Go time

Okay, going to keep this quick as I have a full day ahead and we are leaving tomorrow at 6am. Oh, and we have a showing tonight at 6pm. 6pm!!! This means that I won't even bring my suitcases up until 7pm. I don't need much, but I like to bring everything. Always have.

The Griswalds. It happened to me.

When I was little we would go on family vacations in the summer. Just load up the station wagon and go, or so it seemed to me. As a child even just driving a few hours north to Wisconsin felt like a big adventure and I would always bring my dolls or stuffed animals of choice at the time. I never had a favorite- I made up families for, say, my teddy bears, and then they would all have to come along.

Okay, I never had this many, but you get the idea. We had a garage sale once and we sold my Care Bear. I told you- no attachment issues here. $2? See ya! Though I remember being quite dismayed when I discovered that my brother and sister had not sold their Care Bears. What Had I DONE??!

I never really liked the look of the Cabbage Patch Kids. I had one with glasses, like myself, and I liked her, but I didn't understand why some had that halo of curls framing their faces. Not very flattering. Preemies were a different story. They smelled like baby powder and were so tiny and cute. I love me my little bald babies. Always have.

I also remember the grocery bag (or two) full of my parents books. If and when my parents ever read, or even leafed through, a fraction of these books I have no idea. Though I suppose they were not bringing them with the intention of reading them all but instead having the option to read them. Options, people. We like options.

A world before the internet and Kindles and Amazon.

A world before cell phones and smart phones.

I think about this often- how my lifetime, my generation, will have lived through one of the greatest technological revolutions this world has ever seen. The greatest? I suppose it is, until the next one comes around...

I sometimes wonder if my childhood would be more similar to my grandmother's, in this sense, than my own sons will be to mine.

Am I over-thinking this?

Okay, off to the races.

Xox,

Jenny

Brokedown Palaces

I have to share with you another artist whose work I discovered at an art fair about two years ago, when Jack and I bought the photograph below. His name is Eric Holubow, and he photographs abandoned buildings, usually on the brink of demolition, during their "transition into ruins" as he discusses here. What a beautiful and accurate way to describe these, the ruins. My studies in Rome, and minor in classics have instilled in me a particular love for the rich history of fallen structures and, um, civilizations.

Capone's Cell. Eric Holubow.

This reminds me of a miniature room and is, in fact, Al Capone's cell. How civilized. I guess each cell had a skylight referred to as the "eye of God", to keep the inmates in line, I suspect.

Boniface Balcony, 2009. St. Boniface Church, Chicago

I love old buildings, and struggle between the decorator and antiquarian - paint the original wood trim or keep it? Refinish the ring-bleached coffee table or keep it? I do not want to overvalue the history of things- if the bones of a room or a piece of furniture have integrity, a coat of white paint or a shiny ebonized finish should not threaten that. Right? Though I do love the musty, dusty old brown wood furniture too.

Beth's Engine Room, 2009. Bethlehem Steel

While the building is left abandoned, I imagine many people were too with the closing of this factory.

Cascading Cabrini, 2011. Chicago

Tire Pile Hanger, 2011. Chanute Air Force Base

Shallow Swim, 2011

But back to Eric. I love these photographs. There is a sadness to them, in the wreckage and the waste and the time gone by. But, there is also a sense of pride, as we can see so clearly that they were just that, the pride of the architects and designers who built them, the parishes and individuals who owned them, the employees who maintained them, and the community they supported, in some way or another, at one time.

Rainbow Lockers, 2008.

CPS Library, 2008. George Westinghouse Library

See that big hole in the ceiling? Eric told me that they just swept up all the books from floor to floor through these holes into their final resting place here.

Eric's work reminds me of a darker Candida Höfer, who photographs large, empty venues such as libraries and theaters.

Teatro Napoli, Candida Höfer

Here are a few of her arresting photographs in various interiors, and you can see more of her work here.

Photo by Simon Upton

This room was designed by Todd Klein; apparently I like his work. That little number front and center is Trinity College Library I, by Ms. Höfer

Photo by William Abranowicz.

Robert Couturier designed this room for Frédéric Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen. Notice how Candida's photograph open up this space.

Okay-

no

sleep

'till

Michigan

Got to get to work.

Xoxo,

Jenny

Cherry bomb

Dalmare's Produce truck

Driving through Chicago I have often seen these trucks and they always make me smile. If my company ever had a truck... okay, if my company ever had a truck and started selling produce, I would want it to look like this.

Image via Seeking Michigan

It also appeals to my now six-year affinity for cherries. My husband's family spends the summer in Michigan north of Traverse City, the Cherry Capital of the World, oh yes. On our drive up in the summer we pass through a number of cherry orchards and you can always tell the ripeness of the cherries by the color of the trees that turn from pink to red at the peak of the season, or so I am told.

