Springtime at EmersonMade

I love this look from EmersonMade.

Mercury Rising

Photo Courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins University/Carnegie Institution of Washington

NASA released an image of Mercury on Tuesday by its Messenger probe. Hmmm. It looks just like the moon.

River Stones on Plates

[images: 1, 2]

Spring Reading List

[images: Goodreads.com]

A Beach Blanket with a Cause

It seems I've developed a homing device for woven blankets these days. How about this lovely sarong for a beach blanket?

Each sarong purchased funds one Kenyan child's school fees for a day. Doing good is so fashionable.

[image: Kikoy4Kenya]

NB's Chicago Condo on the Market

I just saw this photo of one of Nate Berkus's many Chicago condos and my heart went "AHHH!!!! This is AWESOME!"

This particular property is in the Gold Coast and is selling for $2.45M. View the whole condo here.

[images: Elle Decor/Nate Berkus]

Reuters Editor's Choice - Japan

The above image is among the lastest shots of the tsunami wreckage in Japan. Poignant. Still. Sad.

[image: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj]

30 under 30

Since turning 28 this September, I've compiled a list of 30 things that I'd like to do before turning the big 3-0 in 2012. I'm determined to enter the bland, yet mysterious realm of the thirties* with a fantastical fanfare. It is my twenties bucket list, essentially. Only I'm not calling it that because I never really liked the term "bucket list," and the movie never really appealed to me.

I've grappled for months about making this list public. However, I've decided it's fun, and posting this to TAS will help keep me on track. Not only that, but I'm hoping there are some even GRANDER ideas out there just waiting to be shared.

So here we go...

1. Learn French


2. Sell something on my website


3. Grow savings after banking an eight month emergency fund


4. Develop a yoga routine/belong to a yoga studio


5. Host another murder mystery party


6. Own a car


7. Visit Europe - develop a plan to LIVE in Europe


8. Finish Anna Karenina


9. Get eyelash extensions


10. Own a nice piece of jewelry


11. Enroll in a college course


12. Read at least 25 of the 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)


13. Make Julia Child's Boeuf Borguignon (perfectly)


14. Pacific Northwest Wine Country


15. Have a good bed


16. Maintain healthy weight and diet (portion control)


17. Paint a Self Portrait


18. Eat dinner at Blackbird


19. Go camping in Door County


20. Write a short story


21. Refurbish a piece of furniture


22. Goodman Theater


23. Keep a rosemary plant alive and happy


24. Have an enviable spred at Ravinia, an outdoor music venue north of Chicago


25. Take tennis lessons - become a tennis pro


26. Successfully meditate


27. See one of my little brother Robby's lacrosse games before he graduates high school


28. Batique some pillows


29. Visit my grandma in Gettysburg, PA, by train


30. Chicago New Years - go somewhere awesome

*Writer's note: I have plenty of friends who are doing just fine in their thirties, so it should be okay. [image]

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I have been waiting six months to use this picture! It's too bad I don't remember where I got it from. Oh well. I hope everyone has a fantastic day!

[image: unknown]

Lakeview gets a Facelift with LAMP

Yesterday, Special Service Area 27 and the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce unveiled the Lakeview Area Master Plan. LAMP focuses primarily on the areas between Southport Corridor and Roscoe Village, and plans to further enhance the areas' work/live/play atmosphere with more green common spaces and farmers' markets. I've included some renderings of the plans, designed by Moss Design, a sustainable architecture firm in Chicago, but you can see the full scale of the project here.

[images: Roscoe View Journal]

A Birthday Trip in Raleigh

My sister just moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a teaching position. She's now living in her first big-kid apartment, aside from the housing at The University of Dayton, so she's fairly excited to get her place shaped up just the way she likes it. She's chosen a solid color scheme - gray and white with splashes of red (I am guessing my mom's penchant for warm clay tones had something to do with this).

Claire's birthday is on the 27th, and I've been all over Chicago searching for the perfect gift for our newly christened southern girl. But, I needn't have looked any farther than Furbish Studio, the shop behind one of my favorite blogs I Suwannee.

Furbish Studio is in Raleigh, so Claire can just pop right over there and pick up the adorable spot coasters I've reserved for her. Not only will they look marvelous in her new apartment, but she'll get to check out the shop and explore her new city!

Furbish saves the day. :)

[image: Furbish Studio]

A Looming Obsession

My search for the perfect rug has indirectly spawned a weaving obsession.

I imagine that after a few classes and a table loom of my very own, I could be churning out beautiful handmade crafts similar to West Elm's Hammam Stripe Hand Towels and Ikea's Renate Rug.

Before committing to a table loom like the one above (no small investment), I think I'll be checking out The Chicago Weaving School, which offers 4-, 8-, and 12-week classes, as well as drop in classes for $30 per class, or $100 for a bundle of four classes.

[image]

I like this.

[image: West Elm]

Artist Showcase: John Marin (1870-1953)

The Art Institute of Chicago is displaying John Marin's work through April 17, 2011.

[images: The Art Insitute of Chicago]

Nature Behaved

[images: 1, 2, 3 4]