Luckiest Girl in the World

tired traveler.

2012-02-08T15:52:00.002-06:00

we got a new staff member on board that will be coordinating our regional programs. i have had the opportunity to go with her to orlando last week and atlanta this week to help her with our events in those cities. last week it was 80 degrees and sunny in orlando and we had enough time to get a nice lunch and i got a workout in before our event. after the lovely event we grabbed drinks and food and got to bed at a reasonable time. the next day we checked out late and went out for brunch. i didn't land back in chicago until 4 p.m. so i just went straight home and relaxed. it was great! for atlanta we had early flights and i was super tired when we arrived. all i really cared about was getting some quality comfort food and that mission was accomplished. first thing we did was go to Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles in midtown. the servers were so friendly and there was a good mix of locals and tourists. we both loved our chicken and waffles! afterwards we didn't have a ton of time before our event so we just did some work before heading to the venue. the event went well and afterwards we grabbed dinner with other staff at an american/southern tapas place. my favorite tapas were fried green tomatoes, bbq pulled pork egg rolls, spicy mac & cheese and krispie kreme bread pudding. we had a great time chatting and eating but by the end i was so tired! when we got back to our hotel i could not sleep. i had drank way too many diet cokes at the event and was totally wired so that 6 a.m. est wake up call was pretty brutal and so was not being able to sleep on the flight and coming straight to work. even though my eyes are burning, i'm so grateful to have the opportunity to visit new places, meet alumni in different parts of the country and get out of the city for a bit. i'm always happy to come home to my beloved chicago though!

week with friends

2012-01-24T13:31:00.002-06:00

this no school thing really has it's perks. it's totally allowing me to be a bit more spontaneous and to enjoy weeknights again. last week was jam packed with friend time. on tuesday the shaklees came up for dinner and we got a lot of quality time after their trip to the planetarium. we had so much fun with meg, ry & their girls. wednesday i got to have dinner with tara & ryann before tara and i took a dance class at the joffrey. thursday we had an alumni volunteer outing at PAWS and my friend/fellow alumna, nicole came to help out. we didn't get to catch up much but it was still great to see a familiar face. on my way to the train i ran into tara & shalva who were grabbing tea close by. what a great surprise! on friday my friend leah let me know she was at a bar across from our place so i was able to swing by and catch up with her and her boyfriend before heading to dinner with our friends dan & kate. i couldn't help thinking how lucky i was to have such a friend filled week! the rest of the weekend was great too! on saturday rob and i went to an indie bridal fair and saw our friends val & chris and jen who was with another friend from high school. great running into so many people there! after that i got to grab tea at the sofitel with ryann and later we went to dinner and a depaul women's bball game with my parents and after that i met caitlin & mary out for drinks and dancing. seriously a great day! the next day we got to skype with the liebls and see all of luke's new exciting tricks like twirling and jumping off a chair :) such a cutie. then we went and picked up foster kitty #10 - fairy. she's a total love bug and we're so happy to have her!

truly one of the best weeks and weekends i can remember! i'm so lucky to have more time now to see friends and family.

Saugatuck Getaway

2012-01-13T12:49:00.002-06:00

For graduation, Rob got me us an overnight in Saugatuck at a B&B. It was such a nice treat and I've been looking forward to it for a long time. When we booked it I assumed it would be snowy and that we could do snowy activities like snow shoeing or cross country skiing but there was no snow so we just had to go with the flow! We stopped for lunch at Crane's Pie Company and it was not only adorable but super delic. I had a turkey burger and Rob had a burger with grilled apple. For dessert Rob had apple pie and I had cherry. It was so yummie and I'm really glad we found the place! Then we made our way to the B&B which was pretty much completely empty except for a few couples. We checked in and rested for a bit and then took off to enjoy the downtown area. We did some wine tasting (Rob bought his first bottle of wine - I always am the wine drinker), bought some Michigan craft beers, some peanut butter fudge and then we went to a coffee shop so I could read the Hunger Games which I couldn't put down the whole weekend and Rob could catch up on email. We went for an early dinner at Phil's which is the top rated spot in downtown Saug. Rob got the Lake Perch and I got broasted chicken which I thought would be sort of healthy - turns out broasted basically means fried. I barely put a dent in half but it made for a great lunch the next day. After dinner we went back to our empty b&b and took advantage of the big screen tv in the common room to watch the Bulls game. We watched 3 bball games in a row before retiring to our room. The next day we enjoyed a very tasty breakfast and enjoyed views of Kalamazoo Lake. We originally planned to stick around for awhile but we decided to hit the road right away and make our way to St. Joe's. Unfortunately nothing was open since it's winter and it was a Sunday so the only stop we made was to Jimmy John's so I could get a diet coke and use the bathroom. Sad! We got back in the car and made our way to Michigan City so I could do some shopping at the outlet mall. I really lucked out and got 2 new pairs of work pants, 1 pair of workout pants, my favorite lotion from bath & body and a new dress. When we got back to the city we made a quick trip to the grocery store and when we got home I decided to tackle my clothes and do a new year's purge. I am really proud of myself for filling 2 garbage bags and getting Rob to part with some items too. I also organized our medicine cabinet & our entire bedroom closet. Everything is organized much better now and it's a great way to start the year. It was a great way for me to end a lovely weekend. I'm so glad Rob and I had the chance to have so much quality time together after such a busy time of my life came to a close. The rest of the month is going to be very busy so I'm glad we were able to squeeze in some relaxation!

