I was listening to one of my favorite local independent radio station programs, The Space Parlour, and heard this band doing a live in studio set. Heavenly Days was the first song, instant love. Folk, indie, psychedelic. Eclectic ensemble of musicians and influence.
The Space Parlour presents an eccentric combination of art rock, psychedelia, folk, new wave and other inventive alternative sounds, with an additional focus on B-sides, rarities and live recordings. It's parlour music, space music and everything in between.
This perfectness, Rabia, has that low haunted voice.
♪he sang this song to young olive eyes
and took her hand across the burning sands
from desert plains they moved, so young so wild and alive
they were raised to believe the sea would dry before they died♪
a stunning Botticelli angel.
I had a creepy movie fest for Friday the 13th, and today Picnic at Hanging Rock needs to be watched. It always makes me feel funny.
It's in the 60's and sunny, time for the hammock and that Jane Austen book I've been meaning to read. Last night it was actually cold sleeping with the windows open and I snuggled up in a blankie burrito. Hooray for fall!
This spring and summer has seriously flown by, and produced some of the prettiest flowers I've seen in a long time! I'm thinking it's the milder heat, last summer was such a scorcher they even canceled fireworks because all of the grass was so dry.
Here is a collection of some favorites this season, most are from my yard!
Luke's grandfather recently left him this old butcher block table that he made himself, along with some pretty gnarly antique butcher knives. The cleaver is horror movie material.
Ferdinand, my vintage bull cookie jar, made his home amongst the flowers for a while.
We have rows of red orange tulips(pecan/maple syrup scented) in the front of our house, one of my favorite flowers. They always remind me of my grandpa O'Malley's old stone farm cottage. The smell is the most memorable part. I love things that can take me back to a moment in time. I think photographs and sensory memory are the closest to time travel I can get.
I can't believe how old Z's getting, we think she's around 10!
Another favorite, peonies!
The first time I saw a real life peony was in Portland, Oregon a few years ago. We visited the Chinese gardens at the very best time, peony fest! I was surrounded by so many different varieties and perfect specimens, heavenly. I took a million photos to remember but I knew I had to grow some for myself.
(I'll never forget the pale purple roses at the international rose test garden either)
After being re rooted for a move and spending a few years reestablishing itself this is the very first year my plant's had more than one bloom.
They were amazing!
Lumen is the most curious cat!
Pretty purslane, it's edible too!
The multiple never ending blooms of irises and gladiolus amaze me.
I've been concentrating on the kitchen reno mostly, doing the things I've been putting off. There were a few days that I stayed up all night knocking four inches of unsalvageable masonry off one of the walls, exposing some pretty perfect old brick! These walls are triple brick, it's pretty interesting to see the inner workings..how does all of this stay together?!
It's a collection over 10 years in the making, finally getting a proper display! These are progress photos, I'm working out what I want where. I still need to finish and seal the exposed brick. And a million other little things, but it's coming together!
I always slow down a bit when it gets really hot and it puts me a little behind in general. I can't complain though because my favorite season is just around the corner. I love when the weather cools down. We live in a 150+ yr old historic home with no central heat or air! In the Midwest. Only a few window units to get us through while we're renovating. It actually hasn't been unbearably hot this year, no 100 degree days lasting all week this time around! Yet. I'm working in the studio now trying to fix my broken fan..this old house.
We love lemonade around here, the fresher the better! Ever since I made it with vanilla a few years ago it's the only way we like it, the perfect summertime drink. Our favorite additions are blueberry vodka and lavender leaves, so amazing together. Bright, earthy, and refreshing!
lemonade makings:
6 lemons
6 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Juice the lemons into a bowl and heat up a cup of water, add the sugar and vanilla to the hot water and mix with the juice. Add the remaining cold water and chill.
Anytime I get to use my little retro hand juicer I'm excited, it works great!
I used a bit of cheesecloth over a funnel to strain out any seeds when I added it to my glass bottle.
(perfect for water)
Blueberry Lavender Lemonade Cocktail
1 part blueberry vodka
2 parts vanilla lemonade
6 lavender leaves
Rub the leaves gently with your fingertips to bring out the oils before tossing them in.
My thumb's a nice seafoam shade. Luke's the expert gardener around here, he's out there every day weeding and watering. That's dedication man. I'm the lazier one in this duo and I love anything that's easy to care for, succulents and air plants are at the top of my list!
These little alien creatures only require a light misting and a bit of sunlight to thrive. No soil needed. That's my kind of plant. I'm a low maintenance girl. I can completely forget about them for a week and find that they're still alive, bonus.
The "ashy/frosty" look is actually the tiny scales they use to gather energy and humidity from the air.
A quick dip in rainwater once a week revives them.
Air plants are so much cooler than candles, don't you think?
(a tiny old women with a studio in her sunroom gave me a few ballet lessons as a kid..as soon as I had to put my lil leg up on the barre I was like nah haha)
I'm a sucker for all things antique and gold, especially if it's paired with cream..or grey. Growing up I'd admire the decor on my grandparent's walls and I even inherited a few favorite pieces.
Antiques paired with modern elements have my heart.
I like to think of my style as victorian meets mod, it's probably all of the period films I watch.
I like what I like.
It's taken me forever to really start the decorating phase. These walls needed a lot of initial tlc to restore them and I have zero experience hanging anything on triple brick/masonry..ah the days of just a nail and hammer are long gone. It requires drilling and using an anchor/strong screw to hang anything. And you have to be exactly sure where you want something, I'm fickle..that's a tough one. The living room still has a way to go, but it's getting there. It's the little accomplishments.
