Shopping List: Vintage Table Fans

replica air circulator / Classic metal fan/ Blue oscillating fan/Westinghouse fan

If you have air conditioning, you can just skip this post. If not, then let's talk fans. We have six going in our house at all times. And if I could get a seventh, I would. It's hot here in Wisconsin. Case in point - it's 103 here and only 80 degrees in Dallas. Our plan to delay installing central air ("It only gets in the 90's for like a week") was woefully flawed, because this happens to be the year of record high heat and record droughts. Rats! So we're surviving, and I'm looking for contenders for my seventh fan.

Backyard Discovery: Boone & Crockett

Welcome to my new hangout, Boone & Crockett. I love the theme - a turn of the century hunting parlor with a Sconnie twist. Deer trophies line the wall, plaid tufted benches, art deco brass lamps over the mohair couches, and a picture of Teddy Roosevelt above the bar. We were there the other night again - I think I just love the antiques, but the drinks might be the reason, too. They serve great mixed cocktails like cucumber collins and a gin bramble (gin with lemon and blackberries). It's a great place to visit if you're in Milwaukee and of course, hangout if you live in Bay View. They also have a patio for these hot summer nights. Hurrah!

Boone & Crockett Facebook page 2151 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee, WI Open from 3pm - 2am

Pint In Hand: Lakefront Brewery Wisconsinite

We've been drinking a lot of Wisconsinite this summer. In addition to having a stellar name, everything in it, from the hops to the yeast is all grown in Wisconsin. Being a summer weiss, it's a lighter, fresher and clean summer beer. It has paired really well with the summer salads and grilled chicken we've been eating on our patio. Cheers!

Citrus Cake

photo via apollinas

I can't get over how beautiful this cake is. It's a citrus cake with lemon curd filling and orange-lemon icing with mint leaves on top. Seriously, you had me at lemon. Follow the link here for the full recipe. Wouldn't this make a wonderful adult birthday cake? Or a garden party or shower? I think so.

Announcing! BLOGS & BOOKS

I'm so excited to announce a project that I've been working on -- BLOGS & BOOKS! I've partnered with Colleen from Inspired to Share, another great Milwaukee blogger, to host a book club meeting in Milwaukee each season. And then we'll blog about it. So for those out of town, you can still participate! Our summer selection is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - a book about a women's quest to find happiness on a daily basis.

The event will be hosted at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on Sunday August 26th at 1pm. We'll chat, meet some new people, and discuss the book, along with sampling some yummy summer drinks and treats. Each season we'll try to come up with a theme that relates to the book and style the book club meeting around that. So it will be more than just a book club. It's a day out to discuss ideas, learn something new and meet new friends.

As for out of towners, Colleen and I will blog about the book and the event so check back to see more!

See you in August!

(poster design by Marisa Seguin)

Milwaukee Faves: The Oriental Theater

We saw Moonrise Kingdom - and it was awesome. Very quirky, very clever, very well written. Have you seen it yet?

The Oriental has got to be the perfect backdrop to a Wes Anderson film. I love the moorish architecture, the giant buddhas with glowing eyes along the main theater walls, and of course, the brewers yeast to put on your popcorn. Heck yes, we're in Milwaukee. They only play select movies, two or three at a time, mostly independent or foreign films (which means I'll have to venture out to the iPic to see my Tyler Perry movie this weekend. not kidding).

The Oriental Theater
2230 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI
website: http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/milwaukee/orientaltheatre.htm

Girls on Bikes!

sources: 1., 2., 3., 4.

Last week, I FINALLY for the first time in years....was able to ride my bike to work. I just switched jobs and work at a women's health clinic downtown so it not only combines my love for nursing, but for bicycling as well! After college, I lived on the east side alone in a small apartment and worked long hours. To keep myself sane, I began biking after work and got really good at it. I then raced competitively for 2 years, spandex shorts and all. Nowadays I wear a t-shirt and ride a commuter bike. Oh, and I bike really slow. I know if I keep working at it I could work up to competing again, or I could just work at looking cute and trying to avoid helmet hair and pit stains. I'll take my inspiration from these ladies above. p.s. all these gals should be wearin' a helmet.

Beach yoga

photo: Amber
This looks so fun. And in summer, I want to take everything outside, especially to the beach. But I'll probably skip South Shore Beach in Bay View. It showed up on a recent list of top dirtiest beach in the US. So, we'll be skipping that one. Luckily Bradford and McKinley are just up the shoreline in Milwaukee and get water samples are tested daily. Bradford Beach also has a "Beach Yoga" class on Saturdays and Wednesdays offered through Elite Sports Club. Classes are $5 a session.

