on vacay

I've been waiting all year for this day: SUMMER VACAY! Am tying up loose ends, frantically packing, & flying out tomorrow! We're spending 2 whole wonderful weeks back home in the good old Midwest (or at least the parts that are still above water). We've got some hard core fam & friend & R & R time in store. We'll be in Northern MN at Jeff's family reunion for one week, then a week with my fam in Southern MN + going to a high school friend's wedding in Nebraska. I am more giddy than ever to see everyone!

So this is au revoir for now, my dears. Will be back in July with photos + stories abounding, a grand etsy update, and a relaxed + recharged person.

**Please note that orders from my etsy shop between now & then will not be shipped until July 2!**

photo: jordan_k

diy: upholstered headboard

Someday we'll find the luxurious antique wooden bed of our dreams, but for now, I'm getting pretty fed up of cozying into a bare wall at night. So last weekend, I finally set out to make some sort of make-shift headboard...{To make the waiting & dreaming a little more tolerable.} Upholstered headboards are so trendy right now. And the best part is that you can make your own in less than an hour for less than $50!!
1. Shop for Supplies:
*large slab of particle board (mine is 50" x 60", perfect for our queen sized bed. particle board can be purchased from a local hardware store or lumberyard.)
* quilt batting (use as many or as few rolls as you'd like to achieve your desired puffiness)
*staple gun
*upholstery fabric of your choice (I used exactly 2 yards of a golden yellow twill)
*measuring tape
*drill
*covered button kit
*fabric scissors
2. Cover
Begin by covering the face of your board with quilt batting. Staple secure. Next cover with upholstery fabric to suit your fancy bedding & staple secure once again. For best results, pull fabric taught 1 side at a time & staple while board is vertical. If you try to stretch fabric while board is face down on floor, you're apt to get wrinkles.
3. Plan where you'd like to secure your buttons. Measure & dot back of board before drilling. I choose to use just 2 rows of buttons on the top 1/3 of project, a the rest are lost below the mattress line.
4. Drill
Implore the handy man in your life to do the dirty work of drilling. If you don't have sawhorses, prop board up off of floor with old college textbooks to avoid drilling through your beautiful hardwood floors. Drill one large hole and one tiny hole within 1 cm of each other at button sites. (See below.)
5. Make buttons!
While the handy man is measuring & drilling, use a button covering kit to create upholstered buttons out of fabric remnants.
6. Sew buttons
To finish your headboard, add buttons to create a tufted look. Sew buttons through particle board & fabric using a long, thick upholstery needle. Push thread through small hole from behind, attach button to front and pull thread back through large hole. You'll quickly be thankful for drilling that larger hole, as the blind push from front to back can be a bit tricky.
7. Voila! Enjoy sweet dreams 'neath your handmade headboard.

pizzetta

Pizzetta 211 is just a hop, skip, & a jump away from our digs. It's the most quaint & charming little neighborhood restaurant you'd ever find in a big city. Some might even call it a hole in the wall. We call it a pot of gold. This place features some of the tastiest thin crust pizza around and boasts a small & mighty list of unique European wines. They use entirely fresh, organic, quality ingredients & change up the menu daily.
It's got quite the reputation around here. Show up early--they can sell out of dough by 7:00pm on a weeknight. Oh, and there's no rushing perfection. It could take over an hour to get a table. After all, there are only 6 or 7 tiny tables to go around.Last week we ventured to try the spinach, lemon zest, goat cheese, olive oil, & pine nut pizza. We liked it even better than our favorite tomato, mozzarella, & basil with pepperoni. And no visit to Pizzetta is complete without sampling their famously flourless Scharffenberger chocolate cake. Divinity.
This is why I love San Francisco. This is my favorite date night.

