vintage suitcases and ottomans

 Last month I showed you the vintage yellow suitcase I found at Secret Treasures and was wondering how best to use it. At the time, I was using a chest and the yellow suitcase as a coffee table.

But, the arrangement didn't work. It didn't look right with the round otttoman next to the suitcases. I tried just the suitcases in the middle of the rug and while it looked nice, it wasn't the right height for putting your feet up while sitting on the couch. We feel more comfortable with an ottoman or casual coffee table where we can put our feet up.

 I decided to try this empty-ish corner next to the couch.

I think this works for now. The chest was too big for the corner, so I used the yellow suitcase on the bottom and then added another suitcase on top. Serves as an end table. I'm not crazy about the IKEA lamp in the corner ~ it's too modern for my living room ~ but it'll have to do for now until I find just the right floor lamp for that space.

The two leather ottomans are back in place and so is Zippo - in one of his favorite napping spots.

 I really wanted to finish up some painting projects outside today, but can you believe it's only 49 degrees?! I am wearing long sleeves and a hoodie again - and had to turn on the heat in the house this morning when just a couple of days ago, we were running the air-conditioning. Such is the crazy weather in Chicagoland!

Sharing at Tweak it Tuesday.

 

family time ~ a great start to the weekend

 Tim came home for a short visit yesterday and the three of us met up with my mom in one of our favorite hang-out towns - Evanston. I've talked before about shopping at one of my favorite stores - Secret Treasures - and have featured the things I've found there, including my vintage kitchen cart. This time, I brought in some things that I wanted to sell. Their buying policy is that they buy right then and there (except on weekends when they're super busy) and give you 50% of their selling price. They didn't buy everything I took in, but I did end up with a tidy little sum which I will add to my new laptop fund. After shopping at Secret Treasures (even Tim found some cool stuff ~ retro drinking glasses, ashtrays, pipes and a pipe stand ~ he said he's going to have a 1950's party), we all went out to lunch and just enjoyed each other's company. Mom went home after that, but me, Brian and Tim were just getting started.

Next stop was the Charles G. Dawes mansion right by Lake Michigan. I had forgotten my "good" camera, so these are just photos from my phone. Tim, being the professional photographer, took a lot of photos on our day trip, so I'm sure he got some stunning photos.

This house is supposed to be an example of the Chateauesque type of architecture. Isn't it beautiful? Charles Dawes was the VP to Calvin Coolidge, General during WW1, and Ambassador to Great Britain. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925. This house is now owned by Northwestern University (Dawes left it to them) and is used by the Evanston Historical Society.

 Being fascinated with beautiful houses, I couldn't resist getting a photo of the house next door, too.

 Next stop on our tour was the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, IL. Growing up in the Chicago area, Brian and I have both been here several times before. Tim had been here once before too, but it was when he was little. Such a beautiful, interesting place to not only photograph, but to visit, too. Even though we're not of the Baha'i faith, I find their beliefs and philosophies very interesting. And the history and architecture of this temple is absolutely fascinating. You can read about it here.

One of the gardens...wouldn't this be a perfect spot for a wedding? Heck, I wanted to roll out my yoga mat. Or, start a game of croquet.

Photos of the interior of the temple aren't allowed, but I was able to take this photo out the back door of the temple. I loved this view with a glimpse of Lake Michigan in the background.

 

 You didn't think I came home from Secret Treasures empty-handed, did you? I found this 1938 "Modern Home Cook Book" in perfect condition for just $3. (The other two vintage cookbooks were found on different shopping trips to Goodwill.) Looking through this cookbook is interesting in itself...seeing what they cooked and ate back in the late '30's. Definitely not dishes you'd want to eat today...Cream of Lettuce Soup; a lot of kidney, veal, quail and rabbit dishes (OK, so maybe some people still eat this stuff...not me!); Milk Toast; Pineapple Cream...even a section of recipes "For the Sick".

The only other thing I bought was the glass dairy bottle in the middle. You can't see it in the photo, but the bottle has raised letters that say "Bowman Dairy Company".

 

It was so good to see my boy again and have such an awesome start to the weekend.

Hopefully, more family fun with my aunt tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too.

 

mini miss begonia

 A special package arrived for me today...

In March 2013, Judy from 20 North Ora introduced us to Miss Begonia. You can read all about her here. What a beauty all decked out in beautiful pieces of lace and pretty buttons. This past April, Judy made a Mini Miss Begonia and had a giveaway. Guess who won?

 Of course, Miss Nosy (AKA, Clementine) had to immediately jump on the table and check out this mysterious package. She sure gave it a good sniffing!

 I knew even before Mini Miss Begonia arrived, that she would fit in perfectly in my office. (Little side note: I just recently moved this table into my office from the kitchen and hung the window frame on the wall, so this is something new, too.) Isn't she pretty? 

 And then I thought, she needs necklaces! What a pretty way to display them. What do you think?

I think Mini Miss Begonia fits right in this room. Thank you, Judy ~ so generous and kind of you and very much appreciated!

