Baking with Friends

Over the weekend, I made my way to Chicago to spend the day with some of my favorites, Abby and Kate (plus a new friend, Catherine.) Instead of going out for brunch or spending the day at a craft fair like we have in the past, this time we decided to take it easy and spent the day in Abby's apartment, baking. It was the most relaxing time ever.

Of course, I forgot to bring my camera so I only have instagrams to share, but you should definitely check out Kate's beautiful shots of Abby's home.

Between easy conversation and sips of sparkling juice, we made mini cheesecakes, an incredibly tangy lemon tart, and buttery, tender scones (Abby shared the recipes here.) Kate made delicious slow-drip coffee to share and we tried our best to soak up all of Abby's baking knowledge. It was such a great afternoon that we decided to make it a quarterly event - I look forward to getting together in the spring!

(P.S. Remember the Terrain whisk I shared awhile back? Abby had it! It was beautiful.)

Lovely Package Exchange

Have you heard of the Lovely Package Exchange? It's a blogger gift exchange with a focus on lovely wrapping organized by Danni of Oh Hello Friend. I've always wanted to participate but have never made the deadline since space is very limited... until this year! I was paired up with Katie of Hey Little Apple Blossom, and earlier this week I received some very lovely brown paper packages (the best kind!) all the way from Virginia.

Don't you love the polka-dot washi tape she used? I haven't jumped on board the washi tape train just yet, but it really is such a simple way to make ordinary things special. Taped to the package was a sweet note from Katie written on a vintage Virginia postcard, which I now have hanging on my inspiration board.

In the first package, I was delighted to find a vintage map tote bag from Mystic Moose. It was folded up so neatly that I had no idea what the package held... I have the habit of trying to guess what presents hold. I'm such a five year old when it comes to gifts.

The second package contained a copy of Silhouette Art: Papers, Instructions, and Patterns for Making Modern Heirlooms from Chronicle Books. I'm pretty sure I squealed with excitement when I opened this one. Katie knew I love silhouettes, so of course this book was perfect. Apparently she also knew of my secret dream to own every book published by Chronicle Books. Their design department is killer. 

The book contains tons of silhouette-themed craft projects as well as some lovely patterned paper and rich black card stock to make your own silhouettes. I think I'll be attempting these silhouette lockets in the near future. Thank you, Katie, for such a wonderful package! I'm loved getting this little bit of happiness in the mail!

And if you're curious, Katie shared the package I sent her over on her blog. It was such a fun little swap... be on the lookout for the next Lovely Package Exchange. Danni usually coordinate one every summer and again around Christmas time.

Weekend Adventures: Houseguests Edition

Is it really already Monday again? I feel like I ask myself that question a lot, but I really can't believe how quickly the days go by... and I don't want to even think about how fast summer is going. Ugh. I had a mini freakout last week when I realized that this week is August. AKA back to school season. AKA the final days of summer. I'm never quite ready for summer to be over, but it has definitely been a great season so far.

Arissa & Cory, illustrated by Jen Mackin

This weekend did not disappoint... my bff Arissa came for a visit with her boyfriend Cory! It had been over a year since I'd last seen her, and this was the first time Chris and I met Cory. We kept things pretty chill all weekend... caught up on life and shared college memories, feed the swans off our dock, consumed lots of grilled food and tasty pancakes, and rented Jeff, Who Lives at Home (which we thought was a comedy but turned out to be a poignant, quirky little film, if you're curious.) It was a pretty great weekend.

P.S. How awesome are the portraits of Arissa and Cory by Jen Mackin?!

Weekend Adventures: Chicago

Well friends, it's Monday again. I started it off right by spilling a full mug of HOT coffee in my lap during my commute this morning. My thighs were scalded. I was two hours late because I had to go home and take another shower. Sometimes I really hate Mondays. I'm choosing to focus my thoughts on this past weekend...

Beautiful floor at m.henry  |  Blackberry Bliss Cakes  | Desk inspiration at West Elm  |  Abby

On Saturday, I ventured over to Chicago for a day with Abby and Kate (and Sofia!) It was a great day filled with tasty food, Beirut, Sof's singing, catching up, shopping, Argo Tea and train rides. Kate has been a blog friend for a while now, and it was great to meet her in person. Things flowed so naturally, like we've been friends for years. Funny how that works. We spent a good chunk of the morning/afternoon brunching at m.henry, an adorable French cafe & bakery in Andersonville. I had a soup-bowl sized latte and Blackberry Bliss Cakes -- two fluffy hotcakes with vanilla mascarpone creme and berry compote, topped with crispy brown sugar oats. Heavenly. If you ever find yourself in the Andersonville area, I highly recommend m.henry!

The rest of the day was spent wandering around shops. I resisted the urge to buy all the things, but ended up with several tasty purchases: Tim Tams, Bundaberg Ginger Beer, and Trader Joe's lemon curd, mango butter, and the famous cookie butter. Abby and I grabbed Argo Tea before the train ride home -- the perfect ending to our weekend adventure.

Until next time, ladies!

Sharon.

Today, one of my dearest friends stepped on a plane with a one-way ticket to New York City to chase her dreams. My goodness. Instead of 50 miles, she is almost 700 miles away, and I will miss her very much. Let me tell you a story of friendship and adventure.

