Anastasia | On Presence, Vintage Finds & Building a Life That Feels Like Home
Some people make you feel like you need to slow down the moment you meet them.
Not because they ask you to. Because they already have.
When I first came across Anastasia's world, I couldn't quite put my finger on what drew me in. It wasn't just the beautiful photographs. It was her. The way she dresses as though getting ready each morning is an act of self-expression instead of obligation. Flowing fabrics and well-loved vintage pieces, Nothing feels trendy or performative. Every outfit looks collected over time, like each piece has a story and found its way to her for a reason.
She moves through the world with a kind of quiet attentiveness that's becoming increasingly rare. She notices the first peaches of summer. She rearranges flowers simply because they make an ordinary Tuesday feel softer. She finds beauty in old things, in handwritten notes, in slow mornings, in making dinner for people she loves. None of it feels performative. It feels practiced. Like she's spent years learning that a beautiful life isn't something you stumble into. It's something you choose, over and over again.
In a culture that constantly tells us to chase bigger, faster, louder, Anastasia reminds us that there is another way.
One where delight is a daily ritual.
One where home becomes a feeling you create.
One where paying attention is its own kind of abundance.
That's exactly why I wanted her to be the first conversation in this series.
Because if Love Me Stone is about learning to live more fully, she embodies what that can look like. Not perfectly. Not extravagantly. Simply with intention.
So we talked about presence. About collecting vintage pieces that carry stories. About building a home that feels like an exhale. About trusting your own taste. About why slowing down isn't falling behind. And about the small rituals that quietly become the architecture of a meaningful life.
I hope you'll read this conversation slowly.
It's the kind that lingers.
My name is Anastasia, I live in my cute little studio apartment in San Francisco. I moved to the city 10 years ago from Minsk, Belarus.
My day job is in fashion & I really enjoy what I am doing, but I also have a passion project 22vntglry, my thrifted & vintage resale.
I like to move my body by running, hiking, doing yoga, and dancing at night - I am convinced any activity that brings you joy brings you happiness & longevity.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Before moving to SF from Belarus, I used to teach English as a second language there to college kids, and it was honestly a really cool experience, I still cherish that time very dearly. Now I work in fashion - something I could not even dream of growing up, yet I think I manifested it. My day job is in merchandising for Banana Republic, I pretty much decide what kind of new cute things will be selling in stores in the coming seasons and in what colors. It's fun, but can be very stressful & demanding.
In my most inspired phases I create content for small clothing brands - it's a wonderful creative outlet that lets me play with styling clothes & constantly refine my own style.
What are you most passionate about right now?
Yoga! I have been practising vinyasa on and off for about 7 years now, but only recently discovered restorative yoga for myself, as well as slow flows & bhakti chanting. It feels nurturing and helps me disconnect from the external everyday stressors. I find myself at the yoga studio 3-4 times a week, and want to keep diving deeper into my practice & see what may come out of it...;)
What does living authentically mean to you?
It's a really good question...Lately I have been thinking about authenticity and the social masks most people have to put on sometimes. To me, living authentically means to be in such harmony with yourself & with the outside world that no masks are necessary. You can just be the same person with yourself, your friends, your coworkers or strangers. It's very idealistic, of course. I think it's really important to know what you want - or don't want - and to be able to communicate your wishes & needs. Living authentically also means going through life with a lot of confidence. I love words & associations, authentic to me is connected to "freedom", "happiness", "fulfilled".
What’s something you’re currently learning, exploring, or challenging yourself to do?
I have been on a self-discovering journey over the past 6-8 months (and it continues), and it's been fascinating. Learning that I don't like certain textures & tastes, letting myself change plans and not feeling bad about it, challenging myself to slow down & look inward even when it's hard - from ordinary everyday habits to significant shifts in old patterns. It's funny how small sparks start big fires, you know: a month ago I got my hair cut really short for the very first time in my life, and turns out it made me feel a lot more like myself than my whole life!
Describe a perfect day in your life.
