Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

30 Days of Thanks 2025 // Week 4

11.30.25 | Life

30 Days of Thanks 2025 // Week 3

11.21.25 | Life

30 Days of Thanks 2025 // Week 2

11.14.25 | Life
30 Days of Thanks 2025

30 Days of Thanks 2025 // Week 1

11.07.25 | Life

What I Read // May 2025

06.04.25 | Books
Vinyl records

Unsolicited Advice: Make a Baby Playlist

05.20.25 | Life

by Leave a Comment

Setting Sail on the USS Butterscotch

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: ,

Like everyone else, I spent 4th of July inhaling Stranger Things. I was, of course, absolutely tickled by the Scoops Troop. A nautical-themed ice cream shop is what I’m all about. If only it wasn’t fiction…

Well, praise be to Don’s Diner – my perpetual favorite – for hosting a Scoops Ahoy popup so I could live my fantasies.

Now, Don’s didn’t entirely transform their lounge into an ’80s mall ice cream shop, but they got what was really important: sailor-suited servers, Stranger Things playing in the background, an aggressively ’80s playlist and some dynamite ice cream drinks.

I love this menu so much. If I didn’t have to work the next day, I might have ordered Stupid Teenagers for the Night, which was a combo of red wine, Korbel and Coke. Red wine + Coke is good, Korbel + Coke is good, so it stands to reason to me that that’d be an alright drink. But I didn’t want to fall off my barstool.

Instead, I ordered the Jack + Coke Float. I thought it was a good time. Michael opted for the USS Caramel, and that was equally delicious.

Don’s Scoops Ahoy popup is done after its short run, but I’m crossing my fingers for another themed crossover soon!

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // July 2019

Filed Under: Life

How is June gone already? It went quick, but I still got stuff done.

  1. Finish up the garden and yard. Definitely overworked myself to get this one done (what else is new?) the first weekend of the month. But now we’ve got tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, gherkins, peppers, carrots, kohlrabi, radishes, lettuce, beets and blueberries growing. Are there a few more projects I’d like done? Always. But we did a lot and I think it’s time to take a break.
  2. Ride my bike. Did not do this. And it was the easiest goal by far. 🤷🏻‍♀️
  3. Enjoy anniversary eats + another outside date. Ishnala in the Dells was really phenomenal. As for outside dates, Michael’s travel schedule and the weather (June was mostly chilly or rainy) didn’t leave us with a lot of options, so we made it to the movies instead. I’m still going to count this as a win.
  4. Make something out of Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses. Done! I made the Popover Dress and I really love it. It felt really good to stretch my sewing muscles again.
  5. Up my reading count by two. Yes! I finished up three books this month and started another. It honestly feels really good to sit outside and read instead of staying in with more Netflix. Also investing some $$$ in some good books is never a bad idea.

4/5. Honestly, what a month. June was packed pretty full when it came to goals and my social calendar. Toss in getting sick two separate times (yay for the stomach flu and a summer cold) and it’s truly a wonder I did all of this stuff.

Now that July is here, I feel like I need to recalibrate. I need to get healthy and level out emotionally and energetically. It’s sort of counterintuitive to me because summer should be nonstop fun, but I know that slowing down will help me in the long run. So here’s what I’m looking at for July:

  1. Polish off my custom orders ASAP. A very sweet family has ordered three hoops from me (plus I’ve got another gal on hold with a Bowie-inspired hoop). I need to get these designs out the door.
  2. Make another dress. Sewing feels good! I felt totally in my element working on my last dress. I think that’s a sign.
  3. Replace our recliner. My parents offered to buy me a new chair for a 30th birthday gift. I foolishly haven’t picked one out yet.
  4. Actually ride my bike (bonus points if it’s to the farmers market). I am very basic, but this brings me a lot of joy.
  5. Get to the gym six times. Summer schedules are wacky and I find making it to the gym for regular workouts is kind of difficult. If I can go six times this month, I’ll be happy (thought eight would be better and ten would be ideal).

