Mixing Patterns

My long time favorite hotel is Austin Texas’ Hotel San Jose. One of the things that has always stood out to me is their mix of patterns used on all of the pillows in the rooms. It’s an amazing contrast to the minimalism around them. Like this, see?

So it got me thinking, it can’t be that hard to whip up some pillow covers, right? And then I remembered that I sold a pattern on Spoonflower, so I have some credits. (Note: I would so love to design way more patterns on Spoonflower than I currently have. It’s so fun!)

This fabric combo makes me drool all over, but I really only want to pick about 4 of them. Which 4 would you pick?

 

1. Ocean_paisley by Wiccked

2. Traditional colonial with a half twist by edsel2084

3. Paisley_bright by Wiccked

4. Swirlyblue by Edsel2084

5. Ghostly paisley in bloodlust by Cateanevski

6. Snow_paisley by Wiccked

7. Blue and white paisley by Nimochka

8. Love birds – small gray by Holly_helgeson

9. Fern_paisley_batik by Wiccked

10. Paisley – black&white by Jane_kriss

(cute doggie pic via Superficial Snapshots Blog )

40 Before Forty (more updates)

It’s been another year since I looked to this list that I have been working on for quite a while now, and it’s time to make some more updates to the goals that I set for myself on my 36th birthday. Just one little tiny year left after this April 18th (yikes!). I better get cracking!

1. Travel as much as possible while I am young.
2. Finish college.
3. Marry a man I adore.
4. Move away from where I grow up, and experience new and different things.
5. Buy my own house.
6. Have a child.
7. Work at a job that I really actually like.
8. Start a personal blog.
9. Grow herbs and/or tomatoes every summer. (2010 planted herbs; 2011 spread out a bit and grew upside down tomatoes, 2012 was a stinker of a year for tomatoes – but the herbs were strong)
10. Repaint every room in my condo. (ENTRY/HALLWAY, LIVING ROOM, BATHROOM, MASTER BEDROOM, 2nd BEDROOM, DINING ROOM, KITCHEN – 2011: in progress 2012: DONE!)
11. Finally create a bookshelf system for our condo that works. (2011: Boy, did I give that sucker a lot of thought. In the end, I went with Ikea’s white Billys in the dining room. I should probably share that someday, huh? I have sort of been waiting until I put doors on them and consider them complete. May be never then.) (2012: crossing this off. They look great without doors!
12. Eat at Charlie Trotter’s, and at least two other restaurants on this list. (2011: Trotter’s is closing August 17, 2012. I waited too long, as it’s impossible to reserve now. Well, still plenty to get to on the list, anyway!) (2012: There are too many great restaurants to narrow down to just a few. Will cross this off and know that I will always TRY to fit in my fine dining when I can!
13. Take a photography class, and learn how to use my SLR camera properly. (2011: My poor lonely SLR has been totally replaced by iPhone pix. Strange.) (2012: am obsessed with Instagram, but have been feeling the itch to pick up the SLR again soon…)
14. Learn CSS or some other programming system. (2012: poop. not yet.)
15. Take a cooking class. (No, but have been teaching myself! Loving it!) (2012: just don’t fee the need anymore!)
16. Get into great physical shape.(2009: Wii Fit, Went G-Free, and lost some weight) (2010: still G-free, started regular yoga, did a couple of cleanses) (2011: still G-free (!), still doing yoga (!), will do another couple of cleanses. Still not even close to being in great physical shape.) (2012: still very happy with my progress of clean eating and moving as much as possible!)
17. Volunteer for something. (2010: Earth Day Donation time; 2011 Earth Day time again, along with lots of other donation of stuff. 2012: FAIL)
18. Have a date night with my husband at least once a month. (2011: Ugh, well – we try, but it’s closer to once ever quarter. Need to work on that!) (2012: FAIL)
19. Visit these Chicago sites: Willis Tower Observation Deck and the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute. (2011: The Modern Wing is excellant, and my son and husband checked out the Willis. I am good with that for now.)
20. Take full advantage of every summer in Chicago doing by too much biking, many picnics on the lake, attending street festivals, and going to the Lincoln Park Zoo often. (Always!)
21. 2010- Obtain a year long membership to the Shedd Aquarium. Go often, take lots of photos.  (DONE)
22. 2011- Obtain a year long membership to the Field Museum. Go often, take lots of photos. (DONE, except for that due to a Groupon, it was Science & Industry!)
23. 2012- Obtain a year long membership to the Museum of Science and Industry. Go often, take lots of photos. (2011: not yet, but we are definitely thinking of the Field.) (2012: didn’t happen. FAIL)
24. 2013- Obtain a year long membership to an Art Museum. Go often, take lots of photos. (2012: hmmm, not yet. and probably not this year either. We’ll see.)
25. 2014- Obtain a year long membership to an ??? Museum. Go often, take lots of photos.
26. Do more yoga. (2011: Loving my class at the Parks district!) (2012: Pretty good yoga at the office gym, turns out!)
27. Eliminate more meat from my diet. (Sometimes. My son has just proclaimed himself a vegetarian. I suppose that’s something?)
28. Enroll my son in at least one fun class a year. (2011: He’s a busy kid, alright.) (2012: he can swim!)
29. Find the perfect school for my son. (2011: Still working hard on this one. We have a year and a 1/2 left and counting – but already found out that we are wait listed for the one and only private school we did early admission with.) (2012: WE FOUND A SCHOOL. It’s private and means that our life is going to change a bit as we are going to be ‘school poor’. But I am excited to be sending him to such a great school. This is the most satisfying one to check off for me for sure.)
30. Recycle all of my glass and paper products. Getting a recyle dumpster with our condo assoc. makes this a no brainer.
    
