Lazy Day Finds

Yesterday I did absolutely nothing but lay around, browse online and watch You've Got Mail. (I'm a sucker for rom-coms of the 90's). Truth is, it's been an exhausting two weeks and I needed a day to clear my mind. The holidays are just around the corner and I've only just begun my Christmas shopping. I found some crazy cute gift ideas on Etsy, each under $50!

magnet | tote | necklace | cellars
ring | pencils | art | flats
candle | forks | hat | owls

The Postcard Inn

The beach. A place where I would love to be right now. Wouldn't it be nice to just lay out on the sand in hot weather without worrying about anything? Go ahead, you can all agree with me. It's pretty cold here in Chicago and it hasn't even started snowing yet. So while I'm stressed out in the middle of finals and as the temperature drops a little more each day, here is a little piece of sunshine.

The Postcard Inn, St. Pete's Beach FL
This adandond motel from the 1950's was recently remodeled in a retro-surfer style. I think the decor is really cute and seems like the perfect place for those of us on a budget when traveling. Plus, I love the vintage items mixed in with the remodel. I could totally see it has a fun hang out for spring break. They have beach access, fitness rooms, a giant pool and a BBQ restaurant. See you in St. Pete's!

The New Venice

If you've ever been to Venice you understand how absolutely gorgeous the city is and how much history (and water) it contains. Venice is one of my favorite cities in Italy.....and probably the easiest to get lost in too! At the beginning of school this semester I did a project on the future of Venice and what would happen if the city completely flooded. My professor recently found a post online about self-repairing architecture and the new metabolic materials that could save Venice. Check out some blurbs below. What to read more? Rachel Armstrong's essay for Next Nature Self-Repairing Architecture.

"Metabolic materials are a technology that acts as a chemical interface or language through which artificial structures such as, architecture, can connect with natural systems... materials that belong to a new group of technologies being described as ‘living technology’, which possess some of the properties of living systems but are not considered ‘alive’... Metabolic materials will challenge the assumptions that we have about architectural building processes and since they require water for their development they are likely to be useful in areas with repeated flooding or in urban areas that are lower than sea level or, as in the case of Venice, have a complex relationship with the sea. Protocell technology could stop the city of Venice sinking on its soft geological foundations by generating a sustainable, artificial reef under the foundations of Venice and spreading the point load of the city."

[Venice back in 2007 on my trip to Italy]

[Future Venice, rendering by Christian Kerrigan]

Guest Post on Retro Lighting

While I'm busy getting lost in my AutoCAD files for class, I'm happy to introduce my guest blog from Arcadian Lighting and the world of retro finds. Be inspired people, this is some cool stuff!

I'm Susi, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, a fantastic resource for lighting ideas and décor trends. I'm delighted to be a guest of Green & Indie today. Retro lighting is one of my favorite finds at thrift stores and auctions. Just remember, if you are buying vintage lighting fixtures, you might want to have it rewired just to be safe. Here are some of my favorite eclectic rooms with fabulous retro lighting.

For an eclectic style décor, vintage or retro lighting is a good match. A vintage lamp, like this one, fits in perfectly with the mix of styles in this eclectic Asian inspired living room.

A vintage orange glass pendant light adds a pop of color to this eclectic powder room. The orange really stands out against the contrasting leafy green wallpaper.

I love the kelly green retro pendant light in this modern meets farmhouse home office. The kelly green pops against the light blue of the painted armoire.

With a little help from some spray paint, even outdated retro lighting looks stylish. Brass colonial style chandeliers have a retro look that can be chic with a change of color or funky shades.

A pair of vintage school house hanging pendants makes for perfect lighting for over the dining table in this eclectic space. Industrial meets vintage meets global décor in this family friendly dining room.

Retro Murano glass lamps have seen a comeback in the past few years. These beautiful glass lamps look gorgeous in an elegant eclectic décor.

A mix of retro lamps suits this eclectic living room. An industrial style swing arm lamp and a tall 60s retro lamp both work in the space.

