Cincy Shopping

Maybe I should say Cincy window shopping, since I have never once bought anything from either of the stores I am telling you about. But I have been to both many times just for a little fun and inspiration. The truth is, I'm not a big shopper and there is no way I would spend the money on any of the really amazing things in these shops. But there are definitely smaller affordable items in both.


You can find Mica 12V on Vine and 12th, of all places. It's a beautiful shop that carries both local artists and world-famous designers. You can lust over Angela Adams rugs while drooling over Cincy's own Three Sheets 2 the Wind's home textiles. Everything is uber-stylish.

But my all-time favorite place for swanky eye candy is called High Street, on Reading Road. The outside of the building is one of the places Shepherd Fairey installed a mural over the summer. This shop is really for high dollar interior designers to find their goods. I could imagine David Bromstad frequenting if he lived here. I think they also have an in-house design team for hire. Anyway, I always feel like I've stepped into London or something walking around in there. And I feel like I must have snuck in, because surely they have style-standards for who they let in a place like this.

Tomorrow, I'll show you my favorite places within walking distance from our house. Hendrix and I go on a lot of walks.

Loving Cincinnati

In honor of my beloved Reds clenching their division win (wooooooohoooooooo!!!!!) last night, I am hereby declaring the rest of this week "I Love Cincinnati Week." I realize most of you don't care one bit about the Reds or baseball, but it's really a pretty big deal around here. They haven't been much good in over 15 years, and now they are going to the playoffs and you can just feel everyone swelling with Queen City pride. I won't pretend I've been waiting that long for a good season, as we've only lived here for four years. But we did start loving going to the Reds games right away, as well as loving the city in general.

The thing is, people like to complain about living in Cincinnati a lot. A couple years ago a megachurch here started distributing bumper stickers that say "I Love Cincinnati." Now there is a knock-off that uses the same look, but says, "Cincinnati's Just OK." I think it's pretty hilarious, and I appreciate the irony. It's not like we live in NYC or anything, not even the NYC of the Midwest. BUT, there are many many good things about this area, and I'm more of a "learn to love your ground" person. I could really be happy living in lots of places, but now I live here, and I like it. So stop your complaining.

So, now that I've rambled about baseball and bumper stickers, today I want to tell you about two new-ish reasons to love the 'Nasti.

A few weeks ago, Nick and I had the chance to go on an afternoon date, so we headed downtown and tried a new restaurant in the Gateway Quarter called Senate. It was amazing.

They serve a lot of fancy Southern style food, but they are becoming known for their gourmet hot dogs. I know that sounds weird, but believe me, they are sooooo good. I'm not a hot dog person at all, but I ordered the Korean dog, which came with braised short ribs and all that other Korean-y stuff on top. Did not disappoint. And the truffle fries are to die for. Nick had goose-fat fries, also sinfully delicious. (Please don't judge my one beer, this was before I knew I was preggers.)


We also walked down to our old neighborhood on Main Street to check out the new record store that the owner of Iris Book Cafe opened right next door. It's really fun for people who like hunting through old things, and it's all from the owner's personal collection, which is amazing.

100 Bonus points for anyone who knows where that awesomely-creepy goat head used to live.

I'm in love with this cover. Maybe I'll be this foxy lady for Halloween.

Yeah, but I didn't have your number. All you wrote on this paper was your band name.

Gangsters of alliteration. 

Hmm, does a Gigolo shake his pants when they are on or off? Is this boarded up building where you do your business, or can one get a hotel room with Tony? Does that other guy have to come? These are the questions I can't answer. 

And Grand Funk wins the grand prize for all-time sexiest album cover. And just in case you didn't realize how sexy it really is, they warn you: "all the girls in the world beware!!!" You know they are serious with 3 exclamation points. 

Tomorrow, some pictures from inspiring shopping spots downtown. 

....GO REDS!

Friday Night Rice

Sometimes, when you are one and one half, you get tired of your toys. Even though you have way too many. So your mom decides to dump a bunch of rice in a bowl and take it outside.

This is fun. 

For ten, maybe fifteen minutes. 

Then you decide to do something else fun. (Wouldn't you think from the deadness on our ground that fall has arrived? Nope, still sweating and in sandals.)

