Pura Vida

What better way to combat the winter blues during the first snowstorm of the season than by looking back to warmer and sunnier times when winter and work were thousands of miles away and your only concern was whether to apply SPF 45 or 70.


Time spent lying on the beach


watching the sun move across the sky, palm trees silhouetted above my head,

enjoying plenty of good laughs with good friends.

Perhaps with just a dash of adventure,

and the thrill of learning a new skill (or attempting to learn a skill and falling off the surfboard a whole lot in the process).

And of course, there were those moments of absolute hilarity, the memory of which will bring smiles for years to come.

Frankly, as I sit here at my computer with the snow falling outside and my tan fading faster than fifteen minutes of fame, it all seems a little like a dream.

Flash Fall

What happened to fall this year? By the time I noticed the temperature start to drop and headed to the Catskills for some woodsy hiking and fall foliage photography, the leaves had already fallen.

Now that I'm getting around to posting the photos (just a few weeks later, truly!), we have already had our first snow of the winter and streets are bedecked with Christmas lights.

There wasn't nearly enough time to properly enjoy lightweight coats and tweedy skirts, pumpkin bread and mountains of apples and all other things that feel like fall. How did it manage to pass me by? Next year I must pay more attention.

A November Collection

In my many hours of trawling the Internet, flitting from one link to the next, I often happen across a photograph, an item of clothing, a piece of furniture or something else that strikes my fancy. Typically I tuck those links away with the intent to revisit them later when I need a little inspiration or a gift idea.

With all the holiday gift lists I see popping up left and right now that 'tis the season, I thought it might be nice to share a few of the things I've enjoyed in the past few months. Things that might be just right for that special someone you know.

For the host or hostess:

gleena ceramics

For the friend who likes a little whimsy in her wardrobe:

crave jewelry design

bambako

For the many friends who have little ones on the way:

antiqued baby tile, The Inglenook Decor

For the photographer in your life:

lomography diana dreamer camera

For the colleague whose desk could use a little brightening up:

three potato four

For the adorable niece who lives much too far away:

doll's pram, all the luck in the world

For the husband who owns a state-of-the-art ping pong paddle:

the curiosity shoppe

And finally, for yourself, as a reminder of the beauty in the everyday:

2010 calendar, on montague

(and visit Amy's blog to enter a giveaway for one of this lovely calendars!)

I must say it has been quite a bit of fun putting this collection together. I think I just may make it a monthly exercise.

Note: If you think I might have found an item via your blog, which may well be the case, please let me know and I will give proper credit for the find!

Just Can't Get Enough

We all know that there is loads of fun to be had with Flickr, but have you seen this website?

Be forewarned. It's a little addictive. One could easily while away an indecent amount of time experimenting with color combinations if she were so inclined.

These shots come from the magical mix of photos that Flickr spun out for me today.

Montauk

There is something special about visiting the beach in the off-season.


Perhaps it's the wide open vistas of windswept sand and bleached driftwood without a soul in sight.


The thrill of solitude after months spent in close quarters with millions of other New Yorkers.


And, of course, what can compare with the joy of feeling the wind in your hair and sand beneath your paws?