wish list, favorite things & man I want to do THATs.

OK, so there are needs, yes.  But once those are covered, there are always those things that that we just loooove.  Am I right?  Take these beautiful flowers that are on my dining room table.  Ranunculus are officially my favorite flower.  While not fragrant, they make up for it by being the cutest flower ever.  Here are some of my other favorite things right now. 

Automoblox Mini's are a new hit in my home.  My 2 year old son, Rémi received one for his birthday and it's one of his favorite toys.  It's obviously handsome, so it doesn't look so bad when it's left out in the living room, but it also has won many design and parent awards for being ergonomic, "natural" and it has this awesome tactile feel since the wheels are lined with rubber.  We (shhhh) just bought some for my nephews.  A great gift idea.

This is a double "shhhh" since Arnaud & I just bought this for Mila's upcoming birthday.  I've done so much research on bikes and this one was our #1 choice.  Balance bikes are all the rage and I certainly buy into the theory that kids learn faster on them, but always thought that I didn't want to have to buy a NEW bike once she was ready for the peddles.  This takes learning a step further by coming with all the parts to ADD on the peddles and mechanics to make this a "real" bike when she's ready.  I love 2fers.  Check it out at http://www.hobby-bike.com/.

If you are going to actually own one, you almost have to own the lot, because looking at these 4 beautifully retro cooking/serving pieces reminds me that they just don't make them like they used to. 

These Cole Haan Deandra sandals are so super cute and while I am very tardy on the gladiator trend, these might just make me take the plunge.

OK, well, I finally did break down and purchase these 7 for all Mankind Georgia jeans.  They are worth every penny and very flattering. 

Straight from on of my favorite local businesses, Pot and Box.  They offer a flower of the week club where a beautifully artistic and locally grown flower arrangement arrives at your door for as low as $20 per week.  I say cut down on those lattes and use the dough for something that will brighten your room 7 days a week! 

After breaking the last 3 of my drinking glasses in one day last month, I resorted to drinking from my ball jars that I was saving for my next canning project.  Then, just like Monsieur Pastor, this totally unexpected act lead to an unexpected discovery!  No, not pasteurization.  An awesome new drinking glass.  They are insanely cheap, super sturdy and I'd say are charming enough to serve lemonade, iced tea and even wine in them.

This Mid-Century Mod lamp shade, I swear, is calling my name. 

If I were stranded on a desert island, I would have my family, water, a garden for food and Rosebud Salve.  It is a lip moisurizer, cuticle softener, eyebrow tamer and provides a nice subtle sheen to your eyelids and cheeks.

So, now for the "man, I want to do THAT" part.  I have major travel fever.  This. is. the. place.  Period.  Next winter, my handsome hubby, two babes and hopefully my best friend too.  St. Barts is a French Caribbean island that is chic, chaud et parfait!

hold your lighters in the air. the radiant Kara is our spotlight star!

courtesy of Aisha Harley Photography



Kara Markovich hails from Portland, Oregon and just like her city, Kara is fun, creative, full of talent and weird (in a really great way).  She has an amazing family with three equally amazing sisters, making her the quintessential girl's girl.  She is a little bit modern but driven by a strong retro-centric whimsy.  Kara has the most awesome husband, Greg and together they made a sweet boy, Oscar Joe, who in my opinion is the spitting image and personality of the two and at age 3, already possesses the mojo of a rock star.  Kara's occupation is primarily a great mama, but she also helps make weddings go off without a hitch at Ella Events.  Oh, and the woman has mad chops. Kara is yet another "Croatian" cousin of mine, but I really am proud to introduce you to a wonderful friend.  Go Kara!

What or who inspires you? Anyone and everything! I am constantly in awe of the people I meet and the stories they have to tell.  Not to mention all my super talented family and friends, who make me feel a bit like a slacker (but in the best kind of way).  There’s nothing like looking through an amazing blog that makes me want to do something drastic with that certain blank wall I keep staring at.





courtesy of Aisha Harley Photography

 

Where is your nook?  a little mid-century home in Portland, Oregon

What's your favorite way to burrow?  I love the mornings, after an early run, with coffee in hand and breakfast on the stove. Or dinner time, wine in hand and dinner on the stove.  Either way, it involves food and good conversation and isn’t that all that really matters?





Grandma Annabelle



Grandma Helen & Grandpa Jim

Please Kara, you must describe your (fantastic) style.  My style is a bit Grandma Annabelle circa 1930s, Grandma Helen circa 1950s and my lovely mama circa 1960s.  All with a modern twist.

