Monthly Archives: August 2011
Design: Easy Fashion Fix
| August 31, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under do-it-yourself, fashion, Inspiration, organization, Projects, storage |
Don’t throw that magazine in the recycle bin just yet!
I got this great tip from my friend Nicole of The Wardrobe Code the other day – I was looking for a good way to display my boots in the closet (an organized closet, she says, is the first crucial step to a successful wardrobe). She recommended rolling old magazines to keep the shape so the boots would stand up instead of flopping over. Genius.
There is nothing I like more than to find something seemingly useless and make it useful, especially when it’s essentially free. So I pulled out a few old issues – I don’t usually keep magazines, actually, I tear things out and recycle them. But I just happened to have missed a few several months back and wouldn’t be bothered to read them now.
After stuffing the first one in I realized that it would need a little reinforcement. So a rubber band on each end holds it perfectly to size in my slouchy boots. In more fitted pairs, wrapping the band twice works well.
Now they stand straight up and look lovely every time I open the closet. And since they’re banded it’s easy to pull out and put back in. I can’t wait for boot season!
Nurture: Quiet Please
| August 29, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under Body, Inspiration, inspired life series |
Do you ever notice all the noise around you? People, cars, construction, tv, dishwasher, the humming sound of the computer…so much racket! Lately I’ve been really searching for silence, a simple escape from all these sounds that feel like loud interruptions to my thoughts.
Last week I was able to retreat to a cabin in the woods – my favorite fantasy these days. I spent a couple days with no internet, really shoddy phone reception and nothing ‘to do’ except sit and think about what to do. It was amazing.
My perch
Calm water, calm mind
This week I’m back to the chaos, and life doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down for a while. So how do I find these moments of peace and quiet in the midst of all the noise?
I’d like to devote at least an hour of my day to my silent self. A few ideas:
- 10 minute morning yoga (I think I can pull myself out of bed a tad earlier)
- 30 minute evening walk with the dog, or bike ride with hubs
- 20 minute pre-bed meditation
Note: I do a lot better with guided meditation than on my own. If you too have trouble keeping your mind in check, download a meditation track on Itunes, Amazon or (my new favorite) Spotify. Spotify is free and appears to have a decent selection of these.
What do you do to find moments of quiet for yourself?
Keep calm and carry on. Happy Monday.
Design: Historic Minnesota Part II
| August 26, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under architecture, Design, design history, Inspiration |
Last Friday I highlighted some beautiful historic homes in Minnesota. Later that day I spent some time roaming downtown Minneapolis and decided it just wouldn’t be right to skip the subject of commercial buildings of the area.
I love these triangular buildings, so perfectly designed for the mid-western metropolis…This is the Lumber Exchange built in 1885.
It’s got the classic brick facade with a double story arched entrance and revolving door.
Another arched entrance, this one a lot more Italianate in style. This building currently houses the Hennepin Center for the Arts but was originally a Masonic Temple built in 1888.
One of my favorites (mostly due to the memories, and the interior) is The Orpheum Theatre. This building was constructed a little later, 1921, which is why the sign has a distinctly Deco feel to it.
When the theatre opened it looked like this.
image courtesy of grossmanproject.net
A few other places that I didn’t get shots of, but are worth mention
image from WikiMedia.org
The SOO Line Building, built 1915. My favorite part of the building is the clock.
image courtesy of skywayoflove.blogspot.com
City Hall was finished in 1905
image courtesy of flickriver.com
And last but not least, the Gluek Beer Building from 1902.
image from flickr.com getfitmpl
Hope you enjoyed your historic tour on downtown Minneapolis. For more information on these or any other landmarks in the area visit Heritage Landmarks. Happy Friday.
Eat: An Afternoon at the Portland Farmers Market
| August 24, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Moss under edible thursday, food, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Places |
Happy August!
It’s the time of year to enjoy the warm weather, vacations and, of course, your local farmers market and all the local fresh produce, flowers and products it has to offer.
Having recently returned from the Pacific Northwest, I had the opportunity to visit one of the largest and well-known markets in the country- the Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University.
It did not disappoint, to say the least…
Open on Saturdays from mid-March through mid-December, the market is only one of six located in the city. A feast for the senses, it features not only food and agriculture vendors, but is host to various musicians and cultural events as well. Thousands of visitors purchase farm-fresh produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, seafood and other specialty foods from more than 250 vendors.
In addition to providing some of the most beautiful fruits and vegetables I’ve ever seen (and tasted), the diversity and the dynamic nature of the Portland Farmers Market encourages interaction and engagement. By fostering community, the market provides the public with access to regional and seasonal goods, in addition to bolstering the local economy and promoting the sustainable values for which Portland is so well known.
Learn more about the farmers market online, and if you happen to find yourself in Portland, make sure to stop by and enjoy all it has to offer!
Inspired Wardrobe: Skeeter from The Help
| August 22, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under Design, design history, fashion, film, See and Do, textiles, vintage |
This is probably being done to death on fashion blogs- but I’m not a fashion blog and I haven’t read any lately so I don’t actually know, or care either way. Because right now I wanna talk about the vintage dresses I fell in love with when seeing The Help the other day.
I should start by saying that I am expressing my light-hearted views about the film in this post. I absolutely loved this movie and would recommend that everybody see it, but focusing on fashion in a film like this would be sorely missing the point. And I definitely did not miss the point.
The main character, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a college graduate coming home to the town where she grew up. She wants to be a writer and is not drawn to the Southern Belle lifestyle that her childhood friends have so easily grown into. And her attire shows it. While her friends are all making bouffant dresses from their McCalls patterns, Skeeter’s style is all about 60′s career wear.
Right off the bat I knew I would like this Chick.
Probably my favorite outfit of the whole movie, this is the dress she wears to interview for her first writing gig.
image from http://hollywoodmoviecostumesandprops.blogspot.com
The color, the fabric, the fringe detail and collar on the cropped coat…but even better is when she took off the coat to meet with the society gals.
image from digitalhippos.com
Another formal favorite was this.
image from http://hollywoodmoviecostumesandprops.blogspot.com
I love the monochrome palette in her wardrobe, played up with cute details like that button pocket. Notice how the buttons on the top and skirt are different, seems a little daring for such a conservative time don’t you think?
For more casual scenes, she still kept things simple. The sheer, almost seersucker pattern and the tie collar make me love this piece. And it looks comfortable, especially for a hot Southern summer. I would wear this dress anywhere.
image from http://hollywoodmoviecostumesandprops.blogspot.com
A few more, just for good measure.
image from mtdb.net
image from projects.accessatlanta.com
image from theiapolis.com
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