Back to School

Well as everyone knows (cause I haven't been keeping this a secret at all) I will be attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the fall. Not only was I lucky to even get in at the last minute, but I got a hefty scholarship to boot. I can't believe how all of this came together and I'm still in shock that they liked my work so much.
I'm excited to be busy again. It's been a while since I've been working towards something this big. And I can't wait to have some kick ass art to show from it.

A Chicago Visit

My sister's visit to Chicago was quick but very lovely. When she got in on Friday evening, we went to a neighborhood restaurant and bar called Bad Apple. The drink menu is pages and pages long and they have one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. For any Chicagoans out there, I highly recommend it.

On Saturday, we started our day with some caffeine at our favorite local coffee shop. Cafeneo had just hired new staff and took FOREVER to get a couple of lattes to us. But the one barista that had worked there awhile comped our drinks for the wait. Free coffee for a bit of a wait?...I say worth it! Later, we took a visit to a bridal boutique so my sister could try on some dresses for me to see. My amazing friend Emily will be making her dress as well as the bridesmaid dresses for the wedding, but just for fun, she tried on a few for me. It was a girly afternoon and I loved every minute of it!

Sunday was her departure day, but we managed to fit in brunch, shopping, and beer before she left. When we popped into Macy's on State Street, I discovered this delightful wooden airplane installation I thought I'd share. The pictures really don't do it justice, but I'm still quite taken with it.

Thank you so much for visiting me, Megan!

I'm now on a countdown to warm weather in Savannah. (Since it's still in the 40s here.)

...Although I did see this friendly little flower peeking up to say hello the other day.

I admire it's tenacity.

SPRING!

This past week in Chicago has been quite lovely and oh so warm. It gave me just a taste of what is to come for Spring and Summer.

Here are a few things this week that made me love to see the end of Winter:

Having the first bubble tea of the season,

finally being able to wear Spring shoes,

finding fun, new kitchen wares at Knee Deep Vintage in Pilsen,

eating outside on a blanket,

friends in the park,

...and afternoon naps!

It certainly has been a perfect week. And to top it all off, now I'm awaiting the arrival of my sister! Eeek! How fun!

A Weekend of Entertainment

This weekend was the best weekend I've had in a very long time. It was full of great music, great people, and great drinks.

Friday night I saw the show I've been waiting to see for years. Kurt Elling played at the Green Mill here in Chicago and blew everyone away the minute he opened his mouth to sing his first note. Kurt Elling is from Chicago, and used to play the Green Mill every Wednesday night before he got too famous to stay in town. Now he tours literally all over the world and just won his first Grammy. His show was absolutely captivating and unlike anything I've ever seen. My love for him and his incredible arrangements has only grown since seeing him.

I dare say it was the best show I've ever seen.

Saturday night, Tad Dancin', the soul/funk cover band I'm in had a show at Goose Island in Wrigleyville. It was the most fun I've had performing in quite a while. The energy was so high and everyone in the crowd was dancing the night away. It was an absolute blast and if you came out, thank you! And if you didn't come out, there's always next time...ya jerks.

I kid I kid :-)

My Sister

I have the best sister in the world. End of story...she is the best. And that sister got engaged a couple weeks ago and asked ME to be her maid of honor. Well I am certainly honored.

Let me tell you, she is going to be the most beautiful bride there ever was...or will be for that matter.

So the weekend of March 19th through 21st, she is coming up to Chicago to visit me and to go wedding dress shopping with me! We will have a fancy weekend of brunch and boutiques and that sounds oh so delightful to me!

March is Finally Here

*Beautiful photo by Kari Herer Photography

In Chicago, March doesn't mean that it will be warm soon. It'll take at least another month to be able to wear a cardigan with no jacket. But March just sounds warmer than February and sounds like Spring is near. And even though this winter has been pretty mild around here, everyone I know (including myself) are all so antsy to rid ourselves of the cold and welcome the warmth.

So here's to March!