The retro table lamp/floor lamp combo works in this space that is eclectic with a mid-Century Modern twist. Look for retro and vintage floor lamp at thrift stores and tag sales. Does the retro lighting in these eclectic rooms inspire you? Comments are welcome! Head over to Arcadian Lighting to check out more lighting fixtures for your home! Images: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |  

Thanks Arcadian Lighting!

Remix Theory

Midterms are over and my mind has been on overload. The great thing is, I feel like I'm back in the world of design and I love it. And the truth is, studying to get a Master's degree makes you a little bit of intellectual...especially when it comes to design. So, I've decided I need to start sharing all the amazing innovations, people, projects, and theories that I been learning these past couple of months with the blogosphere. Chapter 1: The Remix Theory. Heard of Girl Talk? If you have, you are awesome. If you haven't, go check him out. The kid is a genius and you can download all his albums for free, here. He best represents the theory of Remix and demonstrates how ridiculous the rules of copyright can be. Girl Talk concerts basically consists of him remixing on his computer with a million people dancing around him. You can get bet if he comes to Chicago, I'm so in. Remix theory is basically taking samples from pre-existing material to combine them in new forms according to personal taste. The music industry has been sampling songs for years and now it's the design worlds turn. In order to move forward with innovative design and modern technology, design should be remixed. Take a old piece of furniture and turn it into your own creation. Think in terms of modern day, not the past. Isn't that was interior design is? Want to learn more? Download (for free or a donation if you wish) this documentary (RIP: A Remix Manifesto) on Remix theory and check it out. It's everything that remix is, features Girl Talk and shows the evolution of copyright. We had do a "remix" of the video for class. First time I ever remixed a film, pretty amazing. Happy remixing!

Buy One Give One

By now I'm sure that most of you have heard of the Toms shoe movement. If you haven't, it's about time to jump on the bandwagon. Not only are they the most comfortable shoes ever, but the company's social responsibility is something to be applauded. With every pair of shoe you buy, Tom's will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. The price point of the shoes may defer some people from purchasing, but I think of it as more of a donation than anything. (I'm not flowing in the cash myself right now) My $40 pair of shoes, basically cost $20. The rest was donated to a child in need. Pretty cool when you think about it. It's a different to approach to giving because you are directly effecting someone.

Also, they seriously are the most comfortable shoes to walk in. I pretty much where them everywhere and am trying to get the most use out of them before bad weather hits. I chose the classic canvas style in the Ash color because I think gray goes with anything. Also, you may want to buy 1/2 size smaller, they stretch out after one day of use.

Check out some of the new fall fashions:

The best things come with time

The move is done and I'm in officially in Chicago. I get to wake up every morning to a beautiful sunrise against the city skyline. My classes have begun and I'm a becoming a pro at city transit. Though I'll admit I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for Wisconsin. I'm watching the first Packer game of the season and drinking Goose Island 312 because I can't find Spotted Cow anywhere. I've also realized I still have yet to post my final Madison apartment DIY's. And I lied a little last time, I'm not going to show you those IKEA hack tables quite yet. They are the perfect pieces in my new apartment so you'll just have to wait a bit more.The best things come with time.

Here's a look in my old bedroom....

[Bright, floral and comfortable was the goal for my bedroom here. I found this wonderful and inspiring duvet on clearance at BB&B that set the whole tone for the room. I love Audrey Hepburn so she comes with me wherever I go. The picture was a gift from my parents. The floral stool in the bottom left was a gift my boss at Eco-Friendly and it happened to blend beautifully in my bedroom. The textile you see on the wall behind my bed is my great DIY idea for any apartment. If you can't paint, add textiles! Since I don't have a headboard and wanted some more drama in the room, this fabric I found at IKEA was the perfect solution. For temporary attachment - use push pins or nails. For a more permanent fix, I hear that you can use cornstarch paste like this blogger here.)

[When you're designing on a budget like myself, it's also cost effective and FUN to make your own artwork. Since I was so inspired by the prints at Anthology, I used this green paper from here for this piece of art. The canvas I got on sale from Michael's and wrapped the canvas like a present using Glossy Mod Podge as the glue/finishing texture. Mod Podge is an indie girls best friend, if you didn't know that already!]

