Pretty apartment things: Crate and Barrel Edition

I've moved, and am slowly getting unpacked and settled. The kitchen is pretty much set and adorable. The bathroom is what it is. The office just needs a few added touches. The bedroom is pretty good. The living room needs help. Oh, and the porch will be adorable once I have plants.

I've been scanning the internet for new sheets and other cute items, as I think we're getting a bigger bed in a few months. I saw these sheets, from the love of my life Marimekko.

WANT. Unfortunately, I don't have a white bed, but I do have gray walls and hardwood floors. I like the idea of warmer tones for linen sheets... and not just having everything in my house be blue, brown, green, and charcoal gray.

I recently gave this plant pot to a friend for a bridal shower, but in blue. One of my plants needs a pot upgrade, and I'm thinking of getting it this green pot. Somewhat heavy, but sturdy and adorable. Granted, it is back in my color family, but ah well.

Pretty apartment things: Anthropologie Edition

When I'm stressed, I like to dream decorate dream apartments for myself. And right now, we have the one-two punch of work stress (Commencement is coming up and a huge part of my job is to run the conferral part of it) and even more apartment stress (it seems the toilet of the people upstairs is leaking into my living room, and no one really seems all that concerned about the unsightly water stains on the ceiling but me)... I'm in overdrive.

Tonight I decided to take a trip to Anthropologie and look at pretty apartment things to unwind. Two things caught my fancy:


Item #1: Coralie Bed from Anthropologie.


If I were made of millions and had a nice enough apartment for a bed like this, I'd grab it in a second. I loved the shape and color of this bed frame.

Right now, my mattress is sitting on that metal frame you get when you buy said mattress. This is for mainly practical reasons: I rent, I move frequently, and I'm probably going to upgrade to a queen in the future so I didn't want to waste money on a frame. But someday I will own a pretty vintage bed like this, and have pretty sheets on it.

I know that I tend to gravitate towards brown, blue, and green, but in my dream apartment/real life I'm trying to find different ways to get color into my life. So I could see myself doing a bedroom in colors like oranges and reds with this, or even purples and yellows.

Also, I probably can't maintain that many decorative pillows in my own life, but how wonderful do those look?? Don't you want to just curl up on that bed for hours on end with tea or knitting and relax? Gahhh so lovely. I'm now picturing it with a pretty sheet pattern, a kitten, and balls of lush yarn in pretty heathered tones.




And then for the second piece of imaginative furniture that I can't afford or have the room for...



Item #2: Astrid Chair from Anthropologie.


Oh you, you lovely chair. How you taunt me with your prettiness and expensiveness. (almost 2 grand for a chair?!?) At first I wasn't crazy about it on its own, then I saw it in a room and I liked it a lot more. The reviews also say it's very comfortable, which is nice to know.

The shape of it reminds me of a pink chair I had in my old Salem apartment that is currently hanging out in my parents' garage (hopefully not rotting since I'll need it again in the future!) and I love that oh so very vintage feel the high back and low arms give it. The fabric is also very darling. I'd have clothing and hand bags made out of this fabric in a heart beat.

Unlike the bed above, I also kind of dig the styling of this photo. The warm red pops compared to the cool blues and greens of the lamp and wallpaper.

Right now my couch (in my head) will be a chocolate brown and my throw pillows are blue and cream, but I wouldn't mind having a bright red chair in a cool blue/brown and neutral color room. Good to keep in mind.





Tune in over the next two weeks for other editions of "Pretty apartment things", feature stores like Crate and Barrel, Ikea, and "found on craigslist"!

Pickled

Excellent work, Poppy Ott.


Yesterday I received my first birthday card of the season. It was pickle-inspired and from Michnya, one of my oldest and dearest friends.

I don't know when this started, but we've been getting each other pickle cards for our birthdays for a few years now. It's both enjoyable and a challenge to find a card with a pickle on it, let alone birthday-themed.

Michnya's birthday is in a month, but I'm already ruminating on pickled papers...

Let me tell you how it will be...

