chicago.

i'm going to say that being back on the east coast is good for a couple of reasons, but so far one of the best is being so close to chicago.  we've been back twice in the past three months (three times in the past year) and with those two trips we've spent about two month's rent on food - which was obviously  so. completely. WORTH IT.

this time it was the publican for delicious food and beer, sultan's for falafel, fox and obel for eggs bene and oatmeal, the wormhole for a honey latte and peanut butter mocha, mercadito for tequila drinks, and veerasway for scallops and chutney.  our last meal was argo tea at the airport, which i guess ranks only slightly below potbelly at the airport (and really since it was morning, argo was much more appreciated).

we also saw friends, went to A WEDDING and walked for hours.  oh, oh i finally made it into the boring store! which was (shameful, i know) there while we were residents, i'm so embarrassed i never bothered to figure it out.  but we went and it was awesome.

arrows.

i would like a wall of them.

{via seesaw}

PREVIEW!

ok, so that project i've been working on, well here is an honest to goodness sneak peek!  the site and the shop and the blog and the twitter will be running full force next week, but for now DASH+fin is just being introduced into the big scary world of kids stuff (we are launching as placemats, but there is much more tableware to come in the near future ... plates and bowls and goodies ... oh my.). 

a little project.

read more about it here and here.  oh and HERE of course.

mixed feelings.

while i am head over heels for that giant shoulder bow, i'm slightly concerned that it only comes in 4 sizes as a dress like this should FIT.  i would absolutely be willing to try it, say for the wedding we have coming up in two weeks?  although it is bird by juicy and i have a slight hatred of juicy (it's just that those stupid sweat suites continue to pop up and they drive me nuts, much like uggs.)

oh oh OH.

maybe i could have both?  i would promise to cherish them.

{confetti system necklaces}

apparently i eat and work - and that is all.

and since i can't quite (though ALMOST) share my work, i'm settling with sharing my food.  because recently it has been delicious and abundant.  like our bbq dinner from 12 bones while we were in asheville a couple of days ago.  also i may have finally perfected our salty chocolate chip cookie recipe, which i will happily share before the end of the week.  it's one for keeping, i promise you.

cake.

over the weekend mas and i had one of the best slices of chocolate cake ever.  it was magical.  it was from the french broad chocolate lounge and it was the highland mocha stout cake.  the cake was rich and moist with the perfect taste of the stout, and the frosting, oh my.  it was the quintessential butter cream.  i can still taste it.  so when i was catching up on my much overdue blog reading and saw this post over on design*sponge i thought i might just have to save this recipe until i have the time to make it.  which will hopefully be soon, because honestly i could use a piece of good cake.  right now.

{image from katie quinn davies via design*sponge}

we paper people should maybe pass these out free.

because the world (at least the american english speaking world) needs to figure this one out, like now.

{most excellent bag by sapling press available here}

it was 80 hours.

it was 16 hours in a car, a stop over in connecticut, an introduction to fall.  it was our most favorite people having our tent set up when we arrived (ok not our tent obviously but a much bigger, sampley-er kind of tent).  it was our most favorite people and their friends having shiners waiting for us in the morning when we finally rolled out of our sleeping bags.  it was the constellations, eli "paperboy" reed, alberta cross, rubblebucket, dr. dog, the super secret project, ampm, adeem, the tan vampires, sean bones, the walkmen, !!!, and javelin (the last two being my faves though sean bones, dr. dog and adeem put up a good fight).  it was a party under a bridge, a ton of tents and sleeping next to a very calming river.  it was some sort of gluten-free concoction of deliciousness called buckle.  it was another 17 hours in the car (stupid rain) and three cheeseburgers in three days.  it was the catching up mas and i hadn't had in the two months since our last road trip and it was the seeing of our favorite people.  it was the nor'easter and it was wonderful. 

ps - fall has maybe hit eastern north carolina ... i say that with a fair amount of trepidation, but it's in the low 70's at the moment and it is noon.