catching up in pictures

I'm trying to learn how to use our new camera before our trip, so I thought I'd do sort of a picture update of some things that I've been up to lately while practicing my crazy mad photography skillz. (HA.) (Also - as I'm posting these pictures, I'm realizing that they are mostly of things I've been BUYING, not things I've been doing. Or maybe all I've been doing is buying....)

First of all, this past Friday, my friend Emily and I went down to the Main Street Arts Festival in downtown Fort Worth (and ate Reata tenderloin tamales for lunch! YUMMO!), and I bought these adorable earrings. The lady makes them out of antique tins, and she cuts them out by hand. I just love the bright colors and whimsical patterns. I almost bought a necklace of it, but the pendant on the necklace was about as big around as a coaster, so I thought that might be a bit OTT.

I think they are just presh. Can't wait to wear them.

I also bought these little black books. They are called City Notebooks, and they are made by the Moleskine Company. (There is one for Paris and one for Roma, in case you can't read the bindings.) They each have subway maps, city maps, places for information about the place you're going, a little pocket to hold ticket stubs, and more. They are really neat, and I thought it would look LESS touristy to have a little black book with a map than a giant fold-out one. Plus they give you places to journal, etc. so that we can keep notes on where we go and what we see.I also purchased our four-day museum passes for Paris. They are such cool little passes. Okay, so it's the size of a credit card but thicker like a tiny book...Then it magically unfolds...And there's a giant fold-out booklet inside the tickets that tells all the museums the pass works at and the dates and times each museum is open.
Please excuse my beginner photography skills. I just needed the practice. :)