List one weird thing about you.  I sing to Oscar in the car, very loudly, while making up songs about how much I love him.  I imagine “someone” will try to  encourage me to stop doing that within the next few years.

What's on your play list?  I listen to a huge range of music, but lately have been leaving the  local jazz station playing in the background. What I tend to listen to most is what Oscar loves (i.e  Diddy Dirty Money’s Coming Home, Queen, Blind Pilot, White Stripes, Kriss Kross, Puff the Magic Dragon and the Backyardigans).  Some songs may drive me a bit crazy after awhile, but there is something so insanely awesome about watching your kid try to sing them.  I won’t lie though, the Diddy Dirty Money was my idea.

What's one of your favorite recipes?  My grandma’s strudel and sarma.  I love that it requires a small team to assemble and makes for the perfect blend of Croatian family arguments and laughter.

 What is your favorite place to vacation?  As worldly as I may want to sound, I have to be completely honest and say Longboat Key, Florida.  Since I was a child, it has been our little, family vacation spot.  Since I live so far from my family, every moment I get to spend with them is incredibly valuable.  Of course, beach, sun, ocean, sleeping, conversation and dare I mention, food and wine, is nice too.  

Kara with Mama Judy & Sister Megan in Florida (1980's)

What is your favorite object in your home?  The “what is your favorite object in your home” is a really hard question for me.  I love everything that we have.  If Greg and I love it, then it has passed the one requirement for it to be in our home. I strongly believe a person should surround themselves with things that they adore and that inspires them.  Thanks to passed down dishes, thrifted lamps and beautiful pieces from local artists, I love to sit in our living room and just take it all in.  BUT, if I really had to narrow it down, it would be the record player console that we purchased this past fall.  Growing up, my grandma Annabelle would play her Croatian records on a similar one in her living room.  The music would flood her home and my sisters, cousins and I would learn and dance kolos (Croatian dances) and polkas from her.  When we moved into our home, I knew I had to find a piece just like that.  What made the purchase even better was that my parents were with me when I discovered it.  I even think my dad may have been more excited that I was.

Just a side note, I am also particularly proud of the lamps that are on the console.  $1 each at a garage sale in Michigan (by the way, I LOVE Michigan garage sales).  I did have to purchase new shades, but totally worth it.  The driftwood piece to the left of the picture was collected and made by my dad and I.  Joe A. Markovich is quite the artist in the family.  I love my dad (and mom too)! 



Kara's parents, Joe & Judy Markovich

Where do you see yourself in five years?  Oh, the five year question that keeps crossing paths with me.  I could say I wish to be a wedding planner to the stars, but that doesn’t quite feel right.  I love my job and hope, in five years, that  I will be planning beautiful events and still crying at the weddings. What I think is most important is that Greg and I have an ideal work/life balance for our family. I hope we will be  doing what we love and setting an example for Oscar, and any future children, to follow their passion.  As for any other plans, I am just throwing it out there, but in five years I hope my parents, all my sisters and their families decide they can’t be away from us any longer and move out to Portland. That, and I want to live part of the year in Rome and the other, in Oregon. Take THAT five year plan!

Thanks for sharing with us, Kara!

holding stuff and sweet, sweet memories. a repurposed bench story

Five glorious years ago, Arnaud and I were married under our maple tree in our very own back yard with all of our closest friends and family members.  It was a hot, hot day in July and quite possibly the most fun I've had in all my life.  We've since moved away from our home and garden where we were married, but with us, we took some very tangible wedding mementos.  This shelf in my daughter, Mila's room was built into a tier with three of the very benches some our guests sat on on that special day.  We did paint them white-ish and when we tiered them, we made sure we used brackets to stack them and bolted them to the wall (remember, we have busy toddlers). 

Like with many little girls and their rooms, this shelf is revolving, evolving and in constant state of re-arrangement.  Today, on the very top, is one of my favorite pictures in the whole wide world of one of my favorite women in the whole wide world, my late grandma, Colleen.  She loved to ride horses when she was young girl and it has been said that her father was a real cowboy on a ranch in South Dakota.  I should find those pictures too.  They are awesome.  Grandma was a woman's woman and loved spending time with the girls in our family.  She never was able to meet Mila, but I love that Mila has a picture of her very own riding a horse (above right) and on her little bed, is a beautiful quilt that Grandma made. 

