Shoe Forecasting??

During the fall and winter of last year, I spent the majority of the season searching for the perfect boot.  The one I had in my head that would complement my winter outfits perfectly.

It was a tall boot, just below the knee (not one of those over the knee boots, blech!) with a rounded toe, a stacked, less than 3-inch heel, that laced completely up the front.  Certainly that couldn't be hard to find! Well, since they are currently NOT in my closet right now, the search was a complete bust. 

So, it was a complete shock to me when the Ugg Australia Fall Preview catalog popped out of my mailbox one afternoon and displayed my perfect boot!  As if I designed it myself, there it was!

Since then, my tall, lace-up boots have been popping up everywhere. Just this morning, two graced my inbox!


I'm not saying that I'm amazing or anything, but it does strike me as odd.  I search and search for the perfect boot for the 2010 season and it suddenly pops up for 2011.  Does this mean I should go into fashion forecasting? 
 
(Note: I do not have a photo of the Ugg boots. They are not yet listed on the e-commerce site)

I remember spending one summer frantically searching for pants that fitted snug at the top but had really wide legs that appeard skirt-like.  After that season, goucho pants suddenly appeared everywhere!  And, when planning a wedding, I chose navy blue as my main color. A very difficult color to find at the time in the wedding industry, I searched high and low for navy ribbons, navy dresses, navy invitations.  The next season, David's Bridal released a new dress color.. "Marine" a deep blue.   And, hello? My full-lace dress was chosen long before Kate Middleton made lace popular again!

Coincidence? Or am I due for a career change??? ;)

Goodbye, Wendell

Ah, my dear Wendell ring has been lost.  After a fabulous weekend in the Hampton with great friends, my beloved ring got left behind. It's my own fault, I know that, but it doesn't take away the loss I feel. It sounds silly, to be so emotionally attached to a piece of metal that in the grand scheme of things, is extremely trivial. But, I loved that ring and it meant a lot to me.

The silly thing is that I took it off to swim in the pool on Sunday. I never really take it off (ever!) but I was so concerned about the chemicals affecting the metals that I took it off my hand and laid it on the table. But, it was several hours (and a car ride home) before I realized it was missing. Too late to turn around, too late to go back, too late.

I bought the ring for myself during one of the lowest points in my life. I purchased it as a daily reminder to focus more on the day-to-day rather than what will be in the future. "The journey is the reward" actually etched into the metal was my reminder. 

I'm not one that owns a lot of jewelry.  Nice pieces I have were passed down from loved ones.  I don't usually purchase a lot on my own except for costume pieces.  It was something I found and purchased for no other reason except for me.  It was the perfect piece for daily wear. Dainty, yet unique. Small enough to go unnoticed when paired with bolder pieces, but just enough to be worn alone.  In fact, you can hardly see it in the photo to the left.  The simple gold band picked up touches of gold in any outfit and the silver complemented the watch I always wear.  I am very sad to no longer have it in my jewelry collection. 

Being a firm believer in fate and the universal meaning of events, I am wanting to believe that my complete carelessness means that I am to move on from the 'focus on today' mindset to be strong enough to focus my eyes toward the future.  For the first time since picking up the few things I owned and moved to New York City, I am in a place where I feel stable.  I have an amazing boyfriend, a great group of friends, a job with steady pay and benefits, an apartment of my own, and a kitten that likes to tear it to pieces.  I am my own person, I make my own rules.  And living in the moment was exactly what I needed to do. 

Now, maybe things need to change.  I think I might actually need to adopt a 5-year-plan.  I might have to start putting some money away for the future. Maybe it is time for me to stop focusing on the journey and start thinking about where I am going.  Maybe it is time.

I really wish I could say I was done with bedbugs...

actual bedbug bites (on me)

..because living like this is awful

AccuWeather Forecast - Nationwide

No need to look up the weather, this handy map has done all of the work for you!

Photo by @Sundry

Challenge

For the next 4-6 weeks (I don't know exactly how long it is), my sister is studying animals in South Africa.  I challenge you to send her something in the mail.  Got a "Baby's First Communion" card? An inappropriate postcard? Want to write a haiku? Draw a picture? SEND IT TO:

Laura Zint

P.O Box 548, Sonpark, Nelspruit, 1206
Mpumalanga, RSA

Note: Postage to South Africa is 98 cents

Penny Vs. Paper

Birthday time!

I'm not one to really get overly excited about birthdays. My birthday usually comes and goes, maybe accentuated with a nice meal.  But, for Craig, I like to do something a little bit special. Birthdays can't go without dessert and presents!  So, I took Craig out to Dylan Prime in Tribeca for a special birthday dinner.

The food? TO DIE FOR. Seriously, I would put Cabernet Sauvignon Butter on everything and it would be perfectly okay.

"Pork Belly Tater Tots"

Don't be fooled, there was absolutely no "tater" in these tater tots. It was basically deep fried bacon. And it was delicious.

Craig's meal - The Carpetbagger. A steak stuffed with oysters. Sounds really gross but it was absolutely delicious.

My filet mignon with the Cabernet Sauvignon Butter, the best mac & cheese ever made, and green beans.

The dessert menu wasn't anything you couldn't get anywhere else, so I left it up to the birthday boy to decide what he wanted to make a birthday wish over. And what did he pick? Crepes!

So we trekked across to the East Side to the teeny-tiny Creperie and had a delicious crepe stuffed with chocolate, brownies, ice cream, and whipped cream.

Craig, I hope you had a great birthday. Here's to many many more!

Someone has a birthday tomorrow...

I'll be on a cruise ship in two weeks

Know what that means??  Breaking in my formal shoes at the office.

Craig and I at the gym

Yes, you are seeing Craig wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes. Jury is still out on this one.