Bang Bang.

Who knew you had to get a FOID (Firearm Owner's Identification) card just to shoot around at a range (#8 on the list)?  Not me.  Well, it's a good thing I'm researching this now because it'll take at least 30 days to get one of these.  If you're also pining for a go at the shooting range, click here.  If you happen to know someone who has one of these things and is willing to take you shooting, then you don't need it.  At least in Illinois.  

I figure I need a bit of background and training before I start shooting off a gun, so my plan is to go to Midwest Guns in Lyons and take their 'Intro to Firearms' course.  FYI-My boyfriend tells me this is unnecessary, but I am nothing if not thorough.  

By the way, that photo is all sorts of confusing, but if the little girl in a pink peace sign jacket can shoot a machine gun, then I can certainly handle a little hand gun.

30 Before 30...the Explanation.

Here's a little more explanation on the list:

1. Join CrossFit. (Completed March 24, 2012) I'm already working on this one.  I have my intro session on March 24th, and after that I just need to pull the trigger.  My goal by joining this is to become a tough badass.  

2. Get out of debt completely.  Between my parents and my boyfriend, I owe approx. $2900.  I'm looking at you Tax Refund!

3. Buy myself a nice piece of jewelry. This is just one of those things I feel an adult woman should do.  I've been coveting several pieces from my friend Amanda's line of jewelry. so I'll be posting my favorite contenders soon.

4. Take a Bikram yoga class.  (Completed March 25, 2012) Ugh, this is going to be tough since I function terribly in extreme temperatures, but it's a good goal because of that.

5. Go SCUBA diving. (Completed December 2011)  This is a bit of a cheat since I already took care of it, but it was something I've wanted to do for awhile now.

6. Get certified in Open Water Diving SCUBA.  I am substituting this one because I won't be getting the funds together in time, and this is something I didn't think I'd have the chance to do before 30.  Bonus!Buy a grown up sofa. I'm an Interior Designer, and I still have my IKEA couch from my first post-college apartment.  Not okay.

7. Come up with 30 great vegetarian/pescetarian recipes that I can make everyday.  As a recent convert to pescetarianism, I have done a terrible job of coming up with new and exciting dishes.  Help is appreciated on this one!

8. Go to a shooting range and learn how to shoot. Maybe it's all those episodes of Law and Order: SVU I watch (I love you Detective Benson!), but this is something that I've wanted to do for some time.  I'll post my target afterward-prepare to be underwhelmed.

9. Drive myself or do a ride-a-long in a race car. (Completed May 26, 2012) Due to financial constraints (see #1,2,3,6,14 and 24) I will probably do the ride-a-long, which is $300 less.  

10. Try absinthe. This is really important because I'll be able to say "oh absinthe, sure, I've tried it.  No big deal."

11. Get my nephew to call me by my Auntie name "Essie". (Completed April 15, 2012) Tyler and Gretchen-I'm looking at you to support me on this one.

12. Enter a design competition. (Completed March 31, 2012) I always think about entering a design competition.  I even print out the rules and requirements, but I never do it.  Just being lazy.  Now there's no excuse.

13. Learn how to bake a great chocolate cake. (Completed April 8, 2012) My favorite dessert in the world is cake, and chocolate is my hands down favorite flavor.  Good thing I don't have any weight loss goals on this list!

14. Go hot air ballooning. I'm taking my boyfriend this Saturday for his birthday, so I'll be sure to post about the experience.  Really excited for this after not being able to do it on our vacation to Australia last year.

15. Learn 100 words in Hebrew. My boyfriend is Israeli, so if he can get a PhD in the United States, then I can probably learn a couple of words in his native language.  I'll choose the words, and he'll test me on/day before my birthday.

16. Get acupuncture. I don't have a specific ailment to get acupuncture for, but I'm sure it can help something.  I've just always wanted to know what it feels like.  PS-I hate needles.

