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 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.

study music bliss

I needed some new music so picked up these little gems. Perfect study music. Definitely recommend. I'm also obsessed with Lollapalooza 2010 station on Slacker Radio. Who wants to go with me this year?



[the black keys: brothers]
entire cd is fantastic.
don't be fooled by the all black cd, it changes color when you play it

[guster: easy wonderful]
the boys are back with an FSC-certified, 100% recycled cd cover.
fav tracks: 1, 2, 3, 12

[jimmy eat world: invented]
i'm always a fan of jimmy.
fav tracks: 1, 5, 11, 12

Natural Americana

Comfortable. Casual. Natural. American. My exact descriptions of Pottery Barn's recent catalog. I'm always fascinated with PB's style. While it's very commercial, make good design accessible to the everyday consumer, it's also innovative. Their recent catalog focuses on comfortable and casual design and I love the integration of old items in a modern space. That is green and indie design. The color palette includes a lot of Americana colors: reds, whites and blues but also includes colors that reflect nature like yellows, greens, and browns. And there you have it: design that reflects our American history with tributes to nature.

[pictures were scanned in and edited by me]

Madison places I love: Anthology

There are so many great, local places in Madison that I need to start spreading the word. My latest favorite: Anthology located near the Orpheum Theatre on State Street. The whole store is indie eye-candy, from hand-made necklaces, frames to printed t-shirts, books, and vintage finds. They play host to craft parties where you can make your own Christmas card, bracelet, and of course the "make a button for a buck." I wandered in last weekend with a purpose: get inspired for Christmas presents and pick up fun paper to rehab my IKEA coffee tables. The owners are so warm and friendly and offered great advice for my future refurbishing adventure (soon to come!).

[a peek at the beautiful paper I purchased - some for the coffee tables, some for artwork]




[pictures courtesy of the anthology website, check it out!]