Get-a-way on a rainy day

This weekend Zach and I went up to our friend Emi's family's place near Westerly, RI.  It was a lazy, sleepy time with lots of good food and sleep.  Oh, and of course Olympics watching!  Although the weather was mostly overcast I still enjoyed being on the beach.  I think I'm meant to live on a beach.  However my friend Emi reminded me that there are hurricanes so I should be on a hill next to a beach.  Sigh, one day!

the Masks

Summer is in full swing this holiday weekend and the air in Brooklyn smells of grilled meats and charcoal fires.  I'm still trying to summer up my apartment and wanted to show you these masks I got in Costa Rica.  I love that they have tortugas on them.  I learned that word from Breaking Bad... do you remember that crazy scene?!?  Anyhow speaking of; I can't wait for the 5th season of that show...  but am nervous that it won't live up to the 4th season, which I thought was a perfect ending to a series.  Happy grilling everyone!

Post vacation inspirations

Summer's peaking around the corner here!  Zach and I went on vacation to Costa Rica a month ago and I now feel like I never went.  Isn't that so typical of vacations?  I'm craving that tropical feel again so, I'm thinking if I incorporate a little palm tree in my apartment - I'll feel a little better... so here I am in search for the perfect palm tree that can survive in my NYC apartment.  We get a lot of sunlight here, but I'm wondering if I'll need to do something about the humidity...

Well, while I'm searching for plants to make my home more summery - take a look at my favorite shots from my trip...

I'm so ready for the beach... already

I'm designing for resort season already... for next year!  Can you believe it?  What year is it again?  I can't keep track.  Anyhow, here are some pretty inspiring images - I can feel the sun and smell the salt just by looking at these... mmm...

Images from here

PENN-manship

A few weeks ago I watched old movies like I was in a marathon of watching old movies.  Sometimes I just get in one of those moods, you know? Lying around like a lump with the radiator whistling in the background, munching on a bunch of snacks under a blanket - kind of mood.  There's a scene in the Seven Year Itch, where the characters are inside the OLD Penn Station.  My heart ached at the fact that we can no longer see this station as it was anymore.  Seriously aches.

This Thanksgiving weekend Mr. Z and I are taking a train ride to Philadelphia to visit my uncle(s).  There's something romantically nostalgic about getting on a train to get out of the city.  Back in Denver (or Chicago) I hardly used the train at all, but on the East Coast trains are definitely a way of getting around.

I'll be going to the new {but not improved} Penn Station to take the train to Philadelphia, wishing that I was alive to see the old Penn Station.  At least I can look at these photos.  Photos via New York Public Library.

Dead Horse Bay (sort of)

This past weekend Mr. Z and I took a very long bike ride to what we thought was Dead Horse Bay, but it turned out that it was the bay south of it. This bay still shored garbage and antique bottles, as well as some remains of its history as a landfill. It was still quite eerie and disgusting, but fascinating at the same time. We didn't (however) see any horse skeletons, as the real Dead Horse Bay supposedly has. Oh well, we still scavenged some antique bottles. I'm not sure what we'll do with them yet, but once the apartment is closer to complete, I'll get my (detail) creative gears rolling. For the record, I did boil the bottles to sterilize them as I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe ;-)

Grown-up furniture

This Saturday Mr. Z and I will be hittin' the road up to Connecticut (again) to pick up our dresser! So I might sound a little too excited about an old piece of furniture, but this is no ordinary piece. Believe me, because we've been looking everywhere for that *perfect* thing, scouring every vintage store within our vicinity. We figured that there are so many great pieces of well made furniture from the past that getting a new one made wouldn't be as special. We have been especially drawn to Danish furniture from the 50's-60's. You really can't beat the quality and construction. Every little tiny detail was thought out, even matching the grain of wood pieces! Whoa... I don't think even I can be that meticulous.

We stumbled upon this amazing furniture store last weekend during our visit to my family's cottage on Twin Lakes, CT. I can't believe I never stopped in here, tho' I've driven by it many times. Great Barrington Antiqes Center had a lot of Mid-century modern furniture as well older antiques all in fantastic condition. Here are some of my other favorite pieces...

Antiquing part 2

We were lucky to catch the Allegan Antiques Market while we were in Michigan. There were SO many things to look at my head was spinning! We found a wooden stool, coffee table, and a light fixture soon to be in our new home. This move is going to start a lot of projects...

Antiquing part 1

Last weekend Zach and I drove over to Michigan to visit his family and search for new/old furniture, for our soon to be new/old apartment. Unlike NYC, Michigan has been untapped of antique goods, and we were able to return home with great finds (for great prices). Though we were in search of furniture, I was distracted by all the vintage packaging. So simply designed these packages were and much more enticing than all the plastic packages we see today.  But I have to say that some of the products people used were questionable...