Raw Drip

As I recuperate from yet another nasty illness this year, I’ve had some time to sit around and “heal” with my laptop by my side for distraction.  Naturally, this leads to mindless web surfing, which usually leads to visits to all of my “favorites” - those favorite bookmarked sites in my web browser. 

Here are some of my favorites that I thought were worth sharing:

Auction Site:  Housing Works Auctions

Housing Works is a charitable organization combating the dual tragedies of HIV/AIDS & homelessness.  What better way to support their ambitious goals than to shop at their thrift stores next time you find yourself in New York City?  Or, airfare being what it is, save your money and shop from home!  Housing Works has an awesome online auction so you can bid on some beautifully beneficial booty while seated on your beautiful booty. 

Now, when I say “thrift store”, I don’t mean stores filled with the mothball smelling discarded crap merchandise like old coffee mugs and raggedy Old Navy tees.  If that’s what you’re looking for, go to Goodwill.  The stuff on the Housing Works site is the good stuff.  Somehow they comb through all the crap and manage to find only the top-notch merchandise for their site.  Typical finds include last season’s Jimmy Choo pumps still in their original box, vintage couture handbags from the likes of Chanel, Gucci, & Louis Vuitton, collectible art work & books, and interesting cultural artifacts from all over the world.   While I may not be able to afford to expand my handbag collection at my local Saks, I can definitely afford to splurge here and there on some lightly used designer accessories while supporting a good cause.  Check it out and you’ll find yourself adding this site to your favorites, as well!

Baby Clothing:  Wry Baby

While message tees may be on Glamour’s “out” list, I think they still work for tykes.  Besides, as a parent, what better way to express your perspectives on life than by swathing my innocent infant in provocative message tees?   If you were to wear the same tee shirt, you’d have belligerent a**holes calling you out all over town, but put it on your kid and there’s just something cuter about that “Republicans Suck” tee shirt.

Children’s Bookstore: MoMA Store

I know.  It’s not too surprising to find a former NYC resident extolling the virtues of MoMA.  I have to admit that their online store is a great place to find interesting and unusual merchandise.  But my very favorite thing about this long-time favorite is the wonderful children’s book collection.  Many of the books featured are modern classics and many are just wonderful, off-the-wall stories that are vibrantly illustrated.  Whatever you’re looking for, if you’d like it to entertain and stimulate your brain as much as your children’s, check out this site’s amazing selections.

I’m a sucker for my daily horoscope.  It’s not that I believe them, exactly.  I guess I’m just drawn to read them for the entertainment value, particularly since my horoscope tends to describe someone who’s far more worldly, charismatic and attractive than I am.

Skimming through one of the many Astrology.com emails that flood my inbox, I saw a link reading “Click here to see your sign’s ideal relaxation day“.  Being a big fan of relaxation, I couldn’t resist clicking to see what types of activities might suit me – activities other than shopping without my children or fantasizing about being massaged with warm oil by an eager to please masseuse named George Clooney, that is.

Here’s mine:

Aquarius
Aquarius spends their day off in their workshop, perfecting that model they’ve been building — or engine, or CPU, or whatever mechanical or technological wonder they’ve been tinkering with lately. If they finish the project, well, then it’s off to the hobby shop or electronics store for more supplies to start the next thing.

Egads!  My astrologically appropriate relaxation day has me cast in the role of an antisocial geek who spends all her spare time at the local Radio Shack?  Please, allow me to set the record straight.  I am NOT a “tinkerer” and with the exception of my beloved iPhone, I’m not a gadget person, either.  I also don’t know how to build anything other than a massive pile of unfolded laundry.  Techie gadgets are why I have Dick around.  He’s the one who frequents hobby shops & electronics stores.  But me?   Hobby & electronics stores, along with exercise routines, are one of my personal defintions of hell.  Besides, I’m far too worldly, charismatic and attractive to spend my time in any of those places…

Okay, so clearly my recommendations were a total miss.  What about Dick’s?  

Virgo
Industrious Virgo might just use their day off to get a bit of extra cleaning done. There’s nothing like the feeling of standing in the middle of a freshly scrubbed kitchen, floors gleaming and smelling of pine, the spices in alphabetical order in their rack and all the coffee mugs hanging on brand new hooks, arranged according to the colors of the rainbow.

“Industrious Virgo might just use their day off to get a bit of extra cleaning done?”  Okay.  Now that is just knee-slapping funny stuff.  I’m sure there are neat-freak Virgo’s out there who get off on arranging their spices in alphabetical order, but alas, I haven’t married one of them.  Try as I might, Dick has just never been convinced of the immense relaxation to be found in scrubbing the kitchen or rearranging our coffee mugs by color.   Sadly, I haven’t even been able to convince him that he’d find some inner peace (and clean coffee mugs) by unloading the dishwasher from time to time, either.

All of my suspicions about the accuracy of astrology have been confirmed.  I feel compelled to share this realization with you, just in case you were still holding out hopes for occasional accuracy.  I hate to be the mythbuster who dashes your dreams that the planets will align for that big promotion at work, or that Mr. Right will be right around the next corner, but as far as I can tell, you’ll know you’ve gotten that big promotion when you start seeing more work on your desk without more money in your paycheck and you’ve probably met Mr. Right when he’s not in Uranus.  How’s that for some half-assedtrology?

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a sucker for Florida’s clouds.  You had to know it was only a matter of time before I subjected you to my amateur cloud photography. 

This evening’s skies were made particularly spectacular by Tropical Storm Fay as she meandered to the northeast.  Here are a few of my favorite shots…

A pink & glowing TS Fay

 

Pastels in Florida CAN be an original style statement

 

Finally - a hint of blue sky