St. Louis has quite a few breweries that are all worth checking out. Friday night the boy and I decided to spend the evening at Square One Brewery/restaurant. He ordered a massive taco salad and I just had dessert, a massive stout brownie.

It was a cold night and didn’t really feel like getting back out once I got home from work, but it was worth it. We just enjoyed each other’s company and talked about our plans for the near future. Lots of stuff going on these days!

Once we got home we plopped ourselves on our little gray couch; he fell asleep and I transported myself to Stars Hollow. ( If you watch Gilmore Girls you know what I’m talking about ) I sang along to the intro sequence song 4 times, which means I watched 4, 1-hour episodes. Can we say “amazing”?

I’ve got a 3-day weekend ahead of me and I couldn’t be more excited. Today is going to be a busy day full of adventures. Can’t wait to share them with you as they happen. Have an amazing weekend my dear friends! Oh, I’m getting new glasses today. Pretty excited!

During my college years I was home for the holidays and visiting my grandparents house. My grandfather’s basement looks like a natural disaster has blown through, but let me tell you…there are soooo many treasures in that space. (He’s a bit of a hoarder.) While I was looking around I came across some of his advertising stuff and my heart sank. How could he have THIS kind of “junk” down here? I brought it upstairs and read through both volumes of “400 Best Read Ads of 1968”. Two years later I was gifted the set as a graduation gift. Today, I work at an advertising agency and I can’t believe I own this piece of history. (It even smells like an old book. Love it!)

Tonight I was inspired to post this piece of my collection when I heard frecklewonder was searching through vintage magazines. Her kitchen has framed advertisements from decades ago. Matches perfectly with her mid-century modern house that I get more and more jealous of everyday.

Since I work in an advertising agency I see ads come and go and I’m amazed at how much things have changed. People are buying products differently, gender roles have completely shifted, print quality has improved, and typography usage has evolved. Above I’ve shown some of my favorites from the two volumes. I couldn’t show all of the ads because there are 400, but I wish you could see them. Most of them are humorous.

What are some of your favorite pieces in your collection. Do they have a story behind them?

Especially your bookshelves! I’ve got books on the brain and I’m on the hunt for really great book/magazine storage ideas. Currently, my books are nestled together on leaning shelves scattered throughout my loft, while my magazines are haphazardly stored in a plain plastic cube (definitely not stylish). What I really desire is one of those mesmerizing bookshelves that stop you in your tracks and make you go “ooo” and “aaaa.” Below are some of the inspiring images I’ve gathered for ideas.

Now, I’m hoping to strike gold in an antique or thrift store and stumble upon a beauty that will elevate my space. If you’re like me and considering to buy “illusion of security books,” finding the perfect bookshelf is not just about storage—it’s about turning your collection into a focal point, adding charm and personality to your home. Whether it’s a vintage find or a modern marvel, the right bookshelf can transform a room into a cozy reading nook or a showcase of literary treasures.

above images sources (left) (right)

above images sources: (left) (right-unknown)

above image source: (left)

Send me pics/links of your bookshelves. I’d love to see how everyone is uniquely storing their bound beauties.

We woke up this morning and wa-la, there it was. SNOW! Took the pooch out for his morning walk and he decided to eat about half the amount of snow that fell from the sky. You could say he’s happy.

The agency is operating on a one hour delay this morning so that makes me smile. Below are a few snapshots from our morning walk in the snow.

I have something for this afternoon that I need your help with. Start thinking bookshelves. GO!

The Mr. Weatherman has predicted that St. Louis might get up to 6 inches of snow tonight. For St. Louis this is a big deal. I’ve seen this city shut down with 3 inches. I grew up in Northern Indiana where 6 inches of snow was considered a “dusting”, so I’m not all that concerned.

Tonight we took our anxious pup out to walk through the little amount of snow that’s already fallen. I grabbed my pinhole camera and out we went.

You see that big blond blur in the right-hand side of the photo; that’s my spaz of a dog. The boy let his leash go and this dog went flying.

I love how quiet the streets get when it’s snowing. Makes me feel like I have to whisper.

This look is called “I didn’t do anything…”

Our historic neighborhood is really pretty as is, but with a little snow it gets a little bit more special.

Oh, I just realized that I haven’t officially introduced our 11 month old golden retriever puppy to the blog world. Well, here he is. Meet Porter James. You’ll be able to spot him as “the blur” in any of the photos I post.

I hear several parts of the US are getting snow storms tonight. Anyone planning a snow day?

I’m not a big reader but really enjoy finding a book series I like and reading it to end. All through college I never had the interest too add more books onto my weekly textbook readings, but now I have some free time to snuggle up with a good book. Some of my recent reads and favorite reads are below. I’m hoping you guys can get me hooked on a new series, so I’m taking all kinds of suggested reads.

1. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
2. Twilight Series, by Stephenie Meyer  (yes I read all 4 of those massive books and loved every minute of it)
3. Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay
4. Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, by James Patterson (for all my mom readers out there)
5. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
6. The Giver, by Lois Lowry ( still to this day, my all time favorite book)
7. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins ( a suggested read by Danielle over at sometimessweet blog)
8. The Bhagavad Gita, Translated by Wintrop Sargeant ( I’m really into the eastern religions and philosophies)
9. The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet ( a suggested read from a dear friend at work)

Yesterday was a great day here in St. Louis land. The boy and I had to run a couple errands like picking up a new vacuum, stocking up on dog food, and checking out the new Dick Blick art supply store on The Loop. While we were out on The Loop we stopped at a little restaurant called Cheeseology and they only serve mac & cheese! What a fabulous idea!

