Collared.

Collars: a big trend lately. Peter Pan. Pointed. Scalloped. Cloth. Metal. Plastic. Bought or DIYed to wear over your own dresses and tops. I haven't jumped into this fashion yet... As much as I love them, I don't know if this is one fad that I'm too old to partake in. That is, until I saw this fabulous design. I really, REALLY want to add it to my wardrobe. ASAP.

photo from YOUNG FRANKK's Etsy shop.

Shock to the system.

I've been AWOL again for the past few weeks... Between work, and my friend's husband's 50th birthday/son's 1st birthday party (yeah, you heard right), and a five-day trip to the San Francisco Peninsula for my sister's wedding (woohoo! The best I've been to!), and back to work, I've not had much time for my little blog. And if I've had time, I haven't had the energy to compose anything coherent (see, I'm rambling right here, even when I'm not that tired).

As for my post title, we're now experiencing a bad storm here in the Northeast... strong winds, heavy rain, sleet, wet snow... It's a terrible shock to my system after the lovely warm and sunny weather in California. The day of the wedding in San Gregorio it was in the lower 80s, and the rest of our stay in Half Moon Bay the temps were in the upper 60s/lower 70s. I've just started sorting through the hundreds--yes, HUNDREDS--of photos I shot on the trip... I do believe I got some images worth sharing here, but until I get them edited down quite a bit, I'll just leave you with a small preview...

My very talented father, hand-lettering the chalkboard that would sit at the entrance to the wedding venue...

My beautiful sister, waiting to see her super-wonderful groom...

The breathtaking sunset on the beach our last night in Half Moon Bay...

My photos, along with my memories, will help keep me California warm during this destined-to-be nasty New York winter!

Connected.

I finally managed to get a cord for my new camera (a ridiculous saga not worth recounting here), so now I can download my photos onto my computer. I've been playing around with some product shots of my jewelry, enjoying the freedom of a faster camera that allows me to shoot much crisper handheld images. It's also nice to have control over depth-of-field/selective focus again.

D-Lightful.

Well, I finally did it. I took the plunge.

I finagled the funding to adopt a brand-new Nikon D3100, which came home with me on Saturday. My very first DSLR, and my first non point-and-shoot camera of the digital variety. I'm excited to get back into framing images with my eye to the viewfinder instead of looking at a screen while pressing the shutter release, to having the camera as an extension of myself instead of holding it away from my body as I shoot.

Though I was (and am) well-versed in the ways of the film SLR camera, I've got quite a bit of manual reading and practice shooting to do to feel competent with its digital relative. I'm looking forward to every bit of it.

Now, to buy a USB cord so I can download my shots to my computer, as the card reader I splurged a big $7 on doesn't seem to work (surprise, surprise). Otherwise, the only way I'll be able to share them will be like this:

Smooth as silk.

This site is going to be a real time sink for me, but in the very best way. Click and drag your mouse around the screen to create beautiful, flowing designs that look like silken fabric rippling in a breeze. A relaxing, soothing way to take a break from all the flipping around I do from site to site, blog to blog, tumblr to tumblr.


{One of four beautiful wallpapers you can download from Silk}


{One of my creations from the site}

Found via How About Orange

September song.

To all of my friends in the States, Happy Labor Day! To all of you elsewhere, Happy first Monday in September!

I've been away from here for so long... My job has been taking up a lot of my time, and last week we moved into a new office space too. Then there was the little fact of Hurricane Irene beating up the East Coast of the US, and leaving me without power for five days. I feel terrible for all of those who are still without power one week later, not to mention all of those whose homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by the flooding. I got away very easy, when I think about it.

So, while I spend the holiday being incredibly lazy, prepping for a new week at work, I thought I'd at least drop by to say "Hi!" and let you all know that I'm thinking about some fun new posts, working on new pieces for my shop, and getting very excited for the new DSLR I plan of FINALLY buying this week, so there should be some better-quality photos coming down the pike in the next few months too. I also found a simple yet gorgeous dress for my sister's October wedding in California and am working on the shawl and necklace I'll accessorize it with... now to figure out what shoes to wear...

On a totally different subject, is anyone else as excited as I am about the impending arrival of fall? It's my all-time favorite season... After the heat and humidity of summer I'm looking forward to spending more time curled up indoors with a cup of tea and a good book; wearing sweaters, scarves, boots, and great coats; enjoying apple cider, cider donuts, and pumpkin-flavored treats; the scent of woodsmoke in the dry, crisp air; the crunch as I walk through carpets of fallen leaves... I could go on for ages, but you get the idea. Fall, I'm waiting for you with open arms. But until you get here, I'll just enjoy some photos from your last visit.

Cheers!

Found via the wonderful Park Street (Yet another great post, Audrey!)

SHIRO Cheers System from HN on Vimeo.