Favorite Things: In My Apartment

In an effort to incorporate more of my own home's decor and design into this blog, this post is all about some of my favorite things currently out and about in my apartment. Since I've been into decor for a long time, and am the type to feel at home when surrounded by lots of clutter unusual/beautiful things, it was difficult to narrow it down to this little group. So in an effort to keep it interesting (okay actually that was never a thought in my head, it just turned out this way), all things are pre-owned, living, or once living. Yup, it's about to get weird.

We'll start off with something pretty: this Scandinavian floral kilim is the first thing I step onto in the morning as I zombie-walk my way out of bed. It was a very lucky find at an estate sale in NW Portland, and since this purchase I've been convinced that when I go estate saleing I'm in fact a modern day treasure hunter. (Career counselors recommend you revisit the interests you had as a kid, in order to discover your "dream job" as an adult. I remember getting a metal detector for Christmas when I was about 9, and I was stoked. No sarcasm. So this whole thing makes sense.) I'm obsessed with the colors in this rug, and the man who sold it to me said all of the flowers are local to the region it was made. Who knows if that's true, but I'm choosing to believe it. 

 And... guess what that is. Just guess. No, not the sunglasses, the thing that they're sitting in. Yes... it's a bone. An ostrich chest bone. Cool huh!? I blame my mom for raising me to think this is normal. See, this is what happens when you spend your weekends as a kid at your grandparents' farm and one of the most looked-forward to and encouraged activities is "hunting for cow bones" in the brush. Bonus points if you find a skull and it still has all of its teeth. So when my girl scout troop went on a weekend retreat to "the farm," you bet that was one of the activities on the schedule. That's Texas, y'all. Sunglasses from Nordstrom BP and Forever 21, beaded wrap bracelet from Ten Thousand Villages, coins from the bottom of my purse.

This is my little piñata friend (omg I just realized he doesn't have a name! not okay) that I found at a vintage shop here in Portland. "How has he survived all these years?" is my question. I love how he's neon colored, and he's Mexican so, duh, I like him. Plus there's that whole 4th grade birthday party vibe he brings to my apartment - I don't like to take things too seriously with my decor. (See above) Peter Max print from ebay, maracas from the Round Top antique festival, and Design Sponge and Decorate decor books from anywhere you can buy a book.

This vintage set of mirrored fuschia roly-poly tumblers is something I was very happy to stumble upon at the Etsy shop Relevant Vintage. So far I've made all of my friends drink out of the blue Ikea glasses instead, but one day I might let them hold the pink ones. When they're pregnant and drinking mocktails. Silver beaded mat from Pier 1 Imports, the Vintage Cocktails book in the background was a Christmas gift from my sister. 

And this is a gastropod fossil that I bought from a man in Texas who was like, 127 years old, and he said he'd been collecting them from the Red River since he was a little boy. Of course, I got all sentimental on him and ended up buying a few. I love this kinda thing. Rocks, fossils, shells, crystals ... bones apparently. I could totally be a witch. I'm not into taxidermy though - I will make that clear! And... since I'm honest on this blog... I've never been able to get past like, page 10 of Catch-22. I've tried three times and I just can't do it. Way too many unpronounceable characters.

Finally, we end with something living (always best to leave on a good note). This is a staghorn fern that I call Staghorn (I swear I'm creative I just felt weird naming a plant anything that seemed like I actually thought about it), and although he doesn't get a cool name I still show him love by talking to him like he's my pet. Yes, there is a special voice. I purchased him from Pistils Nursery after deciding I needed some kind of houseplant, and since my mom has always had staghorns (except they were in the backyard, massive, and hanging from giant oak trees) I thought I should get one after learning they do okay indoors. Hopefully he'll have a long and happy life. Ignore that ugly, brown area. I googled it and it's totally normal.

What are some of your favorite things in your home?

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Cinco de Mayo in Apt. 302

I had a couple of good friends over to my apartment for a Cinco de Mayo lunch; we feasted on chips and guacamole, shrimp fajitas, and flan for dessert. And we drank a lot of beeritas, my new favorite drink! 

Beeritas: 1 can of frozen limeade, 3 bottles of Pacifico, top off with Sprite. Mix in a glass with tequila and ice! Thanks Melissa for this recipe - it's going to be making an appearance all summer. :)

Lisa and I have been really good friends since we went to college together in San Diego, and now we both live in Oregon!

