Cutie of the Day!

This is Brady, he is my dear friends Mike & Pat's Grandson, and I find him to be adorable.

And I think you will too.



If you have any cuties you want featured, send em my way!

isabeljnelson@gmail.com

iz

Cliff Bells

I had a really nice night at Cliff Bells, last night, an old Speakeasy/Jazz Club that's been around since the 20's, sat empty for 30 years and was restored in 2005 and has since become a hot spot in Detroit. It's so gorgeous inside, with it's original interiors, gold leaf boat ceilings, mahogany bar and all. I love going to see Bob play there, and last night I got to sit in! We played some old Jazz standards and not gonna lie, I felt pretty lucky to be playing at Cliff Bells.

The Bob Mervak Trio
Bob Mervak, Takashi Iio, Adam James

Had lots of friends come out last night. Katie and Andy are the coolest!
Katie and Bob have been friends since 8th grade.

If you ever find yourself in Detroit, this place is a MUST. They even brought back some the original food menu from the 50's, and also have their original drink menu, which is just so cool.

iz

Fall Threads

It's really beginning to feel like fall around these parts and I'm getting so excited to pull out my fall sweaters, tights, and shoes! Below are some photos (found on pinterest of course) of fall looks that I'm just loving. I'm all about comfy chic, and not looking like you are trying to hard, so these looks are right up my alley.

Oh yea! What are your favorites for Fall?

iz

Josie

Wishing I was lounging in LA with my little cousin Josie today!

Miss you!!! xoxo

I know, can you believe how freakin cute she is?!?

iz

You Really Got a Hold on Me.

I heard this cover by She & Him recently and cannot stop listening to it. They are a fantastic duo, and have that vintage throw back quality that just hooks me in. This has been my favorite CD to play when cooking and has also acted as the perfect backgroud music for my dinner parties. Try it out, I swear!

This is a fan made video and I find it to be adorable, it has the same retro quality as the music does. Also, below is the origional with Smokey Robinson & The Miracles--- so good.

And while we're at it... The Beatles cover! Such a great song, and each interpertation is so different, but so fantastic!!!

enjoy! Happy Wednesday.

iz

Craft Time

So, I've had this coffee table for four years now, it's had so many faces and has been in every apartment through college. My last room mate insisted we paint it this baby pink, which I hated, I could not stand it any longer, so I decided to re-do the coffee table. It took me about 1 hr. and cost about $20. Pretty good deal if you ask me!

Before.

 

This is me spray painting it a metallic silver



Using spray adhesive to lay paper

Finished!

So it all started with a light sand paper to the table, then wipe the dust off.

Make sure to use a spray paint that will work on whatever type of surface you are painting.

It will take about 3 coats of spray paint to get the most saturated version of the color. (I highly suggest using a mask- I did not- and got an insane headache).

I bought "lace" scrap booking paper at Michaels, and it didn't come in a color I liked, so I simply flipped it over and used the backside- because white and silver look fab together!

I used a basic spray adhesive (again, make sure to get something that is compatable with your surface) to lay the paper on.

My top coat was simply 3 coats of Modge Podge (be sure to let it dry between coats)

And there you have it! A brand new coffee table!

iz



Design

If I ever have a fireplace, I may have to do this.

So much more of a bang than some tiling or a mantel.

I love this idea.

Also- Hard wood ceiling?!

Brilliant.



Lust of the Day

Miucia Prada strikes again!!!

Love these miu miu's

These would look stellar with black opaque tights this fall.

Kalamazoo!

Happy Monday!

Hope you're weekend was nice. It was really feeling like summer here- in the 70's! I would really like Fall to make up her mind. Friday began with some home made veggie soup and sangria with some girlfriends at my place. Very quiet, very nice.

On Saturday, Bob's sister, Liz and I decided to hop in the car and take off to Kalamazoo for the weekend, where one of Bob's brothers, Dan lives with his wife Amy, and they are expecting their first baby! Very exciting time in the Mervak family. (If you can't tell Bob comes from a very large family--- Irish/Polish Catholic and all). On the way to Kzoo we stopped in Ann Arbor to surprise Bob's other sister- Ellen at work! We had a great weekend, filled with yummy food, an amazing string quartet and Bell's Brewery! If you have not tried Bell's Oberon, you have not experienced a stellar micro-brew. They just expanded and plan to distribute nationally! yay!

Ellen & Liz

Lovers Lane!

Dannos Garden.
So pretty!

Siblings!
Bob, Lizzo and Danno
(and yes- that beer sampler is in the shape of the UP!)