 

PS - it is still quite chilly here (only in the 40's!) and cloudy and damp. We even have a frost warning tonight! I couldn't stand the long grass any longer and mowed this morning. We're supposed to have our driveway sealcoated tomorrow...they're saying sunshine and a bit warmer, so crossing my fingers on that one. Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Linking up with Tweak it Tuesday.

a beautiful home ~ and a quiet Mother's Day

 Yesterday afternoon I drove into Chicago to attend my VFF's (Very First Friend ~ we met when were were barely 4 years old!) girlfriend's dinner. I left my house a little early so that I could do some shopping and sight-seeing in the city, but traffic going down there was worse than anticipated, so I didn't end up with much time to look around. Driving down Clark St. in this certain section of Chicago, I saw so many stores that I would've loved to browse in. I found a parking space, got out of my car, and it was like my head was on a swivel. So many cool looking stores and cafes on corners and good smells coming out of restaurants. This area is definitely on my day trip list. I only had time to go into one store - a huge resale shop where I found some great treasures! I'll save that for another post.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my friend's house with you. I've talked about Cin on my blog before and showed some photos of her house, but each time I visit there are different vignettes depending on the season. I love her house. It's warm, inviting, beautiful and charming. Just like she is. By the way, Cin is a professional poet. If you're interested in taking a look at her web site and what she does, click here.

 How I would love to have windows like this in my house! Look closely at the arrangement on the buffet. Cin incorporated her son's Lego creations into the vignette. :-)

The table is beautifully set for our dinner. More details in this room I love: the original light fixture and the built-in china cabinet (little bit showing on the left).

Part of the charming kitchen. There's a chalkboard wall to the right with the door to the basement and then a recessed nook where the fridge is.

Open shelving on the kitchen wall...

Standing in the kitchen looking the other way... great space for Cin's little guy to play while she's preparing a meal. I love the brick floor and the wood ceiling. 

 

It was a quiet day here for Mother's Day. Brian doesn't cook, so instead of making me breakfast, he went to Panera to get me an egg souffle. He texted me to let me know the line was out the door! Poor guy waited in that long line only to find out that the souffles were all gone. He was off to work a couple of hours after that. Tim had to work today too, so the day was spent by myself. It was cold and rainy and just generally yucky today, so I took a long, hot bath, did some yoga, read a little bit, did housework and puttered and organized, then treated myself to Chinese food for dinner. Haven't had that in ages. It was really good, but my tummy felt yucky afterwards. I'm not used to eating heavy, greasy food. After my stomach was settled a bit, I took a walk around my neighborhood for some fresh air and exercise. I also called my mama to wish her a Happy Mother's Day and to have a chat. We'll be seeing her in person later this week.

Mother's Day is hard for a lot of people...for those who have lost a child, such as myself; or have lost their mom; or for those who have lost their wife/mother of their children. A male friend of mine who lost his 36-year old wife about eight years ago to cancer, posted on Facebook yesterday that he hates Mother's Day. When his wife died, she left behind their six small children. On top of it, he also lost his mother to suicide many years ago. So I can totally understand why he feels the way he does. If you're so inclined, click here to read a wonderful article ~ "For Those Who Hurt on Mother's Day".

My beautiful boys...Philip Thomas (forever 21...you can read my dedication to Phil at the top of my page) and Timothy David.

 

an unexpected gift

As I was out and about in the yard yesterday, I noticed a lone flower in the midst of the pachysandra ground cover. A flower that I hadn't planted and never seen before. I posted the photo on Facebook asking if anyone knew what it was. I quickly received the answer from quite a few people: white trillium. What is so cool about this is that it's the provincial flower and emblem of Ontario.

I was born in Ontario. :-)

  It's a protected plant  in Ontario provincial parks and conservation areas. Certain species of this plant are also protected in Ohio and Michigan. How this one lone flower came to be at my house is beyond me. I'm counting it as a gift.

And speaking of gifts from nature, I walked into my back yard today and was immediately hit with the scent of lilacs. Yep, my one big lilac bush was finally in full bloom! I wish I could cut some and bring them in the house, but my allergies are terrible. Unfortunately, these beautiful blooms make me sneeze.

Hope your weekend is filled with wonder and beauty!

bassackwards

 My hubby, Brian is in a profession that is open 24/7. When our boys were little, he worked rotating shifts and it was very hard on all of us. Thirteen years ago, his employer established permanent shifts and since Brian's one of the senior employees, he got day shift. Not Monday - Friday, mind you, but at least it wasn't the evening shift or even worse, the midnight shift. Well, now there's a new boss and the decision was made to go back to rotating shifts. Long story as to why - which I'll spare you. Needless to say, Brian and I aren't happy about this, but there's nothing we can do except to deal with it as best as we can. January 1st of this year through the end of April (plus the first couple of days in May due to some shift changes), Brian was on day shift. Here he is grilling outside in the rain Sunday evening ~ his last evening at home. A little rain doesn't stop a man and his grill!