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T09:31:00.002-06:00

i take my resolutions pretty seriously but this year i came up with goals rather than resolutions and i have a lot of them. i'm writing them down because i know that increases the likelihood of me actually achieving them. last year my resolutions were to allow more me time and to be more spontaneous. i think i was a bit more spontaneous and definitely allowed more time for myself.

1. Scrapbook. I used to do this a lot before I started grad school and I love looking through all of the ones I've made. I'm going to work on my France trip next and possible a 2011 one.

2. Draw. In college art was a huge part of my life. I was constantly inspired and loved drawing. I haven't drawn in a really long time and I miss it! I bought a new kneaded eraser and some charcoal before Christmas. Now I just need to be inspired!

3. Exercise 4-5 times a week. I will never ever exercise on the weekends. I just know it so I can only shoot for working out during the work week. I'm usually pretty good about getting to the gym 3-4 times a week but I'm going to make 4 my minimum goal this year.

4. Try new recipes. I've slowly become more adventurous in the kitchen and I hope to keep it up. Rob and I have a tendency to just heat stuff up and not actually cook so i really want to try new recipes and create some new staples for our diets.

5. Take more pictures. I have really been slacking on this lately. Considering how much I love looking at old pictures, I should really try to take more of them!

6. Work on my finances. This is always a resolution. Now that school is done I should really be able to save a lot more for the wedding.

7. Spend more time in the suburbs with family & friends. Now that I don't have class during the week I have a lot more free time which I plan to take advantage of - especially to make trips down to the suburbs.

8. Patience. It's not my strong suit - a work in progress always.

9. Organize. I love organizing but our apartment is not the most organized place at the moment.

10. Try to be a better listener & interrupt less. Total culprit of interrupting!

spoiled rotten

2011-12-26T22:59:00.002-06:00

i was totally spoiled rotten this christmas! i'm so lucky and grateful for all of the generous family and loved ones in my life. i got a boat load of wonderful gifts but here is just a snippet of the goodies i received this holiday:

membership to the art institute of chicago from rob

new luggage for me and rob from my parents

an absurd amount of stamps from mrs. jensen for all of our save the dates & invites for the wedding

new sheets & a bed skirt that we needed desperately all from mrs. jensen

my favorite decadent lotion from amy & tom & luke

beautiful leather gloves from my cousin kate

delicious cookies & a custom cd from cody & lynn

an awesomely soft leopard print robe from my aunt anne

a new dustbuster to replace our busted one from my cousin carrie

lots of christmas story holiday decor from my brother

and a lot lot more!! seriously, spoiled rotten!

2011 Recap

2011-12-21T10:07:00.004-06:00

2011 has been a pretty bad ass year. It's been full of excitement and change and I have a feeling 2012 will be pretty bad ass too!

Probably the most exciting part of 2011 was getting engaged! Rob popped the question in the most perfect/over the top way and I'm so happy to move forward in our lives together. Planning the wedding has been a piece of cake so far and I'm excited to see how it all comes together just 290 days from now.

The second most exciting part of 2011 was moving in with Rob. This was a big, big step for us after 9 years of dating. We basically lived together already but we made it officially by moving into a nice walk up in Roscoe Village. We are absolutely in love with our neighborhood. We're enjoying the plentiful street parking available, the neighborhood pubs on our street and I've really enjoyed building our home together. I love cooking dinner together and even cleaning together - weird I know. Picking out our first Christmas tree together was especially special :)

The third most exciting part of 2011 was completing grad school! I've been in school since winter '09 and I was so ready to be done. I've really enjoyed many of my classes and met some very nice people but it was time to get it over with so I took 2 classes in the spring, 1 in the summer and 2 in the fall and took my comprehensive exams in early November. It was very overwhelming and stressful but I did it! I passed my exams with distinction and I will graduate with high honors. Rob is taking me on an overnight in Michigan to celebrate in early January!

There were plenty of other exciting and special moments of 2011 - Snowmaggedon, saw some cool concerts like Cake, Weezer & lots of bluegrass, tried the flying trapeze thanks to Groupon, had a trip to the ER due to a fish hook stuck in my scalp, my friends threw me a 1 year till wed surprise pottery painting party, Rob's little bro got engaged, my buds Ryan & Megan welcomed baby #2 - the darling Emi into the world and my "sister in law" announced that she is expecting baby #2! I took several trips including Grand Rapids for Beer Fest, Miami with the girls, Michigan for my birthday, Connecticut for women's hoops, Hunky Dory, San Fran, New Orleans, New York for work, and most recently Nashville.

