I Heart Old

A Hole in the Wall

2012-02-19T20:34:00.000-05:00

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

2012-02-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-25T12:34:00.001-05:00

The Sweetest Things

2012-01-23T10:05:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-17T17:57:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-03T17:24:00.003-05:00

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.

Making Merry

2011-12-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! Thought I would share a few festive snaps from being out and about last weekend celebrating the season and some vacation time to spend together. Above and below, the bar at Lindey's in German Village.

Above, bar at the Worthington Inn and below, the starry ceiling above the bar.

Also Worthington Inn.

My kind of Christmas tree at House Wine in Worthington.

Cozy little bar at Harvest Pizzeria in German Village.

We are spending Christmas in Champaign, but will be back in Columbus to ring in 2012.

I've put Little Green Vintage in Vacation Mode until after the New Year and I'm not sure if I will be back here until then either. But in the meantime, I'm going to be daydreaming up exciting plans for both shop and blog for next year. And maybe even actually starting to act on them! In the meantime, have a really great rest of the holiday season!

♡,

Erin

X-Mas Décor

2011-12-17T18:12:00.003-05:00

As promised. Starting off with our Charlie Brown-est of trees, actually a windfall branch from the maple out back,

stuck in the urn I bought once-upon-a-time for some verdant curly willow that kicked off shortly after transplant. We decided not to commit to hauling home and finding a place for a big tree, and most all the little ones we saw on last weekend were a little too rotund for this corner. Unfortunately after it was all said and done I did come across a few ickle ones that would have worked. Definitely next year we'll look harder to start with me thinks.

We did drag in some greens (cedar, ivy, boxwood, and blue spruce, thank you previous owners of our house for your excellent evergreen planting choices) from the yard and made little bundles for the front and kitchen windows.

With double faced satin ribbon and white lights (in the front) things came together nicely, inspired by this image from Anthology mag via Apartment Therapy.

(Kitchen window.)

I set out my grandmother's sled each year. Used by she, my dad and aunt, and then myself, it's got three generations of snowy child entertaining and probably 100 years under it's belt.

Paperwhites are blooming. Excellent timing.

Greeting card display as horizontal space is at a bit of a premium in the living room.

Greeting from a different time. Postcard sent to my great grandmother in 1918.

Decided to leave the antlers I found on Old Worthington Market Day au natural for now and finally just hung them up over the telly. They seemed game for a bit of adornment.

And finally last but not least, this Santa with his sack of presents, sled, and reindeer have been around in my family forever.

I've had so much fun scoping out holiday decorating ideas on Pinterest and around blogland this year. Sort of makes me hope I catch the holiday spirit earlier next year so that perhaps I can tackle some of the fun projects I've saved.

For a couple more lovely holiday décor blog posts check out junkaholique and lobster and swan. They're two of my faves any day of the year, and both ladies have given me serious sweet little tree envy. :)

♡,

Erin

My Bag, Baby

2011-12-13T19:09:00.003-05:00

I was in need of a new bag a few weeks ago, and though I'm coveting this one, or this one (whichever, I'm really not picky), unfortunately neither is in the immediate cards. I happened to be in Target and spotted this perfect-for-winter, fuzzy, Fair Isle hobo and snatched it up for $19.99. Muted, but with a bit of color it works perfectly well with my winter coat (in saddle).

Outside is plain, save for this little side pockets which would be perfect for keeping sunglasses out of the fray, if I ever remembered to use it for such.

Open and zippered pockets inside...

roomy enough for a couple mags or even an iPad.

In short, I endorse this bag for your budget winter accessorizing needs.

We did manage to decorate for x-mas over the weekend. Can't wait to share, I'm really happy with how things turned out, sitting here in my merry, slightly sparkly and shiny living room.

♡,

Erin

Festive First Friday

2011-12-06T13:48:00.001-05:00

Beginning in the summer, downtown Worthington restaurants and businesses started staying open later and offering special goings-on the first Friday evening of every month. Greg and I, wanting to stay local and work on getting further into the holiday spirit, decided to head down and wander around a bit. And here are some snap shots, taken experimenting with camera and camera apps on my new iPhone 4s.

Above is the sleigh which makes an appearance every year on the porch of the Worthington Inn.

Lights in the courtyard/patio of the Worthington Inn.

Train display in the window of the hardware store. (At this point I was thinking "Really, can our town get any more freaking quaint?")

All the trees lining High Street are wrapped in lights and the light posts are decorated too, not to mention what individual businesses have done. And Friday there were luminaries lining the sidewalk to boot. Very pretty and bright!

We stopped into Fritzy Jacobs, a sweet little shop with a cheery, fun mix of home décor and gifts and got a couple little presents for our nieces, browsed through Pure Cottage, a shop right next to the village green specializing in English and French antiques plus new things for the home and other gift-y items, and we checked out the huge just-completed addition to Worthington Jewelers, then ended up in House Wine for some refreshment, with a final stop at Igloo Letterpress to oggle all their pretty paper wares.

So now I'm already to make our space nice and festive, but of course am short on time this week, and under the weather to boot. But I think besides attending to Greg's work Christmas party (#1, another one the following Friday), decorating will be the focus of this coming weekend. I'll be sure to share the results, inspired by way too much time spent on Pinterest lately.

♡,

Erin

What Was for Breakfast: Homemade Granola

2011-12-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in my last post about undertaking an in-between holiday detox and workout regimen. Well, I actually followed through pretty well this past week, hitting the gym and trying to eat less and better.

I've sort of been obsessed with finding the perfect granola since being treated to an absolutely delicious and ever-since elusive version of muesli at several bed and breakfasts on our trip to Ireland in 2009. Then on our vacay in Michigan over the summer, a good friend brought along some granola that she had made from scratch to share for breakfasts. It too was yummy, and after she emphasized that it was way cheaper to make than buy (hit up the bulk bins) and totally customizable, I decided I finally had to try my hand at concocting my perfect blend of healthy, breakfast goodness. I did a little bit of research and wound up cherry-picking ingredients and techniques from various recipes. Here's what I ended up with roughly. (Measurements don't need to be exact by any means, it's more about finding the proportion of ingredients that you like. And substitute away!)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds or walnuts
shy of 1 cup coconut
shy of 1 cup sunflower seeds (raw, not roasted or salted)
shy of 1 cup flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons salted butter (or if unsalted, add a bit more salt than the 1/2 teaspoon)
4-5 tablespoons honey
1 cup golden raisins or chopped dates

Combine first six ingredients well in bowl.
Melt butter in microwave (or on stovetop, then remove from heat) then stir in honey. Pour butter and honey over oat mixture and stir, stir, stir thoroughly until everything is well-coated. If the mixture isn't looking at least slightly glisten-y throughout, melt a bit more butter, stir in a bit more honey, and mix in.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread oat mixture out evenly. Bake for 30 minutes at 300° stirring every 10 minutes. Keep a close eye. You want everything to go a nice golden brown, but once this starts to happen, it happens quickly. Enjoy the sweet, delicious perfume coming from your oven

Let cool a bit and add raisins.

Serve with Greek yogurt and an extra drizzle of honey if you like (I do). This turns out slightly sweet, but not as sweet as what you would buy in the store. More raisins or dates up the sweetness quotient too.

Makes enough for one person for a week plus of breakfasts.

Totally worth the effort. Making and eating will have you feeling good on multiple levels, I promise!

♡,

Erin

Growing Gifts

2011-11-25T13:42:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone in the States had an excellent Thanksgiving yesterday. We are in Illinois for the long weekend. We had a traditional turkey dinner yesterday with Greg's family and today we're on to a beef roast with mine. Monday I think I will be on to some sort of in-between-holiday detox and workout regimen. As today is Black Friday, tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday will be here before we know it, I wanted to share the paperwhite forcing gift sets I put into Little Green Vintage earlier in the week.

I have two single bulb sets in these lovely silver goblets. Just the perfect size to snug the bulb in with just a bit of room below for water. They are engraved "Gene & Shirley 10-1-83", probably wedding favors once upon a time, and come tied off with vintage red and blue taffeta bows.

I also have one three bulb set in this frosted Diamond Point pattern Indiana Glass compote, finished with a big bow of vintage silver ribbon and polished creamy colored river rocks for nestling the bulbs in.

All sets come gift wrapped. (And I'll soon have a gift wrapping option with the same basic materials available for everything else in the shop too, should you want to gift any of the other vintage goodies I've got on offer.) Inside a lidded gift box, vintage dictionary and silver tissue shred keep things padded and safe (compote will be bubbled and wrapped in tissue for extra protection). Bulbs are wrapped in tissue and tied up with twine and forcing instructions.

