Minefold for Casual Minecrafting

Minefold: A perfect fit with Minecraft.
Minefold: A perfect fit with Minecraft.

The sandbox smash, Minecraft, is really fun. Setting up, port-forwarding to, and maintaining a multiplayer server, all while moderating against and booting out “griefers” really sucks. So, don’t do any of that, and use Minefold, instead.

My new favorite watch is my old one

I just got a springbar tool from Amazon, and I think it’s the best nine bucks I’ve spent in a while. Why? Because it lets me do this:

My Parnis pilot watch on a beige NATO strap.

Blue Nubuck Shoes by Bass

A tree shoe grows stares out a window in Brooklyn. The denim-blue “Brockton” by Bass
A tree shoe grows stares out a window in Brooklyn. The denim-blue “Brockton” by Bass

I’ve got a thing for navy shoes in the warmer months — they’re versatile like brown shoes, but bring a more vibrant contrast to already brown-hued khaki pants. My fiancee recently turned me to Bass, a 136-year-old Maine-based company I’d known solely for the loafers of my parent’s generation, as an affordable source for this shoe. After getting these, it’s clear that I didn’t pay enough attention to the company over the years.

Trying Out Knit Ties

Burma Bibas silk knit tie, found at Century 21
Burma Bibas silk knit tie, found at Century 21

Been yearning to do neckwear outside of the usual business, formal, and Halloween situations, and I finally decided to give it an earnest shot this Spring starting with my very first silk knit ties. I bought two from one of my favorite sources for accessory experimentation: stores.com">Century 21 in the Financial District.

Seemingly always overrun by tourists, Century 21 can be overwhelming and is often hit-or-miss. But it’s great for cheap experiments in accessorizing, such as for ties and pocket squares. The one I’m trying here is by a company I’d never heard of before called Burma Bibas, and costed around $10. I also got a black and purple (goth colors, my fiancee notes) horizontal striped Ralph Lauren for around $17.

Since this was during one of the more precipitous days in recent weeks (April flowers brought May showers in NYC), I’m also donning a Uniqlo mac coat and my favorite rain boots from L.L. Bean:

Bean Boots by L.L. Bean.