Anew

I took this photo a few weeks ago when buds were just starting to pop. Spring is in full swing now, blooms everywhere. Another fresh start for nature.


I decided I needed a fresh start too. I recently started a new part-time job in retail that I'm really loving. I also have a new project I'm working on that I'm very excited about. More on that in a second. I've shut down Little Green Vintage in order to not be spread too thin for now, though I'm thinking I might perhaps open a new vintage shop somewhere online in the fall. And finally, I am going to leave I Heart Old behind. I am beginning a new blog at unknownblackbird.blogspot.com. Unknown Blackbird will be my journal. Pure and simple, for the love of recording and sharing in words and images. For keeps. I will be blogging there for as long as I blog. 


If you visit Unknown Blackbird, you'll notice a page called Unknown Blackbird Flowers. This is the new project. This spring and summer, I'll be working to transform our yard (at least the already garden parts of it, for now anyway) into a flower farm, to grow beautiful blooms for freshest cut arrangements. 


Thanks for following me here. I would love you to visit Unknown Blackbird and share in adventures to come.


♡, 


Erin  

A Hole in the Wall

I was down in German Village on Friday and in trying to navigate my way back out, I turned onto an alley/street (they resemble one another closely in that neighborhood) and I just happened to spot this grindstone incorporated into someone's block wall. This isn't the first random grindstone I've seen in the neighborhood, but definitely the most intentionally placed. Artifact of long-gone industry repurposed as peep-hole, neat-o. (I didn't peep, but only because I was in the car. Maybe next time.)

♡,

Erin

Explanation

Greg and I are lucky to have an extremely close group of friends from high school and shortly thereafter. Though we've spread out all over the globe, through the years not only have we reconnected back in Illinois, but we've visited each other, vacationed together, and gone to concerts and sporting events, across and even outside of the country, on a regular basis. 

Two weeks ago today one of these close friends, who was living in Colorado and working at a resort, fell while snowboarding. Two weeks ago tomorrow, he died from the injuries he sustained. That Friday, we drove back to Illinois to spend the next five days with our circle of friends, all of us back home together again, trying to comprehend what had happened. A week ago today was the visitation, a week ago tomorrow we laid our friend to rest. 

It's been the hardest two weeks of my life. I'm still somewhat in disbelief. I think I'll eventually return to blogging, but right now, everything needs some reevaluation. 

I did want to share one thing. Aaron was an organ donor. He will live on not only in the memories of his friends and family, but also through his gift of life and health.

http://donatelife.net/register-now/

This link makes it easy to check and update your donor status in the US. 

Please consider.

♡,

Erin

The Sweetest Things

I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY! I think it might be my favorite holiday of them all. Maybe it's just the color scheme, I don't know. I love February too, probably mostly because it contains Valentine's Day. So last night I sought out some lovely things to get me into the red, white, and pink (lavender, orange and turquoise are welcome too) mood.

♡,

Erin 

Day in a Photostrip: 1.19.11

 Mopped the floors squeaky clean = house smelling like almond extract.

Photographed first part of LGV's spring collection. In shop soon.

From above.

 Had meatless, shepherd's pie-ish concoction of leftover roasted carrots and mashed potatoes. Wished there'd been some cheddar cheese in the house.

 Watched the snow fall and wished at the time it was fluffier. Wish was eventually granted.

Burned my brand new Candle Lab candle in their Dad's Den fragrance, one of my favorites, with sweet tobacco and, I believe, clove. 

 Tried a new place for takeout, Bamboo Village. Our two yardsticks, General Tso's and Veg LoMein didn't disappoint. Their dining room was super cute and cozy, featuring a little sushi bar, so we'll have to do the dine-in experience sometime.

Was naughty and stopped into Jeni's for a couple pints for dessert. (Don't worry, didn't eat it all in one sitting.) Totally loving Whiskey & Pecans right now. 

 Did a little after-dinner crafting, hope to do the reveal next week. (Already behind on my craft-a-week resolution. Mais, c'est la vie.)

♡,

Erin

January Reading

As promised here are my two volumes for the month.


You'd probably have to have spent the last couple of months under a rock to not have heard of the one on the left. Greg and I are both Daniel Craig fans and we'd heard nothing but good things about the movie, so we went to see it a couple of weeks ago and loved it. So, as the book was so highly praised as well (coupled with my tendency to jump at any excuse to buy a book) I put it on my reading list, stat. I couldn't find a non-movie cover edition in my local book-selling establishments, and I just can't bring myself to do movie cover editions, so I ordered it online and had to wait for it to come. Add to that delay having to finish up a project related to my day career, and I just managed to read chapter one last night. I already like the late Mr. Larsson's style (via the translator of course). It's going to be a page-turner for me for sure.


