Behind the Curtain

Holiday

I was able to fit in a picnic a few days ago and hope to participate in many more this summer. I've packed my picnic basket and picnic quilt in my suitcase, so I'm prepared. (I'm planning on making a larger picnic quilt this summer so more people can have comfy butts while picnicing.)

I finished classes yesterday and am celebrating with a beer while sitting on the porch. Tomorrow I leave to Chicago for the summer. I'm going to take a few days off from blog-land to travel and get settled. I hope everyone has a lovely week!

Stockholm's Apartments

Last day of classes today, so I'll keep it light by showing some more home deco spreads, but this time from the book Stockholm's Apartments, ISBN 4-07-254002-1. Click thumbnails for larger images.

         

Is it summer yet?

 

I've been looking for a vintage inspired bathing suit for the summer, but haven't found much. I'm looking for more of a 1940s play suit and am really picky when it comes to the pattern. This play suit from Baby Girl Boutique comes close to what I am looking for. If I don't find my perfect suit or pattern in a month, I may end up just getting that one.

While searching for the perfect suit, Ive been listening to GI Jive, a great request show aired during WWII that has a nice variety of swing music. I got it from Joeri's Living History Radio Files and she describes the compilation as such:

"Armed Forces Radio Service broadcasts with among others G.I. Jill (Martha Wilkerson) playing the top recordings as requested by servicemen around the world during WW II.
It kept the boys in touch with what was the Swing Thing at home! Every episode has a few tunes and some nice messages for the soldiers, a real request programme."

She has a great selection of news casts and full day radio programs. Take a look, you'll surely find something you'd be interested in within her varied collection.

Appartements d'amoureux á Paris

Some spreads from the lovely book Appartements d'amoureux á Paris, ISBN 978-4-07-254982-7. Click on thumbnails for larger image.

             

              

Italian Treat

With the temperature rising, my desire for Italian soda is as well. It is quite easy to create at home, as evidenced by the recipes below. Enjoy!

Here are two recipes for those who are curious:
Simple Mix
1 oz. Torani syrup in what ever flavor(s) you please
8 oz. sparkling water or club soda
Ice

Fancy Mix
4 tbsp. Torani syrup
3/4 c. milk
Carbonated water
Crushed ice

Mix the syrup and milk in a tall glass. Add carbonated water and ice until the glass is full. Don't mix the ingredients in any other order or the milk will curdle.
(This recipe from cooks.com)

I wonder, do they just call it soda in Italy, or do they assign it another nationality, like French soda? Ever since I saw Thai Iced Coffee assigned different nationalities depending on the cafe, I've been curious about semantics and food. I suppose I'll find out while in Italy over the summer.

Fancy Picnic Desires

This style is not normally my taste, but lately I have been inspired by James Jacques Joseph Tissot. Not so much the lofty status he portrays, but the outdoor scenes of luncheon and picnics. I think the reason behind my new appreciation of this genre is my desire to have the leisure time to go on picnics and the like. The wonderful weather we have had recently just asks for lolling about in the grass. I just need to make it through one more week of finals and I will be able to partake in such wonderfulness.

For those interested in seeing a lot more Tissot images, check out the online collection at Art Renewal Center. And sweet sassy, take a look at this dress, or this one. The thought of a seamstress making that by hand makes my eyes cross.

Market Days

photo © Shanna Murray

Oh it's almost farmer's market time. I'm so very excited! Last year we had a market days bag for 16 Sparrows and it looks like Donovan and I are going to make it an annual summer product. Currently we are in the works of creating this year's design, but until ours are ready, take a look at these lovely bags:
May} to market by Shanna Murray (online shop here)
Hau Hauz Shop (online shop here)

In the year 2000

A short little film (1 min 30 sec) from 1930 predicting the fashion of the future. I really like the first dress they show for the ladies. The big finale is a gentleman's outfit. They got the phone thing right for men's attire!

826, Chicago

While in Chicago a few weeks ago, I stopped by 826 Chicago. They are a non-profit organization that focuses on writing workshops and tutoring for kids between the ages of 6 to 12. I'm not in that age bracket, nor do I have children, so why was I there? Well, 826 is in  a retail space, which requires them to have a store front. Enter The Boring Store.

The Boring Store has everything you need for gathering information, sleuthing, or disguising yourself. It is a spy shop full of cough silencers, waterproof surveillance notebooks, and underwater walkie talkies. But a real spy shop would never announce that they were one, no no, you need to keep counter-spies on their toes. So it is called the Boring Store.

If you are in the Chicago area, I highly suggest you stop by 826 & The Boring Store (1331 North Milwaukee Ave.) and check out what they are doing. The super nifty all-weather journal you see above is a treat I picked-up from the Boring Store. Proceeds from sales at the Boring Store go into creating programs for the 826 workshops and drop-in tutoring. If you have kids or know any little ones who would be interested in the 826 workshops, check out their program schedule. I'm hoping to volunteer over the summer.

If you don't live in Chicago, no worries. 826 has other locations in New York, LA, Seattle, Michigan and Valencia (CA), all with their own unique programs and store fronts.

Graceful Design

Grace, of design*sponge, held a lecture at my school on Tuesday. She presented information about starting your own business online to quite a full audience. You can see her perspective of us here (I'm one of the people sitting on the floor). Even though Donovan and I have run 16 Sparrows for close to 4 years, I learned a lot from her talk and was quite inspired. Oh, many ideas are floating through my head of which you may be seeing the product of come June. For those curious to what was said, Grace mentioned she would be uploading her Power Point presentation on her blog sometime tomorrow. So keep a look out for that.

Grace's compassion and drive behind the indie community and student design work is infectious and I am so happy there are people like her out in the design world. I am also very pleased to hear she enjoyed her stay in Savannah and was inspired by the work coming from the campus. She has put up several posts regarding all the sights from Savannah and is planning on focusing on some student work in the upcoming days. Take a look for yourself!