My brother always comes to Pittsburgh for the holidays, but this year, when he left for Wisconsin, he took my sister and I along with him. We've been here since Saturday, and yesterday, we visited Chicago. It was a wonderful, busy day, and though I didn't take very many photos, I wanted to share the few that I did.
I really wanted to see Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, even though it was outrageously cold. (I just looked it up, and it was 14 degrees yesterday afternoon.) My brother, sister, and I took turns snapping touristy photos of one another. In this one, you can see me clutching a bag of goodies from Market Supply Co., a vintage shop partially owned by Karyn of Dethrose Vintage and located in the Pilsen neighborhood. Karyn was nice enough to open her shop just for my sister and I, and it was even better than I expected. I wish I had taken a few photos while we were in there, but I didn't want to seem like a creepy fangirl. Luckily, Leilani of Thriftaholic already wrote up an amazing post (with tons of gorgeous photos) about the shop prior to their grand opening in September. And my purchases--a 1950's barkcloth skirt and a 1960's does 1930's knit set--should make their way onto the blog soon enough.
Another view of the Bean. (Shortly after taking this photo, we hustled to Intelligentsia Coffee, where I ordered a much-needed latte.)
We ended our day at The Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and debuted as a science museum during the 1933-1934 Century of Progress Exposition. I've always been pretty fond of the World's Fairs, especially the Century of Progress, so I was psyched to check out the museum. In this photo, I'm standing in front of the 999 Steam Locomotive, "The World's Fastest Locomotive" (112.5 mph), which was displayed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.
Outfit details: Top purchased at an antique shop in Monongahela, PA || 1950's corduroy skirt via Wildfell Hall Vintage || 1940's knit turban via sonnet and bough || 1950's mink collar via Bohemian Bisoux || L.L.Bean boots and camp socks
And a photo of my brother's adorable cat, Maya. Because cats!
Photo snapped on our guided tour of the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Walking garden on the grounds of the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
We saw this logo everywhere we went in Japan. I looked it up, and apparently it's for Yamato Transport Co., Ltd., one of the country's largest delivery service companies. Crazy cat lady that I am, I absolutely love it.
Kiyomizu-dera, a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto known for its large wooden veranda and beautiful views.
Part of the Kiyomizu-dera temple complex, the Jishu shrine is dedicated to Okuninushi, a god of love and matchmaking. Most of the shrines we visited sold little charms, but these ("Improve the love fate of your zodiac sign") were my favorite.
The Jishu shrine had lots of informative English signage.
A statue of Okuninushi and his rabbit messenger.
Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion), a Zen Buddhist temple whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf.
Kinkakuji's gardens include these statues at which people toss coins for luck.
The Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous for the thousands of torii gates that line the walking trails behind its main buildings.
Fox-themed "ema" votive pictures at the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Our first day in Hakone. That's Mt. Fuji off in the distance to my left.
One of Hakone's many spectacular views. There's Mt. Fuji in the background again, and in the foreground is the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, modeled after a pirate ship.
Hakone is a volcanically active area, and these eggs are boiled in the sulfurous water at Owakudani. For lunch one day, we had several eggs each, some fresh strawberries, and baked sweet potatoes. Yum!
Inside "Symphonic Sculpture" at the Hakone Open-Air Museum.
My favorite piece in Shinji Ohmaki's "Proof of Existence" exhibition at the Open-Air Museum.
Our Japanese style room at the hot springs resort.
Best surprise: There's a Little Prince Museum in Hakone! The book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is a long-time favorite of mine, and the museum is adorable.
An incense burner (joukoro) in front of a shrine in Ueno Park.
Japanese macaques in Ueno Zoo.
A 17th century pagoda that stands in the grounds of Ueno Zoo.
Random cuteness in the Ikebukuro District.
Mint tea at the Aoyama Flower Market Tea House.
The Best French Toast Ever Made.
Inside a hot springs resort in Odaiba.
Foot spa that turned out to be less than relaxing thanks to the surprisingly sharp stones we had to walk on. Also a peek at the beautiful fan-printed yukata I got to wear.
One of many public parks on the grounds of the Imperial Palace.
The epicenter of Tokyo teen fashion and culture. Japanese street style is pretty wonderful. The shop girls in particular had amazing stuff going on, but I was too shy to ask for any of their photos.
Dream vintage shop in the Harajuku District filled with antique petticoats, blouses, and dresses like this one in the front window.
Dancers at a street festival my brother and I stumbled upon.