It is easy to become a little cherry-centric. What an aesthetically appealing fruit.

I gave one of these apron to my other-in-law a few summers ago and then the child's version to our little niece for Christmas. I have learned the hard way that aprons are absolutely necessary if you have any intention of helping with the dishes or cooking. I can't imagine ever buying a cute apron for myself but love to give them as gifts. Jessie Steele makes these wonderfully retro-stepford-wife-y versions that almost make me want to cook and clean. Almost.

The Lady's Apron, Anthropologie, $32.00

This would work in almost any kitchen and is so flattering.

Okay, the bows and flowers might send this a little over the edge, but all I see is the red, white and blue.

While the cherry-themed boys clothes are few and far between there is an abundence of adorable little girls outfit adorned with this cheery fruit. I found these on bestdressedchild.com

Dress by Luli and Me, $41.99

Anavini, $68

Oh my gosh. I spoke too soon. Just digging around and came across a photo of this darling dress that I recognize so clearly from a photo of Jack's cousins as little girls from many years ago. It turns out that this darling dress is made by one woman and sold exclusively through The Women's Exchange in St. Louis, one of few remaining retailers of its kind. Read this wonderful article on the cherry dress and the Women's Exchange from the NY Times here.

The original cherry dress.

Image via nytimes.com

Yes, that is Jackie O. And yes, John is wearing his own little cherry outfit. Stop it.

Boy's button-on cherry suit, $78, available here at The Women's Exchange

Pierce would look so cute in this. I always thought I would want to mix up the colors and put him in yellow and green but he has big blue eyes and I just love him in blue. He could.. would... will... wear this with these adorable little shoes I found that look like the ones my brother wore as a little boy.

Footmates, Seraph, $47, available here.

It is all about the ankle support.

We are all going up to Michigan at the end of the week and I cannot wait to buy bags of sweet cherries on the side of the road.

Lots to do before then!

Xoxo,

Jenny

Paper planes

About a year ago, my sister called all excited, asking if I had the last issue of W magazine. I did.

"Well," she explained, "look for the spread with all of the paper flowers- Eloise Danch MADE those!"

What!?

I found the article. I swoon.

Flowers by Eloise. Photograph by BRUCE WEBBER (!) for W, May 2010

Another shot from that W article. Photo by Bruce Webber.

Eloise was my sister's friend growing up. Petite and pretty, I will always remember being infatuated with:

a. her red hair

Strawberry Shortcake, a fellow read head. I have particularly fond memories of her movies.

b. her name

I loved the name Eloise. I still love the name Eloise. The Plaza.

Her nanny!

I last saw Eloise when I first moved back to Chicago almost exactly 8 years ago, at a house party of a friend of a friend from college.

Well, Miss Eloise has been quite busy since then. She moved to New York to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, and graduated in 2007 with a Master of Arts in Illustration. At some point she started making these exquisite flowers and dresses out of paper. She also does illustrations and prop design and product design, to name a few. But I might just let her tell you all about that in a new little JBD Q&A I am cooking up in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, lets take a peak at what my dear, long lost childhood friend (of my sister) has been up to (all of these images and many more can be found at her website, here)

The crafting queen... and Martha. This is exactly how I remember Eloise, though slightly curlier...

(Eloise went on Martha's Birthday show in 2009)

A paper flower wig made for Macy's Flower Show.

Eat your heart out, Princess Beatrice.

Christmas Paper Flower Wreath

I would treasure this and take it out year after year

Her work for the Macy's Mother's Day Campaign

A project she did for Farrow and Ball to introduce their new wallpaper line. What I love so much about F&B is that all of their paints are intended as wall colors, and their pale colors are beautiful without being too pastel-y or childish. Behind the flowers you can see a display with all of their colors. I tried to take a photo for this post but they wouldn't let me. No photos in the Mart. Rules are rules.

Paper Flower Ball Chandelier

I'll take two!

Lady Dulcinea, 2008

A dress she made for my happy place- Anthropologie.

Floral Alphabet M

What a wonderful gift this would be. I love the idea of sending a paper bouquet to a friend with a new baby. My great aunt sent us this card when Pierce was born and I was so enchanted with it that it sat on his dresser until the dreaded showings began.

And... what a brilliant idea for a wedding bouquet! Forget drying the flowers- this little puppy will last forever. Architect Richard Meier's daughter, Ana, did this at her wedding last October. I don't know who did these flowers but you can see her bouquet here.

I am so happy for Eloise and for all of her success, and so inspired by her creative vision. It is always nice to learn that people from your past have gone on to do great things and I look forward to following her career and seeing what she does next.

Oh and did I mention she is engaged? Pretty sure I can guess who will be doing those flowers...

Xox,

Jenny

Dream big

Barbie's Dream House

I remember when my sister got the 80's version of this- Best. Christmas. Ever.

