sweet little gift #6: the most true to the heart t-shirt.

For your super stylish aunt who in the midst of raising 4 kids, finds time to dream about changing the world. And after having moved 7 + times with babies in tow, still calls the midwest the best home there is.

$25 plus shipping, Midwest is Best T-shirt, from Megan Lee Designs

chicago gardens.

a few weeks back, my mom and i partook in the bucktown garden walk. we walked through lots and lots of gardens. the pictures from above was one of my favorites. a japanese inspired space with the perfect slice of zen--minimalist, the subtle sound of water, and a keen sense of balance. the owner was sitting out back reading a book-- it felt like the perfect place to get lost in a good read.

hiroshi ariyama.

i went to the gold coast art fair with my mom on saturday. we had a ton of fun walking around, and came up with lots of ideas for fun art projects. one of my favorite stands was chicago-based artist, hiroshi ariyama. he creates original screen prints. i'm starting to really love screen print images, and would love to have some of the great windy city. i'm dreaming over a few of these to put in our apartment. if you live in the area, hiroshi will be displaying his art at the bucktown arts festival this month. looking forward to checking out more great art in the hood.

good eats in bucktown.

since johnny and i are still in the midst of a gloomy job search, we're trying to eat on the cheap when and if we go out to eat. i wouldn't call birchwood kitchen cheap, but it's a terrific place to get some really delectable goods at a somewhat reasonable price. yesterday, we went there and i had a wednesday special-- ham, tellagio and red pepper relish. that was quite good, but the most delicious part was the beet salad i had on the side. i asked someone who worked there (super friendly & very knowledgeable staff) what they put in the salad and i was able to get the inside scoop: citrus, walnut pesto, a tiny bit of arugula and a goat feta cheese. i'll be going back for this salad alone. i'm going to try to make it on my own, too, so i'll let you know how that goes.

if you live in the chicago area, i highly recommend this wonderful and food-conscious "deli" and i use that word very loosely. "kitchen" does seem more appropriate, i have to say. and if you go before summer ends, sit on the patio. it's adorable.

p.s. johnny had the salmon salad on toasted brioche and a jalapeno pineapple cole slaw, but he started to eat it too soon for me to get a picture :)