My Beloved Anthropologie Meets Gwen

My summers north as a kid were never complete without a walk-thru of Gwen Frostic's studio. It typically complemented the perfect afternoon -- hours spent perusing books at the Beulah library, indulging in homemade zucchini muffins at a local Benzonia cafe, and then a visit to Gwen. She signed a notebook for me once -- something I only remembered after she passed in 2001 -- but meeting her as a child was the equivalent of a celebrity in the highest order... And she never disappointed.

This week's news that my beloved Anthropologie had finally been made privvy to this youthful secret of mine brought me such delight. Their clip from Facebook follows below, but all you really need to know is that this further cements my love for this brand. Enjoy.

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In her 95 years of life, Michigan-born artist, writer, and illustrator Gwen Frostic managed to set up her own printing shop, publish 20 books, and produce scads of paper ephemera, all while battling the effects of cerebral palsy. Many see Gwen as a pioneer who dabbled in “DIY” long before the acronym became a topic du jour in today’s blogosphere. Case in point, our merchandising director Jeffrey discovered Gwen long before the dawn of the Internet. He explains:“As a child, I would regularly pass a sign for her studio along a busy country road. It was modern but rustic, big and almost epic, but still very Gwen, complete with her stylized signature and blue heron in flight.”A lifelong fan of her handcrafted, outdoorsy aesthetic, Jeffrey describes what it was like to receive the gift of a Gwen Frostic book.“It was a copy of My Michigan, written and illustrated by Gwen, with her trademark block prints and muted colors. I had all but forgotten about her at that point in my life. It took me a minute, but soon I realized it was a Gwen Frostic, and I was instantly transported back to a place I missed so much.”To experience the enchanting, inspirational art of Gwen Frostic for yourself, check out our new line of books and stationery: http://bit.ly/2uRgCE

Things We Are Loving This Week

• Hunter's latest words: 'Ahn-nee-nah' (ambulance), awesome, JUMP (as in, off the bottom stair in the basement), po-kin (pumpkin), 'Donn-nah-nah DUCK' (Donald Duck), and 'care-co' (scarecrow)
• Hitting the pumpkin patch last week with my boys and watching H's delight in roaming hills and hills in search of the perfect 'po-kin'
  
  
• Still recovering from the other weekend's 1st Annual Bobenmoyer Chili Cook-Off: 6 contestants + incredible flavor = Bo Pennell's first official victory. He looks so proud for cooking up his 'Michigan Chili'.

• Tate Forcier's incredible strength and poise on the football field -- hey, someone needs to offer this kid his due props! Did I mention he's a f.r.e.s.h.m.a.n?
• The resurgence of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks.
• New Fall TV: Modern Family, FlashForward, Glee and Community are gracing our TiVo these days. Did anyone catch Wednesday's Glee rendition of Young MC's Busta Move?
• Digging out some oldie but goodie music: The Singles Soundtrack
• Hunter yelling GO BLUE at the TV whenever he sees football on... and the fact that his Daddy was actually the one who taught him that ;)
• The Jim and Pam wedding episode of The Office: That final takeaway of Jim glancing over at the camera in quiet contentment has stayed with me

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

It is with a heavy heart that we announce tomorrow's departure of our dear Beckham. After much dubious searching, I managed to find a family via Craigslist trying to replace a pooch for their father. He lives on 58 acres of land, takes his pets with him everywhere and feels leashes are for 'animals' but that pets are part of the family. There are 3 other dogs who have the run of the land and would teach Becks the boundaries. The only thing we have asked for in exchange of him is to pick up in love and care where we have left off. We have so many memories (both wonderful and not so wonderful) with Beckham and only hope he will go on to develop thousands more with his new family. It is truly bittersweet.

For our Bubba -- we love you.

"Ha-pee Berfday DADDY"

An incredible man celebrated his 33rd birthday yesterday -- my husband! We celebrated by shutting off our respective phones for the evening, indulging in some steaks snagged from Holiday Market (our favorite), chasing H around the basement and his new playroom, and laying on the couch... together... (it's been a LONG time since we've had such a luxury).

Happy birthday -- or 'berfday' as Hunter says -- to the best husband in the world.

