so, yeah. we’ve all seen this flippin’ ridiculous sneak peek at design*sponge today. i need that headboard, duvet, trunk, suitcase, and those amazing warehouse windows. to put it bluntly, i love everything that is going on here. and where can i get one of those awesome light bulb chandeliers? hey-nick, wanna make one for me? pretty, pretty please?
oh, and happy monday!
last sunday evening, nick and i threw together a little impromptu picnic by the lake. just the two of us, avocado and tomato wraps, our new nikon d90, and a blanket. the crisp may weather was amazing.
still, i would loved to have this basket, a few delicious hunks of cheese, and these vintage utensils. perfect for meals by the lake. we’re hoping to make it a sunday ritual, at least during these warmer months.
photos by ethan ollie
how comfy does this leather couch look? i’ve been eying couches for the past few months, as nick and i both loath the one we have. it’s nearly impossible for two people to comfortably cuddle without removing all of the cushions. it must go!
what a big sigh of relief! friday is here. i’ve got a big weekend ahead of me. 5 of my best girlies and I are embarking on a long day of bridesmaid dress shopping. i’m always so humbled when anyone is willing to devoting time (and money) to help us celebrate our marriage. thank you girls, you’re worth more to me than i could ever express.
anyway, while i’m feeling the love, i thought i’d leave you with a few things i particularly liked this week (if your reading this on the homepage it’s time to hit this link to see more images!):
joy found this couch at james merrell portfolio and immediately wanted it. it looks so comfy but i’m not sure i could sell nick on the floral print…
the bad art gone good post by sfgirlbybay was particularly inspiring
these light sweaters from steve alan
pretty displays of jewelry. there’s something about seeing piles of jewelry together that just makes me happy.
have a lovely weekend!
k
i am living with a man who is finishing his last few months of graduate school. many of you know what this means: odd hours-late nights-papers-conferences-thesis-anxiety-driven months. nick has always coped remarkably well. but as level-headed and calm as he is, the words “there’s just not enough time in the day…” have been uttered in a slight panic more than once. so i’m doing my best to bring some bright spots to his long days. i baked these triple ginger cookies yesterday, because let me tell you, the man loves cookies. last time i baked cookies, he put them in his morning cereal…which i’d highly recommend. anyway, i’ve been meaning to make these triple ginger cookies for the past year and boy were they worth the wait! these bite-sized babies explode into a sweet, spicy dance party in your mouth. you must try them.
then i went a little over board. it may have been the intense 365 day cooking marathon Julie Powell accomplished (I finally saw Julie & Julie last week!) but i was in the mood to cook (alotta food) this weekend. saturday was spent on a velvety leek and potato soup by nigel slater*, that we devoured for dinner along side grilled cheese sandwiches. save your parmesan rinds people, they work their magic in soups. sunday morning i made roasted tomato basil soup that we will eat for lunch this week. Later that afternoon was spent working on dinner, meatballs with peas, served over fluffy mashed potatoes. best. idea. ever. it may not be the most attractive dish you’ve pulled out the oven, but it’s full of quirky fun surprises. if you’ve never tried putting golden raisins in your meatballs before, you must. unexpected, bright and juicy.
we’ve got a fridge filled with homemade ready-to-eat meals this week, which makes my busy man very very happy. tonight, i tackle a big patch of giant chipotle bean casserole, an old favorite which will freeze nicely for the next few (crazy) months.
photo (1) by yours truly, photo (2) here.
*i’m loving niegl’s book the kitchen diaries, practical and thoughtful recipes.
check out our fun new bed side lamps. they look a little bit bright here but nick hooked them up with dimmer switches so we can adjust the intensity. i feel like i could get a tan if i sat next to one long enough.
this weekend was a very special and memorable one for me. a few highlights:
- friday: moved into a new apartment with the best fiance a girl could ask for. we have a great view of the city and enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise this morning.
- saturday: my girlfriends threw me an amazing surprise birthday party on halloween night. i literally was COMPLETELY surprised! it was a crazy good time with all of my favorite people and anna even baked my favorite cake!
