this weekend: Seneca Lake

This weekend I traveled to Seneca Lake in New York to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a good friend from college (and grad school).  We headed to the lake on Friday night, attended the Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend tasting on Saturday, made quick stops in the towns of Watkins Glen and Geneva for lunch and dinner, respectively, and then headed home Sunday evening.   

It was my first extended trip away from Ella and, though it was a nice break from my usual daily routine and responsibilities, I missed her terribly.

nice and neutral nursery

Pardon the serious lack of blog posts last week, but it was for good reason.  Besides the birthday excuse, I have been very busy working on, well . . . work!  Today I'm excited to share a little more of the nursery project I've been trying to pull together.  The client had already chosen the bedding (this one for a girl), and wanted a room where the foundation pieces could easily be adapted for a more masculine child's room in the future (if needed).

The room is located in an attic-type space where the ceilings are sloped to the exterior walls of the room and, because of this, the room itself already feels quite cozy.  So it seemed the perfect space to introduce a heavily neutral palette, to create a light and open feel, and to allow for easy conversion down the road.

1. West Elm Tripod Wood Floor Lamp
2. Restoration Hardware Tailored Track Arm Swivel Glider in White Brushed Cotton with Toast Trim
3. Urban Outfitters Magical Thinking Woven Wall Mirrors
4. IKEA Lack Wall Shelf in Birch Effect
5. Urban Outfitters Magical Thinking Embroidered Diamond Curtain
6. Serena & Lily Rope Rug, 5x7
7. Serena & Lily Shell Trellis Crib Sheet
8. Serena & Lily Lola Crib Bedding
9. Oilo Band Pillow in Blush
10. Land of Nod Streets of Paree Buildings Throw Pillow
11. Serena & Lily Wayne Pate Seagull Pillow Cover
12. Land of Nod Ribbon Throw Pillow
13. Land of Nod Head in the Clouds Pillow
14. PB Teen Cushy Lounge Ottoman Cushion in Cement Faux Suede
15. Pottery Barn Kids Kendall Low-Profile Crib in White
16. Land of Nod Charming Hamper in Herringbone/Pink

And here's the plan (though I'm not quite sold on this exact layout yet):

I am still working on collecting art and photos for a small gallery wall for the space above the crib and picking a color for the existing cabinet to be painted.  Perhaps something bright - teal?  green? Any suggestions?  Right now the room seems a bit matchy matchy for my tastes so a great color surprise might add just the right finishing touch.

on the boards: playroom/workroom {part 4}

We're Baaaaa-ack!

Once upon a time, back in February, I began working with my friend Jane to convert her unused formal living and dining rooms into a playroom for her daughter and a workspace for her.  See more here, here and here.

After an extended winter of exchanging one illness for another (is it spring yet??!?), we were finally able to regroup several weekends ago and this is what we did . . .

The weekend before my birthday was packed with plans, some known, some unknown (at the time), but I was pretty busy in the week prior prepping for one plan in particular: the building of the storage bench for Jane's playroom, first mentioned here.

The planning for this build required a lot more preparation than I had originally anticipated.  Jane and I gathered all the necessary tools, and calculated costs, and lengths, and heights, and widths in the few days leading up to the build.  We felt good about the seemingly solid plan we had in place, but were both still a little nervous.  I knew how these things could go . . . all is running smoothly until you make a bad cut or split the wood with a screw, and you're hopes are left beaten to a pulp and lying in the gutter.  OK, I'm being overly dramatic, but you get the picture.

Here is the bench design we came up with to house the two large storage bins for the playroom.

I created a shopping list for Jane, and then a separate cut list with the measurements for all of the pieces we would ultimately need to assemble the bench.  This made things very easy on build day.

We got a quick, mid-morning start on Sunday, first cutting down all of the straight "stick" stock with the compound miter saw.  We then took all of the pieces inside to the basement (it was a bit chilly outside) and attempted to set up guides for the hand-held router.  You can see, as evidenced in the photo below, that the first guide was crap!  Luckily this was a test piece, and we corrected the issues and began cutting fo' real!

