Tinker Watch (the prototype)

In 2015, I founded a watch company along with my husband, Ian, and our two cofounders, Grant and Celina. The four of us — a brand strategist, mechanical engineer, copywriter, and graphic designer, respectively — wanted to design a product that was universal and unisex: A clean, timeless, and thoughtfully-designed piece. We’re days away from the first round of watches being here, but this watch, one of the prototypes, will always serve as a reminder of the moment we realized that we had actually built something.

Buy Now$150

Marlow Goods Mini Britten (wear that damn thing every day)

I came upon this bag when wandering around the Marlow Goods shop at the Wythe Hotel. Their leather products are simple, beautiful, and I appreciate that the company aims to minimize waste by making them from the hides of animals they use on the menu at their sister restaurants. While small, this bag fits everything you need for a day out: Wallet, chapstick, sunglasses, a small notebook even. It’s my go-to.

Buy Now$217

Arrowstone Blackfoot Maize Tea Pot

We found this vintage Japanese Kasuga coffee pot (along with a matching sugar bowl) at our friend’s store, Individual Medley, in Los Angeles. I love the simplicity of its shape and the fact that it really is a size meant for hosting. The truth is, I don’t drink coffee much, but there is something nice about seeing this friendly piece on the counter every morning.

Buy Now$32

Photo of my dad

My dad has always had a devil-may-care attitude and this picture so perfectly captures that. It was taken sometime in the 60s or 70s in New Mexico, where I grew up, by his cousin who he paraded around making trouble with. He’s now a tour guide in Japan with that same case of wanderlust and free spirit in his eyes — now hidden behind coke bottle glasses — and he’s replaced smoking for an every-day habit of wearing comfortable white tennis shoes. A reminder that we both change and stay the same.

Shop Now$10

Muji Pens

My handwriting has gotten progressively worse in this era of typing and texting, but these pens somehow make me take my time when I do have to write something. I like the quality of the ink and the way the matte plastic feels in my hand. Every now and then, I’ll look down at the Japanese label and wonder what it says. . . Probably something boring, but what if I’m missing something clever or useful like, “Warning: If you chew on this pen, your mouth will forever be stained black.”?

Buy Now$1.50

Marmol Radziner Ring (our wedding bands)

Neither Ian nor I have ever understood the pomp and circumstance around weddings, much less the expense of wedding rings. These rings are our second set of bands, replacements for the first that we grew tired of. We liked that Marmol Radziner, a group of California-based architects and designers, decided to design jewelry after they couldn’t find something that they liked. These bands are brass and over time, they have a different patina depending on the wearer: Mine is shiny and Ian’s is rough and matte. They cost $85 each so should we lose them, we can just order another because hey, it’s the love that is forever.

Buy Now$85

Pets

We have a band of animals that each have a different, tragic rescue story: Blind, deaf, bad leg, etc.. The short of it is that we love animals and each creature, now flourishing, brings a comical personality to the table — literally. They try and sit on the benches during dinner to see how successful their doe-eyed staring will be or sit under our desks waiting for toast crumbs to drop. While I know the idea of taking in an abused or broken animal can be daunting, I promise with love and time, you’ll see a turnaround. Adopt don’t shop!