So, all in all a pretty great weekend, but what made it the best is that Bob has been in LA working all week and didn't know when he was coming home. He tricked me! We were sitting at Dinner at the Crow's Nest, a great place in Kzoo, and Bob comes walking in! All the while in my head- he's supposed to be in LA. What a guy, what a guy. Totally made my weekend.

iz

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my best friend (since kindergarten), Lindsay!

Linz just moved to Fargo to be an Orchestra Teacher and I miss her daily.

So proud of her though.

She turned 23 on the 23rd!

Thanks for always being the best friend to me.

We should all be so lucky to have a friend like you.

love you lots!

iz



Cutest

I have the cutest things in my life.

Proof:

My cousin Josie. Cutest.

My cat Chicky. Cutest.

My Uncle Rich, circa 1982. Cutest.



Just sayin...

iz

Grey Goodness

All right people, my grey affliction continues... I know. I just can't get enough!

amazing accent colors

Apparently, I'm not the only grey lover.
Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Grey with cobalt blue?
Genius!

I'll take a pair, size 37.5 please.

Grey can also brighten a room!

...or add lots of drama

what color are my nails right now you ask?... grey

these are the perfect flats

Isn't it all so wonderful!?? I know I can't be the only one with this current obsession.

I might need to join grey lovers anonymous pretty soon over here.

iz

Shop Shop Shop

Last night, Bob's sister, Lizzo and I had a fun girls night! We started off with a delicious burger and fries from Five Guys, which is like really good Burger King. I'm a fan. And since Lizzo is looking for a job, we took it upon ourselves to find her a new interviewing outfit, which I'm fast becoming an expert at helping my girlfriends with this, so we hit up Somerset (the mall), where I scored the awesome necklace below from Forever 21! Such a steal.

After all of our adventures, I went home and cleaned, so boring, I know, but really an evil necessity now that I have my own place. I FINALLY unpacked all of my dress clothes and hung everything up. I should have done this before going shopping, because after unpacking, I realized I have so many great pieces I never wear. This revelation would have saved me some money had I realized this prior to going to the mall.

iz



Lust of the Day

How gorgeous is this ring!?! It's made of raw amethyst and comes from Cosa Fina Jewelry. 

I'm pretty sure it would go with everything I own.

A girl can dream!

iz

Weekend Update

My weekend was relaxing as promised. It was great to have the freedom to just pick up and go, no weddings, brunches, blah blah. Sometimes a break is needed. I got some home craft projects done (I will do a post later this week), had a nice afternoon walking around the DIY Ferndale Fest Saturday with my Mom, went to the movies, had food with friends, pretty excellent. Hope your weekend was equally wonderful!

Friday night jams
Bob & Dad

Glam self portrait

Promo for the Theatre Bazarre at Ferndale DIY Fest
This is an antique fair game, so cool

Home Depot Hot Dogs... YUM
A much needed indugence after shopping for craft supplies

Hangin with Anne at Oak City Grille, Royal Oak
Bob was the entertainment for the evening

Sunday evening, I tried the new restaurant in Birmingham, Townhouse, with Anne. We agreed the cocktails were awesome (whiskey with fresh lemon and MI honey. WOW), food was OK, but they have only been open for 2 weeks, so I'll give em a break! The Chef from Cafe Via moved to Townhouse, so I have faith the food will improve, because he's great.

Bob is outta town for work the next 10 days, so I'm a single lady. Looking forward to catching up on errands, watching bad TV, crafting, and hanging with girlfriends.

iz

Let's get Crafty!

I've been seeing some really great ideas on Pinterest lately for taking everyday items and making them special, or even re purposing them, which hey, I'm all about recycling!

Check out some of these great ideas.

Frame your past apartment/house keys

Reuse old light bulbs as vases

Hang 3 body mirrors ($10 @ Target) horizontally!
So chic.

Use kitchen utensil dividers as a jewelry display/organizer



I can't wait to try some of these out. I love how simple they are. I love crafts, but nothing that's too time consuming. Well, happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a nice weekend. Mine is pretty relaxed, for once... can't wait!

iz

Lasagna Soup

I had my grandparents and my parents over for dinner to celebrate my new apartment and my rents anniversary, and I made this de-lish soup! It was so easy!!! Everyone loved it, and next day lunch leftovers were just as great. Try it out! (Be warned, depending on what type of Italian Sausage you get, it can be spicy)



I'd say Grandpa looks pretty satisfied!



 for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock (add more than you think you need). Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Being lactose intolerant, I made it without the "Cheesy Yum", and it was just as "Yum"!!!

Servings:  8

Source:  adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine

Girls Night

Taco Bell + Bowling at Harfield + Strohs Beer +

late night Amicis Breadsticks and Martinis

= Epic Girls Night Out