca Heart



I'm laying there beside him tonight having flashbacks of the first time we put him in that new born onesie in the hospital; the same one I had spent hours just staring at as I laid it out on our kitchen counter. I held it on my belly trying to map out what he would look like, how it would feel to finally get to bring him home with us, how it would feel to be someone's mom.

...but here I am with this beautiful life I couldn't possibly deserve and it's entirely strung together by a thread of t h e s e moments; the littlest ones...

I feel like so often in life we expect the biggest "milestones" to be the most influential, like somehow we're defined by the anticipated events...but here I am with this beautiful life I couldn't possibly deserve and it's entirely strung together by a thread of t h e s e moments; the littlest ones, the ones they don't prompt you to write about in your baby book, the ones you find when you're doing the least searching, when you're just caught up in a blissful shot of living.

Those are the moments that jolt me. Those are the ones that make me. That's when my life is climatic.

Favorite Hike

Words by Alison Little
Photography by Eric Scott Little



This has always been one of my favorite hikes...
for obvious reasons.

Sacred Mornings

Words & Photography
by Stef Etow





"I'm not a morning person." It's something I used to say. A lot. The moon was who I'd wait up for. That creative light bulb guiding me to clarity after everyone else was sleeping.

Morning may not be my peak time for productivity, but it is my time to be intentional about the day.

It took all these years to realize how limiting that label is. Morning may not be my peak time for productivity, but it is my time to be intentional about the day. So mornings are sacred to me now. No meetings scheduled, no email distractions. Just a moment of peace while I drink my coffee, read a book or paint.

The Practical Truths

Words & Photography
by Madison Cline



This morning I'm reflecting and making lists of the little things that bring me joy, because if I'm being honest with you, over the last few days I've been hit hard with pre-birth anxiety and depression. A blanket of fog has cozied itself over me, and I can't seem to shake it.

...I'm realizing it's the practical truths I need to seek out and hold onto. Like fresh flowers next to my bed, they bring me so much joy. Or a good cup of coffee in my pjs.

But after a night with community and friends, and an outpouring of prayers and encouragement, I'm realizing it's the practical truths I need to seek out and hold onto. Like fresh flowers next to my bed, they bring me so much joy. Or a good cup of coffee in my pjs. Finding these little moments to relish in are everything right now.

Just Memories

Words & Photography
by Shaina Adams



Take a short trip somewhere, where there's no phone reception, no wifi,
but tons of memories just waiting to be made.

Cassava

Words & Photography
by Yiyin Zhang





Had the most fantastic meal here that consisted of beet and blood orange salad with manchego, pan seared salmon with farro and fennel-broccolini purée, pork belly with celery root and sweet potato gratin, and blueberry bergamot panna cotta. Edible flowers were scattered throughout.

Cassava //
3519 Balboa St.
San Francisco, CA 94121

The In-Between Chapters

Words & Photography
by Kiley Bond



Nothing like hearing waves, keeping your windows open, and chatting with old friends.
There's something to be said for the "in-between" chapters of life.
Even among uncertainty.

But When It Does

Words & Photography
by Jennifer Eland



This doesn't happen often anymore,
but when it does, I soak it up.

Kentucky Hills

Words & Photography
by Breanne Rodgers



Where is home for you? For us, it's here.

We wake up every day to green shouldered Kentucky hills, mist rising from a wandering creek waters, and a sky with as many moods as the day is long.

We wake up every day to green shouldered Kentucky hills, mist rising from a wandering creek waters, and a sky with as many moods as the day is long. I pray for a patch of land we can claim our as own in the future, but there's healing and hope to be found right where Jesus has us today.

Apparition

Words & Photography
by Victoria Corless



I wish apparition was a thing...
I'd spend all my coffee breaks here.

