Hooray!

...my new ONA camera case just arrived in the mail today! Not only is it a perfect fit for the soft totes I always carry but it also serves as a purse organizer. I wanted something beautifully made yet inconspicuous to carry my camera in however, all the simple, pretty camera satchels I found are quite beyond my price range. Discovered through Cup of Jo, this is exactly what I've been searching for - pretty, protective and well-priced.

(ONA also has some incredibly handsome camera bags - like their Brooklyn SLR satchel)

Cupcake Wars

Georgetown. Baked & Wired. Hello Cupcake. Cake Love. Red Velvet. Where do you cupcake? Though the cupcakes from Georgetown, of DC Cupcake fame, are certainly tasty and cute (example, above), my loyalty lies with Baked & Wired. B&W is down the street and it has a shorter line. A variety of sugary goodness (hippie crack, hand pies, smores bars, homemade jams, in addition to cuppycakes) served up with less tradition and way more 'tude.

See for yourself...

Weaving Wonders

I don't know about you guys, but I am personally ready for fall to arrive. I can't wait for the colors of fall. Not only do the trees' rich, earthy hues captivate the photographer's eye, but they also are wonderful colors to wrap yourself in against the season's crisp weather.

I just discovered the beautiful, handwoven scarves of fashionABLE. This non-profit organization aims to create sustainable business for women in Africa. Currently their scarves are made by women participating in their first program in Addis Ababa. I didn't realize this until my scarf (like the striped one pictured above) arrived, which has a tag indicating it was "Made in Ethiopia". fashionABLE just released a number of new styles for fall that I highly encourage you to check out. I guarantee - these scarves will keep you warm inside and out!

(sidenote: this discovery is such perfect timing as I'm currently reading Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone. This book is a beautifully woven tale of twins, born from mysterious and haunting circumstances, who come of age in Ethiopia during the 1960's and 1970's. I can't put it down!)

Weekend Getaway!

We're off to New York this weekend to meet some friends visiting from San Francisco. I've never been to Brooklyn, so we plan to spend our Saturday there. Any recommendations of things to (in order of importance) eat/see/do in Brooklyn?


(photo credit: Philipp Klinger, who shares a spectacular set of photos taken in New York. I especially love his abstract photos, like this one)

Infinity and Beyond?

Today's successful launch of Atlantis marks the beginning of the end of the United States' 30 year old shuttle program, causing some mixed feelings about the program's discontinuation. It has been a roller coaster ride from the beginning. From its highs to its lows, it has never been short of breathtaking.

Check out these stunning photos of Earth taken from space. 

(clockwise from left: Time Magazine; Unknown; NASA ; Guy Laliberte)