It was a pretty damn good year! I'm so grateful for this exciting, busy & fun year I had and for everyone I got to share it with!

Nashville Trip!

2011-12-15T13:10:00.003-06:00

My friend Darcy and I flew down to Nashville a couple of weekends ago to visit our friend Molly who moved there this summer. I had only been to Nashville once before to visit Rob's aunt Fran and I absolutely loved it so I was eager to get back. We had such a good time and I'm so glad that we got to get a glimpse of Molly's new life down south. Darc and I arrived early in the morning on Friday and trekked to Mol's apartment and rested for a bit before going downtown to explore since Darcy had never been before. We walked by the river, went to Hatch Show Print, got some bbq at Jack's and grabbed drinks at Tootsie's before leaving to meet Molly and her coworkers for happy hour. All of her friends are so great and I'm so glad she's met so many wonderful people so quickly! We had a few drinks at one place before heading to a brewery close by for some 'za and beers. We quickly got into reminiscing and telling funny stories - I haven't laughed that hard in ages. The next day we had big plans. We met Rob's aunt Fran in Franklin for brunch at Puckett's. It was soooo yummie! I got a fried green tomato blt and it was delic. Afterwards we walked around the adorable town and shopped a bit before parting ways. I was so glad the girls got to meet Fran! Next we went to Arrington Vineyards which was absolutely gorgeous. We soaked in the views while we waited to do a wine tasting. We got to try 4 wines and they were all really good. After that we drove to the Belle Meade Plantation and took a tour and did another wine tasting. After that we went to one of Molly's favorite restaurants, City House. It was a very cool vibe and such delicious food! Everything we had was outstanding and I hope we can go back on our next visit. After dinner we went to a bar in a hood I hadn't been to before. We caught up some more before heading back to Mol's apartment for pjs and wine. We got a good nights sleep and got up to go to Molly's other favorite restaurant, Monell's. It was by far my favorite part of the weekend. They have you sit family style with other groups and they just keep bringing you amazing comfort food. I enjoyed roast beef, ham, corn bread, fried chicken, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and I don't even remember what else. We were so stuffed afterwards and I loved every minute of it! After that we went to tour the Ryman Auditorium which neither Mol or Darc had been to. It was fun to be back and check out all of the cool concert posters this time. I hope I can see a show there some time! After that we drove Darc to the airport and then Mol drove me to meet Fran. I got to spend the rest of my time with Fran in her new townhome that is so great! Her daughter and grandson came by for a visit and it was so nice to see them again. Taylor is such a smartie and so cute and it was nice to catch up with Myah. Fran and I got to share lots of stories and catch up one on one which doesn't usually get to happen. I'm so glad that we had this special time together!

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend and I really didn't want to go home at all!! I can't wait to go back!

my to do list

2011-12-08T11:07:00.002-06:00

now that i'm done with school and have loads more free time, i'm creating a stock pile of things i want to do!

1. Get back in the groove of trying restaurants I haven't been to yet - Ruxbin, Telegraph, Cantina Laredo, Volo, Lillie Q's, and Smoque just to name a few.

2. Get back in shape! Before the last push in grad school, I was hitting the gym 3-5 times a week. I'm slowly getting back into that groove and already took 2 spin classes and a cardio reshape class this week!

3. Read for fun! I've been so happy to read for pleasure rather than for studying. I am wrapping up a pretty bad chick lit book and have another one waiting and then my brother insisted I read Hunger Games. I'm open to other suggestions though!

4. Invest more time in friends I don't see very often and make more frequent trips to the suburbs to see friends and family there.

5. Volunteer more! Before school got really overwhelming I used to volunteer at other places in addition to weekly bingo. I especially liked re shelving books at the Disney Magnet School Library with Chicago Cares and soon I'll be ready for another foster kitten!

6. Do arts and crafts again. I was a pretty avid scrapbooker before school got started and I always cherish the end result so I hope to start those again soon. I also miss drawing so I'm picking up some charcoal this weekend.

7. Cook! I've been having fun trying recipes or making some tried and true dishes now that I have more time. It's so nice to have proper meals :)

8. Have more quality time with my fiance - I have put a ton of date nights on our calendar and we have a little getaway coming up in January. Can't wait!

9. Relax. I have a tendency to overbook myself but I'm going to try to keep some time clear for myself to relax and rest so that I don't get burned out.

10. Wedding plan!!! Now that I have more time, I can invest a lot more time into planning our wedding that is now about 300 days away!

This is a short list - there are so many more things I want to do and places to visit. The best part is, there's no timeline - this new freedom is the rest of my life! No more school ever again! Yay!

DONE!