Swell Season Kind of Day

I'm not sure what's in the air today, but I'm feeling a little blue. The skies are overcast and the air is cold. I'm sick of the cold...I really really am.
But something I can control about my day is the music I listen to. And The Swell Season is one of my all time favorites. If you've never heard them, check them out. For real. They are so talented and beautiful and they're the perfect soundtrack to my blue day.

The Modern Wing at the Art Institute

The month of February is Free Month at the Art Institute of Chicago. We practically waited til the last minute, but Matt and I decided to go yesterday and we made an afternoon of it.

We took the trip to visit the Modern Wing, which has been recently added to the Art Institute in the past year. The wing itself is so beautiful and definitely worth taking a stroll through.

I didn't know what to expect as far as the actual modern art goes, but I found I liked the American modern art much more than the European modern art. It seemed cleaner to an uneducated eye like mine. I wish I knew more about art in general. Although when I see something I like, I'm moved by it whether I understand or not. And to me, that's a pretty beautiful thing.

Alice is Simply Enchanting

I'm incredibly excited to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, but when I recently watched the trailer for the movie I realized I don't know the real story. I've become very familiar and infatuated with the amazing illustrations by John Tenniel in the last few years - So much that I ordered a beautiful copy of the book quite some time ago. But I'm ashamed to say that even after owning it, I've never actually read the book. So a couple of days ago I decided it was time.
I've only read the first 4 or 5 chapters, but you know what? It's so witty and funny! The writing is fast and quirky and I'm finding myself unable to put it down when I need to go to sleep.
I love Alice's character very very much. Her need to be a strong and educated girl just warms my heart.
I really recommend reading it. Whether you're planning to see the movie or not, I think you'll just love it.

Winter Oh Winter

I'm incredibly sick of winter but the most recent snowfall here in Chicago was quite lovely. So the day after it snowed I decided to get out of my cozy, warm apartment and take a walk through the park to get some pictures of the beauty. Needless to say, I was only out for about an hour before I went home to a cup of coffee and a movie.

Chicago is so amazing in the spring and summer but during the winter I tend to question why I live here. About another month, right? Until then I'll dream of Spring and sandals and dresses oh my!

Simply live

*Artist: Nick Dewar

I've had some friends tell me recently that I need to get back on top of my blog! And I do...I really do. Sorry I've been slacking.

Anyway...I have a new goal in my day to day life I'd like to share on the blog on a regular basis; and that is to live simply.

I've felt that I needed to work on this personal mantra for some months now, but to be totally honest, it was an episode of Oprah I saw last week that really got me thinking.

Oprah had traveled to Denmark to talk to the people that we've come to known as the "happiest people in the world". She traveled there to basically find out why they are so pleased with life, and found that it's due to their simplicity. (And I'm talking about the simpilicty when it comes to the material stuff.)

She went into a few homes of various 4 or 5 person families to find out that they were living in tiny spaces compared to Americans, and owned very few things that could serve them no purpose in life...like, uh ahem...us Americans do.

They don't fill their showers with 8 choices of shampoos and soaps...they choose one and use it until it is gone. They use their living rooms as play rooms, an entertainment space, an actual "living room". They don't live having 4 separate rooms for 4 separate purposes, they make the most of what they have and use it to it's fullest possible extent.

They also sat down to talk about how being around the people you love is the most important thing in life. The women said that marriage is not something they obsess over because as long as they are with the person they love, that's all that matters. No need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a party that will go on for one night. They have what makes them happy right next to them every single day.

They take care of each other as well. If a neighbor needs help, they help them. No questions asked. No qualifying for health care, everyone deserves it. (Oh god...that's a whole other discussion) But at the end of the day, they don't have the need to have more things like we do. They simply live and enjoy their loved ones.

...I've gone off on a tangent.

I guess what I'm trying to say in a very long winded way is that I strive to be more like these people. We've grown accustomed to living extravegantly and building homes not to house our family, but to house our shit.

I know that I've posted many things on this blog that are just little material purchases, but I hope you see the difference in that I'm trying to show the art and the artists behind them.

And when you don't buy every little thing you like, the treasures you do buy become just that: a precious little treasure.

So I'm not saying to buy only the necessities in life, but rather limit your purchases to those things you absolutely love, need, and can use in multiple ways.