17. Reach 150 followers and 2000 pins on Pinterest.  I just love Pinterest, and have enjoyed interacting with the community there.  I hope to reach more people in the coming year.

18. Take the Frank Lloyd Wright tour in Oak Park. We just moved from Oak Park and never did the tour.  So crazy.  I've done the Taliesin West tour in AZ, but haven't gone close to home.

19. Visit the Farnsworth House in Plano, IL. I grew up in Chicago, love architecture and design, love this house in particular and have never visited.  Blasphemy!

20. 7-Day Juice Cleanse.  (Completed May 27, 2012) I wonder if I can really make it through one of these without breaking.  This replaces a trapeze class for reasons I'll explain in a future post.Take a flying trapeze course. Maybe I'm belatedly inspired by Carrie Bradshaw in SATC circa 2003, but this seems pretty cool.  I'm afraid of heights.  Should be interesting.

21. Volunteer at 'The Plant'. (Completed May 19, 2012)  The Plant focuses on a closed cycle of sustainable (indoor) urban farming.  I can't wait to learn more.

22. Go to a Baha'i service. (Completed March 20, 2012) I've been to the beautiful Baha'i temple in Wilmette, IL, but never attended a service.  I don't consider myself a religious person, but I am a life learner, so this will be a great learning experience.

23. Watch 'The Exorcist'. (Completed May 18, 2012) My boyfriend and others think it's appalling the number of classic movies I haven't watched, so I'm choosing this as a representation of that deficit.  

24. Create a great bar set up-cart, booze, mixers, accessories. I love a great cocktail or glass of wine at the end of the day, and I've always loved the idea of whipping up a cool cocktail when guests come over.  There will be a post about the shopping list for this bar later.

25. Milk a cow. I'm not sure how I missed doing this growing up, but I'm definitely doing it now.  I have enormous respect for dairy, and thereby for it's provider.  I'll try to combine this with #28.

26. Visit the Holocaust museum in Skokie, IL.  (Completed May 28, 2012-Memorial Day) There are two reasons for adding this to the list.  1) I have always had a deep interest in the Holocaust and 2) Stanley Tigerman designed it, and he's an architectural genius.

27. Eat an ostrich egg. (Completed April 8, 2012) I have a nagging feeling that I may have already done this, but I don't remember, so I guess I need to do it again.  I love eggs, so this is like the Holy Grail of eggs.

28. Do WWOOF. (Completed April 7, 2012) If you know me, then you probably think this is something about dogs.  Not the case.  It's a volunteer program to join up with organic farmers and exchange labor for education, meals and lodging.  I'm sure to catch hell from my parents about staying over at a stranger's farm, but it sounds really cool.  Check out more about it here.

29. Go to a MMA fight. (Completed April 13, 2012) That's Mixed Martial Arts, if you weren't aware.  I'll admit, 'Warrior' got me pumped up about this.

30. Buy a lotto ticket once a week until my birthday. (Will be complete by my birthday-I purchased a weekly subscription) If I recall correctly, I think my Grandma bought weekly lotto tickets.  She didn't win anything (to my knowledge), but perhaps carrying on the legacy will bring in good luck.  In any case, it's for a good case.  The cheesy winner (they're always so cheesy, right?) can purchase their long coveted gold plated toilet or recreate Disney World as their house.  Me?  I would go much more subtle with a silver leaf toilet and a Legoland house.

Stay tuned for progress!

A Third of a Bucket...List.

It's been entirely too long since my last post, but I'm going to be mixing things up a bit in the coming months.  I am hijacking my design blog to post my list of 30 things to do before I turn 30 on July 7,  2012.  I will be calling this segment "A Third of a Bucket...List".  I'm getting a bit of a late start on this considering my birthday is in four months, but better late than never.  Following you'll see my list and on the next post the explanation of each item.  I'll cross off and date the items as I complete them along with photos and descriptions of the items in various stages of progress and completion.  Let the fun begin!