2011-12-06T14:30:00.002-06:00

Last Monday I found out that I passed my Comprehensive Exams for Grad School with Distinction! I haven't been that excited since Rob & I got engaged! I was squealing and jumping around and just absolutely giddy! I really didn't expect to pass with distinction - that was the cherry on top for sure. I'm officially done with grad school - it's a great feeling. I've been enjoying grad school free life by cooking more often, exercising more regularly and relaxing. I feel human again :)

Can't wait to get that diploma to hang in my office!

thankful for...

2011-11-21T08:43:00.004-06:00

i have a lot of things to be thankful for this year!

* the basics: job, place to live, food to eat, health

* a wonderful fiance & less than a year till we wed

* a supportive and special family

* (future) in-laws i actually love

* precious little ones in my life - nephew Luke who is soon to be a big bro, "nieces" Bella & Emi

* an unbelievable group of friends that keep me on my toes and keep me laughing

* my senior friends at bingo

* to be done with grad school!

* to have free time again

* the glorious fall we've had in Chicago

very grateful. very lucky.

freedom!

2011-11-14T13:04:00.002-06:00

i finished all 3 of my comprehensive exams and this is my last week of classes - EVER! feels so fabulous, words cannot even describe how great it feels to have my brain and free time back! i still have a couple of papers due but no more reading and no more studying. i don't even know what to do with myself! i spent most of the weekend on the couch watching tv and movies, reading wedding magazines but i also went grocery shopping a lot and filled up our pantry, fridge and freezer with all sorts of fabulous items and cooked real meals for the first time in ages. that's been the best part! rob and i even ate dinner at the dining room table last night, i don't believe that ever happened before. i can't remember the last time that i was able to lounge in front of the television for so long without a worry in my mind or guilty feeling that i should be studying. it'll be even crazier next week when i'm done with classes!

last week i was complaining to rob that grad school was a waste of time and that i couldn't believe i invested so much time and money. now that it's basically done, i don't feel so ridiculous. i finished a video project that i feel very proud of, i keep finding ways to incorporate my grad school knowledge into work and i've met some really great people. i'm so glad i'm done but i'm glad that i did it even though i complained alot along the way. my friends and family have been super supportive, but rob takes the cake! the past few years he's been nothing short of amazing. he always would make sure i had whatever i needed, cooked me dinners, listened to me read papers and offered tons of moral support. i couldn't have done it without him and i'm so grateful i had his support!

me & my masters

2011-11-02T09:08:00.002-05:00

it's been a long and tough journey getting my masters. i started the program in winter '09 doing one class at a time. i usually enjoyed my one class and was able to dedicate an adequate amount of time and energy to it. then in spring 2010 i decided that it was time to pick up the pace and i was ready to be done. i started taking 2 classes for the first time. not only did it hurt my bank account, it really hurt my free time, gym time and limited my availability for working events. that spring i took one great class and one awful one. i plowed through and ended up signing up for one over the summer. that was the first time i did that and i'm so glad i did. even though the professor was sort of a joke (letting us out early all the time & doing power points out of order), i learned some stuff in a condensed amount of time. this fall brought me to the end of the program - my last 2 classes and my exams. i've been enjoying both of my two classes this quarter and learning a lot but as soon as i started studying for my comprehensive exams i started to go a little batty. my brain can only hold so much information and i'm starting to lose it. my first 2 exams are this saturday and i feel ok about them. my boss is awesome and has let me take off the past 2 fridays and this friday to prepare. i'm just so ready to get them out of the way and start studying for the last one next weekend. after that i have 1 week of classes and 3 papers standing between me and my masters....here's hoping it goes by fast because i'm at the end of my rope!

Surprise Party!

2011-10-24T09:11:00.002-05:00

My girlfriends (all pictured above) threw me a surprise 1 year till wed party a few weeks ago and it was one of the nicest surprises I've ever gotten! Tara had told me we were going to a happy hour for her work and I fully believed it. When Tara asked me to meet her across the street from the bar at her salon I didn't think anything of it and when she said she needed to pick up some pottery she painted awhile back at the paint your plate place around the corner, I also didn't think anything of it. When we walked by I looked in the window and spotted Bella, my friend Megan's daughter/our flower girl and got really confused and then saw Megan, Darcy and then I realized I was getting a little surprise! Then I saw Caitlin and Ryann too! I was so surprised! I'm really hard to surprise and they actually got me! My friends Mary, Shalva and Sarah came a bit later and the girls all painted plates or bowls for Rob and me. They all made such cool stuff and it's awesome to have such personal pieces that will forever remind me of how amazing my friends are. I had such a great time relaxing and catching up with everyone and eating the delicious cheese Mary brought for us to snack on :) I feel so lucky to be surrounded by people that celebrate things like -1 year to wed. Who's friend's do that!? After a few hectic weeks with school and work, it was exactly what I needed and I couldn't be more grateful for such a special treat! Love my gals!

wedding stuff!

