This week in Instagrams (and a video)

I'm pretty obsessed with this song. The album comes out on September 10th, and you can be sure I'll be getting it.

This week has been pretty busy - the cafe I work at is closing, so it's been packed every night. Lots of running around and sweating, but that means more free time next week! In general, I'm trying to use my time better, and I think this will only help. Here's to organization! 

1. I may have a history of making terrible floats with alcohol, but this beer float from The Federal was amazing. 2. Devious bun is loving the cooler temperatures! 


3. The apartment is coming together, including the "Art Gallery" on one wall. 4. Chris is a master multi-tasker. 


5. Putting the finishing touches on my Holla Knits accessory design. 6. Some gorgeous Knit Picks yarn.

This week in Instagrams...

I'm headed to Denver this morning to join my dear friend, Annie, for her engagement party. I'm excited to get away, and hopefully I'll work in a visit to Fancy Tiger.

A short one this week:

1. It's so hot, we've been sleeping in the living room on the pull out couch, right in front of the air conditioner. 2. Work at the cafe has been slow, so I've been reading Game of Thrones. 

3. My Soak Mitts match my couch. 4. Yarn for the Holla Back Tank KAL. 

Instagram Wall (with a bit of a How-To, DIY type thing)

It should be no secret that I love Instagrams at this point, right? Last year I printed a few Tinybooks, but  I wanted a bigger way to display photos around my house. Enter Persnickety Prints.

Persnickety Prints has a ton of options for printing Instagrams. I went with 3"x3" matte prints and got 144 of them. 

Now, if I were to do this again, I would have just bought 20" square canvas and called it a day. But I like to work with what I have, and what I had were wood frames from Ikea, which they don't even sell anymore. The idea was that you could mount whatever pretty fabric you had on hand and it's like instant art. But I bought them two (or more?) years ago on a whim, and they had yet to be used, so this seemed perfect. 

But if you want to do this, you should just buy 20" canvases.

So yeah, MATERIALS:

- Four 20" square canvases
- 144 3"x3" prints
- Glue gun
- Nails or screws for hanging on the wall

Step 1: Have canvases, and don't spend an hour and a half mounting plain muslin on your dumb Ikea frames like I did.

Step 2: Lay out your photos in a pleasing manner.

Step 3: Use the glue gun to glue them to the canvas. I did one line of glue across the top and one line of glue across the bottom and then pressed down with my fingers until it was cool. Let it cool completely. 

Step 4: Hang your canvases on the wall in a huge square. 

You may be thinking, "But Katie, won't the glue gun be slightly impermanent?" I actually intend to trade out my photos as time progresses, replacing some less-cool photos (like that one of me in an old-lady visor, above) with more-cool photos as I take them. If you want a more permanent piece of art, use E-6000, and it will be totally, completely permanent. In that case, let it dry overnight before hanging.

Let me know if you try it!

Instagrams from the last week (or three.)

 

1. I went to three garage sales last weekend and only came away with this tray.

This week I'd like to ponder the following: How do you feel about sharing pictures of food on social media? Before Instagram & smart phones, I found the idea totally repulsive. Probably because it's super annoying when someone updates a Facebook status or Tweets about something boring they just ate. I could not care less that you "Just ate some spaghetti-o's."

However, in the past few years I've become quite the foodie, and I love learning new recipes and trying new restaurants. So when someone posts a picture of their amazing dinner, I love it. I want to know more! 

Hopefully you do, too...

 

2. & 3. I went to The Griddle Cafe twice this week. Once with friends from out of town, once with Izabelle. Serious pancake/french toast/waffle love. 

 

4. Orla Kiely soap at Target. I'm a total sucker for stuff like this. 5. Essential shopping at Trader Joe's.

 

6. New Sharpie fabric markers. 7. ... and my first project with them. The pillow is from Ikea. 

8. The liquor store where Cher gets held up in Clueless is just a few blocks from work. 9. Cute shops in  Atwater Village.

 

10. & 11. My design for the Holla Knits Accessories Issue in progress. 

 

12. Mini grilled cheese from roasted garlic bread. Totally addictive. 13. One-ingredient banana ice cream with Nutella mixed in. 

 

14. Lobster & crab rolls from the Lobsta Truck. 15. Food truck festival! The Mighty Boba Truck, Buttermilk Truck, and Gourmet Genie. 

My Summer "Vacation" in Iphone Pictures

I'm finally back in LA, breathing a huge sigh of relief that I made it through the last week and half of plane trips, car trips, seeing a million old friends, and eating all the food. My trip home to Michigan and Chicago turned out to be a bit more stressful than I had hoped, but it was so nice to see my friends and family in the Midwest. Less nice to sweat the whole time due to humid, 100-degree temperatures!

Also, yes. These are all photos from my iphone. I had to take home too much stuff, and didn't really have room for my DSLR. So enjoy the instagrams! 

 

1. Our trip started with a bang - our plane was delayed.  2. At Burbank Airport, you can walk right up to the plane like it's the 50's.

3. Flying over the Rockies.

4. Less than 12 hours after we landed, I drove to East Lansing, home of my alma mater, Michigan State, to attend wedding #1. 

 

5. I went as the date of my Senior year roommate, Finn. 6. Who wore a pocket square.

7. And we had a little MSU Theater Dept. reunion! 

8. Back to Saline, where Meghan and I beaded bracelets. 9. And made Nutella Pops with almond milk and bananas. 

10. I had to visit Meghan at work, 212 Arts Center, which had been yarn bombed! 11. Made quite a bit of progress on my Lace Stripes (ok, I finished!)

 

12. A few days later, Chris and I headed to West Michigan, where we jumped in the freezing cold lake on a 100-degree day. 13. Did some Antiquing.

14. And ate at Soe Cafe, which is our favorite place to stop when driving from Saline to Chicago. The fish & chips are AMAZING. 

15. The next morning saw two of our best friends getting married at the Art Institute in Chicago.

16. Yes, I made Kate's dress! More pictures to come. 

17. That night I met up with my favorite Chicago knitters, and met a few in person that I had only met online. 18. My wedding weekend manicure. 

19. The next morning, Chris and I took it easy, starting with Ginger Mimosas at Orange. 

20. Then back to Saline, for dinner with my family. This is my brother Patrick, a rarely-caught-on-film 15-year-old specimen. Who is drinking Vernor's, not beer. Don't get worried, y'all!

21. I spent some quality time with my nieces. This is Madigan, who kept telling me that everything was "Phenomenal." 22. And Meghan and I finished our bracelets, almost. 

23. Then back home, where I was greeted with an amazing coming home present: My succulent had bloomed!  (I'm usually a failure with plants)