My Wish List, By Jeanine

I witnessed *gasp* Christmas decorations being placed on shelves the other day at Target. Actual holiday decorations. I was all, was it not JUST 62 degrees out last weekend? And if I'm not mistaken, isn't that Christmas endcap printed on the back of a recycled Back-To-School Savings sign? And the marketer in me was saying, yes, but this is the time we start convincing people they're already behind the holiday game and have to start buying NOW. We're tricky, us marketers. Kids have only been in school for a month yet and we're already informing you you'd better getting planning for summer or risk becoming the laughing stock of your neighborhood...

Aside from that though, these decorations are also a clue that my favorite time of year is officially underway -- the months that begin with football, transition into fall leaves and cider mill visits, to walks on cooler autumn nights, moving into all-Christmas music on the radio, all the time, twinkling holiday lights and decorations and eventually ending with lots of family, food and fun -- there's nothing like this time of year.

It's also the time of year when I unabashedly keep many, many wish lists. And here's a sneak peek at what's currently at the top of mine:

1. I'd love to show off this delicate Green and White Lattice Clutch on a night out with my hubby. Etsy seller Briana Edelman Designs has a number of fun fabric options, but all are lined with a beautiful contrast of pink lining.

2. I've unexpectedly fallen for this set of Daschund Bookends, designed by one of my favorites, Jonathan Adler.

3. This handmade 'rescued paper' Alphabet Guide Notebook by Etsy seller ohsogood would make the perfect place to keep my running Wish List. And her other journal and notepad designs are equally as adorable.



4. Finally, I've never been one for a bread box, but this option has drastically swayed my opinion. The Typhoon Buick Retro Bread Bin is so modernly designed and would add such a fun pop of color on our kitchen counter.




All right, now it's time for you to confess -- what's on your wish list?

Bragging... Just A Little

I've scored some adorable finds lately and just had to brag, er, SHARE. The mod file folders and binder clips above have helped up the ante in my work supplies to the tune of only $1 apiece. I love the Dollar Bins at Michaels!

And how about the alphabet-inspired placemats below, found in the Clearance section at Pier 1? Can't wait to dress up my next dinner party with these little gems.

The Mighty Have Fallen

It was a dark day in our house on Saturday. Fortunately my pain was slightly distilled with a quick date at Inyo for sushi and a late-night showing of It Might Get Loud, but more on that later. In any event, as any acquaintance worth their salt knows, a Michigan football loss is the equivalent in my world as Conde Nast announcing the decision to shutter Gourmet Magazine... (sound effects of throat-clearing while slip of paper is handed over for my review). And apparently that too, was made public today.

It's headlines like those that force me to ask: Am I the only remaining human to find paper publications (Read: newspaper, magazines, direct mail) an art worth saving? I realize the convenience and perhaps immediacy computers have provided our world -- and believe me, I couldn't live without my iPhone in my work or play life -- but will my grandchildren find themselves cozying up to their Kindles in lieu of a good paperback? Are we whittling our published titles down to one a month titled "FOR YOU OLD FARTS ONLY WHO JUST CAN'T BEAR TO LET IT GO?!"

Yes, I shed a tear for my mighty maize and blue on Saturday but this? This is worth turning on the faucet for. Au revoir Gourmet. I'll now file my famed Wild Mushroom Penne under the label of"Dead, But Not Forgotten."

THIS. JUST. IN.

I honestly don't think I could be MORE excited as I type this. Well, maybe if you took a glance into your magic ball and declared tomorrow The Day UofM Will Absolutely Annihilate MSU, or The Day A Large Armored Truck Dumps Thousands Of Dollars On Jeanine's Car With Little Signs Reading "No Seriously. Take This".

Now, my mom (Love you Mom!) sends me lots of links, so I typically savor them over my hot cup of morning chai when I'm not quite in work-til-you-drop-don't-you-dare-spend-10-minutes-online-I-need-that-conference-report-NOW mode. So imagine if you will, me checking my Hotmail account this morning and finding a little link from my loving mother that hints at one of the best things in my world since Anthropologie started mailing out surprise 15% off birthday coupons:

Eve Aronoff -- of evetherestaurant -- is opening a new restaurant.

