Time for a New Look

It is entirely coincidental that I'm writing this post freshly returned from the beauty shop but there it is. Incidentally, my hair smells incredible enough to just lick it but I won't because frankly Honeycat does that enough for both of us.
Nay, this isn't about my personal look per se, but rather something I alluded to in my anniversary post when you were all so kind to pull your favorite photos. The first thing I'm going to need is a new banner and my thoughts on this have varied. I really love the look of great illustration. It has a sense of humor and an admittedly imperfect viewpoint but still piques the interest and explains.


While I was in Seattle over the weekend, Pop Pop gave me a copy of The Elements of Style Illustrated as a (perfect) gift. To say that it has renewed my affection for Maira Kalman would be an understatement. She being the illustrator of the three photos above. Looking back at the other images I pulled for header inspiration I can see that they all have a similar whimsy. Luckily they all also have calendars featured in decor8's 2010 line-up and I've linked to their sites!

I love the color scheme and simplicity of these Seesaw prints and I'd love to see what they would do with food illustration.

Emmy Lew probably reminds me the most of Maira but even more whim(s?). I want a pie, a roast chicken, a bushel of veggies and puff of big hair mostly out of one end of the banner with a cat tail on the other side. That probably makes no sense. When will we be able to plug USB cords into our brains?Last but the opposite of least, Jen Oaks. Request: Click on the image above so you can really look at it. Does her November look oddly like my November? If this image had anything to do with food whatsoever, I would straight up ask her to name her price for rights to use it in an official capacity. Look, here's HC and I in our window in the fall, our season.

Would that be weird or insulting to professional illustrators to approach them about such a small project? When I re do this place, I really want to love it.

Renegade Breakfast

Renegade Breakfast
Originally uploaded by ToKissTheCook

Cobey and Ellie came over for a light breakfast on the perfect day that was the Renegade Craft Fair last weekend. This is the time of year when I enjoy eating in the garden the most. It's clear and bright and hot coffee with croissants and egg cups is perfectly appropriate.

On to the food and as I failed to take pictures of my Renegade treasures, I encourage you to visit Dearest Inez, Circle Street and Urban Posture on Etsy!

Egg cups: I've raved about these before but if you're having people over, there's nothing easier. A thin slice of baguette in the bottom of a lightly buttered ramekin, veggies (we did diced tri-color peppers, spinach and baby bellas), cheese (goat gets perfectly creamy), season, crack on egg on top and season again. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until the whites of the egg have gone at least opaque. Donezo.

Mixed Berries: Rinse berries, 1 TB raw sugar (stir), juice from 1/2 a lemon, stir and serve. A zinger of a counterpoint balancing those savory egg cups.

Croissants: Favorite shortcut discovery of the last few months. I really try to make as much as possible from scratch. That's probably apparent and at least one reader (Hi Mom!) thinks I'm crazy. That said, frozen mini croissants from Trader Joe's are so good that I think I'll have a hard time improving on them. Take your frozen nuggets out of the fridge and place them a few inches apart on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Leave them overnight. Upon the rooster call? Fully risen soft croissants. Dash an egg wash over the top, bake and enjoy the flaky fresh perfection.

Infomercial over if you were fast-forwarding.

This entry? Consider it my call to be friends on Flickr if we're not already. I was a latecomer to this place and it brings me much joy.

Come Back to Bed

If my bedroom wasn't 6x9 and buttercup yellow (not my pick), I would get this headboard (particularly if it comes with that hat). Reminds me of Morocco. Everything on le Souk does.

Or this little teak number, all low to the ground and sleek. Though I'm not so into bedroom sets so the remaining items can stay on the turf of that "Japanese Rock Garden" outside Tuscon.

Or I could throw down with this George Nakashima raw edge cherry- found on auction house website for the bargain price of $12,000...more than I believe my car to be worth at the moment.

Need to find a way to bridge love of Mediterranean, Modern and Natural. And afford it. Or quit lusting over objects and push my chair back from my desk. Ha.

