Exciting news! Alex and I just booked our plane tickets to Istanbul, Turkey for this summer! We had an amazing opportunity to meet up with Nick & Cassi, friends of ours who are now currently teaching in Kuwait, after a long sting teaching in Korea. On their summer teaching breaks, they fill their time with traveling around the world, and we all decided to meet up somewhere nearby Kuwait, and settled on the beautiful and fabled city of Istanbul!

I cant wait to check out the Grand Bazaar, the underground Basilica Cistern, drink lots of Turkish coffee and maybe even haggle for a beautiful turkish rug for Laurel! It will be the first time we've ever left North America, so we're super pumped. Let's just see how long that excitement lasts after I board the 12 hour flight to Europe right??

Do you have any exciting travel plans out there, friends? Anyone been to Istanbul and have recommendations??

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Okay peeps, I told myself I wouldnt begin tiling the kitchen backsplash right away after we got the house, since it's one of the larger projects on my list. These things take time (and monies!) But after further review (and after Anna from Door Sixteen just posted her big tiling job), I think I might need to move this project up a bit! I'm just itching for that yummy subway tile! And it really is so affordable (Home Depot's is only $1.84 per square foot). Just time consuming. I can't imagine I'm going to want to do this project this spring/summer/fall when all I want to do is hang out on our new patio in the backyard (larger project #1 on the list!) and drink margaritas all day long. SO, a winter project this must be! Either this or next.

Here are some great inspiration photos I've been gathering for our kitchen. It's the subway tile, yes, but also the general look and feel of these new turn-of-the-century style kitchens that I love. I want to also add more period-style fixtures and some wood touches here and there.

But here's the catch guys... I cant decide on a few aspects of the subway tile. How far up should it go? My instinct tells me up to the bottom of the small window in the butler's pantry area, and then continue that height all the way around the room. BUT, would that look weird if I tile the wall with the two windows only that high up? Should I tile the wall with the windows at all, or all the way up?? And lastly, should I tile the column in the center of the room at all, and how high up? The same height or all the way up?

It's little things like this that keep me up at night, guys. Exciting stuff, I know. So here's a poll! I need your advice for consideration, until I decide to undertake this project. Who knows, if everyone's pretty much unanimous, this might get done sooner rather than later! Haha, dont tell Alex... :)

EDIT: Wow, none of these images are available anymore. Sorry for the broken links, guys! I'll try to get these replaced soon.

I had the great honor of being asked to walk (as a last-minute replacement) in the MIA's Third Thursday Fashion show, featuring several vintage and thrift store's looks during one of the last MN Fashion week events on Thursday night! I was representing Blacklist Vintage, with one other model, and I have to say that the two looks Vanessa picked were superb, my absolute favorites. They were the perfect representation of Blacklist Vintage and what they are all about. All of the other shops did a great job of showing off their individual styles too, they were all so different and so great!

I have to give a shout out to my buddy John from Scout Vintage on having the best men's looks of the night, showing off his more 90's grunge facet of vintage rugged menswear (you can check out his beautiful shop - designed by my other fabulously talented buddy Bill - over here!) and for keeping me company while we all did all of the run throughs and hair/makeup/sitting around.

Kimi and the other staff at the MIA did an amazing job of hosting a high-caliber, high-energy, and quality runway show (among a slew of other events happening that night that I did not get the chance to partake in). One of the best and most fun shows I've gotten to walk in to date. And congrats to Megan and Nora of Two Birds, for hosting what seemed like an amazing photobooth, there were always lines around the corner! Sorry I didnt get a chance to say hi and chat you two!

 

Anywho, you can check out the City Pages' recap of the event here (they managed to take the best photo of my look BY FAR). And more photos of the event on the MIA's flickr, here and Facebook, here. EDIT: Also, here's a time-lapse video!

Thanks again Vanessa and everyone involved in the event, it was super fun!

I was lucky to pick up this great vintage coat a while back, while out thrifting. It is right up my alley, with its classic drab green, quilted style coat, complete with a great faux fur shawl collar, it is the perfect mix of utilitarian american heritage style for me! I havent been able to wear it until recently, because it has almost been too cold to wear anything other than my trusty down coat that goes from my nose to me knees! But on the warmer days this past weekend (read: about 20 - 30 degrees),  I was able to throw it over a wool shirt, and was plenty warm for running errands. Yay!

 





I also picked up these tan ankle wedge boots the other day, and have been wearing them nonstop! To work and out in the evening (even though it's been a bit slippery here and there!).

wool shirt: vintage, thrifted at Mighty Swell Vintage! (for the boy, actually, but it ended up being much too short for him :( )
tank underneath: F21
jeans / leggings: Target
ankle boots: DSW
coat: vintage, thrifted

As I write this, I realize that I still have not posted an "after" post of the upstairs bathroom, like I had promised. BUT I suppose there is plenty left to accomplish up there, even though I did go ahead with the Polka Dots (yay! I cant wait to show you now!). To tide you over, here are some shots of the guest bedroom that I recently "finished"! I really wanted to get this room furnished very quickly, so that we could fully utilize our big house, and host overnight guests / out-of-town visitors! And it's totally kismet, since we just made plans to host some friends of ours from Alaska when they visit this August!

I still have to paint the room, as I have flip-flopped back and forth with my decision on that front. Either a dark bluish-grey (which I'm leaning towards) or a bolder navy (which Alex prefers). I want the room to be dark and cozy, which is just how I imagine a guest room should be! But I dont know, what do you guys think? I need your votes! I also want to install a vintage or industrial wall lamp above the bed for a reading light, and since the new fixture we installed on the ceiling isnt very bright. Then I can hang the photograph and maybe a few other wall things.

BUT the bedding is exactly how I wanted it, the swedish rug turned out great in the room, and I love the ceiling medallion we chose with the clear globe lighting fixture! And we were able to use our old headboard from Ikea, even though it is for a double bed, and the mattress/ bedframe is a queen. All I needed was some mounting plates and nuts and bolts. It's a tad bit wobbly, but it works and looks great!

YES THAT BLANKET HAS POM POM HOUSES ON IT. I LURRRRRRVE IT!

Sorry I haven't been around lately, guys. I've had the winter doldrums setting in. You know, the "just hibernating and feeling completely unmotivated and uninspired" type stuff. And to top it all off, a good friend and colleague of mine passed away last week... It's been rough. But I have to say that after this weekend, I feel revived. I was surrounded with fun times and great friends. It helped me to feel so thankful for what I have!

Friday we went to see Sarah perform her heart out at the Minneapolis Burlesque Festival along with countless other sexies at the Ritz in Northeast, and closed down the after-party at the bar next door afterwards! So much fun!

Saturday, Alex and I did some errands (including a stop at Fulton Brewery, only our second brewery on what is looking like a looooong checklist) and then went to a see Ben's band, Coat Pocket Whiskey, at one of their most low-key performances so far.

Finally on Sunday, our friends Emma and Bryan hosted their 4th annual Superbowl / Halftime show viewing / chili cookoff extravaganza! It was definitely the best yet. Three kinds of delicious chilis, wings, meatballs, cornbread and CAKE. Plus, Beyonce was awesome! And Destiny's Child?!?! I die.

Thanks friends for being there for me! I cant wait til next weekend, for I have brunch plans with ladies and video game competitions scheduled. That should definitely help me out of my doldrums this week. Plus, I have some exciting blog posts scheduled, now that I am back in action and feelin' pumped. Stay tuned!

Photo above is the lovely city of Saint Paul, as viewed from Indian Mounds Regional Park, taken with my iPhone.