31. Create a list of 40 must read books, then actually read them. (2011: Ugh. Too bad I didn’t put the Hunger Games on there. I would have 3 knocked out then.) (2012: I have decided to cut myself slack on this. It’s nice to have the list anyway.)
32. Take a family vacation at least once a year. This includes leaving the city for at least three days or more with my family. (2011: Yes, we have been ON it. We even did a NYC trip this year!) (2012: went all over again! Including an amazing farm in Wisconsin!)
33. Throw a holiday party every November or December for all of my friends. (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
34. Stay on top of new technology as much as possible. ie OWN AN iPAD. 
35. Explore Illinois on small weekend car trips. (2011: want to do more of this, but have done some!) (2012: did! – see above)
36. Think about the transition to a single family home. (2011: uhh, hello real estate market. this is going to take awhile.) (2012: Not going to happen before 40 – see note on being ‘school poor’)
37. Think more seriously about starting my own business. (2011: uhhh, hello economy – this also might be stalled.) (2012: Not quite interested in this yet.)
38. Evolve this blog and let it grow with me. (2011: Yes, I think I have done this. Can keep it up, though.) (2012: have been neglecting it, but I feel ok about that for now.)
39. Continue to stay in touch with my family via Skype as much as possible. (2011: I do! Except now I call it FaceTime!) (2012: still FaceTiming as much as possible!)
40. Continue to try to be the best me I can be. (2011 – Well, that is my biggest daily goal! Do I make it? Not always, but I’ll keep trying.) (2012 – sometimes I win, sometimes I fail, but I always try.

Next year, in addition to trying to complete this list, I am inspired by the great and wonderful Amy Guth’s life list. I don’t know if I could possibly come up with 1000 – but I think it’s a very noble goal. Let’s see what happens!!!

How did you feel when you found out you were going to be a parent? (And goodbye Storylane)

Just learned that the noble social try storylane.com will be shutting down soon. This is such an intriguing time of thinking  trying, doing, failing, and trying again. Throw as much at those walls as we can! Something’s bound to stick. This is one thing that did not. But I did put a story on there a while ago that I will share here so that it still will live. Here you go!

How did you feel when you found out you were going to be a parent?

