Things I’m Jonesin’ For: September

It’s fall, and truly, I’m jonesin for cooler days, pots of stew and good college football days. I can’t wait to pull out the recipes and invite friends over for some much needed hugs and screaming at the TV. That said, I just returned from holiday in New York City – shopping for just about everything I could ever imagine – a few of my thoughts on what may be hitting my shopping bags below…

Despite starting to think that I’m lactose intolerant, I’m still wistfully wishing for fall days to appear and I pull out cheese boards abundantly spilling over with wedges and dried meats and fruit so that somehow my house turns into the Hamptons and I’m wafting about like I’m at a resort of sorts. I’m such a drama freakshow fantasy maker sometimes.

Speaking of fantasy life, how about that of a street photographer. Having just gotten back from NYC, I’m becoming increasingly more needy of how to take candids of people I don’t know. I saw so many great performers in Central Park, and that was easy – but what about the gnarly man on the bench in Grand Central Station, your thoughts? Vivian Maier was an amazing unknown of her time, with an amazing story and body of work to match – she’s definitely inspiring me to get back out there and try harder.

And when it comes to art, I’ve recently been updating my art ledge in my craft and home office area. This little slice of heaven looks just like my Ralph. I had a few vintage prints of big dogs, but felt like this piece just spoke to me – this is the face I come home to each day – except jumping and wagging without end!

I’m always looking for the next thing in home security. I’m not a nut job, but I hate that the last time my alarm went off, it took way too long for the cops to arrive. (nearly an hour). That said, I thought door locks like this would also help me on those days where I go “Did I lock the flippin’ door?” Works with email and text you say? Sign me up!

Of course, there’s always the idea that I’m losing my keys. I don’t lose them often, but I’ll admit to you all that I couldn’t find my cell phone the other day – only to locate it inside of my wedge shoe already in the shoe rack. Don’t ask me. I don’t know. I can’t imagine if I couldn’t “ring my keys” up if I’d lost them in the same haphazard way. This nifty little bluetooth on my key ring would save me from that little mishap!

Well, Alice got new digs too! This great cage came and I have to say, while it’s slightly smaller, it’s also much lighter to lug around while I clean up her cage as well as much better for the space I had her in – I found myself walking around her own cage or hitting my hip into the side – this one definitely has all the space she needs, while not completely taking over the area that she’s in!

Love love LOVE love LOVE that grunge is making a comeback. After that time in NYC, my skepticism has melted, plaid and florals living in harmony amongst studs and Doc Martens are hitting my closet again this fall. I adored this dress from Urban Outfitters, the cut out being super cool and modest, with the length and slit that say HELLO, but not “Hello Cold Wind in October”…

I’m a magazine hound, especially when it comes to finding myself in airports. All of a sudden normally boring copies of the usual People or Readers Digest look as if they have glitter and lights flashing from them. On this particular trip, I had the blessing of flying out on “September’s Issue” and flying in on “October’s Issue” of many magazine. The only one that caught my eye for both trips was Fine Cooking. Loaded with gorgeous photos and recipes that are unique but doable, I’m considering this being my next iPad pick.

Also, in the more intelligent reading category, I need you to go and pick up Super Freakanomics. A wonderful sequal to the original Freaknomics, this book really just speaks to anyone who can see the common sense of every day life and apply it to just about anything. Am I partial to this study because it’s my educational background? Maybe. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get this – in fact it’s far from a super-deep read – a quirky, nearly humorous study of the world around us. Pick it up!

And while you’re reading my friends, let’s pick up one or two truffles, shall we? Recently finding myself at a Lindt store, I didn’t realize these perfect coconut delicacies had hit stores. They don’t have the shredded coconut in them, if you’re a “get things in your teeth” person, but this is smooth delicate coconut flavor inside perfectly picked chocolate. Seriously people, even coconut non-believers will start to believe…and perhaps believe they are in Tahiti.

While in NYC, I hit the FAO. While there I splurged on my childhood dream. I made myself a muppet.  What the WHAAAT? Yes, you heard me. Now when I sit down to my craft desk, I have “Simon” looking at me, as if to be the boss of the creative world I work in from time to time. It’s whimsy, it was fun as heck to work with the lady who’s WHOLE JOB it is to form up the muppets after you choose clothing, noses, hair, eyes, the whole lot! Not only do I want her job…but seriously people, I want her life! What do you do? I make muppets. OMG. Heaven.