Alright, everyone. That’s all for me for now. If you have monthly goals, lay ’em on me!

by Leave a Comment

KonMari Part 3: Crafting Komono

Filed Under: Cabin Tagged With:

It’s been a while since I’ve tidied up, but in April, I decided it was time to recommit to the process after taking a month or so off after tidying up paperwork (I’ll leave that undocumented because it was very boring). It was time to tackle the category I was dreading most: komono or miscellaneous items.

This is a huge category, so I decided to focus on one subcategory: craft suppplies. To me, this was the komono that was really standing in the way of my original intention, which was to make my hobbies and everyday chores easier and more joyful. 

Despite loving embroidery and most every other craft, I just wasn’t finding those hobbies so joyful wading through old papers, overstuffed baskets and disorganized threads. So in the midst of prepping for all my spring fairs, I decided that I had to clean up my act Kondo-style.

And, yes, this is what it looked like before. I was in full craft fair production mode but it’s still hugely shameful. However, for the sake of a good before and after, there it is.

Prepping for a KonMari Craft Closet

The first step of the KonMari method is to gather all like items together. Then after going through them all, you organize. However, since I started with almost no organization and zero suitable containers, I broke one of Marie’s rules and bought containers in advance. For a project like this, I recommend it. I’m also not an organizing guru, so take that with a grain of salt.

I also bought a label maker. It is my new best friend, and it makes me feel very put together.

Onto the Purge

OK, so I broke a rule by buying containers in advance, but I did follow through with Marie’s grab-everything-and-put-it-in-one-spot rule.

Hauling out my fabric, floss, paper and all the rest was pretty overwhelming and incredibly messy. Michael, of course, came home right in the middle of this process. He was kind enough to ignore it.

Going through crafting supplies was relatively easy. It wasn’t emotionally draining the way clothing was and it wasn’t as tricky as books. To me, craft supplies are mostly about utility. Is that pattern the right size? Do I use those pens? Is that pincushion the most functional? Questions like that helped me power through fairly quickly.

Because I was dealing with a lot of small odds and ends, I decided to start to organize as I went along. Yes, this is not very Kondo-like, but the way I saw it, if I had all of my thread in one spot, I may as well box it, label it and get it out of the way of the mess. Seeing what I thought would be an untameable pile turn into a small stack was encouragement enough to keep me going.

In the end, I got rid of about three shopping bags full of supplies and miscellaneous tchotchkes. Not a major dent, but still a lightening of the load.

The Perpetual Hiccup

The only hangups with this session of getting my sh*t together was coming across a lot of mementos. I’d pull out a box and find it was full of recipes or old photos. After the memory pile reached a small but critical mass, I decided just to put all those family history bits into one box. And then I labeled that box with the label maker, of course.

Having a dedicated and conveniently located home for these photos and papers is actually really nice. Now, whenever I come across something meaningful, I know where to stash it. And when my family wants to see something or reminisce, I can just grab one box.

I ended up doing this for modern-day mementos, too (though they are in another closet). It’s good to have a home for nice letters, photo booth pictures and the like.

The (Almost) Finished Product

It turns out that actually putting away my junk made a huge impact on this space – who knew? My desk looks clean, the closet drawer closes and I only have one basket of miscellany to deal with (this will likely sit in the den for too long because, as always, I’m the worst).

But really, the place looks pretty good. The closet is pretty well transformed in my opinion. Everything in there has a home and is tucked away inside a labeled container (the organization inside the floss container is not great, but it’s finally all in one place). The only thing I really want to change is to build some shelves so I don’t need to unstack every container to get to the things on the bottom.

The unexpected bonus of Kondo-ing this space was that I got my desk back. It was previously home to my sewing machine and the drawer was filled with random stationary and manuals. Now the sewing machine is in the closet, which makes me kind of sad because it reminds me that my regular sewing days are gone. But it also gave me plenty of room for my computer and a nice empty drawer to hold my light table and stitching papers.

Overall, I’d say that my hobbies are more joyful now and putting things away a bit easier, which was my original intent. So I’m going to call this one a win and definitely on par with my closet transformation-wise.

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // June 2019

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

May in Wisconsin is a combination of gorgeous days followed by weeks of rain. Shockingly, that didn’t slow down all my outside goals.

