The Birdcage

Sorry this post is so delayed, and it's not very detailed - but if you don't follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then you haven't seen my beautiful new antique birdcage. I bought it on Saturday at the Randolph Street Flea Market downtown - for a whoppin' $38! A lot of the items at the market were a bit pricier than I'd expect from a flea market, but I was sold on this item. I am in love with the color and the shape. I also purchased an antler (which I'd been wanting for months) and an antique watering can for my back deck.

FYI Chicagoans, the market runs one weekend a month throughout the year! I definitely recommend going! I'll post more pictures tomorrow. Today is a vaca day, after all!

Let's discuss my dining room.

I've come to realize I never gave you all the goods on how I put together my dining room. Like the rest of my apartment, it was done on the cheap, so I'd like to think it's worth sharing the deets (that's details for you lay-folk). And now that some new changes are taking place in that room of the house, I figured I could share it all with you now. Better late than never!

Above is the room as it looked before we moved in. The color wasn't half-bad, but it was going to be repainted by the landlord anyway, and as you all know, he let me choose the new color.

I went with Behr's Dolphin Grey, which you'll notice is the color of every room in the apartment.

And here's the room all dolled up - fresh flowers and place settings (not the norm). I had to spruce the place up for the photoshoot I did when Jen Ramos of MadeByGirl asked to feature my home on her wildly popular blog.

But you see that big floor mirror back there in between the windows and wall sconces? (It's Ikea's Mongstad, no longer available in that color, apparently.)

You may have noticed it's been relocated. A room-sized dressing room needs a mirror of equal stature, don't cha know? Plus I thought it was a tad too small for the dining room wall it was on so it all works out.

Moving along in the story... my dad asked me if I'd want this family heirloom that had been sitting in storage. We affectionately call it "the treasure chest" - you can see why - and knowing that my great-grandparents came over with it from Poland via Ellis Island, I said "Hells yes, I want it!" and did a little happy dance. This was before I moved the mirror into my dressing room, however, so it just sat in a corner, all by its lonesome, out of place with no one to admire it.

Well, the mirror is gone and the chest is in its new home. I like how its directly across the room from the entry table, which looks like two old suitcases stacked on top of one another (it's actually one piece of furniture).

Alas, now we are left with a big blank wall above the chest.

So here are some options...

Europe Destinations poster

April in Paris poster

gallery wall w/ 9 smaller prints still yet to be determined

gallery wall w/ 4 slightly larger prints still yet to be determined

VOTE HERE

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Monday will be part 2 of the dining room series; I'll reveal where I found the table and how I made-over the dining chairs. Ooo exciting stuff.

-A

Guest Blog: LCY on Lanalou Style

Be sure to check out Lanalou Style today. The lovely Lana, who hails from South Africa and always has the most beautiful photographs on her blog, featured me and the items I am currently lusting after as part of her Blogger Wishlist series. You will probably recognize a few of the items from previous posts of mine, but there are some fun, beautiful newbies in there, as well!

Here are some clues to a few of the items I'm wanting at the moment:

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Gwyneth Paltrow on The Marriage Ref wearing a Victoria Beckham dress and Tabitha Simmons Bailee suede shoes

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Meg Ryan circa mid-90s in a promotional shot for one of my top three favorite movies, French Kiss

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Good movie. Better apartment.

Vince Vaughn and Jen Anniston argue over their huge, stylish Chicago apartment in The Break Up

They're Baaaaack: SATC2 Premieres in NYC

I don't know what's more exciting, fixating on the clothes in the movie or seeing the bevy of designer pieces the stars wear as they sashay along red carpet after red carpet premiering their new flick. Well, ok, probably the former, but I loved seeing the foursome's red carpet looks last time around and am eager to see what they wear for the sequel's many international premieres. Last night was a great start as Parker, Davis, Cattrall, and Nixon debuted their new flick in NYC.

Pint-sized Sarah Jessica Parker rocked this neon yellow one shoulder Valentino. Her blonde waves and stacked diamond bracelets were the perfect accents to this loud piece. She couldn't have found a better dress if you ask me.

Kristin Davis sported a Jean Desses for Decades chiffon gown, and I am in looove with this shade of pink. So summery, feminine, and I'm convinced it would look good with any color hair (if said hair is set atop bronzed skin).

Kim Cattrall in Naeem Khan. She is 53, people. 53!!!! I need to start doing pilates.

Cynthia Nixon wore a lovely Carolina Herrera that fit her like a glove, but this look couldn't be less SATC. A safe LBD (in this case, long black dress)? Save that for a boring cocktail party in Poughkeepsie, not the NYC premiere of a fashion-focused film!

Candace Bushnell. Stick to writing. Hire a stylist.

p.s. props on the shoes

So whose look would you most want to steal?

I'm sure you all know what I would've gone with, and if not, read through here for clues.