Point-and-Click Pretty

Chicago is currently paying for a flawlessly beautiful weekend with a humid stormdoor of a Monday. In light of this (and in light of the fact that the article I’m doing on dermatitis is giving me a headache), I thought we could use some point and click pretty.

I’ve called her out before but Danielle over at the style files takes me into an amazing new headspace every day. This also fuels my wanderlust in a way that’s like being in heat for travelers but it’s worth it. Beautiful places and spaces always. Istanbul, Sweden and more recently Nicolas Matheus’ portfolio. I’ve put one of my favorites up top but make the jumps here and here to see the rest. I looked back through all of them first thing this morning and I think I’m still blushing.

The mailbox has also been very good to me lately. Saturday for instance I got the new Food & Wine and that roasted tomato bruschetta with honey and ricotta? On the list. Topping the list as a matter of fact. Blackberries with Lemon Cream on Toasted Brioche coming in a very close second.
And in the last but never least slice of beautiful Monday news… I’m officially walking down the aisle a second time, three and a half years after I did it the first time… as a bridesmaid.

Hurricanes at Pat O's after Brother's graduation last year

JB and I have been friends since we were somewhere in the neighborhood of 14- through home ec and softball and trading brothers as prom dates and black eyes (both of us!) and colleges hundreds of miles from home and all the fantastic firsts that came in between then and now. I am ridiculously honored not to mention silly enthusiastic about the fun to come!!! Plus, the dresses she’s picked out are a) Very cute b) J Crew sizing c) on sale. Gooooood bride:) Memphis in May at the Peabody... glad I have the better part of a year to prepare!

The Good Night

I'm in the market for new bedding but it's been relegated to the ever-lengthening list of things I can't afford. If my taste holds up, they may not be things I can afford ever. Which is ok for now because I'm getting joy just looking at Blissliving's new summer collection. I love that bed. One of my favorite color combos and made of the kind of material that tells me both sides of the pillow are gonna be cool when I lay down.

In other news, I want the pillows below for my couch to replace the striped velour ones I've been vowing to replace...since I bought the couch. I think the white against the khaki and orange is going to be really crisp and add my light blue walls? That's a summer room. And contrary to the weather thus far, summer is coming. Hold fast!

Blissliving Gemini Pillow in FlamingoIn keeping with the orange theme, I just saw this teapot by Terra Keramik in the June HOME magazine and decided I need it. Need it like I need an extra buttonhole but you get the picture. Hypothetically deciding between orange, blue and green.

Jewels of Da Nile

Thanks to Ez at Creature Comforts for turning me on to yet another beautiful piece, a beaded necklace by Stella McCartney. This is when I have immense self-loathing at my craft laziness. I know I could go to a bead store and make this or at least a suiting replica. But I won't. And Stella's banking on it.

TKTC Note: Speaking of jewelry I can't afford, Lucky has discovered the cuff I've been craving. I know it's pretty petty but Emily...I saw it first:)

CHICago is My Kind of Town

I got my swank on for a bit tonight. The Boss likes for Colleague and I to attend networking events here and there and tonight was "Fashion Group's" Fall Trend Forecast. Translation: All those in Chicago qualifying for a subscription to Women's Wear Daily drinking pink grapefruit champagne cocktails and watching a GIGANTIC slideshow of fashion week highlights at the James Hotel. Colleague and I were exchanging notes through most of it on different outfits etc and then we had a chance to do the mingle.

Now y'all know I work in the salon side of Beauty PR. Well I walked up to a table and one of the Chicago Beauty beacons I work with as a client goes "TKTC, your hair looks fabulous, who are you going to?!" And I'm all, "Really? Thanks, I'm overdue to see Wes at the Ruby Room."

At which point a second man at the table starts positively beaming. He owns the Ruby Room. Small world. So we talk about the neighborhood (down the street from me) and I'm drilling him about this fabulous little dynasty he and his wife have built. It was lovely. And reminded me that I really need to try to book Wes before I leave for the UK next week
(TKTC Note: Damn I sound like a jetsetter in this post! Reality check: hanging out with a pink buzz in my sweatpants. Oh yes, jetSET.)