Have you filed your taxes yet? If not, you probably should... today.

Call Maker Update

"Do you love me?" "Eh..."


Also a quick note that Gin and Jews was discussed on TBTL this past Wednesday as part of the Call Makers segment. Very exciting to get that call, and Ricky enjoyed listening to the segment as well. Hopefully Gin and Jews will spread to the West Coast.

Luke did bring up the issue that it might be slightly insensitive to have a theme night called Gin and Jews, which is fair. I'm happy to report, though, that the in studio guest that day, Deborah of Neptune Coffee, gave me the thumb's up. She also gave some recomendations for future musical/cocktail evenings. (so for that, I think if you're in Seattle you should only get your coffee from Neptune Coffee).

Unfortunately at the end I sound like a space cadet since I couldn't hear Luke over Skype anymore and there was a 9-alarm fire going on down the street from me. You can hear it here. (the date of the show is Wed, April 7)


L'chaim!

On the prowl for a patio

I'm just a girl, looking for a little patio to call my own...

The weather is getting nicer, and unlike the last two years in Salem, I don't have a porch to call my own. For the last two years, I had a private porch where I grew all my herbs and flowers, and at night I could sip drinks and read on while watching the sunset. (I know I know... "boo hoo I don't have a porch!")

So I think this year will be my hunt for a porch or patio to sip drinks on on warm nights and enjoy the Summer. I caught this bug a few weeks ago at Great Scott in Allston with my friend Dave. After a trying day at our respective jobs, we decided we needed to drink a beer while sitting on patio furniture. It was lovely. Newbury St dining also keeps luring me in during lunch, but I don't have the funds and time to keep that lifestyle up.

There are a few candidates for my patio. Unfortunately, my first choice in a patio (Edgewater Cafe) has closed down. Here are the candidates with pros and cons, in no particular order:

Gulu Gulu Cafe, Salem
Pros: Good food and imported beers. Can listen to the bands playing indoors. Open all day long, so I can have breakfast on a "patio". Short walk from where I live. Near Modern Millie's, for post-breakfast consignment shopping.
Cons: Service is slow. It's not really a patio, inasmuch as it's a chained off section of sidewalk.

Rockefellas, Salem
Pros: Big area for sitting. Big drink menu that's decently priced. Also close to where I live.
Cons: I feel like the scene here is more for moms who are out with their girlfriends and left their kids and husbands at home. Again, not really a patio, more of a chained off area of sidewalk.

Tavern In the Square (TITS), Salem
Pros: A burger stuffed with bacon and blue cheese. Big drinks for not that much money. Waffle fries. Also down the street from where I live. Open until 11pm. More of a formal patio than other places. Pithy nickname.
Cons: LOUD. Could be very crowded, as it's the first summer of patio-living. Kind of chain-y. A burger stuffed with bacon and blue cheese (I'm in a wedding in August, can't be tempted too much!)

Murphy's, Salem
Pros: Dirt cheap. Wing nights, burger nights. Tucked away and fenced in from the street.
Cons: I hear if you don't get there early enough, there's a cover. Every night I've been there, it's been a bit "yah dude!"


Right now, there's no clear winner. Are there any other patios in Salem I should check out? Should I just live on Newbury St after hours and go broke? Or should I go to Gloucester every night and just hit up Madfish?

Pouring out some blackberry jam

Got Biscuits?


I saw on my friend Michelle's wall some sad news coming out of Nashville. It seems The Biscuit Lady Carol Fay Ellison has passed away after 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital at the age of 48. Man! She seemed like such a lovely lady and a riot.

She also made the best biscuits I've ever had in my life. Readers may remember my failed biscuit attempt a few months back. She truly had a biscuit gift, so much so that she went up against Bobby Flay in a throwdown. She lost (which I still think is BS) but still kept her title as The Loveless Cafe's Biscuit Lady.

So thanks so much, Carol Fay, for one of the best meals in my life. When I return to Nashville, I will eat at your restaurant and think fondly of your culinary gifts.