my rituals: rita mehta of the american edit

I love a well-made product with a story behind it, but I wasn’t always like that. (Cue: image of bags upon bags of short-lived Forever 21 clothes.) Ever since watching artisans make incredible crafts and wares within small communities in South America and Asia, though, I’m so much more interested in supporting small business owners in my own country.

Enter: The American Edit, a new site founded by fashion and housewares industry vet Rita Mehta, who had trouble finding fashionable womenswear and home decor with a Made-in-America stamp and decided to fill the void herself. TAE is like a beautifully curated encyclopedia of the best in American-made goods — things like jewelry from Catbird, wood products from A Sunny Afternoon and a whole lot more organized by location, maker, purpose or product. I love the quick-hit header that explains what each shop is known for, the bright, airy photographs and the site’s slick layout.

An inspirational woman with a revolutionary idea? Obviously she needed to share her rituals. Read on to find out about why she heads back to bed in the mornings and what her 30-before-30 list is all about.

Name: Rita Mehta
Age: 29
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Current city: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Retail + product development strategist // founder, The American Edit

Morning routine
I’ve struggled to create a daily routine since leaving my corporate life behind this past spring, but my weekdays begin when I stumble walk downstairs to say goodbye to my husband as he leaves for work — our schedules are a little different, so it’s a nice way to guarantee that we see each other each day! After that, I crawl head back upstairs and lay in bed planning out my day, reading The Skimm, and catching up on Twitter/Instagram/blogs until I’m a little more awake and feel capable of working our espresso machine (it’s a lot of work, pushing a button!). My day doesn’t officially start till I’ve had some caffeine…or a green juice if I’m feeling virtuous!

Travel
I travel as much as possible. It is the best way to get inspired, spend time (and strengthen relationships) with family and friends, and meet new people. Travel relaxes and motivates me at the same time.

Say yes/Hear no
I created a 30-before-30 list on my last birthday. The biggest challenge I set for myself was to hear no more often and say yes more frequently — I care far too much about what people think of me and often let that influence my decision making. As I’ve started my business, this challenge has forced me to take on projects I normally would not have and to ask people things I never in a million years thought they would say yes to – and more often than not, they do! It’s been amazing and I only wish I had taken on this ballsy (for me, I’m a wimp!) mentality earlier.

Celebrate
Champagne, prosecco, cava — I’m a firm believer that a glass of sparkling makes everything better and that there is always something to celebrate, and luckily, my best pals all agree.

Thanks, Rita! You can follow The American Edit on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

First photo by Wing Ta; second photo by Rita Mehta; third photo