look what i came home with..

..treats from emily and haylie! A Doris Day top if I've ever seen one with little rhinestone buttons, crocheted little cup holders, a beautiful feather head piece on a lilac velvet ribbon and my very own cow creamer!

etsy?...seriously?

i can't believe there are treasures like this..on etsy! not that it doesn't come at a price...it is hard to resist scooping this right up!!

it is snowing...

..and in defiance, i will shop for bathing suits online.

hello again big city.

Whew! Back from New York..another great weekend that made me incredibly thankful for my dear friends. They make my life so cheery.
-Emily making our list of to-do's on Friday morning. I loved getting to explore the spots she has found..

first stop: bagels..duh.

cute girls and cute tights.

second stop: Fishs Eddy, a store that buys up plates, glasses, and miscellany from out of business restaurants. Picked up some new mugs, some county fair jar glasses, and special glass tupperwares..

third stop: mood! I had never been and it was a little bit of a rush to be in the throngs of fashionistas. Emily helped me pick out a great silk fabric..i am obssesed with that purply blue..


fourth stop: woven play. Got to see where Emily spends her days in the studio amidst tutu's and wooden swords. My favorites were the cloth navy and cream striped boy's swim shorts and of course, the ballet lace up tights.


fifth stop: lunch at Westville. A cozy spot where we ordered from a list of 20 fresh market veggies and shared a delicious chocolate shake.

Another favorite, seeing Paige! I hadn't seen her since graduation and needed to. I loved hearing tales from Lilly Pulitzer print design land on the subway in her j.crew bright orange and coral.

sixth stop: Fabulous Fanny's, a glasses store + Hogwarts combined, where you can open at your heart's content labeled wooden drawers full of vintage frames. I couldn't have picked my delicious pair without my expert stylist. A 1960's clear frame with specs of light pink and gold..i love them.


-Mary Poppins on Broadway! the picture above is us posing with our feet mary poppins style on the subway. Our outfits were well in the works before this night, of course each paying tribute to Mary (the fabric from my skirt is an Alexander Henry that I picked up at Crafty Planet, added the red velvet bow to my white top, and carried the carpet bag of course..). As girls devoted to this story and movie, this was a special night. We remain quite loyal to Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke...and to rum punch.



More wonderful wonderful memories..sigh.

run abby run!

Last week, It was officially decided that I am running a 1/2 marathon! With the push and encouragement of 2 silly girls I know, I guess anyone can do it..and that is me! It's funny how all of a sudden a 3 mile run becomes not such a stretch mentally when you are thinking 13..13..13...in your head. This is the 3rd day of doing a 3 mile run without stopping. What gets me most excited is being fit like Olivia up there, and crossing that finish line..so exciting!
I'm posting this as the precursor to any posts in a couple of weeks entitled "dying inside" or "everyone can run..NOT."

springtime..please?

just found these 2 pictures on jcrew..missing warm and missing being able to walk outside in a cute top..and waiting till march when this one comes out. i love when they post their "inside the studio" inspirations..see more here.

apartment.

Did some re-arranging last night, so thought I would share! I went on a trip to Hunt and Gather (my favorite Minneapolis thrifting spot thus far) with my coworkers yesterday and picked up some new things so that's what got the re-hang/re-organize bug in me. I love Pottery Barn's big funky botanical print they have right now, seen on the pillows! I was excited about my new picture arrangement behind the sofa too (click on the pic to see more of a close up).. the "ARH" (my initials) book pages I bought yesterday from an amazing alphabet book with this little gnome man that is in every frame, my Too Many Suitors "Lovely Minnesota" print, Anthropologie plate, my dream cottage print I bought in Savannah, fabulous pink frame from Haylie Bird featuring a postcard I bought from a market in France, and sweet pine cone bird from Emily. I also bought my globe yesterday..yipee! I have played the "where am I going to travel next game?" more times that you can count. Next to it, I have my jar of milk weed pods. Before I left for France, my mom packed some in an envelope for me and told me to let them go and make a wish while I was there. They are a sweet reminder of her, home, and traveling for me. I also have a bowl with some rocks I picked up on the beach in Japan, the incredible champagne cork Paige popped outside of our hotel window in Paris and we found the next day on the street, a button from Paris..and other small things that remind me of places I've been. My desk is next..started a penny jar at the beginning of the year..where I sit and blog, etc. The kitchen..My favorite thing is having space to display my pyrex bowls! I'll post pics of my room and sewing room once things are lookin' a little better in those spaces.

make do and mend.

Hard times make for much smarter and resourceful people. During WWII, "Make Do and Mend" was one of many war time slogans in response to clothing and supplies being scarce. Why not mend your old dress and make do? I love it and what it stands for (how amazing is sewing man running off into the horizon??). I was overjoyed to find this amazing print from company bold & noble. I would love to have this on my wall and i just might.. Would you go with Azure Blue or Warm Stone?

goal #2: journal everyday.

I am following my mom's example as a goal this year, to journal everyday. Even in the 2 days I have been doing it, it makes you so more thankful and you don't let your days just slip by, as they seem to too often. I scoured every journal imaginable for just the right space/paper/cover, and decided to go with Susan Branch's Days from the Heart of the Home..the same my mom has used for years.