*strawberry spinach salad*

This is my absolute favorite summer salad. Can I be honest? It's so scrumptious, I crave it. The recipe was given to me by one of our sweet family friends as a bridal shower gift. {She wrapped it up with a salad spinner and dressing shaker. Isn't that cute?} I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this! Make it for yourself or to impress your guests: I served it here & here.

the wedding photographer

Jeff shot his first wedding last weekend & he was nice enough to let me give you a sneak peak. The wedding was very simple & intimate--the couple goes to our church & were married Sunday afternoon. So naturally, it was the perfect "no pressure" opportunity for him to get his feet wet in the wild world of wedding photography. I am so proud of him, I think I need to make a scrapbook page about this! He did a great job capturing each & every special moment...I think the bride & groom are going to be really happy. Now all he needs is a website + a few more gigs, and he can officially call himself a real photographer!

five reasons why...

Here are five good reasons why I think etsy is the coolest site on earth. A little comfy couch time + etsy handmade window shopping this evening = some fresh summer finds. Wanna see my current obsessions?
1. Baby slippers crochet pattern by Kelly. I'm lost for words. I've never seen anything so darling in my entire life. She promises that the skill level=beginner. And if you're still intimidated, she'll custom crochet you a pair!!
2. Hoop.de.doo bulletin board by littleprettystudio. Am lusting for one of these to adorn my walls.

3. Yo-yo pillows by one2beeluved. Simply delicious.
4. Pure linen tote by cottonblue. Isn't it graceful? The lace applique makes it so classic & unique!

5. Miss Natalie's growth chart. So clever & charming. This would make the best baby shower gift!

sign of the summer dinner party

This weekend we hosted a fun little dinner party with our friends Becca & Andy. I was tickled to have an excuse to whip out my cheery coral cloth napkins + bling beaded rings. This set was one of those things on our wedding registry at Crate & Barrel...You know, the things you are convinced that you absolutely need in order to set up your happy home. One of those things you delightedly unwrap, unpack, then tuck away for months & months & months. But nevertheless, I'm just as excited about having them as the day I went bar code scanner-happy when registering for them. I simply love the idea of cloth napkins. They add so much class + cheer to the table. Especially for me, a sub-mediocre cook. It's the perfect way to make guests feel welcomed and honored, even when the artichokes are served a bit too hard and the steak {accidentally} is very well-done.

a mile in my shoes

I do believe that the rhetoric of my last post merits a bit of explanation...It's not that I hate my size 9 feet. I love my feet. They get me everywhere I need to be. They don't give me too much trouble except after torturing + standing on them for 12 long hours at work, then walking a mile or so on my way home when the bus just isn't frequent enough for my impatient soul. My feet are nice. I simply couldn't live without them. What I meant by "where in the world can I find these {sandals} in my giant size 9..." was simply that none of the great online stores I googled (Zappos, Piperlime, Nordstrom, etc.) carried the sandals in gold AND in my size. I was desperate to own these sandals and wondered if anyone could help me track a pair down. That's when I realized I needed to post my size in order to elicit your help. And that's when the words embarrassingly giant slipped in. But you know, life is good. In the end, this has been much ado about nothing. I ordered them in black AND in my size. They arrived yesterday (so fast!) from Zappos, and I am in love. They are like a party for my feet. To celebrate my very normal, reliable, nice feet.

sandalust

Am hopelessly in love with these golden sandals by Poetic License. Where on earth can I find them in an embarrassingly giant size 9?

welcoming summer

Once upon a time, summer couldn't come fast enough. But today I'm amazed-- "June, already?" Awesome. You completely blindsided me, summer. I love surprises. I'm so glad you're here. I plan to enjoy every minute of you. I'm counting the days 'til I get to go home to visit my fam. I will sit by the lake and catch up on reading mags. I will bask in the warm sun. It's absolutely perfect that yesterday Jeff's Grandma Dorothy sent us home with a big bag of tart, homegrown Meyer Lemons...Because today I'm making lemonade to celebrate you {summer}. Thanks for dropping in.

printing party!

Who: {Lotta Jansdotter} invites us
What: A Printing Party
Where: Craft Gym 1452 Bush St. S.F.
When: Saturday 6.7.08. 5-8pm

Our very favorite Lotta Jansdotter is making the trek back to S.F. to host a printing party, celebrating her new book Lotta Prints. Am dying to attend + crossing my fingers to leave work a bit early next Saturday!