Monthly Archives: July 2012

Food

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Quinoa is a favorite of ours here at SOLOW. It’s super yummy- not to mention that it’s the super grain of the future! This recipe comes from Creative Director, Rebecca. Dubbed the “Super Hero Salad” this simple/light recipe combines quinoa and kale- another one of our favs! Before you get started, make sure you read up on the health benefits of both. Summer cooking never tasted so good!

Health Benefits:
Quinoa
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4994/7-Benefits-of-Quinoa-The-Supergrain-of-the-Future.html
Kale
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4408/Top-10-Health-Benefits-of-Eating-Kale.html

INGREDIENTS
1 cup quinoa- rinse before you cook
2 fennel bulbs chopped and diced
1 shallot diced or a golden onion
2 celery ribs
2 carrots
1/4 head purple cabbage chopped
1 bunch kale chopped
1 box frozen baby peas- get the good ones
1 C sugar snap peas or english- any fresh peas that are crunchy-ish- chop into 1.4″ pieces or however big you like them
1 can garbanzo beans rinsed

DRESSING
Dijon mustard
White balsamic vinegar- any white vinegar is fine
Olive oil
Lemon
Salt/pepper- I like pink salt or grey salt

Make quinoa and set aside- I use 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water or it dries out-

Saute shallot (or onion) in olive oil, when soft add fennel and celery and carrot- saute another 5-7 minutes and add kale and cabbage – it will cook down a ton so dont worry if it seems like a lot- cook until easy to stir whole mixture- it will feel like a stir-fry but don’t over cook the greens.

In big bowl combine quinoa and kale saute mixture then add peas, beans and other peas
Let it set a minute until all quinoa absorbed and mixed in
Make vinaigrette and pour over- the quinoa will take a lot of the liquid so you might have to add more.
Salt/pepper to taste- if you didnt use enough shallot and mustard it will need a lot of salt

I eat it hot over spinach and it wilts the spinach and then add avocado on top or just eat it cold! Enjoy!

Yoga is life, life is yoga

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Our Brand Ambassador,Heidi Kristoffer, talks candidly about how yoga translates into our everyday life!


Yoga is life. Life is yoga. How you approach your yoga practice is how you approach your life. If you get onto your yoga mat and are grunting through things and forcing yourself into shapes, you probably are grunting through life, and forcing yourself to do lots of things that don’t come very naturally. One of the greatest things yoga can teach you is how to move with ease: how to breathe into things, and go with the flow. Once you learn to breathe through easy or difficult situations in your yoga practice, it translates into life: one is interchangeable with the other.


Try holding a plank for a minute, then two, then maybe three as you build up your strength. Most likely, you are physically strong enough, so it becomes a nice little meditation of the mind: finding that open place that doesn’t have an opinion one way or the other about what you are doing, and hanging out there. If you can breathe through that, you can breathe through anything!


Now, your mind might start to play tricks on you: tell you that your shirt needs a tug to put it back in place or that it itches- ignore those thoughts (and if you are in the super comfy new Solow / Free People clothes, they simply won’t be true, these awesome duds are so soft the only thing you notice is how awesome they are!)
Some people view arm balances and inversions as “difficult”. But, some of my happiest times are spent on my hands. The sheer act of balancing forces my body to breathe deeply if I somehow forgot to do that anyway (plus if you are upside down, your blood rushes to your head which is scientifically proven to make you happy!)


Try plank, or a crow pose, or a handstand, and find a way to breathe into it and find the ease. Then, the next time you are in an hour-long line at Whole Foods, or stuck in traffic or on the subway, apply that same mindset: find the ease and breathe. All of yoga and life can be easy and fun, you just have to choose to let it be that way!

Also check out more with Heidi on her website! http://www.heidiyoga.com/Yoga_with_Heidi/Welcome.html

Heidi is wearing the new SOLOW by FP Ruffle Crop and Tie Die Workout Tank
Shop: http://www.freepeople.com/clothes-fp-movement/

Beauty

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I stumbled across this little tube of perfection when I received it in a gift bag a few months ago. It has been, hands down, my favorite beauty product to date. It’s a perfect combination of what every girl wants- chapstick with a tint of color! The chapstick in it means that you don’t get that icky, sticky feeling that you get with regular gloss or lipstick. It moisturizes amazingly and the tint of color is just the right amount. I’m not a huge lipstick girl to begin with so this is perfection! Oh and the best part?? It’s only $7 and comes in 6 different colors. SOLD!

Posted by: Noelle Cruz

Brand Ambassador: Brenda-li

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Brand Ambassador, Brenda-li gives us insight on body attunement through the practice of pilates!

Body Attunement
The Pilates method, or the “art of contrology” began for me as a way of rehabilitation and injury prevention after sustaining various injuries from dancing with American Ballet Theater. After my retirement from dancing professionally, Pilates became a way for me to keep that long, lean look of a dancer. Now, after over 14 years of teaching the Pilates principles of centering, concentration, control, precision, breath and flow, it’s evolved into a kind of moving meditation, a total alignment and full expression of the body, mind, and Spirit. It’s a way to expand my awareness- not of just my body, but of my sensitivity, of my inner life, and of the connection to something more than what I see in just the physical body- it’s the attunement to life itself. Some refer to this as being in the zone, in the flow, completely centered, completely connected to one’s source of power, yet relaxed, as opposed to “muscling though” or “pushing through” exercises (or life, for that matter). Being in that space, or in the zone, movement looks effortless. Although everything seems effortless, the effort is in the discipline and focus to maintain and sustain. It brings me joy to guide my students into the full expression of a movement, so they can have that magical moment and build upon that experience. They are just as much my teachers as I am theirs. When I see them connect while doing a Pilates move, it’s like an “Aha!” moment, a moment of clarity and upliftment for both of us. That moment takes the cake for me. Sculpted muscles and a strong, healthy body just happen to be the icing on the cake.