Gift then comes wrapped in silver tissue and embellished with jute twine, green and white sparkle-infused baker's twine, a silver chenille stem star, white gift tag, and sprig of fresh cedar.

All right, it's official, I've got the spirit. Bring on the rest of the holly-days!

♡,

Erin

Enjoy Co

2011-11-17T17:50:00.001-05:00

Greg works in Granville, OH which is about 30 miles east of Columbus. It's a lovely New England-esque town (it was founded in 1804 by a group from Massachusetts and Connecticut)in a beautiful setting on the western edge of Appalachians. Granville is home to Denison University, a small liberal arts college, a picturesque downtown full of shops, restaurants and old churches, and loads and loads of gorgeous historic homes. (I will take you on a tour sometime after warm weather comes back around.) And Enjoy Co., a very nicely curated home and garden shop which I finally visited for the first time last week.

Lovely leaves at the side of the shop.

Enjoy Co. sums up their aesthetic as "vintage, industrial, natural, and contemporary". The bright space the shop occupies showcases a neutral palate of silver, steel, bronze, wood, glass, jute, wool and leather with green accents in the form of lush potted plants.

Wish I was a knitter so I could have justified a skein or two of this yarn. Have to try it out sooner than later.

Love, love, love the mini tinsel garland! (Getting closer to having that holiday spirit.)

I wish I had taken more store-wide shots, but I just kept zooming in on all of their great little vignettes.

Reusable wooden gift boxes. ♥

I also wanted to bring home this porcelain votive house...

and this plushy, faux mossy wreath. Perhaps next time.

I did come away with some sparkle-infused bakers' twine for wrapping up holiday things...

and a few paperwhites for forcing. I just got this one nestled in today to my "Best Scholar Freshman Fencing 1934" cup, the lone specimen in my vintage trophy collection, but my peepers are always open.

I am going to have on offer in Little Green Vintage a few paperwhite forcing gift sets of a similar vintage persuasion in the very new future. I've been wanting to have the "green" in Little Green Vintage refer to growing things for awhile now, and I'm super excited with how they're turning out as I put them together. I hope you'll like them too!

If you ever find yourself in central Ohio, do visit Granville and if you visit Granville, do stop into Enjoy Co, located just east of downtown and open Thur. - Sat. It's a beautiful, inspiring place. In the meantime, check out their website, as it is likewise!

♡,

Erin

A Little Tribute

2011-11-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

Last night when I should have been getting off to bed, as I got up and went to the gym way to early this morning (for reasons that are still not clear even to me), I made this treasury instead. Still not giving up on the autumnal palette, but getting a bit closer to embracing the big to-do of next month. Making plans!

♡,

Erin

A More Fashionable Friday

2011-11-11T16:58:00.001-05:00

Hello! Just a quick post before we run out the door.

Last Friday I posted on a couple of my at-home comfies, this Friday, somethings a little more out-the-door ready.

I picked up some new lip gloss today at Lennonheads Salon & Spa.

Cherry red lips have been going strong for awhile now. I have a similar color lipstick that I love, but this will be a great day version, so much more low-maintenance. You can grab a tube here.

And once I saw this polish, even though I tried to walk away, I just had to have. Zoya is great, none of the nasty stuff, and it goes on nice and smooth, even if you're horrible at self-manicuring like I am. I can only hope that the name is referencing the 80s cartoon. And here it is.

And finally I scored this pretty from the consignment/thrift store earlier this week for $6 or $7. I think it's sterling, though I couldn't find a mark. It's got the greatest platinum-y patina. Very classic. A keeper.

Ok got to get ready, so I don't get yelled at for delaying happy hour.

♡,

Erin

Feeling Clingy

2011-11-10T16:33:00.001-05:00

As in I'm not yet ready to say goodbye to fall. It's still just way too autumnal outside to be listening to x-mas music and thinking about pressies. The weather has been pretty good, no sign of the white stuff, and there are still tons of good-looking leaves around, both high (still on the trees) and low (like all over the backyard that need to make it to the curb).

Tulips are ok in November if they're orange, right? And these only came from Virginia by way of Whole Foods, so it wasn't too ungreen of me to bring them home I maintain.

Just got these gorgeous, fiery poms from PomLove over the weekend and put them right up to show my allegiance to the third season of the year right up through Thanksgiving. (These replaced the pretty summery ones I mentioned here.)

And I'm keeping my pumpkins too.

But in reality, I know I've got to get busy on some holiday prep. I would like to make rather than buy most of the gifts I give this year. And I have neglected The Little Green Vintage Shop for oh so long now, between working on our basement and another project relating to the career I got degreed to do. I know I promised to update it with oodles of vintage goodies, and possibly some handmade ones as well, literally months ago. Well, the oodles are still sitting about, waiting to be given the chance to be adopted. I just have to find the time and good light to photo them.

Alright then, to work!

♡,

Erin

Comfy

2011-11-04T16:22:00.000-04:00

is what I've been today, if not exactly on the cutting edge of fashion, loafing around the house in my brand-new, fuzzy mocs (grab a pair for yourself here)...

and the long-sleeve New Holland Poet tee I picked up on our craft beer tour (available online too). You've got to love that graphic though, especially this time of year. I definitely chose the design with a casual fall day such as this one in mind (though I do like the beer too).

And I'm guessing they designed the logo as such because stouts are so fall-weather-appropriate.

And speaking of the libations, it's nigh on happy hour.

Cheers!

♡,

Erin

Spooky

2011-10-31T20:05:00.000-04:00

I submit to you the most authentically haunted-looking house I think I may have ever stumbled upon. I just happened to glimpse it out of the corner of my eye while cutting down a street in Clintonville on my way to the grocery. I love that despite the dilapidated condition, someone took the care to put a pumpkin on the porch. Could not be more perfectly Halloween-y. In seriousness though, I always want to walk up and give houses in such a state a big hug. Here's to hoping that someone has just snapped it up for a bargain and is on the verge of giving it a new lease on life.
Happy Halloween!!!

♡,

Erin

How My Garden Grew

2011-10-19T23:23:00.001-04:00

Well, there was no hot sunshine nor pool involved in my trip to Florida. It poured rain my entire visit, until Monday when I flew home. However there were plenty of birthday cupcakes, and it was wonderful to meet our newborn niece and play, play, play with the 3rd birthday girl.

The day before I left, I took these pics of the front garden. I had just replaced some spent summer plants with some new specimens including these violas and the cabbage below.

And this fuchsia celosia.

More work to do for sure next spring and summer towards my English cottage-y vision.

Don't have the variety name at hand, but I swear this is the most gorgeous orange mum I've ever met.

Things are looking a bit shabbier now two weeks on, however my dahlias are still going strong. (You knew there'd be dahlias. Seriously, I am so smitten with these flowers.)

Putting together this post has definitely given me some needed cheer. It was a chilly, rainy day here in Oh-hi-yo. It feels like winter is right around the corner.

My dad is currently visiting and we're back at refinishing the finished side of our basement. The good news is it's starting to look more like rooms and less like a multi-chambered dungeon.

Apologies for being a bad blogger for the last almost two weeks. I just needed a bit of a break from the interwebs. (Well, I definitely didn't go completely cold turkey, I'm way too addicted for that. But I did cut back some.) But it's good to be back.

♡,

Erin

Old Worthington Market Day and Quarter Beer Festival

2011-10-06T19:18:00.001-04:00

Finally, more pics from nearly two Saturdays ago. (Yeeps! Time flies!)

We were surprised at just how big the festival was upon arrival. At first it was cloudy and cool, but it quickly became gloriously sunny and warm.

A band and balloons in front of the Mason's Lodge.

The antique and vintage quad of the green.

Things that I passed on that I wouldn't have minded taking home included this loverly old Christmas tree stand. So much better than the clunky modern plastic ones. No skirt required. Couldn't justify it as we haven't had a real tree (or any other kind of tree) the last couple of years and don't know when we'll be having one again as we are never home for Christmas.

And this old aluminum milk delivery crate complete with bottles. Wouldn't it be fantastic for flowers at a rustic-y wedding or (insert special event)? So many possibilities in that context. An ombré arrangement, something like here, would be gorgeous.

Looking pretty fall-ish.

Appreciating Worthinton's cupolas atop St. John's Episcopal Church (above) and the Worthington Hardware Co.(below).

We dropped into the beer festival for a bit right when we got there, then while Greg got his haircut I did my looking about, then we rendezvoused back for some more yummy midwest craft beer.

All proceeds benefited the Worthington Food Pantry, so we were drinking for a good cause. (Or a better one than usual I should say. Hehehe.)