30 Before 30 or A Third of a Bucket...List

1. Join CrossFit

2. Get out of debt completely

3.  Buy myself a nice piece of jewelry

4.  Take a Bikram yoga class

5.  Go SCUBA diving Completed December 2011

6.  Buy a grown up sofa

7.  Come up with 30 great vegetarian/pescetarian recipes that I can make everyday

8.  Go to a shooting range and learn how to shoot

9.  Drive or do a ride-a-long in a race car

10. Try absinthe

11. Get my nephew to call me by my Auntie name “Essie”

12. Enter a design competition

13. Learn how to bake a great chocolate cake

14. Go hot air ballooning

15. Learn 100 words in Hebrew

16. Get acupuncture

17. Reach 150 followers on Pinterest and 2000 pins.

18. Take the Frank Lloyd Wright tour in Oak Park

19. Visit the Farnsworth House in Plano, IL

20. Take a flying trapeze class

21. Volunteer at "The Plant" 

22. Go to a Baha’i service

23. Watch ‘A Clockwork Orange’

24. Create a great bar set up-cart, booze, mixers, accessories

25. Milk a cow

26. Visit the Holocaust museum in Skokie

27. Eat an ostrich egg

28. Do WWOOF

29. Go to a MMA fight

30. Buy a lotto ticket once a week until my birthday

Steel this look.

No-that's not a spelling error in the title.  I'm talking about galvanized steel-  Gorgeous, industrial and versatile galvanized steel.  About a week ago, I noticed a huge piece of metal hanging out in the rafters of our garage, and not wanting such a fabulous found piece to go to waste,  I dragged it down and inspected it. Turns out it was the perfect size for an outdoor dining table that we badly needed (okay, I badly wanted).  There's not much to it, but I'll take you through step-by-step to the final glorious product.  And I did it all for under $100!


Step 1: Drag enormous piece of steel down from garage rafters...or find some....or buy some.


Step 2: Clean it up and cover it with industrial strength adhesive.


Step 3: Have a piece of plywood cut to size at a place like Home Depot.  I went with 3/4" as this is a sizable table and it needed the support.  Drop that ply on top of the steel with the help of a friend or loved one, or in my case struggle through doing it alone.


Step 4: Weigh it down with something heavy, like the multitude of stones I dug up during a recent landscaping project.  Let it set for at least 2 hours.


Step 5: Screw in the legs of your choosing.  I went with galvanized steel sawhorses that I got for $17 each at Home Depot.  They have the added benefit of folding into themselves for ease of transport later on.  Remember to consider where you or your guest legs will fall under the table-position the legs accordingly.


Step 6: Flip the table over and carry or drag it to the spot of your choosing.  Get someone to help you with this...that or just hoist it onto a couple of flower pot bases with wheels and push it to your destination.  No seriously, get someone to help you with this.  I just happened to not have my boyfriend around at the time and wanted to get it done.  See the result of this act of impatience in the photo below. (I know you're impressed, I was too.)

Step 7: Do a little dance and high five your dog (true story-thanks for your support Morris), or whoever is around, because you just made an awesome table for under $100.



Now I just need the perfect chairs to complete the look...Next post!

chalkboard fun for adults.

This isn't the most original concept in the world, but I've been wanting a chalkboard wall for a long time now, and I finally did it!  My plan is to have guests leave notes when they come over, as well as putting up funny quotes that are said in the house.  You'll note that the hook the chalk is hanging on says "Budlong Pickle Co", and it's from Chicago-fun fact.  If you're wondering about that smart looking red/white striped string around the chalk, I took it off a paper wrapped sandwich in Brooklyn, but you can actually buy it at Paper Source.


You may have noticed the ugly oak trim-rest assured I am working on painting it white.  Our house was built in 1910 and the trim is original, but it's not in great shape, and it just doesn't play nicely with the killer grey wall color.  I'll post more photos once we've had a few folks fill up the wall and the trim is painted!