2011-10-19T22:10:00.003-05:00

we've been doing some really fun wedding stuff lately and i can't wait to really dive in after school is over in a few weeks! over the weekend i got to take my mom dress shopping at nordstroms for her MOB dress and the first one she tried on was the one! it's this gorgeous teal dress with sleeves and a beautiful collar - it is just perfect for her! it was so fun to do a little fashion show with her and see how great she looks in formal wear. way to go mama! afterwards we went to macy's to register! i wanted my mama to come with to help me figure out what kitchen and house stuff we need because i certainly have no clue. i knew registering would be fun but i had no idea it would be THAT fun! using that gun thing is so addicting and i definitely felt like a kid in a candy shop. i can't wait to do it again with rob closer to the wedding at bed, bath & beyond. tonight rob and i did a tasting with jordan's food of distinction. it ruled! we love their vibe and their food. my favorite hors d'oeuvre was the spoon of mac & cheese with pork belly on top. TO DIE! the entree also kicked ass! we had chorizo stuffed chicken on top of cheesy grits. rob and i both loved it! i can't wait to continue working with them on all the fun details leading up to the day! we're going to see a hotel in evanston on saturday and after that i think there will be a lull in the wedding planning...but not for long!

i love being engaged! we're having so much fun :)

countdowns!

2011-10-06T11:38:00.004-05:00

lots of really exciting things going on these days!

1 day until much needed girls night out

2 days until pure michigan & apple picking

3 days until we get to see our nephew, luke and my future sisters/bros in law

10 days until hitting up my first haunted house of the fall season

2 weeks until our next tasting for the wedding

4 weeks until our close friend's welcome baby #2 into the world

6 more weeks until i wipe my hands of grad school

7 more weeks until my favorite holiday - thanksgiving!

a year to the date until we tie the knot

yay!

closet switch over.

2011-09-28T11:36:00.002-05:00

last night i switched over my closet from summer to fall/winter and i found all sorts of goodies. i put away the summer dresses, skirts and tops and swapped them for long sleeve shirts, sweaters and jackets. i came across some of my favorite clothing items that i sort of forgot existed.

1. my sweet, sweet leather vest from vienna that i never ever wear because there is just never an appropriate occasion but i am so happy i own it. 2. my super awesome/not politically correct rabbit fur bolero. i'm obsessed with that sucker and wear it as much as possible in the wintery months. 3. my gorgeous gray cropped blazer from anthropologie. it's another one i never wear but another thing i admire on the hanger. 4. my crazy awesome cape sweater from banana. another thing that i rarely wear because i feel sort of ridiculous but secretly love!

after i hung up all the warmer items in my closet i tackled my little crates that i store tops that don't need to be hung. i'm not very good about folding things and everything in there was all tangled up and in a big ball. i started folding each item and was shocked at the amount of tops i own. it's really unbelievable. its even more unbelievable that i usually just wear the same things over and over again but have a crate full of things i don't even touch. i was also shocked at the absurdity of some of the items i used to wear regularly in college and just after graduation. first concern- i have way too many backless, stretchy tops. second concern - when did i ever think it might be a good idea to wear a stretchy top with silver paint splatters all over it and chains draped over the scoop back. appalling! i got lots of good giggles out of it and mentally noted some of the tops that i could still wear and now my closet and crates are ready for the new season!

Cali Trip!

2011-09-26T13:57:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I was lucky enough to escape to sunny Foster City to visit my future sister-in-law her hubby and son. I hadn't been out there since spring of '10 so I was due for a visit. I flew in late on Friday night and got to catch up with Amy and Tom since Luke was fast asleep when I got there. The next day I got to play with Luke and enjoy all his new tricks. The last time I saw him was in July and he's such a different, more grown up tot now! I ran by the canal before we headed over to Filoli, a gorgeous botanic garden they're a member of. That night we went over to Tom's parents' house for a traditional Czech dinner. We had schnitzel, boiled potatoes and a pork meatloaf. It was all to die for! She also had these local ice cream sandwiches that were killer. I was so full! The next day we went for a walk in the Redwoods, which Luke wasn't really feeling so we sort of just sat and soaked it all in. Then we got some awesome pizza and watched the Emmy's. I was skeptical about California's ability to do 'za properly but I was pleasantly surprised. My last day we went to the park and I got to meet one of Amy's friends and Luke's best bud. It was really warm and it was nice to soak in the rays before heading to the airport. I had such a great time catching up with Amy and Tom, hearing Luke call me Gen Gen and enjoying the gorgeous weather. I'm not sure when I'll be able to go next so I'm glad we got a nice quality catch up this time. Can't wait to see them in Chicago in a few short weeks! I'm sure Luke will already have many more tricks!

dress shopping & wedding update!