This chap was in the spirit. It was also Columbus Oktoberfest at the state fairgrounds that weekend.

Cheers! *Clink!* (Or rather the plastic cup equivalent.)

Last weekend we went back to Champaign for University of Illinois homecoming (we are both alums). Festivities included skipping around downtown Champaign Friday night, followed by tailgating and an (exciting!) football game bright and early Saturday morning. Alas, we had to drive back shortly after the game as Greg had to fly away to the other side of the world Sunday afternoon (literally, to Tokyo). And he won't be home till next week. Boo. But I'm not too gloomy as I am getting away to Florida tomorrow to meet our new niece and celebrate the other's third birthday. Hooray for hot sunshine, a pool, palm trees, and birthday cake!

Antlers and an Afghan

2011-09-29T00:09:00.000-04:00

Saturday was Old Worthington Market Day downtown. The normal farmers market was replaced with oodles of craft and food vendors with a splash of antiques and vintage thrown in, stretching down High St. and spilling on to three out of the four quads of the village green. Simultaneously, House Wine and the other Old Worthington Quarter (as the l-shaped building on High St. downtown is apparently known) merchants hosted the Old Worthington Quarter Beer Festival in their lot. Pictures of the festivities to come.

The Worthington Historical Society had a flea/antique market set up alongside a couple of other antique/vintage vendors on one of the quads as a fundraiser. That's where I spotted this pair. At first I wasn't too sure. And I walked on. And then I couldn't stop thinking about them. So I went back and asked what the best price was. Hmmmm. Back to the beer festival. Still couldn't stop thinking about them. Had to have them, but Greg had to get home for the football game. Dropped him off and back I went. Still there. Whew. Made an offer. Did the deal. Mine. Hooray!

I know bits from dead animals aren't everybody's cuppa. I love animals alive and I am certainly do not support their killing just for the sake of trophies. But I'd rather see more of an animal utilized than less, even if in part for a decorative purpose. Anywho, I don't mean to offend by my description of having obsessively coveted these and I understand if anyone out there just wants to move on to the afghan.

I love that they are proudly autographed by Ron. I'm really not sure how old these actually are. When I Googled Ron's Taxidermy, it popped up on Google Maps, so he very well might still be in business, and if so, Ron, if you're out there, well done.

Now that I have them I am currently thinking that I will be keeping both. I am totally in love with these painted antlers by Cassandra Smith on Etsy. They are naturally shed, so no animals are harmed in the creation of her art. Isn't this one especially gorgeous? (They go very fast from her shop, so move quickly if you happen to be interested, and keep an eye out for new designs and colors.) I may very well come up with a scheme and paint one of my pair for hanging in the (more feminine) living room and keep the other au naturel for the basement room when it's all put back together (in a masculine manner).

And my other recent find. There just happens to be a thrift store next to my fav grocery, Weilands, so the other day before going to get the necessaries, I popped in and had a quick look around and found this crocheted afghan in the brightest orange with cream trim, perfect for a cheery fall pop of color.

It's in really perfect shape, but as I was photoing it this afternoon, I noticed it is quite a bit longer at one parallel end than the other. Perhaps that's why it was cast off. But I don't mind one bit, I love it just the way it is. I think it's a keeper too.

♡,

Erin

Sunday Funday

2011-09-22T13:51:00.003-04:00

We kicked our day of r and r off with an absolutely delicious brunch at Third and Hollywood in Grandview (mentioned before here). The eternal debate: will it be a bloody mary or a mimosa? How about one of each?

Greg had the steak and eggs, which had it going on and them some. Lucky for me he was game to share a bit.

I had the pesto omelet with arugula salad. The omelet was cheesy and yummy. Lucky for Greg, I was game to share a bit.

Another mimosa? Why not.

Of course no brunch is worth its salt with out a little dessert. We wandered over to Jeni's for a couple scoops (pistachio and honey, my tried and true fav, with sweet corn and black rasperries, my seasonal fav) and a french press for me, as I was feeling a little nap-y after a big meal and that second oj+.

We then headed downtown to do a little wandering around and taking in of architecture and what not.

The Scioto River runs right alongside downtown and across the way (the side we're on above) is an area of the city known as Franklinton. Established in 1797, Franklinton was the site of the first settlement in the vicinity of what is now Columbus.

We walked along the river and under the bridge. See here for what the boats filled with firewood are all about.

And took in the view from the front steps of the COSI, Columbus's science and industry museum.

Though it's been expanded upon, the building that the COSI inhabits was once Columbus's Central High School.

We then tracked back to the downtown side and commenced our stroll along the newly-opened Scioto Mile Riverfront Park.

The pergolas on the left cover porch-like swings, park benches, and chairs and tables with boards for checkers/chess.

A super enthusiastic and nice lady out with her daughter whom we passed offered to take our pic. It saved from having to attempt the awkward arms length thing that always turns out badly.

About a mile later, we were pretty thirsty, so into Milestone 229, the new restaurant at Bicentennial Park at the south end of the Mile.

We sat out on the patio and took in the fountain, which was full of frolicking kiddies. Beyond is a performance pavilion. Not too shabby. Neither was 229's margarita, and we saw tons of really good looking food go by, although we were still too stuffed from brunch to try anything ourselves.

On the way back we caught some wildlife.

And stopped for a swing.

Hooray for Sunday funday and exploring in one's own backyard!

♡,

Erin

What Was for Dinner: Tomato Sauce With Onion and Butter

2011-09-17T00:25:00.001-04:00

Greg's birthday was earlier this week and in lieu of going out, I cooked up a little something, we split a bottle of wine, and discussed upcoming fun activities to further celebrate (birthday and recently past anniversary).

Labor Day weekend our friends arrived bearing a heaping load of tomatoes from their gardens. So after finding this ridiculously simple sounding recipe so highly touted on both of my go-tos, Smitten Kitchen and Orangette (links straight to the how-tos), I settled on it for the occasion, but decided to sub what was left of these fresh lovelies (plus a couple from csa and a couple from the grocery store to measure up) for the canned as called for. I cored and peeled and then smushed and squeezed them to a pulp by hand and I probably ended up with right around the two cups as called for. It probably took me seven or eight tomatoes to get there, but they were all sizes and shapes. I'd say five or six big ones would do the job. And I used several smaller yellow onions vs. one medium. Otherwise I followed the recipe(s) exactly.

We couldn't believe so much yum could come from four ingredients (tomatoes, onions, butter, salt,). This tastes incredibly comforting, but yet it's sophisticated in its simplicity. It will definitely be making multiple encores this fall and winter. It has a bone-warming quality.

I couldn't bear to discard the onion. Too yummy. And added fresh basil and parm to make it a little more special, but they certainly weren't necessary.

I'm currently in Lansing, MI, preparing to geek out at an archaeology conference but will be home late ~~tomorrow~~ today(!) and am sooooo looking forward to a Sunday funday with the better half.

Bedtime!

♡,

Erin

Golden Highlights

2011-09-13T20:49:00.001-04:00

This weekend we were back at the basement, this time with help from Greg's Mom and Dad. But there was an escape from the dungeon (as I'm sort of starting to think of it) by Greg's Mom and I long enough to take in the Farmer's Market (as per the usual for me, as you already know).

I've wanted to try one of Sassafras Bakery's (super cute website) lovely goodies for awhile. As by the time we were ready to pack it in and return home, it was nearly 11:00 and I was still sans breakfast, I finally just couldn't resist any longer, and upon being told it was the last chance, brought home this gorgeous peach basil scone. (Last chance because Ohio peaches are nearly gone till next year. Boo.) And oh boy, it was as good as it looks!

Also on offer at the market was the new fall edition of Edible Columbus, published quarterly and devoted to covering the wonderful producers and purveyors in the region.

So before getting back to work, I brewed up a cup and took a load off. (I swear the sweet fall palette of this assemblage is a happy coincidence!)

So happy to see Honeyrun Farm featured! (See previous Farmer's Market tribute.)

(At risk of it seeming like this blog is completely devoted to farmers markets and dahlias) later in the afternoon I plucked these lovelies from my own front garden!...

and jammed them into a few little arrangements for around the house. I've been hooked on fresh flowers on the dining table for quite awhile now, and after sticking some in the office and spare bedroom for the benefit of our Labor Day weekend guests, I've now gotten used to peeking into these rooms and having cheery bouquets sitting there staring back at me. So for now, while they're abundantly free for the cutting, I think I'm going to keep indulging.

Anywho, progress was made in the basement; optimistic projection is that we'll be watching college bowl games down there. Pessimistic, the Super Bowl.

