Hey! How was your weekend?! Good, I hope.
This weekend I finally got a handle on the bus situation. You're welcome, feet. Then, after getting lost on the Bart twice, figured that out too. God bless the wo/man who created Google Maps. I met new friends, saw a new part of CA and slept in. I also found a dog park, so now I can awkwardly sit and "read" while I watch all the puppies play.
Anyway, here's my crush list! What's on yours?
Photo: iPhone5s / Edits: Snapseed & VSCO
I know, I know. SF, Cincy. SF, Cincy. Where am I really?! I'm still in San Francisco, but these posts are coming to you from the good ole Heartland. This is the last set we took before I left.
Last week I showed you this sheer open blouse in a Fancy Friday Fashion. Today, we're returning so we can explore another, 150% different look.
Everyone values comfort. As I've told you before, comfort is what I'm striving for at all times. & in the hot summer months, nothing is more comfortable than jean shorts & a muscle tee. However, there is also nothing more grungy. So, I decided to have a hand at mixing these two trends. My outfit is a total grunge ensemble (in fact, I wore the same thing - without the blouse - to go canoeing last week). I love how adding just one staple piece can bring up my classiness level.
What do you think? Is it so confusing that people just won't question it? Does it work? Does it not? Have other ideas? How would you style this blouse? As always, I'm sending you love. & PS, right after we took these photos, I donated 8 inches of my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths! Surprise! If I can sucker someone into taking pictures for me out here in SF I'll show ya :D
Sleeveless Sheer Open Blouse: Curate Boutique, sold out | Similar
USA Muscle Tank: Nordstrom Rack 2013 | Similar | Similar
Jean Shorts: Curate Boutique, final sale
Sunnies: Curate Boutique (foldable!), sold out | Similar
Watch: Gift from Jake | Idlewild Woman
Earrings: Rock Salt Vintage, 2013 | Similar
High Top Sneakers: TJMaxx 2013 | Not that similar, but this was really hard...
Photos: Jacob Heath / NikonD3200 / Edited with VSCO Filters for Lightroom
My Grammie is a very wise woman. She encourages we eat a small dessert every night after dinner… & sometimes after lunch. Many years ago, after one such lunch in my grandparent's kitchen on Lake Keowee, my Grammie introduced me to the wonderful world of frozen bananas. Not the kind you get at Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand, but a kind that incredibly resembled ice cream.
It's simple, really:
Peel, cut & freeze a banana.
Blend it in the mixer.
Magically it will take on the consistency of ice cream.
Nowadays I see banana "ice cream" all across the internet. Emma made it on A Beautiful Mess & then a few days later I subscribed to Buzz Feed's youtube channel & found it here (completely obsessed with these helpful & hilarious ninety second tutorials).
Apparently there are a LOT of different ways to make Banana Ice Cream, & in honor of my Grammie, & my favorite month-long holiday of the year, I figured we should get blendin on Ida Street.
So you need: frozen banana slices & mixins.
First: blend it. I wish I had a blender, but I don't. I used a mini food processor. It took a lot longer, but still worked. You're going to be really confused by the consistency. It looks like nothing, nothing, nothing... & then suddenly: icecream. Magic.
After you have the right consistency, add in your mixins. Yea. I went with oreos. & it was absolutely amazing. It probably also took away any of the "healthy" aspect you get by blending bananas and calling it ice cream, but, com'on...
Of course, my Grammie did not add oreos to our banana ice cream. We always ate it plain, which is wonderfully delicious. Cocoa powder is my other consistent fave. You have endless options, really :D
After you've blended in the mixins, freeze the whole thing. I waited two hours, but overnight is likely best. That would be agony though, so....
Whenever you decide it is frozen solid enough: scoop & serve.
I'll tell my Grammie you said thanks :D
Photos: Annie and Jackie Butler / Nikon D3200/ Edited with VSCO Filters for Ligthroom
Hello from San Francisco!! I mentioned on Instagram I'm taking a longish trip to SF to spend some time with my cool older sister, Claire. If you have any suggestions of people to see, places to go, or things to try send them my way!
