Weekend Sewing

by Liz

This weekend I was lucky enough to get a spot in the Schoolhouse Tunic class at The Needle Shop. The Needle Shop is a sewing school and fabric shop in Chicago. It is probably one of my favorite places to go in the city, I could easily spend hours there looking at all the pretty fabric, books, and patterns.

The classes are phenomenal and where I've learned most of my sewing skills. Classes are limited to 4 people so you get lots of one on one instruction and leave with a complete project. There was one time I went way over the allotted time for class and my instructor stayed with me to make sure I finished and didn't have any questions. I accidentally sewed an entire tote bag using a basting stitch. If they hadn't let me fix it, I probably never would have on my own and wouldn't be able to carry anything heavy!

The Schoolhouse Tunic class was the most advanced class I've taken there. It actually spanned over two days, most classes are just 4 hours. The pattern was by Sew Liberated and was the first one of theirs that I've done before. Whenever I make shirts on my own, the sleeves always come out all wonky so I was excited to pick Rachel's (shop owner/teacher) brain.

I used a really pretty cotton voile from Anna Maria Horner's line of fabric (bought at The Needle Shop of course). It is soooo soft and buttery feeling. Its the type of fabric that is just so comfortable to wear, I'm going to have to go back and get more to make a couple more tops.

(available for purchase from The Needle Shop here)

The class went really well. We munched on snacks, talked about Modern Family and Barefoot Running Shoes, and managed to get some sewing done too! The pattern was pretty straight forward but Rachel taught us some tips for constructing clothes from commercial patterns. It has definitely given me the confidence to do some more sewing from patterns on my own.

Oh, and my shirt turned out pretty cute too!

(I promise the collar is even, I just didn't adjust my shirt before the picture. Silly me.)

After class I asked her about my Anthropologie DIY and ended up buying a pattern and fabric after class. I'm going to try to make a muslin soon so I get the real skirt right the first time. Can't wait!

(Photos by The Needle Shop and Sew Liberated)

The Best Bakery in NYC!

By Emi




If you've been living under a culinary rock over the past couple of years, then maybe you haven't heard of David Chang, the mastermind behind the Momofuku restaurants in NYC. Chang has five restaurants now, with my favorite being his Milk Bar. The Milk Bar is a genius and unique bakery serving up the best cookies, pies, homemade soft serves, and shakes in town. Christina Tosi, Changs's head pastry chef is a pastry savant. She's not a trained pastry chef, she just has an amazingly creative knack for sweets. My two favorites are the compost cookie, the perfect mix of everything you would want in a cookie (ie: chocolate, coffee, pretzels, chips, butterscotch, etc...) and a crunchy and chewy texture at the same time.

The other item is the cereal milk ice cream. It tastes exactly like cornflakes. The idea is the ice cream is supposed to taste like the milk you'd drink after eating a bowl of cornflakes, which to me because I don't like milk sounds disgusting, but I can't explain to you how amazingly delicious it truly is. Tosi soaks cornflakes in milk, strains it, and then turns that milk into a sweet and salty ice cream that is like nothing else. The original location for the Milk Bar is located at 207 2nd Ave, but recently Chang has opened an outpost in the culinary waste land of midtown at the Chambers Hotel, 15 West 56th St. At the moment it's only open from 9am-5pm, which is perfect for either a breakfast cookie for your morning coffee or a great afternoon snack. It will soon become part of my regular work routine. I seriously couldn't suggest going there any stronger. You won't be sorry! If you'd like a crack at baking the compost cookie on your own, click here for the recipe.

Cookie photo credit: Glenwoodnyc, Ice Cream photo credit: Serious Eats NYC

My Imaginary Best Friend, Garance Dore.

by Emi


If your a fan of street style blogs, then you of course know Garance Dore. She is the fabulous French photographer, who just happens to be dating the amazing American photographer Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist. Garance and Scott are really at the forefront of street style fashion blogs. It's kind of funny that they are both in the same business, with what you would think would be competing websites, but really they aren't at all. While both sites do feature mainly fashion photography, Garance writes posts to accompany her photographs. She is also an illustrator, and sometimes uses her fashion illustrations in replace of photos.

