Good morning, Tuesday. I'm still in bed yes I am. Lovely bday celebration last night at one of my fav spots, Minetta Tavern. Such a classic New York evening. I do so love it there and that chocolate souffle is no laughing matter.
So this past weekend David and I did Brimfield- that amazing massive flea market up in Mass. It's full of amazing pieces from every era and is a dizzying array of objects, furniture, clothing, and just about anything you could ever want. We had a great time as flea marketing is something we both absolutely love- tons of great vintage toys for sale too- a favorite of mine. I ended up with a Little Sprout radio from the 70s, and a few other things like a vintage paisley pajama top of that fake silky material that reminded me very much of Kurt Cobain. Needless to say, I'll be rocking it in the Fall with outsized jeans and super messy hair.
But other than looking at fab things and consuming a belly's worth of kettle corn, I found a booth that made me question the majority of my life choices. All because of some fabulous Moroccan rugs.
Heja Home is a company based in Burlington, VT and run by a lovely couple in their late 30s. They travel to Morocco and bring back the most beautiful rugs, and they also sell a few modern furniture pieces that go perfectly with said rugs. Every single rug they had was a complete home run- their taste is extraordinary and their booth blew me away. It's common knowledge to stay away from the rug guys at fleas like this, not to mention hyper curated booths (no bargains usually). But I could not stay away from this beautiful space and just had to talk to the owners. (Def check out their Insta too).
He's a carpenter by trade, she's always been a bit of an artist. They used to deal mostly in furniture but ended up in Morocco somehow and found their calling. They always loved travel and wanted a life focused around seeing the world, and making some money too. And though I wondered if rich parents were financing this little venture, I felt not- these two were living their dream and that's a huge factor in their success. And then it hit me like a ton of Berber- I've been living a life that's far too structured for my DNA, and I can't help but think my husband is too. I love that this couple (their company name is a combo of their names, Heather and Jason) is living a hippie life in a very chic way. I could get onboard with that. Here's why.
Case in point- we are not planners. I know this does not bode well later in life, but we're not. We've both always been fly by the seat types and that's the truth- we go places last minute (the flea market was a last minute decision after lamenting our lack of summer plans). And truly, our souls are more of the gypsy variety. And we are absolutely not the type As most doctors recommend are best suited for this New York life. I'm more type X,Y, or Z. I'm amazed we've survived here as long as we have- sure I love it to pieces but the constant obsession with money and success and back again gets me sometimes. Actually, a lot of late. It's worth it to some but is it worth it to me? I don't know. I just want to breathe.
It's true I love my fancy things but at my core, I'm a free spirit. And I've been living a life that often feels far too structured for true happiness. Particularly because we don't have children. Why on Earth did I decide that living deep within a grind was the way to go? So I can eat dinner at Minetta Tavern? Yea, probably. But I'd sacrifice that souffle for a bit of soul food. I would. And listen, these rugs are madly expensive and the irony of pretension that surrounds chic rug peddling from Morocco is not lost on me. But I love the idea of doing something, or rather, bringing something to people that they really want. Nice rugs make people happy. What's wrong with that? Plus the travel jones is so strong within me. I want to go, and go, and go. Living in a van wearing a bikini does not appeal to me. Traveling around the world acquiring wonderful things to sell to you, you, and you certainly does.
And as we talked to this lovely couple, it became more and more clear. We may not fuck off and sell rugs, but it's worth examining whether this deeply structured life is a happy one, at least when it comes to me. No disrespect to anyone happy with a more structured existence, but if I'm being honest with myself, it doesn't lead me to happiness and it most likely never will. And yes, I realize their life is probably far from perfect- a lot of schlepping for the most part but guarantee they feel satisfied at the end of the day.
Just something I've been pondering since the weekend- this lovely tan couple left a deep impression on this maven. The fact that living a happy life may be very different than what I thought, or really- exactly what I thought but did not have the cojones to see through, because I thought success was defined by a summer house, a seat at the big girl table, and lots and lots of shoes. Hmm. Ain't that something?
Brimfield is in May, July, and September by the way. I'm definitely going back to soak up some good vibes and hopefully get one rug closer to living a more free spirited life. Cause that's what's up this magic carpet rid of a Tuesday in the BK. Yours, in breaking through and breaking free. XO