I've finally started to put up my gallery wall! We had a small version of this at our previous place and I've missed seeing them all together. They look so much happier than in the corner gathering dust. But not really, because they're still dusty and everyone has a mean mug.
Succulents/cactus just need a nice amount of light, and no over watering. Leave them alone until the soil dries out. Be a little lazy.
Another favorite thing to find thrifting,vintage vessels. Anything that could make a happy plant home. I actually filled every one of them up this spring!
The latest addition was found at the flea market a while back and I added a donkey tail, appropriately.
My other antique..Zizi's getting old.
Growing things really is therapeutic, whether it's the satisfaction of starting something from a seed or nurturing a little plant into a glowing specimen. Or having a house full of happy pets.
Most of these are already in different planters, they grow up so fast.
It's exciting to have access to plants from all different origins and environments, and the ability to curate a vintage collection of my dreams from affordable thrifting. Midwest is best.
And very hot and humid. I'm enjoying this overcast 70 degree day with the windows open, while it last.
"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy." Lucille Ball
This tree in our neighborhood..hundreds of huge blooms!
I saw an adorable photo today and thought of the movie, The Long, Long Trailer. It's a laugh out loud one that totally reminded me of our relationship, and how we never ever fight..only on road trips when we're arguing about directions! I don't know why it's so fun but it is. Because we're snapping at each other and as soon as we get to where we're going we start laughing about the fight and making fun of ourselves. That's the secret.
In the best scene he tells her she can't bring the rock specimens she's just collected onto the rv..she does it anyway. And she attempts to cook in the moving swinging trailer, it's the best.
We haven't been on vacation in a while, staying home and working on the house renovation instead. It's our five year wedding anniversary at the end of August and It's been just enough time since we last visited Chicago, we used to go a few times a year and even got engaged at the top of the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier.
I was 21, he was 23. Now it seems so young to me! But we fell in love over road trips and little adventures.
Pear blossoms are my very favorite, we had a giant pear tree in the front yard of the old farmhouse growing up..I still miss all of that open space.
If I have to be surrounded I prefer lovely old things, and bright fresh greenery.
It's been one of the prettiest spring seasons, so much beauty everywhere!
Sometimes you just have to look with different eyes. We've been enjoying the milder weather and taking walks around the neighborhood with Copper.
I've been trying to absorb it all, because just like that it's here and gone.
Mammoth acorn. The mature trees in our historic neighborhood are massive! You wouldn't believe how active and loud the birds are around here, they love them too.
Bringing a bit of nature inside, my spring mantle.
Did some rearranging and spring cleaning,
Lu loves to lounge.
I can't believe what a hulking beast this guy has turned into..it's like holding a small fat dog. Lumen's getting his special surgery this weekend. He has no idea what's in store for him haha
We planted lots of flowers inside and out..
Blooming is the best part.
Trying to eat a lot more vegetarian meals, avocado is always on hand.
But sometimes you just gotta make confetti cupcakes..
My vase and vessel collection has been getting a lot of use!
I've finally broken a lifelong habit of nail biting by taking the advice of my 1940's ad..
keep 'em pretty!
A few months ago I mentioned my health struggles and I've been trying out a new thyroid medicine..that made me gain all of the weight back that I worked so hard to take off last spring! That's 25 lbs! I'm a petite person. And I didn't feel any positive effects, ugh.(and my hair started falling out) More depressing than depression. Nothing like when your body betrays you. I'm a bit of a control freak too, and feeling out of control of my body is getting to me. I'm working on finding a natural way to manage my Hashimoto's symptoms, I just want to feel like my normal happy self..it's tough.
And snow..spring eh? The weather the past few weeks has been a little crazy, rain, snow, sunshine..kind of like life I suppose.
These are a bit old considering it was 93 yesterday! Ugh. Stay away summer..at least a little longer. This season has really been all over the place, a lot like me.
I'm also the biggest procrastinator..by the time I want to do something for just me(like blog!) another thing pops up. Like spending time with my two Lu's.
If only I had the money to pay someone to do the hard, hands on stuff...or the ability to multiply for project completion purposes, only in my dreams. Really, I've been having some strange sci fi related ones lately. It's probably those late night Defiance episodes I started watching..
Designing and collecting pieces for our historic house is the awesome, easy part. Removing layers of old dried on wallpaper/paint from almost every room, refinishing cracked old plaster(150yrs+) and learning everything as I go. I'll be a pro once I'm done! And possibly buff. My hands are killing me.
We really wanted to go to Merida/Yucatan peninsula and stay at the cutest B&B on our honeymoon(almost 5 yrs ago!) but went on a road trip to Portland,Or/Canon beach a bit later instead. Totally worth it, but we're still dreaming of a New Orleans/Mexico trip..learning Spanish from a vintage set whenever we cook south of the border stuff together!
Chile Rellenos are my specialty..I let him chop things and sip margaritas haha! Best assistant.
I dropped off the face of the earth lately, and into earth haha. The warmer weather has me working on a million house projects, and my green thumb.
Papa O'Malley had tons of ivy surrounding his old stone farm cottage, one of my favorite places growing up. (I loved the porch swing and pine trees and cellar wood stove and tulips and garden and turning over the compost pile and the big barn with the silt soil)
St.Louis
I've been reading up on propagating, trying to turn a little into a lot.
I've had this mini jade for about five years, it's not so mini anymore! Succulents are the plants for me.
We've been spending a lot of time outside when it's nice, the animals love the deck as much as us.
Zizi
Maybe more.
Copper
They're loungers.
Lumen
sort of.
Baxter
It's freshly rained and 70, Luke's calling me from the garden to come out and play..destractors. haha
