irl

Andy ran the 5/3 Riverbank Run on Saturday, and our pal Stephani came over from Detroit to visit for a few days.  So I took a mini-break from the internet. (Other than watching a marathon of Gavin and Stacey, which Stephani needed to see--as do all humans.)

Andy did pretty well this year.  No PR (personal record), but he also didn't almost run into a deer and pull a muscle, like last year.  So all in all, a win.  He is pretty happy here.  We took him out for breakfast.

Stephani took us all out to a fancy dinner at Reserve, where we ate all the menu items containing ramps.  And the pork fat fries, to which I am addicted.  Yes, I know my eyes are closed, but this is my current favorite dress and my only photo of it.

We took Lucy for a walk in the woods.  It was beautiful, and Andy found ramps (more ramps!) and made us ramp carbonara for dinner.

We went thrifting and stopped to get ice cream for Andy and Lucy.  This was taken just before she puked it up--luckily, outside Stephani's car.

I did find some good things while thrifting, but I will leave you with photos of two not-so-good things I found that I did not purchase.

You have to love that somebody manufactured fancy tableware just for serving canned cranberry "sauce."

xo
K

pink gin, pride fest, pinball, pups, and prints

I am trying to get back into the work groove after an enormously fun weekend spent with my best buddies--Stephani, who was visiting us for the weekend, and Andy.

And Lucy, of course.  We took her to Grand Rapids' Pride Fest, where she roundly ignored all the cute little dogs who wanted to get to know her.

It was a weekend of badminton, gin & tonics with bitters, floating on the lake in our new inner tubes (which are silly huge and awesome), duck nachos at Brewery Vivant, and pinball at the Pyramid Scheme.  And I wore my new 1950s Egyptian print cotton dress, which I love, but which I think I might be letting go shortly, as it's just a bit too big in the bodice for me.

It makes me a little sad because I love the print, the piping, and the funky neckline, but I can't keep everything.  Much as I'd like to.

I hope your weekends were fun and relaxing!

xo

K

a little more from the D

Just a few more snapshots from our little holiday in Detroit.

No trip to the D is complete without German food and song at the Dakota Inn.

Andy and I spent a day thrifting. For me, it was kind of a dud. He found some good guy stuff, but things were a bit bleak on the lady side. However, I was very excited to find this cool old children's book...

...which had this hilariously sad bunny in it. "I can not get out!" Oh my.

Also, we got to have delicious crepes, coffee and chocolate cake at this place (which I know of thanks to Lauren. Thank you, Lauren!).

We got to take Lucy for a beautiful walk at Kensington Park. Lucy was a bit freaked out by the sand hill cranes hanging out in the parking lot like mean teenagers.

Oops. No dogs allowed. Even cute Lucy-like lowriders in bowlers and sweaters. (No worries--we did not take Lucy on the nature trails. We care about wildlife, too!)

The birthday girl did not get loaded, but did have a good time. Some stranger bought her a shot of Makers Mark. Happy birthday, Lady Stephani!

xo

K

summer holiday, part one

I'm back from vacation and verrrrry slowly beginning to get back in the swing of things. This is always a confusing time for me. I'm happy to be back in my little home with Lucy, yet I dearly miss the friends I only get to see once a year or so. Bittersweet!

Here are some scenes from Part One of our trip out east. Andy and I first dropped Lucy off at his mom's place. She lives out in the country and there is this beautiful old grange hall there I've always wanted to get photos of, so I finally did. There were some very enticing racks of clothing inside, but the place was locked up tight, sadly.

Next stop: Detroit to pick up our pal Stephani, and then the three of us set out for the Catskills. But first, we stopped overnight in Ithaca, NY. We had a nice little dinner with fancy cocktails, and in the morning checked out beautiful Buttermilk Falls, which has a nifty swimming area at its base.

We then set out for the Catskills, naturally taking the slow route, which consisted of beautiful twisty roads through New York's Southern Tier farmland, and stops for ice cream and antiquing. Stephani and I hit gold in one shop: a mod canary yellow linen dress for her, and an Alpine print sundress and matching jacket for me!

But our friends J.R. and Jason in Kerhonkson (or KerHUNKson, as I now call it) were waiting for us at their beautiful country home. They live in the woods, off a pretty little creek with the most idyllic swimming hole. My dear friend and former roommate, Rob, came up from the city and joined us, and we basically spent two days enjoying the amazing hospitality of the Kerhunks--eating like kings, drinking cocktails, sitting in the sun, reading in the shade.

It was the kind of setting that just made you want to wear breezy little dresses, which luckily was pretty much what I packed.

The setting of Jason and J.R.'s home is unbelievably gorgeous--and the inside is just as spectacular. I was totally inspired and could not stop snapping photos (see below).

The first set of photos below show the screened-in porch, where we ate all our meals and of which I am hugely covetous.

On our last day, before heading down to the big bad city, we stopped by the boys' Rural Modernist studio/shop, where Jason sells his fabulous ceramics, art, and greeting cards, and J.R.'s collection of outsider art is also available for sale. I nabbed a beautiful vase for myself (photos to follow soon!).

I think we all were tempted to stay at Casa Kerhunkson, especially knowing the 90-plus temps that were awaiting us in NYC, but we had many dear friends to see, so on we went. More on my return to Gotham later!

xo

K

done got tagged

I have been tagged by fellow Michigander and vintage lover, Jessica, who sells great vintage in her Etsy shop, LolaVintage. You should check out Jessica's shop, as well as her blog--she is adorable and bubbly, and has been posting some really fun novelty print dresses and skirts!

I'm supposed to share ten interesting things about me. Hm. Well...

1. I have no musical talent, but it's not from lack of trying on my parents' part. They signed me up for marching band when I was in first grade. I played the cymbals. Later in life I took piano lessons and really enjoyed them, but slacked off and never continued after I went away to college.

2. I have had a perfume problem. Let's just say I have more than a few bottles. I now avoid sampling new scents because I really do not need any more perfume, but it doesn't help when I read intriguing things, like the recent review of Serge Lutens' pine-y new Filles en Aiguilles at Marina's Perfume-Smellin' Things blog.

3. I know the very best people in the New York greater metropolitan area. I first became acquainted with them at college, and they are the most fun, the cutest, the crazy-dancingest, funniest, dearest people, and I miss them every single day!

4. I was a children's book editor in New York for several years before I moved to Michigan. It was a really great job--I still (literally) dream about it!--and I got to do cool things like talk to Judy Blume on the phone, edit Encyclopedia Brown books, travel to George Lucas' ranch, and meet people like Robert Cormier, the Duchess of York, and Patrick Ewing.

5. I grew up in Colorado, a mile from the mountains. I lived there for 11 years and never went skiing once...until after I left. And then, only cross country skiing, because...

6. ...though daring in some respects, in others, I am a big chicken! I do not like downhill skiing or rollercoasters or anything that involves fast speeds down steep inclines. My mother would tell you I have been cautious like this since I was a child.

7. These beautiful creatures rule my world.

8. I am a punk rock kid. Here I am with my ridiculous hair and Murphy's Law t-shirt, in high school.

9. I became passionate--some might say "ranty"--about politics after I moved to Michigan. That's probably the last you'll ever hear from me on that. Unless something makes me REALLY mad.

10. I want to live in the Tunnel of Trees!

I am supposed to tag 10 other bloggers, but I'm going to be an ornery slacker and just tag these six:

The Homey Economic
Bruises Easily
Brown Bag Vintage
Rust Belt Threads
13bees
Zwzzy!

Thanks for the tag, Jessica!

xo
k