the week in review

a few highlights of this past week...

the best part of the week: finding this incredible bouquet of flowers on my doorstep sunday morning.  many thanks to the incomparable emily of emmy-ray.  what a beautiful way to start off the week.

what i was most grateful for:  amazing friends - especially the ones who joined us for dinner at evan's happiest place on earth: oklahoma joe's bbq to celebrate his 30th birthday.  thanks friends.  we love you.

something awesome i found online: this polygone necklace in the trendiest color for fall...

something exciting that happened:  the love of my life turned the 'ole dirty 30!  welcome to this club people keep referencing.  hate to break it to you though - there doesn't appear to be any special perks involved, unless a few unruly gray hairs are your idea of fun. :)

we have a BIG! BIG! BIG! weekend planned - can't wait to tell you all about it next week.  hope you have a wonderful weekend!  

insta-interior design

guest blogger: Erik Wullschelger 

I pride myself on being a creative, however home décor is not high on my list…Kelly harasses me about the yellow counter tops inside my kitchen (if I leave them long enough, they’ll come back in style) and our modest raised ranch is just comfortable enough to be called a home. Having said that, watching people like Evan and Kelly constantly change the look of their house is a motivating force regardless of who you are.

While décor is not my forte, it’s no secret that I am a gigantic geek…and I Love Instagram. I can’t help myself, those retro filters, artificial focal blurs and vignettes inspire the artist buried deep inside of my soul.

There’s a huge problem with Instagram though…once you snap a picture you like, they’re stuck in the digital ether. While it can be fun to share with my Facebook friends and Twitter followers, I wanted to remove the digital handcuffs from my images.  I recently found the perfect site to do just this.

Canvas Pop is an online printing service that promises high quality re-productions of your Instagram pictures (and other digital images).  Their “PicturePerfect” technology ensures no jagged pixels or image degradation…I just call it magic.

A quick trip to the Canvas Pop site will allow you to log in with your Instagram account, select the photos you want and order high quality 12”x12” or a gigantic 20”x20” canvas print. Processing and shipping takes a couple weeks, but it’s well worth the wait.

While hanging four of my favorite Instagram pictures above the couch in my living room won’t change the color scheme in my kitchen, it’s a nice touch when decorative types like Kelly and Evan come over for a cocktail.

Go now, don’t wait…the 12”x12” images are only $39 and they’re running a 25% off promo this week.

BONUS: $39 too much to spend on bringing your Instagram pictures into the real world? I’ve also had fantastic luck with Sticky Gram, a site that will ship you 9 magnets of your favorite shots for $15!

Erik Wullschleger is a self-proclaimed geek and marketing professional in the mobile industry. Check out his Blog and Instagram feed.

guest posts are written by fellow bloggers who have a unique perspective on topics we think our readers will enjoy.  have a submission for a guest post?  send it to us at submissions{at}twentysixeast{dot}com

for the love of weddings

i couldn't be more excited to share some news with you today!  if you are a long time follower of 26 east, then you"ll recall that evan and i were married last summer.  you may also recall that we personally took on nearly every project associated with our big day from the invites to the flowers to the decor.

the majority of inspiration for our wedding came from hours of researching wedding blogs and finding bits and pieces of ideas that we could make our own.  as someone who has managed various special events as a career and who just absolutely loves weddings (especially the unique details that set them apart) having a resource for finding all that inspiration was key.

that's why i am so excited to announce that i will be joining forces with emily walters - the creative force behind middle of the map weddings - a resource for unique, midwest-style events!  i met emily earlier this year and she even featured our wedding on MOTM.  and now i am thrilled to have the chance to work alongside her as a co-contributor.   together, we'll be highlighting gorgeous events from all over the midwest and providing inspiration to brides and grooms everywhere! 

i'll of course still be blogging from 26 east but you can catch me over there now too.  be sure to stop by and say hello - and spread the word to any future brides you know.  or if you're like me and just really love to see how other people throw a really fabulous party, be sure to check us out on the regular! 

thanks so much to emily for putting her faith in me - i am thrilled to be a part of this beautiful spot on the map! 

happy birthday evan

as far as husbands go, and best friends for that matter, i am convinced there is no better combination of the two.  happy 30th birthday to the man who makes me feel like the luckiest girl on earth - every single day of the year.

the week in review

just a few highlights of the past week.

the best part of the week:  alex playing in her first soccer game.  ever.

what i was most thankful for:  my kick-ass husband - who was recognized during a assembly at alex's school for being such a rockstar in helping turn an old forgotten building into a shining star.

something fun i found online: these awesome letterpress coasters to celebrate my favorite time of year  via bstreetpress on etsy.

something new that happened: pigs flew and placed 26 east on facebook. 

hope you had a fab week as well!  cheers to the freaking weekend!  don't forget you can still enter this giveaway until sunday night. 

over the weekend: it's all greek to me

what do you get what you combine awesome weather with entirely too many amazing food options?

answer:  us on sunday, at the 51st annual greek food festival, soaking up the remnants of summertime... with rapidly expanding waistlines.

i'm not going to lie to you friends, standing in line surveying our lunch options was comparable to a small child's excitement on christmas morning.

there was giddiness over the possibilities, indecision about where to begin, and the overwhelming sense that everything i had ever dreamed of had arrived all in one place.  

i couldn't wait to tear into some dolmathes.

opa!  

take a look at our day at the festival and see below for your chance to recreate a little gourmet grecian goodness at home. 

leave a comment on this post and be entered to win an amazing cookbook that we picked up at the festival - just for you!*  it is filled with tons of fabulous greek recipes - some of our personal favorites that we're pretty sure you'll love just as much as we do!

it's easy - just say hello in the comment section and let us know where you go for the best greek fare - wherever you live!  we're big fans of tassos in waldo.  how about you?

