Happy Friday!

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Sorry for the silence this week friends. Between starting a new job and Thanksgiving this week flew by. I am looking forward to unpacking my Christmas decorations and "winterizing" my apartment this weekend ... pictures to come next week!  I Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and a relaxing weekend!

Apartment Progress

I have been neglectful this week ... a lot going on so instead of my usual vintage friday post here is a real one on some apartment updates ...


It is going on five months since we moved to Miami, FIVE MONTHS, almost a half of a year. I can't believe it. I feel like we were just starting to plan the move yesterday.  Our apartment is slowly coming together but lately I am feeling stuck. It doesn't feel as homey as my old place and I can't figure out what is missing.

This is what we started with ....

 and here are some shots as it stands today ...

It's a big improvement from August but on the whole it still doesn't feel done. I know, I know, homes are always a work in progress but I feel like I am having a decorating identity crisis. This is partly due to being in such a new space and partly because I read way too many house blogs and look at pinterest a little too often. I like so many styles I can't figure out how to combine them or decide on just one. Do I want the apartment to feel beachy, modern, kitschy, clean and bright, all of the above?! ahh too many choices. Also I don't want to do anything major since I am not sure how long Marc and I will be living in this spot (the walk to the beach might keep us for a bit though!)  To help me try to organize my thoughts I decided to take a page from Young House Love and create a list of what I want to update and do. here we go.

Kitchen - probably the most "Done" of all of the rooms just due to the fact its small and 3/4 of it are taken up by cupboards and counters. 

• Frame my grandmother's calories hankerchief to add to the wall
• look into removable wallpaper for an accent wall

Living and Dining Room - This space is giving me the hardest time because it's so large and such a switch from my old apartment in Fordham Street.

• Order a new rug for the living room - this is done, I ordered one this morning woo hoo.
• Move sisal rug from living room to under dining room table
• Finish gallery wall along the guest bath wall and create a gallery wall behind the TV ala Emily Henderson in the image below.
• Re-upholster my yard sale rocking chair 
• Add some plants 
• Add curtains to slider?

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Master Bedroom / Bath

• Add a headboard, either fabric or salvaged wood from the same guy who made our dining room table and sideboard
• Add curtains
• Add some more art to the walls

Guest Room/ Office This room right now is a hodge podge of left overs/a bed/ a desk it needs the most help but will probably get looked at last

• Add some art or pictures to the white wall
• Buy a larger rug
• Add curtains  
• Figure out a way to make it a bit more welcoming when guests come ( I have a feeling with winter's arrival up north we will be having an influx of visitors soon!) 

 Terrace 

• Add some small chairs for lounging.
• look into an outdoor rug 
• buy some old crates or shelving for our growing tropical plant collection 

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Happy Friday!

Happy Friday folks.

Here is some vintage to start the weekend off right ...

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For more "vintage" or ok maybe just 80's Miami check out this Facebook page of Miami photographer Donna Dunson that shows South Beach back in the day ...

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A Different Side of Miami

The bar the The Federal - covered in old timey advertisements

When Marc and I decided to move to Miami my mind went where everyone's goes when they first think of the Magic City: flashy, touristy, and plastic.  After being here for three months though I realize there is a whole other side to the city which is full of farmers markets, amazing fresh produce, and a burgeoning local food scene.  Last night Marc and I went to The Federal, a small restaurant in The MIMO District that focuses on local food.  You would never know it was there, located in a small strip mall next to a Baskin Robbins  but once you walk in past the patio and homemade smoker you are a cozy little spot that seems miles away from the grittiness and neon signed hotels of Biscayne Blvd.  We went for a Happy Hour sponsored by Slow Food Miami a group that creates community and school gardens and helps to promote and support the local food scene and the numerous growers and artisans within it. Any event where I can help support such a vital organization while drinking beer and eating homemade chicken nuggets and deviled eggs with pulled pork on top is a win in my book.   Marc and I were drooling over the menu and already mapped out what we are going to eat when we come back for our next visit.  

Another cool thing we doing is a CSA. I am still wrapping my head around the fact that the

growing season  is the opposite of New England and that the good stuff is going to start coming out soon. Starting at the end of November and going until May we are getting a weekly CSA. I cannot wait to start seeing the fresh produce and different fruits we get every week!  Tons of Farmers Markets are popping up too. There is one particular one I enjoy going to because besides food there is a guy sells the most amazing vintage clothes for cheap ... that is where I got this awesomely loud dress for 15 dollars!

