Central Park in Fog

I don't do gift guides & shopping posts (though I enjoy reading them) & I'm certainly not paid for anything I recommend. Occasionally, though, I like something so much that I do link to it. I've loved Canadian Irene Suchocki's photographs on flickr for ages, enough to click 'contact.' People use her photographs quite a lot without mentioning that she has an Etsy shop, Eye Poetry. {finger wag}

Eye Poetry features three calendars this season & some discounted prints; there's a Cyber Monday discount on other prints as well. These are excellent prices, though, even without the discounts. Her subjects are like a round-up of what-I-love. Italy & France, animals, New York, fairy lights, carousels.

The holiday order deadline is past for Europe (& obviously Australia:) but as I said on Giulia Geranium, subscribe to the idea of the Twelve Days of Christmas & relax, man. The deadline for the States is the 5th, Canada, the 6th. Love those calendars. This bridge in Central Park is featured on a small black & white vintage-photograph holiday card that I've sent twice. I really love these, too, though they are mass-produced.

Cheers all...

(photograph by Irene Suchocki)

Sunday Shopping - Sleep in a Persian Garden

It is no secret that I suffer from sleeplessness.

I just removed 700 words of fairly amusing drivel but it needs to be edited. As the tree near my desk is being whipped to a froth, the silvery undersides of the leaves showing, & the prospect of another power outage looms, I shall simply go straight to the shopping bit. The edited drivel will magically show up (in Parts I & II) next week.

In early June I finally tired of washing out a navy silk made-by-enslaved-masses sleep mask & needing it before it dried. So I went looking for another one & did so much better by visiting Bonnie, mask-maker extraordinaire, of BibBon on etsy. Bonnie has over 100 hundred masks to choose from, including a plain black one (which is important, I think, not just for men but for minimalist moods). I chose the one above, Persian Garden.

The two adjustable straps idea is wonderful & the sewing is sturdy & tightly done. I will never ever ever buy a mass-made sleep mask again. Not only that--it was less expensive than buying that popular navy silk deal in Whole Foods, ULTA, or wherever you found yours. Yes, really. The version I chose was $12.00 (yes, you read that correctly) + shipping = $US 13.30.

Bonnie will ask your choice of inner linings & guide you to what you want/need. That's it. It arrived quickly, washes beautifully, & I feel more glamorous than I should. If I am able to begin working (for money) again soon (please), I'll climb BibBon's luxury ladder for one of the silks.

Oh & a major side benefit about these masks from my perspective: Julie the Cat cannot budge the thing off my face as she can the other. While she seems to feel this has diminished her quality of morning mischief, I could not be happier (about that, at any rate). Go visit Bonnie at BibBon.

Have a great Sunday/Monday & I'll be back soon (if the power is on). Cheers & here's to a good night's sleep.

PS: Un grand bisou, Phoenix Olivier. Bon anniversaire!

[photographs via BibBon with permission, all rights reserved; Shell Cure for Insomnia via LIFE Archives]