Cilantro, Scallion & Garlic Challah Rolls

Words & Photography
by Madeline Hall



I never met a bread I didn't like. These challah rolls were no exception. Soft, pillowy rolls stuffed with some of my favorite things: garlic, cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds, were the perfect end to what started as a somewhat stressful day earlier this week. If somehow these could be made into magical pillows I would sleep on them every night, and hopefully dream of hot ovens and breads and pizza doughs and things. Is this getting weird?

If somehow these could be made into magical pillows I would sleep on them every night, and hopefully dream of hot ovens and breads and pizza doughs and things. Is this getting weird?

This week was pretty standard. Sibbie and I did our daily walks around and around the block--we even ran a couple of times! I went to work at Barnes and Noble twice to get out of the apartment, and feel like it is a really good fit for a new workspace every now and then. Usually I go to a nearby coffee shop or just work at my desk at home, but there is something about being around lots of books that inspires me. I've already mentioned that I hope to get back into reading again, and maybe frequent trips to a bookstore will help. I will never be able to read books off of a screen. I love holding it in my hands, studying the cover, flipping through the pages and then sometimes returning to the front and rereading a scene I might have previously overlooked. I'm old fashioned in a lot of ways, and books is one reason.







Lately I've been thinking that my lack of reading has directly affected my writing skills. Because, sometimes, my mind goes completely blank when I sit down to write a blog post. I overthink things and wonder if it's interesting enough, witty enough, or funny enough. I think in circles and it all gets very confusing. Reading used to be a daily pastime. I used to fly through so many books, one after another (mostly historical fiction, fantasy, and poetry). I had a journal I wrote in daily, and even wrote my own (very amateur) poems. I miss studying words and writing, and this is another summer goal of mine this year, to get back into writing again. Writing was a major way I was able to make sense of feelings and thoughts in those teenage years, but now it is mostly done just by being in the kitchen.

How do you like to unwind? I often turn to dough. Maybe it's too much Great British Baking Show or because bread is what dreams are made of, but the process helps me chill out and I love eating the results.

How do you like to unwind? I often turn to dough. Maybe it's too much Great British Baking Show or because bread is what dreams are made of, but the process helps me chill out and I love eating the results. These challah rolls were inspired by Molly Yeh's scallion pancake challah. They are also extremely similar to the scallion pull apart bread I made last year, but these are a little softer due to it being a challah dough and it has a different overall flavor due to the cilantro and garlic. Cilantro is something I almost always have in my fridge and I love to put it in pretty much everything, along with fresh garlic because, well, garlic is a welcome addition to all things savory. You can opt to toast the sesame seeds beforehand but I did not here.

Also, just note that these made 7 GINORMOUS rolls. If you'd like them to be a more manageable size for your dinner table, you can certainly cut the rolls smaller and have more at the end. The bread will rise quite a bit while baking, so keep this in mind.



Cilantro, Scallion & Garlic Challah Rolls

Ingredients
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp. sugar plus 2 tbl.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tbl. honey
1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash

For the Filling
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped scallions
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1 tbl. black sesame seeds
3 tbl. olive oil, plus more for the bowl and brushing

Directions
1. Pour 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar, and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture becomes bubbly at the top, about 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and honey. Set aside.
3. Combine the flour, salt, and remaining 2 tsp sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add in the yeast mixture and the egg mixture, stirring to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Knead on medium speed until dough is soft and smooth and slightly sticky. If dough is too sticky too handle, add in a little more flour.
4. Form dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 2-3 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" round baking pan.
6. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is roughly an 18" x 9" rectangle. Drizzle with 3 tbl. olive oil, then evenly sprinkle the cilantro, scallions, garlic, and sesame seeds on top. Working from the longer side, roll dough into a cylinder. Cut cylinder into 7-8 equal pieces.
7. Arrange dough swirls into the baking pan, and drizzle with more olive oil and (optional) more sesame seeds. Bake for roughly 35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

New Projects

Words & Photography
by Maxine Levene



I ordered rope a while ago to try my hand at some macrame,
and it came yesterday...I'm elated!
I have always loved trying new projects,
and my mind is going crazy with ideas.