2011-09-09T09:07:00.002-05:00

a couple of weeks ago i found my dress!!! after a very unsuccessful first trip, i really didn't think i was going to find what i wanted or have that "feeling" to any dress. but i was wrong! my mom and my best friend stef went with me to a boutique in plainfield called white satin bridal. i arrived early and was immediately disappointed when nearly everything was covered in sparkles, which was exactly what i didn't want. they pulled a bunch of lace dresses which is what i thought i wanted - all covered in glitz but they told me that we could order it without the sequins and beading. i liked some of them, but didn't love any. i had grabbed one off the rack myself that looked nothing like anything i had thought i wanted but i was drawn to it for some reason. and ofcourse when i tried it on, i loved it! i didn't want to take it off, it felt special and right and i even cried just a little bit. stef and i jumped around with excitement too! we tried on more dresses and even went to our other appointment but i couldn't get that dress out of my mind so i knew it was the one. my mom and i went back to the store and bought it. feels so good to have that off our check list! the dress i bought is very different from what i planned so it sort of changes the vibe we were originally planning on so we are making some adjustments here and there to make the wedding more chic than shabby and more vintage than rustic.

we still have to finalize our caterer but we are working on scheduling 2 tastings. we are also working on a florist and hotel blocks. i'm constantly brainstorming ideas for decor and how to make the night more fun for everyone. it'll start coming together soon. we have 393 days still to figure it all out :)

NOLA!

2011-08-28T11:53:00.002-05:00

my bff tara and i planned a last minute trip to new orleans the other week and i'm so glad we did! yes it was 105 degrees with the heat index but it was so worth it! our hotel had a rooftop pool to help with the heat and give us lots of time to lay back and relax. tara is my favorite activity coordinator and she definitely kept us busy! the first day after a little bit of shopping around and some pool lounging we had a fantastic dinner at NOLA. the service down there is truly shocking but the food was worth the wait. i had a filet mignon with blue cheese, yummie potatoes, pecans and bacon. YUM! the manager liked us so much he also brought us some complimentary dessert. afterwards we took a stab at bourbon street which is just as filthy and crazy as we expected. we got our palms read, mine was a joke but tara's was pretty awesome! we walked around a bit and ended in a nice, clean jazz club to hear some fantastic jazz and enjoy some drinks. the next day we walked to the french market and got beignets! changed our lives! then we walked around the french market, bought some souvenirs and then ventured off to some side streets to find a voodoo doll and we ended up getting some awesome gourmet Popsicles which we think we should bring over to chicago. they were so refreshing. we shopped around a lot longer and then spent some more time at the pool and then got ready for dinner at mike's on the ave. another restaurant with absurdly horrible service but absolutely delicious food. after our million hour long dinner we ventured back to bourbon street to meet with a friend of a friend who was part of a bachelor party. they were a very mellow bachelor party but we had a great time and got to see the true madness of bourbon street. after a late night we had to wake up the next morning to volunteer at an animal shelter event that i asked tara to do with me. it was wayyyyy out of the way but i'm so glad we went. those people don't know how to run an event and those animals needed go getters like me and tara! we snagged a ride back into the city from a nice volunteer who gave us an impromptu tour of the city. we got dropped off and went to lunch at green goddess. it was one of my favorite meals down there. the place was a total dump but the food was just absolutely fabulous. it reminded me of chicago cuisine with a southern twist. we shared 2 awesome plates and split a praline sundae with caramel and bacon. MIND BLOWN! so good. then we took the bus down to market street for some cooler shops and then came back to the hotel for a nice nap. we woke up late and decided to do a quickie dinner at the famous spot, Mother's. I got a giant poboy and tara got gumbo. then we walked through "dirty linen night" which was an art fest and made our way over to frenchman street for jazz. it was so cool! it was much less touristy and it just had one jazz club after another. we discovered poets on the street and hired them to write poems for folks back home. i had one written for rob and it was pretty freaking awesome i must say. an older gent commissioned one of the poets to write a love poem for tara and then later took it back, probably to use on some other girl later! we watched some jazz, met an interesting drunk nurse and then made our way back to the hotel for some sweet air conditioning. the last day we slept in and walked along the river and sort of broke into the aquarium. we were debating whether it was worth the admission fee and stepped inside for a brochure and ended up inside without paying. whoops! we strolled through and it actually wasn't that great so i'm glad we were criminals and didn't waste the $18. we made our way over to cafe du monde for more beignets, had to do it, and then i made tara go to the casino with me. we won nothing but it was fun! then we walked over to this hotspot deli we kept hearing about and got awesome sandwiches and mac & cheese. so delicious! then we decided to get last minute manicures before our flight. there was only one nail technician and she was brand new and sucked pretty bad so it was taking forever so we thought for sure we were going to be late to the airport but we got there with plenty of time. i rode home on a pretty empty flight and enjoyed my booked and came home feeling a little bit fatter from all the amazing food but very calm and relaxed. such a great weekend! i can't believe everything we crammed in.

tara's one of my all time favorite travel buddies and i can't wait to do another trip soon!

trying new things.

2011-08-08T09:17:00.002-05:00

this summer has been chock full of trying new activities! i'm so glad i have such fun friends and a great fiance that are willing to try out new things with me. some activities are more extreme than others but all have been way fun.

first, i did a beer & cheese tasting with rob in the early summer. i've always done wine tasting classes and this was way more up my alley. then we did a kayaking trip down the chicago river. this was a lot harder than we expected and it rained a little to make it even more intense but we had an awesome time and i'm so glad we did it.

i would have to list wedding gown shopping under trying something new. it was definitely a new and exciting experience this summer! didn't manage to find the right dress on the first try so i get to do it all over again in a few weeks!

then i've had some fun adventures with ryann and tara this weekend. we did a byob painting class on friday. i was more interested in the byob part to be honest but we had a really good time creating our very own masterpieces! sunday was the biggest adventure i've had all summer - flying trapeze class! it's definitely the scariest thing i've done since skydiving. it was really hard work too! our muscles were shaking and sore after only a few times up there. it was really fun though even though it was so tough! my favorite part was doing a catch at the end!

can't wait to see what the next adventure will be!

hunky dory vacation!

2011-08-05T15:23:00.002-05:00

i spent all of last week with rob's family at their family vacation spot called hunky dory in wisconsin. yes, it's actually called that! i've been going with them for 4 years now and this had to be one of the best! last year all sorts of things went wrong and this year went off without a hitch (for the most part). we had a very rainy drive on the way there but the rest of the week it was truly gorgeous weather. we had one cloudy day so we went to the movies instead of our normal routine of laying out and swimming. i got to go on morning walks a few times and even squeezed in a run. we ate like there was no tomorrow - hunky dory has the best food ever! my favorite this year was the swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes. this year was especially fun because we got to spend so much time with our nephew luke who is now 15 months and super fun! i also learned how to play backgammon and pickle ball. we played several rousing games of "celebrity" which is my favorite charades-esqe game. saw a ton of shooting stars and did lots of catching up with family and friends. i also got a pretty good tan. the only true mishap was getting a fishing lure stuck in my head and having to go to the ER to get it removed. it was fairly traumatizing but really not that big of a deal. no stiches and i could still enjoy the rest of the trip! just won't be fishing for a long time! it's been really hard being back in real life after spending the majority of the day laying out or eating. i've been so exhausted just doing normal every day things - not to mention starving because of the normal diet i'm back on rather than the good hunky dory diet. i don't have to worry about this real life thing for too long because next week me and my friend tara are heading down to new orleans!!! we booked it totally last minute and we have nothing planned except the many restaurants we want to try. i really can't wait for some quality time with tara and to experience the big easy!

heat wave!

2011-07-21T10:42:00.003-05:00

it's a very HOT week with temps in the mid-to high 90s here in chicago. i definitely remember 90s being pretty standard growing up but it's been awhile since we've had numerous day in the upper 90s and everyone can't stop talking about it. yes, it's a total oven outside, but we bitched about how cool our spring was and now we have nothing but heat and everyone is still bitching....including myself. mostly because our air conditioning broke last night! very sucky to wake up in 80 degrees when we're supposed to have central a/c. and this afternoon i have to spend an hour on a rooftop talking to new students with the heat index around 105. so i've joined the bitching band wagon. i'm also very concerned about pets and the elderly - this heat can be very dangerous for them! hopefully the serious heat wave will mellow out to like mid 80s and everyone, including myself will stop complaining!

best summer ever?!

2011-07-07T09:41:00.003-05:00

it's only early july and it's already been one of the most fun summers i can remember! it's been so fabulous because:

* we've had awesome weather! i even love the crazy storms we've been getting and the warm, sunny days and warm, cool nights.

* kicked off the summer with our engagement party and lots of good family time!

* got to enjoy a boar roast for tara's birthday! so random and so delicious!

* fostered the sweetest kitten ever.

* had our beer & cheese housewarming party and it was a blast!

* enjoyed greek cuisine on an awesome rooftop with buds.

* enjoyed a few festivals - the taste, mayfest & old town art fair.

* had the best birthday ever up in michigan with friends, fam & rob!

* i've had a mini break from school which means lots of down time/naps/couch lounging/wedding planning.

* all of my summer work events turned out to be super fun and perfect weather: arlington racetrack, volunteer outing at the zoo, & our fireworks boat cruise.

* had lots of quality time with my man. lots of great date nights like our beer & cheese tasting, seeing super 8, grabbing drinks at our neighborhood pub, getting dinner at the publican & seeing his master catch at his softball game :)

and there is still SO much more summer left! i have so many things to look forward to: quality time with my bff tomorrow, 6 flags this weekend, going away party for my bud, kayaking in the river on tuesday!, ferris buellers day off movie in the park on wednesday, pitchfork festival next weekend, belated bday happy hour after that, then it's off to hunky dory with rob's family for a week!!! seriously - best summer ever!

birthday weekend!

