Thank you

I had some minor surgery this week and my family and friends have been rallying 'round to take care of me. I am surrounded by love and although completely unnecessary, tokens of their love. My mom has mostly just been trying to feed me to death. Of course.

Summer Look

I plan on rocking an all white look this summer with brown accents.

from Sophie Hill @ that vintage. via Bluebird Vintage

River Market Antique Mall

This "mall" is one of my favorite places to escape, find untold treasures and discover the past. With three floors of antiques and vintage goods, I usually end up spending hours there. On my most recent trip, I saw this great booth. Located on the second floor, the sunlight streamed in and lit up that corner beautifully. Everything was artfully arranged and grouped and there was a definite theme running through his collection. It was set up like a gorgeous store. I wanted all of it....of course.

Fat Duck

This post about a 13-course tasting menu at Heston Blumenthal's (3 Michelin star restaurant) Fat Duck made my jaw drop. I can't imagine having all my senses engaged and excited like that, but boy do I want to. The tasting menu is only £150 with a delightful flight to England. Here are some of my favorite courses from Oli Ingham's visit...

via Fat Duck website

"For the second course we had an oyster, with passion fruit jelly and a spot of horse radish cream. I've never liked oysters before really, but this was amazing. It had a kind of salt sail sticking out of the top that gave it an little crunch that you are after."

"Then they brought out a tray of woodland moss, and plonked it into the middle of table onto which they poured a moss flavoured tea, which I think hit some dry ice in the bottom of the tray as it filled the table with a really nice smelling cool mist, giving you the sense of being in a alpine woodland. They gave us one of those films which melts on the tongue (a bit like those breath freshener things), and then to go with it a jelly of quail, with foie gras quenelle on top of a langoustine cream - They told you to cut through the different layers with a special spoon so that you could have the flavours combining on your tongue. It was like heaven in a small bowl. Ooh and it also had a small piece of brown toast, with black truffle. All giving a feeling of earthy woodland to the course."

Next up, a conch shell is placed in front of us, out of which protruded a set of iPod headphones. Slightly odd. Then there was a glass plate suspended over a sandy bottom, with what looked like a beach with shellfish all washed up in a frothy sea spray. It included various types of seaweed from Japan, a muscle, an oyster and a clam and apparently a baby eel. All of which was eaten with the sound of seagulls ringing in your ears. It was a complete sensory explosion." photos by Oli Ingham via Around Britain with a Paunch

Nonpareil Magazine

Nonpareil Magazine just debuted its first issue on-line. The layout and design is simple and clean with brilliant styling and photography, all positives for a web mag. Plus, get free downloads and tons of great, affordable DIY tips for weddings and special occasions. See Domino and Gourmet? It can be done. via Creature Comforts

The XX

I heard their Intro track on an ACL post. Loved it immediately. Downloaded and am listening to it obsessively. So long Josh Turner . You and your sexy country baritone was so last week.

Urban Picnic Ad

Urban Picnic is coming around the corner in two short months! We finally nailed down some of our sponsors, finished (almost) designing our marketing material and will be selling tickets on March 1. We're having a special "sale" March 1-3 to kick off ticket sales. And without further ado, here is Urban Picnic 2010! Special thanks to Katie van Luchen and KC Magazine  for highlighting our event and being our media partner!

Design by Rachel Herken, Anne Sanders & yours truly. Event logo by Fresh Fish Creative.

Sweet Snowman

Although we got a ton of snow this winter, it was too frigid for me to be outside for long. Our snowman was filled with straw and muck, not like this sweet one with rosy pink cheeks and cookie eyeballs. Click here to see their snow cave. via Bird & Banner

A Winter Walk

We took the dogs out for a wintry walk through some campgrounds where George used to work. The dogs were off leash, running the trail and insanely happy. Sophie saw her first horse while Apollo, Mr. Brave, walked right up to them, sniffing and getting friendly.

A woodpile by the campgrounds. My camera didn't exactly focus,

but I love how it turned out.

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They just had two brand-new, suprise colts join the group.

Apollo checking out the competition. He was such a good puppy.

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Sophie rolling in something disgusting.

There was no stopping her.

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White-tail deer....supposedly a rare sighting!

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Wild turkey tracks along the trail.

