May | 2011 | The Taking of Toast

It’s always such a treat for me when I come across a newly-discovered blog and find something I really like on it almost instantly, whether it’s a recipe; a restaurant recommendation; a realllllly cool chair; or even motherly advice (I’ve been reading A Girl, A Style for a few months, but I still wanted to share that post). Last night, I got linked to Greedy Girl (via A Cup of Jo), and the bright pink shoes in this post caught my eye. (Bear with me; I know this is getting a bit roundabout!) I had never heard of the jewelry line Minoux (the focus of that post), so I checked out their website … and ooh la la! Lots of nice jewelry. A few of the pieces remind me of much classier/hipper/nicer versions of necklaces I made at sleepaway camp years ago. Below are some of my favorites.

There are a lot more pieces on the website that I think are just as nice, including the Harmonic Mean Necklace (which is the piece from the Greedy Girl post that caught my eye originally). To me, they’re different and bright enough to stand out, but not so big and flashy that you feel like you can’t pull them off. (Is that just me? I don’t own any statement jewelry, because I always think I’ll get shy about wearing it at the last minute. I have a couple pairs of big earrings, and I usually end up taking them off by the end of the night.) According to the about page, all Minoux pieces are handmade in Portland, Oregon … in a barn. Pretty neat, huh?

No Mixed Monday this week, I’m afraid! I’m starting to realize it may not be something I can do every Monday.

When I was in London last fall, I tried to always have my camera with me wherever I went, even if I was just going to class and back. (Come to think of it, I did that when I was studying abroad junior year, too.) Even though I felt that snapping pictures all the time might reveal the fact that I was only a temporary resident of those places, I decided that having my camera along was ultimately more important than my (possibly) looking like a tourist. I got some great pictures that way, of streets at sunset and store windows with fun displays. I always carry my camera when I’m on vacation, since I’m exploring a new place and want to be able to capture it as much as possible. But until a few months ago, I never had my camera with me when I was at home in New York. There’s nothing wrong with taking pictures, but in an area like Grand Central, where (I would guess) almost everyone taking pictures is a tourist/visitor, I always feel the need to stand my ground as a “native” New Yorker and not take out my camera or cell phone. Petty? Maybe. But now I try to have my camera with me if I’m going out for the afternoon or to dinner with friends. (I’ll admit I often go out to dinner with friends planning to document the evening through photos, but it never feels like the right moment to pull my camera out, or I feel awkward taking random pictures of my dinner.) I’ll admit that when there are people around, I say — to myself only! — “Yeah, I’m just taking some pictures of this building. But I’m from here. I’m not a tourist. I’m not!” (I’m starting to sound as though I’m against tourists, and I’m not.)

Whether I’m in New York or a tourist myself in a foreign locale, I love taking macro shots of flowers. With spring finally here to stay (I hope!), I thought I’d share some of my favorite flower photos. Some of these are a couple years old, but a few are from recent outings in the city. They’re a fairly varied bunch, too, with some from gardens in Gotland, Stockholm, and London, and others from Arizona and the streets of New York. (I’ve come across some really beautiful blooms in the city these past few weeks and just said, “These are too nice for me not to photograph. Who cares what people think?”) Oh, and I didn’t even realize until now how much pink there is! That wasn’t intentional.