INSTAGRAM TOP 9 FOR 2019

It's always fun to look through my Instagram posts 

to see which were my most liked photos of the year.

Some of my personal favorites get the fewest likes........

I'm not sure why that is.

Could it be the time of day I post it? 

The day of the week?

Or, is it that the photo just isn't as good as I think it is?

This year, I wasn't surprised that my most liked photo turned out to be so popular.

Honestly, it wasn't a very good picture, 
but the subject matter was a winner.

I snapped it hastily with my cell phone,

and had to edit the heck out of it to make it look decent.

It was just one of those moments in time that I was lucky to catch with my camera.

My personal Top 9 favorite?
#7!
I just love the pastel colors and lines.

Here, in descending order, are my Top 9.......

actually, my top 10....... 
as it was a tie for the #9 spot. 

And.......just for the record, I've included my personal fave 
of all my Instagram posts for 2019 at the very bottom.

Tied for ninth place:

Rockefeller Center in Spring - New York, New York

  Posted on Instagram April 18, 2019


The Oculus - New York, New York

  Posted on Instagram July 19, 2019

 

Blues Brothers - Woodstock, New York

Posted on Instagram July 13, 2019

 

Archway - Amalfi, Italy 

Posted on Instagram September 18, 2019

Beach Blues - Kiawah Island, South Carolina

  Posted on Instagram June 21, 2019

Street Corner - Savannah, Georgia

  Posted on Instagram February 13, 2019

The Harbor - Charleston, South Carolina

  Posted on Instagram June 2, 2019

Fountains in Midtown Manhattan - New York, New York

  Posted on Instagram August 25, 2019

Seven Mile Beach - Grand Cayman Islands

  Posted on Instagram January 5, 2019

And now, drum roll, please, for the most liked 

Instagram photo of the year.......

 

Walking With Balloons - Charleston, South Carolina

  Posted on Instagram May 7, 2019

My personal favorite of the year?

Welp, it was one of my least liked 2019 Instagram posts.

Go figure.

Autumn in Central Park, New York, New York

  Posted on Instagram October 19, 2019

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Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all!

TRAVEL COLLAGE: STOREFRONTS AROUND THE WORLD

How do you feel about shopping?
Does poking around in a store make your heart go pitter patter.......
Or does the mere thought of stepping into a retail establishment give you chest pains?

As much as I appreciate the ease of 
click-click-put-it-in the-cart-have-it-delivered-just-open-the-front door-online shopping,
I'm a sucker for a charming storefront........
one that lures me right in.......
holding promises of trinkets, jewelry, gourmet foods, knick-knacks, clothing, 
gadgets, souvenirs, gag gifts, curiosities, objets de art.........
or who knows???

I've put together a collection of interesting storefronts from around the world
that have enticed me to walk through their doors.

Which one would tempt you? 

A jewelry and gift gallery in Greenport, NY?

An Italian market in Sorrento, Italy?

A so-bright-you-gotta-wear-shades Caribbean gift shop on the island of St. John?

A purveyor of everything apricot in Durnstein, Austria?

A nautical emporium in Key West, Florida?

A Dutch depository chockablock with curiosities in Amsterdam?

A quaint little cottage overflowing with vintage goodies in Long Beach Island, New Jersey?

A gallery laden with works of art in historic Charleston, South Carolina?

A factory filled with mementos for your lower-IQ buddies in Waikiki, Hawaii?

A boutique by the bay bedecked with coastal souvenirs in Beach Haven, New Jersey?

A happy little hive selling honey and textiles in Bratislava, Slovakia?

A curbside bazaar featuring vibrant apparel in Positano, Italy?

A graffiti-covered boutique hawking handmade woolens in Reykjavik, Iceland?

A shack in the sand offering Caribbean island specialties on Grand Cayman?

Add caption

A hippie haven stuck in the 60's in Woodstock, New York?

A showroom lined with colorful ceramics in Amalfi, Italy?

Which shop tugs at your purse strings?

PHOTO DIARY: SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2019 - FROM C TO SHINING C

I'm so confused.

I know the calendar says October 31..........

Kids will be ringing my doorbell later today, dressed in their costumes.......

We celebrated my birthday in early September.......

Fall foliage is at its peak.......

Clocks get turned back this weekend.......

I'm wearing fleece.......and boots........and socks......

My summer plants are dead (well, most of them).......

There are mums on my front porch.......

We've covered up the furniture on the deck.......

I made squash soup.......

But somehow, I'm surprised that tomorrow is November. 

 Good thing I have pictures to prove 
that I didn't sleep through September and October.

I present to you my photo diary ........

Blues

September began with a quick visit to Florida, where the sky, sea and pool were various peaceful shades of blue.

Purple

Beauty Berries were at their purply prettiest in late September.

Endless Summer hydrangeas were still hanging on at the end of October, looking especially lovely as their leaves started to turn red.

Red, White & Blue

Wavy colors of the flag reflected in a lake. 

Oranges, Golds, Reds, and Browns

As we moved into October, fall colors popped up everywhere........

On the kitchen counter........

Outside of Eli's Market  (of Zabar's fame) on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.........

In the backyard.......

On the steps to the deck.

All around the neighborhood.......

Birthdays

Mine, in early September, was celebrated at the theater. The show, especially Jeff Daniels, was fantastic!

One of my very closest friends and I feasted at the incredible Benno (which just received a Michelin star in the 2020 guide) to celebrate both of our birthdays.

Another amazing double-birthday fete for my BFF and myself was held at Manhatta (see Cityscapes, below). I know that this looks like a mouse on a hockey puck covered in feta cheese, but it was a delectable chocolate cake with gelato (blueberry, maybe? I forget), and crumbly white chocolate.

Finally, we celebrated my aunt's 95th birthday. She is truly 95 years young!

Birds

A baby sparrow, I think?

A downy woodpecker turns his back on The Cardinal.

It's not too often that an American Goldfinch comes to call.

This hummingbird preferred my flowers to the feeder.

Puppy.

Sadie, in her favorite position, looking out the window.

Squirrel.

He's finding this flower stem quite tasty.

College.

We took a ride to see our college boy, where the campus was in full fall splendor.

Best Donuts

D'Ercole Donuts, voted #3 Donut bakery in New Jersey, were a treat for Junior Goo Shoes and his suite mates (and we bought a few extra for us). Tasty! 😋

Best Pizza

Frank Pepe Pizza in New Haven, CT is consistently voted the #1 pizzeria in the U.S. We finally got to try their signature white clam pie.  Yum! 😋

Views

The view of the East River and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges from Manhatta restaurant's 60th floor, where my BFF and I celebrated our birthdays, was truly special.

Flatiron Building 

One of the most beautiful buildings in NYC was dressed in scaffolding and golden sunlight when I walked by.

The Freedom Tower

I spotted it from afar between two buildings, on my way to Manhatta. See more of it, here.

The Vessel at Hudson Yards.

Remember when I saw it the first time (here)? Well, this time, I went inside. We only went half way up because it was so windy.......I thought we might blow right across the river to NJ!

Looking down......... 

Looking up........

Rockefeller Center

A quick stroll through on my way to the dentist never gets old.

 

Central Park

Peeking through a cutout at Bethesda Fountain. More on this beautiful spot in an upcoming post. 

I returned to Bow Bridge almost exactly one year later. It wasn't as pretty as it was during my last visit at the golden hour, but pleasing, still.  

That's a wrap! 
"C" you next month!

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