Fall Arrived.....

I love fall.  The air is crisp, cool and the leaves crunch under your feet.  I have an abundant amount of leaves to rake...more than I can ever do!  So some leaves get raked, some decompose where they land and others get crushed by the lawn mower.  Peak is rapidly approaching.  The first week of November is usually peak here in Princeton.  There are some trees that are showing off their glory now and others that are waiting for the big show.  I am so awed by the change of the colors.  What an amazing miracle how the leaves go from green to yellow, red, pink, gold, brown, and orange.  Sometimes the color is so unusual, I can even give it a name.  I am truly blessed to live in an amazing place that has tons of woods, trees and spectacular colors.  Enjoy the fall show.....

Water Lilies from NY Botanical Gardens

Water Lily Seed Pod, looks like it is from outer space!

Purple and Yellow Water Lilies

Amazing Water Lily

Pink Water Lilies

Lily Pads, looks like they are from the Land of Oz

Dried Seed Pod

Spectacular Hawaii, The Big Island, Ocean and Flowers

Arch City, Big Island Hawaii

The Big Island of Hawaii is truly a beautiful place.  The ocean is the most spectacular blue I have ever seen, and the flowers in the rainforests are extraordinary!  All about the Big Island, Hawaii

The pictures speak a thousand words....enjoy!

Volcano National Park, Crater Road, Big Island, Hawaii

Waialea Beach, Big Island Hawaii More on the beach...

 Plumeria, so fragrant and beautiful

Ginger Flower, Two Tone Wax, these were unreal, something out of the Wizard of Oz!

Red Torch Ginger Flower at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens, Big Island, Hawaii

Something about Shoes.....

I never thought I was a shoe collector or fanatic but lately I feel like I have a hidden passion that I never knew existed.  My last blog was all about these fabulous leather boots I got a garage sale.  Well, I got lucky again this past Saturday, with another pair of shoes.  These shoes are weird, funky, outrageous all in one!  For $6.00, they were a steal.  They are made of some sort of animal fur, not sure what and they are made in France.  See the pictures.  I don't know when I will wear them, but I just HAD to have them!

It is made in France.

Then I found my favorite brand of shoes Pikolinos on sale at Nordstrom!  If you have not worn Pikolinos, you must try them.  They are all leather, very well made, and beyond comfortable.  They are hands-down the MOST COMFORTABLE shoes that are FASHIONABLE!  They are also unique, the leather has nice designs, the heel is cool.  I can't say enough good things about Pikolinos.  For all the uniqueness, style, fashion, leather, they will cost you, but you will not be sorry spending money on this brand.  They are soooo worth it!  Since I saved so much money buying 90% of everything I need at garage sales, I can splurge on Pikolinos shoes.  Here is their website.  http://www.pikolinos.com/us/en/default  Here are my shoes are my Pinterest board, I love them so much they have their own board! http://pinterest.com/lindaapark/pikolinos-wonderful-shoes/

Painted Tulip

Tulip Close Up

close up of tulip, so pretty, so pink, so red, so yellow, love it!

Scored at Garage Sales Today! Leather Boots

Great finds at garage sales yesterday in Princeton.  As I do my usual Friday night ritual of reviewing all the garage sales in the neighborhood on one sheet so that I have my garage sale loops all organized, I noticed one said that it had lots of women's size 9 shoes.  Bingo, I am a size 9.  It was on a good street in Princeton, so I knew that I had to go to this garage sale early in my day to get the best deals.  I arrived at the garage sale and zoomed right in on the shoes.  Wow, I saw an amazing all leather (interior and exterior) gray boots.  I yanked my sneakers off,  pulled out my orthotics and slipped them in the leather boots.  On my feet they went, fit perfect, very comfortable, and very stylish.  I knew that these were $200 or more boots.  The sole said that they were Lavorazione Artigiana, okay, definitely Italian, the lady of the house was speaking French, so I knew that I was going to get a fabulous pair of boots.  I played coy, said I wanted them, kept looking around and found two more boots (a pair of Timberline leather boots, and a Sofft brand pair of leather boots with shearling inside.)  I made a big pile of stuff and asked for a price.  The French lady said she wanted $20 for the Lavorazione Artigiana, okay, didn't sound bad.  She then came up with a bigger price for everything and I negotiated everything down to $50!  

Here are my smashing new boots!  (If only it was wintertime.....)

I am in love with these boots!

You know how it goes, you search and search for the perfect pair of leather boots at an affordable price and don't find them.  My motto is, "patience, everything I want will show up at a garage sale, I don't know when or how long it will take, but that perfect item that I have been searching for will show up at a garage sale."

The next fabulous find was these three amazingly soft sheepskin rugs.  Guess how much?  You will not believe they were $1.00 each!  Here is a photo of one of the rugs.  I got cream, brown and white.  All for $3.00!  That was an amazing bargain!

