Happy Place

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

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

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

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

     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