All was going smoothly as we completed cutting the grooves in all of the legs and cross supports for the 1/4 recessed side and back panels to slide into.  Feeling quite accomplished, we headed back outside to setup the guides, measure, and cut the panels.  We didn't have a table saw so we planned to use a circular saw to make the cuts.  The edges didn't need to be perfect as they were going to be hidden in the grooves we'd just cut earlier, but this expectation of imperfection didn't prepare me for our complete inability to even accomplish this final cutting task.  The circular saw kept jamming up in the material after making about a 4" cut into the wood.  Not wanting to risk getting hurt or completely ruin the material, we decided to call it quits and ask a friend with a dream wood shop to make the cuts for us on his table saw.  What would surely have taken us hours to complete would only take him ten minutes.

But the realization that we weren't going to finish the day with something assembled left us both feeling a bit down.  Maybe not as beaten up as I had originally thought a setback might make me feel, but just sad.  So much had been going right and my confidence was growing with each successfully accomplished task.  In any case, we cleaned up our mess and laid out all of the pieces we had cut and felt pretty proud.  I'm looking forward to getting these last few pieces cut and the bench assembled in the coming week and finally posting a completed project for this playroom.

this weekend: hanging at home

This weekend we stuck close to home, and mostly, in our home.

But that doesn't bother me so much, especially when you get to hang with this kid!

my Love To-Do list

I'm back after a brief birthday break from blogging.  Trying to post everyday with a toddler and a house full of chores was taking it's toll.  Not to mention that a brief appearance from spring had us outside a lot more than usual this week, and therefore, had me away from the computer screen (a welcomed change of pace).  But the break in posting hasn't meant that my brain has stopped working, running through lists of everything I need and want to do.

After my post on resolutions a few weeks ago, I thought it only appropriate to finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and make a big LIST!  There are so many things I'd love to accomplish that I can hardly keep track of them all. I am an avid list maker, but all of these things I'd love to do aren't all in one place. For example, I created "the list" on my blog of projects I've started and are in varying states of completion. This is all well and good, but it's time for me to write it ALL down, in ONE place, so I can see it daily and motivate myself to begin tackling these things. A special shout out to my friend Heather at Small Family Big World for her inspiring 13 To Dos for 2013 (love this because it is a short, manageable and focused list), and Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely for sharing her Lovely Life List (long, dreamy and full of exceptional goals) with her readers.

So here we go, in no particular order - part dreamy, part practical, and with many more additions to come, I'm sure:

1. Sew myself a dress.
2. Make someone a lasting, hand-crafted gift.
3. Create an Adventure Book for Ted and me.
4. Sew a piece of clothing for my daughter.
5. Build a piece of furniture I'd actually want to put in my house.
6. Make a mobile out of an old lampshade frame.
7. Create a First Year Baby Book for Ella.
8. Make a map quilt.
9. Finish my wood dining room table top (trim, oil and wax - maybe).
10. Finish a quilt I've already started (for my friend Winnie and for Ella's future big girl bed).
11. Maintain a blog for a year, writing consistently every week.
12. Make a reading tent for Ella.
13. Sew felt storage bins for Ella's bedroom.
14. Learn how to letterpress print.
15. Learn how to screen print.
16. Hang wall paper.
17. Plan and organize a large event.
18. Refinish a piece of furniture.
19. Travel to all 50 states (passing through does not count!)
20. Re-design my blog.
21. Build raised garden beds and plant something!
22. Have a profitable Etsy shop.
23. Serve on a Board of Directors.
24. Own a brick-and-mortar store.
25. Meet Brandon Phillips (my secret boyfriend).
26. Hire a stylist (man, could I use a wardrobe overhaul).
27. Buy a fancy sewing machine.
28. Visit 20 famous bridges and have my photo taken crossing them!  I am obsessed with bridges.
29. Take a hot air balloon ride.
30. Take a hot air balloon ride with my husband (this will NEVER happen)!
31. Go on a honeymoon.
32. See Saturday Night Live live.
33. Golf 18 holes.
34. Build a paper fort!
35. Reupholster a piece of furniture.
36. Reinvent a thrifted find.
37. Renovate an entire house, top to bottom.
38. Travel to six continents (with the understanding that there are a total of seven).
39. Refinish a flight of wood stairs with some creative flair!
40. Design a new home for someone from top to bottom.
41. Have another baby!
42. Live in New York City (again).

this weekend: birthdays, bowling, bench building and ...

This weekend, I celebrated a Birthday (mine - technically today), went Bowling with friends, Built a Bench (partially), and listened to stories about Bowels (courtesy of David Sedaris).

It was all fantastic!  A huge thanks to every who helped me celebrate, whether with me or sending wishes from far away.  The love was certainly felt!

turtle takeover

This past Wednesday, our Stroller Strides class was held at the Great Lakes Zoological Society.  The small indoor zoo made for a fantastic backdrop for class and a fun playdate afterwards.  Ella had a great time moving her step stool from enclosure to enclosure to see the animals (though she may have been more interested in the step stool then the reptiles and birds at times).  But there were a few of the reptiles she seemed especially taken with - the very active red eared sliders were one of them.  I actually had one of these fine looking turtles growing up (her name was in Angel, may she rest in peace), and so it was fun to see her so excited and curious about them.  

I've been wanting for some time to start designing some activities for her that would tie together an actual experience with a fun craft.  She is getting old enough to understand these things and has more patience to actually execute them.  So, by the seat of my pants, I decided to take out a stack of construction paper when we got home so we could make a turtle.  I quickly cut out a green half circle for the shell and some brown legs and a head.  I then applied the glue to the legs and the head, letting her stick them on (with my direction for placement - uh, can you say control freak).  I then hurriedly began cutting hexagons out of an old catalog, applying glue and handing them over to her to glue on wherever she saw fit (I did a better job this time of letting her do her thing).  And then out came the crayons.  She decorated the shell further with a flourish of quick scribbles, held it up so I could snap a few pictures on my phone, and then scurried off to yell at Henry, our dog (or play, I'm not sure which).

Do you have any good companion activities you do with your kids?

new kitchen look book

My kitchen dreams have not gone away.  In fact, I have been working on laying out the cabinetry, making some adjustments to the plan, and selecting materials and finishes because I'd like to be able to get estimates for this dream project.

Here is what I'm currently thinking:

1_Ora Wall Clock in Mint  I fell in love with this ceramic clock the moment I saw it.  It has me completely inspired to create a light and airy kitchen with perhaps, a minty hued countertop?

2_Dusklight Pendant  Maybe?  I saw a DIY for a vintage wire basket or bucket turned into a shade recently and now I seem to be drawn to similar fixtures.  I like this one but I'm unsure of the exposed bulb or its rustic feel (it's also not quite the right finish).  For now, it's going to remain in the mix.

3_ADEL in Off-White  I naturally gravitated towards IKEA for the cabinetry because they are affordable and have great interior fittings, however, there are a few locations in my current plan where the dimensions won't allow for a standard IKEA unit so I've begun looking at other options.  I do think I'll go with a door style and color similar to this.

4_2x8 Porcelain Tile in White  I like the idea of using a nice basic white tile on the backsplash to keep the small space from feeling too cluttered or overwhelming.  But I love the idea of using an unusual tile dimension to create some interest.

5_Ming Green Marble Countertops  Ok, this is probably way beyond my budget but I haven't been able to find this great of a soft green tone in any other countertop material so far and I am kind of attached to this idea of having pale, mint green countertops.  I think it came from the clock and this photo of a fantasticly lovely mint kitchen.  Am I crazy to be loving this mint green countertop?!!!  I fear that it may become akin to an avocado bathtub.  

6_Sumner Street Symmetry Arched Cabinet Pull in Polished Nickel  I like the utilitarian feel of these pulls, like they belong on an antique flat file or an old wood window as sash lifts.  The polished nickel finish gives them a contemporary look.  

6_Modern Knob in Polished Chrome  I love this knob!  I'm not sure if it will coordinate with the pulls that I'm drawn to, but for now, it's the only knob I've found that I'm over-the-moon about.

7_Dark Stained Oak Flooring  Because the kitchen is such a small space, and because it will now be open to the dining room, I think that the best choice for the floor will be to continue the existing oak flooring from the dinng room into the kitchen.  This is going to present a bit of a challenge, however, because 1) the new oak may not match exactly, and 2) it will sort of require having to refinish the rest of the hardwood floors on the first floor (which the house needs).

8_White Fur by Behr  For walls and trim to coordinate with the rest of the house.

9_Chelsea in Kelp  I'm thinking that the window is going to need some love and I think this fabric would make either a great roman shade or cafe curtain (not sure what look I'm going for yet).  I actually ordered a sample of this fabric years ago when I was contemplating shade fabrics for my workroom (but never ended up pulling the trigger). It seems only appropriate that it find its way back into my life somehow (or maybe it's entirely too matchy matchy with the rest of the scheme - I may keep thinking on this one).

10_Grohe Concetto in SuperSteel (or similar)  As much as I love a commercial style faucet, I just don't think this is the kitchen for it.  I think this gooseneck faucet is a good height and overall scale for this small space.

11_Kohler Vault Under-mount Sink in Stainless Steel (or similar)  I've been going back and forth in my mind between a white porcelain apron front sink and a stainless steel under-mount type.  I chose a similar sink to this one for my previous kitchen and have been trying to view this kitchen as an opportunity to try something new, especially since it's not going to be my forever kitchen.  But I think the clean lines of this single bowl sink have won out.  Ideally, I'd prefer a double bowl basin but I just don't think there will be enough space for one.

the never ending (hallway) project

Shortly after completing Ella's bedroom, I realized that painting the trim white in her room sort of meant having to paint the trim white in the upstairs hallway.  I suppose I could have painted just the trim in her room white and left the door jamb the original stained wood but it looked strange to me and so I just kept painting, out her bedroom door and into the hallway.  But this decision also meant that I needed to remove the carpet from the hallway in order to properly paint the base moulding.  So I did.

And, as if this weren't enough of a project, I also decided that the doors needed some attention.  I first stripped her door down to raw wood and planned to re-stain it.  But after sanding it down, I quickly realized that the quality of the wood wasn't that spectacular and, fearing that the stain would not take very evenly, I started painting it too.  I chose to go with a dark grey-brown color, Midsummer Night by Benjamin Moore, with the thought that a dark door would hide dirt and scuffs better than any white door would.  

And, as I continued painting the trim in the hallway white (White Fur by Behr) and each door Midsummer Night,  I began to despise (even more than I had previously) the yellow wall color that the entire main floor and hence, upstairs hall, is painted.  So I decided, of course, that I would paint it too.  And now that I have started painting these hallway walls, it means that I will, eventually, have to repaint the living room (at the very least).  After testing several paint colors, I decided to go with the same color our master bedroom walls are painted.  

I have been trying to do al this painting myself (my husband isn't all that interested and has much more important things to do - studying) with a toddler running around.  Not the easiest thing in the world.  It's very difficult to prepare walls and sand trim in the hallway just outside the door where your baby is sleeping.  Nap time (actually any sleep time) is a very sacred and highly worshipped thing in this house and I will go to great lengths to preserve and lengthen its occurrence.

So alas, here are photos of where I started (above), during (with my little helper) and where I am now (below).  I have two more hallway doors to paint, along with their respective trims, and five closet doors, along with a lot of base moulding and wall!  My current plan is to rent a paint sprayer when the weather gets nicer, take all of the doors outside and spray them with a few coats.  I've never used a paint sprayer but it seems like the most efficient option at this point.  Any advice?

this weekend: the everyday

On first thought, there wasn't anything particularly special about this weekend. This weekend was the truest to our everyday that we've had in a while, and in it, in it's normalcy and routine, there were moments, I have now realized (while writing this post), that were truly special.

My husband accompanied Ella and me to our Saturday morning Stroller Strides class (Ted deserves a round of applause because he was the only daddy there - that was definitely special).  We stayed at the mall afterwards to let Ella play.  She was especially insistent on playing with her Daddy and seeing that really does something to me - the bond they have formed is so incredibly special and I am so lucky to be able to sit back and watch it grow.

After debating a list of places for lunch (he wanted a burger, I did not), we ended up at our usual compromise place (Panera) for soups and salads and discussed the ever relevant topic: the correlation between type of car owned and profession.  OK, maybe not so special.

With the appearance of the sun and slightly warmer temperatures, we took a family walk to the park in the afternoon.  I am still in awe of how much Ella has grown this winter.  Seeing her tackle new obstacles and climbing structures on the playground without fear is pretty special.

And following a hilarious dinner (with Ella's new favorite sentence, "I don't want to" repeated often) and the putting of Ella to bed, I got to watch a movie with my husband (that we actually agreed upon, no less).  These occasions, I know, will become much more rare with the end of the semester looming and so, they are definitely special.