*photos via*

LCY Chicago: George Lowell & Scout in Andersonville

I thought I'd share with you the rest of my fun-filled afternoon from last weekend, seeing as this weekend I was sick and didn't get out much. After Saturday night's successful and fun-filled Chicago bloggers soirée, I met up with Jess and Crystal for lunch on Sunday afternoon and we made our way up the Clark Street strip in Andersonville, located in Chicago's northside. Last week, I posted about one of the stores we visited, Brimfield. Here's the rest of how we spent that afternoon:

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of this darling flower shop, but what drew me in was the pink seersucker patio furniture! How perfect for tea in the garden or lemonade by the pool (this of course is in my fantasy life in the English countryside).

Believe it or not, the shop smelled even better than it looks.

Jess and Crystal frolicking among the flowers.

I absolutely adored the antique bird cages hanging on the walls, and the store offered a great selection of Caldrea hand soaps.

Little chalkboard labels.

Not sure what I like most: the little bird figurine, the vase, or the ginormous hot pink hydrangea.

George Lowell

Then we found our way into what I can now call my favorite store in Anderonsville, the eclectic home goods shop, George Lowell. The items in this store looked like a collection that had been compiled after years of worldly traveling, which is exactly what I'd like my home to look like in fifty years (or ten - hey, a gal can dream!).

A ceramic drum stool turned into a lamp! Never seen that before.

Great bar tray.

I want a yellow desk.

Love the glamour of the zebra wood.

Another eclectic vignette.

This looks like someone's personal collection that was photographed for a magazine feature.

I thought these two purple prints with white matting and frames looked familiar...

... ah yes! They have the exact look of the gift I gave my best friend for her birthday! Custom LCYgraphics prints of the St. Louis Cathedral and the Sears Tower in her favorite color, purple.

Scout

Next stop, Scout.

I walked into Scout to find these two had fallen in love with a pair of vintage, blue velvet chairs.

Vintage Saarinen dining table with marble top

These were old canteens that had been turned into lamps. Very cool. But I particularly love the name of the store spelled out in wooden letters.

Crystal took these two gems home with her.

Wish I had a place for these unique lamps. Love the black shades.

You may remember me mentioning that I saw mason jars in all the shops. Only these cost $18 each and we got ours for $5 a pop. Stick with me. I won't let you down.

Me with Crystal and Jess leaving White Attic. Brush your hair, self.

I promise I will get out of Andersonville for future Shop At posts. It's just so fun up there and close to my apartment. Any suggestions of shops and neighborhoods that I should check out?

Now I've said my ABC's...

Absolutely loving this birch plywood alphabet by Bookhou. Designers fashioned it with a laser to ensure it would hold as one piece. I think it would be great in a child's room or in an office. And because it's wood, it would be very easy to paint any color to go with the rest of the room's decor. Can't you picture it a bright yellow or red on a black wall? I know I can! And at $50, it would definitely make a statement without breaching the monthly budget.

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Looks Like I Have a Wedding to Plan!

And before I go any further... no, no, no it is not my wedding! My sister, Andrea, and her fiance Paul will be getting married! Oh, and did I mention the wedding is in July? THIS July. Oh, and did I mention I am planning the ENTIRE thing? AND hosting the bachelorette party? AND hosting the wedding shower? Yea. I'm pretty awesome like that.

That's them. Too cute.

First I have to catch you up. They've been engaged for almost month. I think. The good news is the wedding will be muy pequeño. Immediate family only for a total of 19 people. Good thing we're crazy fun. Or so I've been told. It's going to be on the beach in Michigan, and we're going for a casual, beachy, pretty feel with a good amount of DIY decor to boot (thanks to the many charming, DIY weddings I've seen on blogs and fallen in love with). And you'll be impressed to know we've already picked out the location (sneak peak in the photo above), the photographer, the music, the centerpieces, and the dress. That's right. The dress. But I'll save that for later. Let's have a look at the centerpieces, shall we?

One thing was certain from the beginning. We wanted the centerpieces to be flowers in mason jars which I find to be the most charming and perfect piece for a casual, outdoor summer wedding. The original plan was to have a mass of blue hydrangeas a la this Connecticut wedding I featured shortly after starting LCY, and the mason jars would be clear. So essentially it would be a blend of the centerpieces in these two photos:

bunches of blue hydrangeas...

...in clear mason jars.

Alas, the plan changed once we got estimates back from a florist - why does blue have to be the most expensive hydrangea? I tell ya...

Good thing my mom's endless knowledge of flowers came into play. She suggested white flowers. I was stuck on blue seeing as it was a beach wedding by the water. Turns out there are BLUE mason jars. Vintage ones. And they are heaven. And they're available for crazy cheap in the Matt and Laura Jones Etsy shop. (I noticed these babies retail for $18 a piece at the boutique thrift stores I was at this weekend in Andersonville. We got ours for $5 a piece.) Win, win, win!

Here are a few inspirational photos for good measure:

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So in lieu of blue hydrangeas in clear mason jars, the new plan is white flowers in blue mason jars. A simple switcharoo that saves big dollars! My mom tried out a few sample arrangements when we went to her house for Mother's Day. I think they are B-E-A-UUUTIFUL!

hydrangeas (still my fave)

white stock

lisianthus

Queen Anne's lace, delphinium, and tea roses

So as of today, we are going with the hydrangeas, lisianthus, and stock, as shown above.

Lovely, yes?

Stay tuned. More details to follow!