dan made a bookshelf.

Dan's excitement to build a bookshelf seemed to explode out of nowhere a couple of weeks ago.  I wasn't sure where that excitement would take him, but...it took him somewhere wonderful!  See for yourself:

& thank you Joel for your assistance and sweet tools!

repurposed wood from rebuilding exchange :)

some rearranging post-bookshelf installation.

my favorite new find.  $1 at rebuilding exchange.  

we have SO many fun light goodies to one day hang now :)

:)

orchard & antiques!

So on Monday Dan and I headed back to Woodstock, IL for a some apple and antique pickin' fun.  It's a pretty funny little place.  We love Don, the main man at the Homestead Orchard.  We want to go back each month through the fall to get different apples each time.  This time he only had "lodi" apples which he recommended to apple sauce and pies, but not for eating.  He had just gotten stung by one of his bees right before we arrived.  His finger did not look so happy...his honey is SO so good!  And, he also sells a chocolate mint tea that is pretty tasty.  We did some antique hunting, but actually didn't have the best luck this time around.  We only came home with a little copper dish for one of my air plants to sit in :) I am quite happy with that $2 find!  Enjoy photos of the orchard and my favorite finds (which we cannot afford!).  Some day....maybe ;)

book darts.

A while back for some holiday in which you give gifts I bought some levenger page points for Dan (a friend had them on her bible and I was amazed!  I thought they were the coolest thing....).  Well, he's gone through/lost most of them by now and has had a rekindled excitement for them of late. So, he decided to order some more, and when we looked them up he found these.  Page nibs!  Not points!  And, they have several reviews saying "i wish they would bring back the points!". So, he searched elsewhere and found these!  BOOK DARTS.  They came yesterday.  The packaging was so delightful (especially compared to what I would normally expect from a random office product like this).  They've got to be a small company!  We were so happily surprised that I couldn't help but take pictures.  So....buy some.  Now.

the 3 different color options :)

the old ones!  wah wah.

:)

Also, saw this on pennyweight's facebook and was thrilled.  Feist is incredible.  These little video vignettes are amazing and I'm definitely excited for the new album!!

life lately.

Ohhh where to begin!  I am writing feeling a bit out of sorts (which is how I think I feel often/in general lately).  I feel like there have been many different personal and emotional developments and discoveries going on which at times overwhelm me.  Lately I sit down at our table in front of my computer to work and just feel unable to produce or give myself to my work. I am okay, most of the time, but I am certainly feeling stunted in a lot of areas right now.  Just...needing to share that today.  Hope you understand :) Here are some random photos and a video taken recently:

 happy puppy?  he has mad contortion skills.

 my favorite shoes.

                    

 a new job nightmare video.  makes me giggle.

super RANDOM (food/home video/desktop calendar).

Happy Friday!  Just had some fun and random things for you today.  First, a Dake home video starring Job and Dan!

Next, Shanna Murray's june desktop calendar(s) with Abby Try Again.  SO pretty!  And we have options!  I picked the lights for now...

And last....another home made pizza!  This one had potato, onion, broccoli, garlic, and mushroom.  We did NOT enjoy the broccoli.  NO more broccoli on pizza!  And, some homemade meatballs in the making for pasta & subs.

That's all.  Told you it was random.  Have a lovely weekend!!

SF recap two!

Okay.  I'm going to share my favorite photos that were taken of people today.  Sort of a recap of SF...but, really not.  Just, my favorite people photos in SF :)

MIKE!  this is who we went to visit :) :) :) he's holding a "living diary".  so cool!

a photo I actually really like of myself!

stud.

a SUPER classy lady sitting outside of farleys.

what?!

that's better.  I have to tickle him to make him smile.  is that bad?

rewind several years when these two play together.

mike loves chalk.

playing with light at the de young.

yosemite.  he blends well.  these are his favorite settings.

all of the other asians were doing it!!  

maybe not this (artificially) exuberantly...and WOW is dan's shirt huge on me!

parrot poop.  you can't really see it, I guess that's good?!

cleaning time!

OKAY.  now...who's got the best mustache?!

dan?

mike?

me?

Hope you enjoyed these!

SF recap one! (plus some random fun things)!...

Well, this is recap is all about the train ride!  We took the Amtrak California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville California (right outside of SF!).  It took us through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Cali!  It was quite a trip.  It was also delayed 10 hours.  While we were on it (vehicle stuck on tracks, crew time expiration x1 million, flooding, freight train broken down in front of us, our own engine breaking down, etc.!!)...AHHH!  You know, I think the 52 hours would have been the ticket, but 62...was just way too much!  So, we were VERY happy when we finally arrived around 2:30 am.  Here are some of my favorite photos of the whole experience.

cooooloooorado.

AHHH!  how creepy is this?!  she was our neighbor part of the way...

UTAH.  seriously?!

dan making some intelli coffeeeeee!

more utah I think!

pretty hand-painted type.

a tahoe sunset :)

one of the three italians we made friends with on the train ride.  we had a blast with them!

a poorly shot photograph in tahoe that I happen to really like.

Yay!  That's round one for you.

Some fun things I think you should know about:

BON IVER's NEW SINGLE!  FREE!

issue five of RUE mag!

one of the MOST beautiful videos I've ever seen

(of the volcano eruption in iceland!)