Now, this little tidbit found on Facebook is just enough to literally whet my palette AND make me start cashing in all favors just to be one of the first to experience Frita Batido. Read on:


Eve has been brainstorming for years about opening a small Cuban and Latino inspired restaurant – inspired by the spirit and ingredients of cultures she has fallen in love with. As this project nears fruition, join us for a festive night unveiling the whimsical menu she has created for Frita Batido at a lively cocktail party – standing buffet with drinks – featuring DJ Raj Mahal and a one night art show of internationally celebrated graffiti artist, Antonio ‘Shades’ Agee.

I Love Anthro

How do you unwind? Everyone handles their quiet, personal time differently: My dad hits the road on his bicycle for a good, 20-something mile trek. The hubs is a beer and old music DVD kinda guy (the more vintage the sound the better).

For me, it's perusing through some of my favorite design blogs, watching HGTV, reading, playing trucks with our little guy or becoming one with my beloved Anthropologie Web site. Nothing excites me more than browsing through the catalogued wares and imagining each and every occasion they'd best compliment. For example, the maize-colored Juliet Cardigan with the Kousa Berry Bag perched on the shoulder would be such a stylish look for the Saturday Farmer's Market. The dark grey Wrapped In Ruffles Jacket topping a cute swing skirt would make for a killer date outfit with my hubby. And Giada uses this very Lovin' Spoonful Measuring Set -- or so I hear. :)

So tell me, how do YOU unwind?

Things We Are Loving This Week

Prepare yourself... there are a lot of mentions:

• Practically an entire week of bonding with my little bro who was visiting from California. My day off this past Tuesday consisted of breakfast with him at Cafe Muse, perusing Detroit's own Eastern Market, investigating an enormous warehouse of an antique store (and laughing at finding the world's oldest hand mixer that resembled the one mom had when we were kids), Slow's BBQ for lunch, stalking the cast and crew of the Red Dawn movie remake being made inches away from my house, exploring downtown Detroit, and hitting the Kings of Leon concert. As you can imagine, it was a blast.
• Hosting Ross and his girlfriend Ryann for the weekend, who instantly captured my heart upon entering our house and declaring "so I was reading your blog and saw..." Awesome lead-in. Seriously awesome gal (love ya Ryann!). Is it too forward to say I'm planning for her to be around for years and years to come?
• Spending time (although it flew by) with Butch and Susan who also came for a visit this weekend. And watching Butch's endless patience with a 2-year-old determined to outrun him.
• The former Washington Street Show Choir member in me is just smitten with Fox's Glee. If you spend your nights dreaming up choral renditions of Journey's Don't Stop Believin', this show is for you. I giggled my entire way through this week's scene of football players getting down to Beyonce's "Single Ladies."
• This. Adorable. Bow. Bag. Bequeathed to me by my lil bro's girlfriend Nicole (who is also the amazingly talented designer behind Omelle shoes. Have you visited the latest collection? If no, get thee here immediately. If the Fancy boots suddenly appeared on my feet, I wouldn't send them walking. I'm just sayin'.

• UofM football is 4-0. Enough said.
• This week's new dictionary of HWB words and phrases: hela-cop-ee (helicopter), 'it's fy-eehn' (in reference to seeing an airplane flying), bidge (bridge) and gas-hop-air (grasshopper) and of course, when searching for something [enter item here] ware ARRRRR you?
• The fact that when Hunter sees the moon in the daytime, he raises his finger to his lips and declares "shhh, the moon is sleeping!" :)
• My growing obsession with design blogs. Like this one, Design*Sponge.
• The new bedroom lamp, courtesy of a seriously fantastic Anthropologie Sale rack find:
• Our new church. There, I said it. We've been secretly going to church. And I think it's revolutionized a new type of spirituality between us. Check them out.
• The Black Keys. Specifically their song "I Got Mine". It makes for a great late-afternoon gotta-bang-out-this-final-report motivation.