(I would love to own one of her original illustrations!)

Scott is usually a man of few words, which doesn't make his site any less interesting, I visit both sites daily, but Garance has such a cute, effervestent personality. She gets to travel the world and meet beautiful and fascinating people daily just to take their picture, but she is not jaded at all. You can tell in her posts that she is genuinely a huge fan of fashion, and is just as excited to be doing what she's doing then when she first started. I really love reading her blog. They are just so friendly and casual. One of the reasons I kind of dislike reading Vogue magazine is because its so dry. It can be like reading a textbook on fashion. There's no real personality (except for Grace Coddington of course). Garance is the opposite, she is all personality. They come across in her posts, illustrations, videos, and photographs which I think always have a incredibly flattering light to them.

(one of my personal style favs, Alexa Chung)

The women always glow in her photographs. They look so comfortable and confident, but in a natural way. I find her site very inspiring, which is probably why the other night Garance was in my dream. I dreamt that Garance, a couple of friends, and myself were going on a trip to Brazil together. I'm really not sure why in my dream we were going to Brazil, because to be honest I've never had much of an overwhelming desire to travel to South America, but that's where we were flying (Garance did go to Brazil this year with Scott and posted about it, so that might be why, maybe I liked those photos more then I realize). We all arrived at the airport together and were checking in when I realized I had basically packed nothing. In my dream I was so excited to be going on a trip with Garance that I totally forgot to pack anything. As a result the rest of my dream was spent freaking out about the fact that I had nothing to wear. I didn't actually make it to Brazil with Garance, but if I did these would be some of my dream outfits I would wear with my imaginary best friend, Garance Dore...

My just hanging around, seeing the sites outfit.
(APC striped shirt, Alexa Mulberry bag, my favorite RayBan Aviators,
Alexander Wang shoes, and a pair of jean shorts -aka-jorts!)

This would be more of a going out at night outfit.
(Steven Alan dress, Proenza Schouler PS1 bag, Dolce Vita shoes, Chanel nail polish)

All photos credits Garance Dore. Outfits compiled with the help of Polyvore.com.

Oh hi, Ohio!

by Natalie

Did you ever stumble upon a town so charming that it seems to be straight from a dream, or at least a really elaborate movie set? Chagrin Falls, OH is one of those towns. During a recent trip to Ohio, I was lucky enough to spend a Spring afternoon there, strolling its streets of shops, noshing on local fare, and of course, enjoying the view of Chagrin Falls’ official claim to fame, a waterfall that splits the main part of town into two.


There are many reasons to plan your own visit to Chagrin Falls, especially if you want to take your foot off the pedal and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. First and foremost, real estate lovers will bask in the glow of row after row of old - but perfectly restored - houses. Wrap-around porches with wooden swings invite you to stop by for a glass of lemonade, wooden stairs leading down to the river beckon you to take a break from your errands and enjoy an up-close view of the falls, while the main street of shops conjur up images of Bedford Falls from It’s a Wonderful Life. (I could practically see George Bailey run down the street towards the library yelling “Mary, Mary!” But I digress.)


On the surface, the town may seem delightfully old-fashioned, but its people, shops and restaurants are anything but. Be sure to check out Dave’s Cosmic Sub Shop, a hole in the wall restaurant serving up truly mammoth subs. Owned by former rocker Dave, the interior walls of the place are outfitted in hand-painted murals of Dave’s favorite rock-gods. Not to mention the awesome subs that come out of that place – we got four HUGE sandwiches stuffed to the gills with lean turkey, hot peppers, fresh lettuce and tomato, and of course, Dave’s special Italian sauce. I couldn’t stop myself from taking a third helping. (Sorry, gym!) Also be sure to stop by the world-famous popcorn and ice cream shop. That’s right, they pretty much sell only popcorn and ice cream…but who needs anything else?