Moving on, that reminded me of my Daily Candy from yesterday and a Chicagoist entry today calling out a healthy fro yo place opening .... under the Ruby Room. Not only that but FREE tonight. So I decided to make a neighborhood night of it.

I got home from my swank little faaahhhshion dahling preview, got out of my wrapdress and into a zippy then called in some sushi. Did I mention it's suddenly beautiful out?

Starfruit is quite literally 4 minutes away. And all of the fro yo is made with kefir...my new favorite thing (Probiotic, Greek-style yogurt milk...obviously I love it) and after finding it at Stanley's I've been eating it for a week with a little honey and strawberries for Bfast. Yum.

But for ice cream...I had the original with Butterfinger to counteract anything TOO healthy. And on my way out to pick up my real dinner, I even bumped into an old sorority sister (don't laugh, I loved ever minute of it).

So here we are back at the ranch. Swirled, Sushi-ed, Swanked, Sweatpanting and ready for some Leno!

Also- almost totally unrelated- one of my other TV crushes (the one that reminds me of Jamieson) is now the voice of Applebees? Really, Aiden?

What I Wore: The Power of Suggestion

What I Wore:
New Hat from Eskell
Last season tunic dress from Urban Outfitters
White button-down shirtdress from Club Monaco
Dark skinny jeans from Old Navy
Black Either/Or flats from Anthropologie

I SWEAR I had already hung the tunic/shirtdress combo up to wear to a hairstylist "jam session" this morning. Pre-posting. The rest? I guess only the universe is gonna riddle me that:)

Also, Midwest Jess does a fabulous segment like this daily...check out What I Wore!

Lady Lovelylinks

In apology for the overwhelming length of the post from yesterday, I am doing a post that is mostly links and pretty pictures today. Although the "Train to Paris" story is worth a read if you're bed ridden or something:) Enjoy!

I'm still thoroughly enjoying the Fleet Foxes, who I figured out last weekend when they opened for Blitzen Trapper at Schubas. Nice nice guys and very different from anything else I've been listening to lately. Haunting like an an old Americana folk song...reminds me of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow a bit.
My plan was to use the pic on the far right to illustrate this segment. For some reason I see Lady Lovely Locks in their Sun Giant cover. The fact that this site exists is a little creepy to me but I'm not hatin'. Anyway, upon my Google Image search I found a couple other fun ones so love on the montage and snag the EP- just released on iTunes all of 4 days ago.

If you just want some new music and you want it now: Greg Laswell (yum), Joshua Radin and- a TKTC favorite person- Cary Brothers all had new loves come out very recently.
For all my girls planning weddings...Creature Comforts did a pretty cute piece on planning a chic and affordable day.

Capital A Prints out of Detroit has some pretty sweet poster designs up. I love this one for Jens Lekman- one of my Scandocrushes-but found about about them through the Blitzen boys (check out their lightening jar here). I keep coming up with ideas to decorate my "office space" and it runs a real gamut between peacock blue wall with gold frames and the vintage mirrors I've been collecting OR framed prints of concert posters and some personal photos (other than my fridge, there are none in my apartment). That may be a project for next week, once I rid myself of this huge box of nonsense that's been here since I moved in.This Just In: FashionIndie has determined that curls AND big hair are in for Spring. Guess I'm in luck as I wake up with this hot mess every day. I shouldn't say that, I actually like my hair. It's like shoes- no matter where I'm at in my jeans sizes, I can usually depend on it to at least do it's own thing. A girl in Starbucks yesterday asked me what I put in it so I will now recommend two things to all you curlies:

1) Bumble & Bumble Curl Conscious Creme if your hair is my texture.
2) NaturallyCurly.com to determine what your texture is and/or a SLEW of products for the kink-inclined;)

TKTC Note: Not actually awake in this picture and reserving the right to take it down if reconsidered.