I'm Back In The Saddle Again

There's a scene in one of my favorite movies, Sleepless In Seattle, where Tom Hanks' character is asking himself: Date? Don't date? He walks into his 8-year-old son Jonah's room and sees Jonah hanging out with a girl/friend and realizes if his son is able to bide his time with Jessica (who, incidentally is a girl only capable of speaking in letters. Line please: "H and G" -- as in hi and goodbye.) then Tom would be damned to be the last man on earth sans dinner plans. YES, the time had come. Cue music ("I'm back in the saddle again"...) and off he goes to make that initial phone call.

I mention this because it's essentially that exact jumpstart that happened to me this weekend. Here I've been devoting time/energy/effort into my work, that I set aside some of the things I really like to do. Blog. Incessantly watch HGTV. Laugh. Play trucks with HWB. Chase Becks around the backyard. Talk to my husband. I'd become that very person I dread and feel sorry for: Those who live to work vs. work to live. And believe me, I work with a lot of those women. So here's me setting that stake in the ground (sorry proverbial earth). I'm content being a professional go-getter with an agenda for my family and my life. And man, 2.5+ weeks away stores up a lot of good posts. So stay tuned. I'm back in the saddle again.

Look Who's Two

Can't believe we're here... a 2-year-old officially lives in our house. An attitude-filled, tricycle-riding, 'bigtruckgoesBOOM'-shrieking 2-year-old. And it was only fitting that his birthday party be filled with the friends and family that have made the past 2 years with Hunter so worthwhile (save just a few). Thank you to all of you for your love and support in celebrating the good, the tough, and the life-changing moments. Hunter is 2!

THE DAY HAS COME

Christmas has arrived. No, don't second guess yourself into thinking it's December already and you Rip Van Winkle'd your way with last night's slumber. I refer of course to the dawn of football season.

The fam is decked out in my beloved maize and blue (except Becks who was promptly shipped off to doggie daycare), the Victors is ringing loud throughout the house and despite the little-to-no sleep I've had in the past 3 weeks there is a smile on my face this morning. A big one.

So do yourself the service: Click below and turn it up. Loud.

Let's Go Blue!

The Parsley Pot

Public admittance: My sister-in-law Holly did something similar with an Oberon castaway, I fell in love and just had to follow suit.

What is it? A former Reissdorf mini-keg turned herb garden. My crafty hubs risked his life and limb with a saw-zaw to cut the top off so that I could plop my plant in it and voila! An adorable, new container for parsley.

Things We Are Loving This Week

• Prepping for our Little Man's 2nd birthday... and wondering where on earth the time has gone.
• "ACHOO MAMA!": Hunter's way of 'sneezing' (i.e. loudly declaring the words aloud) just so he can hear Bless You Hunter! in return
• H's latest words: Bu-er-fly, woof (wolf), ruh-coon and fog (frog)
• Being in the 100th percentile for height -- and finding out that Munchkin is in fact a Little Giant of 36 1/2 inches... that's over 3 feet tall for those of you calculating. As a side note, I am a mere 5 feet. Clearly I had nothing to do with the growth of this child.
• The return of Mad Men. Enough said.
• 10 days and counting until kickoff for Michigan Wolverine football... And Bradley loses his wife for 12 straight Saturdays. Go Blue!
• Modest Mouse's EP single releases, starting with King Rat. And the fact that the video was a pet project by the visionary Heath Ledger.
• Surprise Saturday visits from one of Hunter's favorite baby-sitters, Miss Lyssa, followed by impromptu trips for two (Brad and I that is) to Eastern Market and La Gloria in Mexicantown for empanadas
• Freshly cut sunflowers wrapped in crisp newspaper and carried home from the farmers market

Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Mascara. The wand vibrates to provide the right amount of mascara coverage and make my eyes look seriously supermodel-fly-me-to-Brazil-for-a-photoshoot-worthy. Yes the price tag is a bit steep ($13) but you'll look amazing

Reading at the park during lunch

Planning to take Hunter to the Chelsea Fair Parade this weekend -- and barely containing MY excitement knowing there will be fire trucks aplenty to entertain

Stacks of magazines to pour through, including Cooking Light, Elle, Gourmet, HOUR Detroit and US Weekly. It's a diverse selection I tell you.

