From the trembling walls, it's a great idea

I just got a copy of Detroit Disassembled, Andrew Moore's incredible book of large-format photography that captures both the decay and abandoned stillness of the Detroit area and the persistent way in which nature slowly creeps back to reclaim its turf.



No longer the Motor City of boom-time industry, the city of Detroit has fallen into an incredible state of dilapidation since the decline of the American auto industry after the Second World War. Today, whole sections of the city resemble a war zone, its once-spectacular architectural grandeur reduced to vacant ruins. In Detroit Disassembled, photographer Andrew Moore records a territory in which the ordinary flow of time-or the forward march of the assembly line-appears to have been thrown spectacularly into reverse.



A lifelong Midwesterner (so far), I've always been a little bit fascinated by my neighbor to the north. When I was little, we used to take trips up to the Indiana dunes and long, lazy vacations in Mackinaw. I'm heading up to Michigan a bit more these days for work and have spoken to people who grew up in Detroit.



They tell me unbelievable things, like how it's not uncommon for a city block to have one remaining house standing. And how pheasants and other wild animals roam the streets because there aren't any cars to mow them down.



The decay is shocking and somehow beautiful.


Salvador Dali called. He wants to know what time it is.

I've not yet ventured in to Detroit proper. I think I'd like to sometime soon.

Engaged in some marrymaking

It's super weird for me to be as writer's-blocked as I have been for the last few months. I thought at first I'd just go with it and let myself have some time to ramp up to writing new posts and keeping in touch. That doesn't seem to be working at all, since this corner of the web is about as dusty and neglected as the top of my fridge.

So I think I'm going to have to put myself on a schedule and post something up here every day...at least until I get my blogging discipline back.

It's not that there's nothing happening. Tons, actually:

1. I turned--gulp--30. I guess since I put this out there on the Internet, there's no lying about my age option anymore.
2. My reward from Marc for making it to my fourth decade was a sweet-ass Nikon SLR camera. I guess this means I'll have to challenge myself to take nice pictures and post them here. I guess this also means the old Minolta is staying at the suburban Steak N' Shake indefinitely.
3. Oh yeah...Marc and I also got engaged. On my birthday on the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier! It was wonderful and fun and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world these days.

...so I suppose that means I could torture you loyal readers who still check back from time to time and turn this into an OMFGWEDDING! blog. But I promise not to...well, not too much anyway.

Seriously, though. Our plan is to have a lil' civil service ceremony at the Chicago Cultural Center ($10, yo!), followed by a nice cocktail party reception for some family and friends. Not janky, but not break-the-bank expensive, either. If anyone has any tips or suggestions, give them to me. I'm begging! I've called about 10 restaurants and go through my spiel about doing this without picking up a bridal magazine or attending a wedding expo, and just when I think the event coordinator gets it, he or she starts trying to give me vendor information for lighting technicians, aisle decorators and trolley rental services.

It's really starting to freak me out. So much so that, in the face of wrangling so many vendors and writing a big old stack of checks, committing my life to one special person seems like a piece of (tiered, overpriced) cake.

Yo la tengo

Sorry for the general quietness around here...busy times, folks.

That's why I'm going to rewind and talk about stuff that happened almost a month ago! Santa got it all wrong this year and thought I was good enough to deserve some seriously awesome Christmas gifts. Here are some snaps of the shelf I really, really wanted.

I think it's doing an superb job of housing some of the crap I drag home on an almost-daily basis.

You can also see another jazzy gift peeking out of the corner of this picture.

My parents were so thoughtful and got me this wonderful mini tabletop photo studio thing that includes some great lights, a itsy-bitsy tripod, a light tent and an assortment of different colored backdrops. The cats are really enjoying naps in the light tent, but the tabletop lights alone have been worth it for photographing things for the shop. Such a sweet gift!

Whatever gets you through the night

Cat Narnia: The little bulbs are starting to grow!