355 VIEWS | POSTED 8 MONTHS AGO

Kelly Zech

As with every other person I have ever met that is thinking of trying to start a family, I was so afraid that I would find it difficult or perhaps physically impossible to have a child. I deal with my own personal health issues, and my husband was himself adopted as a baby, and had no interest in raising an adopted child himself. This made the decision simple: either we had a child easily and naturally, or would not have children at all. When we decided it was time to start trying, I tried not to get emotional about whatever was going to happen.

It was only the first month into trying when my husband and I took a vacation to LA to see some old friends. As we had just started the process, I didn’t try to curb my bad habits while we were away. I drank like a fish, and puffed away on cigarettes. I figured I would start to get better once done with our trip. As we got to the airport to go home – I lit up a preflight smoke before we went in and said to my husband and the friend we were traveling with, “Well, this will be the last cigarette I ever smoke.” They looked at me doubtfully, as I was a dedicated smoker who had tried to quit plenty of times. But I just had a feeling that this was it. Turns out I was right.

Meanwhile, back at home in Chicago, our dear friends from Austin, Jenna and Glynn, were staying at our condo while we were away. They were 7 months pregnant at the time, and using our space for a quick ‘babymoon’ before their son was born. They gave me a call before we got on the plane, to see if they could have anything waiting for us upon our return. Without thinking, I blurted out, “I need a pregnancy test.” (Yes, I made a 7-months-pregnant lady buy me a pregnancy test. I still chuckle when I think about the cashier’s thoughts that day.)

It turns out it was worth it, though – as the test was indeed positive. My husband and I were terrified and speechless. This wasn’t supposed to happen so quickly, right? What about all of the horror stories we constantly heard about years of struggle? As ready as we both felt to ‘try’ to get pregnant – neither of us had yet come to terms with actually GETTING pregnant! Luckily we had a built in support group right in our house at the time. Jenna and Glynn had dealt with a surprise pregnancy just 7 months earlier and were able to help us get from the point of shock to the being completely thrilled rather quickly.

Fast forward to now, and our son will be 5 years old soon. I’ve learned that parenthood is seriously not for wusses. I was right to be terrified at first. But I have also discovered that it is the most thrilling and rewarding thing I have ever done. In the end, I feel so very, very fortunate that it happend for us so quickly and easily.

Spring 2013 Uniform

Who wants to know what I will be living in once the weather turns more temperate this spring? You? and You?? Ok – here it is:

1. I need a new carry everything tote so badly. This Salo Tote is out of my price range, but goes so well – I included it here anyway. (Antropologie)

2. These Ray-Bans are classic and I can’t believe I don’t already own them. It’s about time. (Nordstrom)

3. Flowered dresses. Normally not my style, but for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about wearing them the entire spring season! (Old Navy)

4. Bright green anything looks so amazing to me right now. These Mirrored Gem Drop Earrings are so sweet.  (Anthropologie)

5. Like I said, can’t get enough bright green right now. Call it my color crush of today. Essie’s Navigate Her will do quite nicely.

6. These just might have to be my birthday gift to myself this year. Won’t. Leave. My. Feet. (Nordstrom)

2013 House Wish List

Collecting here my hope and dreams in the ‘what to do and buy for my house’ department this year. Lots of painting in my near future!

Ch-ch-changes

Back in January, 2011 – I wrote was trying out a fun little visual diary and wrote this.

Friday, 1.21.11: Ok, hear me out here – this is going to get a little kooky. Many, many years ago, I let myself smoke cigarettes. Don’t worry; I don’t let myself do so anymore. BUT, when I did, I had a very cherished possession: a Zippo lighter with a sterling silver cover which had the Mayan calendar design on it. I would spend a lot of time looking at this calendar, thinking about it, and loving it. December 21, 2012 – the end of that calendar, seemed a thousand lifetimes away. But, now – it’s almost tomorrow. What does it mean? I can’t even begin to tell you what you should think it means, but to me – well… I just feel change coming. Not necessarily bad change. Just… Change. This kind of news story sets my mind a blazing, and my fingers a googling.