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Have Car Will Drive

After suffering the embarrassment of photographing other people's cars no matter where we go, I have to share my husband's car blog with you guys. It makes me laugh out loud....because we've all had cars that just won't leave us. We saw this little gem in Portland. Even I was impressed.

Gypsy Emporium

With every crafts fair I go to, I see the handmade scene in Kansas City growing so much. I wish I had more money to buy all the wonderful art, jewelry and goodies I saw. Today was a little trip through Gypsy Emporium. One treasure I bought is not shown, it's going straight into the gift closet and waiting for a good home. Here's what I did manage to get my hands on:

{1} Aptrick Photo. Patrick Andrew Adams photography of nostalgic toys are magical and offbeat. Printed on paper and attached to a painted wood block. E.T. made it home with us, but I definitely wanted at least two more.

{2}  Take a Halliday. Handmade dress by Halliday Bertram. It's soft and warm and oh, so comfy. I love the skull and heart appliques at the bottom of the dress. Visit her site to see more. She was super friendly and offers custom work. 

{3} tMags. This giant magnet is glorious on my fridge. Yes, I know how to make my own magnets. Yes, I have all the materials. But half the challenge is finding images that speak to you. And this chick with her giant pink afro, said, take my ass home, NOW. So I did. Contact designer Tania Haggerty to see more (taniahaggerty@hotmail.com).

{4}  Aunt Jane Original Fabric, Quilts and Other Handmade Goodness. I couldn't resist this little photograph of the cat staring longingly at the chair of yarn. The colors were just beautiful and it had some kind of metallic sheen to it. And my secret "treasure" was a germ bag, a perfect little contraption that holds your tissues and hand sanitizer. 

Map Lovers

If you're looking for a simple, graphic map of the world done in bold, beautiful colors, here you go. The website is darling too. via designworklife 

Birthday Party for Linh

My birthday won't be at that grand of a scale, but I love this idea.

Thirty-three, here I come! via Jordan Ferney

Noelle, An Unexpected Surprise

George's mom was a writer, and from what he has told me, she was an award-winning, well-known Irish poet. I never got a chance to meet her, I've only seen photos and her book of poetry, Promiscuous Winds. He has told me about her book tours in small coffee shops and bookstores across the States. About where her book was published (in Ashland, Oregon by Storyline Press), mere hours from where I grew up. Sometimes you hear stories, and go, great, blah, blah, blah. But then this happens:

I was reading Orangutan by Colin Broderick, a memoir about being Irish in America, addiction, alcoholism and how he barely makes it out in the end. It's a horrify and fascinating read. I devoured it. And here comes the surprise....on page 103, first full paragraph, I stumbled upon this:

"A local poet named Rick Pernod starting a poetry-reading series in the café around this time. It was an instantaneous success. Pernod was booking some of the top poets in the world to come to this little café in the Bronx. For a burgeoning writer it was a priceless experience. The little room would be packed shoulder to shoulder. I'd sit in the corner, high on codeine, with my cappuccino, smoking cigarettes, and witnessing literary history in the making. Poets like Donald Hall, Stanley Kunitz, Nina Cassian, John Ashberry, Pierre Martory, Eamon Grennan, Gerald Stern, Paul Muldoon, Patricia Smith, Noelle Vial, and my personal favorite, Billy Collins. On a Tuesday night you had to arrive early to get in the door. I was always there early."

There in print, in a book George picked up from Barnes & Noble, was his mother's name, Noelle Vial, in a paragraph about top poets in the world and literary history. How amazing is that???

20x200 Presents

20x200 by Jen Bekman, is a great resource for affordable art. Each week, she features new pieces that you can purchase for as little as $20 (price can vary from week to week, depending on artist and size). This week is a special paired edition by William Wegman, Wiemeraner photographer, illustrator, painter and film maker. If you are even slightly interested in certain pieces from 20x200, act quickly because they are snapped up fast!

Tree

I love being surrounded by trees. My house is about 85 years old and we have huge walnut trees in our backyard. I feel sorry for all the suburbanites who move into new homes because all they have are the spindly, little starter trees. This print by Amy Ruppel instantly made me think of Oregon. And upon further research, I find out she's a Portlander! via design*sponge 

Liquor Promo

Wheels are already in motion to see if I can get one of their sample cases. It's a shot in the dark, but a girl can wish, can't she? Balvenie's sample case, with their story, from barrel to bottle. via Lovely Package