Sunday morning was a lazy one.  Ted went off to the gym and Ella and I stayed home and made pancakes.  I feel like we're always rushing off to be somewhere in the mornings, and so this Sunday was very special - a sort of mommy-daughter date at home.   

We watched CBS Sunday Morning (or I tried to while Ella played), and then we decided to make the FaceTime rounds to first my mother, then my sister, followed by Ted's mother, sister and father.  I hope that making the time to talk face to face with our family, all of whom live in different cities, will allow Ella to stay close to them and them to her because those relationships are incredibly special. 

We again took an afternoon walk to the playground, though it was considerably less sunny and cooler than it had been on Saturday, and collected an assortment of treasures on the way home - pine cones both big and small, pieces of bark, and rocks.  I am so happy that Ella has a curiosity for discovering new things - truly special! 

So here's to finding the "special" in the everyday!

a room for my bean

The first room I tackled in our house (while it was still a rental) was Ella's room.  She was still sleeping in our room when we moved in, so I hadn't thought much about putting her room together besides getting her clothing and changing area organized.  When we did move her into her room (when my husband started school) I was shuffling furniture around on an almost daily basis trying to find an arrangement that would work and transition well as she outgrew her crib.  The room had been painted a few shades of pale green (neither of which I liked), and to top it all off, I think both had a semi-gloss finish.  If you live in an old house with original plaster walls, painting a wall with a semi-gloss paint is a bad idea!  It only made more apparent every surface imperfection.  In addition, as in all of the other rooms in the house (except the bathroom and kitchen) the trim was unpainted and in pretty bad shape.

I decided to paint just the walls at first, and leave the trim as it was.  I used Mythic Paint for the room, a non-toxic, low odor paint with no VOC's (Ella was still a baby after all and I was concerned about the fumes of regular paint).  I chose White Sail Lake for the walls.  However, after the walls were freshly painted, the trim looked even worse.  So, I got to work stripping the old, crackled varnish off the wood, then I gave it a light sand and started painting it white, White Fur by Behr.  This was a huge job and took me several weeks of working at night after I put her to sleep.  But I think it was well worth the effort.  I really love white trim.

I moved everything back into the room and then realized that the ceiling was looking a little drab against the new white trim.  So I headed back to the store and picked a very pale pink for the ceiling,   Gentle Butterfly by Valspar (they make a Low Odor, Low VOC).  I still have a few areas to touch up along the ceiling (paint peeled away while I was removing the painters tape), but other than that, the room feels complete.

My mother made the most beautiful curtains for Ella for Christmas - Dandelion in White/True Turquoise by Premier Prints.  The curtains are floor to ceiling, have a grommet top, and are fully lined (and my mom has been gracious enough to write up a tutorial, to be posted soon).  The rocking chair is a classic Eames Rocker in Lime Green by Herman Miller (best Christmas present ever), and the rug is from Almsted in Lilac from IKEA (no longer available).  I made the collaged numbers hanging on the wall for Ella's monthly photos, and the canvas toy bins are from 3 Sprouts.  I really had no fear of color in this room and wanted it to be fun and eclectic.  

My sister made the alphabet prints for Ella before she was born (so fantastic), and the vintage kindergarten table is from my Great Aunt's home (she inherited it from the school she taught at).  We used two IKEA Expedit units that we already had, tuned on their sides and stacked, for Ella's dresser.  I picked up the white baskets at no less than 4 Target stores, calling all of the stores in my area to see how many they had in stock.  I was never able to get more than three at each store!

I am very fond of the growth chart by Milk Moon kids, given to us by a good friend, and I just recently added the stitched star garland that I made with the left over stars from my holiday Starry Garland.

We have so much fun in Ella's room, reading and playing with the entire family (including the dog), and I am excited to continue watching the room as it evolves and grows with her.

resolutions

With the beginning of April, and supposedly spring, (oh, and the fact that the instructor at Stroller Strides brought it up), an evaluation of progress on new year's resolutions seems appropriate.  Until this year, I have made the typical resolutions: lose weight, exercise more, eat better, blah, blah, blah.  I have NEVER completely followed through with these goals and, after years of unaccomplished resolutions, I had begun to permanently identify myself as a quitter, a procrastinator, or worse, lazy. 

