rummaging

I'm ready for warmer weather for many reasons but one main one being flea market season. I've gone to the Randolph Street Market a handful of times over the past few years but it was always a somewhat painful experience.



Someone decided that the Randolph Street Market should fall at the end of the month which is a bit problematic when you're paying off debts + essentially living paycheck to paycheck. Pay day always ended up being just a day or two after the flea. I still enjoyed browsing but the experience wasn't quite as enjoyable as I would have liked.

This Summer will hopefully be a bit different. I'm not rich by any means but I do have a little bit more disposable income available. Plus, most of my "big purchases" are purchased. All that's left are those little details which to me is the most exciting part. I'm excited to make my home more uniquely me.





You can check out the Randolph Street Market calendar HERE.



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shlohmo || rained the whole time (nicolas jaar remix)

Rain. Snow. Sub-zero temperatures.

Shitty weather is shitty weather + I'm over it Chicago. I'm beyond looking forward to warmer weather + the fun things that come along with that. Including Shlohmo at Bottom Lounge on May 2nd. Get your tickets now + come join me. This will be a sexy show. I just know it.

kicks

Earlier this week I got to design my very own custom Nike's. Have you ever done it? It's a pretty fun but somewhat stressful process. I prefer to do all of my shopping alone so that I can take the time I need to think about my options. This was a bit hard for me when I had a sale associate over my shoulder telling me to go with pink (my least favorite color). I know he meant well, it's just not how I operate.

Here's where I netted out:

It's so not me but I felt like this was a good opportunity to do something different. I generally like my choices but of course as soon as I got home I redesigned one I might like more. I'll wait the four weeks until they actually get delivered so I can see them in person before I make up my mind. The good thing about Nike is that if you don't like your shoes you can start over + they'll donate your old pair to charity. So maybe it's in everyone's best interest if I pick my second option. 

What do you think?

i did it

I keep telling myself that I'm going to treat myself to something nice once I finally pay off my credit card. Every time I feel so close to finally having it paid off I seem to get hit with another charge. It's quite frustrating. But guys, this time I did it. I am debt free. Damn that feels good to say.

I made some stupid decisions over the years including but not limited to: refusing to have roommates, trying to keep up socially with a now ex boyfriend who made more money than me, obsessive collecting (books, vinyl, furnishings), + thinking that a pay bump was right on the horizon. I keep telling myself that most everyone has to go through this at some point in their lives so lesson learned. Time to do better moving forward.

I won't bore you with the details but essentially I paid off my credit card in almost exactly two years. Sometimes I would get so close + then have another big investment that would put me in debt more + more. I have very diligently kept a Google doc with all of my finances, bills, etc + broken out bi-monthly (based on when I was getting paychecks). Unless you do freelance work you probably have fairly repetitive charges each month (rent, gym membership, cable, utilities, etc).

This was my progress over the years:

I should mention that my anxiety also peaked around Spring of 2012. Debt is no fun.

But here I am! Debt free + ready to celebrate. I've had the same wish list for quite a while now + I think I'm finally ready to make a dent in things.

Yoga

I used to go to hot yoga at a minimum of three times a week. It was my sole form of exercise + I absolutely loved it. I decided I needed more cardio in my life + since hot yoga was so expensive I took a bit of a hiatus. The physical benefits were obviously great but the mental benefits were just as good. I kind of need those again so I'm making it a priority to do hot yoga at least once a week moving forward.

Record Player

I've been collecting records over the past three years (I have 60+) yet I don't have a record player. This may not be very logical but I've been holding out to get a nice once. I've debated a million times over just getting an affordable Crosley but the reviews are always awful. I want this to be a good investment. I would like one in both my living room + my bedroom though so maybe I'll start with a Crosley + then work my way to a fancier version. Some people like to turn on the TV when they're home alone but I prefer music. I'm tired of these albums just sitting on the shelf.

Cowhide Rug

My apartment is pretty much fully furnished at this point. The one main thing left is a rug for beneath my dining table. The table is round + it's a bit of an awkward space so I think asymmetry of a cowhide rug will work best. I've seen these used well in many situations so I think this will be a good investment. You can get some pretty affordable cowhide rugs too.


Jewelry

My goal is to have a matching set of earrings, a necklace, + a ring that I can wear almost every day by the end of 2014. I've got my eye on these three beauties from Catbird. I'll probably start with the earrings + necklace first. I never have gotten used to wearing rings so I'm a little worried about that.

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interpol || nyc

curated || nectar + light

I have Design*Sponge to thank for featuring Nectar + Light's print shop a few weeks ago. I've got my eye seriously one these two prints below. Once I'm willing to spend a little money again + I'm going to snatch them up.