A New Discovery: 15th Avenue E Coffee and Tea

Hardly anything can keep me from a morning non-fat chai with a shot of sugar free vanilla. And should I ever have the honor of living in Seattle, WA, 15th Ave E Coffee and Tea would be, without a doubt, the ONLY place I'd want to have my morning fix served.

Behold the newest investment by Starbucks, dedicated to the recirculation of the original coffeehouse design among modern day folk. 15th Ave E Coffee and Tea -- from what I've read given my geography limits me from an in-person visit -- honors the sale of wine and beer, hosts live music and poetry readings, cultivates hand-made espressos and in my humble opinion, could not embody the look and feel of a neighborhood shop more in both decor and spirit. Here are only a few select shots that I could find. How unique and adorable is the condiments credenza? Yes, I think I'm in love.



Photos courtesy of www.psfk.com in the 7/29/09 article titled "Inside Starbucks New Stealth Store: 15th Avenue E Coffee and Tea"

Pandora Cam #3

The latest adventures from Hunter and Pandora were recently captured on film... and you'll certainly be amazed to find what new 'toy' briefly usurped the thrill of trucks, cars, dump trucks, fire trucks, motorcycles (I think you get my point). Who knew?

A Packer, A Jet, A Viking

You might say it's moments like today with my beloved Brett Favre announcing his return to football that I regret dissuading Brad from a move to the Twin Cities. Oh, to be a member of Brett's hometown team.

And with a signature, the long-awaited rumors have finally come true -- Brett Favre is an official Minnesota Viking. What does this bring to the sport aside from a number of fantasy football players vying for his presence on their team? An offer of reinvention. An acknowledgment that all of us have the ability to pursue, achieve and accomplish whatever dreams we set in front of ourselves (regardless of where age may take us). Or perhaps an inside glimpse into knowing Brett Favre just isn't ready to let go of the opportunity for another Super Bowl win.

I for one will stand by for that honored moment.

So for the sake of instilling in us the same passion this man has for his sport, enjoy one of my favorite broadcast spots of all time (and not just because of what appears in frame 0:52). This is Nike's I Can:

It's Been A While...

Since I posted a menu! What, did you think we've been fasting all this time? Although an awesome idea for weight loss, not exactly what I had in mind. Feast (hee hee) your eyes on this week's planned eats:

• Sunday's Pineapple-Jerk Chicken was delish. If you opt to try it, go easy on the spice rub -- I thought even 1/2 this mixture was enough.
• Last night was Pasta With Zucchini And Goat Cheese and it's always a hit.
• Tonight's Stovetop Lasagna Toss is a quickie for a weeknight.
• Wednesday: Sausage Sliders With Peppers and Spinach
• Thursday: Leftovers (Brad's company outing day)
• Friday: Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp
  

How to kick off the weekend on the right foot?

But a race car shopping cart of course!

Things We Are Loving This Week

• "It'sSTUCKinthere!": Hunter's latest phrase, which incidentally applies to more situations/things than you'd think
• H's latest 4-syllable words: mowercycle, hela-coper, and ahl-a-gayter
• Early morning runs with Becks
• An early write in from Brad: King-sized Reese's
• Grizzly Bear's Yellow House
• This wonderfully touching tribute to a masterful director, John Hughes
• Re-discovering HBO's Entourage and falling in love with Thomas Jane's Hung (based in Detroit no less!)... in our opinion, they're totally worth the $15 increase to our cable bill
• Planning Hunter's 2nd birthday bash (where has the time gone?)
• These beautiful earrings from Anthropologie


• Starting my re-collection of the now defunct Domino magazine (I say 're-collection' because at one time, before The Great Recycle Effort, I owned all of the 2005-2007 issues)
• Sleeping 8 hours a night. Every night. (Thanks HWB!)
• The countdown: 23 days until Michigan football season
• Celebrating Papa's birthday, rain be damned and all
• My new favorite blog: Dooce. Her Daily Chuck feature is worth the glance and is slightly inspirational for a Daily Becks knock-off on our own blog. :)
• Fresh, homegrown basil
• Rounding out the summer in style with lazy days spent at home in the backyard, long walks in the neighborhood and weekly stops for ice cream

Happy Birthday Papa!