Back soon.

♡,

Erin

8 Years, 1 Day Ago...

2011-09-07T14:57:00.003-04:00

the better half and I were married!
We started dating in high school. We've become adults together. And to be all corny, like that wine there, it just keeps getting better with age.
Greg, I love you now more than ever. Mwah!

♡,

Erin

I Spy...

2011-08-31T21:12:00.002-04:00

I came to be hoofing it along High St. in Clintonville (the area of Columbus just south of Worthington) today and I spotted fall trying to blend in amongst a bunch of zinnias. Random pumpkins ♥.

This pretty little garden flanks the entrance to The Cornerstone Deli-Café's parking lot. I've never eaten there, but I like their effort to brighten things up a little bit in the midst of an expanse of blacktop.

In other news, I am actually, really, truly adding items to The Little Green Vintage Shop. As you read.

And we're having friends come to visit over the long Labor Day weekend, so the next couple of days are going to be busy getting work done and the house spiffed up prior to their arrival. But the weekend itself should be a blast.

So in case I'm not back till next week, have a great (and hopefully long) one yourself!

♡,

Erin

What Was For Dinner: Grilled Eggplant with Feta, Tomatoes, and Herbs

2011-08-29T23:20:00.003-04:00

With our csa subscription this summer, we are experiencing the bounty of the season like never before. And it's kind of overwhelming. Not that I like wasting food, but for some reason every bit of csa produce that's gone bad before we've gotten to use it I have felt way more guilty about than anything from the grocery store that's ever rotted into inedibility on my watch. I think at least part of the reason for this is that each week we actually come face-to-face with the people working so hard to grow all the beautiful fruits and veg and to bring them practically to our door stoop. And I know the opportunity to eat so fresh and local is a privilege, and a fleeting one, therefore it's a real shame if I don't make the most of it.

I hadn't been feeling very inspired for the last week or so, which isn't good given the pile of produce that's been staring me in the face. Then, just in the nick of time, I came across this post on the Kitchn this afternoon. And as a result we had the delicious grilled eggplant above for dinner. The recipe is here. We had one medium-large eggplant, so that's what we made. I winged it and didn't measure the vinegar or oil. I just had regular balsamic and I forgot to add the sugar, but it tasted just fine to me in the end. I did drizzle just a little more balsamic over as I was eating, but I ♥ a little more of any kind of vinegar than maybe others would. We subbed feta for goat cheese and used basil, oregano, and parsley, cause that's what we had. Easy, delicious, gorgeous, and healthy to boot. It would make a great simple starter, but this was the main course for us tonight.

Yum!

♡,

Erin

Happy Belated Birthday!!!

2011-08-24T15:12:00.001-04:00

to our brand new niece, Serena! Serena was born a week ago today and we've been enjoying a steady stream of adorable photos from her mom and dad, but can't wait to meet her and see her big sister in person in October when we go to visit them in Florida.

Serena arrived a bit early, so her auntie is still trying to pull together a welcome-to-the-world present for her, part of which you see here. Remember when I mentioned here that I'd just done a sewing project? Well this little trio was it.

Back in July I took the Baby Gift Set class at the sweetest sewing shop in the world, Sew to Speak, which lucky for me is located right down the High Street. This is actually the third class I've taken there, all with Michelle Thomas, a super-nice and ever-patient instructor, despite the fact that I've arrived each time not remembering how to thread my machine because I've failed to attempt any sewing since the last time.

In a little under three hours, I managed to complete the bib and burp cloth, and all but stuff and sew up the final bit of the giraffe. And I felt pretty good about myself! I couldn't deal with a limp giraffe, so I stuffed him right away, but just finished sewing him up yesterday.

And then headed straight back to the shop and picked up this adorable fabric to make another bib and burp cloth. I don't know from experience, but I doubt one with a wee one can have too many of either.

And I signed up for a tea towel class this Sunday. I will be sure to share the results of that endeavor!

Sew to Speak has a great blog full of inspirations, from projects to the latest and greatest fabrics. If you are in the greater Columbus area, they have a fantastic bunch of classes to choose from for all ability levels. And if you don't own your own machine, you can even borrow one to use.

Perhaps in the future I can take you on a tour of the shop. It is bright, colorful, and inspiring, packed to the brim with bolts, notions, patterns, and lovely books. If you're not in Columbus you can shop online. Hooray! Just follow the links.

I have plans to set up a little sewing/crafting/whatever-elsing-I-like nook here at home in the next couple of weeks to facilitate actually doing projects on my own. Just have to get the displaced basement couch out of the way and make a trip to Ikea. I will keep you posted on that too.

Now to get busy on that bib and burp cloth before she's off to college.

♡,

Erin

Happy Place

2011-08-15T00:25:00.003-04:00

Hello there. It's been a bit of a mixed bag of a weekend here with digging further into basement business, but one of the high points was the usual Saturday morning trip to the Worthington Farmer's Market. These posters by Igloo Letterpress have been up all around town for awhile now and I've been coveting one. Going to have to pick one up. And maybe going to have to look into dropping into one of their Saturday morning classes. They're on Etsy too, if you're not presently hailing from these parts.

It is definitely the height of fresh produce season. The last couple weeks I've really had to restrain myself from buying one of everything in sight.

Again, if you're not in the Columbus area, check out Honeyrun Farm on Etsy. They have delicious honey, lovely soap, and sweet moulded beeswax candles. Be sure to check out their profile for a nice back story. And here is their website as well.

Earlier in the season we had sort of made it a habit to stop by House Wine for an a.m. adult beverage (ok, Greg always just got a beer, but I definitely was always after something with champagne in it) on their sweet little patio after our market shopping and before heading on to brunch. For various reasons, we've been skipping over this part of the routine for quite awhile now, however it's a habit I definitely want to resurrect while good weather remains. Earlier in the season their fizzes were with Tessora Limone, a very good locally made limoncello, now it looks like they're on to fresh Ohio fruit.

Blue Jacket Dairy makes absolutely phenomenal cheese. Their aged cow's milk Ludlow is sooooo tasty, we've been buying it regularly for awhile now. And I just sampled their plain and herbed chevre Saturday and as soon as I finish off the goat cheese I've got in the fridge now, I'm bringing both kinds home.

We've been buying most of our meat this summer from Oink Moo Cluck Farms. Very tasty naturally, humanely raised stuff. Their chipotle honey chicken sausages are my favorite thing to be had off the grill of late.

The sweetest, tenderest, juiciest corn. Just add a bit of salt. Yum, yum. Update: I couldn't remember this vendor's name at the time I published this post, so better late than never, they are Wishwell Farms.

Between our csa share from HW Organic Farms and the other odds and ends we picked up, I admit, we're sitting on nearly an embarrassment of riches here. Though we have put a bit of a dent in the pile since just post-market.

Last Saturday I passed on the gorgeous bouquets the same seller I got this beauty from had because I had brought some zinnias home earlier in the week. Then I spent the whole of last week dreaming of her dessert-plate sized dahlias, so I just couldn't pass again.

And as promised, here is her info.

Going to the farmer's market has really become one of the things I look forward to most each week. And our csa has really been forcing me into the kitchen a lot more of late, and lo and behold I've been quite enjoying myself there. I'll try to start sharing some of the recipes I've followed/concocted. I know I promised one for cherry lemonade and now cherry season is well over. So if I want to be timely, I suppose I'd better get on it.

I hope you had a fresh and tasty weekend.

♡,

Erin

Vintage, Vintage Everywhere

2011-08-10T10:12:00.012-04:00

Finally, here are the goodies we scooped up at the estate sale I mentioned oh so long ago. I am up to my ears in finds that I need to scrub up, inventory, photo, and list in The Little Green Vintage Shop.

Isn't this baby beautiful? I'm pretty sure that all it needs is good cleaning and a new ribbon (or two, I think there's a button to switch colors).

All of the keys seem to work just fine, no sticking at all, and the return too, and it still makes that satisfying ding when you reach the end of the line.

I think it's early 20s. I've currently got two other typewriters as well that I found at garage sales this summer, both a bit newer than this one by a few decades. One is a script typewriter that works just perfectly (even the ribbon is a-ok) and the other has got a few sticky keys and needs a ribbon. I am debating as to whether or not to sell them as is or find a place to get them all serviced and in working order first. Or do the latter and then just have the start of my own typewriter collection. Hmmmmm.

This gem had been relegated to the garage, apparently it had long ago become too unfashionable to keep the bread. But I daresay its chrome-plated loveliness has come full circle as far as the looks department goes.

I picked up some polish yesterday and I think with a little elbow grease it would look right at home in today's modern stainless-filled kitchen. Or whatever room one might have things to keep tucked away out of sight inside something shiny.

