For fun the past few months I’ve been taking e-courses from British photographer and blogger Susannah Conway.  Prior to signing up for Susannah’s courses I had no idea that people often photograph their feet.  Susannah says it’s to show where we are in the world—not just our extensive shoe wardrobes or the state of our pedicures.  Through her courses I’ve seen photos of feet in boots, sandals, leopard-spotted driving shoes, tap shoes and barefoot.  I’ve seen shots of them in gardens, on beaches, in bathtubs and hammocks.  I’ve seen them side-by-side with children, lovers, dogs, cats and friends. I now have a series of my own feet shot in exotic locations like my laundry room and front porch.

Initially these feet photos seemed like something a tween would snap between Twilight videos, but with time they’re working their charms on me. I look less at the shape of the feet or the color of the nail polish and more at the soul attached to these soles. Where are they walking? Who are they walking with? Why are they there then? Like the toe-to-tentacle shot of my sandaled foot after a friend’s birthday lunch or the poolside portrait of my Big Apple Red nails next to my husband’s birthmarked foot on our 33^rd anniversary, there’s often more than tootsies to tout in these images. Do you ever snap photos of your feet to capture a place and time in your life?

When I wasn’t pointing a camera at my feet this week, I discovered a few other things to kick up my heels about, like:

1.The flippered mermaids in this charming video.

2. Jill Lepore’s wonderful teaser for her new book on Benjamin Franklin’s sister Jane.

3. Quilted Petticoats.

4. Screened-in Sleep Porches.

5. The perfect summer tea towel.

6. Musings on hosting houseguests by David Sedaris.

Happy Weekend!