After trouble with posting photos today to the blog, wanted to make sure we got this message out:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA! We can't wait to celebrate with you in style this weekend. :)

Enjoy A Lick Of Something Sweet

Best Sunday activity? Hitting our neighborhood Dairy Boy for some
fresh custard. Hunter didn't seem to mind.

Home Sweet Home

I know what you're thinking... how un-neighborly it is to sneak into other folks yards and capture their private realm on film (for shame!). But alas, the collage you see above depicts the beautiful transformation our backyard has made in the past 2 months.

In Brad's opinion, we were only halfway to proclaiming ourselves the next Garden of Eden. And that's just why he spent yesterday importing and planting yards of sod, coordinating an elaborate sprinkler system that somehow manages to water the grass on both sides of our new white fence at the same time, uprooting and replanting trees and (WAIT, THERE'S MORE) constructing a wood fence at the back of the garage ...

Did I mention he WILLING ELECTED to perform all of these tasks on his day off?!

And to think my days off are spent scouring sale racks at Anthropologie, watching "House Hunters" marathons and indulging in Thai food. Man alive I suck.

Footnote: A special thanks to Neighbor Dave, Matt and 'Uncle' E for their sweat and support of said ideals. You guys are -per usual- wonderful.

Etsy Me

My craftiness has been on hiatus after the high of completing a produce sticker placemat for Hunter. In fact I'm certain the months that've passed since will soon peak into a Creative explosion at which point my nearest Michaels store will discover me short-circuiting in a heap of tulle and decorative punches screaming JUST ALLOW ME TO CROSS-STITCH DAMNIT!

Until then, allow us to revel in the genius that is Etsy. What's Etsy you ask? Etsy is a conglomerate of far more skillful and accomplished crafters than I. Shall we try a few SAT-like comparisons to explain? I am the McDonald's commercial TV actor to their Sean Connery. The slice of generic American cheese to their 4-Cheese double souffle. The John Navarre to their Tom Brady. In other words, Etsy = WOW.

Here's a quick hit list of my faves from today's perusal:

1. GreedyDolly's Blue Honey Necklace Never mind that the seller is a friend of 10 years, Helen. On, it exudes a bit of this modern Wilma Flintstone vibe, with the blue stone breaking up the heaviness of the dark wooden beads.


2. I think I'm in love with these clever herb garden markers by MonkeysAlwaysLook which are fashioned from old spoons. I'm inspired enough to try this myself but don't think I could get the look just so.



3. Looking up and up, take a peek at this outstanding side table by MichaelArras. Someone commented to me once on the number of circle-related designs we have in our home, so I suppose this fits right in. That and there are no sharp corners for little ones to catch a forehead on.


4. IF we were in the market for a new entertainment center and IF the Hubs would allow me to spend say, $1400 on said new furnishings and IF this was even still available, I'd snag this FABULOUS walnut lucite design from Modology in a heartbeat. Price? A bit steep. Completing the overall mod ambiance of our home in one purchase? Priceless.

Moral of the story? Stick this in your browser and start creating your own wish list: www.etsy.com (And depending on how you see it, you may or may not thank me for it).

It's Maddening I Tell You

Since the hubs and I are a power duo of advertising sorts, we have a vested interest in AMC's show Mad Men (Season 3 is FINALLY making a return August 16th... about time!).

For Brad, I'm sure the show's close-to-the-heart business ventures are what draws him. But for me? The fashion. I mean seriously: Anywhere that makes good on a tube of red lipstick and beautifully coifed blonde curls followed by a stylish trumpet skirt is A+ in my book. Oh, and the glimpse into 1950s advertising politics and ever-changing plotlines aren't half bad either.

Imagine my thrill in breaking for 10 minutes from my own Mad Men scenarios and indulging in: Mad Men Yourself, a fun viral site allowing people to create a Mad Men-inspired image of themselves...

Here's Brad wheeling and dealing with Don Draper. Naturally that's an Old Fashioned affixed to his left hand:



And here I am fashionably strutting into the Sterling Cooper office, having already imbibed half of my a.m. martini:

Go ahead and click on the photos for a better look at the full scene. OR, just try it yourself right here!

