Yesteryear Revival

I managed to get in a little thrifting time this past weekend while visiting my brother.

We hit up some of my old favorite spots, and they did not disappoint.

Many treasures were found, a few of which are pictured above.

Here's the breakdown-

Flower jewelry stand: $1.99

Cloth napkins: $0.99/each

Recipe Card Index for Mixed Drinks & Hors d'oeuvres : $1.50

Finel enamel flower pot: $3.00
Yellow bottle opener: $0.59
Vintage fabric: $3.00
Green melmac bowls: $3.99
Green melmac mugs: $0.75
Enamelware pie plates: $1.00/each
Lucite flower trivet: $0.50

My thrifting endeavors have been quite fruitful as of late, so I will be back tomorrow with another recent finds post.
Also, the mister and I have been cleaning and organizing like crazy the past few days getting ready for our new roommate (my brother!).
Things are finally starting to come together around here, and I can't wait to share bits and pieces of our home with you very soon!
<3

This past weekend the mister and I took a little road trip down to visit my brother.

It's been almost a year since we last saw Urbana-Champaign, and in a little less than a week now my brother will be moving up to the mitten and in with us.

Although the mister and I only lived a short time in Urbana, we made sure to revisit all our favorite places this trip.

Before we left I made a huge list of all the things I wanted to do, and surprisingly enough, we managed to get through most everything during our short stay.

I saw the people I wanted to see, ate the places I wanted to eat and shopped the stores I missed the most.

It was quite the fun time.

Here's a little rundown of all my/the mister's favorite spots in Urbana-Champaign:

Restaurants/Bakeries:

Mirabelle

The Courier Cafe

Crane Alley

Siam Terrace

Black Dog (the mister made me add this one, it's a BBQ joint)

Cream & Flutter (formerly Cakes on Walnut)

Antonio's Pizza

Jarling's Custard Cup

Jupiter's Pizza

Shops:

Carrie's Antiques

Dandelion Vintage (didn't make it here either)

Habitat for Humanity's ReStore

Goodwill

Salvation Army

Twice Is Nice

Karen's Kloset

Classic Home Consignment

Around Town:

Urbana Free Library

Strawberry Fields

Jazz night at Zorba's

Iron Post

Vision World Tattoo

Crystal Lake Park

Busey Woods

Meadowbrook Park

Mmmkay that's all I can think of for now. Those were the places we frequented the most, and I'd recommend them all if you're ever in the area.

<3

Be back tomorrow with part one of my recent thrift finds post!

Yesterday I ventured out to my first flea market of the season.

Gasp, I know! First one and summer's already half over!

But the local flea market only happens once a month, and I've always had to work those Sundays.

I was ecstatic to go however didn't last long due to the scorching temperatures.

Most of my time ended up being spent browsing the indoor booths (a few pictured above).

The market is held at a place called the Mega Mall; it's a huge antique mall full of various treasures.

Every third Sunday of the month vendors come and set up shop in the parking lot.

Between indoors and out there are hundreds of booths with so much to look at and plenty of variety.

It's a lot of fun and runs til the middle of October.

Like I said, I didn't stick around long and left with only a few finds.

I'll be back later this week with a recent thrift finds post.

Other goings on...

The mister is away at Princeton for a conference.

Seeing as how I am domestically challenged, I've been eating a lot of takeout and junk food while he's away.

Pizza and cupcakes- the dinner of champions. That's what I always say :)

Also, the cleaning/rearranging/organizing bug bit recently.

We are trying to get ready for my brother's move in the next week or so.

His moving here has given me the push I needed to start organizing and sorting my vintage goods.

Currently everything is stored in the spare bedroom where he will soon be residing.

I had no idea how much stuff I'd accumulated for my 'shop' (which has yet to come to fruition) until I started opening drawers and closets. Eeek!

I've got many ideas, yet little motivation. It's another problem I'm working on.

:)

A few more photos from our evening at the park...

Wildflower pictures were a must. I love them this time of year.

These "weeds" are some of my favorite plants.

It is not okay to rip beautiful wild weeds out of the ground at my house! :)

I think the reason I love them so much is because of the fact that they grow and thrive without any help on my part.

I do not have a green thumb whatsoever.

Succulents don't even stand a chance around me. Seriously.

Anyway...

This park is one of my new favorites.

It has a lake, sand volleyball courts, a beach!, trails, and perfect picnic spots.

And it's right in the middle of town practically. A short bike ride away from my house!

Amazing, no?

I foresee many an evening being spent here.

In other news...

Remember how a couple posts back I mentioned my brother visiting?

And the fact that I've been trying to get him to move here.

Well, it's come to pass!

Bobby Fisher is moving to the mitten at the end of the month.

I am beyond ecstatic.

You'll be hearing/seeing more of him around here in the coming months.

All the updates I've got for now.

Night <3

The best way to cure a foul mood is to get out and get active.

Seems so simple, right?! If only...

Somehow I managed to lay around the house all day (in my pajamas) watching episodes of Dexter and True Blood.

Entertaining, yet completely unproductive.

By the time five o'clock rolled around and the mister returned from work, I was feeling really lazy and grouchy.

This, in turn, led to indecisiveness and frustration.

My first instinct was to return to the daybed and resume watching tv...which I did, for a few minutes.

Then I realized that my mood was only going to worsen if I spent my evening this way.

So after mulling over the infinite possibilities of what to do, the mister and I headed to the park.

We packed up some books, snacks, cards, the camera and roller blades not sure exactly what we were going to do, just knowing we were going to do something.

The weather was warm but breezy as it stormed earlier in the day...perfect weather for an evening in the park.

We took pictures, read, fish watched, played cards and roller bladed a couple miles around the lake.

Needless to say, my mood was much improved after all that.

How could it not be?!

I've discovered the best way to lift my spirits is to get up and do something, anything.

As hard as it can be sometimes, it really does help.

And it's free. Just sayin'...

:)

Jonsi knows what's up

Yes, I'm still here...

Like clockwork. I've done it again.

Disappeared then reappeared only to whine about how much of a terrible blogger I am.

Still working on it.

I really do love blogging. It just proves challenging to keep up with sometimes.

I know there are no expectations. It's my little space where I can share what I want when I want.
I just have to keep this in mind I guess.

I mentioned in my last post that my dad and brother were visiting.
Unfortunately all I have of their visit for pictures are these polandroids. (better than nothing!)
As you can see most of our time was spent eating and relaxing, but we also went record shopping and made a short trip to the beach.
It was so nice having them here. I've been trying to persuade my brother to move up here for some time now.
I think his visit may have helped move things along a little :) We shall see.
My mom is coming to visit at the end of the month, and I can't wait!
Being away from home, friends and family is quite hard for me most days, especially after extended trips back home or from visitors.
I feel very fortunate to have great friends and family, and time spent with them is always treasured.
Sappy maybe, but true nonetheless.
<3