I first met Sharon when I was in seventh grade. We were both in an after school art program, and I remember thinking how wonderful, crazy, and inspiring she was. Our friendship didn't actually develop until high school, though. I don't even remember how it happened, it just flowed so naturally. We were in yearbook together, as well as many theatre productions. We became two of four in a tight-knit group of girlfriends, and we bonded over art, music, films, and the meaning of life. Two old souls with a love of antiques, flowers, and a childhood appreciation of The Secret Garden and The Little Princess.

Sharon is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful people I know. She is so talented and makes wonderful things, like the beautiful quilt that now sits at the foot of my bed. She has been a constant source of encouragement, advice, and inspiration in my life for ten years and I am so honored to have her as a friend and as a kindred spirit.

Together, we've visited New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and have had our share of many small-town adventures. Movie nights. Bonfires. Photo sessions. Evening walks. Pounds of Hacienda chips and liters of coffee. Spiked apple cider in the fall, peppermint sweet tea in the spring. Pirate parties, music-sharing parties, Fourth of July parties, just because parties. Once, slipping down an icy winter road, I even thought I was going to die with Sharon... thankfully that was not the case. She helped plan my wedding and stood with me on my wedding day. Many, many adventures. Many, many memories.

Sharon Rose, I will miss you greatly, even though I know I'll get to see you during your trips home. You are so incredibly brave and I know in my heart that you will thrive in the City. See you in a few months. Love always, Kitty.

Please Don't Go...

Photo by Meyer Felix

I've seen a lot of blog posts wishing for fall lately, and even though fall is my favorite season, summer is a close second. I'm just not ready to give her up yet. Anyone else with me? I still need to adsorb as much sun as possible to keep my bones warm through the winter. That means another trip to the beach, canoeing, lots of grilled food, starry nights, ice cream, and as many other adventures as Christopher and I can squeeze in before the air becomes crisp and the apples ripen.

Sorry in advance if my posting is sparse in the next few weeks... I plan on spending as much time outside with family and friends as possible. This weekend Abby is coming for a visit! Most of our time together will be spent making and eating food, discussing life and pretty things, and enjoying an outdoor art show at Wellfield Botanic Gardens with Sharon. It's going to be a great weekend.

Midland Arts & Antique Market

Is it really Wednesday already? Yesterday was so warm and sunny I spent most of my afternoon outside reading on a blanket and doing housework with the windows wide open, and most of Monday recovering from all the awesomeness (and lack of sleep) that happened this past weekend. Goodness.

I took off work on Friday to venture down to Indianapolis for a girls weekend with Rachel and Arissa, two of the most amazing girls and the best college roommates ever. The drive down was only about 3 hours (although I somehow made it home in 2.5) and it was a wonderful weekend full of avacado-artichoke pizza, cute little shops on Mass Ave, pay by-the-ounce frozen yogurt, strange performance art, cheap sushi, and some of the smoothest espresso I've ever tasted.

Midland. Note teeny-tiny Rachel in the lower right hand corner for scale purposes. This place was HUGE. 

One of the weekend's highlights, by far, was Saturday brunch followed by hours spent at Midland Arts & Antique Market. Although only 2 of their 3 factory-sized floors were open, we still had an overwhelming amount of antique and vintage goodness to look at. I doubt we even looked at it all. 

Once inside, I nearly hyperventilated from the sheer amount of stuff -- and some of the prices. We decided it was best to start at the top where their cheapest items were located, and work our way down to the more expensive stuff. Rachel ended up with a few things and Arissa bought a wonderful vintage globe, but sadly, I walked away empty handed. I was watching my budget for the weekend, and since I didn't find anything I absolutely had to have, I window shopped instead. Here are a few of my favorites...

Clockwise from left: 1. This mustard mid-century chair was in pristine condition.  2. Under a pile of stuff I spotted a fantastic 1912 framed yearbook photo... too bad it was $92.  3. I had to think twice about buying this elaborately decorated reader, but because of the sticker damage I decided against it.

1. I'm kicking myself for not buying one of these antique apothecary jars, but I couldn't tell if the labels were originals or reproductions. At only $9, though, I should've picked up the center bottle anyway.  2. A few of the booths at Midland featured original artwork. These symmetrical rabbits by local artist MaryAnne Thanh Tam Nguyen were my favorite.  3. Hello, adorable typewriter. I like your coloring a lot.

1. This was the first display I saw -- vintage marquee letters! Sadly they didn't have an R available.  2. For some reason I totally loved these vintage high school storage bins... and vintage chemistry beakers were everywhere. Trendy, trendy.  3. A stack of well-traveled and well-loved suitcases to match my shoes. 

Booth #3 was one of my favorites... they had minty green walls, wonderful handwritten signage, and of course this German chicken skeletal chart. We all know how much I love charts. 

If you're ever in the downtown Indianapolis area and have a few hours of free time, a trip to Midland is a must. Like most antique malls, it's about 50% awesome and 50% junk, but if you look hard enough (or if you're willing to pay) you could walk away with quite a bit of beautiful stuff.