The Summer of Sweeping Changes: Stella

My love and I decided in May that it was going to be The Summer of Sweeping Changes. So this Independence Day, we bought our new baby, Stella—a 1968 Shasta LoFlyte. Giggity. Thanks to my dear friend, Sage for sending me the Craigslist link just in the nick of time.

The Polaroid Project: Bedroom Wall

So much of my time lately has gone to my plant-based recipes and resources website, YumUniverse and a new online publication called YEP. It’s an exciting time, but a busy one.

This last month, I have been making a big effort to organize, spring clean and take care of projects I’ve been wanting to get through, like setting up my Windowfarm (still in progress). What’s great about making time to organize and catch up is that projects create themselves along the way. Purging the office closet can sometimes lead to a whole new bedroom wall made out of treasured polaroids. They deserve to be on the wall, not stacked in a box.

Kentucky

My talented friend, Marta and I collaborated on these shots taken on a recent roadtrip to Nashville. I made the headress and she took the shots. Fun.

California II

You can really see a lot in 5 days.







View the entire Flickr set here.

California I

Just got back from a quick trip to California—LA > Ventura > Big Sur > Sequoia National Forest > Palm Springs > LA again. All in 5 days. One of the best was when we went from this...



to this...



View the entire Flickr set here.

Exploring the YumUniverse

Raw Apple Cake

Starting in the beginning of October this year, I had a pretty significant realization about the next chapter of, well, my life. I had just come back from an incredible roadtrip (my heart still aches for it really) and it simply was powerful how free and joyful I felt. While I have been lucky enough to structure my life so I get to collaborate on a contract-basis with seriously talented people creating relevant work in the graphic design industry—inhale—it isn't all that I want to do.

I have found such healing and happiness in learning about and experimenting with the raw and vegan lifestyle. It really is a creative outlet with infinite possibilities and those include valuable connections. I have noticed how much easier it is to stay on track with a supportive network of folks who are on the same page. A community. Hmm....


Raw Spinach Ravioli with Walnut Filling

So, in a few months, I will officially launch YumUniverse.com. It is my home of the recipes I adapt, discover and create, the restaurants I enjoy, the tips and tricks that I find invaluable, the people who help me and that is just the beginning. YumUniverse is going to be a place chock full of infinite possibilities for a yummy, healthy life. I'd like to share what I've found and what I will continue to discover on my journey. The continuation of which, as I mentioned above, will take me all over the country sharing through workshops, exploration and more.


Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Cacao Cardamom Muffins

Have ideas for anything you’d like to see in the YumUniverse? Don’t be shy, let me know. In the meantime, get a sneak peek of some of the photos from recipes you’ll find at YumUniverse.

So for those of you who have been sweet enough to ask me where I’ve been, see the title of this post and receive a playful wink from me.

The Atlantic Ocean

It felt as cold that day in June as it did today.

Chicago: Halsted Street

I have only lived on Halsted Street my entire 11 years in Chicago. As north as 3000 and as south as 1800.

Isn't she lovely.

Giving Thanks 2009

Thanksgiving this year was, well, “Legendary”. I put the most into my hosting.

We ate, drank, ate some more...



Then we jammed...



Photos from the Feast. Photos from the after-party.

The Unobvious

Next time you are watching an indoor soccer game, remember to look up...



and down.



Regular things can look really lovely.

Chicago Love: Skyline

I love my town. Even when it rains for 21 out of 27 days.

Thank you Chicagoist for posting this pic and many others from my Chicago Flickr set.

The Fauxlaroid Project: Destination Story Inn

I ventured to Story, Indiana this Halloween weekend for a visit to one of my favorite hideaways, the supposedly haunted Story Inn. Great time as always. See the entire to and from here.

The Fauxlaroid Project: Harvest Fest

My brother, his wife Shayda, my boyfriend and I went out to this adorable Harvest Fest in Michigan at the Wild Raspberry Apple Orchard. We ate homemade apple pies, clay oven pizzas, drank hot cider, listened to a jug band, learned about bee keeping, went on a nature walk and picked bags of our own organic apples. Heaven!

More photos here.

The Fauxlaroid Project: Green City Market

This Saturday I went to the lovely Green City Market in Chicago.


There is something invigorating about walking around the park through the colorful, hard-work of local farmers and foodies.


I picked up some Empire apples and baked a pie with them today. Also picked up the most beautiful, handcrafted curry squash pasta from Pasta Puttana. Tonight’s dinner.


Fall is here.

The Fauxlaroid Project: Opening Doors

A co-worker of mine clued me in to this incredible iPhone app called ShakeItPhoto and I am completely hooked, for obvious reasons. Years worth of photos that have been sitting and waiting for upload have now been “polaroidized” and posted to my Flickr site. A new door has been opened. A fresh, oh-so-2009 variation on an existing obsession is born!

It’s Official. I’m a Wild West Junkie.

I cannot stop thinking about my recent roadtrip.


The west is so very raw.


The colors pretty much take the breath out of your body. There is something new to be seen every step you take and every mile you drive. The majority of the trip I would find myself looking up and out and thinking “I can't capture this on camera” and so, surrender I did. Those times are my little secrets. The moments I did capture on film have made me very very very happy. I want to share them.

The entire Flickr set is here.

The Polaroid Project: Wild West

Just returned from a 17-day roadtrip extravaganza. Drove out to Nevada to spend a dusty week at Burning Man with dear friends and took a spontaneous week to drive back to Chicago via Yellowstone, The Black Hills, Grand Tetons, Bighorns, Badlands and everything in between. One of the first thoughts I had last night when I reached the Chicago skyline was “Wow, it looks so small compared to the 7,000-13,000ft mountain ranges I've been driving through.” It was pretty shocking.

View the entire Flickr Polaroid set, and selected spreads from the Roadtrip Journal I kept here.

Home: Summer

I redesigned my office in July. Of course, I had to color coordinate my books on my new fancy bookshelf.



Creating a comfy space to live is important to me.



I love my home.

More pics here.

The Polaroid Project: Old Skool

It’s fun what you find when you purge your closets.



Pieces of a Senior project that helped me get a great job in Chicago.



Thank you Polaroid.

The OC

Yashica Super D and I had alot of fun in Ocean City Maryland...










View the juicy Flickr set here. Let me know what you think.