As you can see Ruby loves the rug too.  I bet he will sleep there all night.  

There is nothing better than going Garage Sale(ing)!  It is so worth it, time and money! 

My brother is my fitness inspiration and the best brother in the world too!

Saturday, May 26th, 50 years ago, my big brother, Ron was born.  He went from being a kid who never really liked sports or did well at them to being an amazing, inspiring athlete!  On June 11th, he is going to run 50 miles for his 50th marathon.  He will have run 50 marathons in 50 years!  Pretty impressive.  He has also done a ton of other physical challenges, climbing Mount Whitney up and down in one day, a few Triathlons, including the Big Island Hawaii Ironman, and a  cross country solo bike trip across the US when he was in his twenties way before cell phones existed.  I would go to bed at night that summer and pray he would be safe.  

What is so inspiring about my brother Ron, is that he sets goals for himself and then goes about the steps to complete his goal.  He is not into the marathons to finish first, no, he just wants to complete the race, and appreciate what he can do if he sets his mind to it.  Ron has shown me time and again, decide what you want to do, and then do it.  The results won't come overnight, you need to do all the little steps to make your goal a reality.  When we go running together, Ron teaches me how to pace myself, believe in myself, just take it easy, relax into the run and don't stop till I finish.  Ron always has positive words to encourage me along.  He has inspired me to participate in my first half marathon this November, the Princeton Half Marathon.   I have never done 13 miles before.  The most I have done is 10 miles.  But Ronnie says that I can do it, and you know what, I believe him.

So Ron's big challenge comes up on June 11th, 50 miles for his 50th birthday!  He is raising money for the Larimer Humane Society and any other animal shelter you would want to donate too.  Ron never seizes to amaze me with his goal setting, his dedication and determination to his goals.  You can help to by donating to his run at http://50forfurryfriends.wordpress.com/ or check out his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/50forfurryfriends.  He got press coverage about his run in Loveland, Colorado newspaper http://www.reporterherald.com/news/loveland-local-news/ci_20713749/local-man-go-50-miles-larimer-humane-society

I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful brother.  If Ron can do it, so can I, and so can you.  Set the goal, take the steps to make it happen and watch your dreams come true!  

You go Ron!  I am your number one believer and fan!  I love you!  Thanks for being such a wonderful brother! Can't wait to see what you will do in the next 50 years!  100 miles for your 100th birthday?  I will cheer you on!

Spring Awakening, Good Morning, it's Springtime!

Spring is awakening all around Princeton.  The forsythia shrubs are out showing off their most beautiful yellow flowers.  I really connect with forsythia.  As a child we had a huge hedge of forsythia outside my bedroom window.  One morning I would wake up, pull up my window shade and WOW...there was the gorgeous, glorious, and amazing yellow flowers.  I still feel the exact same feeling I felt when I was a kid as an adult when I see forsythia in bloom, HAPPY and FULL OF SMILES!  Take a look at my perspective of the wonders of Forsythia.....

Next comes those wonderful daffodils.  They grow and multiply without much work and come back every year.  What an amazing present to receive.  I truly appreciate their glory.

Go outside, Enjoy the Sunshine as Spring Awakes all around you!

The Wonderful People Who Touch Our Lives!

There is this incredible woman who lives in the Greenwood House with my mom.  Her name is Bessie, she is 93 years old, has no children and has never been married.  Her siblings are no longer alive and her only relative is her nephew who lives far away.

Bessie has touched me in a very special way.  She has exuberance for life.  She often feels alone, sad, angry, and frustrated but when she sees me or Leah she lights up.  She loves to hug us, kiss us and tell us how wonderful we are.  Bessie is full of love and passion for others.  She tells me that she wants to come back to life as me!  What an amazing thing to hear from someone else.  When I am around Bessie, I feel such a sense of love and compassion for her wisdom, her strength, and bravery.  She told me that she wants stay alive now so she can be around me.  Words cannot express how I feel for her.  She has come into my life and Leah's life with so much love for us it is truly a blessing.  We are not related, we did not know each other until a few months ago, but yet I feel that I have known her forever.

I thank G-d every day for bringing Bessie into our lives.

Vintage Fashion Bargains Found Today @JaneConsignment

St. John Diamond Brooch Sweeter

I knew the Rummage Sale was going on today @jane on Spring Street in Princeton.  What I did not know was that it was the last day of the sale and everything was 95% off.  That is close to free in my pocketbook!  So, I went to P'town and shopped the 95% racks.  I got St. John knit sweater and skort for $11.  The Sweater has diamonds on it (not real of course, but they look good!)  Okay, photo doesn't do the diamonds justice, but you get the idea!

Next up was this amazing Oxblood Emanuel Ungaro Vintage Jacket.  All silk!  Long, past the hips and it fits great!  It perfect for Fall 2012 where Oxblood is the IN color for Fall!  Guess what I paid?  $6.75!  It was originally over $200 at consignment prices, imagine how much it was at retail.  Here is the article from the WSJ about Oxblood being the new IT color for Fall 2012!  Next Fall there will be Oxblood....  Here is picture of my fabulous new Oxblood jacket.