[For my desk space, I re-invented the conventional bulletin board. Four years ago, I had bought 12" cork squares and places them in a grid pattern. In my last apartment, I just used three in row. It's time for something new. Cork is a very bendable/breakable material by itself and was starting to fall apart after so many years of use. Instead of going to waste, I wanted to use them. All it took was 3 pieces of basswood and super-glued. For the simple look, I offset the boards and nailed them to the wall. The indie birdhouse lamp was another gift my boss from Confectionique.]

[My design style consists of mixing the old and new. It's what makes great design possible. I love antiques and browsing antiques stores. While, I don't always love the price of items at the antique store, if it's a piece that I love, I can't pass it up. I found this old drafting stool at Odana Antiques in Madison for under $30 and knew I had to have it for my night table. It's vintage chic.

Living Room Creations

Well, only two more post left to go of my apartment design. Can I tell you a secret? I'm already moved out! I of course thought I would have the time to get all the posts done before move day but time got the best of me and things had to get packed. So, here's a little look at my living room. All that is left now is the bare hardwood floors..did I mention I love hardwoods?

[The living room. A mix of furnishings from here and there to create a modern mod-theme using curvilinear shapes and patterns. The whole room came together quite nice with our Madison poster and our recovered coffee tables]

[We used a picture collage to break up the huge wall in the living room. Most of the frames we already had and I choose to do all black/white with one color in the middle. The mod looking chairs on the right were taken from a hospital clear-out sale. I love the look of them even though the fabric isn't my favorite. Someday I hope to recover them and add more cushion.]

[Local Madison artist Tom Morrison is the creator of these awesome posters that I had seen around town for years now. I knew I just had to get one for this apartment. I loved the coloration and vintage feel to the lake one and it fit perfectly with the our curtain fabric. And once again we have more furnishings from IKEA. And what would the living room be without a guitar?]

Watch for a post later this week for my FAVORITE DIY of the apartment. The best is yet to come.

Only in Wisconsin...

...can you find a sidewalk chalk drawing of a cow-crossing sign. No lie. I came across it on a run Friday morning in my neighborhood and it made my day. You have to appreciate the creativity in that! Only in Wisconsin.

And I guess it's about time for next round of pop up design. Introducing: the bathroom.

[Okay, so I'm a little lacking in pop-ups this week. The truth is, most of the bathroom stuff is from either Target or IKEA. The records in the hall are from my Nana. Basically, the best way to brighten up a small space is with bold color. For one thing, it makes you wake up in the morning and it also makes the space a fun place to be..if the bathroom could be a fun place? But let's be real, isn't the bathroom the place that everyone wants to check out when they visit someones house?]

[My lone bathroom pop-up. My friend and I had purchased this frame for the living room but I ended up using it in the bathroom with some of the beautiful paper I bought from Anthology in this post. I love the irony of the kitchen print in the bathroom. And the colors were perfect.]

Pop-Up Video

Just kidding, no videos here BUT I thought this would be a great way to start sharing my apartment DIYs before I leave in two weeks! Yes, I'm finally moving to Chicago (my dream city!) and starting grad school in the fall (working on my Masters in Interior Design.) Any one remember VH1's Pop-Up Videos from back in the day? Well, this is my DIY version, Pop-Up Design.

Let's start with my kitchen.

[Saving old posters/prints/artwork is always a good option if you have the space. Most can be rolled up in mailing tubes for storage. I purchased these French reprints with my college dorm roommate and have found a spot for them in just about every apartment since. Most people are creeped out by the green goblin, I find him to be a very interesting piece of art. As far as the placemats go, occasionally browsing the clearance items at Target is a great way to find those missing pieces for your home that you don't want to pay full price for. These IKEA chairs came unfinished. Instead of finishing them with a nasty varnish stain, I used a Carnauba wax to protect the wood and give it a natural finish]

[How many times can you re-use a dry erase board- the answer-- many many times! Although I think this board has seen its days..off to Vinnie's it goes. My always-filled flower jar from this post. Once again, this IKEA shelving unit is from my dorm days. For this apartment, it was the perfect size to fit our garbage/recycling bins and I purchased IKEA unfinished plywood boards and cut to fit for proper stable shelving. They are also finished with Carnauba wax.]