These coasters are a keeper. I already have a set just like them but with pewter rims. The more the merrier.

I keep picturing this basket with one half full of peaches and the other full of blackberries. In keeping with the season.

Perhaps in a couple of months jammed full of yarn, a couple of needles, and the latest project. And I don't even knit. Yet.

It too was out in the garage, with a couple of odd nuts and bolts in it. Now ready for a new purpose.

Speaking of cooler weather, how's about a little Stewart plaid?

Oh, Scotland. I'll be back soon, I promise. (Our honeymoon destination. Hopefully I'll show you in the near future.)

And finally, one gorgeous chenille bedspread. I know you always see bits cut from these, but this one is in nearly absolutely, if not absolutely, perfect condition, so it will be remaining intact. As I mentioned, I first stopped into the sale Friday, but decided to wait on getting anything and go back Saturday afternoon when everything was half price. The one thing I missed out on that I really wanted was another all-white chenille spread. I don't remember if it was wedding ring pattern too or something different, but it was in equally fabulous condition. It would be adorning our bed now, but alas, I suppose that's the risk one takes in trying to get the best bargain.

Well, I am planning to do some chores, get a little exercise, and then spend the rest of the day working towards getting new things into Little Green Vintage. (While enjoying having the windows open for the first time since I don't remember when, as it seems the heat wave is finally over, hooray!) So watch for those items above I haven't indicated I plan to be selfish with, plus many more, coming soon. I am also still working towards a new line of handmade/upcycled items, hopefully in time for the holiday season, if not sooner.

In other news, we've half gutted the previously finished side of our basement, and my Dad arrives tomorrow to help in beginning its rehabilitation. I will do my best to still be a good blogger though.

♡,

Erin

Present

2011-08-05T12:42:00.007-04:00

I came across this journal at Anthropologie earlier this year and kinda loved the concept. It occurred to me then and there to get it and save it back to give to myself as a birthday present. I am ALL for self-gifting. I always know just what I want. I didn't get around to properly wrapping it, but I did tie some vintage ribbon around it.

I've always loved the idea of keeping a diary/journal, ever since I was a little girl, but I've never been very good at it. Every attempt I've tended to go into way too much excruciating detail, so that it takes forever to write an entry, and then I give up because I never feel able to take the time. So hopefully this will allow me to be short and sweet and stick-to-itive (I've thought about this before and I am pretty convinced that there is not a word in the English language that conveys the same nuances of meaning as stick-to-it-iveness. It sounds so much better said aloud, looks horrible written.) in recording myself for posterity.

I ♥ gilt-edged pages.

Liked this number cloud on the inside covers too.

I didn't have the chance to get started on my birthday or for a few days after, but finally yesterday I cracked the spine.

I'm trying not to peek ahead too much, but there's all sorts of questions. When I come to a particularly interesting one in the future, I'll be sure to share here.

I think the most thoughtful present I've every given myself. :)

Gosh, it's Friday again. Already. Happy weekend.

♡,

Erin

PS I just looked and it's available here and other places as well if you just Google the title.

Southwest Michigan Craft Beer Tour

2011-08-04T01:34:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to share one of the highlights of our trip last month for awhile now. So without further ado...

If you spend much time in Michigan and you're at all the food-y, beverage-y sort, it quickly becomes apparent that the state has a thriving craft beer culture. In fact you don't even really have to spend much time there, because if you live anywhere in or around the midwest, chances are there's a distributor that would be happy to show you via your establishment or package store of choice. Having lived in Kalamazoo for five years, home to one of the best and brightest of them all, Bell's Brewery, I think it's safe to say that along with the namesake lake, the outstanding craft beer is one of the top things that give us warm fuzzies about Michigan.

So, being on vacation with beer-enthusiast friends (actually, we have no other kind), it seemed appropriate that we pilgrimage around to a trio of our favorite producers, plus one fab brewpub. (And it made up for the shame that we didn't do anything of the kind while we lived there).

First stop was New Holland Brewing in Holland. We did some sampling, trying some of their more obscure or not-found-elsewhere-at-the-moment-brews, and had a little nosh too. The fav beer of the table was the Black Hatter (limited availability elsewhere in 22 ounce bottles), and The Dixie Luau pizza was quite tasty.

We visited their pub located in downtown Holland. They have a separate commercial brewery/distillery location at which they do the bulk of their production which you can tour on Saturdays at noon or 3:00. But it was Wednesday, so we were stuck with just the finished product. Darn.

Final note: they had some neat-o lighting fixtures throughout their space, like the one above running the length of the bar. Looks like something an intrepid diy-er could rig up perhaps.

Next it was on to Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids.

They do actually brew on site here. Notice the big gleaming tanks behind the glass.

We arrived mid-afternoon and things were kind of quiet, but happy hour was definitely hitting stride by the time we left around 4:30 and there was hardly a seat to be had indoors or out. Quite popular with the locals.

Out is where we decided to sit. They have quite a nice covered patio. Adorned with, what else, hops. One of Greg's favorite beers is Founder's Red's Rye, a Rye P.A.

And speaking of hops, next stop was HopCat. We had heard nothing but good things about this brewpub, and they were all true. Their beer list is absolutely humong-o, and they brew their own too (only available onsite) of which we definitely liked what we tried.

Lovely bar, huh? Oh and we had wings for a munchy and they were quite good.

We then headed south to conclude the tour at Bell's. They have done some pretty major renovations over the last year to the Eccentric Café, their pub at the brewery's original location in downtown Kalamazoo. They still brew small batches here that are available exclusively at the Café, but the majority of their production is done at a separate commercial location. Tours of the original brewery are on Saturdays at 11:30 or 1:30 and Sundays at 2:30. There's also a General Store adjacent to the Café with all sorts of Bell's merchandise, brewing supplies, and, of course, beer on offer.

It was a bit odd to go back to a place we were once so familiar with and have it be quite different. The Bell's we knew definitely had a hippie-esque, grassroots vibe, and it's now shinier and more sterile. But oh well, that's progress I suppose. The main part of Café was largely similar to before. These stained glass windows were previously present, but had moved around a bit. Good to see they made it safely to their new location. Aren't they gorgeous?

Bell's had and still has probably the best beer garden I've ever had the pleasure of whiling away the hours in. (And I've whiled away quite a few here.) It's huge. The new main entrance hall opens to a large paved courtyard that was redone as part of the remodel this last year (sorry, I failed to photo it) and that leads to the garden and lawn (above and below). And there's a big lot of space in the middle and off to the side that I didn't capture with various seating options. They have live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and in good weather the bigger acts play on the stage (below) while smaller acts play in the courtyard. At least that's how it used to be. In exploring round their website I just learned that the renovations included construction of a new indoor music hall. (Michigan winters are far longer than Michigan summers.) Now I'm quite jealous of all the Kalamazooans who still get to go here on a regular basis. It was a really good place to see live music before, though I admit it could get quite jam-packed inside. Now I bet it'll be stellar. See more pics on their site here. Amazing to see how the place has come along.

And then the sun set on our little outing. These are the tracks just north of Bell's. The fence on the left is the one right behind the stage in the pic above. I've always really like the way train tracks look at dusk. See the tiny little moon?

If you ever find yourself in Michigan, southwest or otherwise, thirsty, with time to kill, do try to go exploring. The state is not want for watering holes with excellent water. And be on the lookout for Michigan brews in your neck of the woods. Among them really are some of the best to be had.

♡,

Erin

A New Decade

2011-08-01T20:28:00.015-04:00

Hello there. Apologies for my absence last week. I had the best of intentions on many fronts, but unfortunately my plans were derailed by an unpleasant discovery in the basement.
We thought we were on the verge of finally putting the finished half to use as living space, when a series of events led to the realization that, as a consequence of the remodel not being done properly in the first place, over the next month we'll be tearing out and replacing portions of framing, drywall, and baseboard and all of the flooring, as all of the above have been exposed to moisture pretty much constantly over the last ten plus years with yucky results. This instead of just finishing off furnishing the space and kicking back and watching a movie. Bummer.
This bad news had me so bummed that I almost called off the trip home to Champaign-Urbana to celebrate my birthday, but I was convinced by my better half to not be a party-pooper and I'm very glad of it. I had a great time on Saturday with family and friends. Got to enjoy the best pizza in the world at Papa Del's on Green St. and then hop around downtown Champaign till it was my birthday no more. (The above is the Champaign City Building from the beer garden of The Blind Pig Brewery. I like that the pic is warm, fuzzy, blurry, nostalgic, and a bit romantic, like a good birthday should be.)
So it's the start of a new set of ten years for me, the one where all the ages start with 3. I've found the transition a bit depressing, but I'm excited too, for all the great things I'm sure are to come.
Hope you had a good weekend and I promise to try to be a more dependable blogger going forward, no matter the extraneous circumnstances.

