New addition

I'm still super swamped at work, but I'm taking the time to gloat about my new Eames Rocker!  It was delivered yesterday and I couldn't be more happy.
isn't it cool!

And being the good Millennial that I am upon typing the title of this post I immediately thought of none other than the popular boy band from the eighties, you guessed it, New Edition!  So to celebrate my sweet new rocker, and hopefully put a bit more pep in your step on this fine day,  I'm going to leave you with this little ditty...

 

Spending Hiatus: Week 2

This past week of non-spending was, in short, a breeze!  Due mostly to the fact that I have been so busy with work that I have little time to desire much more than sleep.  It also didn't hurt that I spent a few days in the wilderness, where the temptation to buy things loses out to getting to climb things just for fun. 

Hypothetically speaking, had someone forced me to purchase something, it would have been this...

One of many in the beautiful map series by the talented designers behind Somethings Hiding in Here.
Because my love for maps will never die. 

I also came across this little quote on happiness that has me questioning the legitimacy of Bertrand Russells title as "one of the 20th century's premier logicians."


Maybe I'll understand more after a few more weeks of this experiment.  Here's hoping!

Pretty parking

Weekend adventures: Camping

Back in the city after a relaxing weekend in the woods.  We had a blast hiking, climbing and sitting around the campfire laughing together.






Chasing Waterfalls

We're going camping this weekend and I can't hardly wait to sleep under the stars,  go hiking, play in the waterfalls, and of course roast marshmallows over the campfire!  The only thing missing is a dream tent like this one...

Here's hoping this time around there are no nuclear power plant cooling ponds near by. 

Happy Friday!

Hangover owls + a bit of blog love

Want to know what I've done with my day?  Well, a good portion of it was spent looking at these unbearably adorable creatures. 





My grandpa has a family of owls living in the top of his barn.  He visits them daily and will show pictures of them to anyone who might have an ounce of interest.  I completely understand the appeal though.  How could you look at these little guys and not want them to be your new best friends?!

I came across these owls while perusing the fabulously entertaining blog of a good friend of mine. She is the same lovely woman behind the first blog ever to feature Estate of Grace.  Check it out...Loose Change.  Thanks girl for your many kind words! 

A material without a craft


I picked up these empty baby food jars at an estate sale last weekend.  I don't know exactly why I decided I needed them.  I could lie and say that I bought them because they came in this really cute picnic basket, or that I have the perfect project in mind for them...but those would both be lies.  I think the true reason I bought these jars is because I have always secretly wanted a storage wall similar to this one...


This is not an obsession that occurs naturally, but is a direct product of being my mother's daughter, with her storage container of choice being metal boxes: lots and lots of metal boxes. 
Though I appreciate the use of these jars for things like nuts and bolts, my jars would be filled with things like old buttons, broken jewelry pieces, upholstery nails, glitter of all colors and other nameless little bits.

 

Chalk it up

I love me some chalk board paint and bare light bulbs.  So the styling for this shoot by the talented Natalie Walton over at daily imprint is right up my alley!

Stormy Weather

{photos by Philippe}
A coworker took these photos of last nights storm from his apartment window.  I love the colors.

Spending Hiatus: Week 1

I think this is going to take some getting used to. For the most part I've done quite well. I have been faced with temptation and I have concurred. Again I say, for the most part. These are only minor slip ups I assure you, and they have not gone unnoticed.
I had a rough day at work yesterday and on top of that I spent my lunch hour at the orthodontist. My head hurt, my mouth hurt, and my mash potato dinner was just not cutting it. So I went to the corner store for some chocolate. I called my mom on my walk and the second I told her what I was doing she says "what about your spending hiatus?!" It's just a candy bar, so I didn't let that stop me. In a matter of minutes I was home and about to eat my day saving chocolate when I realized I needed to call my aunt. I don't know why this surprises me but "news" in my family travels at an alarming speed. In the time it took me to walk the 1/2 a block back to the apartment, my mother had already sounded the alarms on my spending hiatus breach. My aunt informed me she had just gotten off the phone with my mom. I didn't ask, but one can only hope that my candy bar purchase was not the sole purpose of that call. Luckily I know I have at least one person on my side. My uncle overheard their conversation about me and my minor infraction and said "cut the girl some slack, it's only a candy bar!" Thanks uncle Larry!

