Monday Morning Mirth

Oh! If only my corner store carried Vegenaise!

What I didn’t mention last week was even though a lot of spring cleaning was taking place at Studio Chic, lots of furniture moving was happening as well.

My apartment has one of the most common layouts in Chicago. It is on a lot that is 25 ft by 125 ft. It is a three-story, three unit building and although it was built about a decade ago, its appearance from the outside mimics the rest of the circa 1885 buildings all over this neighborhood. Except for the inside…

During the building boom of a few years ago, lots of places were built that took the smaller rooms of the typical Chicago flat and made them into soft lofts. Now the phrase “soft loft” is one of those realtor terms like “den”. My unit was described as having a “den” which was really just an extension of the living room area over the downstairs entrance lobby. So, “soft loft” means instead of building some functionality into the mix, walls were omitted; one big room made do for three with a counter across one end of the room, making what was left over “the Kitchen”.

The thinking was everyone after 1999 did not use their dining rooms any more. Why not just open it up because after all, everyone always ends up in the kitchen during a party any way!

Well, I’ve taken it one step further.

And because I love to move furniture (number two after making U-turns), the dining room table, a huge piece made from antique distressed pine slabs from Europe, now became my work table in my studio…

The living room furniture went into the den (fitting perfectly – making now “a parlor”!) and the entire space by the bay window that was concealed by a couch now is a mini-studio for this:

It’s always a challenge to grab the light around this town – where the weather is rumored to change every 10 minutes, one has to run for cover occasionally, even with camera in hand.

But now I can check my WIP on the mannie in a flash!

Here it is so far: I’m almost done with the lace section in the body of this VONICA which I’m making for moi, but will be shown at the TNNA Columbus show in a few weeks. It works well in wools (this is Cascade 220 Sport SW) and I am always in need of more charcoal grey in the olde wardrobe…

Monday Morning Mirth

It’s getting warm in here and that means one thing in Chicago:
time for our annual summer fashion public service announcement!
 
We were downtown yesterday on a photo shoot (of course, we’re shooting fall clothing on the year’s hottest day to date!) and we noticed a re-occurring theme on more than one visitor.
 

 
So, in the interest of public safety everywhere, we ask you, gentle reader, thumbs up?
Or, thumbs down on this trend!?
 
…and remember: good friends don’t let good friends, etc, etc, etc…