hunting for a new coffee table...

it really is lovely, but it gets so darn dirty.

i love our coffee table, i really do. but i'm slowly realizing that i'm just not cut out for a glass coffee table. smudges, hand prints, glass rings, etc. drive me crazy C.R.A.Z.Y. sadly, i'm not exaggerating. i've decided to start looking for something a little less high maintenance.

i don't think this one would look too bad...

i would really love this one, but i'm not sure how a round table would fit in the space. my old high school was throwing away several of these when they renovated their library, but someone took them before my dad could get me one (rats).

my friend suzanna has one of the coolest coffee tables i've ever seen. her husband made it out of a beautiful piece of wood. i'll try to get a picture when we visit them in pennsylvania this weekend:).

photo credits: first photo taken from here. second photo taken from here.

my sister's amazing marimekko find...

i wish i could keep this dress but, alas, it is on sale in my etsy store. isn't it lovely?

i want one of these right now!

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes about 32)

2 cups of flour (self raising/all purpose)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (or 4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 ricotta, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg at room temperature
3/4 cup chocolate chips

i think i know what i'm doing on sunday afternoon:)

photos and recipe found here: pinecone camp

new items on etsy!

i just took pictures tonight. they should be up sometime tomorrow!

going on an adventure...

we're going to look at my dream car today! wish me luck:)

if i could do it again...

1.) i would get married in a barn, photo found here
2.) i would hire a bluegrass band to play in my parents' barn, and i would dance with ernie until my feet hurt. this photo was found here.
3.) i would get these super cute wedding invitations and save the date cards from etsy.
4.) save the date cards from etsy.
5.) i would buy a unique, handmade dress like this one from etsy, or maybe even try to make one myself...
6.) candles hanging from rafters at a barn wedding
7.) not sure what this is, but i liked the white lights...it was found here
8.) wedding entrance, found here
9.) various snapshots taken at a barn wedding and reception, found here

our wedding was five years ago, and i was young. i didn't fully have a grasp of what my taste was. i loved, loved, loved our wedding, but i would do things differently if i were planning it today. i would have the ceremony and reception in a barn (maybe my parents'), with luminaries lining the entrance and paper lanterns and candles hanging from the ceiling beams. i would do dinner potluck style, we'd serve ernie's homebrews and homemade wines, and we'd hire a bluegrass band. it's fun to think about! either way, marrying ernie was the very best choice i ever made.

what would you do differently?

new amy butler wallpaper!

i haven't been brave enough to paper any walls in my house. as often as i change paint colors, it seems likely that i would be on a step ladder with a scraper in no time flat. you might say i'm a little fickle about my wall decor:).

i still love to look at the many beautiful designs that are out there and dream about how they would look in my home. amy butler is coming out with a new line of wallpaper. the two pictures posted above show a little sneak peek of her upcoming line. i can't wait to see the rest! to read the full article click here.

photo credits: both photos were taken from design*sponge.

some friday eye candy...

found on etsy at kate greiner.
found on etsy at knotted nest.
found on etsy at jess gonacha.

found on urban outfitters.

found on urban outfitters...i wish they had a bright aqua bell to go with my red bike...

on the hunt...

...for this liberty of london dress from target. it's out of stock online, and there was only a size medium at the target on 54th street. it's a children's dress, so i'd need a large or extra large. i tried on the medium, but it didn't quite fit in the chest area...it turns out children's dress aren't made for girls with big ta-tas. it smashed them down flat, with gratuitous amounts of medieval-looking cleavage. if you see it, buy it for me and i'll pay you back!

photo credits: photo taken from target.com

mother's day roundup

found on etsy at one life jewelry.
found on etsy at tag you're it.
this one might be my favorite. i love the idea of wearing your little one's fingerprint on a pendant. found on etsy at bitty clippies.

a manifesto

i stumbled across this manifesto on the blog simple lovely. i really like its simple message. it's kind of like the cheesy "live, laugh, love" stuff, only cooler. you can buy it at the keep calm gallery, which has a lot of other cool stuff you should check out, too. i think this would look mighty good in our kitchen...

photo credits: image taken from keep calm gallery.

renegade craft fair 2010

the dates have been finalized for this year's renegade craft fair! the chicago fair, which is the one closest to me, will be held september 11 &12 from 11am-7pm. the fair takes place in wicker park. for more information, check here. there are will be fairs all across the country, so make sure to check and see where the nearest fair is.
if you're interested in vending, you can submit an application here. the fee for having a booth is $325, but you can cut costs by sharing a booth with a friend. it sounds like it's a pretty competitive application process, as there is limited room.

i really hope i can make it this year! i better start saving up:)

photo credits: photos taken from here.

ooh la la

who doesn't love the liberty of london line at target? i bought this dress today from target! it's a children's size xl, and it fits perfectly. if you live near a target, you should go there and check out their sales on all of the liberty of london line. i bought this dress for $10 and another tunic for $12! go today!
i want these shoes in a bad way. sadly, they are very hard to come by. cynthia vincent has a new line of shoes at target and this is just one of several amazing designs. as if it wasn't difficult enough to get out of target without spending $100! i'll keep looking...let me know if you see them...i'm a size 7.5 ish (depending on what's available, of course).

this shot is from a sneak peek on design*sponge. i love everything about this space, but i especially LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bathroom. this first picture is a shot of the window ledge in the shower. you can check out the whole tour here.
see what i'm talking about?! what an amazing bathroom! i love how clean and bright it is...and those floors...get out of here! it's almost too much!
another shot of the apartment...i LOVE black and white floors (those of you who know me well are very well aware of this:)
kitchen...
bedroom...
dining room, looking out to the living room...

...some lovely things i've found during my online and around-the-town ramblings...

photo credits: photos 1 & 2 taken from target.com. the rest of the photos were taken from design*sponge.

keekster featured on modachromehome!

i received an email yesterday, asking if it was alright to feature one of my items on the blog modachromehome. i know it's a little thing, but it's a wee bit exciting for me. check it out here. it made me realize that i need to be a better blogger. with that said, i'm going to try and spend more time on this blog...look for new and exciting posts coming soon!