Whether it's photos, books, handmade dolls, cardboard fish tanks (rainy day project) Babushka dolls from Czech Republic, or eventually "teenie bopper stuff", I love that Mila's room is super fun for her and sweetly sentimental for me.

The fruit crate (pictured at top of post) was found in the garage of our new home.  I cleaned it up and put pads underneath and voila, a toy box for Mila.  We were lucky enough to acquire eight different crates, all varying sizes and styles and some having an awesome "American Explosives" logo on them.  Those are in Remi's room holding his dinosaurs.  I'm totally inspired to make one of those cool rolling crate shelves from them like Alex & Carla did on Hammers and High Heels.  Now if only I had their skillsaw saw skills!  Tounge twister!

the spotlight is shining bright. put on your shades and meet Carla.



Carla & Alex

A beautiful, smart and insanely crafty and creative girl.  A Michigan native who now lives in Minneapolis, Carla is a designer by day and the finger tapping mastermind behind the super cute blog, Hammers & High Heels by night.  Oh, and she is also my newest cousin.  Yes, nepotism is still in full force.  Carla married my handsome cousin Alex Zidarevich, Amber's brother (last spotlight star).  Everyone welcomes new people into their familes, but you know you hit the jackpot when the fit in as if they've been a part of the family forever. I also have met her family and they are all wonderful, just like her.  Carla considers herself an "oversharer", which I love, and find incredibly charming (and very familiar).  Carla is now an honorary Croatian for life.  Welcome Carla and introducing her is an honor. 

What or who inspires you?  I think I get inspiration everywhere I look, whether it be in daily life, magazines, or TV.  My favorite place for inspiration is through blogging.  I love to read blogs, I think that is the best place to get inspiration and if you like DIY projects they are everywhere in the blog world.  I keep a tiny moleskin notebook in my purse and a pen at all times, I write down things that inspire me so I never forget what or where I saw something.

Where is your nook?  My ‘nook’ is in the historic Homewood neighborhood in Minneapolis.  I love the charm and story that comes along with a historic place.  It is also a place that is currently in revival, I love how much my neighbors care about our little community.

What's your favorite way to burrow?  My favorite way to chill is at home with my husband enjoying a glass of wine while we cook dinner together.

Please Carla, you must describe your style.  My style is sort of eclectic, I fill my home with lots of vintage finds along with things from Target or Ikea and you will find my home is mostly gray, white, soft blue, or black.  When it comes to apparel and accessories I love to be very feminine, dresses and heels are a must.  I fear really bright or patterned things (unless you’re talking leopard print, I have a strange love for it). My closet is a lot of solids in white, gray, khaki or black; I like things that are simple and classic.

List one weird thing about you.  There are a lot of weird things about me! Haha, it is hard to pick one!  I’ll pick my need to hair tease.  Ever since my roommate in college taught me how to ‘poof’ my hair I haven’t been able to leave the house without a proper hair ‘poof’, I feel like I am walking around with a bald spot if I don’t have enough volume in my hair. I was also offended when the Bump It was created because I had to deal with people asking me if I owned one.  Never have, never will. Things also got worse when Snooki came around with her terrible ‘poof’ (mine never looks like that by the way, that is a fashion don’t). So yes, I will always be with my weird big hair.

What's on your playlist?  I listen to everything, country, pop, R&B, hip hop, and alternative. I’d say right now I am listening to my playlist that consists of R&B   and pop from the late 90’s, for some reason I can’t get enough right now (SWV anyone?).

What's one of your favorite recipes?  I love my husband’s grandma’s homemade mac n’ cheese recipe, it is a family favorite and I count on having it at every holiday now.

What is your favorite place to vacation?  This is a sad one, I feel like I don’t have a place I can say is my favorite spot to vacation since I haven’t been to the same place twice. I like to go to new places every time we get a chance to travel.  Of places I have been to, I loved Catalina Island and the Bahamas the most- beach vacations are my favorite.  I did love that Catalina Island had a lot of history to it, the city of Avalon oozed a vibe from the 1920’s.

What is your favorite object in your home?  Hmmm, I love all the antiques in my home because they are one of a kind. But if I had to pick just one it would be the antique dressform my husband surprised me with last year (above).  I have never had my own dress form and I would always talk about wanting an antique, and one day Alex surprised me with one.  I use it to display (and store) some of my accessories, it makes of a nice way to enjoy and display the accessories you love.    