UPDATE: congrats to Shea!  you are the lucky winner of the cookbook!  email us so we can drop it in the mail!

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

indulge with us: little freshie

lindsay larricks is living the dream on what she calls the most imperfectly perfect block in town.  

as the owner and operator of little freshie - a hand crafted espresso bar & soda fountain on kansas city's westside - life doesn't get any sweeter than this.  

if you haven't been over to the 17th & summit area of kc, consider this your wake up call.  some of the best kept secrets in the city are located on this stretch of real estate, tucked away just to the west of downtown.

we've spoken in the past via email and by phone when we tried desperately to secure her and her traveling trailer of treats for our wedding last summer.  but after finally meeting her in person,  i am convinced she is absolutely one of the sweetest business owners in town with the most infectious spirit to boot! 

we are frequent visitors to the westside and super excited that lindsay kicked off 2012 with a storefront for her crazy-cool concoctions. 

but let's back up a little bit... 

lindsay got her start in the all-natural snow cone business a few years ago after a trip to autin, tx. while there, she took note of the food truck trend that was on the rise and quickly realized there was a place in the game for her.  having an impressive garden in her own backyard, from which she was already supplying several area restaurants with herbs, she got the idea to combine her love of gardening with all natural ingredients and start a road-show of tastebud harmony all her own. 

you've probably met her on several occasions while attending first fridays in the crossroads art district.

after a few years of setting her own hours and choosing which events to attend, the perfect oppotunity to open a storefront came available and she jumped at the chance. 

today you can pop into little freshie almost any day of the week to enjoy a variety of sodas, snow cones, "shrubs" or freshly brewed espresso while taking a seat at the big windows and watching the westside go by. 

for a real treat, may i suggest the snow cone flight?  be sure the lemon prickly pear and the blackberry lavender make it on your list of selections. 

never heard of a "shrub"?  i hadn't either until lindsay insisted i try the root beer shrub.  it is soda spiked with house-infused vinegars that is tart, refreshing, non alcoholic, sugar free and apparently contains several great health benefits. 

i just like to say they are:  insane.  delicious.  necessary. 

then follow that up with:  yes please and thank you. 

you'll find all kinds of other amazing little things around the store too.  i'm in love with these all natural scented candles and these little hand forged bottle openers.

plus don't miss the other local delicacies on hand like the always amazing  au bon macaroons ...

and one of the best locally brewed coffees - oddly correct.

the weather is finally starting to cool down around kansas city and everyone seems to have fall on their mind.  i asked lindsay what her plans were for the cooler months ahead.  she says there are some fantastic seasonal flavors about to be unveiled.

i needed to know if this involved anything of the pumpkin variety.

she assured me it did.  say no more lindsay!  we'll be back soon.

and because you know we like to support local businesses as much as possible, it's now time to get to know your local biz owner with three questions starring lindsay larricks of little freshie.

1. Quick Bio - Tell our readers a little about you, where you grew up, where you currently live and what your favorite television show was as a kid?
   
   
   My name is Lindsay Laricks and I was named after one of the twins on the show Little House on the Prairie. My namesake's character happened to be the one that tumbles down the hill in the opening credits. Having always felt a little inner turmoil about being named after a clumsy kid, I did a little research. Much to my relief, my research revealed that 'Lindsay' also translates to 'island of lime trees'. Considering that my current business is highly focused on creating a fruit-filled, refreshing escape for people, I've decided that this interpretation is the one that I will be running with from here on out.
   
   
   I grew up in Overland Park, KS where I watched way too many episodes of Pee Wee's Playhouse. I proceded to imitate Pee Wee on a daily basis, driving everyone in my house crazy.
   
   
   
   
   2.  How did you end up here? What was the career path that lead you to this moment in time?
   
   
   My career path has been like a pinball machine. I studied science & chemistry in college for 3 years, only to drastically switch gears and finish with a degree in Graphic Design. I worked at a small design studio named Willoughby Design Group right out of school. I left Willoughby to Associate Art Direct in the corporate world of Hallmark. I jumped ship to help my my sweetie build his small business at Hammerpress, a letterpress & design studio. Then I Associate Creative Directed in the design department at Barkley for a few years. THAT is when I got my wild snow cone idea. Now I sell all natural snow cones and sodas for a living. (insert ding!ding!ding! pinball machine noise here).
   
   
   3.  What do you really love about your job? 
   
   
   I have to start with some of my regular customers. Some of my favorites are under the age of 5. Oggie, who's favorite color is white or yellow (loved him instantly just for that reason alone) will always put a smile on my face when he comes through the door. Maddox, another little one, who's face lights up when he sees me and prefers watermelon basil over plain watermelon (again, scored HUGE points with the snow cone lady with that one). There was also a day where two neighborhood 8 year olds had obviously gone home to get money from mom to come up and share some treats. I loved that their parents felt confident and safe sending them to Little Freshie. I also love being in my office downstairs at Little Freshie and even over the loud refrigeration, I can still hear loud, booming laughter upstairs. People of all ages meet here. I wanted to create a happy place for people to escape to and I'm happy to see that it's working...
   
   

go visit our friends at little freshie and show them some love on facebook too.

thanks lindsay for keeping it real and keeping it fresh!  check back later this week for details on a
little freshie giveaway!

we love hearing from you --- leave us a comment to let us know you stopped by and tell us what you think of little freshie!