So now Brian's on the evening shift ~ 2:30 - 10:30 p.m - until the end of August. (And then he's on midnights the rest of the year - double ugh.) It's so weird having him here in the mornings with me. It throws off my daily routine. Since we like to spend time together like we're used to doing in the evenings, we now do it in the mornings. I made a big breakfast for us this morning - veggie frittata, bacon (Trader Joes has a very good nitrate-free applewood smoked kind), Morning Glory muffins - and then we ran some errands. After he was off to work, that's when I started my housework and laundry - which I am used to doing first thing in the morning. I'm also doing my exercise (yoga or walking) in the afternoons now, too. And even harder thing for me to get used to is being alone all evening. I'm not a TV watcher and I don't like to just lie around and read unless it's late at night, right before bed. I'm more of a "doer". I have a couple of single girlfriends who said I could gladly hang out with them in the evenings. And, of course, when the weather is nice I can be outside working in the yard. I have plenty of projects to work on, so there is plenty to do...it's just bassackwards.

 I stopped at the garden center yesterday after my yoga class and bought a flat of annuals and some lettuces and spinach. Would love to be outside this evening planting all these things, but it's been cold and rainy all day. Can you believe it's only been 48 degrees today? Yesterday, it was 80. So it goes in this part of the world at this time of year. 

Linking up with Tweak it Tuesday.

the beginnings of may

We have been having such beautiful weather here in northern Illinois that I've been spending most of my spare time outdoors. There's always so much yard work to do in the spring, and Brian and I both love it for the most part.The trees and bushes are finally filling in, most of the hostas are unfurled, dogwoods and redbuds and cherry trees are blossoming...and my allergies are going haywire. I've been digging weeds (and the ever invasive mint) out of my herb garden, making room for a couple of new plants. I planted these chives last year and could not believe how big this plant is this year and how it's already developing flower heads. I read online that once these flowers are in bloom, you can actually use them in salads.

My first hanging basket of the year looks a little pitiful, but I know with some TLC and sunshine, that it'll perk right back up. I was just so excited to actually see flowers on my porch once again that I bought the first hanging basket that I saw at the grocery store. ;-)

Brian put down a couple of bags of fresh mulch the other day and I've been spreading it out and raking it around the hostas and the stone path on the south side of the house. We still have to mulch the butterfly garden and another flower garden in back of the house.

I mowed the lawn yesterday for the first time this season, too. This is the north side of my house. You can see our compost bin in the back yard, surrounded by lilies. The silver metal thing sticking out of the ground by the sidewalk is our well cap.

 

Brian's going to be working on a big project. Our little front yard slopes down into a ditch next to the street. We planted lilies in the ditch several years ago to help make it look nicer and we also had medium-sized rocks at the edge of the slope for a border. Well, erosion happens after time and so last year we had to remove the rocks. That area then looked so sloppy. We've been thinking about what to do with this area and then lo and behold, a neighbor offered us some extra landscaping retaining wall pavers. Brian worked in the heat yesterday, carrying these pavers several at a time from the neighbor's house to our house, because neither of us have a wheelbarrow! Now that I'm thinking about it, I guess he could've used the car and piled these in his trunk. Oops. His project will now be to dig the ground and get these pavers placed to make a little wall.

The patio accessories were looking mighty dingy this year. I spray-painted the metal table a bright yellow and I'm debating on what color to paint the wicker ottoman. I don't know if I necessarily want to make it a color that matches the throw pillows on the chair because I'll probably be replacing those pillows in the next season or two. I can't wait to start buying colorful annuals to plant in pots to place all over the patio. It still looks so bare to me. You can see that the hosta plants alongside the fence still look like asparagus spears in this area. That's because they don't get much sun. They're always the last hostas around our house to full open. And the little green things all over the patio itself...some kind of seedlings from the neighbor's trees. Every time the wind blows, they shower my patio with these seedlings. I've given up on sweeping the patio for now. It's like trying to shovel during a snowstorm.

Storms are now moving into our area, so Brian's outside firing up the grill in preparation for dinner before the rain hits. Unfortunately, our extended forecast is showing thunderstorms through Tuesday, then either cloudy skies or rain for the next 10 days! Glad I got a lot of yard work done this weekend. To go with our grilled bratwurst tonight (which I got from a German deli just four miles up the road - they make their own sausages), I made a pasta primavera salad. Aren't these spring veggies just beautiful? Trader Joes carries organic tri-colored carrots (orange, yellow, purple) and I thought the purple and yellow ones would be especially pretty in this pasta salad. To make, just boil one pound of penne or orrecciette according to package directions. Two minutes before pasta is done, throw in fresh peas, 1/4" pieces of asparagus, and 1/4" diced carrots. Drain (save 1 cup pasta water) and put in a large bowl. Add lots of chopped, fresh herbs (I used chives and dill; you can also use tarragon and/or parsley), crumbled feta or goat cheese, 2 T. olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lemon, some grated lemon rind, salt and pepper. If the pasta salad seems a little dry, add a little bit of the saved pasta water until you get the right consistency. Nom nom!

 Hope you had a beautiful weekend!