Hello, Lover

My love for the Bean is well-documented. A friend of mine has a show downtown. I was happy to finally get to see it last night. It's the US premier of a quirky Japanese play. After the show, despite the cold of the wind and my lack of a hat, I wandered over to it and snapped a few shots. The moon, the skyline, the dark night sky. Maybe I need to move downtown so that I can see the Bean every day. Except that I would need to be in a different profession to do that I think.

Thrifting Thursday - bathroom edition

That's right. The Bathroom.
Thrifting invades every room in my apartment.

Now, technically, the tool box is not thrifted. I got it at a garage sale. Probably for less than I would have at a thrift store. It houses some of my larger jewelry items and those that I don't wear all that often. It makes me happy.

When I moved in there was a shelf above the toilet. It's a little... not my style but it certainly provides a bit more storage space.

How about that clock? It says exactly what I think almost every morning of my life.

Not found thrifting.

Marshalls. I love me some Marshalls. And TJ Maxx. and Ross.

I think the turquoise necklace was a thrift find. The green beads were at an antique store. My mom bought them for me. She also got me the pearls. I'm pretty sure they were an estate sale find.

But, actually sitting on the shelf, are two thrifting finds that I put to great use.
One is that milk glass cup. It's hobnailed and looks a bit opalescent but I think that's because the glass isn't completely opaque. I have my makeup brushes in there along with tall, skinny lipsticks and lip stains. Another thing I like to pick up at thrift stores, although sometimes they are ridiculously overpriced so I skip them, is cigar boxes. They're so handy for storage. The one in my bathroom holds my makeup. But you wouldn't know that just by looking at it. And that's why I like it.

For the record, I feel like I'm getting old. I'm "investing" more money in my facial products. That's how I have to think about it, an investment. It all started with the search for the perfect red lipstick. I blame you, wonderful Stila lipstick. Now I'm watching videos on how to fix eyebrows and wearing makeup with glasses. I have brushes for makeup. More than one set, truth be told. It used to be whatever was on the shelf at the convenience store. Unfortunately (or fortunately) convenience stores are carrying beauty products in a range of price and quality points. And I visit places like Ulta more often than I used to. I have cream for the day and for the night. It's getting a little crazy. And I feel old.

Thrifting Thursday

One thing I always, alwaysalwaysalways buy if I see them when I'm out thrifting is embroidery hoops. They are so multi-purpose that I don't mind have 7 or 8 in my apartment taking up space.

I don't know how many of you reading are crafty folks but in the past two or three years swatches of fabric on the wall in embroidery hoops has been used as an easy way to create cheap and cute wall decor. Think the walls of hanging plates, just circles of fabric. And people are also just using hoops to frame their embroidered projects. I like the trend. It keeps framing cheap, particularly if you're using thrifted hoops, and you know that it will fit because you've been using it to create your project.

Recently I finished a quick little embroidery and plan to use the thrifted hoop as its frame. The pattern is Kitty Dots from Cate Anevski and worked up so quickly. She has several other patterns and finished projects in her Etsy shop. I didn't plan for the kitty to have an apple in his noggin but I think it's totally cute.

Wordless Wednesday

The triumphant return of Thrifting Thursday!!!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Frankly, I don't know how triumphant it is.
But these are thrifted objects I use regularly in rotation with my gorgeous green mug made by Kim. The green mug is reserved for tea. These usually hold the coffee.They are made by Corning. I kind of love them. The handles are a fun shape.

I had too many coffee mugs at home so I brought these to work. They match the school colors so I feel very spirited. I try very hard to not buy any more coffee cups but I fail miserably most of the time. Oh well.

And a few gratuitous kitty pictures. A rare occasion when Lily was snuggled up to me rather than Leo. And yes, I do think she had her paw on him. Stupid cats that seem to think 5 am is an appropriate time to get up. No kitties, it is not.

Staying alive

The lovely thing about working at an academic institution is that some breaks are assumed. Mostly for the students. But at my school the entire campus shuts down between Christmas and New Year's. It's a nice perk that not all schools practice.

So today was the first day back after a nice break. I was at the parents' new place. They replaced the mattress for their guest bed. The previous mattress paired with the way the bed was constructed made me feel like I was going to be beheaded in the middle of the night because I had slipped down between the mattress and the headboard. Also, it was way too soft and I always had problems sleeping there.

It was just me and the parents and so I got an earful from each of them about the other. I did take over the night driving because I thought it best seeing as how I didn't really have a death wish. Night vision is not so good with the father and the mother seemed a bit nervous about all the traffic. If Chicago we call it an open road.

The truth is that the parents are getting older. I just need to figure out how serious the tattling is. Alzheimer's is a very real threat from both sides and is probably what they fear the most. So of course they wont talk to their doctors about it. I'm just not ready to move to a god-forsaken town in Texas to take care of them quite yet.

But other than that it was fine. The SIL ended up in the emergency room Christmas Eve or the day before because of kidney stones so it probably was for the best that they weren't doing a lot of traveling. It has passed and she's OK now.

Now back to work. Orientations and registrations and new students and a revised course to deal with. I enjoy most of that so it's not a bad life.