Now… December 21, 2012 IS tomorrow. I still feel now more than ever that things are shifting. Tilting, and turning.

Cheers to the good parts of that.

Blogging Advent Calendar 2012

The last few years, I have really enjoyed blogging my Advent calendar. I loved the words that served as inspiration last year. I have also loved coming up with a fun event or treat to give myself each day in the past. This year, I thought I would blend a little bit of everything together.

This exercise has been great for helping to understand what the season of Advent means to me. To my mind, among other things, it’s meant as a time to think about our own personal and spiritual journey. It is a time for anticipation and hope – but also expectation and longing.

Also this year, instead of just this digital calendar, I am also going to make a physical version for my family and myself. This goes with my overall 2012 goal of living more of my life offline. Along those lines, I will probably not blog about any of this – but if you want to see some of these things in action, your welcome to follow me on Instragram!

Each of the following words and thoughts will be included in little bags (I bought these), which will each have a number on them. Along with some sweet treats and trinkets, each of those bags will contain a message. The bags will then be used to decorate our tree. Everyday of advent, we will start deconstructing the tree by taking down a bag and finding out what our day’s thought/treat/song/project/adventure will be.

Here is a peek inside the bags:

SATURDAY 12/1
Project: Buy and decorate a real Christmas tree with the Advent bags.

SUNDAY 12/2
Adventure: Today is a special treat – an opera for kids!

MONDAY 12/3
Treat: Homemade Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Sticks.

TUESDAY 12/4
Thought: “Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

WEDNESDAY 12/5
Project: Make Christmas crafts with branches we collect.

THURSDAY 12/6

Listen:  John Lennon, Imagine

“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one”

FRIDAY 12/7
Adventure: Find a new restaurant in a unexplored neighborhood and have dinner there. How about the best holiday decorated tavern in the city, Butch McGuire’s Tavern & Grill? 

SATURDAY 12/8
Treat: Holiday potluck dinner. (We’re going southern this year and using recipes from the incomparable Paula Deen! Done a bit on the healthy-side if possible.)

SUNDAY 12/9
Thought: “Therefore they thought it good for hear a play And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life.” ― William Shakespeare

MONDAY 12/10 
Project: Work on and send holiday cards for our friends and family

TUESDAY 12/11 
Listen: Louis Armstrong, What A Wonderful World

I see trees of green,
red roses too.
I see them bloom,
for me and you.
And I think to myself,
what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue,
And clouds of white.
The bright blessed day,
The dark sacred night.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow,
So pretty in the sky.
Are also on the faces,
Of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands.
Saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying,
“I love you”.

I hear babies cry,
I watch them grow,
They’ll learn much more,
Than I’ll ever know.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.

Oh yeah.

WEDNESDAY 12/12 
Treat: Birthday dinner for our friend Teddy who turns 4!

THURSDAY 12/13
Thought: “I’m writing this in part to tell you that if you ever wonder what you’ve done in your life, and everyone does wonder sooner or later, you have been God’s grace to me, a miracle, something more than a miracle.” ― Marilynne Robinson, Gilead

FRIDAY 12/14
Treat: Go to our local independent bookstore, Women & Children First, to pick out a new book.

SATURDAY 12/15
Adventure: Another very special treat: the Circus!

SUNDAY 12/16
Project: Make a Feather Boa wreath

MONDAY 12/17
Thought: “Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can; all of them make me laugh.” ― W.H. Auden

TUESDAY 12/18
Listen: Rod Stewart, Have I Told You Lately

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles that’s what you do

For the morning sun in all it’s glory
Greets the day with hope and comfort too
You fill my life with laughter
And somehow you make it better
Ease my troubles that’s what you do
There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles that’s what you do

There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

And have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles that’s what you do
Take away all my sadness
Fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles that’s what you do
Take away all my sadness
Fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles that’s what you do

WEDNESDAY 12/19
Adventure: Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza

THURSDAY 12/20
Treat: Bake something yummy together! Perhaps some Flourless Peanutbutter Chocolate Chip Cookies?

