I Toured the Light

Me and Emily ~ Outfit details: Sweatshirt: Gap * Skirt: H&M * Red bead necklace: World Market * Serpentine necklace: Tree & Kimball * Shoes: Sperry Topsiders * Bag: Target

Bad news, folks. The ultimate Chicago blogging commune, also known as Emily and my apartment, is no more. Our year-long lease ends tomorrow, and though the awesomeness of two bloggers living together is almost too awesome, it made the most sense to everyone to move out. She and K, our other roomie, have new apartments all their own, and I'm happily subletting a wonderful apartment from a good friend. So although we knew it was the most practical solution to the end-of-lease dilemma, and although we're still practically spitting distance from each other, it's still a bit bittersweet to not have such a fabulous, hilarious, super-smart, utterly stylish woman as my roommate.

As a final farewell photoshoot, the two of us gathered at the lake on an immensely stormy day, and snapped away. It was only kind of sad, since even though it was our last photoshoot as roomies, I'm sure we'll be meeting up on the regular to gossip, eat, take photos, watch True Blood, and generally be awesome. 'Cause really, that's what bloggers do. Be awesome.

Emily, you da bomb. I'm so glad we got to live together, and I just love this very tangible, in-real-life effect that blogging has had on our worlds. Despite running in similar, and sometimes overlapping circles in real life, I'm certain that Emily and I never would have met, and probably wouldn't have become friends or roommates, without the introduction that our blogs created. It has been a hard year for each of us in many ways, but I can confidently say that it was a much easier year having someone around to share some of it with. I'm so grateful for the connection that we've made, and for the experience we shared this past year.

It is consistently amazing to me that every single style/fashion/lifestyle/vintage blogger I've met has, without fail, defied the stereotype of a "fashion blogger". Each is a bright, funny, multidimensional woman, articulate and motivated and fascinating. I am so happy, and surprised, to have found this pocket of women and friends. It's like the hidden secret of blogging, something perhaps not readily apparent on the surface, but something that strengthens and deepens the utter awesomeness of this community.

So I am looking forward to the next stage in Emily and my blog-lationship, not as roommates, and not just as bloggers, but as friends. It shall be lovely. And I'm sure this coming year will have just as many changes to adjust to, and transitions and challenges to meet, for both of us. I have a feeling, though, that these changes and challenges will be exciting, exhilarating, and enriching. This is the first time in awhile that I've been so excited, so scared, and so ready for the next year. Bring it on, life!

Title song: Bon Iver, "For Emma"

Chinese magazine art directors know what they're doing.

Just received my copy of a Chinese magazine called "Zest".

A twelve page spread? Not too shabby!  (I neglected to scan 2 full-page images). 

Nothing better to do? Click image below (and then once more) to read the first part of an interview.

Click below for part 2.

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Sorry for the dust and smudges. I should have cleaned the scanner.

Weekend Clothesline: I Can Remember When You Could Stop a Clock

My Fourth of July/solidarity cupcake. Nothin' like fightin' the man while enjoying America's birthday.

My weekend was just lovely. Perfectly proportional: productive, relaxing, and fun. On the fourth I spent the day with some friends from Milwaukee. We did it up right, indulging in festival food, local brews, people-watching folks of all shapes and sizes, garden harvesting, and toasting the U of the S of the A with everything from sody-pop to root beer floats to those aforementioned local brews to much-needed glasses of ice water. We got sunburned and exhausted, and we all went home happy.

Strawberry ice cream. This was about the point of the day in which we all started to feel the notable signs of a wicked sugar high.

We ended up at a nearly abandoned, and entirely depressing, fourth of July carnival. Most rides had no one in them, and between the heat, gazes of carnies, and surreal feeling of stumbling across a place long forgotten, the whole experience was rather unsettling.

I did, however, love the retro signs on some of the rides. I remember these from when we used to go to the carnival as a kid - I desperately hope these are not the same rides.

I spent most of Sunday harvesting and pickling chioggia beets from the garden, and I can't wait to start giving them to people as gifts!!

How did you spend your holiday weekend (or regular weekend, for the non-US readers)? Thoughts on carnivals? Pickled beets? etc.?