Continuing the eclectic vibe, many of the town’s merchants have a knack for combining the charms of the olden days with the efficiency of the modern home and garden. My favorite shop at the Falls is StashStyle, a funky combination of an antique shop, bakery/café, and yarn store. Oh hello, place-of-my-dreams. Way to combine all three of my favorite things ever into one awesome, functional spot. Keep up the good work, you.

There are loads more stores, restaurants, and artsy spots to explore, not to mention streets on which to get lost. So, if you ever find yourself passing through Ohio, be sure to take a detour through this awesome town!

Time to Smile

by Emily

One of my favorite things to do during a particularly uninspiring Friday (today being a great example) is to find a few images that keep my spirits up and get me that much closer to the weekend.

This link says it all. There are quite a few gnomes to purchase. I highly suggest checking them out at Unica Home.

I’m in no way bitter towards my job, but there are some days that these post-it notes would come in very handy.

I’m a bird lover, so much so that I find humor and fascination in pigeons.

The colors in this photo really brighten my mood, plus how enticing do all of those sweets look?

I’m very much in love with modern looking dinnerware and glassware, and these Ona pitchers are exceptionally gorgeous.

And last but not least, in pondering what I will make for dinner, I couldn’t help but wish I had this apron to wear tonight.

Happy Friday everyone!

Living Walls???

by Liz

Has anyone heard of Woollypockets before? I've been seeing a lot about them around online lately and think they are really interesting and beautiful. They make three different types of planters.

The first is called Wally and is a pouch that is mounted on your wall. I have never really considered gardening "vertically" until seeing these.

The second is called the Meadow (seen below on the floor) and it is basically a box that can be put on any flat surface.

The last is called the Island and they are free standing pouches in a variety of sizes that look a bit more like traditional pots.

Because these are breathable containers, the plants can aerate naturally which eliminates the need to drain out the water ultimately conserving water. Another benefit is that when planted in Woollypockets the plants do what is called "air pruning." Air pruning is what happens when the roots can "sense" air around them and naturally stop their own growth when the plant has reached the limits of its space. Saving water! No more overgrown plants! Sounds great, right? And the Woollypockets are all handmade in the USA out of felt and recycled water bottles. Maybe I'll give one of the little Wally's a try.

(Photos all from Woollypocket)

Anthropologie Inspired DIY

by Liz

Its no secret that I love Anthropologie. Even just being inside the store makes me happy - except for when I think about what it would cost me to buy everything I love! Occasionally I will save up for that one special item but sometimes I need to get a little thrifty.

The Coming & Going Skirt is a favorite of mine right now, but the $198 price tag is just not going to happen for me. Isn't it beautiful?

I think this skirt is the perfect opportunity for a little DIY. If you look closely, it is really just a pencil skirt with some ruffles. Two tasks that shouldn't be that difficult to complete! With a little searching, I found two patterns that might work:

1.) Betsy Ross 005: Pencil Skirt

2.) Simplicity 2605 Skirt

And maybe this fabric from Purl Soho?

Perhaps I'll give it a shot.

In other news, this weekend I'm taking a sewing class at The Needle Shop. Check back in next Thursday for pictures!

(Photos from Anthropologie, Betsy Ross, Simplicity, and PurlSoho)

Line I'm Loving

by Liz

A few months ago I discovered Nadinoo and I'm officially smitten. Here is the description from their website:

Welcome to the enchanted world of Nadinoo. A unique London based clothing label, where each style is carefully designed and handmade by British designer Nadia Izruna. Celebrating the lady from era’s gone by, Nadinoo invites timeless silhouettes and detailing to create it’s vintage felt collections. Designs include boastful bows, flirtatious frills and beautiful bell shapes in sumptuous silks and cottons from Liberty of London prints.

I love all the liberty prints and vintage-y silhouettes of each of the looks. Don't you? Nadinoo is available for purchase here and here.

