Engagement Photos in Aisle 5

On Monday, my friends Colleen and Mike were featured in Rock 'n Roll Bride for their quirky engagements photos taken at nearby http://www.koppas.com/">Koppa's Fulbeli Deli by my friend CJ Foeckler.  They both love Koppa's, and who wouldn't - how many groceries stores can you sit and play Atari - and they live nearby so it was a perfect location.  During the photo shoot they really got to ham it up and show off their bright and fun-loving personalities.  Which, for engagement photos is perfect.  It's nice to see a fun (and authentic) couples photo instead of the ho-hum "day in the park" photos.

You can see more of Colleen over at her blog, Flee Fly Flown and more of Mike at his blog Wizconsin.

Inside Neko Case's Home

I about flipped when I saw these home tour photos of Neko Case's Vermont home in the pages of Country Living. When it comes to artists I get insanely excited about, Neko tops the list. And I found these photos to be quite inspiring. See, I've been trying to pull off a mix of antique (my parents run an antique flea market) meets rock and roll (my husband is in the music business) with basic modern elements as a decor for our house. I found a working balance but nothing I'm wowed with. After seeing Neko's house, I finally get what I'm trying to do. Cue the lightbulb.

A girl with a sense of humor

1. Heart tunic. I like this cutesy take on the regular polka dot.
2. Tortoise glasses. I just got these Warby Parker glasses last week and really, really like them. My nerdy quotient just tripled.
3. Bag of Tricks tote. I can't wait to see one of the moms at the pediatric clinic walk in with one of these.
4. chiffon hair clips. Girly, yes. But I think I could rock these in black with a wispy updo.
5. yellow taxi mittens. Milwaukee is a city with sporadic cab service so we need all the help we can get flagging down cabbies.
6. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. I just finished reading this for book club. Laughed. Out. Loud. (therefore, best read at home alone)
7. Seinfeld hair iPhone case. A subtle homage to Kramer, Elaine, George, and Jerry.

purple tights

I bought a pair of purple tights last month and just love wearing them. They're a little bold, but when paired with neutrals, they look amazing.

vineet kaur

a beautiful mess

(Yes, I just posted about the color purple two days in a row.....take notice, Pantone.)

Locally made Ice Cream

And by local, I mean very local in my own backyard of Bay View. Purple Door Ice Cream has been churning out delicious hand-crafted ice cream for a while now. They make all of their ice cream with cream and milk from local dairies as well as local businesses like Rishi, Anodyne, and Omanhene. The result is some of the best ice cream I have ever had. I know you can buy it at Groppi's and Outpost, but I didn't know that a lot of area restaurants also serve their ice cream. Check out the full listing here. And soon, as the rumor goes, they will open up their very own storefront in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood.....so I will never have a freezer without ice cream again, i suppose. I've tried their vanilla and butter pecan. Next on my list is to find the salted caramel. It sounds amazing.

I may never eat real food again.

Can't stop listening to: Hospitality

Hospitality - "Friends Of Friends" from stereogum on Vimeo.

The new Hospitality album as been on nonstop loop at our house. And "Friends of Friends" is my husband's favorite new jam. The undeniably catchy single is also accompanied by an equally charming video. Even Maeby Funke shows up for the acting fun. This is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time. Watching the story line of this break up a la long-distance can only be summed up with "LA is my now". Ha! So check it. I think you'll like it.

How cool was this?!

MKE Style: a good winter boot

source: The Sartorialist, source: L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Shoe

What kind of winter boots do you girls have? I have a pair of clunky shearling Sorel boots that I find to wear on a regular basis. So that's why I've been eyeing up these classic L.L. Bean Boots. And with this weekend's 15% promo code, I'm thinking about pulling the trigger.

Bean boots have even gotten the nod from The Sartorialist and other style blogs, which means if worn right (ie not with hunting gear), you can can uber fashion savvy AND stay warm.

top left. top right. bottom left. bottom right.

