This has been a good mail week for me. I love good mail weeks.  I ordered my first two lenses for my Rebel.  A Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and a Zeikos 0.18X Super Fisheye Lens. I’ve been wanting the first one for a while and the second one I bought on a whim. The Fisheye lens came in yesterday. The other is on FedEx Vehicle For Delivery (I keep checking!).

Not sure what to make of this fish-eye lens. It is a lot of fun but in terms of functionality, not too sure. It’s hard to keep it focused. One perk about it is I can screw off the fish-eye portion of the lens and then I get a macro lens. The macro one will be for taking pics of very small things (think bugs!). The depth of field is very shallow. It focuses on very little at a time. Below is an example. It’s three water drops on my desk with the focus on a different one in each picture.

Ha, those of you who don’t know or care about photography are probably like big deal. Or you’ve already clicked away! For those who haven’t, here is a pic of Rocco’s eye.

And finally, fun with the fish eye lens.

My other lens finally arrived too! 

I can't wait to have fun with them in NYC this weekend!

My boyfriend likes to build.

I like to blog.

This weekend, we’ll combine the two by trying our hand at some DIY projects found on some of my favorite blogs, Design Sponge and Ashley Ann Photography.

I’ve put him in charge of getting the hardware. Together, we’ll search for an old frame to make this:

I’d love to hang this in my office or kitchen.

The directions for this project.

The next two are adorable and functional. I wish I had a garden and/or balcony/back yard. I don’t so you may be getting these as a gift from me soon.

The Directions for this project.

How cute would these be over a night time, outside meal?

The Directions for this project.

Do you have any DIY projects that should be added to our list?

Lately, I’ve had a hankering for a business card holder. Here are some I like. Which one do you like best? I would love to find a bright pink or blue or periwinkle patent leather. If you find one, send it my way! PS- I just learned the word hankering. You should use it!

Boo bear would totally agree with this one. Right boo bear?

Ok, they must know the inside of my head!!!

Want to see more of these? I’m obssessed. Check out Curly Girl Design.

It’s been a while since this beautiful child has graced the pages of my blog. Here she is, turning two, and in full force.

My favorite moment in hot yoga comes right before my least favorite moment in hot yoga. After a greuling, yet purifying 85 minutes of bending, stretching and balancing in 108 degree temperature with 70% humidity, we get to lay down and take a Savasana (corpse pose).

At this point Suzanne or John (depends who’s teaching) talks you through some relaxation and then (here it comes!) they open the two french doors of the studio, which lead to an outside courtyard. As I lay there, heart beating all over my body, I start to feel the *cool* Tallahassee air trickling its way into the studio, over our bodies. That’s the moment.

Without fail, the first tingling of the fresh air touching me brings a smile to my face. Because, it feels like home to me.

I spent the summer of 2006 in London, living in Flat 13 with some of my best friends. In Flat 13, we didn’t have air conditioning. It was on the fourth floor of a building with no elevator and crickety, unbalanced stairs. Some days, when the entrance to our building was locked [don't ask], we’d have to go in the building next door, walk down two flights of stairs, do some underground manuevering, walk up two flights, go through a maze, then face the four flights to get home.

Needless to say, when carrying groceries or after a few cocktails, this was no easy feat [but sometimes it really was so fun, especially with the cocktails part].

But at the end of all the stealth moves to get home, there was the promise of windows to open. Hot and defeated, the cool city air always changed our outlook. At night we’d fall asleep with our windows open, listening to lullabies of London’s noise and we loved it. It was our summer home. Home to a summer I will never forget.

So if you’re ever walking around during Savasana and catch a glimpse of the curious grin on my face, know that it is because I’ve been taken back to one of the best times of my life. And I’ll take anything that takes me there.

Court, Me & KJ in Oxford. We happened to be there on graduation day. We rented a boat and cruised down the river with a bottle of wine in tow. I steered us straight into the wall behind us and a chunk of it fell into the river.

Court and I in front of the Thames river on one of our first days there.

We took a 9-hour ferry to Ibiza. Courtney was sick and we had to take her to the clinic. I got to translate. Here we are after her release.

PS- If youre wondering what my least favorite moment in yoga is, it’s a minute into the Savasana. Usually we take a 5-minute long corpse pose and about 1 minute into it, I’m ready to go. I get very ADD laying there playing dead.

The Havana candle from the Ritz-Carlton Signature Candle Collection is without a doubt my new favorite smell. I’ve never been so adamant about keeping a candle lit. Light this after a yoga class, pour yourself a glass of Red Zin and retreat into bliss. You can thank me later.

My birthday is coming (T minus 24 days, but who’s counting?) and unless you’re going to buy me a new camera lense or two, this would be a great gift idea (a stay at a Ritz-Carlton, but not the one in Cleveland, would do the trick as well).

Buy the candle Here. Or come on over to my place and smell it.

I never thought I’d be so happy to see this sign. After 9 days of being gone, I really started to miss Tallahassee. Maybe I belong here more than I thought?

Here’s what I was up to all week. Sorry for the crappy picture quality. These were taken from my phone.

View from my room in Naples. My job is tough.

The set-up for one of our events.

From one little monster…

to one big monster… this was on a building in Miami’s design district

(like a girl scout)

 I carry a big purse. With lots of things in it. Most useful, some not. But I think a girl [lady, like Jackie O] should always be prepared. Having a few small things on hand can make big changes in a day; like when you cry with no waterproof mascara on- better to get rid of the evidence than walk around scaring folks; or when you want to put your hair up because it’s sweltering outside.  

I like to be the person that always says “I do!” when someone asks “Does anyone have ________?”.

Here’s a list of what you’ll always find in my puse [unless I'm slacking]:

 1. Chapstick- there’s nothing worse than the feeling of dry lips. It’s consuming.

2. Lotion- See #1

3. Mints

4. Eye makeup remover packs- because the smeared mascara and eyeliner look isn’t so sexy

5. Toner packs- for a clean feeling face

6. Nail File (this is a big one)

7. Deoderant.

8. Hair tie- Usually can’t find one of these

9. A bobby pin or two.

10. Nail polish remover packs

11. Nail polish- in case you have time for a spontaneous manicure

12. Excedrin.

13. Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing sheets- It’s summer, they soak up sweat too.

14. Sunglasses

Am I missing any? What don’t you leave the house without?

The Road not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference