Ch-Ch-Change

There are a lot of changes going on at Navy Bean.  First, Mike, Navy and I have all moved to Stamford, CT for the summer.  We will be here for 10 weeks.  I'm excited at the prospect of returning to my home state and being able to hang out with my family for the summer.  I'm also thrilled to only be a 45 minute express train away from New York City. Another big change is that I've decided to blog full time for the summer!  I'm really looking forward to posting every day on a regular basis and sharing my thoughts and ideas with you.  So keep those comments coming!

Speaking of "change," Mike and I are living on a strict budget this summer so you'll see a lot of thrifty posts.  Since we moved into an unfurnished apartment and only moved a few of our belongings, I'm trying my best to make it homey and comfortable and pinch a few pennies at the same time.  This morning I made bank for our spare change from a Crystal Light container. I simply wrapped colored paper around the outside and cut a slot on top.  We're planning on saving our pennies and splurging at a great restaurant at the end of the summer.  If you're thinking it's never going to amount to much, trust me it will.  We just recently counted $170 in spare change from our piggy bank back in Ithaca!  (I guess I'll have to drink a lot of Crystal Light to make some more coin banks though!)

Impromptu Memorial Day Dinner

Hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend! Mike and I were traveling for most of the weekend but we got back to our apartment Sunday night so we had all of Monday to unwind. Spur of the moment we decided to borrow one of the charcoal grills from our apartment complex and grill some steaks. Amazingly we had everything we needed in our freezer and pantry! I love when dinners come together without a run to the grocery store!

Please excuse the table setting. Yes... we ate on our coffee table in front of the tv!

The menu:
Grilled Filet Mignon (bought at Wegman's when they were on sale and stored in our freezer)
Baked Potatoes & Roasted Garlic (both found in our pantry)
Steamed Veggies (originally frozen)
Semi-Dry Riesling (had been in our fridge for a special occasion)

And of course the night wouldn't be complete without some roasted marshmallows!

Escape with the Pottery Barn Catalog

You know when the stylists at Pottery Barn are doing a good job when you spend an hour thumbing through their catalog and imagining yourself within the pages. These two images really got to me- the spaces are just so classic and clean.



This picture just makes me say "Ahhh." A beach house with a cozy little alcove... what could be more perfect?! I love that you can pull the drapes closed for some privacy and take a sun-filled cat nap. Or imagine the great conversations to be had with a best friend while gazing out at the ocean. Wonderful.


Can you say summertime sleepovers? Oh what I would give to be able to sleep under the stars breathing in that rich, heady nighttime air in an actual bed, of course.

Elliot Erwitt

The other day I was at work and I noticed this wonderful photograph signed by Elliot Erwitt. I've walked pass that location a million times but I never realized it was there. It was one of those moments when you're caught completely off guard and the image just draws you in. I literally stared at this photo for 5 minutes. Oh my, the expressions are enthralling!


I immediately went back to my desk and googled the name. Upon further research I discovered the wonderful world of Elliot Erwitt.








It's the lighthearted-ness that I find fascinating. The pictures bring joy to the viewer and require an extra pause for comprehension. Erwitt himself describes it best:

“It’s about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. You can find pictures anywhere. It’s simply a matter of noticing things and organizing them. You just have to care about what’s around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy.”

Socks and Gloves

This book has made the rounds on many crafty blogs but I thought it would be worth mentioning again. It can be found here. These little softies make the cutest baby shower gifts. I've made two so far- and they turned out great! The patterns are very simple and are easy to hand sew.

I found this adorable sweater pattern from Wee Wonderfuls and scaled it down to size. It is made from one of Mike's old sweaters that had a hole in it. I felted the sweater (simply washed and dried the wool at extremely hot temperatures so that the fibers shrink) to make the fabric.


Here is the little guy all packaged up in a white paper bag along side yummy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies for mom and dad.

Although these patterns are fool proof, I wish I had cut the sock a little different on this guy. The head is a little small and the trunk a little too long. Otherwise, I think he still has charm!