Words for Wednesday

Ain't that the truth?? I feel like it is a small miracle that I made it back from Arizona yesterday.

I didn't feel well all yesterday morning but couldn't put my finger on what it was, and just tried to ignore it since I wanted to enjoy my last morning in the AZ sun. By the time I got to the airport in the afternoon I was not feeling too hot at all and it kinda sucked to say goodbye to my family and venture through the airport by myself. Normally I like doing that, but when you feel sick you just want to be with your family or someone who knows you!

My little "miracle" yesterday was the kindness of strangers that I encountered.

I almost lost my somewhat new and pretty treasured Chanel sunglasses, but a cleaning lady at the airport saved them for me when she could have so easily taken them. I'll count that as miracle #1.

My second incident was on the plane, like I mentioned I had felt like crap and kind of flu-ish all afternoon and could barely even stand in the line to board the plane. When we were finally ready to take off I had a mini freak-out because I knew I couldn't get up and use the bathroom and I felt like I was going to puke. I had to grab my doggie bag and I started breathing really heavy. The people across the aisle from me must have saw my distress and called a flight attendant over. I promptly started crying like a five year old and told her I thought I was sick. She brought me back kleenexes and cold towels. It was so nice and I was reminded how kind and caring perfect strangers can be.

And just for the record, I did regain composure and start acting like a normal, mature 26 year old again. Once we were up in the air though, I promptly went to the bathroom and got sick. Worst flight ever. I guess I had a touch of the flu, feeling weak today, but much better.

I thought this quote was very fitting for today. I'm thankful for my little miracles yesterday and every day.

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Card from my favorite, Quotable Cards

Headed to the desert . . .

I'm having trouble concentrating on work today. It feels like such a Friday. Flying to Arizona shortly to see a few of my favorite people. Sister is on her way too, meetin' up at the Phoenix airport. Cannot wait!

Looking forward to seeing these two...Pops and Bro

And the family patriarch himself, my 89 year old Grandpa. Is he not the most precious thing?

And just for good measure, one more from a 2008 visit. Lots of little brother love.

A letterpress love . . .

I have an odd, but deep love of fine paper goods. Cards, stationary, notebooks, prints...you name it.

Within this category falls things done on a letterpress. As in, the time treasured process of printing by hand, on a letterpress. It seems to create some beautiful things, let me tell ya.

I stumbled upon Ink & Iron when I was looking for Christmas cards on Etsy. I ended up buying all my christmas cards there. Not only is the letterpress style and quality on them awesome, but I love the words and phrases used! Ties right in with my quotes habit :)

I was so in love with the cards and quality of them that I didn't even want to send any, I just wanted to keep them for myself! (Apparently I have weird hoarder tendencies??) Don't worry, I did send them out...but I also kept one each of the three designs and plan to frame them and put them up around my house during the Christmas season next year. It is probably a little unnatural to feel this kind of attachment to a paper good. But, order one and I am sure you will see what I mean.

Here is an excerpt from Ink & Iron's profile:

Like most letterpress printers, I distinctly remember the moment I fell in love with letterpress. While shopping in 2007, a wine bottle with a beautiful label caught my eye and I had to buy it. Not for the wine, mind you, but the label [genius marketing]. I loved it so much, I phoned the winery to see if they had any posters. The winery referred me to the designer and printer, Hatch Show Print, the nation's oldest letterpress print shop. Clueless about letterpress, I phoned them in hopes of getting the wine label in poster size, or at a minimum, an electronic file that I could have a local printer print for me. Very nicely, I was told that they did not have an electronic file, but they would be happy to print a minimum of 100 posters for me, which I declined of course (I only wanted one!). Puzzled, I got off the phone, began researching letterpress, and there began my labor of love, not so commonly known as letterpress.

A few favorites from her store right now...

The detail in these cards is pretty incredible. And oh my, this wedding invitation she made - gorgeous!!

Head on over to Etsy and let me know if you are loving these as much as me!

Words for Wednesday

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Lattice wallpaper here.

Trump tower love - river walk

So I've got a bit of an affair going on with Trump Tower. And really, if you're going to fall for a building why not shoot high, and go for the Trump?! It's a few blocks from my work so I'm always keeping an eye out on things going on over there. I think I feel kind of attached to the building because I watched the end stages of it going up. I moved here in the Fall of 2007 and construction on the tower was completed in 2009. Little fact, Trump Tower is the second tallest building in the US. Second only to the Sears Tower (I refuse to refer to that as "Willis").

So obviously the building has been open and running for quite some time now -- but the River Walk portion was just recently completed. It is so awesome!! And it seems like not many people are aware of it right now, so it feels like my own little hideout when I walk over there at lunch. And that's really saying something when you're in the heart of downtown.

Prepare for the onslaught of pictures...

You can enter the river walk from Wabash on both sides of the hotel.

