Design Your Own Woodstock Caftan!

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Calling all creatives, artists, and color enthusiasts! New Crop Shop has teamed up with Tierra Alma for a it’s first ever DESIGN YOUR OWN Caftan giveaway!

Winner Receives:

Their very own Woodstock Caftan handmade and embroidered by New Crop Shop, and will be an exclusive line carried by Tierra Alma

How to win:

• Download the blank caftan template here: Blank Caftan Template

• Paint, color, or digitally sketch your design. – All mediums are welcome!

• Follow @NewcropMuse and @tierra_alma on instagram.

• Upload your design on instagram, tag @NewcropMuse and @tierra_alma and use the hashtag #WoodstockCaftan

• Cutoff Date is April 15, 2016

 

We Got Hitched!

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This past year, we put our traveling shoes aside and stated planning for a wedding.  We got married on the the weekend that also happened to be our 10 year anniversary- so it was quite serendipitous that we were able to plan our wedding date on the very same day we decided to call it “official” when we were just kids with puppy!

During our roadtrip through the U.S. our pit stops in Santa Fe, NM always stood out to us. Known as the Land of Enchantment…the land had such sacred energy and you can feel it as soon as you step foot on on NM. The creativity and culture of the locals are inspiring and contagious! We knew this was going to be the dot on the map where we wanted to hold our sacred vows.

We had no friends or family in Santa Fe. In fact, almost everyone had to take a week off to get there. We later found out flights into Santa Fe was very limited, and the best way to get there was to drive- and for our guests that meant across the country. This came with lots of stories and adventures before and after the wedding. Gotta love the inevitable adventure that comes with road trips!

Still in awe and filled with so much gratitude at the experience of having friends and family from everywhere come and be part of our special day. This was a very DIY wedding with everyone’s creativity at play.

Wedding planning, event design, photography, DJ-ing and even down to building the alter and dream catcher backdrop- was all done by friends. Everyone contributed to the beauty and uniqueness of our wedding day. Thank you thank you thank you! <3

 

West Coast Desert

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I’m home for the holidays! Which means back and forth from the bright animated lights of Vegas, through the desert landscapes and into California, exactly that but over and over again =) My family’s home is in Vegas, but they all work and also live in Los Angeles. I think they’re more of road warriors than I am. During my time in Los Angeles, I was connected with the beautiful yoga and artist behind Wolven|Threads. A line of yoga clothes that take you on a kaleidoscopic journey on and off the mat. Art, yoga, and kaleidoscopes? Sounds right up my alley. Above are a few shots from our backyard.. the high desert of Las Vegas. These photos were inspired by the kaleidoscopic nature of her designs, the trippy visions through these future eye lenses and in honor of the last full moon this month, in Gemini. A sign I definitely connect with <3 Happy winter full moon celebrations my friends!

The Electricity of New York

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Its our first night and I can’t help but people watch— I’m so fascinated by the contagious energy, the people, the lights and all its aliveness. Despite the cold, we took beers to our our balcony, walked out to the edge of our fire scape and stared out into the twinkling lights of the streets and its historic alleyways. Curiously peeking into windows, as if to get a glimpse of the people’s lives around us. One of my favorite things about our travels is the glimpse of the different lifestyles and the exciting paths that people have chosen to take. I love seeing locals in their element. Where they grab their morning coffee, their favorite bookstore, and the friends they’ve made at their frequent sandwich shops.  I think many of us can agree that it takes a certain level of grit and passion to make it out in New York. You constantly hear people tell you “ you don’t want to move out there it’s too expensive”, “its too crowded” “nothing is easy there” — yet so many still make the move there, and it inspires me just at the thought of bumping shoulders with the people who push past what’s defined as easy, or practical.  I love, love, love places like these, places that remind you how small you are and how infinitely large the world is around you. A place that makes you want to write in your journal, exposes you to the inspiring, the unsafe, the cold and the romance of discovering all its corners.  We wandered over to Brooklyn in hopes we would fall in love with its personality.. but only on our way out did I feel as if I have gotten a glimpse of its charm. But isn’t that the charm of places like these? The same charm that us junk and thrift store hunters seek? The thrill of the hunt is as gratifying as discovering its gems? Those willing to keep their eyes wide open and their heart seeking will indeed find it as a gem.

Hola Antigua!

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This town is breathtaking. Bright colorful history still radiating with its rainbow colored colonial buildings, and cathedrals sprawled out on cobblestone streets. Even the women’s traditional huipils are adorned with tropical birds, flowers, and vibrant patterns. My textile loving heart sang when the different villages gathered to bring their textiles to display. The huipils were as comfortable as they were artfully intriguing. I cant wait to share these vibrant beauties with you in the shop!