However, to be fair to myself, it isn't as if I've never accomplished anything in my life.  But I do, certainly, wish there were certain goals I had felt more committed to and compelled to complete.  So what is it about these new years resolutions that have destined them (and me) to failure?  And why is it that I have been able to accomplish such goals as earning a graduate degree or teaching college courses but have neglected my architectural licensure or getting to bed at an acceptable hour most nights?  Why do some goals make it and others don't?

I am a procrastinator, no questions about it, but I know that I am not lazy and certainly not a quitter (at least my rational mind does).  I've realized that perhaps the problem isn't my complete lack of follow-through, but the substance and nature of the goals I was setting for myself.  They were dispassionate goals without the proper plans to encourage follow-through.  I didn't consider what systems I might need to have in place in order to make healthy eating easy to do; I didn't define (or even know) the types of exercise I might enjoy enough to stick with.  And, I didn't consider the motivations underlying the resolutions and goals I was making.  So I would gradually slip back into my previous habits and, rather than reasses my progress and make the appropriate changes, I would secretly cast away the resolutions I had made, begrudgingly replacing them with proclamations trivializing the point of resolutions anyway.  

This year, THIS YEAR, I made a small and very quiet resolution to myself - to really do this blog thing, and lo and behold, after evaluating my progress, I must say that I deserve a pat on the back.  And while writing this, I've realized that over the years I have developed systems and sincere motivations that help me accomplish all of the resolutions past I mentioned above:  a weekly meal plan to encourage healthy eating and a regular workout that I love and happens to fit my current schedule to help keep me active.  

My life will always be changing and, from moment to moment, month to month, and year to year, I know I will have to reevaluate my resolutions and goals and find new plans for working towards accomplishing them.  I also know that the motivations behind these, and all of my goals, will change and either grow in intensity or shrink into the background of where I happen to be in life at a particular moment.  But these changes and movements are a part of life and living and so I've decided to set a new goal for myself: to never identify myself as a quitter or lazy again.  

planning a gallery wall

I love a great gallery wall of photos and artwork, but I don't do well without some sort of plan for hanging what always seems to be a diverse collection of frames with varying compositions, colors, and dimensions (I wish I were that talented).  There are a lot of handy tools on Pinterest these days for starting a gallery wall from scratch, without any frames or existing artwork, but I tend to collect these things over time and have amassed quite a stash of pieces I love.  And, while I don't mind an ordered, symmetrical layout where everything matches (I do naturally like an order to things), my personal preference is a bit more laid back.  Much like the gallery walls in these spaces:

1_source / 2_source / 3_source / 4_source / 5_source

The gallery wall in our master bedroom was my first planned composition using a very similar method as I described in my post on figuring out floor plans.  I first measured the wall width and height, and then each of the frames I intended to hang.  I then drew a scaled elevation of the wall where the items would hang, including the dresser that the composition would hang above.  I then cut out scaled squares and rectangles corresponding to the measurements of all those frames and began arranging.  I started out with a few pieces I didn't end up including because the wall was starting to feel too crowded.  I picked my favorite piece, the SIBLING shop's Damn Fine Day print, and decided to arrange everything else around it.

I've started working on another gallery wall for a nursery I'm putting together and can't wait to show you photos in the coming month.

this weekend: tour de ann arbor

This weekend, we enjoyed the company of great friends visiting from Cincinnati.  I love when friends and family come to visit because it gives me an excuse to be a tourist in my own town.  I prepared dinner for all of us on Friday night - Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Parmesan Croutons - and following the complete inhalation of the meal (we ate too late), we played a mostly friendly game of Settlers of Catan (congrats to Tara).

We got a late start on Saturday (we made a point to finish painting our paper mâché eggs), but that didn't stop us from completing an extensive walking tour of downtown Ann Arbor, Kerrytown, and the University.  We hit up Zingerman's for lunch because let's face it,  it isn't a trip to Ann Arbor without something from Zingerman's settling in your midsection.  We stopped for coffee at Sweetwater's, walked through the Farmers Market, and then headed through downtown towards the University.  

Saturday night we grabbed dinner at Jolly Pumpkin (love their Truffle Pizza and Chicken Nachos), and stopped in at The Last Word for a nightcap (nothing better than a Bubbles and Basil).

I feared Sunday brunch was going to be a disaster considering Easter brunch is definitely a thing in most places and I hadn't made any reservations or done any research, but when we arrived at Northside Grill, we actually had table options!