  1. Take photos of my remaining hoops. Done but not perfect.
  2. Start a garden. Done! The first weekend of the month, Michael and I put together our first raised bed and filled it with herbs. We also stopped by Ebert’s Greenhouse Village and picked up some vegetable plants (yet to be put in the ground, though).
  3. Swing by the Madison farmers market. Done! I actually stopped by twice, and it was a real treat. I got a handful of amazing herbs including pineapple mint.
  4. Set up the patio. Check! I dragged out the table and some chairs for some outdoor reading. It felt great!
  5. Squeeze in some self care. Done. After three weekends of craft shows (and nonstop stitching in between), I treated myself to the best self care of all: I put away all my craft stuff. Shifting out of production mode is a huge gift. I’ve been filling my time with books, cheap wine, puzzles and How to Get Away with Murder.

5/5. Five 👏 for 👏 five👏. This hasn’t happened in a long while! I chalk it up to setting some more realistic goals and maybe a bit of get-stuff-done Taurus magic.

After a month of non-stop doing, I’m all about some relaxation for June. Of course, for me relaxing means more doing – but doing to unwind, not to accomplish. This makes me wonder if these goals are really that productive, but it’s worthwhile to remind myself that self care and blocking out time to relax is worthwhile in another way.

  1. Finish up the garden and yard. We made some serious progress in our yard in May. We had two troublesome trees cut down, Michael reseeded the lawn and we planted plenty of herbs. It’s time to finish the job and set up our last two raised beds, do a bit of trimming and tidy up. I also have some designs for some blueberry bushes.
  2. Ride my bike. I got my bike tuned up at Dream Bikes a few weeks ago (they did the best job) and I’m ready to hit the road! First stop: Wauwatosa Farmers Market.
  3. Enjoy anniversary eats + another outside date. We’re celebrating our fourth anniversary on June 12. We’re planning on checking out Ishnala, one of Wisconsin’s most famous supper clubs to celebrate. But I don’t want to stop there. I want another date on a patio, too.
  4. Make something out of Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses. I’m leery of putting this one on the list just because sewing is a bit of a production. But I think I need to remind myself that I’m not half bad with a sewing machine.
  5. Up my reading count by two. I set myself a goal on Goodreads to read 20 books in 2019. I’m woefully behind. Reading is relaxing, though (especially out on the patio with some iced tea), so I’ve got to rededicate myself to it (and watch less Netflix).

Crossing my fingers that I get all these done because they are all fun! Happy June, folks!

by Leave a Comment

New Tools of the Trade [AKA Why Didn’t I Try This Sooner?]

Filed Under: Make Tagged With:

Ever since I got my new light table, I considered my embroidery process to be 100% optimized. I was, as usual, wrong.

The sticking point this time: my tracing tools. Since day one, I’ve been using a marker with water-soluble ink to trace on most of my designs. This worked fine. It did the job, but sometimes the marks would come back and I’d have to rinse the fabric a few times. Plus, I had to account for drying time. Overall, though, it worked OK.

Then I started hearing rumblings of a pen that erased with heat. I was intrigued. This pen is just a regular erasable pen from Pilot. I scoffed. How could a pen not designed for fabric be good for fabric? The fools that use that!

So for months and months (years?), I avoided the Pilot Frixion craze because I didn’t think it was craft-worthy. I also didn’t want to gamble with this in case it made permanent marks. Yes, even though sometimes my water-soluble pen would occasionally leave permanent stains. I am a genius.

Finally, though, I saw the Pilot Frixion at Michaels. Armed with a 40% coupon, I grabbed a pack. If they were a bust, at least I’d only be out a few bucks.

After letting them hang out in my purse for a few weeks, I finally worked up the nerve to give these pens a try. I scribbled on a scrap of light colored fabric. I ironed over it quickly expecting some sort of faint mark. Nope. The ink was totally gone after just one pass. I was proven wrong (very common).

It’s been a few weeks since that little experiment and I am 100% on-board with this new tool. The old pens? Well, they’re gathering dust. And these new ones are my favorite stitching trick. (Not to mention they’re great for sewing, too!)

