Presents for People You Love (Part 1: Under $75)

I know I can't keep up on comments, but here's a quickie as I've been on the Christmas Present hunt: The following are all things I have bookmarked for special someones (or maybe a special post-Christmas here's-some-money-I-have-left-me (does that make sense?))

Stone & Honey Silver Pinwheel "Lana" necklace, $60

Anne Kiel Little Horshoe Ring, $65

Aster Bracelet by Bario-Neal, $75

Charmed Earrings by Mud and Mint, $21

Silver Lotus Ring by An Original Jewelry shop, $52

Oh! Also, we went to Cooperstown, NY for a weekend/ Thanksgiving trip and the BF kept calling it (accurately) Stars Hollow. Yes, that's a Gilmore Girls reference. This is the second year we've been--he's a baseball fiend and this time around I really wanted to check out the non-baseball stuff in town. Anyhow, if you are looking for a weekend trip (and live in NY), I highly recommend Cooperstown! They have an awesome Farmer's Museum (home of the Cardiff Giant: "one of the most famous hoaxes in American history!" and the incredible Empire State Carousel--they had an NYC rat to ride on!). The excellent James Fenimore Cooper Art Museum is across the street and had two surpisingly insightful exhibits: one about past presidential elections (ie homemade support items like a milk jug with the word "Hoover" painted on) and one about the stereotypical depiction of African Americans through history. Obvs, they also have the Baseball Hall of Fame which I was happy to drop BF off at ("I'll meet you in an hour!") and go wandering around the town.

And my favorite part (besides, of course, the romantic dinners and such)? All the museums had Black friday sales that continue until Christmas! People, I love my museum gift shops.

I forgot the camera and tried to take some nice shots with the phone... ah, the novelty of farmland to a city dweller!

If you end up going, or liked going, or just need a book to read, I'd recommend the book Monsters of Templeton. The author was/ is from Cooperstown and modeled "Templeton" on her hometown.

Don't Know How Long I've Been Missing You

I've started and stopped about a million posts these last two months and it just became easier to say, oh, it's been so long anyhow. To say, well why bother? But today I'm sick and sitting here thinking that I really should do something about this.

What's new with you? Since my last post I've:

-gone to San Fran; (more pics here)

Grace Cathedral was my favorite place...

-got food poisoning in SF;

-left SF early;

-seen Twilight, A Christmas Tale and at least one or two other movies, but still have not gotten around to Man on Wire;

Even Mathieu Amalric swoons over Mathieu Amalric in A Christmas Tale (pic from Film Detail)

-finished season 1 of Mad Men;

pic from Give Me My remote

-read a million books and liked about half;

-been sick twice;

-been recommended a no junk food diet by doctor once;

-bought boots that I love--this has been a years-long quest (omfg SO comfortable);

-made plans for a Cooperstown-style Thanksgiving.

There's been more but being sick makes me blue (or green, I guess) and I can't remember all of the surely wonderful things I've been doing. Mostly I just sit around all day resenting San Francisco's hills.

But there's been some down time and I've found some new obsessions (jewelry-wise; we don't need to go into the whole Robert Pattinson thing here).

Victorian Garnet and Seed Pearl Ring, $150

Clasped Hands Ring, $245

Edwardian Garnet and Opal Ring, $340 (That unusual style of garnet is called "mine cut" and I've grown to really love it after looking at pages and pages of Edwardian and Victorian rings. It's a much sharper cut, and called such as the stones were literally taken from old mines. The style was popular predominately through the 19th c. Really striking reminder of how history repeats itself if you look at the stud jewelry that cropped up last year, I'm thinking most about Alex and Chloe's inverted diamond ring.)

Hannah Clark Ouroborus Ring, $500 (This is modeled after the engagement ring Victoria received from Prince Albert. The snake represents infinity--eating it's own tail creates a never ending circle.)

Sapphire Dome Ring, $88 (Also reminiscent of the Victorian "starburst" style like this one, which was also mixed with something called a gypsy setting that showed the gems recessed--or set under the surface level-- in the metal. Example here.)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!