Last weekend I took Pierce for a walk to the lake early in the morning, as I often do. I don't usually take Belmont, I prefer the quiet tree lined residential streets, but chose to stay on the busier street with the crime wave passing through the city, as it always does, when summer finally arrives. Someone was recently attacked by a flash mob in broad daylight right off Michigan Avenue. Though we are not supposed to be calling them "flash mobs", we are supposed to be calling them "gangs"-- as that is what they are--but for some reason it was originally reported as a "flash mob". Clearly I was not the only one confused by this terminology: isn't a flash mob when everyone starts dancing in unison in some random public location? And now they are attacking random strangers- in unison? No, no, those would be gangs. Okay- all clear.

ANYWAY, my usual hour long stroll took two, with all of the excitement I encountered just walking down Belmont at 7am on a Saturday. The most curious encounter by far, was this little storefront I noticed just north on Clark called "Think Small by Rosebud". What?!?!?!

I'm thinking Citizen Kane

I'm thinking of our dollhouse growing up (not Barbie's, mind you), and of Tiny Furniture, the indie movie I watched On Demand this past winter. The best part is that the director who played the protagonist cast her own mother and sister to play the role of- wait for it- her mother and sister in the movie. Brilliant. Mom and Annie, I know we have discussed this already but one of us has really dropped the ball. Not it.

Bust mostly I am thinking, how has this little random store, which has clearly been here for decades,escaped my notice for the last 5 years?

So yesterday, after Pierce's nap, we set out to investigate.

I arrived at the store and was greeted by a nice woman named Carol. Okay, not greeted, she was sitting at a work table painting a miniature paneled glass door, but she did say 'hi'. I asked if I could take a few photos and she obliged after checking with the owner. Pierce and I strolled through the store and it is what you would expect: a lot of little vignettes of mini-furniture and rooms, bedroom sets, kitchens, magazines, cleaning products, you name it.

Upholstery and casegoods

Mini cleaning supplies and food

This reminds me of a Santa's Workshop diorama I made when I was young. I dressed clothespins up as people (and elves) and wrapped legos as little presents.

Carol told me that the shop was opened in 1984 and that people build their own dollhouses in the basement.

I looked at Pierce in the stroller, unhooked him, took him in my arms, and we ventured downstairs.

When we arrived at the landing we came upon a room with an eclectic group of people, crafting away in this wonderful hidden workshop. I mean, seriously, what were you doing that was so important at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday?

A woman with long flowing grey hair stood at the far end of the room. This was Carol--according to the other Carol--the owner.

I didn't want to disturb anyone by snapping away but I did take this picture with my camera. I was trying to be stealth as not to upset the other "miniturists", if you will. I see the appeal and you know I am handy with the glue gun.

Of course, I had to get to the bottom of the name. "Who is Rosebud?" I asked the second (but really first, in command, at least) Carol.

"There were three of us who started the store, and we were all the rosebuds" she explained, "and then there was the fourth, the THORN!"

Ask and you shall receive, my friends.

Pretty little big house.

As I was leaving the store I learned that it was actually closing in about 6 weeks. Carol #2 was packing up shop and moving to Las Vegas. She said that there are usually triple the amount of houses being worked on than what I saw. I guess the internet has hurt her business but I got the feeling that she was happy about the move- and it was time to move on.

I could not go on and on about this without paying respect to the great Mrs. James Ward Thorne (born Narcissa Niblack), who created the exquisite miniature rooms in painstaking detail that are displayed in the Art Institute here in Chicago and some other lucky museums across the country (though I think our collection is the largest. Snap.)

Ms. Narcissa was quite a fan of dollhouses as a child and put her passion to work when she was an adult living in none other than my own home town. Did I know that? Okay, just started to skim her biography, here, and am truly fascinated with this woman. All of these rooms are created in 1"- 1' scale and are historically accurate. Here is a sampling of her fine work. Go here to see more.

Virginia Entrance Hall, 1751-55, c. 1940

Tennessee Entrance Hall, 1835, c. 1940

I was in a Tennessee entrance hall a few months ago, circa 2011, and it looked remarkably similar to this one.

New Hampshire Entrance Hall, 1799, c. 1940

I find I am most drawn to the entrance halls. The architectural detail is the most fascinating to me, even more than the furniture. And I'm a sucker for a sweeping staircase.

English Reception Room of the Jacobean Period, 1625-55, c. 1937

Black and ivory and raspberry- as chic today as it was in 1625.

English Entrance Hall of the Georgian Period, c. 1775, c. 1932

This reminds me of the Pompeian wall paintings I studied in college and this room from the Palace of the Emperor Nero, Domus Aurea, in Rome.

I think Narcissa and I could have had a lot of fun with the Carols and friends in the basement of Think Small. A very inspiring adventure indeed.

Have a great weekend!

Xox,

Jenny