Welcome back to MOOD. Read on for what I'm loving, reading, giving, eating, wearing and seeing, 
right now.

Something I longed for all of last year was to drink a fancy cocktail outside of my home while wearing something other than a track suit. Bemelmans bar in the Carlyle Hotel might be one of the most iconic and glamorous hotel cocktail bars in the world. The room is decorated with Ludwig Bemelman's murals – he's the creator of the classic Madeline children’s book series. The lighting is just dim enough and the salty bar snacks are on point — yes, potato chips are an essential accompaniment to a Martini served at Bemelmans with a side-car. 

I'm currently obsessed with The Carlyle Collection, the hotel's second collaboration with the clothing line FRAME. Though some of the items sold out immediately (like the green pullover — thanks for the tip, Steph!), the site has some pieces left celebrating this iconic New York haunt.

Ahhh stress, why do you seem to hang around so much lately? Rhetorical question. I am no doctor and this is certainly not a prescription, but I find that the ASYSTEM's Complete Calm De-Stress Gummies really take the edge off. The Sicilian lemon and ginger gummies are natural, and if you really want to go for it, they have one for sleep too.

I was shocked to recently learn that more women die each year from heart disease than from all cancers combined; and that heart disease is the #1 killer of Americans. I was struck by these facts when the puzzle makers over at Jiggy invited me to create an original piece of art for their American Heart Association collaboration. Full-disclosure, I have only completed two puzzles in my life, so I consulted all of my puzzle-solving friends as to what makes a good one. Then I got to work. With each purchase, Jiggy will donate $15 directly to the American Heart Association's 'Life is Why' campaign to fund more research to prevent heart disease…Now, that is my kinda puzzle.

Catherine Casalino, a Designer, Creative Director and the graphics mastermind for MOOD, seems to find inspiration everywhere, even on the graffiti-covered trucks in NYC. She recently told me about Poster House in NYC, the first museum to showcase an 
often-overlooked art form: posters. The museum is enormous (in a good way), and has a collection of 7,000 + posters, spanning two centuries. I am excited to see The Push Pin Legacy show which opens on September 9, and showcases the work of a ton of incredible designers, like Milton Glaser, the mastermind behind the iconic ‘I Love New York” campaign. If you can’t make it IRL, you can preview the shows on the museum's site.

Note: The Museum is temporary closed after flash flooding in NYC, and that's all the more reason to check it out and support the venue when it has re-opened!

When it comes to podcasts, I often tune in to The Daily, NPR One, Design Matters, How I Built This and anything my pals at FreeTime Media create, but sometimes I just need a laugh. That’s where Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend comes in. The show is hilarious, topical, opinionated and well-informed. Lately, Conan has been toggling between interviewing a celebrity guest (JB Smoove is one of my fave episodes) to various fans of the show. In a recent episode, “Coroner O’Brien,” Conan learns how to perform an autopsy. Doesn’t sound funny, right? It is. Listen on Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. This one was a great suggestion from the endlessly hysterical, and my better half, Michael.

Drop a line at studio@melaniedunea.com with any tips or stuff you are loving.

Stay in the MOOD.

x

Melanie