- sunday: had steak and eggs for breakfast at good day cafe, beers while watching the vikings win, and a delicious dinner at lucia’s with nick (the Beef Pot au Feu was ridiculous).
i’m so very blessed to have so many stellar people in my life. you guys are the best.
nick and i took our engagement photos last week at an apple orchard outside of the city. we brought a picnic basket with a baguette, brie and olives and enjoyed a perfect fall evening. eric, our photographer, captured some stunning photographs! be sure to check out his blog and portfolio, he’s incredibly talented and focused, I can’t wait to see the work he produces in the future.
things haven’t been going in my favor today. it might be the weather, the computer issues or the fact it is only tuesday. but i think it may have more to do with the fact i drank one too many of those big beers while watching the vikings beat the packers last night (GO VIKES!). i was up tossing and turning all night, dreaming of football!
so i’m skipping my workout, heading home early with nick to make that pasta carbonara i mentioned and settling in to watch the biggest loser. sounds like the perfect cure for one downer of a tuesday.
image via gourmet magazine
nick introduced me to an iphone app called GoodGuide a few months ago. it provides information on the health, environmental and social impacts of the products you buy on a regular basis. we use this app fairly often, mostly to compare our normal purchases with alternatives that would be better for ourselves and the environment. nick recently caught an interview with the co-founder on Minnesota Public Radio that gave an interesting look at the company.
one of the reasons he started the GoodGuide was because he discovered a main active ingredient in his daughter’s sunscreen is a suspected photo-catalytic carcinogen. basically, when the product is exposed to sunlight it becomes carcinogenic. he was shocked to find this, especially because it is a banned substance in many countries but not in the U.S.
he hopes that GoodGuide will give consumers the power to know, as transparently as possible, what is in the products they consume.
Listen to the MPR article here. Check out the website here and the iPhone app here.
a little less than a year from our wedding date, nick and i are going to be moving in together! i generally feel moving is an extreme pain in the (you know what) and wanted to put off this chore until august of next year. however, last weekend nick visited the university of minnesota solar home and we got talking about making our next move into a more energy efficient building (with the hope that someday we would design and build our own).
long story short, there is a building 3 blocks from my current apartment that has all of these amenities and more! not only is it a brand new complex in the heart of uptown, it is a beautifully designed space AND it is a sustainable building. it also happens to have a small gym, yoga and pilates studio on the first floor, amazing local artwork hanging on very floor and an eclectic mix of modern and tradition furniture (my favorite!)
so we visited the space last weekend and put a deposit down on a 6 floor, bright and airy studio apartment the next day. it was definitely an impulsive decision but we both feel really great about the move.
Some of the sustainable features include:
* Organic trash disposal
* Rain barrel irrigation
* Bike storage
* White membrane roof
* Green roofs
* Solar thermal hot water
* On-site Hour Car
* Electric vehicle stalls
* LED and fluorescent lighting systems
* Low VOC paints
* Walking distance to errands and entertainment
cool, no?! one of the challenges is that we are making a significant downgrade in space. while there is a large walk in closet, laundry in the the unit and a very large bathroom, the total square footage of our kitchen/dinning/living/office/bedroom is a whopping 600 square feet! We both love the space and love the idea of simplifying our way of life by living with only what we need. but that means we are going to have to get creative. so for the next month or so, i’m going to be doing my research, making many, many trips to the goodwill and looking at lots and lots of lovely interior design blogs. this should be a really great challenge for us. i’ve attached a floor plan below so you can see exactly how small i’m talkin’ about!
we’ve got another wedding this weekend! we’re heading back to my home town to see one of my high school girlfriends get married. i really can’t wait to be home… all i am thinking about is chomping into a delicious portillo’s cheeseburger as soon as we roll down randall road. nothing says “welcome home” better than that… well… besides my parents.
* images from nick’s first trip to the magical portillo’s
we’re working on putting up a little website/blog for all of our wedding planning and couple-ish adventures. most of our friends and family live far away and we’d like to keep them up to date and as informed as they want to be. we want our wedding to (at least) seem cohesive and simple, so i started with i know best, an icon that incorporates our look and feel.
last night i made nick and i some grilled cheese sandwiches. it occurred to me that these sandwiches might be known for their kid friendly qualities, but they don’t have to suffer from the blandness of white bread and Kraft singles (though sometimes this really hits the spot). so we grabbed some thick slices of our to-die-for “seeduction” bread, some creamy mozzarella, nutty parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino romano cheeses and thinly shaved smoked ham. slather on the butter and oh. my. god. we topped them with avocados, dipped them in some ketchup and were both in heaven!
i can’t wait to try some of these sammies the next time i need a comfort food fix.
images from here.
I asked Nick for help in naming my blog. These were his thoughts.
“The Last of the Bloghicans”
“The Ravenous Bear”-because I am from Chicago?
“What it is, __”
“I’m a Ho and I’m ghetto”-clearly entertaining himself with this idea
“Kate Creates”
“Cute and Cheeky”
“Everything Cheeky”
“Suppose or Supposed?”
“The Vagina Blogologues”
“How do it know?”
“Breakfast at Web 2.0″
“Blog Blog Revolution”
“Blogs are Neat”
“Do people still say ‘Neat’?”
——————
Well…he gave it his best effort. I think we still have some work to do.