You can grab these pens just about anywhere. I snagged mine at Michaels, but you can get a better deal right at Target.

by 2 Comments

Stamped Rolling Pin Sugar Cookies

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

For my birthday, my amazing sister-in-law brought me this totally gorgeous rolling pin all the way from Poland. I had seen plenty of these before (though never one so pretty) but hadn’t ever used one. Of course, I had to get to work right away making some cookies. I’ll give you my recipe plus a few tips on how to use one (because it took me a minute to master it).

The Classic Stamped Sugar Cookie Recipe

According to the box, this is the cookie recipe to use with this rolling pin. Who was I to argue? I just converted the measurements as best I could from metric and here’s what I’ve got:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1-1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3-1/3 cups flour

It’s a pretty simple recipe. Just cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Then add in the egg and almond extract and beat until nice and light. Mix in your salt and flour until combined and you’re done!

Roll out the dough until nice and thin with a regular rolling pin – I’d say somewhere between a quarter and an eight inch thick. Then go over with the stamped rolling pin and cut out shapes with any cutter you like (I just used a basic round one). Pop in the oven at 375ºF for about ten minutes (or golden brown). Done!

Chocolate Stamped Cookies

Of course, I couldn’t just stop with almond cutouts, I had to try some chocolate ones, too. For a while, I was really wracking my brain if my family’s regular chocolate cutout recipe would suffice. Then I was frantically googling recipes. In the end, the answer was right under my nose. Truly. My friend got me Bravetart for my birthday and on the cover are stamped sandwich cookies. I gave those a shot. Here’s the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder

To make these, combine the butter, sugar, syrup, salt, baking soda and salt together in a stand mixer. Beat until fluffy – about five minutes. Scrape the sides and then gradually add the dry ingredients.

It will look pretty dry at first, but if you keep it going with the mixer, it will smooth out.

Bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes.

Some Stamped Rolling Pin Tips

I’ll tell you right now that using this rolling pin took a little practice, but I think the effect is worth it. So just follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to some darn pretty cookies.

  • Don’t chill the dough. I know. This goes against everything you’ve ever learned about rolling out cookies, but with this recipe, it’s best to just work with the dough right out of the bowl. Chilled it’s just too crumbly and the dough really wants to pull up with the decorative rolling pin.
  • Give the pin a dusting.Like with any cutout cookies, you should give the rolling pin a dusting of flour ahead of time. Same goes for this decorative rolling pin. Because this one has so many crevices, I took a clean (and never been used) paintbrush to get the flour into those nooks and crannies. It helps tremendously.
  • Firmly press with the rolling pin. Cue this Spongebob clip. Then really do press down firmly to imprint the design. The more definition you have before going into the oven the better. You’ll end up with more distinctive cookies after baking.
  • Be patient. Patience is not my strong suit, but it’s worth working on for these cookies. Until you get the dough the right temperature (I chilled my first and then learned from that mistake) and the pressure just right, these cookies can be a bit tricky. But once you get the technique down – it took me probably three or four passes – it gets much simpler.

Good luck with your fancy rolling pins!

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // May 2019

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:


Lots of highs and lows in April, but I think I came out just fine.

  1. Celebrate 30 in style. Done! I truly had my best birthday yet. And I topped it all off with a shindig at Don’s Diner. I felt very loved.
  2. Restock my fabrics. Done! Made a trip to Ben Franklin (one of my favorites), and I grabbed a few options at Joann. Plus, I ordered a fun print from Allison Beilke Designs via Spoonflower.
  3. Polish up the house. I KonMari-ed my craft closet. I thought that taking the time for this in the midst of fair season prep wouldn’t be a great use of my time (I should be stitching!), but you know the ol’ Ben Franklin quote: “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” I think that’s true here. There are a few loose ends to tie up with this project, but by and large, it’s done.
  4. Hit the gym 8 times (ideally 10). I did it! And I might be getting stronger?
  5. Plan a creative retreat for myself. I did this. Then I canceled it because I was feeling in a good space creatively. Emotionally I feel like a rest would have been nice. We’ll see what happens in May.

