SETTING THE MOOD

I've had a little thing for moodboards lately. Mayhaps it is due to the fact that work is beginning to pile up, spilling into our proverbial outbox, and the combined visuals are the short and sweet of what could end up being a rambling (potentially unintelligible) post on color theory, fierce eye twitches a la 72 hour monitor marathons and the present state of runways without McQueen.

FOR THE NIGHT:

Homemade Chai Tea Recipe (from Epicurious)

• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into thin rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 10 whole cloves
• 6 cardamom pods
• 6 cups cold water
• 6 bags of black tea (preferably Darjeeling)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

Preparation:

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium saucepan. Using mallet or back of large spoon, lightly crush or bruise spices. Add 6 cups water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and simmer gently 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to simmer over high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Strain chai into teapot and serve hot.

(I serve mine with vanilla almond milk!)

FOR YOU:

To ease the pain of what is shaping up to be a late night, join me in listening to some sweet late night jams. Download the Youthful Optimism Mixtape.

Youthful Optimism Playlist:

Crave you :: Flight Facilities feat. Giselle
Tenderness :: General Public
Shelter :: The xx
Imagination :: Miami Horror
Tenderly :: Soulstice
Let's Get Lost :: Beck and Bat For Lashes
Sometimes :: Miami Horror
Empire Ants :: Gorillaz
When We're Dancing :: Twin Shadow
Baby :: Devendra Banhart
Infinite Canyons :: Miami Horror
Underwater :: Mad Rad
Oh So Protective One :: Girls
Keep A Secret :: Whitest Boy Alive
Let Your Love Grow Tall :: Passion Pit
Epiphany :: Mad Rad
16th and Valencia Roxy Music :: Devendra Banhart
Shadows (Tanlines Remix) :: Au Revoir Simone