Hello, Goodbye

2011, you've been swell but I'm looking forward to the new adventures 2012 will bring.

Happy New Year everyone!

Zoolights + holiday recap

Hi friends! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday. I've enjoyed a couple weeks off from work and time spent with family and friends. Christine and I kicked off the holiday break with a fun holiday soiree and recorded several songs in the recording studio for Magnolia Strings. I spent time with family eating soup and playing board games. I saw the beautiful and heartbreaking movie, The Descendants and made do with fake snow at the musical, White Christmas. Last night, my college friend, Tom, and I enjoyed the balmy Chicago weather walking around Lincoln Park Zoo and taking in the millions of Christmas lights.

In Print

Via sacred art

Via Help Ink

Via Society6

Via Therese Sennerholt

Via Ryan Kapp

Via Wanelo

Via Society6

Deck the Halls

Christine and I filmed this little stop motion video to share with friends and family. Despite the fact that we had never made a stop motion video before and are both incredibly busy, we managed to pull it off. Enjoy!

Lately...

December has been a whirlwind month and I feel as if I've been moving non-stop. I'm looking forward to standing still for a bit and regrouping for the new year. Here are some photos I managed to capture over the past several weeks.

1. Lunch at The Burger Philosophy

2. Glogg at Lincoln Square Christkindlemarket

3. Chocolate at Gene's Sausage Shop

4. Naughty or Nice gig at Julius Meinl

5. Baking Christmas cookies

6. The first snow

7. Christmas tree

8. Carol banner

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

"Guess why I smile a lot...uh cuz it's worth it." Just a little something to brighten your day.

Lists of Note

Image: hyzercreek via lists of note

I'm fascinated by the site, Lists of Note, which features lists made throughout history, including ones by Johnny Cash, Walt Whitman, and Kurt Cobain. The list above was from a 1944 Jazz album by pianist Harry "The Hipster" Gibson. Equally fascinating is the related site, Letters of Note. I've been reading the beautiful, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious letters every morning while I drink my coffee. One that struck me this morning is this letter written to a fan by Paul Banks, lead singer of Interpol.

Good Reads

This video is amazing.

Hey, It's Christmas! Download this free Holiday album.

Check out these creative haiku traffic signs in NYC.

These prints support a great cause.

A Transit-Friendly Tour of Indoor Public Art.

Finally.

Ten Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

I can't help but cringe when I receive grammatically incorrect emails (and I have a hard time sending a text without proper punctuation). This post highlights some of the most common culprits and how you can avoid making these mistakes. Are you guilty of any of these?

 

I want to be a J.Crew ad...

I was excited yesterday to open my mailbox to the 2011 J.Crew Holiday Catalog! Their catalogs are always full of fun styling inspiration. I'm smitten with the bright Poppy color. Seriously, they can do no wrong.

Photos {Via}

Good Reads

Christoph Niemann live-illustrates his experience while running the New York Marathon.

DIY Cranberry Liqueur.

This video made me smile.

Pay for cuddle time with friendly felines at a Cat Cafe in Japan.

Check out the 2011 issue of Gifted Magazine for gift giving inspiration.

Tis the Season

It's finally time to put up Christmas decorations, start blasting holiday music, and bake Christmas cookies. This year I'm hoping to celebrate the season with these festive Chicago events:

It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas double feature at the Music Box Theatre

Christkindl Market

The Nutcracker

ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo

Ice Skating in Millenium Park

Breakfast buffet at the Walnut Room

Dysfunctional Holiday Revue at Second City

What are you looking forward to this holiday season?



Sonic Arboretum

Looking forward to checking out this new installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Giving Thanks



Via

Today I'm thankful for...


MusicBreakfast Clubchristmas carolsburgers
PIEblack catsa toasty apartmentlongs walkstap shoes
good bookscoffeetwinkle lightsdancing

...but above all family and friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The burger search continues...

Last time we were at The Butcher and the Burger, we overheard a fella remark that he had just eaten the best burger of his life. I'm not prepared to make that declaration, but I will admit it was darn good. 

The Time Hack

The Time Hack is a project created by journalist, Matt Danzico. Research suggests that one's perception of time differs when one engages in a new experience, rather than a mundane and repetive task. Danzico aims to explore this idea by engaging in a new experience everyday for an entire year. He records his percieved time and memory of the event, which is then compared to the actual recorded time.

Good Reads

A Very She & Him Christmas album.

New season of Arrested Developement on Netflix.

What composer would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner?

What a fun wedding!

Stay updated about Chicago events with this calendar.

Fun website suggests a drink to go along with the music you're listening to.

The Kitten Covers

Album covers recreated with kittens = too funny.






Via {The Kitten Covers}

This is a love note...

...to the incredibly charming Charlie Fink of Noah and the Whale. You stole my heart at Saturdays show at Lincoln Hall. The voice, the hair, the witty banter...sigh. Your show was incredible. Come back soon.

Love,
Heather

P.S. Lincoln Hall, you're not bad either.

*Thanks to Christine and her iPhone for the photos.

Dose Market

Christine and I spent last Sunday afternoon browsing the Dose Market at the beautiful River East Arts Center. The monthly market features a variety of fashion and artisan food vendors. The adventure continued with lunch at Grahamwich and dessert at Hub51. Another Sunday well spent!

Good Reads

Filene's Basement is going-out-of-business after more than 100 years.

I kind of wish I worked here.

Digging these prints.

Yummy fall cocktail.

Ever wonder how they installed the huge Christmas tree at Marshall Fields, I mean, Macy's?



Inside Marina City

Goldberg's Marina City Towers are pretty fascinating. Because of the corncob design of the towers, each apartment is shaped like a slice of pie, having almost no interior right angles.

Iker Gil and Andreas E.G. Larsson spent more than two years documenting the lives of residents in the towers for the project, Inside Marina City. The resulting photographs provide a behind-the-scenes look into the diverse living spaces and the people who live there.