Tuesday, July 10, 2012

DIY: Dreamcatcher

Ever since I was a kid I have slept with dreamcatchers hanging from my bed. I love the idea that good dreams pass through the holes and slither down the feathers into my dreaming mind. Recently, at the Free People store where I work, my girl Casi made dreamcatchers to give to our customers. It inspired me to do a DIY dreamcatcher post!




Supplies Needed:
-Craft hoop or twig
-Thin string thats is at least 12 ft
-Ribbon (if desired)
-Beads, feathers or other adornments

Step 1: If you are using a twig: Bend the twig into a circle then, where the ends connect, wrap string around and tie off.


If you have a craft hoop: Spice it up a little by wrapping ribbon or string around the hoop. Once you have wrapped the whole hoop tie it off! 



If you have a twig feel free to wrap ribbon around it!

Step 2: Using the string you want to weave with, tie a knot at the bottom of the hoop.


Step 3: Let the weaving begin! Take your string and put it under the hoop. 


 Then bring the string around and over the hoop. Note how the string goes under your original move with the string, creating a loop.


 Once you have the loop tighten it against the hoop. (So many oops!)


Step 4: Repeat these loops all around the hoop. So once again: take the string and place it under the hoop.  


Then bring the string around and over the hoop...


 ...making sure the string is under your original move with the string.


Then tighten!


Make more loops around your hoop if you want a more intricate weave and less loops for a less intricate weave. You should end up with something that looks like this:


Step 5: Repeat your loop pattern on your previous loops. It sounds confusing but the pictures below should clarify!





Keep looping around previous loops!



By the time you are done with the second round of loops it should look like this:


Step 6: Keep looping around your previous loops until you get all the way to the center.


By the end it should look something like this:


Step 7: Put a bead on the string and tie it off using one of your loops.



Step 8: Decorate! Tie some feathers, beads or whatever you want to the bottom! After that you are ready to hang it wherever you may please!


Monday, July 9, 2012

Wine, Wilco, and a boat.

This past weekend Wilco, my favorite band, was playing in Geneva, Ill. at the Kane County Cougar ballpark. Due to various reasons I decided not to purchase a ticket. Luckily, XRT was streaming the concert live from the ballpark! Luke and I decided to park ourselves in the back yard, drink some wine, and pretend as if we were at the show. It felt like our own personal Wilco concert. 




My other free time was spent crusin' Lake Michigan with a few friends. It always a good day when you can swim in the lake and float around. My favorite summer activity!


Friday, July 6, 2012

Friday Jam!


Though I would share a little song to jam to this weekend! Pack Up by Eliza Doolittle has been stuck in my head for a few weeks now. Lloyd Wade's voice in the chorus works so well with Eliza's girlie tune. I discovered it a little late but, as they always say, better late than never! Enjoy!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

4th of July

Photo Credit

The 4th of July is by far my favorite holiday. I get to watch fireworks (one of my favorite things) and my hometown hosts a huge parade! What is even better than the parade is the fact that everyone is outside enjoying the day. Although the temperature was in the 100's yesterday (rare for the midwest) everyone from my town was still out celebrating the holiday. It is always fun to see what type of Americana fashion everyone is wearing. I thought I would share with you all what I wore yesterday!

Due to the weather I wanted to keep my outfit light and easy to wear. I wore this Free People slip - it is one of the most versatile pieces I own. Jean shorts are always a must on the 4th because I can sit on the curb and watch the parade without worrying about ruining my shorts. I then channeled my inner Rosie the Riveter and tied a red bandana in my hair. It was a perfect American-inspired outfit.


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Art Institute


New Mexico Dining Room-Thorne Mini Rooms

Roy Lichtenstein landscape
Nichols Bridge
Goofin' before some pizza!

My wonderful dear friend Claire!

I have some wonderful news for my fellow Illinois residents...The Art Institute of Chicago is free on Wednesdays!  Luke, a few friends, and myself headed downtown to take advantage of the deal.

I visited my favorite exhibits - the photography exhibit (This Man Ray was my favorite) and the Thorne Miniature rooms! My next stop was the new Roy Lichtenstein exhibit. There were some of his classic comic style paintings but, what I liked the most were his still life's and landscapes. After leaving Lichtenstein I walked past the every so beautiful Nighthawks painting before heading over to the newly opened modern wing!

We only caught a few (literally two) modern exhibits before the AIC closed. Luckily, one of those two ended up being my favorite exhibit of the day. I REALLY recommended seeing Dawoud Bey's collection entitled "Harlem, U.S.A". They were some of the best photographs I have seen in a while,

We then headed out via the Nichols bridge (great view!) to grab some deep dish at Pizano's. It sounds like a touristy day but it is always fun to revisit some classic Chicago spots.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Golden Birthday








A few weeks ago I celebrated my golden 21st birthday on June 21st! For those that may not know - a golden birthday is when you turn the same age as your birthdate. Since it was my golden birthday I promised myself to only drink gold drinks and have a wonderful time doing it!

At midnight a few girlfriends and I went to the Leaning Tower of...Niles (I know its silly!) and popped some champagne before heading to a bar for my first legal drink. After a night of rest I woke up to the rest of my birthday! I threw on my cheetah print romper (as I mentioned earlier) and headed out for the day. 

One highlight of the day was meeting my dad and a few friends at our local brewery for my first legal beer! I then skipped back home for a dinner my mom cooked. She made delicious ribs, potato salad, and cut up some fresh watermelon. She even created beautiful center pieces based around my favorite flower, a daisy! After some ice cream pie I spent the rest of the night relaxing at home with some friends and family. It was truly a golden birthday :)



**Sorry for all of the mixed pictures. I lost my camera and have been working with my iPhone and a disposable camera.

Road Trip: Portland to Chicago



After Belize I headed out to Portland with my boyfriend Luke to pack up his apartment and drive his car home. With just one short day in Portland Luke and I decided to eat some good food and relax before our long drive home to Chicago. Luke's brother (an expert on Thai food - he lived in Thailand for a little) recommended the restaurant Chiang Mai. They had the most amazing food (and it was pretty cheap for how much food they serve you). We got the highly recommended Kao Soi - a traditional northern Thai dish - and it was incredible! I find myself craving it now. If you are out in the Portland area you should definitely go! 

When we left Portland we drove up to Seattle and then over to Missoula, MT to visit some friends. The drive was beautiful - full of green trees and snow dusted mountains. We stopped in Seattle to grab some lunch at the Public Market and to pick up trout to cook in Missoula. When I say pick up the fish I really mean have the trout thrown past our heads by the guys at Pike Place Fish Market (which you can see in the video!).

Missoula was filled with breathtaking views, good food, and even better friends. Most of my friends live/go to school out there so it is a treat to get to visit. After Missoula we headed straight back to Chicago - stopping only to sleep or to visit some tourist locations like the Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin and the Green Friend Giant statue in Blue Earth, Minnesota. I'll let the quick video above and pictures below speak for our road trip home!

University of Montana Campus
Yummy Artichoke sandwich at Scotty's Table in Missoula


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