I wish I wasn't as OCD as I am about most everything. If I were a more laidback person, I'd choose to see the world by staying with locals, meeting my peers on the other side of the planet, discovering new cities while making new friends.

Alas, I'm quarter part coward, quarter part OCD and half part control freak to enjoy something like Couchsurfing.

CouchSurfing is an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. Currently, they have over a million members. The plan is to search their network for suitable hosts and then crash on their couch (beds sometimes). 

You can view users names, location, pictures and reviews.

From the mission statement of Couchsurfing.org:
CouchSurfing members share hospitality with one another. These exchanges are a uniquely rich form of cultural interaction. Hosts have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving home. "Surfers," or travelers, are able to participate in the local life of the places they visit. We also give more people the chance to become travelers, because "surfing" lowers the financial cost of exploration.

Reading reviews and more, most people seem to come out of it with excellent experiences. Best part is you can read reviews of people's experiences with particular hosts.

From Couchsurfing.org:

some other options:

Former Etsy Seller has definitely graduated moved on to bigger and better things. You can now find her jewelry at popular and trendy retail chain Anthropologie.

I never had acne as a teenager, guess I should be grateful for that. Acne troubles were stored and saved up for much later for me. Specifically, the past 3 years. I think I tried everything known to man- Proactive (sucked), Murad (the sulphur worked to an extent), Neutrogena etc etc. It didn't take much WebMd-ing to figure out that no external medicine was going to solve an internal problem. Once I self-diagnosed my Acne as hormonal- I had to figure out the next step. There was of course the most popular option, but I didn't want to go down that route. Instead I decided to try the drastic option of cutting out Dairy and adding  Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) to my diet. I must have read it over and over again on different forums.

I had no idea how much dairy is in everything or rather how much CHEESE is in everything I love. My breakfast sandwiches, my lunch sandwiches, pizza, burgers (I am one of those who never understood the point of HAMBURGER on a menu- who orders that?  ME that's who).  Even harder, I LOVE cereal, I don't think there's anyone besides Seinfeld who LOVES cereal as much as I do. I also love cupcakes and yogurt and ice-cream and butter and cookies and did I mention cheese? Yup, I had to quit all of those. I wasn't bothered at first, it was after all just another experiment that was bound to fail.

But guess what happened, not even a full 30 days after I cut out all dairy (had to add Calcium supplement),  my skin was the clearest, smoothest it had been in over 3 years. Not even remotely exaggerating. I couldn't believe that all my struggles, wasted money, all that time it had been dairy. I told anyone who would listen about my discovery. Apparently my sister already discovered this a few years back but decided she loved dairy too much to bother and quit without sharing the news.

So, happy ending? Not quite. I too missed dairy way too much and first  I had  a few bites of pizza, then half a cheeseburger, then cupcakes, then something else and who even knows. Just as quickly as they went away, my acne was back. To be more accurate, it's back.


I don't know what's more important to me, eating my fav foods, or clear skin. I'm planning on giving it another go, but I'll be prepared this time. I already use EarthBalance as butter substitute. I will be trying tons of vegan cheese like Daiya and theres a great vegan bakery by my job. I think they also sell dairy free frozen yoghurt. This time I'll be better prepared- I hope.

Oh and if you want to say you've seen my pics and never noticed, I'll just say concealer and knowing your good side does wonders. But seriously did anyone else know about this dairy thing? And what no dairy products would you recommend?

In the Summer of 2009 I did a huge festival show (the Haight Ashbury Fair in San Francisco). Many of the buyers from the show wanted to purchase more goods online and I started my Etsy shop out of necessity. I had very little knowledge of the vast and dynamic community of crafters I was getting myself into.

For the most part yes. I still put my marketing exec skills to good use here and there on contract but for the most part I am a full time crafter and loving it.

What do you love about it?
I come from a long line of entreprenuers and I really believe it is in my DNA to work for self. I embrace the struggle of being my own boss because that is what I am most comfortable doing. On any given day I am an art director, journalist, chemist, accountant, PR/marketing guru, logistics manager, customer service rep...its challenging but I wouldn't have it any other way.