(All photos by Nadinoo)

Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz

By Emi

I love all sorts of European style coffees. I love espressos, cappuccinos, macchiatos, cafe` au laits, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, it's all good. I like it strong and sweet. American style coffee is good too, but I prefer the flavor of espresso. Espresso is so smooth and almost chocolatey. In Italy I discovered the beautiful and simple, European coffee pot. I always thought that espresso could only be made with $300+ espresso machines with fancy buttons and lots of chrome. That is not true. While that does make a nice cup of espresso with a beautiful light brown "crema" on top, which can only be made with high pressure, a regular espresso pot can make a great cup of espresso for a micro fraction of the cost. Originally I bought a one cup Bialleta at the Italian market in the Chelsea markets for about $18. Once cup means one shot of a espresso. When I went to Italy again in October I went to a little outdoor market and saw a little one cup orange Forever Miss Moka espresso pot. It was so cute I couldn't resist. It was 10 euros well spent. In Italy people drink espresso any time of the day, but cappuccinos only in the mornings. If you order a cappuccino after 10am, they'll know you're a "stranieri" (foreigner). Also be prepared to toss back your espresso in a matter of seconds. Italians drink shots of espresso the way sorority girls do shots of SoCo. Spanish coffee is really good too. I like the cafe con leche in Spain the best. They seems to know the perfect ratio of espresso to milk, and they like it sweeeettt. Their sugar packets are larger then ours and they give you two. They even give you sugar packets with your fresh squeezed orange juice. I don't like it super sweet, so I only take one. There is definitely a difference between the Spanish cafe con leche and the French cafe au lait. The names mean the same thing, but they taste different. It probably has more to do with the difference in actual coffee used rather then the way its made. When I'm in Europe I always end up drinking two or three cups a day instead of my normal one. It's just so good I can't resist! If you like espresso and want to make it on a budget you can pick up a Forever espresso pot here.

If your a American style coffee fan then I suggest taking a look at this article written by Cook's Illustrated from October 2009. Cook's Illustrated recommends a French Press or Manual Drip for the best tasting coffee. My father was a manual drip person forever, but recently started using my portable Bodom French Press that I bought for work. You can brew your own coffee anywhere as long as you have hot water and coffee grinds. It was really cheap too, just $18 and purchasable here.

I've included the "Secrets to a Perfect Cup of Coffee - Best Brewing Practices" by Keith Dresser below:

1. USE FILTERED WATER a cup of coffee is about 98 percent water, so if your tap water tastes bad or strong mineral flavors, your coffee will too. We found that the test kitchen's tap water masked some of the coffee's complexity, compared to coffee made with filtered water. Don't bother buying bottled water - just use a filtration pitcher.

2. HEAT WATER TO THE PROPER TEMPERATURE The most desirable flavor compounds in coffee are released in water between 195 and 205 degrees. A panel of our tasters judged coffee brewed at 200 degrees as having the fullest, roundest flavor. Once water has boiled (212 degrees), let it rest to 10 to 15 seconds to bring it down to this temperature.

3. USE THE RIGHT GRIND, BREW FOR THE RIGHT TIME These two components go hand in hand. Brewing time will dictate how you grind the coffee. In general, the longer the brewing time, the coarser the grounds should be. As a rule, brewing should take 4 to 6 minutes. Don't try to adjust strength by changing the grind; grounds that are too fine for your brewing method will result in over-extraction, while grounds that are too coarse will be under-extracted.

4. ADD THE RIGHT AMOUNT The norm is 2 tablespoons of ground beans for every 6 ounces of water. If you prefer stronger or weaker coffee, adjust the amount of grounds per cup; changing the amount of water can easily lead to over- or under-extraction, because the less water you use, the shorter the brewing time and vice versa.

5. KEEP THE POT CLEAN Since coffee beans contain oils, every time you brew a post, some of is left behind. Over time, that oil will make your coffee taste rancid. Rinse your pot with hot water after each use and scrub all brewing apparatus with hot soapy water at least once a week.

Repeat and enjoy! I hope this helps your caffeine fix.