Things We Are Loving This Week

It's been a long week already. For that elaboration, please stay tuned. Let's just say it makes our Things We Are Loving This Week all the more sweet. Things like:

• Our Little Man and that sly, "I'm up to no good" smirk (see above). I think he inherited this from his daddy. :)
• HWB's pronunciation of 'Laht-neen Mah-keen' for his favorite Cars character, Lightening McQueen
• Beckham's one brown eye and one blue eye stare. We will dearly miss it.
• The way Hunter's face lights up when he spots a fire truck... or police car... or bus... or motorcycle
• Indulging in Fat Tire beer in Chicago
• A new band: Golden Birds and their disk The Smart War
• The Conclusion of a fabulous Tour de France -- cannot wait for the 2010 Team Radio Shack appearance
• Jack White's open-handed drumming
• Knowing when it's time to throw in the towel on a book. Then We Came To The End and I, well, came to an end. Great Web site... but my sanity could not keep up with the book.
• This month's volunteer effort collecting cans for Gleaners Food Bank. (Never mind the cruising around screeching 'Mississippi Queen' with Pat and Katie. Wink.)

• My mom for again devoting hours on end to us and HWB during a jam-packed week of my Chicago travel, Brad's client dinners, concert-going and early-a.m. volunteering
• Digging up old issues of the now defunct Domino magazine. RIP.
• The absolute killer, kick-ass DEAD WEATHER show Friday night at the Fillmore. Thanks again to LiveNation for treating us like true VIPs! Here's the view from our box seats:

Good Morning From Chi-town

Check out the view from my hotel room... and yes, I'm quitting my day job to become a photographer of scenic postcards. Please send my affects and family ASAP.

The Dog Days of Summer

It is with a heavy heart that I must admit our defeat. After a few months here and there of various canine-related catastrophes, Brad and I have come to realize that Beckham may have outgrown our little family.

We've suffered countless beds peed on, the destruction of window blinds -- both the cheap and the expensive, a late night ER visit, chain-link fence jumping, Hunter-room-trashing, toilet seat scratching, near drywall removal and finally, pill sedation at the mere sight of a thunderstorm. It's been extremely tasking for us to say the least.

And with our primary focus on a growing Little Man (and who knows, maybe another little one someday?), it's quickly becoming obvious we all -- Pooch included -- are in need of a change.

So here we find ourselves at a crossroad: Keep Becks and try to work through all these behavioral problems? Rebuild the back fence in hopes it will contain him? Start paying a dog-walker to entertain him because clearly the 1, sometimes 2 walks a day and incessant petting isn't cutting it?

We love Beckham. But we also love our house. And continued repair isn't in the cards for us. If you have thoughts/comments/support/advice -- we'd love it. Please share it in the comments section below and believe me, we're all ears... some of them furry.

For Cousin Mike, The Police Officer

It has come to my attention our recent "Things That Go" postings may have unfairly portrayed Hunter's new love for, er, things that go, as being isolated solely to fire trucks in the Emergency Services Category. I assure you if it's fast, has some form of light system atop the vehicle and has any involvement in crime-fighting and/or prevention, Hunter is smitten.

And so to cousin Mike... this one's for you. :)

I Think I'm In Love

Lately I've become inspired by some neighboring blogs -- inspired in design, inspired in parenthood, inspired in fashion. But there's one blog that's inspiring another part of me: My wallet. Twig and Thistle was introduced by my bro's woman, Nicole, and it quickly became a regular on my Favorites list. The blogger's eye for inspirational design includes these adorable reusable veggie bags by Wonder Thunder. They're an excellent alternative to grabbing all those plastic bags at the grocery store and are said to weigh practically nothing (so as not to disrupt a produce scale).

Naturally I clicked right thru and hit 'purchase.' (Side note to my husband to whom this will be brand new information: Honey, I loved these and had to have them... and no I didn't buy them from our joint account. They are mine. ALL mine.)

If you too are in immediate need of adding these to your person for your next grocery trip, I included the link above but will gladly do so again here. Enjoy. (I KNOW I WILL)

And When You're Not Relaxing, Take A Few Lessons From This

Take A Load Off

What should you be doing this weekend?

Maxing and relaxing... chillin' like Hunter Willen.