♡,

Erin

High Summer

2011-07-24T22:37:00.001-04:00

Another great summer weekend drawing to a close. We went out for cocktails (at Mouton), dinner (at The Rossi. First time we'd tried it. Really good atmosphere, food, and service. Fabulous Deco bar.), and a nightcap at Bodega in the Short North Friday night. For those not familiar with Columbus, the Short North is situated north of downtown and south of the Ohio State University's campus. Centered on High St., it's a mostly commercial district chock full of restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries. It's where we like to go when we're in the mood for that energetic, hip sort of vibe and good people watching.

Saturday morning it was the Worthington Farmer's Market as usual, where I picked up these lovelies. And as when I posted on an earlier bouquet here, I'm not sure of the vendor's name. I will look in to both next time we're there (in two weeks, going home to Illinois for my birthday this coming weekend!), I promise.

Then we took our hungry selves to our usual Saturday brunch spot, Northstar Café in Clintonville.

Followed that up with an estate sale I'd scoped out on Friday. They were advertising everything would be half price Saturday after noon, so I held out and only ended up missing out on one goodie I really wanted. I'll share what we scooped up in the next couple of days.

Then to beat the heat, we headed to the theater for The Deathly Hollows Part 2. Maybe for the second weekend in a row, maybe not.

We concluded the day by making cherry lemonades (with a splash or two of vodka. Will share the recipe here in the very near future) and a tasty, nearly entirely grilled dinner.

Today was more work and less play, but it ended with a nice big thunder and rain storm as we tucked into tasty chicken sausages, corn on the cob, sliced tomato, and potato salad, topped off with ice cream.

I hope you've enjoyed the gratuitous floral-ness.

This final bloom fell off the main event, but was too pretty for the trash.

Hope your weekend was nice and summery.

♡,

Erin

Treasures on the Green

2011-07-20T00:19:00.003-04:00

Wow-y, it's nigh on Wednesday already! Time flies when your motivation keeps melting into a puddle. Extreme heat and extreme cold seem to both have the effect of rendering me motionless.

I thought I'd share a few pics of my booth at Treasures on the Green Saturday, because, well, I remembered to take some, and because they contain a little preview of some of the new things that will be going into Little Green Vintage on Etsy very shortly.

Luckily Saturday was nothing like yesterday and today in terms of temp and humidity. It was quite a pleasant day to be outside really.

Greg was wonderful and held down the fort for awhile so I could do a bit of looking around. Not to mention was the muscle behind the operation, brought me breakfast and lunch, and kept me company. I showed my gratitude for all his help by scooping up this little gem, the likes of which has been on both of our wish lists since we developed a serious weekend, fresh-squeezed cocktail habit back at the beginning of summer.

I also nabbed these lovely paint-by-numbers pieces for a song. I haven't decided whether or not to keep them for myself yet.

But I am particularly fond of this pup.

All in all the show was a good learning experience, though to be honest I think I'll be sticking mostly to my Etsy shop, at least in the near future and at least as far as vintage selling goes. It was quite a lot of work for a Saturday!

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

♡,

Erin

Show Time

2011-07-15T19:19:00.002-04:00

I am doing my very first show tomorrow and it's just occurred to me that it might be a good idea to let you know. I will be at Treasures on the Green, downtown Worthington from 9-4. If you by chance happen to be in the greater Columbus, OH area, please come by and say hello! The fabulous Worthington Farmer's Market will of course be going on too, from 9-12. I will be on the southeast quadrant of the village green with my back to Dublin-Granville Rd. I've accumulated a lot more goodies than just what's in my Etsy shop at the moment. I'll be taking my shop down here in a bit and will have it back up next week and will be adding new stuff all the time, I promise! In fact I am on the verge of expanding my offerings to include some handmade things with a vintage twist. Thus the slight name-change on my new card (above).

New cards are the 2x2" square option from UPrinting.com, which I first saw and liked the looks of here over at the Merriweather Council. I do like my results overall, although, as those with the critical eye can see, the cut was a bit off, resulting in my images and text not quite being centered. But I let them know about it and a fresh batch is on the way.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

♡,

Erin

Have you met Mollie?

2011-07-15T10:30:00.001-04:00

So I mentioned I am addicted to magazines. Well, I've added another to my must-have-every-issue list. I discovered Mollie Makes at the bookstore a few weeks ago while there picking up my other international must-have-every-issue read (introduce you to it soon). Mollie Makes is published in the UK, so it's a bit pricey here, but if you're into any or all of the below, it's worth every penny. And it seems each issue is to come with a little craft kit. How great is that?

I managed to come in on the very first issue (which feels really good as I somehow seem to always be late to discover neat things) and then earlier this week I stopped in to check and see if perhaps the next issue of either this or my other bookstore buy was out, and was just in time to snag the last copy of the second issue. And it's as good as the first!

I was delighted to see All the Luck in the World, of which you already know I'm smitten, featured.

And will you look at that lovely tea towel on the right there! The editors have excellent taste! But seriously, it's great to discover new wonderful things one loves in mags, but it also feels good to see the shops and items one already loves too. Quite validating.

There are projects galore. I'm in need of a pin cushion as I plan to kick my sewing hobby up a notch (from 0 to at least 1. But I've just done a project! and I'll show you soon).

I hope I get around to learning knitting/crochet before granny squares are granny again. I do like the look quite a lot at the moment.

And there are inspiring people and interiors too.

Yessiree, that is a full piano cozy. Love the eccentricity of the idea. (And that deer-head light.)

Whatever the topic, pretty well every spread is pure eye candy.

Mollie Makes is available by subscription nearly everywhere. And for us in the US, though it may seem a staggering sum, I did the math, and a subscription is slightly cheaper than the cover price. I am still considering whether or not to bite the bullet. Maybe as a birthday present to myself.

Do try to check it out though, it really captures the Etsy, craft-y, vintage-y, blog-y vibe sweeping around right now. And as someone trying to really embrace that culture and especially work harder on her crafty-ness, I find Mollie quite inspiring.

♡,

Erin

Patriotic Nautical-ness, A Fine Sunset, and Fireworks

2011-07-11T23:16:00.006-04:00

We had a wonderful time in Michigan with very, very good friends. It's great to be home however. I missed my little house and my sweet animals terribly. I am ready and raring to get going on all the projects in the pipeline. But first some vacay pics, taken with my regular camera and my (relatively) new-to-me favorite thing, the Hipstamatic App for iPhone.

Above and below, the channel in South Haven

The Friends Goodwill (see last post)

Natural fireworks before the manmade ones

Only just working with my little point and shoot sans tripod, but still pretty. Abstract neon jellyfish, anyone?

Hope everyone in the US had a great holiday.

♡,

Erin

Setting Sail

2011-07-01T07:47:00.000-04:00

We are heading off on vacay today, returning to our old stomping ground, southwest Michigan. Going to get reacquainted with the lovely lake you see above. There is no internet at the house we've rented (gasp, I know) so I don't know if I shall post again till we return (next Friday). In the meantime, Happy Independence Day.

For a bit on the ship, whose port is South Haven where we'll be located, see here.

Harvard Yard

2011-06-30T01:33:00.002-04:00

The last of Boston, at last. Greg and I had a stroll around the grounds of this university you may have heard of to take in the hallowedness the dreary morning of our last day in town.

Much red brick and much large trees, not much different than so many other campuses really.

But nice enough none the less, and I suppose it does have 375 years to its name, a rare credential on this side of the Atlantic.

Liked this juxtaposition of old and new.

We slipped in and out of here. Great smaller museum. Some really interesting exhibits including one on archaeology that's been done recently right in the old Yard with the great name of Digging Veritas.

So that's all of Boston. (The rest is here (Fenway), here (Garden and Common), and here (Freedom Trail). We stayed at The Lenox, grandeur of old, a little bit of modern (restaurants/bars), amazing service. Last night in town we had dinner at Al Dente in the North End, the interior wasn't special, but was cozy, the food, wine, and service were fantastic. The bolognese, oh the bolognese. A meal I won't forget any time soon.

♡,

Erin

German Village Haus and Garten Tour

2011-06-28T17:47:00.004-04:00

Greg and I spent Sunday afternoon strolling around German Village on the occasion of the neighborhood's 52nd Annual Haus and Garten Tour.