Brenda-li wears:
*White SOLOW by FP Movement Mesh Raglan Top
*Medium Heather Grey SOLOW by FP Movement Fold Over Frill Legging
*SOLOW by FP Movement Tie Dye Workout Tank in Bright Aqua
*SOLOW Jersey Crop Legging in Black

Shop: http://www.freepeople.com/intimates-shops-fp-movement/?cm_re=120716_hp-_-bifpmovement-_-movement
Shop: https://solowstyle.com/p-4290-jersey-high-waist-crop-legging.aspx

STYLE ENVY: Julie Hendrixson

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5 questions with Julie Hendrixson- SOLOW’s Pre-Production Coordinator

What I do: Development and Pre-production – liaison between the Design team and all the cutters, sewers, dyers and other tradespeople who turn our ideas into cute clothes.

My style is: I like to think I make “disheveled” work!

What inspires me: Music, for sure. NYC during the Reagan years – I love the whole renaissance that (in my mind) centered around CBGB, Basquiat, Blondie, Hip Hop, Graffiti…The clothes during this time were completely off the meat hook.
And people – I get to meet so many different kinds of people working in this business – and living in LA – and I’m really grateful for that.

Favorite song to get ready to: “Turn Your Party Lights on” by Steve Arrington. Or any other Boogie from ’78-’82. And I listen to the Henry Rollins radio show every Saturday night.

My go-to summer workout is: Kundalini Yoga. It’s all about pushing yourself beyond where your mind wants to stop. And doing Breath of Fire turns sitting cross-legged on the floor into an aerobic workout!!

Beauty

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I had forgotten about this awesome summer go-to beauty product until I saw it at the health food store yesterday. It smells AWESOME and has a giant vanilla bean pod in every bottle. And look how cute the bottle is!!!
Original, jasmine or (not pictured) sandalwood.

Posted by: Julie Hendrixson

Brand Ambassador: Andrea Mitchell

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We love our Brand Ambassador, Andrea Mitchell, for showing us some love this week via her blog The Mitchell Method- http://themitchellmethod.com/blog/- Andrea is a mind-body fitness instructor certified in Pilates, Level I GYROTONIC, personal training through National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is currently working toward a certification in Baptiste Power Yoga. She is also a licensed Creative Arts Therapist, which she integrates into her technique, known as The Mitchell Method. She has worked with a diverse clientele including actors Julia Stiles, Anna Paquin, Piper Perabo, and Alison Pill as well as models Jessica Stam and Elyse Crombez.

Andrea rocks our new SOLOW by Free People Alligator Tie Dye Workout Tank during her training sessions!

Shop http://www.freepeople.com/clothes-fp-movement/tie-dye-workout-tank/

Music

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Today I’m feeling the 90′s…heard the Dolly My Baby Remix on the way to work and then Illmatic was playing in the pattern room!

Posted by: Julie Hendrixson, Pre-Production Coordinator

Food for thought

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wa lottery

My Dad was raised in the south, and during dinner he would always say “eat your greens”. Ironically enough, a friend posted this meme with that same slogan. I find this hauntingly useful, since I am trying to overcome a cold (during the summer too!) and now wish that I had eaten a little healthier during my college years!

Posted by: Cat Serafin, Design Assistant

FITNESS

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tennessee lottery

Joan Hyman, a SOLOW Brand Ambassador, gets intimate with us by explaining how we can deepen our yoga practices through teacher training programs. Her write-up details the the achievements and rewards that can be made through dedication and hard work! Joan is a yoga instructor in the L.A. area. Check out her schedule to participate in one of her many classes http://www.joanhyman.com/classes.php

A Lotus Blooms…
Teacher Training – a path of transformation.

People are first drawn to the practice of yoga, because of the fulfilling physicality of asana. You work your body and clear your mind as you move from pose to pose. Grounding yourself through the equanimity of your breath, and at the end, you enjoy the exquisite release and quiet of Savasana, which keeps you coming back for more.

I have seen many students make lasting commitments to their practice and have had the privilege of witnessing them grow and mature over the years. One of the many gifts of teaching is seeing the transformation in my students the awareness that comes from their commitments.

The question that arises most often with students is, “How do I deepen my practice.” I respond by saying, “Enroll in a Teacher Training”. The trainings can be intense, grueling and demand great commitment.

I use the analogy of the lotus flower to describe the transformation that happens on this enduring path. The lotus flower grows in the deep mud, far away from the sun. But, sooner or later, the Lotus reaches the light becoming the most beautiful flower. Every person has the potential to become perfect and enlightened, and it is just a matter of time until each human reaches this light. The journey of the consciousness happens by committing ourselves to the process of burning through our habits and negative patterns that are holding us back and taking us down an unconscious and a familiar path. To realize the fullness and wholeness of our being we need to shed light on these unconscious habits (samaskras) and create more awareness by waking up our inner light to create the change that is necessary to help our highest potential unfold.

The process is never easy. It involves working through resistance, not only in the physical body, but also surrendering to your thoughts, emotions, and perceived limitations. This path takes courage to move into these dark, unsettling facets of ourselves, and endure the feelings and issues that surface. The process also involves strength to show up on your mat and get to know your true identity.

Joan is pictured above in SOLOW’s Alligator Tie Dye Tank and Jersey Fitted Short
Shop https://solowstyle.com/p-4300-alligator-tie-dye-work-out-tank.aspx
Shop https://solowstyle.com/p-4245-jersey-fitted-short.aspx