(Almost) Wireless.

In reference to item #11 on the post below.  Here's an option to keep those pesky cords at bay...no matter what the cost.  I like the walnut and the clean boxy-ness.  You can find this puppy on Design Public by Blu Dot for $99

35 Apartment Tips from a 25-Year Old Man (My Brother)

This excellent blog post was written by my 25-year old younger brother.  Those older than 25 also need to take note...hell, I need to take note. Who knew Bose speaker systems weren't okay anymore?  

Time to go shopping!  

A LIST OF THINGS EVERY YOUNG MALE APARTMENT RENTER SHOULD CONSIDER

1. Your apartment is a set. Always be prepared for it to be photographed and shared via social networks.

2. The best question ever asked is, “who is this song by?” Never forget the importance of a well cultivated playlist.

3. Anything you set out in your apartment will be judged. Do you really want to be known for having old j. crew catalogs sitting on your coffee table?

4. Cheap magazines equate a lack of taste and hygiene. If you do need to purchase a sports illustrated, make sure it is thrown away before the pages begin to curl.

5. DVDs, more than anything else, date you. Don’t let your high school film dalliances color the way acquaintances view you.

6. It’s obvious when you’ve bought a coffee table book, for that reason have an explanation ready for every book and be sure to have at least 4 on the table at all times

7. 1 coffee table book is an afterthought, 4 means you spent time curating the look

8. Don’t ever allow your television to dominate a room. 

9. For that matter, make sure your television is tasteful in its proportions. No one is impressed by a 52” television playing ESPN.  No one is impressed by a 52” TV period.

10. By a weekend edition Financial Times. And leave it out. When friends come over on Saturday, you immediately hold the intellectual upper hand.

11. Hide your cords. No matter the cost.

12. Your bathroom is one of the most viewed rooms in your apartment. Remember, your friends spend a minute alone in there with only your toiletries, and shower curtain to look at.

13. A dirty bathroom, means a dirty person.

14. Head and shoulders is a nice way to prove your nonchalant manliness, but please, close the cap.

15. If you must drink Bud Light, do it at the bar. In your refrigerator should only be high quality six packs. Removed from the box. Lined up straight.

16. Dust your apartment regularly. People notice and appreciate spotless windowsills.

17. The Bose iPod Speaker system is ugly. I don’t care how convenient it is.

18. A white wall is better than a white wall with a movie poster on it.

19. If you must put up a poster. Wait, check that. Never put up a poster.

20. Artwork is difficult for a reason. Be prepared to wait until you find the perfect piece. And then buy it at whatever cost.

21. A cheap chef’s knife immediately destroys any culinary credibility.

22. Would you ever fill up that goblet of a wine glass? No. So why do you own it? All wine glasses should be of a size that fits a formal dinner.

23. You’ve graduated college, it’s time to buy a nice flatware set.

24. You’ve graduated college part 2, please throw away all plastic cups. That’s not nostalgia you feel, it’s complacency. And above all, they make every drink taste bad.

25. Make your bed.

26. Change your sheets weekly.

27. Change your towels weekly.

28. Always have fresh hand towels available. Otherwise people will seek out your personal towel to dry their hands. Do you want to dry off in that the next morning?

29. Don’t ever let yourself depend on computer speakers. It proves you aren’t prepared to host.

30. Keep fresh fruit on hand at all times.

31. Plastic bottled water is bad for the environment. If you must, be sure it’s glass bottled water, and be sure it’s sparkling.

32. It was expected that you would graduate from college. Keep your diploma in a safe place. Away from your guests eyes.

33. Your book shelf will start most of your interesting conversations. Don’t let it get uninteresting.

34. Cut the chord. Control your media intake. People will appreciate the seriousness with which you choose programming.

35. Don’t be afraid to grow plants in your house. They add life and people assume you are responsible. Aren’t you responsible?