FRIDAY 12/21
Adventure: ZooLight at the Lincoln Park Zoo

SATURDAY 12/22
Project: Donate non-perishable food and gently used clothing to our local food pantry Care For Real.

SUNDAY 12/23 

Treat: ”You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” Watch the old classic, A Christmas Story? (My son will love it!)

MONDAY 12/24

Adventure: Ice Skating at Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier, or the Millennium Park ice rink.

2013: The Year Of The Bathroom

Twenty-12 has been the year of the KITCHEN around my house, but next up will be the BATHROOM! To get myself started with the thinking process, I have whipped up a little Ci mood board. Here it is!

 

IKEA BAROMETER	Ceiling track	$50
BENJAMIN MOORE	Lakeside Cabin	$50
IKEA MUSIK	Wall lamp	$15
IKEA HEMNES	Shelving unit	$150
IKEA GRUNDTAL	Hanger	$4.00
IKEA VIRSERUM	Frame, white	$30
IKEA GODMORGON	Mirror cabinet with 2 doors	$180
IKEA GRUNDTAL	Towel holder	$20
IKEA GRUNDTAL	Hanger	$4
IKEA FRÄJEN x6	Bath sheet, white	$60
IKEA GRUNDTAL	Toilet roll holder	$6
WEST ELM	Side Table	$103
TARGET	Bath Caddy	$37
SIMPLE HUMAN	Retro Round Step Can	$26
CRATE & BARREL	Reversible White 24″x36″ Bath Rug	$40
CRATE & BARREL x3	Square Wire Basket	$60
	TOTAL:	$835

Colors For Resale

I’m not planning on selling my condo anytime soon, but I am starting to think of it as a someday possibility. It has me thinking: What paint colors would be good for resale? What do you think about these Benny Moore apples?

 

Why I Decided To Go To My 20th High School Reunion And Why Social Media Is Devolving (At Least For Me)

That’s me on the left in the Girbaud jeans and bright white Keds – 20 years ago. Man, I had a lot of confidence for a 17 year old! Fast forward to now, and I am feeling strongly that whatever I choose to wear to the reunion, and however I look, is going to be judged, judged, judged. Oh, the irony.

Let me back up. It took me a gross amount of soul-searching and navel gazing to figure out if I would actually haul my cookies all the way to Texas to do this thing. I had pretty much decided that the time and money just weren’t worth it to me. I see (or hide) many of those folks on Facebook already. Why spend a night at the Lazy L&L Campground (yes, you read that right) talking about each other, to each other in person? Hasn’t that already been covered with social media at this point? It made me shiver in discomfort just at the thought.

Well… then something happend. I had a cherished but not kept in touch with (except on Facebook) high school friend die of cancer this week. Watching her physical demise and subsequent death on social media was excruciating. I considered flying home to reconnect and tell her I loved her in person – but I didn’t. And then I heard that the brunette in the photo above was going to be at the reunion. At one time we were so close, and yet I haven’t talk to her since high school. She isn’t on social media. In fact, all of the girls above, save one whom I JUST came in contact with recently, are not connected to me in any social media way. How can I miss this opportunity to see their smiles, hear their stories first hand, and perhaps introduce them to my son?

My relationship with social media has been constantly changing and evolving. You just need to look back at this blog to see some of that evolution. However, this week I have had a dramatic change of perception with it. I miss and want to work on more human contact. I crave it.

Anyway, a long rambly post for me (with the longest title I think I have ever used). The point is (I think), that I am always working towards a balance of moderation. The lesson for me here is this: less social media, more quality personal time. That’s not to say that social media leaves me altogether! No way! How would I ever have found the photo above… Or this one:

Same long lost friends. Same old Girbauds… WTF am I going to wear to this reunion???