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We pick it up our CSA at this awesome little butcher shop near Marc's school called Proper Sausages. They make the most amazing sausage I have ever had. My mouth is watering thinking about the Blue Cheese and Fig sausage I had the other week.  They carry a bunch of local items such as farm fresh eggs, game meat, and beer and wine. 

My post is turning into a novel so I am going to end it here, I could talk about food all day.  It has been fun exploring this side of Miami and I hope to find even more local spots the longer we are down here.

A Miami Holiday ...

I heard it is snowing back up in New England. I know if i was living up there I would be cursing the fact that winter is starting it's long stay already feeling pale and patchy skinned but part of me is missing that "first snow" and the holiday vibe that it brings with it! This year I have decided being in such a different spot I need to rethink how I decorate for the holidays. I can't bring myself to buy a tree knowing it was probably cut down today from Canada and drove down here so I am going total 1960's Miami bling. I want the tackiest, whitest tree I can find and i want to fill it with colored lights, vintage bulbs, and maybe even tinsel.

some inspo below ...

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 Marc and I are heading up north for Christmas but we are staying down here for Thanksgiving. It will be the first Thanksgiving not in New England.  We are going to have a "Friendsgiving" at one of the other professors house and I am looking forward to this new tradition. I also decided I am going to run this the morning of.

Holidays for me are always deep rooted in traditions and nostalgia and I am excited to mix the old and new this year and to get my hands on a tacky white tree!!
 

Happy Friday!

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I am heading back to Miami today. Goodbye Boston, it's been fun!! I haven't seen any flamingos in the flesh yet, I need to add that to my to do list.

Have a happy weekend everyone.

When in New England

This week I have traveled back up north.  I have been very lucky that I have been able to work remotely for my current job in Boston during the move to Florida. I have been able to come up monthly and see my family and friends to get a quick taste of fall and "home".  I decided though, to take a job in Miami. I couldn't resist an office with an ocean view 25 blocks from my apartment and a small company with lots of room to grow.  My last trip up is bittersweet. I am looking forward to my new endeavor (and to be able to dress up again for work ... style posts to come soon!) but I am sad to give up my monthly New England fix. I stayed in Templeton last night and I found myself feeling very nostalgic. Something about this time of year reminds me of college, and living back home after college. It's that time right before winter comes but it still smells like fall.  I snapped this photo on my way to work today I used to run and walk this route all the time way back when.  I will be happy to see the ocean at the end of the week and to put my flip flops back on but I don't know if I will ever fully get used to not having these changes of the season and the memories that come along with it.

The To Do List: Bars

It has not been too long since we have moved down here. Some days it feels like an eternity and others I feel like I have been on an extended vacation and I forget I am actually "home".

Marc and I have a laundry list of places to check out. I get stressed thinking I haven't seen enough of this city but then I tell myself ... I have lots of time to explore and discover things around these parts. I'll be sharing some of our favorite spots every so often as well as a place we still need to check out ... let's start with the good stuff, the bars.


So Far ...

Favorite Bar - Lou' s Beer Garden

A beer garden, alongside a pool, within walking distance, and it has Narragansett??? yes please! 

When Marc and I were deciding where to live we were always looking at cool bars and restaurants near by, when we finally decided on North Beach (which BTW is apparently the best neighborhood in Miami Dade!) we were happy to see it was within walking distance to Lou's.  We went our first night and have been back countless times since. A laid back atmosphere, good cocktails, and a beer list a mile long. 

Honorable mention - Cafe Prima Pasta, another walkable bar with an awesome bartender named Henry. It's old school Italian dishes and decor make you forget you are in Miami for a second then someone walks in with huge fake boobs and a bandage dress or you take a look at the pictures on the wall and see the countless celebs who have been patrons over the years.

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Need to try ... The Broken Shaker. 

Apparently the Broken Shaker is like Drink back up in Boston, but it's vibe is less lab like and more Miami grandma's backyard.  Apparently you can sip craft cocktails and play lawn games, Marc and I need to bite the bullet and head down to South Beach to check it out but we seem to always get lazy when we have so many spots to hang out right in our backyard.

Happy Friday!

a little vintage Miami to start the weekend off ...

 

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