Title song: John Mellencamp, "Pink Houses"

Laundry Day: My Time Was Running Wild

No, I'm not a hunchback. That Quasimodo-esque bump on my back is from the straps on my dress. 

There will be a bit of radio silence central around here for awhile, folks. My already nomadic life this year is increasingly in flux, and I'm spending nearly every waking moment dealing with various transitional adjustments. My current lease is up next week, and I'll be subletting with a friend for a few months. My increasingly homeless existence, while somewhat disorienting, is also exciting, refreshing, and fun, and I know it's leading to something good. So for now I'm trying to be very zen about the whole thing, and embrace the changes that are coming my way. I thought I'd pop onto the ol' blog and share a few pictures of my life of late, in lieu of a "proper" outfit post. I'm going to spend the rest of my evening eating fresh cherries, drinking pinot grigio, and embracing living my life out of a suitcase.

I've spent my evenings and weekends drinking beer and eating beets. I can't wait to check in on the garden on Friday!

On some days, the woods by our apartment are positively misty and magical.

I've been walking my Sperry Topsiders into the ground, and they've happily held up to the challenge.

A little sneak peak of a lovely stormy day photoshoot with Emily.

The gorgeous waters of Lake Michigan.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I promise that I'll be around, but I wouldn't recommend setting your watches to me this month.

Title song: David Bowie, "Changes"

Having a long neck is the key to being a good giraffe.

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Live in Arizona? Friday, I'll be here, if I haven't evaporated already.

A Story About Cherries

Please supply your own narrative.

My Heart's On Fire

Tank top: Old Navy * Cardigan: thrifted * Jeans: Gap * Loafers: c/o Common Crow Vintage * Necklace: Noble Town Vintage * Earrings: museum gift shop

Everyone, please meet Elvira. Elvira, meet everyone. She's a little shy, and needs a bit of a cleaning, but I thought it was high time for her to be properly introduced. Elvira is a Schwinn World Tourist, from the late 1970s-early 1980s (my best guess is 1982, based on the style of the handlebars and materials used for the wheels and frame, but it's not really a super precise guess). She's lived in Chicago until this weekend, when I brought her with me to my weekend home (haha, that sounds so much fancier than it is!). I can already tell that she'll be very comfortable there.

I actually bought this bike two years ago, but have barely ridden it at all. The thing is, though I admire and adore the plethora of folks who bike their way through the Chicago streets, I have little need for a bike in my life in the windy city. From where I live, I have a 20 minute walk to work, a 5 minute walk to the grocery store, and a 5 minute walk to the lake. It's silly, perhaps, but it's just never been practical for me to commute by bike. So Elvira has sat, unloved, in the basement bike room of my apartment (and, this past winter, negligently, she sat outside for some of our rough storms and got just a tad rusted, but after a quick visit to the local bike shop, she seems much happier and nearly rust-free).

I like Elvira because she's an easy bike to ride. The cruiser-style handlebars and the simple 10-speed gears make her flexible and versatile, ready for city streets, bike paths, and lakeshore cruises. I need an easy bike, one that won't stress me out, because, to be honest, I'm a little bit scared of bikes. Silly, I know. But two years ago, just after I bought Elvira, I had a bit of a bike mishap and badly broke my right arm (those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time probably remember the cast I sported for much of the summer of 2009). It was a very silly accident, doing something totally mundane (riding my bike through a parking lot), and I felt like it could have been easily avoided, but wasn't, so the whole ordeal instilled in me a sense of apprehension about bikes. I'm working my way through the fear, and I'm glad I have Elvira to help me with the transition.

In any case, she's a lovely little bike, and she's becoming happily acquainted with the streets and paths of my weekend home. I'm hoping to spend a bit of time next weekend polishing her up and installing a basket so that we can ride the town in style. (Oh, and speaking of style, I just adored the colorful ease of this outfit. It was one of those outfits that garnered real-life compliments - from a stylishly cute little hipster boy, no less! - so I considered it a wild success.)

Happy Monday, all!!

Title song: The Oakridge Boys, "Elvira"