Holiday Shopping

This year I have been unreasonably excited to get a Christmas tree. I started burning my Yankee cedar forest candle a month ago, and have been listening to Sufjan's new Silver & Gold Christmas album nonstop. I just love merriment! And bright! And bells & holly & mittens & tinsel!

In lieu of getting that Christmas tree just yet (because, well... they aren't for sale just yet and I am not about to sneak onto someone's yard and chop it down with an axe) I decided to decorate my corner of Erabellum. The whole shop is full of holiday wonderment and gifts galore. A great place to find one-of-a-kind local gifts for everyone on your list.

Custom and pre-etched drinking, wine, and pub glasses.

Vintage linens and blankets.

Fresh lavender and woodsy pine scented lotions and bath potions.

Great jewelry.

Sweet little potted plants.

Oodles of antique furniture.

Carved wooden bowls.

Vintage clothing.

More more more!

..oh and those Say Ooh glitter-dipped feathers up top are for sale too ;)

Haaaaappy Holidays. Remember, this season is not about gifts, it's about love, and showing your family & friends how very deerly you care for them. One needn't buy presents for that, but they do happen to be fun nonetheless!

An Autumn Wedding

I love burlap. I love bowties. I love autumn. I love vintage fashion. My friend Diane incorporated all of these things into her darling wedding a couple weeks ago. She and her new husband Eric whisked their families off to the hills of Gallatin and exchanged nuptials at a rustic, elegant bed & breakfast. It looks absolutely dreamy, and I'm oh-so-happy to see them so happy together! I had the honor of sewing up 8 burnt orange bowties, and our friend Kelli had the honor of photographing the event. Kelli is so talented, I wish I was getting married just so she could take my picture. Okay well, not just so she could take my picture. But she sure has a knack for capturing magical moments.

Congrats Mr & Mrs!

A Frightful Evening

Twas a cold, dark night on a spoooooky street... but we were merry and bright in a warm & cozy home! I would not go so far as to say my favourite holiday is Halloween, but there's nothing I love more than dressing up in costume! I do try to find a way to dress up in costume to some capacity for most holidays, but it's fun to see everyone dress up on a cool autumn night.

Rebekka and Manley had a sweet gathering of their dearest friends over for a fancy feast, warm drinks, and bellows of laughter. The house was decorated (no, those cobwebs are not authentic, Rebekka cleans daily and diligentl; her house is always smelling of lavender & basil), cute and creepy cards were placed in front of each dish on the expansive table of treats, and we all slipped a little bit into character. As Mrs. Claus, I showed up with a plate of cookies (you have to make your own until Christmas Eve, and then Santa really doesn't share with me), a zombie chased folk around, and the dalmation puppy nuzzled noses with the children. The extent of my crafting was tying vintage red velvet bows on everything, bringing Christmas cheer, so all the party details are attributed to Miss Cruella herself. How did you celebrate? Did you dress scary, clever, or dreamy?

A Grand Opening: Erabellum

There's a great new Co-op in town! And it just so happens to be the new home of Say Ooh. I've been so excited at the idea of this for such a long time, and excited at this specific prospect for a couple months now. The Erabellum grand opening was certainly grand. Drinks were flowing, music was in the air, beauty was all around, all the while friends and strangers alike trickled... no... FLOODED through the door! Artists, crafters, and vintage dealers stood by there wares to greet each and every one. A retro kitchen photobooth awaited visitors upstairs. So many smiling faces stayed past closing. Quite the time to be had by all. Thanks to every dear friend who came out! Erabellum's stock is updated every weekend, so please come by and shop, especially for holiday gifts. There's such a great variety, you may only have to make one stop!

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?