Style Files gets all the extra credit for finding this gorgeous "white house" in Paris. More pics after the jump but there are so many worn, natural touches. Very Greek Isles, everything textured and sunwashed. Yum.
Love this. I'm definitely not usually this Flash-Bang but this just looks lux. Sadly it is priced...consistently. I'm going to covet anyway.
So Decorno is over Robert Longo. But he's new to me and I'm loving this shot. I feel like it's kinda nice to just be a hobby decorator when things like this come up. I know what I like so I don't really worry about what's in or out. I also happen to think I could ROCK this dress but beside the point...focusing on the "art."Photo above is TKTC Saturday thus far. Greek-style Kefir (new to TKTC), strawberries and a little honey for breakfast with a big ole cup of Peet's, blog love and eventually some laundry-folding, gym running madness. Yesterday I did 4 miles in 31 minutes (do the math, I'm not so fast) so today I'm gonna see if I can kick it up a notch.

New Addition(s)

I have learned that I can go for rather long stretches of time without any new purchases for my closet. Mostly because now that I don't have a real closet (little quirk of my well-loved little apartment) I don't have space to put the things I can't afford. That said, I needed a couple good updates to carry me through spring and into summer in my travels. The following are the ideas and 2 parts to the follow-through.For whatever reason, I've always had it in my head that should I be forced to pick a coast, I would be East all the way. But as I've gotten older and come to live in this rather sophisticated middle ground on the lake, I wonder if the Gemini in me couldn't do either. Portland, Seattle, San Francisco... AMAZING. LA? I don't know, man.

Even if I adore some of its part-time inahabitants, I don't know if I could jive there. Even the people living there admit that the blondes, boobs and sunburns are stereotypes with a very real population behind them. But I've never been and am thus in no position to judge.

How odd that it would be a spread in February's Lucky that gave me pause in LA's favor. These were their picks to represent that great state's resident socialite. I love it all. So either I need to buy a bigger bottle of sunscreen or I'm going to be bringing some West Hollywood flavor to the Third Coast this year.

Favorite New Dress- Kelly Lane via Turtle in Boston's South End. I liked it when I saw it initially. Nice color splash, pretty pintucks and work/play appropriate. The recycled cotton was a very green bonus wrapped in bright coral clothing. In other news...I'm a little obsessed with both Kelly Lane AND Turtle now. See you there again in May.

Keeping the Dream Alive- You would not THINK that a white leather biker jacket would be such a practical purchase. I certainly didn't. Which is why I couldn't figure out why I was obsessing over it 6 weeks after I half-jokingly tried it on with P. I went back. I tried it again. I went for it.

My splurge, still at less than a fifth (ha) of any of the jackets Lucky was featuring! Thanks Clothesminded and...JLO??? Wore it every day of my Boston trip (above with Brother) and every day it's been warm enough in Chicago since then. I love crisp. I love the unexpected. I love a little edge and I love a little polish. Well when you put it that way...I still don't rock it as hard as the girl in that Journey video but I'm getting to be okay with it. I'm going to go tease my hair some more.

Oh Happy Day

I am a smile MACHINE today. I am trying to keep my hubris in check because pride comes before the fall and all but this sunshine is getting to me. That and I pulled off a rather badass pitch if I do say so myself so this post is my reward before lunch and then I have to follow through! Per above, said pitch looks like it may lead me to Manhattan for business!! I've been dying for an excuse to get up there...

Jonk's done it again- I can't stop singing "Gray or Blue" by Jaymay which he posted earlier in the week. Today's feature? Joseph Arthur, another love (Honey & the Moon being my favorite for obvious reasons). I'm also singing A LOT of:

Lay Your Head Down by Keren Ann
If Les Fleur Were Mine by the Kleptones
Maybe Tonight by Nicole Atkins
A-Punk by Vampire Weekend

Check out a bigger music post tomorrow courtesy of Brother, his rooms Eric and mine/Colleen's Jose Gonzalez adventure...

I could so easily pretend this is me. To the door color. To the orange flowers and brown hobo.

I think you know how I feel about domino. It's like Christmas when it gets to the house and I must drop whatever I'm doing to read. It's the only magazine that still does that for me every time. I was really impressed by the recent dialogue that caught the Washington Post's attention. For all you decor lovers, I'm adding Decorno to my Google Reader. As for above? Drew is the upcoming cover girl and I already want everything in the leaked photos, including that dress she's wearing. Anticipate tearsheets...I haven't been this excited about someone else's space since Kate Walsh's house.


