Not Getting Lost

Good gear can mean the difference between fun and misery.

I explored a 6,000-acre park in Manorville today. It has multiple trails that meander and are largely unmarked -- which means it's very easy to get lost. 

What saved me was a small but effective compass I picked up at REI for $20. I got it last year after getting hopelessly lost in unknown woods. There's nothing worse than being fatigued, unsure which way to head, and panicky as the sun goes down. I'll never repeat that mistake. Oh, and bring water on hikes, even if you don't think you'll need it. You will.

Fashion Blogs

I discovered fashion blogs a decade ago and embraced them tightly. They supplied the shot of femininity I craved all my life. I especially like ones created by real, normal women who are stylish but not aspiring to become fashion models or "influencers." They offer me information, education and entertainment.

There used to be thousands of blogs to choose among. Then fewer. Then even less. Many of my favorite blogs dried up after a few years. I maintain friendships with a dozen or so former-bloggers despite their choice to stop blogging.

Now, with the pandemic, I'm finding critically few blogs to follow. I'm searching for new ones but the field is smaller than ever. Are you finding this? Have you lost blogs that you followed?

What's going on? Is fashion blogging in general becoming less popular?

Are there any new blogs you'd recommend? I'm eagerly looking for some. 

Thanks!

Mazda Miata

The stable has grown. I purchased a 2021 Mazda Miata today.

For decades I've heard drivers rave about the Miata. It's a terrific sports car, they say; it offers great "engagement," they say. The key is the car's light weight: it makes the power go further. Miata is actually history's best-selling sports car, holding the record with over one million cars sold. "Zoom zoom," indeed.

My version is a convertible with a retractable hard-roof. The car has manual transmission and is painted bright red. You're welcome for a ride!

My New Ferrari

Do you remember my recent post about a clever jewelry-designer who makes nice stuff from crashed cars? Her name is Christi and the company is called CRASH Jewelry. Appropriate, huh?

Well... I couldn't resist. I just bought a stylish bracelet made from an actual Ferrari. In particular, a bright red Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, capable of 175 mph. Perhaps that massive speed played a role in the car's unplanned removal from the road.

Here's a picture of it on my arm -- and a "before" picture shown above. I laughed when I read Christi's letter: "The easiest way to care for your CRASH Jewelry is to clean with car polish." Ha!

Bonus, now I get to honestly say I own a Ferrari!

Which Century?

This photograph of people frolicking on a bucolic North Shore estate was taken either in 1921 or a century later. Which do you think?

Hint... I took the picture.

Crash Jewelry

Now here's something cool -- jewelry made from luxury cars that were damaged in minor accidents where nobody got hurt. And the jewelry, made for both men and women, looks good!

Christi Schimpke was working with metal as a jewelry designer when she moved her studio into her husband’s luxury-car body shop. Bemoaning the high price of metal needed for her art, Christi realized she could use scrap-metal from crashed cars as raw material for bracelets, arm cuffs, earrings, etc. Plus, the metals retain their original colors (e.g., Ferrari red) so they emanate the aura of these fancy automobiles. Cars used in Christi's jewelry include Ferrari, McLaren, Rolls Royce and Tesla. She's even made some things with crashed Harleys.

Go visit and take a look. And remember me at Christmas. :)

Spring Arrival

I like places when they're empty. I'll brave cold for solitude.

Old Westbury Gardens opened yesterday. Normally crowded in Summer, it was pleasantly deserted today. Of course flowers haven't bloomed yet but its many sculptures flashed eternal smiles. 

Best of all, I picked out a door for my future playhouse. :)