I'm Mad About...

Source: latimes.com via Diane on Pinterest

• I must make it down to LA for this exhibit on California midcentury modern design. It includes a full-scale replica of the Eames House living room!
• I'm not much into skateboards, but these might make me change my mind.
• Hello Kitty meets Liberty! Does it get any better than that?

A Fair to Remember

It's time for the county fair in these parts, and to me that means one thing: food. Deep-fried, artery-clogging, diet-busting food. And this year was no exception.

Our first stop was for feta fries, to make up for the ones they didn't have at the Greek Food Festival this year.

They were very tasty, but the usual french fry shape made it hard to get potato and feta in the same bite. Feta fries I've had in the past were chip shaped—making it easier to eat. But these came with a side of tzatziki sauce—bonus!

In the Closet

I had grand ideas about remaking my closet. I took measurements, weeded out the old, tidied what was left, bought supplies. But it still looks like an ordinary closet, not the so-beautiful-I'd-throw-a-party-in-there space I was envisioning.

It's generous in size—about 17 feet from end to end—and holds not only all our clothes (well, most of them—I also have a dresser in the bedroom) but some extra furniture and other things we want to store. My clothes are organized by type and color, and my shoes are easy to find. It just lacks pizzazz:

I like the jewelry storage I've incorporated (and as a bonus, I actually wear necklaces more now that I can easily see them):

And the pinboards where I keep inspiration close at hand:

But lately I've found the epitome of luxury to be a closet with a window. I realize it's not terribly practical; sunlight can damage clothing, after all. But the heart wants what the heart wants!

I'm Mad About...

I'm looking forward to a fun girls' weekend. And to kick it off, here are some things that caught my eye this week. Enjoy!

• If you love West Elm as much as I do, you'll love the retailer's new blog, Front & Main.
• I really need to add some brightly colored shoes to my wardrobe.
• I love this little idea.

Curtain Call

There's nothing like a trip to Jo-Ann's to get my creative juices flowing. I'm not much of a DIYer—I generally prefer to buy things already made. The pros can do it better than I can, and I know my ideas are more ambitious than my follow-through.

But sometimes I get something very specific in my head and just can't find it in a store. Or I have something that just needs a little somethin'-somethin' to spruce it up. That's when I head to Jo-Ann's for inspiration. And my latest trip gave me all sorts of great ideas.

I'm looking for curtains for the living room and dining room. Last year we got new living room furniture, and the old curtains—really more of a window scarf—just don't work any longer. The old furniture was green, but now the sofa is a cocoa color and the chairs are pale blue. I'm leaning toward something bold, with blues and greens, a striking contrast to the soft green damask I have now.

For the dining room, which is primarily yellow/gold and red, I want to add some blue. That would tie it into the living room a bit, since the spaces are adjacent, with what is essentially a half wall separating them.

I've been eyeing these curtains (without the valance—really, they're cuter in person), but there's a problem. I made the curtains that are there, and they're longer than your standard store-bought panels. So I figure I have three choices: rehang the rod lower, add trim to the bottom of a premade curtain, or make them from scratch.

It's in the Jeans

I finally found a pair of jeans leggings (which I refuse to call jeggings) that are comfortable, aren't binding at the knees and look pretty flattering. And best of all they were only 37 bucks.

I plan to wear them mainly with boots, but lately I've seen some really cute outfits with skinny jeans and pointy-toe pumps. So I dreamed up an outfit with items I already own that looks something like this:

Casual fall outfit by bethc featuring a brown leather tote

I could actually try on the pieces, but it's so much more fun to do it this way. What are you dreaming about wearing these days?

I'm Mad About...

                                                      Source: lonnymag.com via Elena on Pinterest

• Hot pink and orange in the latest issue of Lonny!
• Booktrack's soundtrack for books: I'm not sure if this would be awesome or annoying, but it certainly is clever!
• How cute are these items from Christine's new column for Dogster?

A-Tisket, A-Tasket ...

I got a new bike basket!

It's made by Electra, so it's perfect for my Townie (best bike ever, I might add):

I put the basket on myself. It took a bit of effort, and I had a few pieces left over when I was done (uh-oh!). The hardest part was following the directions. It was just drawings, not words, and I had trouble figuring out what the pictures were trying to depict.

Target Does it Again With Missoni Line

Missoni for Target drops tomorrow!

I don't think the stores around here will sell out right away (trying to find Liberty of London items the day they came was nearly impossible in the Bay Area, where I was visiting, but they were easy enough to find at my nearby stores days after the debut), but I'll probably stop in after work to get the top picks.

Here's a little preview of the limited-edition collection:

Happy shopping!

I'm Mad About...

I'll be indulging in some delicious treats at the annual Greek food festival this weekend. I look forward to this all year long, although I hear there will be no feta fries this year—tragedy!

Lands' End Canvas draped shawl-collar cardigan

• I got the Lands' End Canvas catalog the other day, and I want everything in it! Seriously. Beautiful and timeless. I'm so ready for fall to arrive now. (And if that didn't do it for me, this certainly did.)
• Zara launched online shopping in the U.S. this week! Yes!
• Another reason to love Anthropologie (as if I needed one): It's holding Sit Stay Love pet adoption and supply drives at stores around the country this month. Check it out!
• In other animal news, Sept. 17-25 is Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week. I'm full up, but if you have room in your home and your heart, consider bringing home a critter with special needs.

In the Garden: An Epic Fail

So maybe it's not epic, but it sure feels that way. This year's vegetable garden was a disaster.

It got off to a promising start. I got excited when my first zucchini came in, expecting a summer of fresh-from-the-garden squash, tomatoes and herbs. Here's what it looked like in May:

But the tomatoes never took off, and the zucchini and crook neck starting dying before they matured. The fruit would grow to a few inches long, then dry out and shrivel up.

Feeding Frenzy

I hope you all had a lovely Labor Day. I had a quiet day, just a little shopping, as Erik had to work.

My father-in-law is here for an extended visit, so I thought this weekend was the perfect opportunity to start the Sunday brunch tradition I've been wanting to initiate. So I made bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese and biscuits. Not very innovative, but it was a hit none the less. If I keep it up, I'll throw in some crepes at some point. And bagels. Definitely bagels.

I made chicken pot pies for dinner Saturday. The recipe (which I found thanks to Cupcakes and Cashmere) is fairly easy, but it took me forever to make—which is probably why I don't cook very often! I also took a few liberties with the ingredients. Another hit with the boys.

It was a weekend of comfort food (including pizza and fro yo), so I'm looking forward to lightening back up this week.

I'm Mad About...

By Copyright held by WKT Public Relations, via Wikimedia Commons

• Calling all John Cusack/'80s teen movie fanatics (and I think that includes everybody): deleted scenes from "Say Anything" (just a script, not film).
• Thanks to my thoughtful friend Jana, I got a copy of the Design*Sponge newspaper. Does this mean print is back in fashion? I hope so!
• It's time for the September issue—of Matchbook, that is.