4/5. If you asked me on April 20 if I could tackle most of my goals for the month, I would have said absolutely not. But the last week of the month was really productive! Taurus season, I see you.

May is going to be a busy month. I’ve got three shows lined up (yep, I added one since I posted my spring schedule). I’m really excited about this, but I am slightly concerned about getting it all done. Of course, I’ll toss more to-dos on top of that list. I never learn.

  1. Take photos of my remaining hoops. With so many fairs coming up, I’ve got a decent amount of hoop inventory. It’s time to photograph them all (and eventually turn them into Etsy listings – though, that can wait for another month).
  2. Start a garden. After two years of going without, I am eager to start gardening again. I’ve got a raised bed to fill (and plans to get two more 🤞). I don’t need a totally complete garden by the end of the month (as much as I’d like it), but I want some headway on this.
  3. Swing by the Madison farmers market. I’m going to be in Madison a lot this month. Let’s hope I can work a stop at the farmers market into the schedule. I’ve got a hankering for Farmer John’s Cheese and an apple cider donut.
  4. Set up the patio. It was still snowing in Milwaukee on April 27. I’m hoping that the coast is clear and that I can pull our patio set out of the garage.
  5. Squeeze in some self care. I’ve got three shows this month. That’s a lot! I’m really excited about the challenge, but I know that burning out is always just a few stitches away. I want to set aside some time to grab a manicure (who am I?), sit down for coffee at my favorite cafe, read outside or get a haircut. Those things really help me level out.

Here’s hoping it all gets done, and I hope to see some local folks at all these shows! Just a reminder, it’s Madison Makers Market on Saturday, May 11, Madtown Artisans Spring Event on Sunday, May 19 and Frühling Fest in Milwaukee on Saturday, May 25.

by Leave a Comment

Hey, 30

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

I’m not going to get all deep or philosophical about what it means to turn 30. Instead, I’m just going to tell you that turning 30 was really, really great. As one friend wrote in her card to me, “Welcome to an even better decade that’s bound to treat you to the joys of giving fewer shits and doing more of what you want.” I’m really into that.

In some ways, that totally reflected the way I celebrated this year. I’m sure that’s why it was my best birthday yet. Here’s exactly why.

Waking Up to 30

Truthfully, I went to bed the day before feeling kind of down. Obviously, 29 is not the end of my youthful and interesting life, but I was treating it that way because I’m a drama queen and also the worst.

But all those feelings were gone when I woke up around 1:30AM. Sitting on the dresser was this wonderful and silly marquee sign that Michael lit up. It was a really special way to greet a new decade. I took this as a sign of things to come and went back to bed ready to celebrate come morning.

(Also, it didn’t say “Happy birthday” because the box was missing all the Ps. I think this message is better anyway.)

Indulgent Things

I decided to stack my birthday with all kinds of indulgent activities that I love, but rarely treat myself two. Chief among them: Visiting La Reve in the Wauwatosa Village for breakfast.

This place is a treasure. Go on a weekday for breakfast and you will find a fancy yet super chill atmosphere. It’s quiet, the mimosas are great and the pastries are even better. Swinging by for a fruit tart was a serious treat. And snaps for the Aries bartender who chatted rising and moon signs with me!

More indulgent things: a manicure at Neroli, a key lime pie from Honeypie and a great dinner by my mom. ☺️

The Real Kicker

As wonderful and relaxing as the day-of celebrations were, the highlight of turning 30 was hitting up Don’s Diner for a real night out.


First, of course, the fam and I did some dinner. There’s a new menu and it’s fabulous. But as soon as we were done, we made our way back to the Naughty Angel (the lounge there) and knocked back a few old fashioneds.

Hanging out in the lounge – which so many people said reminded them of their grandparents’ houses – was a real blast. The bartender queued up some Bob’s Burgers without me even asking and we listened to some 90s jams (I did request those).

