It’s been a while since I checked in, so here’s a brief rundown of the C. Toporek solo zeitgeist from the mid-year standpoint. Wicker furniture, paisleys, open shelving: still a strong no. Comic books, coffee, Oxford comma: consistently enthusiastic thumbs up. Friends, I may not be the absolute best choice for bridge-building. I wonder if […]
Continue reading →If I may, my credentials. My lineage is thus: three-quarters fourth-generation Irish immigrant, one-quarter Italian. My mother’s grandparents immigrated from Ireland to Charlestown, MA; the Morses, whom I am told were once known as Mosseys (“horse thieves,” as my uncle Denis says), the O’Learys, and the Hurleys. My paternal grandmother’s maiden name was Benotti, and […]
Continue reading →I love gift guides. Every blog and lifestyle site and webmag has a seasonal breakdown For Him and For Her and For Fido and Under $50 and I read them all, even the ones that are obviously sponsored. (Does the Gawker staff honestly have an opinion about which brand of shaving cream I put under […]
Continue reading →Comfort reading constitutes the books you pick up or re-read to soothe yourself. They may contribute to your intellectual development or ability to conduct a thrilling high-stakes debate with an Internet troll or they may not, but their primary purpose is to allow your mind to swath itself in a compelling and relaxing alternate world […]
Continue reading →Chuck and I started playing Minecraft in March 2014–not exactly early adopters. I had previously tried a demo of the game on Xbox: I chopped down a tree; the demo ended. We stick to our PS3 most of the time; that’s the console we’re familiar with and the controller that feels most comfortable. Chuck purchased a […]
Continue reading →Pottery Barn recommends bar stools for Casual Entertaining. The picture in the catalog depicts a full bar in a wine warehouse, old wood barrels stacked in the background. Just like we all have in our vineyard, for casual wine-tasting events. In interior shots of rooms in catalogs, windows often have no curtains or blinds, presumably […]
Continue reading →Goodreads has a Reading Challenge in which you set yourself a reading goal, i.e., a number of books you’ll read this year, and get a widget to keep other people updated on your progress. Now, there are many things I like about the Goodreads site. The book-networking aspect is terrific. One of my connections posts […]
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