Emanuel Ungaro Oxblood Jacket

Okay, last but not least at all is a Eskandar Sweater that is 60% cotton, 40% cashmere and 20% silk.  What a combination.  So soft and luxurious!  It is handmade in Scotland.  It was a whopping $7.75!  It was over $250 at the original consignment price.  It originally was made for Neiman Marcus, has their label in there.  It is a sweet sea green color.  It must have cost over $400 retail at NM.  Can you believe it?  Here is the sweater:

Eskandar Neiman Marcus Sweater

I also got Anthropologie tweed pants for $1.25!  Bet they cost over $75 at the store!  I bought White Leather Cowboy Boots for my daughter for $1.75 and they fit!  She even said she would wear them to school.




Okay, I am bragging a bit.  But I am truly happen for spending so little and getting so much.  The hilarious part of this all is that is it going to cost me more to Dry Clean these clothes then it did to buy them.  I don't know of any Dry Cleaners that offer 95% off their prices.  I probably wouldn't go away, I am loyal to Giovanni Cleaners.  They are the best.  Everything comes back sparkling!  Giovanni's Garment Care Princeton.

Okay off to another Rummage Sale soon.  Where the bargains are sweet, the prices are low and I am a happy buyer!

Musings on Nature Photography - Sunflowers

I am sure that you have heard of @pinterest? It is a new social media platform that is growing amazingly fast! Pinterest has over 10 million users in 9 months, fastest growing site ever!  I really believe it!  I started using pinterest about two months ago and I am truly astonished how many people (mostly women) have repined my photo of the face of a real sunflower picture that I took this summer.  Bruce and I were driving up to Northern Jersey and came across a field of Sunflowers.  I grabbed my cell phone and camera, good thing I had my camera, and started shooting photos.  It was not easy photos to shoot, I couldn't get too close to the flowers and the wind keep them moving.  I got just one photo of the sunflower showing off all of the sunflower seeds.  I posted this photo on @pinterest and it went viral!  It has been repined at the time of this blog 155 times and I have 106 followers on my flower board alone!  I just posted this sunflower photo two weeks ago.  I have had numerous people tell me how much they love the picture.  It makes me feel so good that people like my photo and that it makes them smile! 

Here are a few more sunflowers...Enjoy and Be Sunny!

IMAG0179

IMAG0179, a photo by lindaapark on Flickr.

sunflowers make me happy

Fashionista's Everything You Wanted to Know about Making a Polo Shirt that Sells for $155.00!

Interested article about the Polo Shirts.  How much they cost to make and how they are made.  Really interesting, but it still doesn't make me want to buy a Polo Shirt!
Wall Street Journal Article

Spectacular Healthy Pancakes with Chocolate Chips

Pancakes, they are, home-made, hot, delicious and so satisfying. We love pancakes in my house. We eat them at least once a week for dinner and then save them in the freezer to warm in the morning for breakfast too. So after much discussion on Twitter about my pancakes, I am going to share the secret recipe with you.

Belts are IN! Put your Belt on Ladies!!

I just read a great article about belts in the WSJ. Since I am a dedicated WSJ reader, I ALWAYS read the fashion section. All kinds of belts are in now. You can wear a corset belt, a loose hanging belt that lays at your hips, a traditional belt to hold your pants up (must for the low-waisted pants), and a metallic chain belt and so on. You can look like Michelle Obama with her high-waisted sweater belt look, or have a belt to squeeze in your tummy as a girdle. Belts have not been in style for way to long. The last time I remember belts being popular was when I was a teen. So, now it is time to bring out your belts. Add a belt to a dress, a sweater, a shirt, pants, well pretty much anything. I have found some wonderful belts at estate and garage sales. I picked up four real Coach Belts for $1 each at a recent rummage sale. I was so excited to see that they were real Coach Belts; I grabbed them and didn't try them on. When I got home, guess what? Three of them were too big! I can't even wear them without them falling down. Oh well, so much for my bargain. They are going to end up on eBay soon. I hope that I can sell them for more than a $1, and then I can recoup my investment! I might even consign them at the local consignments stores @Jane or @greenestreetconsignment. These are two of my favorite stores in Princeton. A must when you come to Princeton, NJ.

Starting the New Year with lots of Color

Wow, fabulous Sunrises and Sunsets in the last couple of days.  I start running in the dark and as the world slowly awakes from its slumber, the clouds and sun start to make beautiful color patterns.  Incredible what happens. 

 The sky is so pink, puffy and blue!  What a great way to wake up.

Have a great New Year.  Wake up early, run in the dark, and then watch the sun come up.  There is no better way to start the day.  Now Take Your Day On!!