Right now I'm just thankful I learned about the San Francisco micro climates on my first trip to the city 6 years ago. These California Girls have to pack more than sleeveless tanks & jean shorts into their closets, that's for sure ;D
So how are you?! How was your week?! Mine was pretty great. It started with meeting a lot of lovely women who happened upon Ida Street from the A Beautiful Mess studio tour. It has been so fun to chat, share & spend time with all of you! I ate some delicious food & then traveled without any delays all the way to SFO. I even tried something new to get to Claire's apartment - have you heard of a shared van? It saved me $50. No joke.
But on to the floral jumpsuit! These photos were NOT taken in SF. Nope. They come to you from the warm, humid embrace of Mt. Adams: Cincinnati, OH. I'm a jumpsuit junky. Remember here, here and here? When I saw Courtney at Curate Boutique wearing this at her closing sale, I snatched my size & bought it on the spot. It worked well for Independence week, very patriotic colors -- as a lady shouted out to me while we walked around taking these photos.
I know it has been raining a lot, & I hope that in the quick respites you've been able to enjoy our beautiful city. Signing off until next week.
xox
Jumpsuit: Curate Boutique -- on final sale
Sleeveless Sheer Open Blouse: Curate Boutique, sold out | Similar via Neiman Marcus
Sandals: Frye via TJMaxx 2011 | Similar via Rampage
Sunnies: Curate Boutique (foldable!!!), sold out | Similar RayBans
Earrings: Gifted | similar
Watch: A birthday gift from Jake | Idlewild Woman
Photography: Jacob Heath / Edits with VSCO filters for Lightroom
This summer we're hosting the MLB All Star Game! That means we have a lot of fun new people in town. So, the girls at Thread Cincinnati decided we'd like to show you around :D
Welcome to Mt. Adams! The home of Ida Street, original & blog edition. You may know already that Cincinnati was built in a valley by the Ohio River. Mt Adams is the neighborhood directly above downtown, earning our self proclaimed nickname "City on the Hill."
We're really close to the ballpark! See in this picture ;D You can Uber to Great American Ballpark in about 5 minutes, or walk in about 15. No matter which way you do it, if you're in town for the festivities, you should try to make your way up here at some point. Let me tell you why:
Long ago, Mt. Adams was a neighborhood comprised of mostly Irish and German immigrants who took the Incline downtown to work every day. Before that, it was home to Cincinnati's first vineyard. So, with that in mind, I don't think you'll be surprised to learn, here in Mt. Adams we sure do enjoy a nice adult beverage. Let's start there:
To DRINK:
We have a lot to offer in this arena. Mt. Adams is home to many well established bars. With great views & many outdoor patios, you'll definitely find something up your alley. Just take a walk down St. Gregory Street & you'll see them all in one place. We have:
All the charm of a dive bar at Monk's Cove, City View & Yesterday's.
Beer with your dinner at Tavern on the Hill & Mt. Adams Bar & Grill.
The cutest little garden space (& live music!) you'll ever see at The Blind Lemon ...
& that's mostly on one street!!
Great views at Pavillion.
A traditional Irish Pub at Crowley's.
Bottomless mimosas at Next Chapter.
A younger (read: party) crowd at Longworth's.
A sophisticated wine bar at Quincy's
Coffee with your adult beverage at Bow Tie Cafe.
(A personal fave, read a post about it here!)
To EAT:
Head to The Rookwood for a delicious meal. It's a little on the fancy side, but I usually sit on the patio or at the bar, where things are more casual. I've never been to The Celestial, but I hear it's a steak house to die for with views to match. In the mood for asian? Good because we have Teak for a nice Thai fix! & if you're feeling in a healthy mood, mosey over to Sprout. There you'll find a light, open & airy feel with food that will keep you feeling good.
To ENTERTAIN:
What I love most about Mt. Adams is the many creative spaces. I live walking distance to the Cincinnati Art Museum, The Playhouse in the Park and The Krohn Conservatory. Just around the corner you'll find The Mt. Adams Pool and Eden Park. If you're still here on the 23rd, you can even enjoy cinema in the city! Take a walk, see what you find. Many of these Cincinnati staples are free to the public & will provide a nice respite if it gets too crowded downtown.
& as you do make your down the hill, walking (there are lots of steps!) or driving, the first neighborhood you'll bump into is Historic Over the Rhine. Tamia can tell you all about that :D