Milwaukee on a fabric

Did you guys see this article on Onmilwaukee.com today? Artist and illustrator Allison Beilke designed a Milwaukee-centered fabric which she submitted to Spoonflower, an online fabric design site where you can purchase the fabric for $18/yard. Isn't it great? I recognize almost all the buildings like the art museum, Wisconsin Gas building, Rochambo, The Hoan bridge, Summerfest grounds, The US bank building,etc., but I would love to get my hands on it to find even more familiar places.

Out to Lunch: Jing's Lunch Buffet

If you're looking for a good downtown lunch spot, Jing's Chinese restaurant in the Third Ward has an amazing lunch buffet. Jing's is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Milwaukee. It might be because their dishes, mostly from the Hunan province, are a little lighter and fresher than what I'm used to getting. Or it's because their crab rangoons are out of this world. I can easily be bought and sold with crab rangoons. Either way, Jing's is definitely worth checking out and their lunch buffet has a great sampling of their best dishes. I had (of course, crab rangoons) Ginger chicken with green onions, twice cooked pork, hot and sour soup, and a pork dumpling.
Jing's Lunch BuffetTuesday - Friday11:30-1pm $8 per person

Pint In Hand: Left Hand's Good JuJu

Here's me sending some good JuJu for everyone watching the Superbowl today. I thought the name of Left Hand Brewing Co.'s seasonal beer, Good JuJu would be a good compliment to all the finger crossing going on during the big game. Brewed for the upcoming Mardi Gras season, it's a pale ale brewed with ginger root. Unlike most spiced beers, this one is pretty palatable. It has a mild ginger freshness along with a good base of balanced hoppiness and maltiness so it goes down pretty smoothy. I give it a thumbs up.

Do you know who Ira Glass is?

Yes. Ira Glass is this crazy gentleman standing alone in a desert with his desk. I always wondered what the studio looked like.

One of my weekly rituals is listening to This American Life on NPR with host Ira Glass.  Every Sunday morning I turn on the radio (or download the podcast depending how late I sleep in) and get ready to learn something new and amazing and relevant.  Ira and fellow journalists tell the true stories of true Americans through four acts on one common theme.  It's hard to describe it - it just has to be experienced.  This American Life has taught me so many new and wonderful things like:  the history of the CPR doll (it was modeled after a death mask); how wild aggressive silver foxes were bred for docility in three short generations; the explanation of mortgage-backed securities and their role in the housing crisis; and what's in the secret recipe of Coca-Cola.  Those were some of my favorites.

These are the stories you would never see on the nightly news or read about in the Journal Sentinel (sorry JS but it's true).  But these are the stories you really want to hear.

Tomorrow night Ira Glass is in Milwaukee at the Pabst Theater talking about his style of journalism and story-telling and hopefully, where the heck he finds these wild and amazing true stories to talk about every week.


Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass
Saturday, February 4th at 8pm
The Pabst TheaterMilwaukee, WI
If you haven't heard This American Life, download it immediately from iTunes or go to their website to stream some of the stories.  You won't be disappointed.

The $30 Nude Pump

I have been searching for a pair of classic nude patent leather pumps for a while. Thankfully, Target (or as the french say, tarzshay) is always there for me in the clutch. Ever since grad school started, I have been on a pretty strict budget. Therefore, retail shopping has turned into mostly window shopping. So, when I do bite the bullet and swipe my Visa, it's only because I have exhausted a long vetting process. Is it in my budget? Will I keep this item for years? Is it versatile enough to wear across seasons? Will it go on sale? Can I mix and match this? Can I "live" without it? Yikes!

So yes, I am in the girl pacing around the store staring, indecisively at the merchandise, then making another lap so I can think some more. These Mossimo Pearce nude patent leather pumps from Target met all the above criteria. Ringing in at $30, these shoes are incredibly affordable for what you get - a versatile shoe that can be worn with any color. And they're pretty comfortable, too.

Blogger, Kileen from Cute and Little has a pair, too. See how cute they are?



Just a heads up, these shoes are selling out hellafast. I searched three Targets just to find a size 9, so if that's the size you need, cross the Bay View Target off your list.