Mondo Mondo

So I figured out why I love Mondo from this season of PR so much. It's because I wanted to be the kids in this commercial, but I couldn't because my mom wouldn't let me drink those worthless sugary robot-piss drinks.

If only Mondo was actually drinking a Mondo. He does dress just like those super-cool 1993 kids. 

It was Dana's Rundown that helped me come to this realization. I look forward to it every week almost as much as watching the show itself. Geeky, I know. 

Bird Watching with Kids

I watch kids of various ages 2-3 days out of the week. I've found a new boredom buster that is pretty much full-proof. It's this bird-watching activity on Prudent Baby. Hours of kid-glee.

Of course, I didn't make a fancy trail mix for the "expedition" and I just made the binoculars from cardstock instead of tp tubes. It doesn't matter. All you need is a printer and some tape and little explorers everywhere will love you forever. But then you will probably have to distract them with something delicious when you finally get sick of hiding the little bird pictures over and over and over...

Video Test (with awesome video)

Saw it first here.

Youtube has done something different with their video coding and I am having trouble posting vids to the photog blog, which is wordpress. Blogger, surprisingly, seems to have no trouble. Anyway, how fun is this video?

I'm here

Hi. I'm alive! Just a slightly punier version of me. This pregnancy thing really caught me off guard. Although this was a surprise, I had been looking forward to getting pregnant again for a long time. Funny how much I blocked out how completely awful this part is. So far, thank goodness I am not feeling quite as miserable as I did with HG. Just moderately miserable.

Anyway, enough of that complaining stuff. I have managed to sew a little in the past couple weeks, and I completed all the projects for my friend's baby boy room. Nothing to show now, but she promised she'd send pictures when the room's ready. She lives in Indy and I met her at Ikea this afternoon to hang out and deliver the goods. Man, I don't know why I ever go to that place on a Saturday. Weekday afternoons there are infinitely calmer.

Hendrix enjoyed his first ever frozen yogurt cone. He really didn't make that huge of mess either. Gosh I love him. 

I have so many projects swirling around in my head, and I hope I have the energy to share them with you soon. Thank you so much for reading, I love you for it!

To Do List... with a juicy tidbit.

To-Do-Along.


So honestly, I'm not a big fan of lots of those "link parties" people do on blogs. There is nothing really wrong with them, I've just never felt the need to participate.

BUT I do like a unique idea that involves getting to know other bloggers, not just promoting yourself. Carmen is starting up a little to-do list blog along, and I thought it would be fun to participate this week. I always have a long crafty to-do list that is very satisfying to chip away at. But lately, due to having some very big projects to tackle, and the fact that I haven't been feeling myself, well, you've probably noticed I haven't sewn many new things lately.


To Tackle This Week Month:

1. Finish crib skirt (so close) and changing pad cover for my friend's nursery, start curtains.
2. Make at least 2 pairs of PJ pants for Hendrix. (His are so small, it's sad.)
3. Write 3-4 blog posts for Fyrefly.
4. Sew 2 Louise bags for Fyrefly and 2 to swap with friends. 
5. Sew wristlet for a friend to match a bag she bought.
6. Design and make 8 (!) new monsters for a family who has commissioned me to make one for all their grandkids.
7. Add some things to the shop.
8. Finish reading Chocolat. (I know, I'm like 10 years behind.)
9. Go to the Dr. on Tuesday because I'm pregnant.
10. Buy more fabric.

Happy Labor Day everyone, and I hope we all get to make lots of check-marks on our lists this week :)

Childhood in the Suburbs

I've already told you I think the new Arcade Fire album is amazing.


But I just had an experience that takes it to another level.


Artist Chris Milk created an interactive film that is a customizable music video to "We Used to Wait." It actually uses Google maps images to take you down your childhood street, to the very house you grew up in.


It is brilliant.


I tried it, not knowing what would happen. I had a very good childhood in Florida with lots of running and playing outside and memories with family. But I haven't been to that house in years. Just seeing it during the song made me a little emotional. There is something sad about the fact that you can never be a child again, I guess. The experience ends with a chance to write your childhood self a letter while the song  and experience is still going on. You don't have time to think, you just write and draw. Then you can choose to send the postcard in and it might be used in Arcade Fire's tour.


Here is mine:

I think I'm going to go do it again....right here.