Wedding update: Turner Hall Ballroom

Only about 6 weeks to go! Our reception is going to be at the old Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee. Many of you have seen Turner Hall for shows (like St. Vincent above), but I think the burned out rustic elegance of the ballroom is going to be a great backdrop for the big day. See what I mean?


Photos: James Kloiber, CJ Foeckler, Ron Anderson

Milwaukee Faves: Leon's Frozen Custard

photos: retinal fetish, brittany a. miller
Matt and I took the Vespa over to Leon's Frozen Custard for dessert the other night. Frozen custard is like ice cream but only ten times better. I don't know if other places have it, but it seems like a "Wisconsin thing". When I was sitting there, people watching and listening to the car radios, I remember thinking 'I don't think I've had real ice cream, only custard, in a long time'. Then I dropped my cone right in the parking lot.

Decorating with IKEA FAMILY LIVE

I often refer to IKEA as "Mecca". I can only make the pilgrimage about twice a year so I have a game plan and detailed shopping list in hand when I get there. I mean, the place is HUGE! I usually end up getting "IKEA-whelmed" about half way through and have to eat some swedish meatballs to refuel. So trust me, I have the IKEA magazine practically memorized, but it's hard to picture my house inside all that Swedish decorating. Not everything I own is from IKEA. This IKEA FAMILY LIVE website is exactly what I needed--decorating ideas using a mixture of IKEA and other stuff.

Shopping List: Spring Cleaning

The only way I like cleaning is if I get to go buy nice new cleaning supplies. It gets me all excited! And makes me forget that cleaning is hard work. So I'll be inside doing that. Hopefully getting outside a little to enjoy the nice 80 degree weather. Matt will be working in the garden this weekend. Lulu the dog has some big plans sleeping in the grass. Hope you're all enjoying the weekend, too!



Steele Canvas Laundry cart, Caldrea for Target, Twist natural sponges, Simplicity Freedom Vacuum, Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena Laundry detergent, Seventh Generation Natural glass and surface cleaner, Nellie's eco dryer balls

I want to go to there: Reading in Central Park

thejcgerm

Sitting in a lounge chair reading the New York times in Central Park.......sign me up!

Flea Market Finds: May 2010

Here's a photo recap of what I saw at Elkhorn Flea Market last weekend.



do you see those lunch trays? am I crazy to have almost bought those?

And here is what I came home with:




aren't you glad I didn't buy the Elk head?
that tool bag was waaaayyy cheaper than the other one I was eyeing up.

Weekend: Flea market this Sunday

Country Living,
The first Elkhorn Antique Flea Market of the season is this Sunday, May 16th. I have been crossing off the days dreaming of what I could find. I have learned that I can never go with a shopping list in hand. Every flea market is completely different and you never know what you'll find. I do collect some things but mostly I am looking for decorating. So, I look for 3 things when it comes to flea market decorating: 1.) Function 2.) Aesthetic and 3.) Quality. A lot of stuff you see at flea markets is neat but if you're not going to use it in your home, why get it? However, I think a lot of people are after the same stuff I am so always: get there early, carry cash, and bring a large bag.

Here are some great flea market finds to always keep an eye out for:


- Milk glass: it's making a comeback. White milky glass works well with a lot of different decors from eclectic to modern. Check out this candlestick grouping

- Metal bins: I own dozens of metal baskets, bins, and desk trays. They always come in handy and usually cost under $20.

- Fun Glass sets: Cheap sets of glass are nice for parties or when company is over. And if they break, who cares. Beer glasses work nice for watching the game or when the dudes have poker night.

- Letters and Numbers: As random as they seem, when they're put on a shelf with books and other collectibles they make perfect decorating sense. Try to choose letters or numbers that have a personal meaning.

- Odd Furniture: You would be extremley lucky to find a full set, but there are plenty of "orphan" pieces to be found at a flea market. These fit perfectly (after some paint and rehab) into hallways, corners, and small rooms.


I'll be back Monday to let you know what I bought!

Cheap Thrills: Cynthia Vincent for Target

The new Cynthia Vincent for Target line is uber cute. I couldn't resist buying these white and yellow thong flat sandals for $25 each. I'm going to get a lot of use out of these babies. And that's a good thing because it will take me a very long time to save up for REAL Cynthia Vincent shoes. HELLO, LOVER!


(the rug is from Dash & Albert and pretty cheap, too)

Can't stop listening to: The National

The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio" (official video) from The National on Vimeo.

The new album from the The National came out today. "Bloodbuzz" is the standout track on the High Violent album, but I also really like "lemonworld". I have to laugh at how awkward and anxious Matt looks in the video above because that's how he really is in real life: anxious and awkward. He's a incredibly nice guy, though. When we saw them play in Seattle a few years ago, he sang half of the show on the edge off stage with his back turned to the audience. His stage fright has gotten a lot better since. At their Pabst show last July, he came out into the audience walking on top of the theater rows and stood perched in the mdidle crowd. They will be coming again to Milwaukee this summer. Mark your calendars for August 4th.

P.S. Thanks to Muzzle of Bees for pointing out the Milwaukee Brewers shirt in this video (mark 1:40)

Living in my car

Heritage Leather Co. Mason bag, $79. Car Litter bag, $19. Two Moms in the Raw granola, $3-10. Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, $96. New Pornographers, "Together", $10. Power inverter, $30. Aveda Chakra 5 mist, $30. Pendleton Motor Robe, $78. Power inverter, $30.

I spend about 1/2 my workday in the car so it often does feels like I live there. For all that time I spend in there, you think I would take better care to make it look nicer. But no, there are dog bones in the back seat, shoes on the floor, my workbag and laptop on the passenger seat, and at least a half dozen Starbucks cups strewn all over. This week, I'm making an effort to clean things up and make my "mobile office" a little more inhabitable.

Wedding update: Emersonmade flower

Only 2 months to go! I ordered this big navy blue flower to wear at the bridal shower, bachelorette party, and rehearsal dinner. I loved absolutely everything made by Emersonmade so it was really, really hard decided on only one, but navy blue is playing a big part in the wedding. I can't wait to wear for pre-wedding and beyond. See more of Emersonmade on their blog and their house tour.

Weekend Style: Yoga clothes (with or without yoga)

I love wearing workout clothes on the weekend, especially yoga pants--they're like sweats only classier. This weekend is going to be pretty busy, so no actual yoga to go along with the pants. I plan to stop by the Fondy Farmers Market first thing tomorrow AM, then swing by Lululemon in the Third Ward on my way home. I am pretty excited for my first visit to this store. I hope I find some good workout clothes for when I hang out with new my best friend. We've been hanging out a lot lately.



(top to bottom: harpers bazaar, people, karen cheng)

Decorating: Fiestaware

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y'all. I have always wanted a small set of Fiesta dinnerware (or Harlquein because it's cheaper and I can't tell the difference), but I hestitated, saying "when would I ever use bright multi-color plates?". Then it hit me today: Cinco de Mayo! Real fiestaware can be kind of expensive because it's pretty sought after. I also didn't want to spend a lot of dishes that have an over 50% breaking at my house. So here's my back-up plan:
- Kohl's stores sell reproduction Fiesta. They even have my favorite turquoise color.
- Macy's has the largest selection of fiestaware, including silverware and glasses. And a bunch is on SALE online!
- For readers in Milwaukee, Clinton Street Antiques on S. 1st St. has a lot of bright multi-colored dinnerware in the window!

Woman magazine

The real Fiesta dinnerware, or fiestaware, was first introduced to Americans in 1936 by Frederick Hurten Rhead and sold by the Homer Laughlin Pottery company. The original designs were modified several times to include new colors and styles that were mass produced until 1972. The original 1930's fiestaware in the orginal 5 colors (red, green, blue, white and yellow) is the most coveted and collected meaning it's also the most expensive. An anniversary version of fiestaware was remade in 1986. You can tell because the ink stamp on the bottom is in all capital letters.



Foltzsa


perfectbound


tenacious snail


littlehonda 350

Wedding Update: Bridal shower Invites then The Poor Customer Service Question.

I always like good news before bad news. So here's the good stuff first: I have a great little post about my bridal shower invites! The bad news is that I am I so worn out and frustrated from dealing with my Broadway Paper wedding invite fiasco. I love local business, I love supporting business, but I can't stand poor customer service (especially when you spend a boatload of money at the place). How do you guys deal with poor customer service? Let me know, because I'm sure a lot of people have had this similar dilemma.

I special ordered a bunch of paper for my wedding invites, envelopes, and a custom embosser from Broadway Paper in Milwaukee. I told them a deadline, was given an estimate, and picked out what I wanted. The order came almost a week later than promised (get your order in on time, people), the cost was double the estimate (thanks!), the items I wanted were discontinued (shouldn't they know this?), I was charged shipping for items I picked up in the store (why?), the custom paper did not fit into the envelopes I ordered (don't they check?), and when we came in to problem solve, I felt like we were rushed out the door (um, didn't I just spend $700 here?). Seriously.

I don't like to complain (I feel bad about it), but as a consumer, I DO always like to have a heads up if a business engages in a repeated pattern of neglecting their customers. So here's your heads up: I would not recommend Broadway Paper for special order paper/stationery. However, our printer, Anchor Printing, has been fantastic; they rushed our order since everything came in late, they double and triple checked everything, and they had a wonderfully positive attitude. The lesson we walked away with: sometimes a humble, hard-working business is way better than the "high-end" alternative.

What would you guys do in this situation?

These are the bridal shower invites: screen-printed invites on antique handkerchiefs. The handkerchiefs were gathered from antique stores, flea markets, and Etsy, then my maid of honor brought them to Orchard Street Press for scree-printing. She made the paper inserts at home. The idea originally came from Bird and Banner invites, and was modified so we could use a local (and eco-friendly) business in Milwaukee. They turned out great!

Happy May Day

Does any still celebrate May Day? I remember growing up and our neighbors would leave a small basket of flowers on our front door knob.


image: K is for calligraphy

Last week, Design*Sponge posted a DIY May Day basket project, check it out HERE

And Happy Derby, too!