I'd like to make this blog into how I'm achieving this goal of mine. Show the purchases I make and how I use them.

If anything, it'll keep me on track and hopefully make me realize that I have some great things in life without needing to add more. I come home to my best friend everyday. (cheesy!)

That should be enough...

Thanks for reading my blabber.

New cards...one of my favorite things!

What made me happy today:

I absolutely love some of the card lines we carry at the store, and it is a pleasure for me to be able to pick out which cards I think are right for us to sell. One of the lines we've carried for a while now, has actually recently become a favorite of mine. Redcap Cards has some extremely talented guest artists that illustrate their various lines. Here are some of the brand new cards I recently ordered and fell in love with even more when I saw them in person:

"Birthday Deer" by artist, Jon Klassen. Deer+Balloons+Red & Blue=Amazing! I'm such a sucker for images that include balloons...of any kind.

"Heart Queen" by artist, Naoshi. Her girls are just so sweet and look so full of wonder.

"Homecoming" by artist, Jamie Zollars. I loved it even more after seeing the title.

"Flowers for Frenchy", "Thoughts", and "Birthday Song" by artist, Francesca Montanari. She is probably my favorite artist that Redcap has recently brought on. Geez...I could look at "Birthday Song" all day long.

A big breakfast and a nap

What made me happy today:

1. This morning, Jonathan and I biked to my new favorite breakfast spot in the neighborhood. Over Easy is an adorable and delicious sit down restaurant serving only breakfast and lunch. The owner, who is also the chef, personally welcomed us and thanked us when we left. I love when business owners are passionate about their work. So much that he took the time to treat his customers extremely well. If you live in Chicago, definitely check this place out!

2. I finished my book, "The Most Beautiful Book in the World" by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. It's translated from French, as most books are translated from a foreign language from Europa Editions. Being a complete francophile, I loved the pictures of different parts of France that each of the eight novellas within the book painted. Each story was about a different woman that was looking for love and/or happiness, and most of the time, it ultimately was right in front of her. I really adored this book, but am looking forward to reading something with a continuous plot and story line. I would indeed recommend it though; A pleasant read-over-coffee book.

3. Having the day off was so refreshing! And I spent it doing a whole lot of nothing right at home. I really should have accomplished more, but it was so relaxing doing stuff around the apartment and taking a long afternoon nap.
But back to work tomorrow through Sunday. Then off to New York City on Monday with Jonathan to spend a wonderful week doing whatever we please! We're staying in Brooklyn with a friend who is starting grad school at NYU in September. I'm excited to explore Brooklyn's streets and shops and anything we might stumble upon.

In the new

What made me happy today:

1. Receiving cute new merchandise at the store that I want, but have no use for...yet! I'll have to use these new biodegradable stripey straws by jack and lulu at the next party I throw! (they just debuted the straws at the stationary show in New York, so they aren't on their website, but the lush, colorful stationary on the site will grab your eye!)

2. Continuing the habit of tracking my exercise and food consumption in my new healthy looking Lotta Jansdotter journal. Writing in a nice journal actually motivates me to keep up with everything, therefore trying to eat healthier and exercise more just for the sake that I have to write it down at the end of the day.

3. Riding my new bike with Jonathan. Tonight we biked to a vocal sectional for our soul band. He's helping me overcome my fears of biking on the road, and I love him for it....(even though it may not seem like it at the time) Thanks honey!

This is the only picture I have of my cute bike so far... I'll have to get one of me in action soon!

And it really needs a basket to complete the look!

4. And last but certainly not least, coming home from a sweaty bike ride and cooling off in our bedroom: the only air conditioned room in the apartment.

Brand New

#1 blog post!

Exciting stuff...

First off, today was my first day going to work with the Wellington train station open. I've been taking the Belmont stop for a year and a half and realized for the first time today on my new walk from Wellington that the old walk kind of stressed me out. Belmont is always so busy, as well as when I had to turn onto Clark to complete my walk to work. Now I have a pleasant, residential, and nature filled walk to and from work. Little things like this really make a difference to me.

Here is the entrance to the new and improved Wellington stop that I oh so love now: