Telling Stories:Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Tour Edition.

Last week I went to the zoo with my niece and nephews and other various family members. Afterwards, hot, tired, and sweaty, (but very content) my niece and I were sitting in a Wendy's sipping on some strawberry lemonade. She was sitting in my lap and we were the only ones at the table. She looked up at me with a smile and said "Tell me the story of going to the zoo today!"

I loved this for many reasons, I love that she likes to make sense out of life by putting it into a story. I totally identify with that. I love that she already gets that stories have a beginning, middle, and end. I love that she had enjoyed her day so thoroughly she thought it was story worthy (and it was!) I really should write it down for her and include all the pictures of the animals I took! It was a great reminder that I need that too, to make sense of my life I like to document things, putting them in order in my mind, with words or photos or both. It really gives things more meaning rather than just living and forgetting.   

The story I have to tell here today is one with pictures and a few words. It's from our trip to Wisconsin and Chicago LAST summer (and it honestly feels like it was yesterday so I don't even feel ridiculous for waiting so long to post, she said, almost believing herself). I might do it in several posts so as not to picture overload, but I definitely want to remember it as it was awesome and very much our speed. 

First I'm going to share the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio tour as well as Oak Park Frank Lloyd Wright walking tour. Sound like a PBS nightmare to you? Sorry internet, that's how we roll/walk.  On a walking tour complete with tour guide head phones and various other couples all over the age of FIFTY, boo yah. 

First we arrived at the FLW Home and Studio (which is now a museum and home base to the neighborhood walking tour to see other FLW houses and such). This is the side of the house. His homes can be difficult to get into one picture due to their shape/size. He loved to keep people guessing as to where the front door was, basically they had to go on a walk-a-bout to find it. I bet he loved watching people look like idiots. I'm sure he would have totally came up with candid camera had he not been busy Howard Roarking life. (all photos taken by me, on my Canon Rebel t2i) 

Here it is from the side...the photos still don't due it justice.

So next up are just a few houses from the tour: (keep in mind, this was early in his work, a precursor to his more famous prairie style homes)

MMMM, wrought iron! 

And now for some interiors:

 Look at this studio, I would love to work in here! 

 Look at that library! I think there may have been an organ at the top. He loved to create spaces for family and friends to gather and hang out. I would have been all over those built-ins. 

Now for a few cell phone pictures to complete the story of the day:

 We really do love you Oak Park, and we can't wait to go back. After a sweaty day of touring and walking, we found Boss Burrito's. It was seriously the best burrito I EVER. HAD. And paired with grape Fanta? Ugh. I think about it almost everyday, haha.