Here are some daytime shots


So far, so good. But I have been yelling at one cat when he even looks at that table. I think it's confusing him.

Also, here is a picture that just makes me happy:


(Look at his rickety little legs!!!)

So I walked into a hotel in the Peruvian countryside about three years ago (which I admit sounds a little like, "So I'm rappelling down Mount Vesuvius when suddenly I slip, and I start to fall. Just falling, ahh ahh, I'll never forget the terror. When suddenly I realize 'Holy shit, Hansel, haven't you been smoking Peyote for six straight days, and couldn't some of this maybe be in your head?'")...and there is a baby deer scampering around the lobby! Eeee!

The hotel staff explained that the little fellow was an orphan that had wandered in a few weeks prior and had decided to take up residence. He was SUPER adorable and friendly and even sat on my lap and licked my face. The staff also said he was great about just walking himself outside when he needed to TCB.

I wonder whatever became of little guy. I can't imagine they let him stay in the hotel once he got all hormonal and aggro and antler-y.

But awww.

I needed that pick-me-up. I hope it made you grin a little too.

Dear Diary,

Today my feet, as always, looked fabulous.

I can't believe/absolutely love that Elle magazine has a diary of staffers' shoes.


Look at me being all sensible and wholesome favoring these H&M peep toes.

(via A Cup of Jo)

I'll light the fire while you place the flowers branches in the vase that you bought today

I'm missing my limestone carved woodburning fireplace a lot these days.

I want your Skittles wardrobe

Sorry, I've been so busy this week. This is going to be kind of a bullshit post.


Ok, so you know how everybody wants to dress like Joan Holloway these days? Yeah, she's foxy for sure. No disrespect(/kanye), but I think there's another fab TV land redhead that's flying under the radar. Has anyone else checked out the wardrobe of Glee's Jayma Mays?

They've got the adorable retro secretary thing DOWN with her.


And I love that she's constantly wearing an INSANE rainbow of colors that somehow look super flattering.



But when she's tricked out in the lovely purple/royal blues her character seems to favor?



Transcendent! Makes me want to dye my hair red and develop a crippling case of OCD. (Please urge me to step away from the Feria. It would be very bad.)


A sweater chain? Kill me now.


Sorry. I couldn't find many full-length shots, but that's sure to change after everyone reads this groundbreaking post on my super-important weblog.

Seriously, I would take every stitch of clothing she's been in this season.


Go on, Emma Pillsbury. You keep rocking those cardigans and Peter Pan collars like no one else can!

At home with Allison

Do I have a treat for you today! Allison Marusic (very cool link from Etsy) in Nashville has agreed to share pictures of her home full of amazing vignettes. She's clearly a collector, and her love for the treasures she's found shines through in these photographs.


How long have you lived in your home, and why did you choose it?
I've lived here for two years exactly. I knew the second I walked inside that this was the house for me. It was on the market for a while – it turns out all the things I loved about it were just the things no one else wanted. I still feel incredibly lucky to call it mine.


How would you describe your style?
Hmmm. That's a tricky question… 1940's granny meets 1950's country?


And is there anyone/anything that has inspired you?
Lots of things inspire me. Here's a few:
- flea markets
- classic country music
- my clever and talented friends
- family history
- the style of my house and the built-in character that's already here
- Canadiana, old souvenirs, maps and globes
- used tools, machinery, industrial bits and old things from my dad's workshop
- vintage clothes
- and I appreciate things that show wear or a sense of being used. If I had to choose between mint condition and beat up, I'd pick the one that was beat up. I like objects with a back story, whether I know what that story is or not.


Has your look evolved over the years? If so, how?
All of my previous places were variations of what you see now, only smaller. I give stuff away a lot, have yard sales and whatnot so the levels of old junk never get too out of control.

