Falling Back

Did you fall back an hour today? I was a good little girl and turned my alarm clock back an hour when I went to bed and woke up to discover that the thing had turned itself back an hour of it's own accord...so was an hour late. Good thing it's Sunday! Also, a little creeped out by an alarm clock that thinks for itself. I'm going to have to keep my eye on it. Just to make sure it doesn't try anything. Maybe I should turn it to face the wall...

...it's staring. right. at. me.

We're all gonna die.

...

Right! So! It's fall now, which is making me ridiculously happy. The air is crisp, the dead leaves smell amazing, and I'm bundled up in scarves and hats.  I even love the rainy days that happen so often this season. Which is good because I was outside on a particularly rainy and windy day a few weeks back for the annual Chicago Open House. It's my favorite weekend of the year!! Sad. But so true.

On the Saturday Miss Moshka and I started off at the History Museum where we got to tour the behind the scenes preparations for their upcoming fashion exhibit. I almost died it was so amazing, there were raptures. I calmed down a little over brunch but the next stop, the James-Charnley House, just set me off again as it was designed by my Architecture Boyfriend and some lowly draftsman you might of heard of, Frank Lloyd Wright. I didn't get any good shots of it as we were huddled under umbrellas and the wind was nasty (see evidence below)

But! I did snag a shot of the highlight of the tour:

I know! The Charnleys and I used the same brand of marmalade!!! I texted that photo to Miss Linda I was so excited.

After Moshka brought me out of my swoon we scuttled past more lovely old rich men mansions to this one, the Madlener House, Richard E. Schmidt and Hugh M. G. Garden's 1901's prairie style house. 

A gorgeous facade with lovely windows and huge rooms. Here you can see Miss Moshka demonstrating the scale. She's about 5'4"...

Once we finished daydreaming of living there we tore ourselves away and headed home to our (much much smaller and less grand) homes.

But we did find this gem of a finial on the way to the train. Mini swoon.

The rest of the day I spent curled up with a cup of tea, eating open faced sandwiches, and watching the Swedish TV Wallander on Netflix. 

Sunday was a bit cheerier outside, more sunlight less gross rain.  And Miss Ashley and I gorged ourselves on gorgeousness in the Prairie District of the South Loop.

This is the Clarke house, the oldest domestic structure in the city, built in 1836. At the time Chicago was not even incorporated so it truly represented James McConkey's quote that the Greek Revival style was "a dream of order and balance and proportion set down in a rude wilderness".

Set in a little park with a garden on either side, it reminded me of Monticello and Montpelier, a period of time that is so hard to find in this city that was decimated by the fire.

There was a circle of hand sculptures dedicated to Jane Addams who was a great lady, and did much for the people of the city.

Ashley and I popped into a few more homes, this one, the Kieth House, had lovely floors. Made me think of quilts.

We also toured the servants wing of the Glessner House, which was basically like being on the Downton Abbey set, and I think I want to live there. But alas the tour was so quick and crowded I have no photographs!

But I did take copious photographs of this snuggle bug! I love this dog. And she loves me!

And luckily for all of us Dottie dog enjoys eating fancy pies and watching Foyle's War as much as Ashley and I.

Did you have a happy Halloween? Any tricks? Or treats?

I opted for the 'treat' and went all out and make a mini-feast for the mini-Harry Potter marathon Miss H and I did to celebrate Halloween.

Her sister, M, joined in the fun and got her hair curled as a bonus.

Baked brie was also a bonus. We took it down in seconds. It was a little scary...but there was enough to go round so it didn't turn violent and we were sluggish as we were already full of chicken pot pie, and pumpkin bread, and handpies, and pumpkin pastries, and more mulled cider than you could shake a stick at. I might have gotten a little too excited in the kitchen but it was such fun to spend the weekend Pottering, and it was nice to celebrate a new season. Bye bye summer!

H had me over for dinner on Halloween eve, she made a delicious pumpkin cream sauce to go on penne and I had fun MacGuyver-ing the pumpkin puree can open with a hammer and screwdriver as she doesn't have a can opener (yet). It was scrumptious!

And incredibly, I've now found a place that makes an apple pie as good as Miss Linda's! Hoosier Mama, I'm impressed!

But I refused to share my slice with Finn, so he was NOT impressed. Silly cat, pies are for kids!

And the next day I got to glue feathers on this guy. It may not be the real Big Bird, but it's close enough for me. Fingers crossed he's not an endangered species after Tuesday!

Well, I'm off to read up on my state representatives before going to bed, thanks daylight savings day for that extra hour!!