Once you get down the stairs there's a really nice walkway that will eventually house shops. Very curious to see what kind of places go in!

  

I got camera happy...and apparently reached an embarrassing self-portrait stage :)

OK, probably enough pictures for today...back soon with a part two. Please try not to fall off the edge of your seat waiting.

Words for Wednesday

I'm a big Shel Silverstein lover. I had a couple of his books growing up that I adored. Where the Sidewalk Ends is great for kids, short little funny stories/poems. And don't even get me started on The Giving Tree. I never owned that one as a child, but certainly read it and now have my own copy. It can pretty much bring me to tears anytime I read it. 

Really like this quote -- for children and "big children", everyone needs a little inspiration sometimes. I think a print of this quote would be perfect hanging in a child's room. I'm going to store this idea away for later, much, much later :)

Image by sister, of a box of crayons my Dad had as a child.

Yesterday at work . . .

Our Global CEO, David Jones, was in our offices
and gave us a talk. I was kind of in awe, I have never
seen him in person before. He seems like such a neat man,
not to mention powerful and extremely intelligent!
He is the CEO of Havas Worldwide, including all
233 Euro RSCG offices around the globe! This is a
little off color, but I found him fascinating to listen to,
in part, because he sounds like Hugh Grant. (who doesn't
love a good British accent, right??)









When he was done talking, we watched several videos of recent work created by Euro from around the world. This one for Volvo, done by our offices in Amsterdam, really got me. From a marketing perspective it was just an awesome idea on launching a product when they couldn't actually show the new car. But personally, I thought this video on the whole idea was so inspiring. I'm that weirdo at the meeting who was blinking back tears watching this. On a side note, why do I seem to get teary eyed at the drop of a hat?! Check out this video and let me know if you experience anything like I was feeling :)

language of the homeland

I started Italian lessons on Tuesday (!!!!!) I am beyond excited, I have been wanting to do this for awhile and finally took the plunge and signed up for a 10 week session. We have a great Italian cultural center in Chicago that offers lessons. If you want to take classes sign up here :) They also have events like wine tasting (count me in), dinners featuring different regions' traditional food and Italian movie night.

My text book! (infinitely more exciting than Spanish books I had in high school...)

And because I love an excuse to post pictures from Italy... 

Sister and I in front of the Vatican, Summer 2006

View of St. Peter's Square after our climb to the very top of the duomo (summer 2008). I love the symmetry of the columns surrounding the square. It just looks so, well...perfect. I read (and probably heard this during our tours of the grounds!) that Bernini designed the two walls of columns to symbolically embrace the crowds. The square can hold up to 100,000 people during religious ceremonies outside. Pretty darn amazing. 

Alright, that's all I'll say about Italy today. 

HAPPY, HAPPY FRIDAY!

Blooms

It's so nice to have flowering branches inside in the Spring. I picked these up at Trader Joe's.

Speaking of blooms... All the bulbs my neighbor and I planted last fall are just about ready to burst. I am so excited!! I'll post pictures when they are in full bloom, of course. I'm pretty familiar with planting bulbs, from growing up around my green thumb Mom - but this was the first time that I had a yard of my own (well OK I share it with 5 other condo units) to plant bulbs in. I was irrationally nervous they wouldn't come up. But they're doing great! After a long, cold Winter, I can hardly describe the excitement it brings to see little green stalks popping up.

A few weeks ago...

...and now.

Spring is here! Hopefully all this rain we've been getting in Chi will giveway to some sun soon. I hear better weather is on the way just in time for the weekend. But you know what they say, April showers bring May flowers...

Words for Wednesday

Isn't this cute? I would love to hang this in my kitchen or somewhere near my bar area. This print and the words for Wednesday this week come from the Keep Calm Gallery. I'd say they are most well known for their really cool Keep Calm and Carry On print.

I love different typefaces and fonts, really makes me wish I could use a graphic design program of sorts so I could make some prints for myself! I have lots of good ideas, just no photoshop or quark, etc. knowledge. Oh well, for the time being I can look through their shop!

Words for Wednesday

I know, I know...it's Thursday and I need to get with the program...but busy day at work yesterday and also a little crazed with tickets...Sister and I bought tickets to the Final Four yesterday!!! We are so pumped! We have tickers for all games but probably won't be staying for the Monday night game, but we sure as heck will be there Saturday to see the boys in all their glory :)

In the past few basketball-filled months I don't think I've ever sang the fight song so much in my life. At the MSU bars in chicago (and there are lots of them!!) they play the fight songs at half time or when we win the game or even at random commercial breaks! The whole place gets pretty into it and we're all usually clapping along and singing, it's pretty cool. Feels like I'm right back in East Lansing again. Without further ado, the words for Wednesday Thursday....

Picture taken by Ali at our Homecoming trip last year!