Vintage Monday: student slate chalkboard

Found this awesome old student slate chalkboard at the Knitting Mill on my last visit and had to have it immediately.  The wood is old and worn but still sturdy and I love the little lines across the slate.  I can just imagine how many letters and words were painstakingly written and practiced on this board.

We found a great home for this chalkboard in our little kitchen nook.  We just rearranged the prints and B put in two nails to secure the board as we expect to write and erase on it quite often.  It's perfect for making grocery lists or to leave messages for one another.  Here's something that B tells me every morning...(along with "remember your lunch")

Favorite Sunday Buffet: Boneka at the St Regis in Bali

I am no stranger to buffets (I'm not sure if I should be proud of this or not) and have a special place in my heart for Sunday brunch buffets.  Favorites in Austin include Lamberts and the Four Seasons, the Signature Room in Chicago, and the Equinox in Singapore.  However, the brunch at Boneka restaurant at the St Regis hotel in Bali pretty much blew everyone out of the water!  I tried to edit through the pictures to showcase the best ones but this still will be a long post so get ready!

First of all, the St Regis is really a gorgeous hotel on lush grounds.  Drinks are served in the lounge area as you await the fateful hour when the buffet opens.  The hostess then escorts you into a really lovely restaurant, complete with a jazz band.  The setup of the brunch is pretty amazing and unique with three methods of obtaining food.  First, you can order off the menu for specialty breakfast items like lobster omelettes and wagyu steak and eggs

Then of course, there is the traditional buffet spread where you can mill around and select your own food such as pastries and breads

Sushi

Dim sum

freshly roasted meats at a carving station

and little tiny bites of beautifully plated food

Thirdly, there were attentive waiters milling around to each table, serving items fresh out of the kitchen: passionfruit smoothies, fresh oysters, wonton noodle soup, and waffles?  yes please!

So in summary, tiny bites

And great service (the kitchen actually came up with this nutella crepe at B's request--they didn't have nutella so they made their own version by melting chocolate with chopped hazelnuts--overachievers)

And my top two favorite foods: dessert and caviar

  

Whew.  I'm in a food coma now just by looking at all of these pictures!

Wishlist Wednesday: casual kicks

 

Now that I've had to reluctantly relinquish my Ugg boots due to warmer weather, I've been wanting some casual shoes for weekend errands and here are some potential picks.  I like how fashion has come full circle as I remember wearing most of these 15-20 years ago!  And as much as I swore to never again wear them, I think I'm ready to try them out again.

Bensimon: a familiar sight from my school uniform days, 

except back then they were Keds, most definitely not French

Sperry: I've made fun of these for a while now but 

somehow they look cuter in metallic or bright colors, no?

Toms: these tend to trend a bit too hipster-ish 

for my tastes but proceeds do go to a good cause...

Tretrons: these classics have the Jcrew stamp of approval

Thoughts?  Am I missing anyone else?

Vintage Monday: Printer's letterpress wood block drawer

I've always wanted a printer's drawer and came upon this one at an antique store clearance sale.  It was housing antique perfume bottles and I didn't recognize it at first, but when I did, I swiftly removed all the bottles and took off with the drawer to the cashier.  I was mentally tallying just how much I would pay for this in my head while waiting for the owner to tell me how much it cost and could barely conceal my glee when it rang up for under $10!  Score!

Here's what these drawers originally held: letterpress woodblock letters

I haven't yet figured out what I'd like to do with mine.  I've seen these drawers used as jewelry holders, shadowboxes for little knick knacks or just to organize loose odds and ends.

 Love the drawer pull hardware

 And here's the script that was originally stored in here!

Happy Birthday Kirby!

Kirby is 2 today!  This is significant because everyone has told us that this officially marks the end of his puppy years and that he'll start settling down now...right?  right Kirby?

Favorite Friday Food: Noosa Yogurt

 

Noosa yogurt is the best yogurt I've had to date.  It is an Australian recipe, produced from all natural milk from a Colorado dairy farm.  It contains all the good stuff like probiotics and is gluten free but tastes creamy and is rich and decadent like a dessert.  Flavors include honey, blueberry, raspberry and mango and all the fruit is added post production.  I've sampled both the raspberry and blueberry and they are amazing especially topped off with some pumpkin flax granola as a mid day snack or even dessert.  And the best endorsement I can give this yogurt is that B will actually eat it.  Willingly.  If you don't know B, all I can say is that it's really a minor miracle that he's eating this.  It's that good.  Go get some!  It's carried at Whole Foods and a few other select stores including Sprouts in Austin.

**For this review, I bought all my Noosa yogurt with my own pennies and was not reimbursed in any way.  I really am that fanatic about my yogurt.

Wishlist Wednesday: Triangles

 Ever since I got this dress, 

I've been noticing and loving triangle prints even more...

Calendars

My organized soul loves a good calendar and here are 

two favorites that were gifts this year from B's family.  

First, a lovely tea towel calendar that I had posted about before here.  

It is even more vibrant in person and makes a pretty addition to the kitchen.

B got an awesome Mizzou calendar that features 

vintage programs from his favorite football team

How fun that both our alma maters played each other so long ago!

Vintage Monday: Mid Century Record Cabinet

Another exciting find from a local estate sale!  This little mid century record cabinet was all scratched up and hanging loose on its hinge before we rescued it.  B fixed the door so it latches tightly now and upon recommendation from one of the estate sale guys, we used Old English to polish up the wood and it made a huge difference!  

Right now it sits in the dining room as a stand in for my credenza that I am still searching for.  After that it'd be a great bookcase for the study or den downstairs.