[This IKEA kitchen shelving unit was easy to install and can create the perfect storage for small spaces. The kitchen backsplash panel I had fallen in love with the idea before I purchased the discontinued item. When renting, this was the ideal solution for easy-to-clean kitchen backsplash. The panel itself originally was sold with a interlocking hanging system but I had to improvise with nails. Those holes will be fun to spackle! Method brand of cleaners are one of my favorite home cleaning products to use. The bottles are biodegradable are the products are non-toxic. If you don't know them already, check out their website.

We've Been on the Run. Driving in the Sun.

It's the perfect, beautiful summer Saturday and I have no plans. This is very unusual for me not to have plans (I've been busting my butt to get my graduate admissions packet together) so, today is all for me. I met some friends at the farmer's market on the square (well, Wilson st. because of the art fair) and it was a fantastic morning. Nothing beats buying fresh produce from local farmers, catching up with friends, chugging ice coffee and snatching some of Stella's Bakery cheese-spinach Empanadas. Yum. Top it off with a stroll around the art fair and gawk at the all the awesome artwork...someday I can afford to buy something cool. On the way home I stopped at the Regent Street Co-Op to pick up some groceries. Love that place, everyone is super friendly.

Here's everything I could fit into my farmer's market cloth bag. Enjoy and Happy Saturday!

Ode to the Kitchen.

I was waiting on doing a post about Madison's Underground Kitchen until I had eaten there once more, but now seems like a good time as any. I was extremely sad to find out Thursday morning that the Kitchen and the apartments in it's building were up in fire for about five hours. Police were still closings roads as I left work yesterday. Such a tragic thing to have happened and I only hope that everyone is okay and the restaurant can still be saved once the smoke is cleared. On a brighter note, Underground Kitchen is one of my favorite restaurants in Madison. Maybe I'm biased because the Underground Food Collective has a space in my work building and I see them catering and food prepping almost every day, but the restaurant itself had excellent food and a fun vibe. When I first walked in, it was like Green & Indie had made a restaurant. They completely remodeled the space after Cafe Montmartre closed and it looked fantastic. When they do reopen the restaurant, or relocate, please go check them out. Their food/meat/bread etc is from local Wisconsin farms, bakeries or produced at the Food Collective. They craft their own (very delicious) cocktails and their menu changes with the seasons. I recommend the cheese platter. Can you tell I'm from WI?

[pictures courtesy of the Underground Kitchen or WI State Journal]

It's Here.

That's right, the only issue that's too big for my mailbox: the 2011 Interior Design Market Tabloid. It's finally here and it's oozing with inspiration. The issues represents everything that is new and innovative in design. Check out my favs below.

[Sicis Mosaics & Furniture by Christian LaCroix]

[Stiletto Table by SplinterWorks]

[Moon Lake Rug by Niba Rug Collections]

[Ice Block Pendant - Conant Metal & Light]

[Recycled Cocoa-Cola bottles - Emeco 111 Navy Chair]

[Element Planter Series in Steel]

[Scrapwood Wallpaper by the Wallpaper Collective]

Think I'll Go to Boston

Insert random singing of the Augustana song, ready, go! Come on, you know you were singing it.

I've recently just gotten back from a baseball-themed weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday. I won't say how old because he'll probably be embarrassed, but picture this: four days, three nights of baseball games, three different cities and driving five states. Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies then, of course, Boston Red Sox. These are just a few of my favorites pictures from the weekend and panorama photos of the parks, I'm obsessed with that button on my new camera.

Pittsburgh [bridges, inclines, pirates & perogies]

Philadelphia [american history, phanatics, and cheese steaks]

Boston [seafood, row houses, red sox and one-way streets]