Sleep in, wake up, start the coffee, read in bed with it. Go on a run, shower, cook something delicious for breakfast. Go on a walk or a drive and swing by a couple thrift stores on the way to look for treasures. Spend time sunbathing at the park with a book. Smoke a joint. Work on a creative project. Spend time getting dressed to go out, with friends or by myself. Indulge in a really awesome dancefloor experience. Go to sleep when it's light out.
What’s one risk you’ve taken that changed you?
Moving to the US, no doubt. All by myself, newly heart-broken, all of 25 years old, with two suitcases I moved across the ocean to the far end of a different continent. To build a new life with very little idea how I was going to do it, and without a security net. Free falling for a dream. It really forged me, I've learnt to be so strong & independent. I found my people, my community here. My life got SO rich.
What brings you the most joy?
Moving my body! It can be anything: a long run, a scenic desolate hike in the north bay with some good music in my headphones, a soulful night dancing to house music, a slow yin yoga practice, a bike ride through the desert, or an energetic techno night in a dark basement sweating through my clothes.
What’s a belief or philosophy you live by?
Karma. What goes around, comes around. Treat others the way you yourself would like to be treated.
What are you saying yes to more of these days?
Ironically, I have been saying a lot more no's lately. I'm adventurous, it's easy for me to say yes to things, which sometimes can be overextending & can drain my battery. I guess I am saying yes to saying no more?
What does “living deliciously” mean to you?
Being present to enjoy the little pleasures of life: a beautiful sunset, stone fruit in season, a sick dj set, fresh sheets...What can I say, I am a hedonist.
I keep thinking about that.
We tend to imagine transformation arriving in dramatic moments, announced with certainty and fireworks. But more often it slips into our lives quietly, disguised as a haircut, a slower yoga class, or finally allowing ourselves to say no.
Maybe becoming ourselves has always looked less like reinvention and more like remembering.
It's not extravagant.
It's deeply lived.
For Anastasia, movement isn't exercise.
It's conversation.
It's celebration.
It's coming home to herself.
And perhaps that's the thread connecting everything else.
Whether she's styling vintage clothing, wandering through thrift stores, rolling out a yoga mat, or dancing until sunrise, she's practicing the same thing.
Presence.
Because maybe living deliciously isn't about making life bigger.
Maybe it's about becoming awake enough to notice how beautiful it already is.
Quick Fire
Current obsession: Restorative yoga, slow flows, and bhakti chanting.
Life philosophy:"What goes around, comes around."
Biggest leap: Moving alone from Belarus to San Francisco at twenty-five with two suitcases and no safety net.
Currently saying yes to: Saying no more often. (Which I absolutely LOVE)
Definition of living deliciously:"Being present to enjoy the little pleasures of life: a beautiful sunset, stone fruit in season, a sick DJ set, fresh sheets... What can I say? I'm a hedonist."
Find Anastasia
〰️
Find Anastasia 〰️
📍 San Francisco, California
Fashion merchandiser, vintage curator, and collector of beautiful ordinary moments.
Check out her Website
You can find her on Instagram and follow along to get inspired by her hikes, fashion, late night adventures or anywhere in between.
Her vintage resale project @22vntglry
Let’s dive into her the playlist she shared with me so we could maybe get a taste of her sweaty nights on the dance floor.
If there was one thing Anastasia reminded me of, it's that a rich life isn't built all at once. It's built in the way we pay attention to ordinary days.
She reminds us to notice the sweetness of stone fruit in July. The feeling of fresh sheets after a long day. The freedom of saying no when your body means no. The unexpected courage it sometimes takes to cut your hair because it feels more like you, even when you had no idea it would until you did.
Sometimes you take the chance and let life become what it will.
Living deliciously isn't about perfection or luxury. It's about presence. About believing that beauty isn't something waiting for us in the future. It's something we practice today.
And maybe that's the whole point.
A life you love isn't found.
It's cultivated, one beautiful ordinary moment at a time.