German Village, located just south of downtown Columbus was home to (as the name implies) the city's large population of German immigrants beginning in the early 19th century through the start of the 20th. The neighborhood declined due to anti-German sentiment over the course of the World Wars, and by the 1950s a good chunk had been demolished and the remainder was considered a slum. But a massive preservation effort was undertaken beginning in the 1960s as a result of the efforts of a few far-sighted individuals who were able to convince friends and friends-of-friends to buy in. The entire neighborhood is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a fantastically frozen-in-time collection of brick (including sidewalks and streets) and clapboard, residential and commercial, with plenty of postage-stamp gardens and window boxes thrown in for good measure.

I spy a Sputnik. So very in love with these light fixtures. But that's a story for a different day.

Even the weedies are all charming and variegated.

I ♥ white hydrangeas. Much more appealing than those blues and pinks that just look like they're trying too hard and aren't hardy at all to boot. I miss you Annabelle (the variety on the right of which I had one at each front corner of our house in Kalamazoo).

To be quite honest, we didn't actually make it to too many of the stops on the tour. The lines to get through the houses and gardens were fairly long and eventually our tummies got the better of us. Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus is a Columbus must-do that we hadn't done yet. So the time was then. The family's been making sausages since 1886 and doing the restaurant thing since 1967. It lived up to its history. After a large portion of German fare and a large beer (though not the largest they offer), we did a bit more wandering.

If you're ever in Columbus, do check out German Village. It's lovely to stroll around every season of the year. And there are some lovely shops and fantastic restaurants.

♡,

Erin

Kitchen Chuckles

2011-06-27T10:29:00.005-04:00

I purchased these two tea towels from Anthropologie way back at the start of the year and they sat in their bag until just the other week when I finally decided to stop being precious with them. When these wear out, I convinced myself, there'll be others to be had (or made, if I get my crafty-ness together).

But for now they definitely cheer up the kitchen. It doesn't look like these two are available anymore, but don't worry, they've got plenty of others to shake a stick at.

Other smile-inducing things in the kitchen. Whole wheat toast with Irish butter and Bonne Maman raspberry preserves has been my breakfast obsession for awhile now. When I pulled the lid off the latest jar, I discovered it liked me too.

Hope you had a great weekend.

♡,

Erin

Of All the Luck

2011-06-24T00:12:00.013-04:00

A little while back I ordered a set of six postcards of vintage embroideries from Etsy shop All the Luck in the World to add some color and texture to the walls of our spare bedroom. When I got the outer wrapping off I found the inner one was almost too pretty to open! This might win loveliest Etsy item packaging received to date!

But alas, I had to get at the contents. So very in love with fiber arts right now, old and new.

I initially framed them up, but wasn't liking the look. Then a little lightbulb came on. I remembered I'd picked up this washi tape, and decided to put two and two together.

But before the result, I've been trying to hit the garage sales hard lately, both to find things for Little Green Vintage and to finish furnishing and decorating our own abode (I plan to start sharing my fresh picked finds here very soon), and last week I scored this sweet little table to act as a nightstand for the spare room. The bed sits pretty high and it's just right, just enough taller than your average occasional table. I thought I would paint it, then I strung up the feathers(/inadvertent cat toy) and suddenly I am quite happy with it just the way it is.

So for a little splash of color right above,

up went the postcards.

Cheery and bright. The postcards and the tape. My first foray into washi taping and I'm pleased as punch. Sticks when you want it to and off it comes cleanly when you want that.

Do check out All the Luck in the World on Etsy. And proprietor Jane has a beautiful blog too: http://blog.alltheluckintheworld.nl/

I'll be sharing more of our house too as I do and add odds and ends, nudging it along to "finished" (ok, we all know never really, but closer to equilibrium).

♡,

Erin

VOGUE July '11

2011-06-21T17:22:00.005-04:00

I have a little problem. I am completely addicted to collecting glossy magazines. Which perhaps in and of itself isn't bad, but the trouble is I often never get around to actually reading them and otherwise absorbing their content. (They wait patiently in neat stacks sitting 'round the house until I give up six months later and deposit them in plastic tubs in the basement (not all, some I recycle dependent on subject). I have a wild fantasy that I will one day make up for my transgressions and not only read the new issues, but also take time to dig out and revisit the previous years' issues I once neglected.) I want to put this wastefulness to an end (the not reading in the first place at least), and I thought it might help if I promised to go through each new issue when it crosses my threshold and share what I loved the most here.

I currently have four subscriptions and another international mag I buy every month at the store (I experienced delivery fail going through a third party subscription service to get it at home). One of those is to Vogue. The July issue arrived yesterday, and though I already knew Emma Watson was going to be on the cover, I was still delighted to see it. (Though I am a little sad to see that "fall" is in the largest font of all accompanied by a palate of burgundy, orange, and brown. Really? Already? I suppose.) Then just a few pages in, there was the amazing Helena Bonham Carter, stealing the show from the star as usual.

But Emma's spread truly is gorgeous. Love this flapper meets fairytale dress (I've just read that the collection actually references the early '60s, but I feel entitled to my own adjectives) by Aquilando.Rimondi, fall '11.

But moreover love these magical jewel-encrusted boots by Alexander McQueen, spring '04. And the rings too, Solange Azagury-Partridge.

And the interview goes to further prove that she is a smart cookie too, with a good grip on reality, despite growing up in an imaginary world. (Good explanation for the explosion of the Y.A. fiction genre?)

A nod to the fact that it really is just the start of summer (today!), is this piece on the Greek island of Patmos, which sounds like a place chock full of eccentric expats with good taste and bottomless bank accounts. Annoying to the average person, perhaps. But I wouldn't mind having a sit on the beach with this view,

or a stroll through here in my kaftan on my way to get a nibble, would you? Wish I was brave enough to paint my trim anything besides white. Perhaps when that summer house is forthcoming.

♡,

Erin

Boston - Freedom Trail

2011-06-16T12:36:00.132-04:00

Greg's travels this week took him back to Boston, which reminded me I wanted to share more from our trip there last month.

While Greg was attending his conference. I set out to follow the Freedom Trail, a two and a half mile long trek which takes you by no less than 15 historically significant places, many having to do with the Revolution. As I like to read every last bit of interpretation and snap pics like it's going out of style, it took me two days to walk it and I didn't even make it to the last leg on the other side of the Charles River. But ah well. I don't know if my brain could have soaked up anymore Independence factoids anywho.

The trail starts off in Boston Common, overlooked by the Capitol Building.

Down the way a bit, next to the Park Street Church, is the first of three cemeteries on the trail. The Granary Burial Ground is the newest of the three and it holds a bunch of the important revolutionaries.

Old cemeteries. ♥ (Remember, I am an archaeologist. Not just a morbid weirdo, though perhaps a bit of that too.)

There's actually been quite a lot of effort put into the study of early American gravestones by historical archaeologists. You can learn a lot about a person from their tombstone, you know (besides what's written in the epitaph).

On to the King's Chapel, home of the Church of England in Boston to this day.

King's Chapel was actually built on top of half an already existing Puritan burying ground, the oldest one in the city. The Crown seized the land when no one would sell them a bit to put their own church on. (Well we know where all that bullying got them.) So though it's called King's Chapel Burying Ground now, it isn't really associated with the church at all, despite the fact it's right next door to it (and underneath it).

Some later crypts are located underneath the street. Can't be very peaceful, I wouldn't think.

Next stop, marked by this great mosaic.

The Old South Meeting House. Sight of plotting and planning having to do with some old lot of tea.

Old State House. The Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston from this balcony a little after it was written in 1776.

This is what marks the Freedom Trail throughout the city (or a painted red stripe) so you can't get too lost wandering about. (Saves time squinting at maps and looking like a complete tourist too.)

Faneuil Hall, another meeting house with a market on the first floor that is closed for renovations presently. They've been doing a bit of digging in conjunction actually.

My kind of trash.

I had lunch here the second day of my trek. Vendor after vendor of any kind of food you could think of. Had to have a lobster roll.

On to the North End, Boston's Little Italy.

You can smell the garlic in the air, truly wonderful.

I thought this place looked so inviting. Our last night in town we came back to the North End for dinner, and stopped in here for a drink beforehand. We had to just wander around and refind it because of course I couldn't remember the name or the street, and I can't now either to tell you, but just look for gorgeous window boxes.

First stop along the trail in the North End, Paul Revere's humble abode.

No shortage of tulips in this neck of the wood either. (See here for more Boston tulips.)

And here's the man himself

beckoning one on to the Old North Church, forever linked to his patriotic deeds.

The last stop on the Freedom Trail for me was Copp's Hill Burying Ground, second oldest (to King's Chapel) cemetery in the city.