I also love the Gem + Stone collection but unfortunately they don't quite fit in with my color palette.

dog bite || would be

 I'm pretty certain Dog Bite was just a Spotify related artists recommendation but I absolutely love his chill, airy sounds. He was once a member of Washed Out which really explains a lot. I feel like Dog Bite is really meant to be heard outside in warm weather. A perfect fit for Pitchfork Music Festival, actually. Speaking of Pitchfork...

I like so far.

inspired

I haven't been doing the best job with posting lately but I'm feeling inspired to pick things back up again. I'm still absorbing everything around I just haven't done a great job sharing. Here's a few things that inspire me:

I love woodworking. There are some insanely talented people out there that make unbelievable pieces, this charcuterie + cheese board being one of them. 

Next Monday I get to design my own kicks at Nike. I'm looking for inspiration + I'm definitely into these.

My home is coming along quite nicely but I have a few shelves I'm trying to fill with bits + pieces. I'm looking for inspiration everywhere including little kiddo shelves. That disco ball + those gold dipped feathers are pretty great. 

I've been keeping journals on + off forever. This weekend I found one from seven years ago + got quite a kick out of it. I had mostly good things to say + I'm a little tempted to reach out to some people from my past + share what I had to say at the time. I think there would be a lot of good laughs.

I'm going to be honest, this winter has been really really tough. I'm over this weather + I haven't been in a very good mood most of the time. I know it's up to me to make things better but I am kind of tempted to just put on this necklace + not talk to anyone until it is at least sixty degrees outside.

banks || waiting game

underthings

Valentine's Day is tomorrow + this is about as close as I'm going to get to writing any love themed posts this year. This is a product I 100% endorse + it just happens to have a seasonally relevant sexy factor.

For Love & Lemons is a brand I've been eyeing for a while now. The have some really unique + lacey lingerie + clothing items that can't help but make you feel sexy. I especially love the Bat Your Lashes bra above.

I've also eyed a few new Spring pieces on their Instagram account.

addy

A month ago I wrote about the best thing I did in 2013. It's a bit premature, but I'm going to go ahead + say that the best thing I did in 2014 was become an aunt to my perfect little niece, Addy.

Like puppies, I love babies. I would say that I can't wait to be a mom but I can very much wait for that day to happen. In the meantime I'm thrilled that I have a little nugget to love + cradle + then give back to her mom + dad when she starts crying or needs a diaper change.

Only joking.

I've babysat plenty of families over the years but there is something totally different when it's family + when this baby comes from the big brother that treated you so well growing up. It's special + I love her so much. I can't wait to see what kind of tiny person she turns out to be. It's already been amazing seeing the changes that can happen just within one month. This little girl is something special.

The other great thing about being an aunt to her? Shopping for adorable clothes. I might be alone in this but I really love more gender neutral clothing so I went with these items below for Addy's first Christmas present: A snowsuit with little ears because I hate the thought of her being cold. Red moccasins because oh my god. And a white + red (not shown) headband in case she's feeling girly.

winter onesie | headband | moccasins

empress of || realize you

i was there

When I said that yesterday was a good mail day I wasn't kidding.

I did something I've been thinking about doing for a long time. I made a book of all my I Was There posts from 2013. If it isn't obvious enough I'm all about memories. My digital I Was There series is one of the best things I've ever done. It makes me proud + now I have it in a physical form.

I made this book through Artifact Uprising. Artifact Uprising is great. I've purchases several of their products + have been super pleased with the results. The site is really easy to use as well + they even have a mobile app so you can pull photos right from your phone or Instagram account.

Previous years are a bit more scarce in terms of photos taken at shows but I plan I to go back + make a book for 2012 + prior if possible. This is one of my favorite possessions.

the range || metal swing

I am often curious about people's listening habits. I tend to think that I listen pretty deeply. I don't just hear mixes as one continuous track but I'll play on repeat until exhaustion + to the point where I can identify specific songs that really speak to me. This has become one of my favorite ways to listen to music. Albums are easy. Mixes are a challenge. If I'm lucky there is a track list or at least lyrics to go off of but sometimes I'm left wondering what exactly that piece of music was. That is the absolute worst.

Thankfully I was lucky enough to get a track list with David Harrington's (of Darkside) mix for Modular People. One of the tracks the caught my attention was The Range's "Everything But" which then led me to discover "Metal Swing". Really though, I'm enjoying the whole album.

That, my friends, is why music is fun to me. It's a hobby. One small sample can lead you down a rabbit hole of discovery.

ellie goulding || life round here (featuring angel haze)