Hmong Textile Inspirations

While living in Thailand, we found ourselves constantly in awe of the Hmong tribe’s weaving, stitching and batiking of textiles. After visiting the Hmong village and learning first hand the amount of skill and attention to detail that was passionately put into every thread, my appreciation grew ten-fold. My head starting spinning of ways to celebrate and share their amazing artwork. To turn them into pillow covers, skirts, curtains, … the works. These beautiful pieces are still on the top of our list of our most valued pieces that we carry. Seeing these amazing articles of clothing made from beautiful Hmong textiles has me wanting to get out my scissors and get to it!

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Shop our collection of Hmong Textiles here!

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Mountainscapes of Nepal

As I write this, I sit in Aaron’s childhood bedroom decorated in nostalgia. Baby faced photos, old sports jerseys, down to the DARE trophies. As I sort through our travel photos which feels like yesterday and lifetimes ago at the same time, I realize how lucid life is when we’re moving. How travel sparks something inside and can make you believe in magic again. I remember running free through these fields, dancing into the sky-high clouds, feeling like we can do anything we wanted, and we were doing it. There’s something about the mountains that bring a sacred energy and Nepal is no different. We found ourselves leaving the bustle of Kathmandu to retreat in the charming mountain town of Pokhara and hiking to a small village called Gachok. We were greeted with sparkling eyes and kids with their hands in heart center greeting you with a loud “namaste!” Lush fields stretch out in the valleys as they connect the mountainscapes. We witness the simplicity of the people as they worked the fields until the sun went down. During our trek, we were called down by a beautiful Nepalese girl and her mother who invited us into their home and prepared us a fresh cucumber salad from their garden. What little they have was all they needed, and it was what they offered us. I will never forget how this simple, yet large gesture of a cucumber salad can immerse me in gratitude long after our journey through Nepal.

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The Road Ahead: New Crop Pop Up Shops!

We’re so excited to be back in the U.S.! We have quite a long road trip ahead of us, but we’ve got the jeep packed to the brim and ready for our first round of New Crop Pop Up Shops. We loved our coast to coast roadtrip last year, that this year we’re doing it again with some art markets and summer festivals sprinkled in between. We hope to share New Crop Shop’s vibrant and diverse energy at each place that is part of our tour, and also those serendipitous places that aren’t. If you’re at any of these stops…come by our booth and say hi!

Get more info about these festivals: Pop Up Sunday // Art Outside Festival // Artists & Fleas

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Tropical Inspiration

Packing to re-visit Aaron’s homeland of Palau, an untouched (and many times, unheard of) gem in the pacific. So excited to visit both of our families together to announce our engagement before heading back to the U.S.! Might be out of radar for the next couple weeks..but for now, a little tropical inspiration for you <3

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image sources: 1/2/3/4

Shades of Life and Death in Varanasi

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Sometimes it is the least picture perfect moments that end up being the most picturesque. Varanasi is definitely one of those places I can never really begin to unravel. I have pieces of writings in my journal, an attempt to re-write in my iphone notes, a few drafts on the blog, but it’s almost impossible to put into words something that intense and mind-altering. We left the beautiful Tibetan town of Dharamsala filled with artsy cafes, prayer flags, immense mountain beauty and English conversations with backpackers for one of the oldest cities in the world: Varanasi. We found ourselves outside of our comfort zone all over again, and an all too familiar feeling.

Mark Twain once said: “Varanasi” is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”

The ancient streets were just wide enough for two people to walk by or one cow. We were here during the end of May, and the heat was almost too much to bare. The smell of dung (dog, cow, and people) simmered on concrete as you step over piles of rubble. There is no road signs or road names and I felt as if these alleyways were winding in every direction beneath my feet. You faced all shades of life and death and every facet of holy sadhus. Here you see Hinduism practiced fully all day, it’s a sacred experience and it’s easy to understand how this is the holiest city. As you pass by open windows, many are inside their homes praying to their alters. Crowds push by you as they rush to a ceremony or head to the Ganges. The Ganges display a visual that will have you feeling everything at once. To see people bathing in the same place that ashes of the dead float on is hard to grasp. Varanasi made me realize just how powerful these uncomfortable situations are, and the lessons behind the strangeness of life. It reminded me of how sheltered I am, how little I know, and how there are infinite truths I am still left to question.