A few things that I really want but have refrained from buying are:

Weekend adventures

I had a great weekend enjoying some of my favorite things in life.  Spending time with friends, cooking, loafing around the house, and going to estate sales!  On Sunday I finally set aside some time to snap a few photos of my little estate sale treasures.  It always takes longer than I expect to get things cleaned up, photographed, uploaded, and blah blah blah.  Something that over time I hope to become much more efficient with, because as it is my "process" leaves much to be desired.    
{cocktail glasses}
{serving tray and matching coasters}
{table linens}
{serving tray set}

When going to estate sales you can never know what to expect.  In houses packed top to bottom with centuries of what most would call junk, there is bound to be an oddity or two that makes you think "what the &#*%!"  KC (my trusty estate sale buddy) and I came across one such oddity on Saturday morning when we crossed paths with not one but two paintings of the same spine chilling portrait at two completely separate houses.  The first one was spotted at a house with not much else of interest, it was framed and stacked amongst several other "art" pieces on the floor of an empty bedroom.  We made note of it, but moved on quickly because of its creep factor.  The next time we spotted this figure it was more decoratively framed and still hanging on the wall.  It was even executed in a slightly different manor, making it obvious this was not purchased at whatever the 1975 equivalent is of at allposters.com.  I'm not exactly sure what style this image is indicative of, but it is definitely one that I hope never ever has a revival.

{creepy ghost lady with a cat}




Seoul Cycle Design

This "Horsey" bike attachment is genius!

I know what heaven looks like...

Check out the simply heavenly photography and recipes over at What Katie Ate

Muqarnas

I love the amazing intricacies of form and color in Islamic architecture.  These images in particular have me mesmerised.

 
Muqarnas, the Arabic word for stalactite vault, is an architectural ornament developed around the middle of the tenth century in north eastern Iran and almost simultaneously, but apparently independently, in central North Africa. 
These images and many more that I could not fit here via...I'm Revolting, Muqarnas and Mocarabe, Islamic Architecture

Spending Hiatus

I have decided to embark on a spending hiatus. For the next 30 days I vow to do my absolute best at not spending money on any non-essential items.
In the past the line between non-essential and truly essential has been more non-existent for me. So this experiment is really a way for me to examine more closely the things I'm spending money on, because no purchase should be made without purposeful thought.
There are two exceptions I'm going to allow myself:
1. I will not sacrifice my social life, so purchases in the entertainment category are allowed, with discretion of course.
2. The term "essential" can be used loosely for estate sale and thrift store purchases.
Trips to the grocery store and farmers market are of course fully acceptable, but candy, baked goods and coffee shops are to be avoided at all costs!
So here I go, the fun starts today! I will keep you posted on all of my successes and, if all goes well, few failures (I'm only human).

DIY: Jewelry Bust


I made this jewelry display a few months ago for a friends birthday and foolishly forgot to take a picture of the final product.  I was helping her hang things around her new apartment this weekend so I took the chance to snap a few shots of it with all of her colorful jewels. 
I really enjoyed this project, maybe one day I will make another for myself! 

Weekend adventures

Sox vs. Royals game on Friday. We ate our weight in delicious baseball fare, dabbled in a bit of gambling with the friendly fans behind us, and watched a great fireworks display celebrating the Sox victory over the Royals. Sorry KC fans, but it was worth it so we could see the pretty fireworks!

Spent Saturday strolling the neighborhood looking at all the amazing gardens, and went to a party at Working Bikes where there was an impromptu marching band performance, complete with hula-hoop's!

Sunday brunch with friends and fresh Cantaloupe water (yum), and a relaxing evening on the patio at Muddy's pub. It was bitter sweet because we had to say goodbye to a good friend leaving us for NYC. Damn you NYC.  Chicago will miss you Sliz!

I'll take these please: Fall Boots

Recipe Cache: Fruit Marmalade

I need to hurry up and make lots of this before the beautiful summer fruit leaves us again!

Ingredients:
1 box of raspberries (list is just enough to last about a week)
1/4 cup of raw cane sugar
A few drops of lime or lemon juice

Place the raspberries on a small casserole and mash them gently, without breaking the fruit too much - just enough for the juice to come out-. Then add the sugar, drops of lime and cook for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
If you want to save this marmalade for a long time, then weigh your fruit and add the same weight of sugar. Boil your jar for a few minutes and close the top immediately after filling the jar with hot marmalade.
Otherwise, if you're going to consume it during the week, you can use less sugar and there's no need to sterilize your jar.
The same recipe works fantastic with strawberries, blueberries, peaches and other similar fruits.


via Julia and Julieta

New iPhone App

I know what I will be buying on September 17!

Object of my affection

The Selby took some photos of Vladmir Kagan and Erika Wilson's home.  I love her embroidery work!  I'm pretty sure that chair belongs to me.  I should send her an email and see when I should be expecting it to come home.