In such a delightfully quirky place, it could be tempting to start living for the ‘Gram, but I decided to put my phone away for the night (here’s where the giving fewer shits come into play). My party didn’t need to be a photo shoot. Instead, I put out my Instax camera and let people do their thing.

And that was really great. I just got to hang with my friends and catch up with folks new and old. Honestly, I was really touched that so many people came to say hey. To all of you that made it, I can’t thank you enough. You made 30 super special.

Also, a special shoutout to Michael for helping to tee this whole thing up, my friends Matt and Amanda for coming a long way to see me, and my gal Eva who made a Tosi-inspired cake (and managed to transport it across the stat in one piece!) for the gods. It was fantastic.

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // April 2019

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

It turns out not every month is a good month for goals. See how I failed in a big way (and how I’ll try and pick it up for April).

  1. Create a game plan for the rest of the KonMari steps (and do part three). I am the worst. I didn’t do this, and the thought now overwhelms me entirely – even though I know having less and being organized will make me feel so much better.
  2. Rearrange the living room? Well, I went to West Elm and talked with a very kind designer there. She gave me a new floor plan to consider. I tried it out and it just wasn’t right. I give myself the point for trying.
  3. Record a podcast. Nope!
  4. Stitch up 15 hoops. Not even close. I think I whipped up about eight.
  5. Find a killer birthday dress. The jury is still out on this one. I have one new contender that I’m working with, though I’m not sure if it’ll make the cut.

1/5. My worst ever month for goals. I’m trying to tell myself that it’s OK since I spent a lot of March doing some cool things (seeing Michelle Obama at the Miller High Life Theater comes to mind!). However, I know that I really bungled my time for most of the month.

With Aries season in full swing, more daylight and the optimism that comes with spring, I want to turn it around for April. More stitching! More time outside! Maybe a bike ride or two?

  1. Celebrate 30 in style. I’ve got something up my sleeve here!
  2. Restock my fabrics. It’s been a while since I’ve done a fabric run. I’ve got a lot of new hoop ideas. They need some new fabrics to go with.
  3. Polish up the house. I’m thinking about skipping the paperwork step of KonMari because I’m an organizing heathen. Instead, I’d like to just tackle my craft closet and living room using her methods. You sick of this goal yet? (I am, but I also want a clean home.)
  4. Hit the gym 8 times (ideally 10). Back on the horse (as always).
  5. Plan a creative retreat for myself. I felt like I didn’t make a lot of time for my stitching this past month. I’ve got three fairs to tackle between now and the end of May. I’m thinking that getting away for a short solo trip might be good for me and my crafting.

Here’s hoping 30 is a good one and that April is a good month for goals!

by Leave a Comment

Spring Fever + Spring Shows

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

I’ve got some pretty exciting news, folks! Well, exciting if you’re a big fan of craft fairs and art shows.

This spring I’ll be selling at not one, not two, but three craft shows in Milwaukee and Madison. This is my busiest season yet. I can’t say I’m ready quite yet, but I’m getting there!

I’m looking forward to these events not only because I love a good maker event, but because they’re a great reason to get out of the house this spring. If you’ve got spring fever, come check these out!

MKE Local Market 414 Pop Up

Sunday, April 14

This will be my first time selling with MKE Local Market, but I’m pretty excited! This market is on 4/14 – AKA Milwaukee Day. I’m excited to celebrate my city and experience a new space. Third Branch Creative Studio looks pretty swank!

Madison Makers Spring Market & Pub-Crawl

Saturday, May 11

I had so much fun at this event last year (and at its Black Friday slot, too). I’m happy to be setting up at Old Sugar Distillery again. Grab their homemade cherry soda or a Cuba Libre and let’s chat!

Madtown Artisans Spring Event at High Noon Saloon

Sunday, May 19

Another new-to-me show! This one will be at Madison’s High Noon Saloon and will be hosting some of my favorite Madison-based makers like TacoCat Creations and No Coast Paper Co. And let’s be honest, shopping with a drink in hand is always a fun time.

Of course, you can always keep up with all my events over on the Kaminski Handicraft Facebook page. Hope to see some folks at these events coming up!

And, yes, that Mrs. Maizel hoop up top will be for sale!