Check out the Bradford Beach Yoga info here.

Home Tour

The home and garden section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel can be a little lackluster, but I was pleasantly surprised when this home tour popped up in last Sunday's paper. This colonial house in Whitefish Bay, just a couple miles north of Milwaukee, is home to an interior decorator and magazine editor who undeniably have great taste. Check out some of the rooms. For more photos, see the full JSonline article, here.

photos: Ernie Mastroianni, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Dressed for: weekend gardening

1. trowel, 2. solar radio, 3. coral tee shorts (similar), 4. bolga basket, 5. 'Urban Farms' by Sarah C. Rich

Despite the lack of rain these past few weeks, our garden box is out of control! It needs some serious weeding and trimming. I like to be out in the garden in loose clothes, but something decent enough that if I need to run to Home Depot, I don't feel like I need to a) run inside and change or b) run into Home Depot ninja-style to dodge anyone I might know. We have a few gardening urban gardening books, but this one is pretty nice. Growing in small spaces needs real planning. That's why my seed-throwing method didn't work last year. And the baskets...I brought home three of these bolga baskets from Ghana last year. I use them for just about everything. You can find them online (see link above) and even World Market.

Do you have an urban garden? Any tips? My best tip is get a SMALL trowel. Those things come in so handy for weeding.

I want to go to there: Natural springs in Iceland

photo: peter barker, photo: cntraveler, the fancy,

This place looks amazing! It's a natural geothermal spa or hot spring near Reykjavik in Grindsvik, Iceland. Named the Blue Lagoon, it has a full service spa, saunas, and cafe, so you can hang out here all day. It looks incredibly peaceful. Put it on the travel wish list!

Around: Downtown Dining Week

Once a year in Milwaukee, a long list of downtown restaurants celebrate downtown dining week with lunch and dinner prix fixe menus for $10, $20, or $30. It's a chance to sample some great downtown restaurants on the cheap. Monday night we went to Tulip. Today for lunch, we went to Molly Cool's right on the Milwaukee river and Old World 3rd Street. I hadn't been there in a really long time and after hearing about their raw bar plate, I had to give this place another try. I had the salmon caesar salad. The husband had the raw bar plate - tuna tartare, sushi rolls, and unpeeled shrimp. And we finished with a mini lemon layer cake. Not pictured is the crab bisque because that got eaten way too fast. It was pretty good. And so nice to hangout downtown in the middle of the day and have lunch. We don't get to do that very often.

Check out the full list of participating restaurants HERE
Downtown Dining Week goes until June 14th!

MKE Locals: Marisa Seguin

photo: Brett Stenson
Marisa lives in Milwaukee and makes wonderful illustrations. Originally from Vancouver, Marisa attended MIAD and now works in Milwaukee as an illustrator. I originally fell in love with her collection of illustrated city maps that she sells in her Etsy store. Aren't the colors great?! She's a true joy! - I've been working with her over the past months on a very, VERY exciting project that I'll announce next week! Check out her website to see more. And her blog, too!

Shopping List: grapefruit and calf tan

1. Ann Taylor tote, 2. necklace, 3. blush, 4. sandals, 5. scarf

It's summer! Lately, my eye has been drawn to coral pinks and anything that screams "backyard lounging". I'm a little obsessed about our new backyard. And since I'm trying to avoid the lounging type where I stay in my "workout clothes" all day long, I'm also looking for anything that screams "I put on real clothes". So for me, this summer is all about effortless summer chic. Nice sandals, a quick swipe of pink blush, and easy accessories and I'm out the door and onto the patio.

Out to Lunch: Smoke Shack

I seriously love southern food so I was really excited to check this place out. Smoke Shack in the third ward serves up BBQ done right. The place is small, you drink out of mason jars, and the country music is ON. If there were ever a place in Milwaukee that didn't feel like Milwaukee, this is it. My husband and I split the four meat combo (a sampler of their pulled pork, sliced brisket, house made sausage, and pulled chicken. Then, we split dessert -- a bacon bourbon brownie usually served with Purple Door vanilla ice cream, but I had them substitute with their whiskey ice cream. Three words: Oh Lordy Moses.

Check out their website here. Check out their menu here.