I’ve never been a good sale shopper – the magazine industry has ingrained in me that from July on it’s fall/winter, and January starts spring/summer. Therefore, by the time something hits the clearance bin, I’m over it. This spring, my obsession shoe was a mustard-color Chloe ballet flat, complete with jewels and a bow. Oh, so perfect to wear with jeans in my parallel life where I only do fabulous things! I think I clipped it out of Bazaar in February and taped it to a piece of paper full of other desires culled from magazines. Well, I watched it on net-a-porter all spring, and last week, when it was finally marked down, my size was gone! (which only made me want it more) I tracked it down at Bergdorf Goodman, and had it sent out. Alas, it was too pointy and narrow to justify the price (every time that shoe hurt, I’d be thinking about how much it cost). So, back it went. Another ill-fated sale purchase. That very day, in both the new Elle and Travel & Leisure, I found my new fall/winter obsession shoe, courtesy of Tod’s. And yes, it’s a pointy-toe. There’s always another shoe coming around the corner is the lesson (or could the lesson be “You spend waaaaay too much money on shoes, girl!).
This week’s New York magazine cover story is “How to Be Happy” – a simplistic segue, but without further ado, Five Things That Make Me Happy:
1. Coffee Specifically, a Starbucks Venti Skim Misto. Heaven! The smell, the taste, the caffeine ….
2. A Perfect Fall Day High in the 60s, golden sun filtered through red, yellow and orange-leaved trees, perhaps a football game on the radio ….
3. The First Robin Sighting of Spring Somehow, as soon as I see my first robin, I tell myself that I will survive another winter, and spring won’t be that much longer of a wait.
4. A Good Mail Day Doesn’t have to be volume, but a letter from a friend, a cool catalog or magazine, a trinket – I love that it shows up!
5. Chocolate Chip Cookies These are good all the way through the process. If homemade, the batter is almost better than the baked, and the scent is too much. If bought, the choices (and the size) are a treat!
What makes you happiest? Have a great (and happy?) weekend.
So, I’m wandering the web, per usual, and today’s unexpected find is this adorable paper suitcase filled with bicycle stationery from Pink Loves Brown. I just adore these suitcases, and have almost purchased one so many times. I am the king of almost-purchasing. This may be what tips the scale – love the bicycle card! Looks like the old-fashioned puttering around bicycle. My current bicycle, although more modern, sports a wire basket in the front that has come in very useful. Back on topic. Pink Loves Brown has many other adorable styles of stationery as well as assorted gift items, designed by Nicole Balch, who also does web and graphic design. Love the hopscotch and coochie coo cards! Check them out at pinklovesbrown.com.
Tuesday was an overcast day. Rain on and off. Melancholy. Food shots were hard to come by. Both inspiration and supply were low. Something about a lime in an old-fashioned glass appealed to me. Perhaps it’s the essence of a margarita, I don’t know. But this was the better of my attempts. (I also shot a grouping of five non-moldy raspberries. Yikes – time to get to the store!) Sitting on copier paper, thought it turned out okay. As in, not pathetic, but let’s face it, the work of an amateur. Perhaps I’ll stick to admiringfood shots.
Further nature thoughts – I’m worried about one of our ash trees in the parkway – it’s looking sickly this summer, and has already dropped some leaves. Of course, since the Emerald Ash Borer has been spotted in Illinois, I’m worried that this will turn out to be the cause. Gotta love how the mind works, don’t you?
And did you happen to catch Amy Sedaris “tumbling” on the Colbert Report?
I may have stumbled upon a mini-trend with my food picture entry from yesterday. The August issue of Food & Wine arrived yesterday (strangely, Monday is a big day for magazine arrivals with our local post office), and inside there is a feature on how to set up the perfect food photographs. I need to find some food worthy of the camera, and try it out. Should you also like to try, the information can be found at the Food&Wine website. My goal is to post a photo tomorrow. See you then.