Design*Sponge at Home is of course a well-edited, bound version of the blog of the same name that I visit daily. I picked it up at the bookstore before the holidays, and I'm just now treating myself to it. The first part is devoted to "Sneak Peeks" or home tours, the second to diy projects, and the last part to major home makeovers. I've already paged through all the diys and mentally noted which ones I'd like to tackle, and I'm making my way through the tours and makeovers a couple a night.


So there you have it. Long live the printed word!


♡,


Erin 

Look How Much Spring Five Dollars Buys You

Christmas decs came down yesterday and now the house is looking kinda bare. Working on more permanent ways to remedy that, like perhaps some new artwork and some kind of festive-in-a-non-holidays-way treatment for the front window. I don't know if I'm ready to go full-on spring quite yet; I kind of feel like we've been robbed of winter thus far. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not missing the bitter cold, but a bit more snow to help enjoy cozy days inside would be alright, until it's the proper time of year. It's been so warm, my daffs came up, I think it was early December, and that kind of weirds me out.

But regardless, I couldn't resist this bouquet at Whole Foods yesterday, for $5! They must have been cleaning out the cooler post holidays. Way more that $5 worth of loveliness here. And actually, it's not really too spring-y. Just every so cheery.

♡,

Erin

P.S. I am loving the Hipstamatic Foodie SnapPak. I think it's $.99. As you can see, it's great for flower shots too!

Martha Stewart Living January '12

Well just before I sat down to do this post, I checked the mail and there was the February MSL. So do quickly run to your newsstand of choice (real or virtual) and try to grab the January issue (we're only one week into the month after all, not too late to enjoy a January mag at all!), because despite it's skinniness, it's chock full of, hehehe, "good things". 

First off, Martha takes us on a tour of her new homekeeping room in a converted outbuilding at her Bedford, NY farm. Lots of great organizing ideas for supplies of all sorts, and I have to admit, her work/storage pieces for Home Decorators Collection are pretty sweet. Running all over the house trying to gather shipping supplies to send off Little Green Vintage orders makes me especially covet this packing station.

A little spread on staying warm stylishly had three ensembles, country rustic, city chic and this middle-of-the-road option that was my fav.

Loved this cheery little workspace.

Easy-peasy diy gilded bookends definitely look like more than the sum of their parts.

Last weekend Greg and I went to Sage American Bistro for the first time and we had a fabulous frisée salad, so it was kind of fun to come across the above left in the Easy Entertaining menu. Sage's version was tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette and included goat cheese, bacon, pickled red onions, and was topped with a poached egg rather than hard-cooked. Yum. And in a story on the combo of lemon, parsley, and parmesan, this bread with prosciutto and egg stood out, kinda reminiscent of Northstar Café's prosciutto and poached eggs, which is out of this world. 

Loved the white and gray palate of this kitchen. Carrera marble counters ♥. 

Need some of this. Not sure for what yet, but if I'm going to get craft-y this year, it sounds like a nice versatile thing to have on hand.

And finally, on the subject of making, a great article chock full of beautiful knitting projects.

Like these gorgeous stool covers...

and this cozy modern blanket. I think getting some supplies and some form of beginner instruction might finally be in order this month. I've been inclined to try knitting for awhile, and this spread is great motivation to get started.  

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

♡,

Erin

2012

The last day of our holiday was yesterday as Greg headed back to work today after two and then some weeks off. So today feels more like the first day of things than Sunday did.

I have a long list of resolutions, just like every year. I do really like the idea of matching up fresh starts and new beginnings with dates on the calendar (like the first day of the year or my birthday), momentous, or actually more often not-so momentous, events (like finishing up a project or a trip), or even just days of the week (like Monday). 

Included in the 2012 list are some run-of-the-mill-ish ones like sticking to regular exercise, only eating dessert on the weekend (I haven't decided which days nor how many will qualify as the weekend yet), and being more productive, which I plan to accomplish chiefly by getting up before 7:00 during the week (no morning person here, so yes, this WILL take some resolve). 

On the more fun side of self-betterment, I am going to do my best to do one craft-y project every week, of which I will share the process and results here. Also, I'm going to try to read two books a month, and I'll be sure to let you know what I've got my nose buried in. Oh, and to keep up better with my magazine reading too. Like actually get through all the issues for the month before the month is up, and I'll try to share here what I liked best from my various addictions, errr, subscriptions as I promised to do at one point in the distant past. And finally, I do want to expand and better my blogging, photography, and Little Green Vintage (coming back online soon), in ways that aren't exactly clearly defined as of yet, but I'll keep you posted. Hehehehe, pun intended.

I won't bore you with the rest right now, or probably ever, unless they should become relevant here.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season, and I'm wishing you luck with any goals you've set for yourself. I've definitely got some work cut out for me, but back soon!

♡,

Erin

PS The above is another postcard to my great grandmother, I can't tell from what year, but the sender, I think a friend, named Ethel, thanked her for the gift of a beautiful doily.