I always get the “Classic” mac & cheese and the boy tried the Mediterranean. SO good. You can even have your mac made in a cast iron skillet and topped with bread crumbs. Amazing!

Our lunch stop was filled with lots of laughing. As soon as the boy got a chunk of cheese on his face, it was all downhill from there. I’m surprise noodles weren’t flying out of our noses from laughing. Such a good time. And of course, we ate it all!

After Cheeseology we went next door to Vintage Vinyl (photo cred: Jim Derogatis Flickr) to see what they had in stock. It’s one of those record stores that are completely overwhelming unless you go in there with an idea of what you are looking for. I ended up leaving with the 2nd volume of She & Him.

Today we plan on laying low and catching up on all things domestic. We’ll probably watch something from Netflix and take the pup for a walk in the freezing cold. Tomorrow I plan to post what I’m currently reading and books I hope to read in the near future. I’m not a big reader people, so this is a big deal!

Anyone who knows me knows that I could spend hours perusing the booths at an antique store or the racks at a thrift store. When doing this I am usually just looking to be looking and I try not to go into any shop with a specific item in mind. I love how all my thrifted/antique items that I have found all have a story behind them because they were found unexpectedly and usually for a killer price. I prefer to find things naturally rather than searching for something on etsy or ebay, although I will use these resources if I’m dying to get my hands on something, or its something I can’t pass up.

I thought it would be fun to share with you my current “thrift list” for 2011. Of course this list is constantly changing, but these items have been on my list for quite some time. If any of you know a place where I might get lucky and find one of these items on the shelves, please let me know. I’m looking for things at dirt cheap prices people!!

1. typewriter in yellow, red, or mint green (above image by mandy lynne)
2. vintage brown medicine bottles
3. BIG metal signage letters
4. george nelson wall clock
5. antique wooden coke carrier (above image from bluebell etsy shop)
6. vintage mailboxes/file tabulation boxes
7. blyth doll
8. turksih kilim pillow (above image from perly notes esty shop)

Today was the first day back at the advertising agency after being out for a two week vacation. My mind felt a little blurry as I tried to get reorganized. I was sitting at my desk today and I thought it might be kind of fun to share my little home away from home with my new readers. I always love to see what other people have done with their spaces, especially small spaces where you have to get creative. Sorry, the images were taken with my iPhone, so the quality isn’t all that great.

image left: a view of some of the stuff I have pinned to my wall. Yes that is a joke from a piece of bazooka gum. top right: my Dean & Deluca mug I got from my dear friend Miss Jane. bottom right: my little hamburger eraser and a calendar to start the new year.

top left: hello kitty stamp and a cupcake I made at a ceramic painting shop. bottom left: one of the famous doodles from my creative director Doug. image right: a recent letterpress print and cowboy boots. (my boots came in the mail today. What a nice way to start the day. Thanks Hautelook)

image top: a close up view of one of my silkscreen prints. Print is titled “Eat your vegetables” and I love the irony in the image. Print was the work of a classmate in college, Shannon. image bottom: a close up view of one of my own silkscreen prints. I have a thing with typography.

image left: stacks of resource magazine and an original drawing from one of my best friends. (John over at adesignmafia) top right: yup, that’s twitter! bottom left: a print that was given to me by John while he was visiting Portland.

I try to fill my space with small things that bring back a lot of memories. I also try to fill my workspace with lots of color and things that I can hang rather than set on my desk. I hope you enjoy a little peak into my second home. Agency life can be stressful and fast-paced. Keeping yourself surrounded by people you adore and things you love makes everything worth while.

I’m curious what other people’s work spaces look like. Feel free to share. If you have a to-die-for space I’d love to feature you on my blog.

The boy and I decided to travel home to St. Louis a few days before we had to return to work so we could get things reorganized and relax before we are thrown back into the real world. The last two days of vacation were bittersweet and it was hard not to count down the remaining few hours. The time away from work came at a time when we were both feeling worn thin and the two weeks we had to recover were a real blessing. We were lucky this year that we both could take the same amount of time away from work and that made traveling that much more worth it. For a peaceful retreat, Carmel hotels nestled in the heart of California’s coastal beauty offer a perfect escape from the daily grind. If you still haven’t taken your yearly vacation yet, you can try exploring the things to do in austin and other tourist spots of your choice.

Nothing all that exciting happened this weekend. We went to the grocery and stocked up on a bunch of healthy goodies. I was very pleased with myself by not purchasing a single sweet treat. (if you know me…this is a HUGE accomplishment) We came home and made tortilla soup I got to use my new Giada knives I got for Christmas. I caught up on laundry, rearranged the items in my cabinets to make room for new Tupperware, and vacuumed. Well I tried to vacuum. This is what happened. MY VACUUM BURST INTO A LARGE PUFF OF SMOKE AND TURNED OFF WHILE MAKING THIS AWFUL DEATHLY SOUND!!! Though, I expect one day it will fail because I’ve been using it for so long but not to the point where it makes those deadly noises and smoke… And for my next shopping planned, I will consider robot vaccums and see how they differ from my old vacuum cleaner.

Dear Little Green Vacuum,
You’ve done your job well. You’ve sucked up lots of gray fur and lots of blond fur. You were super lightweight and easy to get along with. The best part is that on the day you decided to die, our clothes matched. (see picture above)

After all the domestic things were done, the boy and I laid low, television on in the background and our eyes glued to our computers. He sketched and I blogged.

Tomorrow will be a rough day. Getting back into the grove of things is always a challenge. Wish us luck!