Where do you see yourself in five years?  WOW! No idea, haha! Currently I am very happy right where I am.  My husband and I both have careers that match a passion we have (do what you love philosophy). I feel very lucky and hope to keep growing and advancing in my career.  I love working on my home and blogging about it (our blog friends are awesome!), I hope our blog is still around and growing.  All around I hope we are still this happy in 5 years.  I’d say the one thing we are missing is our family over in Michigan (we are living in MN, moved for work).  I’d like to think in 5 years we will have found a way to have a life in Michigan with our family around us and still have the same amount of happiness that we have found here in Minnesota. 

Thank you Carla!

the spotlight is on and Amber's our girl

Amber with her love, Henri

If you have a spotlight on you, it means only one of two things.  Either you are being chased down by the police, or you are a star.  Hopefully it's the later and here at nook and burrow, I prefer to focus on the star. In my life, I find I am surrounded by people who shine, who in one way or another have inspired, influenced, educated, nurtured and/or have impacted me.  My spotlights will feature one amazing person with a bit of Q&A.  I hope you enjoy!

Anyone who knows my Croatian (Zidarevich) side of the family, they will know well that we are crazy proud, protective, love to laugh a lot, cry a lot, live a lot and are at times so full of inspiration and passion that we can hardly contain ourselves.  It's just hereditary. So, in honor of nepotism, it will come to no surprise that my very first "Spotlight" introduction is of my beautiful cousin, Amber (Zidarevich) Kilpatrick. 

Amber's father and my father are brothers and Amber has always felt more like a sister than a cousin.  Amber lives in Grand Rapids with her very handsome husband  Ryan and their crazy cute little boy, Henri.  She is beautiful, smart, spiritual, compassionate, a blogger and as far back as I can remember, she was always wanted to save the world.  When we were little, it was animals, then as a teen, it was people and now as an adult, she is on the very profound journey of the ultimate journey - teaching yoga and meditation.  Amber is saving the world, the world of her family, her friends, her students and certainly that of her baby boy's.   I need a good dose of Amber, so here we go!   

How do you serve the world?  I fill my days serving the world as a mother, wife, yoga instructor, Community Organizer and food blogger.

Who are you?  Just a small town girl living in a big wide world. Trying to live in each moment as it comes and appreciating the beauty all around.

What or who inspires you?  My family.  And anyone who pursues their dreams without apology.



Ryan, Henri and their dog, Hazel



Where is your nook? -  Grand Rapids, Michigan

What is your favorite way to burrow (chill)? - over an hours long dinner and wine with friends

Describe your style. This is tough!  I would say Yoga chic + J Crew + a touch of Jackie O.

List one weird thing about you.  I secretly want a tattoo sleeve

What's on your playlist? Jeff Buckley, Florence and the Machine, One Eskimo, Jimi Hendrix, U2, George Michael, Daisy May and Lady Gaga (purely as a guilty pleasure)

What's one of your favorite recipes? -  My favorite recipe has got to be the one I recently blogged about at Big Food Little Mamas

What is your favorite place to vacation? As much as I want to say Chicago or New York I have to resist the urge to be 'doing' on my vacations.  Therefore, Koh Pha Ngan Thailand.  An island in the Gulf Of Thailand.  Nothing to do but enjoy the paradise all around.

What is your favorite object in your home?  My dining table.  A family heirloom from my mother.  It belonged to her mother and her mother's mother before that.  I intend to pass it on to my children.

Where/what will you be in five years?  Another toughie.  I have a tendency not to think too far ahead. This question is a challenge!  Let's say, owner/operator of a yoga and surf shop in Hawaii.  Let the journey begin!

making love and dough.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  Celebrating St. Valentine and love.  We decided this year that instead of buying something, we'd make something out of "love".  Mila, Remi & I made homemade playdough today and it was so much easier than I imagined.  Plus, if you have kids in the house who love the stuff, you can save a little money and encourage them to use their hands and create something they are proud of.  Have a beautiful day, give love and have fun!

Homemade Playdough Recipe:

Most playdough recipes call for cream of tartar. In case you don’t have cream of tarter, feel free to find our non-cream of tarter recipes on the sidebar.

Ingredients:
2 cups of plain flour
2 cups of colored water (I think you can also use food grade glitter)
1 Tbsp. of cooking oil
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup of salt

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a medium size or large pan. Cook slowly on medium-high and stir it until the playdough thickens. If it's a bit sticky, you can add a little bit of flour to the mixture and knead it. This recipe takes less than 10 minutes.

life and art

This was one true example where life imitates art.  A family of deer live and play in the forest behind our house.  The beautiful canvas print is by my friend and local artist, Marcy Davy.