ushering in winter

lately:

lemon + honey + ginger syrup tea on cool mornings.

l.l. bean boots on frosty evening treks to work.

christmas records & the tree rising.

shoes & self portraits

i splurged.
and bought myself a new digital camera.
one all decked out.
with detachable lenses.
and artsy filters.

no need to edit.
nearly every photo is magic.

and although i've only shot.
shoes & self portraits.

i get the impression.
that this camera and i will get along.
just fine.

orange/purple

//as of late//

the autumn afternoons.

have been saturated with:::

orange moccasins.
purple flannel.
film.
and fallen leaves.

eggs & oxfords

the days.
as of late.
have been introspective.
layered.
they pulse and buzz.
with the life-force of discovery.
and wonder.

i've spent them.
wearing in a pair of oxfords.
traipsing cities and forests--
with a pentax k1000 around my neck.
and cooking up the freshest of northern farm eggs.

this woman's incredible music
has been the soundtrack of my sunrise and moonlight.

it plays on in my head.
long after the notes have ceased.

"let them...wear fabulous shoes":::

spending a lazy afternoon sipping warm chai tea (fresh off the plane from india), reading the last 100 pages of The Time Traveler's Wife, and watching "Marie Antoinette".

oh the dresses, the food, the decor, the hair, the SHOES!

summer: see, wear, capture:::

WARNING:

if you are having a bad day. if you are within the 'extra emotional' time of the month. if you're sad about anything else in your life. heed my warning and WAIT to go see 'my sisters keeper' in theaters. this is my sincere plea. from experience i can tell you:: the dam's will runneth over. the floodgates will be lifted. your emotions will swell to the brink. the napkin dispenser near the popcorn counter will be empty of napkins. for this movie is horrifically sad.

but it's also wonderful. i had read the book by jodi picoult several years ago- so i knew the premise of the story- but to see it set to music and so beautifully acted, brought on entirely new feelings and emotions. grown men in the theater were crying like babies. young teenage guys with their girlfriends were trying to quickly wipe tears away with the corner of their pink floyd t-shirts. it was a weep fest of monumental proportions.

so i recommend the movie with caution. it is definitely NOT for the weak & weary. but it is an excellent, controversial story about life, death, love and family.

in other (more pleasant) news:: they arrived. the ultra-fabulous silver TOMS are mine. they fit like a glove. they're insanely comfortable. they sparkle. need i say more? i think not!
i love that i can feel good about the purchase of these shoes. it's truly rewarding to realize that, as i am slipping my new shoes on, a little child on the other side of the world--who has been walking barefoot their whole life-- is slipping on theirs too.

"toms on feet" summer june 2009

i've also noticed that i've taken quite a few pictures of flowers this summer. it's no mystery why: their stillness, color and beauty are captivating. i think it's interesting to note all the different places where one can come across flowers. they are planted in pots. in the ground. in hanging planters. they are on tabletops and counters. in windows. in vases. they are a summer staple. and i am in love with them.

"love note"
rashy's kitchen counter: summer june 2009

"floating flowers"
royal oak street corner: summer june 2009

"gerber in the city"
planter outside 'neighborhood knits': summer may 2009

Personal Essay (in color photo)

How does one go about describing oneself? Especially to a whole world wide web of individuals who have no idea who you are.....what you enjoy. To begin my adventures in blog-dom, I have made the executive decision to post a few pictures that I feel might give the world a tiny window into who I am---pictures taken from my home, my most immediate daily surroundings. These are pictures of the things I love: books, shoes, and a very sorry attempt at cooking::::I don't believe I snuck any coffee cups into this picture, but my addictive relationship with java will become all too clear naturally......no need to waste precious webspace with photos of my mug collection (not yet anyway!!). So here we go:: myself, in color photo:::::::::






The weather in the sweet American mitten is second-to-none today, and there is a lawn chair and a sunny patch of grass screaming my name!

Until tomorrow....