A virtuous Puritan name if ever there was one.

One of the interpretive plaques stated that when the British occupied this part of Boston, they used this fellow's stone for target practice in retaliation for his loyalties (or lack thereof) in life, thus the extra-hollow eye socket on the skull.

So, whew! There it is. If you're ever in Boston, take the hike. Even if you don't stop off at every site to read through every exhibit, it's really a great way to explore the city and get some exercise to boot.

♡,

Erin

Goodnight Moon

2011-06-13T23:55:00.006-04:00

Gorgeous moon tonight over O-hi-yo. Greg set off tonight on a business trip, and I feel like this an appropriate sort of sky to feel a bit lonely under. And then "Somewhere Out There" popped into my head and I flashed back to first grade music class.

In other randomness, perhaps this is the post where it comes out that I do my picture taking with a 5+ year old Canon point-'n-shoot that doesn't do so well in low light. But let's pretend that that doesn't have anything to do with the above pic, and that it's actually the product of a neat-o vintage analog. But I do have a birthday coming up, a big one actually, and a new camera of the fancy variety is top of my wish list.

Ok then. Night, night.

♡,

Erin

Before and After (a looooong time in the making): Bar Cabinet

2011-06-10T10:32:00.004-04:00

Way, way back in the summer of 2008, I purchased this lovely at The Heritage Co. in Kalamazoo. At that point I had already been dreaming for quite some time of finding a glass-front cabinet to hang over the old dry sink that we use for our bar.

I loved the color too. I thought it had a great patina, just needed a little scrubbing up. Then I started scrubbing, and realized that the patina was actually likely layers and layers of nicotine mixed with other assorted filth. (I surmised that it had last lived in the garage of a smoker. Originally I think it was the top of a hutch.) And it wasn't coming off without a fight.

So knowing that getting it cleaned up was going to take quite a bit more time and effort than anticipated made me put off tackling the chore. That and trying to do a master's thesis. So there it sat on the living room floor next to the bar, and sat, and sat, and sat until it got packed up and moved to Columbus with all of our other worldly possessions last summer. And then it did some more sitting, again on the living room floor near the bar because I had every intention of getting to it next thing. Then finally in early April my dad came to visit and a small miracle happened. We did get to it! (This was the project I mentioned toiling away on here.)

And after the two of us applied much elbow grease, it finally became apparent that my beloved cabinet was never going to come clean enough to place barware in without the application of sand paper and paint.

So plan b was put into action. Off to the Benjamin Moore Store where I picked out St. John's Bay (not too far from what the original color was, me thinks) in their High Gloss Metal and Wood Enamel. Great stuff for painting furniture, you can get away with minimal to no sanding depending on the surface, self-priming, available in every color of their rainbow, and soap and water clean-up.

Unfortunately, hanging it was to be a three person job and it wasn't all painted and ready to go up on the wall before my dad had to head home. So it sat a little longer till Greg's parents came to visit.

Where upon we learned that the studs in our wall oddly enough don't follow straight lines floor to ceiling.

But finally, success! Three years in the making!

Cheers to another weekend!

♡,

Erin

Market Spoils and Riches

2011-06-07T10:19:00.007-04:00

I got a bea-utiful bouquet of garden flowers at the Worthington Farmer's Market Saturday. Peonies, sweet william, nigella, delphiniums, etc. ♥ Unfortunately I'm not sure of the vendor's name. Get back to you on that one.

And we picked up our first csa share from HW Organic Farms. A lot of what you see here is going to be going into this not-just-potatoes potato salad I came across over at Smitten Kitchen. And speaking of farmer's markets and Smitten Kitchen. I made this strawberry rhubarb crumble last night with rhubarb from HW, but unfortunately not Ohio strawberries. I already had some in the fridge from the grocery, but as it turned not enough to make this, and silly me passed up the gorgeous pints for sale by another vendor on Saturday, thus necessitating more grocery strawberries from afar. I won't be making that mistake again! But in the end it was still absolutely delicious. So go to the market on Saturday (or whatever day of the week yours happens to be) with this in mind, then come home and make it. Do it!

Before baking.

After baking and eating glutinous portions complete with Graeter's vanilla on top. Go ahead, say it. "Oink, oink!"

Summer ♥!

♡,

Erin

Vintage Cocktails @ Mouton

2011-06-03T13:16:00.008-04:00

Last Friday night Greg and I set out as we usually do in search of some libations, especially keen to celebrate the kick off of the three-day weekend. I've been wanting to visit Mouton in the Short North for a loooong time now, ever since I read about it here on Columbus à la Mode and then just recently in the first edition of Columbus Crave. So we stopped in for some fresh, fresh cocktails with one foot in the past (traditional recipes), but definitely one in the present too (micro-distilled spirits). Greg had the Old Fashioned, which packed a delicious punch, and I had the Whiskey Smash, which was totally refreshing (like on a hot day, these would go down waaaaay too easy!).

I really liked the interior, a nice mix of clean minimalism and sturdy statement pieces from days of yore. Cocktail menu is posted on the wall above the bar, the recipe for each drink handwritten on individual sheets of paper (above, and look at those giant bottles of fresh squeezed juices in the fridge ♥), and the wine list is written on a large chalkboard on the adjacent wall (below). Craft beers are available by the bottle too. We didn't try anything off their food menu (mostly cheeses and meats and such), perhaps next time.

Mouton has a Facebook page as well with all the latest and it appears they are having an extended happy hour this very evening to celebrate their one year anniversary. Hmmmmm... maybe next time is only a few hours away!

Happy weekend!

♡,

Erin

What Was For Dinner - Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

2011-05-31T20:54:00.034-04:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. (Or a lovely regular weekend for those outside the US.) Mine was absolutely perfect. Cocktails, local dining, farmers market, grilling out, relaxing on the screened-in porch, watching movies, and even a parade. And it was hot! 90 degrees and then some.

Anywho, I've been wanting to share this recipe for awhile now. Truth be told I made it nearly a month ago when neither tomatoes nor basil were really in season. But basil has arrived on the scene, and well, tomatoes are a ways off, but not too far really.

They're so pretty, they'd make for a lovely special-occasion lunch main. But they were fab for dinner too and they actually reheated really well in the oven.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

from Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics

1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry (I used Trader Joe's)

Olive oil

4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)

2 large cloves garlic, slivered

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3 tablespoons dry white wine

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

4 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese (I used Chavrie)

1 large tomato cut into 4 1/4" thick slices (or I used two Campari tomatoes, slightly larger than cherry tomatoes, for 8 slices)

3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. (I couldn't get mine quite this big, so if you can't either, don't sweat it.) Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps (or bake them and eat them smothered with preserves later). Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot or warm with some mixed greens and white wine. And be proud you made something so gorgeous and delicious!

♡,

Erin

Poms and Peonies

2011-05-25T14:19:00.006-04:00

Last fall I ordered a small bunch of tissue paper pom kits from Etsy shop PomLove. Well as it turns out, I just got around to opening the box they came in, fluffing up three of the summerier colors I chose, then hanging them up in the front window about a month ago.

I am really in love with the current trend of incorporating celebratory decor into everyday decor. Buntings, garlands, pompoms, fairy lights, bring them on! In a world that seems to be full of bad news, I think the continuous sense of cheer they bring is much needed.

And the same could be said for flowers, whether growing outdoors or cut and brought inside. I am sooooo excited for the first time in years to have peony bushes in the yard. I always meant to plant a couple at our last house, but never got around to it. These beauties burst into bloom yesterday, and I immediately snipped a few. I took the pic on the left above this morning, and when I came back around a couple of hours later the subject had completely popped open (right). A natural pompom!

Sitting here at the table I keep getting whiffs of them blown on the breeze. ♥

And a couple shots of those left out in the yard (for now!).

♡,

Erin

Pupcake

2011-05-24T22:47:00.004-04:00

I was planning to do a completely different post, but upon downloading the last couple weeks worth of pics off my camera, I came across these absolute gems and I couldn't resist giving Piper the floor.

Saturday before last during the Worthington Farmer's Market, Blue Frost Cupcake, had a table set up outside their shop on High St. selling a breakfast-y people cupcake (cinnamon and sugar I believe it was) and also these sweet little noms for the four-legged market patrons (for only $1!). We managed to resist the people treat (even though we've sampled some of their other offerings before and they are quite yummy), but couldn't resist taking a little pupcake home to Piper.

And... gone. Not my fingers, even though it looks like it. She's generally good about only just nibbling the hand that feeds her.

Back tomorrow with what I had planned for today!

♡,

Erin