I've posted items from Creature Comforts before but I got so jazzed about the image above that I basically forcefed it to Susie's Tumblr. After an hour of catch-up last night, I'm still thanking my stars for the easy nonstops between Boston & Chi. Also- Ez, you're a rockstar in my book.


I've been recruited to help with some of the wedding details for Lisa and Dave's upcoming nupitals (they've both contributed at TKTC). They're two of my favorite people, getting married at one of my favorite times of year IN CHICAGO (bless them) and, let's be real, I love the details. We've been talking purple, aubergine to be exact, and then this lovely number showed up on my desk today. Front page of Tuesday's WWD. Aren't we in? And how hot is that suit from Bottega Venetta?


Also a few of the other bloggers I follow brought their A game today. This isn't out of the ordinary but today Chelsea and Adie were both just spot on about growing up. Ditto doesn't quite cut it so just check em out!

And I saw a number on the scale this morning that I haven't seen in a few years. Ya'll know girlfriend's been workin hard. You wouldn't know it but for all this talk of cupcakes, I'm eating a lot of steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes and grilled chicken. Guess I should be talking about that part more...

As if ALL that weren't enough to put some spring in my step....
He emailed me. It was pretty cute. Still grinning like an idiot even though it's looking like more snow. Off to see Ron & Chester with Nilsa!

Tearsheet Monday (Read:Picture Post)

Suggested listening while perusing pictures:

Maybe Tonight by Nicole Atkins
Kids by MGMT
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Vampire Weekend
All courtesy of Brother.

Got all caught up with Jess tonight after illness & worklife had us sidelined. Girlfriends are pretty much the best. Particularly of an existential variety. Jess- the hard copy of this pic is on its way to you because that is your ensemble. Pucci scarf and all. A lesson in personal style...I recommend going through the full set, I just linked to one of my favorites. Kinda a took awhile to pick one!

I love this look. For the exact reason she's quoted for (carries over into interiors for me). Reminds me of Carolina Herrera and it's just delicious with a crisp, tailored Oxford and a big, luxe ballgown skirt. And that necklace... an A. Brighter hue on the skirt would qualify an A+. I'm thinking marigold, cerulean or some combo of the two. I'll get to that later.

Gorgeous stained glass in the background that adds some punch to beautifully crisp walls and what looks to be a salvaged barn table. Puppy's not too bad either.

Girl crush. This might be uncomfortable, but I've had a girl crush on Katrina Markoff for probably four years. Almost as long as John Corbett. Longer than John Krasinski. She was in my sorority but at Vanderbilt and I "discovered" her when she was featured in their alumni magazine the year I graduated for starting Vosges Haut Chocolat, a Chicago-based gourmet chocolate boutique. These types of places seem to have popped up everywhere overnight but almost every major milestone in Chicago for me has been celebrated with one Naga truffle in her store on Armitage. Gorgeous, smart, cool as candy, food flair and serious panache. Yup. I swoon a little every time I see press on her. I'm easy like that.

P, if you're out there, I need you to pipe up and confirm that I did in fact fall in love with a white leather biker jacket at Clothesminded several weeks ago. Truth be told I've thought about it ever since. It gets more practical sounding by the week. Finding two separate tearsheets isn't helping my delusions.

YAY! This clip was perfectly timed...Sues voted for Molly's Cupcakes as the best on her Cupcake Crawl review today. Annnnd...YAY Boston in 3 days!!! Molly's is really good, I'm going to second both sources here.
*I should also mention that Molly's is apparently going to have some stiff competition tomorrow night as it's rumored that Dave is making Whipped's Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes for an after-dinner treat tomorrow night!!!

Rich blue and yellow= my favorite color combo since fall. Adding the white brings it right back into warm weather. I need a tan so I can wear yellow dresses like this. Not a real time, mind you. More like a skin savior of a magic trick.

I love this. It makes me want to learn to sew.

Dinner tonight: Steamed asparagus with sauteed salmon on top of mashed red skin potatoes. Served with matchstick carrots and Paul Newman's Pineapple Salsa. Makes me miss Kona.