Friday Finds

If you've been looking for a reason to buy into the Stripey Straw fad, the holidays present a great opportunity to add some fun to your drinks.
A digital calendar just doesn't have the panache that a desk calendar has. I've been searching for the perfect one for 2012 and I think this one is it.
I first loved Esquivel for their men's shoes, but they have stolen my heart once more with their women's shoes. These are so playful and feminine.

"Consequential Strangers"

I started reading this book about the people around us who we often take for granted. Author, Karen Fingerman, refers to these people as "consequential strangers." Lately, I've been seeking those around me--eager to find out their story. In the past week, I have met someone who works in marketing for Expedia, an art dealer, an undergrad/ex-Israeli solder, a journalist, and a finance guru. I would not have known the interesting stories that surround me on a daily basis unless I had taken the time to stop, observe, and ask their story.

This past weekend, I offered to go to the Top of the Rock with a tourist I had met at a bar the night before. It was his second time to New York, and knowing he had planned to go alone, I offered to join him. We spent a good two hours overlooking all of Manhattan and talking about everything from philosophy to hipsters. As it turned out, we had a lot in common. I walked away not knowing if we would ever see eachother again, but smiling. I seized a moment and turned a consequential stranger into a consequential friend. Four days later, he already owes me a drink the next time I'm in London.

I encourage you to notice those that surround you. They are a part of your daily routine, whether they are taking the same train with you every morning, packaging your meat in the deli, or delivering your mail. Sometimes they are the guy visiting your local bar, or the girl reading your favorite book on the subway.

Saying "I Do" & Doing It

The other night I was out with friends and by the end of the night we had made friends with those around us. After chatting for a bit about how we all found ourselves to be in New York it came out that this particular guy was married. My friend and I glanced at his hand, and looked confused to find no ring.

Turns out, this man had been with the same woman for the past 8 years. When we asked why he didn't have a ring on he explained how a ring wasn't as significant in the U.K. as it is in America. Then began the debate over whether it's important to wear a wedding ring in order to let others know. Doesn't a wedding ring set the rules of engagement?

Then he said something that made me think. He said, "Why does it matter? All that matters is that I have eyes for one woman."

What does a wedding ring mean to you? I've been exploring what I thought it meant to me and what it actually means to me. I think asking this question reveals a lot about you, what you think of the person you're with, and your relationship.