Instagram

There is a lot of "social media" out there. For instance, we all know about the book and the bird. And, by now, if you follow me here, you know about my love affair with (along with millions of others) The Grand 'P'! But, if you haven't hooked yourself up with the jolly wee camera, Instagram, I suggest you see what it's all about.

Instagram is a photo sharing website/application for Android and the iphone. I'm hooked and like most, I have my "favorite players." Following are a few things you might find there. These are several folks I love to follow because they have interesting photos to share with the world.

The first photo is my own. It is a halved walnut, still in its shell...hm...pinned to "The Shape of Love" on Pinterest as soon as I finish this post, I imagine! You can view more of my photos by following the link in the sidebar or you can connect with me here.

The next photo is by Tea Tree Vintage. So much variety in her photos,  a sweet Etsy store, a wonderful blog and a charming person all around...go see Tea Tree Vintage and follow her on Instagram!

What an excellent photo. I think there was an event at the Bowery Hotel in New York City...and a giant rain storm...just a guess. I follow newyorkcity because of shots like this.

Cxcart is perhaps one of my favorites. I find myself liking a tleast one photo of his everyday. The second photo here he titled, "Door Porn." I responded with, "Shutter porn, brick porn and window box porn."

Delbarr Moradi is best known for her wedding photography. I have featured her on La Bottine and since then have followed her on Instagram too. Look at that cute doggy! He matches the decor quite well!

I'd really love to hop down to the local bookstore and buy this off the shelf. Alas, they are only on their fourth edition of this sweet little independent magazine. Betty is a UK indie glossy with fashion advice and DIY stuff but, in their words, you'll never find diet advice! And that is why they are so nice to follow!

 And finally, johnbarnett! He captures amazing imagery and often uses the iphone app he cooked up called Wood Camera. John is no amateur he's the former TwitPic Media Director and photographer extraordinaire. I have recently downloaded the Wood Camera App but have yet to use it...

A New Blog for My Dailies

I love love love to run around and see other bloggers online real estate. I think its a great way to learn about new trends in lifestyle, new cleverness in interiors and interesting techniques in cuisine, among other things.

This weeks find is a blog I found by screwing around on Instagram. It's called Mint Love Scial Club. Besides the awesome title, it's written by a young, fashionable woman who has a got her finger on the pulse of coolness. She provides us with excellent drink recipes (I've tried a few!), very useful and fun DIY projects and a home tour that is on Apartment Therapy! But where am I going to categorize her? She has everything!

I love to visit the Mint Love Blog because I want to do some of the things she's done. Not terribly creative but why re-invent the wheel? So in the next few weeks look for our house tour and a cocktail recipe that I call The Ccicero and another I call the Velvet Hive. I'm also coming along with a new 8tracks mix and will be doing a giveaway (hair products) from Mosaic Salon!

Meanwhile check out some of the stuff she has...

She includes Gastronomy(me too). Donuts made using a donut pan. So sweet and an excellent photo. My mouth is watering! Go see the whole post here!

This photo is quite cool and has such clarity, my goodness! She took it herself in a step by step to make her Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail. The recipe follows....

This is one of the most clever DIY's I've ever seen, and I've seen some. As a crafter a "creative" person never reveals their sources, but I just can't keep this one to myself. In fact, now I want to have a dinner party too! These are "Faux Polaroid Placecards!" Perhaps I can put the directions here? Nah. If you'd like to make these for your next venture in entertaining get the directions right here.

Ridiculous

Well....I'm quite ridiculous. I want to be taken seriously as a blogger as I have so much to say and to share with you guys. I'm also very sorry for being absent from posting for so long. 

Wedding season is upon us and since my trip to Disneyland, I've not had even one second to myself save for sleeping. So here I am back in the saddle at least for this post today...

I sometimes read a design blog called Coco and Kelley. Cassandra recently wrote that at an even for a wedding she was called "ridiculous." She also said it was one of the best complements she's ever received. I wish I had had the mind enough to (when it happened) see the same, because it's true! Go and read her story which is warming to the heart and soul and gives us all a little fortitude! I have a similar story.

On the day of my rehearsal dinner, I preened in the mirror, anticipating the next couple of hours and looking forward to the following day. I had designed a red strapless dress in silk satin which was embellished around the hem with black feathers. Before the rehearsal/wedding (in July) my mother, for my birthday (in October) gifted me a wicked pair of Hale Bob slides. 

Yeah. They were different, but how lame and boring life would be without things that are different, unusual, fun, inspiring and so on...

I wore these fantastic shoes with the red dress. And how were they met? Not with the applause I had imagined in my head. Instead, they were the draw of ridicule...Yup. They were exclaimed to be "ridiculous." Cassandra was pretty inspirational on her blog post and I was pretty moved by it, not simply because I had a parallel story. Oh no, nothing that simple. I was moved because of the way she handled the situation with grace followed by a smile.