30 Day Journal Challenge

I completed my first page of the 30 day Journal challenge being hosted by Janel. It's not to late to join (they are on day 3). Just grab a journal, pens, pencils, markers, and anything else you fancy and get to creating pages. Click here for all the details :) Below is my first intro page. I had fun creating designs on my page along side text. My plan is to use colored pencils and black pen to outline the text and illustrations. I really like the way this turned out. Check out more journal pages via the flickr group too!

30 List for Summer

P is for Party

30 things I vow to do this summer:

1. Rock climb
2. Watch a movie in the park
3. Pack a picnic
4. Visit a dog park
5. Bike ride along the lake
6. Watch fireworks
7. Take a couples photo
8. Make sangria
9. Host a dinner party
10. Dance like no ones watching
11. Wear SPF daily
12. Go camping
13. Swim in a lake
14. Design and build a custom shelving unit
15. Buy fresh flowers bi-weekly
16. Open up to new color schemes
17. Ditch diet coke
18. Build a campfire
19. Create minty/citrus flavored cocktail
20. Find couple to play doubles tennis
21. Wake up early to see the sun come up over Lake Michigan
22. Throw an open house
23. Plan and host craft night
24. Visit farmers market
25. Drive less
26. Walk in the rain
27. Be more social
28. Spend a weekend with my nephew
29. Plant outside
30. Eat 2 meatless meals a week

Are you planning on keeping summer new and exciting? I'd love to know what your list/plans include!

Home is where?

Prints by Forever is Today

I've struggled with being an urbanite and country gal most of my life. Which is a good reason for me to be a renter right now in this stage of my life. I seem to bounce back every few years from living in the city to living in the surrounding small towns. There are definite advantages and disadvantages to both that's for sure. I feel at home in both most of the times. I crave for big open fields while in the city and crowded walkways and public transit while in the outskirts of town. Perhaps one day I'll pick one to set roots in, but for now I'm having fun moving from town to city :) What about you? Are you drawn to one environment more than another or are you like me who enjoys switching back and forth to live in both environments?

Wednesday Wishes

Oh, for it to be Wednesday today is such a glorious thing for sure! This week has been sailing by and so has my mind :) Here are a few things I am wishing and hoping for today.

1. Reminders. I wish to remind myself that we only have a handful of years to live out our lives. I wish to live mine and love deeply, kindly, and madly. To savor the sweetness in the everyday and to share my happiness with those I care for the most (including a handful of blogger sweeties!)

2. Simplify. I wish to live with only what functions, whats conducive, what I wear, what I use daily, and what I can't live without. I'm having a garage sale this weekend at my parents and am getting rid of things that no longer fit into these categories.

3. Dream out loud. I wish to see a few small dreams turn into reality such as produce more work to pitch to Handmade Renegade, donate work for charities, and host my first dinner party!

4. Good company. I wish to be in good company with my landlords (they occupy and own the house in front of our new place.) They are a cool couple with 3 young children oh and there pretty artsy and are excited for Joe and I to turn their coach house into a unique home.

That's all for this week folks :) Be sure to check out the newest addition to the Wednesday wishes post from blogger Karlie as well as the ever wishful posts from Katie, Kellie, and Courtney!

Meet Josie

Name: Josephine Penelope (Josie for short)

Birthday: May 2005

Breed: Dachshund

Bloodline: German

Color: Red with black tipped tail

Home: This sweet pup lives with my mom and dad in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Where she has plenty of fresh air to take in and lots of land to freely chase rabbits and birds.

Likes: Sitting on the stairs for you to greet her when YOU walk in, taking naps on laps while under a blanket, walks around the block, carrots, running, carpet, laying in the sun, sleeping in beds, belly rubs

Dislikes: Rain, small children, baths, getting her nails clipped, peanut butter, other small dogs, exercise balls, crowds, fireworks, being carried around, vacuum cleaners

Characteristics: playful, sweet, snuggle bug, moody, loner, calm, happy, bashful

Most likely to travel: to a warm sunny place where there is plenty of low grass to run in and shady trees to cool off under.

Lovely Clusters: Summer Catalog 2010

Happy Monday to everyone! It's a beautiful partly sunny (my fav) day in Chicago! Rachel from lovely clusters wrote me today to let me know that her Summer Catalog is out and free for browsing! Each page is catagorized by color, which makes it a delight to flip through its virtual pages. If you see something that catches your eye just click on the photo for more information about the seller. Oh, and be sure to linger around the green page to see if anything looks familiar to you?
Enjoy!

Hello lovely readers!

Hello! I'm back after a week of getting my life in order. You know when life & work seem to not want to be on the same page with each other, yeah that's where I've been this last week and a half. But I'm happy to announce that after only 2 days of scouring for the perfect Chicago apartment, Joe and I have at last found a new place to call home! I am almost certain that luck was on our side this weekend when we found this place. The current tenants were actually moving out when we asked very nicely if we could get a quick tour of the apartment. As soon as I stepped in, it felt like home! Our new place is a 900 sq foot coach house with lofted bedroom. It has really high cathedral ceilings, which helps the space feel even bigger than it really is. It also has a roomy kitchen with french doors that open to a small back deck. We even have a little patio in the front and a patch of lawn to call our own in the backyard :) Our landlords are super nice and artsy (a nice plus, for sure!) I can't wait to start painting, decorating and transforming our new cozy nest :) I'm taking a few days off at the end of this month to begin the nesting process and I promise to take photos of the progress along the way. Until then I am in and out of the photo studio this month, so posting will be limited. Lots more to stay tuned :)

Illustration