Chicago, & a Confession

Labor Day weekend was full of fun, and void of any type of work. It was wonderful! Daniel and I were pretend-locals for a few days in Chicago. We walked and took in the neighborhoods, and ate and drank at our friends' favourite restaurants. Many slices of deep dish pizza were consumed. I am not even ashamed! (I did double time at the gym this week to make up for it, worth it.)

One of my goals for the weekend was to find a pair of rainboots. And I did, just in time for the rain! Another goal was to work on my photography. Honestly, I was too absorbed by my surroundings to commit to having my Canon hugging my neck (especially during the rainstorms). And that brings me to my confession. I went through a spell a couple years ago, when I either lost my Nikon, or simply was too busy. I started putting aged filters on my photos, not only because I liked it, but because it was easy, and covered flaws. I admit it. Hundreds of people are guilty of the same thing. But I'm dedicated to being a better photographer (when I studied photography in high school and college, it was all film! Not admitting to my age but... well... that does put some years on me) and I'm going to refrain from using those filter on this blog. That's my goal.

Here are a few photos of plants and flowers at the Lincoln Park Conservatory that I thought were sweet and pretty. It's free, conveniently located, and I believe it's open year-round!

And here are some really gorgeous bows, adorning the statue of one of my most favourite writers! Does anyone know who this is?

Our Summer Picnic

Another seasonal picnic, another favourite day of my life! We joined Rebekka and Manley in their backyard, tucked away into a quiet corner to celebrate their handsome new picnic table. We shared stories, laughter, a few drinks, and a LOT of delicious food. Cheese upon cheese upon cheese with figs, sausages from a local farm, a vegetable quinoa pasta. Danny and I brought a punch bowl to fill with a rosemary gin fizz. We had fun preparing the ingredients, and even more fun drinking it! It's a perfect party drink, and smells just wonderful.

You can find her recipe for an incredible Peach Ricotta Tart in Rosemary Almond Shell here. Enjoy!

We're off to Chicago to find some adventure. Au Revoir!

EraBellum

I'm such a nerd that I had to post this immediately upon finding out! (because it's after midnight in New York so I can't call my mother) I'm going to be a part of a new artisan co-op called EraBellum in Nashville! It's a beautiful space near downtown which will be brimming with lovely jewelry, woodworking crafts, vintage clothing and housewares, art, and so much more.

I've got 8 days to bring life to my visions! I can't wait to invite everyone to the new space in September.

Golden Bell Blueberries

The beau and I recently visited a cute little farm in Franklin, TN with some friends. It was a bright, hot Saturday morning, and we were greeted by an old guard-dog who barely had the energy to swat a fly. Rows upon rows of tall blueberry bushes awaited us! We each grabbed a bucket, and went wandering. Blueberries, pinkberries, purpleberries! We made a pact to eat just one blueberry per ten that we picked. We ended up eating one for every two we picked, and left with purple-stained fingertips; our skin tinted a light shade of blue. Sweet children's laughter (and a few tears) bubbled from the bushes, deer pranced through the surrounding fields, the sun warmed our shoulders and we chatted about what scrumptious blueberry treats we would make, and our buckets got heavier and heavier. With but one casualty, we each left the farm carrying several pounds each.

The blueberry crisp I made for a dinner party disappeared quicker than I could photograph. Until next berry season!

French-Pressed Coffee

I've been rolling out of bed extra early for a few days to take pictures of work products on my different tables. I wish I had a very large house, so I could have dozens of interesting, weathered, handsome tables, and mismatched chairs of all sizes and colours! I would also have dozens of beds for dozens of weary travelers: friends, old and new. I just want to share my cozy home (wherever that may be), and share laughter. Thankful to know home is something I carry with me, something I can physically create wherever I go.

You carry your home with you. It is in your heart!

Refresher

I’ve been loving my new job here at Mercy Ministries. As with anything, there is a balance. A balance of maintaining the image while pushing toward a more current branding and design. A balance of depression and hope. A balance of lies, unveiled by truth. My first week, I worked on creating a new website for our 5k, Run For Mercy. Another fun project has been to tie images with uplifting phrases for facebook. Do you have any sites you love to scour for beautiful photographs?

Paper Accordians

It's been awhile, crocodile! I take the blame. I'm pretty sure that last year I used the excuse, being happy and full of life and falling in love. So, this time I will use the excuse, continuing to fall in love with the same man, being happy and full of life and roadtrips! We have been visiting family lately and just enjoying beautiful summer sunshine. A little while ago, I had an art opening at The Building in East Nashville. Vinea provided some delectable wines, and a delightful time was had by all. Here is a new piece I made for it: Colorado Spring. When I was there in March, there was an odd but wonderful mix of flowers and snowflakes. Magically, at a thrift shop in an old Miner town in the mountains, we found this old lace... flowers and snowflakes! Oh to be back in the mountains. Over the holiday weekend, I loaned some new vintage floral hair accessories out to my sweet friends Feather and Belle. They had fun playing around in them and using Laura's engagement party decorations as props! See one of their videos below.