Frida and Diego were enjoying the party too

The secret to good fajitas? Lime, butter and garlic. Plates, place mats, napkins and carafe from Pier 1 Imports. 

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! 

 Flan with caramel and mint - my all-time favorite dessert!

We ate it all!

What did you do this weekend?

Happy Valentine's Day!

As a lover of all things having to do with Latin cultures, this Valentine's Day my mom gave me a "Milagro" from Mexico that I am super duper excited to add to my growing art collection.

According to Wikipedia, Milagros "(also known as an ex-voto or dijes) are religious folk charms that are traditionally used for healing purposes and as votive offerings in Mexico, the southern United States, other areas of Latin America, and parts of the Iberian peninsula. They are frequently attached to altars, shrines, and sacred objects found in places of worship, and they are often purchased in churches and cathedrals, or from street vendors... As part of a religious ritual or an act of devotion, milagros can be offered to a symbol of a saint as a reminder of a petitioner's particular need, or in gratitude for a prayer answered. They are used to assist in focusing attention towards a specific ailment, based on the type of charm used. Milagro symbolism is not universal; a milagro of a body part, such as a leg, might be used as part of a prayer or vow for the improvement of a leg; or it might refer to a concept such as travel. Similarly, a heart might represent ideas as diverse as a heart condition, a romance, or any number of other interpretations. Milagros are also carried for protection and good luck."

Love, love, love! Thanks Mom, you da best! <3 <3 <3

Happy Valentine's Day!

obsession: mexico

feliz cumpleanos a mi!

I straight-up looooove Mexican culture, and it has nothing to do with spring break or tequila. Growing up, trips to Mexico were the gnarliest adventures I experienced, whether it was bike riding with my dad and younger siblings through the chaos of Ciudad Juarez (it was not normal in any way), to dining on broiled frog legs at a fancy restaurant in Nuevo Laredo with my mother and grandmother, to my 22nd birthday celebration with college friends in the lobster village of Puerto Nuevo. And now that I'm typing about it, I'm realizing I've pretty much only been to Mexican border towns and yet love it to death... maybe somethin is wrong with me?

Puerto Nuevo, Pacific Coast... better lobster deals than Vegas!

Well, my all-time favorite experience in Mexico was during middle school, when my dad took my little brother and sister and I to the gorgeous Big Bend National Park for a spring break camping trip. The "adventurous"/don't-tell-mom-about-this tone of the trip was set early on when we ended up camping on the side of the highway because my dad forgot to make campsite reservations, and it was spring break. The real adventure, however, was when we wandered down to the Rio Grande and my dad paid a man with a small boat to ferry us across the river into Mexico. That's right, we were total badasses; no paperwork, no border patrol, no kind of regulation whatsoever... doesn't it sound too simple to be legit? Well, actually, lots of Americans were doing the same thing - the excursion was probably written up in a Lonely Planet or something - I never asked. But once we got across the river, we were helped onto burros, handed mesquite branch whips and rode for about an hour until we reached the little town of Boquillas. We then tied our burros at a colorful cantina and enjoyed chips and salsa with bottled Coca Colas (my dad never let us have coke... "waters, waters all around!!!" so it was a huge deal) before making the ride back to the river. Seriously, one of my favorite memories to this day.

Here is a photo I found online of the Boquillas Crossing, and while doing a little research,

discovered that this was closed after 9/11 but will be opened again in 2012. Schwing!

Now, I am drawn to adding touches of Mexican culture into my home decor: I have a pair of maracas sitting on my bedside table (perfect for the occasional midnight jam sesh), a folk art collage memorializing the amor between Frida and Diego on my bedroom wall (it weirds people out when it's displayed in a community part of the house), and a tin cervezas tray on my dresser creating a separate space for perfume and girlie things (and if I ever have a fiesta, it'll be used to serve Coronas. Obvi.). And the best part about each of these pieces? The amazing colors. Turquoise, hot pink, red, bright green, purple, and every other color that is bright and fun. It all creates a bit of pleasant, and very colorful, nostalgia for me... bringing to mind the Mexican travel memories I have collected over the years.

Some of my Mexico-inspired purchases

And that is the main reason I love interior design and decorating; it's not just about making the space functional and pleasing to the eye. It's about making it personal and telling a story, and sharing what you're about with those that come into your home. Now, say cheese!