If I could only try one thing in your shop right now, which would you recommend?
Although my curly hair products are a big hit, my facial/skincare products are epic (says me!). I use rare Brazilian botanicals that are really nourishing for all skin types. The Amazon Antioxidant treatment is unlike anything on the market today. 



What was first product you ever made/sold?
I started with making basic body butters that double as hair moisturizers. My first products were shea butter based and resembled the Cocoa-Mango and Hemp Buttercreams. I made them out of necessity for 100% natural ingredients that were affordable and versatile. I am a low maintenance gal and I wanted to create products that have more than one function.

What are your plans for the future? 
The brand has grown so much in such a short amount of time and I am very excited for the future. Short term goals include changing the look of Beija-Flor Naturals. I have so many ideas for cool packaging design, company image etc. I have my wild fantasies as an entreprenuer but right now I can only focus on making the products and buying experience better, and creating more cool products that open doors for opportunity.






Where is your workspace? 
I work out of my Los Angeles apartment for now which is not a large space. I wake up to a view of shipping material boxes, which is not ideal. I really hope that within the next year I will have the resources to lease a creative space.

Where else can we find your goodies?
www.beijaflornaturals.com (website), (FB), www.beijaflornaturals.com/blog (lifestyle blog of random stuff). Quite a few retail locations coming soon...check the blog for updates!



For fun: what's on your playlist?
Geez...Im a music fanatic! While mixing it up my 70s Brazilian funk/soul/samba pandora radio station gives me energy. I am also a huge fan of Regina Spektor, Adele, Eliot Smith, Passion Pit, Jamiroquai, Little Dragon, RadioHead, random house music DJs, the classics-Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson...you really don't want to get me started. lol

Favorite book?
I'm an avid reader, its so hard to pick an absolute fave. I love short stories and fiction. Some of my fave writers are James Baldwin, Junot Diaz, Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez, John Steinbeck...

As always, cos I take my brunch very seriously, any local brunch spot recommendations? 
Oh boy, Los Angeles is full of good brunch! Some of my faves are...
La Mill in Silverlake (Ambiance, Gourmet Donuts and Coffee)
Square One Cafe-East Hollywood (The French Toast is Addictive)
Auntie Ems in Highland Park (Best Bakery Goods in LA)
Larchmont Bungalow in Mid Wilshire/Larchmont Village (Ambiance, Everything on the Menus is good)
Hit me up if you're in town, would love to brunch w/ you :)

I'll be taking her up on that offer. 

Please don't judge me. I have never and I mean never been to the Caribbean. I don't even think I have flown over it's airspace. Not one island, nothing, nada.  That will definitely change before the year is through. But for now, I'm doing what I do best- daydreaming of....

GRENADA

It's been a tough week and didn't get around to doing what I wanted to this weekend. The craziness should be over soon enuff. Posts may be a little slow for a minute, so bear with me. Although our Tuesday Giveaways took a break last week, there's a new good one coming up tomorrow.

Like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Adele, VV Brown, basically all the Brit chicks who've been killing it lately; here's a relative newbie to the scene. She released an album of covers about 2 years ago at the tender age of 13. If she sounds a lot like dear old (please get your act together) Amy, it might have to do with the fact that Amy is her Godmother (no kidding).


























I think her voice is brilliant for a 15 year old, her current songs and videos still need some work (maybe just maturity), but keep an eye out for her.  I spot another star rising.

It's basically a secret all white affair (dinner/picnic) in flash mob style.  Everyone wears white and you bring your own booze, picnic tables, dinnerware, food, wine etc. At the last minute they provide the secret location to those who signed up.




























Unfortunately, since it's the first year in NYC, they are limiting attendance to 1,000 lucky persons, in comparison Paris attendance this year totalled 10,000. So, I quickly signed up on the waiting list here.
I'm thinking Linen, cool breezes, delightful company. Should be serious fun.