The overall look though was never a conscious decision. If things in my house aren't hand-me-downs from my grandma, then they're most likely from yard sales, flea markets or thrift shops. With those places you can't really decide, you just get lucky. I buy things that are available and affordable and that I just like, and then I incorporate them into my home.


What's your favorite part of your home?
The glitter ceilings, the wood paneling. The barn is pretty great, too.

Your least favorite?
The leaky ceiling in the Florida room.


What's your next project?
Besides putting a new roof on the Florida room, I am not sure yet. I am thinking of repainting two rooms – that'll probably happen in October some time. And I have big plans for the yard...


What are your sources--ie the best places you find treasures for your homes?
Flea markets, thrift stores, family members' attics and the yard sales of old ladies.


Amen to all that.


Allison was kind enough to share some of her favorite online places for inspiration:

I love everything my pals Ali Walsh and Dolan Geiman do:www.dolangeiman.com and my favorite AM station, WSM radio.

Allison, thanks so much for including a music source--since it's such an important element in your home. What a great idea! And as always, thank you for taking the time to share your home. Visit Allison's Flickr photostream for scads more amazing shots.

Did you miss Miss Malaria?

Hello! Hello! I'm back from vacation, although it feels more like October here in Chicago. Are you guys sure I didn't accidentally miss my plane (and water taxi and other two planes) and come back two months late?

Normally, taking a trip to the sweltering jungle seems like something that makes sense in the depths of the bleak midwinter, but if there was any year to do it in August, I'd say this was the one.

Some snaps:
See that little building in those trees? That's the casita we called home for the bulk of the week. Here's a closer look:

This was the view from our little porch.

We had a great time, but it's also wonderful to be back. I feel in love with far too many island dogs and cats, freaked out over crabs scuttling by moonlight, ate wonderful (and wonderfully cheap) seafood and coconut bread, and met some of the nicest people ever. If you're ok with a rustic (and rusty--damn! salty air does a number on metal) paradise, I would highly recommend a trip to the Corn Islands.

And to tie it in with anything around here: Look!

Casa Iguana's lodge has the same chairs we do (you can see one of them in the crappy illustration I made in the midst of my kitchen freakout).

A few fascinating things that I never expect to experience again:

- Taking a taxi on Big Corn Island (it seems that every motorist on the island is a taxi driver and they navigate the island's one road, which goes in a loop around the entire island. rides are $1 per person, and the driver will pick up as many as three of his friends to ride along). During one such ride, we stopped by the house of one of the passengers. He ran in while we waited outside, only to return with two black and white puppies he wanted to sell to someone. He got back in and we continued on our closed-circuit track.

- The runway at Big Corn is hard-packed dirt surronded by tall grass. While waiting for the prop plane to take us back to Managua, we looked up to see three horses galloping on the runway and through the grasses as a man on a motorcycle tried in vain to corral them.

- Every beer you order (Tona or Victoria Frost) comes uncapped with a paper napkin wadded up in its mouth. It's for wiping away the rust that comes with the cap's decomposition.

- On Little Corn, it was not uncommon to be seated for dinner and have the power go out all over the island. If the restaurant had a generator, all systems go. If not (which was the case for most places), you had to wait for power to resume to receive your food--or see it for that matter.

- The little island was so sparsely populated that a flashlight was absolutely necessary for walking around after sunset (anytime past 6:30, basically).

- Islanders love--and I mean LOVE--country western music. From my airport experience, mainland Nicaraguans love American lite rock. I heard "Afternoon Delight" while waiting for our plane out.

It was 20 years ago today...

Or maybe it just looks like it (give or take 100 years).

I've had this site bookmarked forever, and I have no recollection of where I found it, its name, what it says or all it can do. All I know is you can upload a picture and in a few seconds, you'll have a more old-timey version of it.

Kind of a cool--and addictive--parlor trick. Let's all bust our our petticoats and bottles of whiskey and diy those Old West photos you can get at Six Flags all over the country!

(original photo here)