Chicago! Chicago!

Vacation count down alert! We are going back to Chicago in September....a city that I adore. Somethings old but good: 1.) re-staying at the best bed and breakfast in the entire world (thus far), 2.)re-walking with a tour with the Chicago Greeter (maybe Chinatown this time around), 3.)a baseball game (a White Sox game...the Cubbies are out of town), 4.) spending time and money at the Renegade Craft Fair. Somethings new: 1.) traveling with my sister and her companion (boyfriend Chris) to the windy city, 2.) all of us traveling by train, 3.) instead of separate rooms at the inn we are renting an apartment for the week by the same inn keeper, 4.) and I hope to go up in the huge ferris wheel at the Navy Pier. Chicago! Chicago!

Admiral and the Pirate

The Admiral and the Pirate joined we land lubbers today in the studio. The Admiral (with the eye patch) arrived in the mail with a broken nose. He is made out of plaster. When the nose broke in shipping it kept rubbing in the box until it returned to its original state of powder. This past week The Admiral went through cosmetic reconstructive surgery. He was given a new nose, a fresh coat of paint in some areas, as well as a glossy coat to help seal and protect the plaster for years to come. In these pictures he tends to shine a bit more than his nemesis The Pirate---who has a mat finish. But for some reason that seems to fit their personalities. Whom do I adore more...The (sophisticated) Admiral with his perfect neck scarf or The (macho) Pirate with his dashing mustache...?

H2O Care

Guilty. I should be greener. If I was thirsty at work I would stroll to the front checkouts, open a cooler and pay $1.50 for a convenient bottle of liquid. Sometimes the empty bottle would find its way to the plastic recycle bin in the lounge. Sometimes. Since I started to actually move and sweat at the gym my thirst factor this summer has sky rocketed. For a step in a better caring direction, I purchased this Brita water filter pitcher. It is wonderful (though it is slow to filter). The water is brisk and tasty. Perfect. I am saving money. By taking a minute out of my day at home to fill it back up after use, I am doing something that feels good for the body, my wallet, and for the future of water. Orange Jack and Chicken are happy about it too!

Tuna Dreams

All week I have been dreaming of tuna. There is a poster at work celebrating back to school shopping and such. One of the pictures features a little girl, smiling a huge toothless smile, and holding the most delicious looking sandwich from her lunch box. In my mind it is a tuna fish sandwich, with large healthy chunks of crispy celery and oh so sweet onion. Typically before I could leave work for the gym I would see her grin and her sandwich and find myself to be very jealous. Jealous because I tend to grocery shop very little, yet alone after work. Today was different. Today shouted summer time, summer time, summer time! I had to have my own delicious sandwich. After four miles at the gym, a hot shower, some clean cotton pajamas, this sandwich was indeed a dream come true. Mmmmm...the beauty of simple desires.

Remember Sundays

Remember when Saturdays meant you cleaned the house, the car, and worked in the yard? It was one of the best feelings taking an early evening shower, sitting on the couch watching a smidgen of television, and then slipping into clean bed sheets that had dried on the clothes line in the afternoon summer sun. Sunday was about the family and the dinner. The only other thing that may have happened on Sundays, outside of church, was taking my grandmother grocery shopping in the morning. Stores closed early on Sunday or were not open at all. Sundays were about the home and family, period. We bounced around between the homes of the grandmothers, the parents, and the aunts and uncles on Sunday. There was always a sit down dinner complete with a brief prayer and a guess at who was going to get stuck washing the dishes. Today, my husband and I depend on Guido to feed us before we get ready for work. And today, as I ate my good spaghetti I realized how much I missed the Sunday's of my youth (with the great spaghetti of my aunt) and wondered how to get them back...

The Prettiest Thing

Here is a glimpse of the studio curtains, a tiny corner of the rug, and the new palm plant...also from the Saturday sew time with mom. We are so close and yet so far from finishing the studio. What's left to do: waiting for the arrival of George's chair, sewing cushions for the matching Barney Miller chairs, table skirts, slip covers and pillows for the two guest chairs....and finding a solution for my ugly black metal shelves. Decoupage anyone?

Saturday Kitchen

Somehow the kitchen became a priority this past week. The dishes were attacked and the floor scrubbed. Even the trash can received attention. Mom came for the day on Saturday to sew curtains for the studio and the kitchen. The colors of robin egg blues and scarlet reds are taking over the kitchen. The apple and pear curtains are just perfect for the new color pallet. The table was gussied up with the recent additions of an embroidered table cloth and turquoise salt and pepper shakers. I just inherited the floral dishtowel from mom (it used to be Grandma's), and mom picked up the apple and checker glasses for a quarter at a church rummage sale. My African Violet was in need of love and was re potted too. Note: Yes, that is a watermelon still visiting from our Fifth of July picnic.