2011-07-06T09:07:00.002-05:00

i had one of the best birthdays i can remember all thanks to my wonderful friends, fiance & family! i was able to book a chalet at the "resort" my family went to in the summers while i was growing up. it's right on lake michigan with 2 beaches, a couple of pools and nice decks. first the girls came up on saturday. we made a pit stop at st. julian's for some wine tasting and to add to our stock of wine for the weekend. then we drove up to the chalet, changed immediately and went down to the beach. it was pretty hot so we all got in the water a bit and laid out for hours. later on we grilled and ate on the deck. tara surprised me with a beautiful and delicious cake from my favorite bakery, bit of swiss! i couldn't believe she remembered and went to so much trouble! i opened up more presents -everyone was much too generous, i feel very spoiled! then we took our wine and hit the beach for the sunset. we did a tiny photo shoot and enjoyed the scenery. afterwards we went back and did some late night snacks on the grill and some smores. we played games until late into the night and i was laughing so hard my face hurt. my friends are so fun :) then next morning everyone headed back to chicago and then rob came up that afternoon. we laid out and he swam and then we went to redamaks and oinks for an early dinner & dessert. we came back and enjoyed the most amazing sunset EVER and the great fireworks random guests set off on the beach. it was a great day and night! the next day my family came up. rob stayed to hang out all day before heading back to the city. he and my dad grilled some hot dogs and sausages for lunch and then we spent the rest of the day on the beach soaking up the rays. we came played a game on the deck and then dad grilled hamburgers & potatoes and mom brought up her delicious summer salad that rob loves. i opened more presents and then we went down to enjoy a subpar sunset. there were A LOT of fireworks for the 4th and it was fun to be able to watch from the deck. we played another game and then we hit the hay. a very relaxing day. the next day we went out to breakfast and went to bit of swiss to stock up on goodies before they took me home. i had all day yesterday to catch up on cleaning and organizing the apartment before coming back to work today which was great. i truly couldn't ask for a more special weekend!

lazy week coming to a close

2011-06-23T09:07:00.003-05:00

i have had the laziest, least busy week i've had in years and i have had mixed emotions about it. usually i hit the gym after work and then have plans of some sort afterwards - this week it was pretty much just the gym and then home. rob and i watched a lot of t.v. and played with the foster kitty a lot. i cooked myself dinner EVERY night this week - that NEVER happens. i feel more tired than normal and i was so unproductive even though i had gobs of time on my hands. on monday i took a very hard fitness class, went to bingo, cooked a nice dinner and parked it in front of the t.v., tuesday i took another fitness class, cooked a nice dinner and parked it in front of the t.v. - i was supposed to go to a movie in the park but it got rained out, yesterday i went to the chiropractor and did a bit of shopping downtown. then i cooked dinner, worked on a photo album, ordered prints, and listened to rob's online radio performance and went to bed early. tonight, i'm going to the gym and maybe going to a concert and finally tomorrow i'm definitely going out after the gym and i'm busy all weekend. as much as i enjoy having nothing on the schedule, i haven't really enjoyed it as much as i should. i think i need to be pretty busy to keep me productive and it keeps my energy level higher. having so much downtime makes me just want more downtime and i just end up doing nothing with my free time. next week i have something every single night before leaving for my long weekend in michigan and i like it! i definitely need to continue to work on finding a healthy balance between insanely busy and completely not busy. the quest continues!

busy week, lazy weekend

2011-06-20T09:25:00.002-05:00

last week i celebrated my freedom from school by going out nearly every night. on monday we celebrated our friend's birthday at a bar in wicker park, tuesday i went to the MCA for free night and listened to music on the terrace and then i met tara for a ballet class at the joffrey. wednesday i had an event and then went out to dinner with jacki and tara at quartino's and thursday i picked up a foster kitten then grabbed a bite with ryann, nicole and nicole's friend nora at pegasus on their great rooftop. i took a personal day on friday and i hung out with the foster kitten for awhile, did some laundry, then took myself out to lunch at southport grocery, shopped around on southport and then got a pedicure. later on rob and i saw tree of life (which we hated). on saturday i had an event at the arlington racetrack and i invited my dad, pro horse racing better, for father's day. the event is always a bit difficult to juggle but always turns out very fun. there's a big food buffet and a great view of the track inside a nice room. we placed some bets and i think we came out even. we watched the last race from the track and it's so much more exciting down there! we had a great time together. later on saturday, i met mary for wine at vintage 338 - a really cute wine bar in lincoln park. we enjoyed several glasses of wine and yummie cheese. on sunday, i slept in, cleaned the apartment, went grocery shopping and then proceeded to lay around for hours and hours. lazy sundays are the best! rob and i watched my netflix movie, please give (didn't love it), made a nice healthy dinner and then went out for gelato. it was the nicest, most relaxing weekend after the busiest week ever! this week will probably be the most relaxing of the entire summer. i barely have anything planned and this weekend is pretty open as well. i'm trying to enjoy it as much as i can before life gets crazy again in mid july when school starts again.

summer in the city

2011-06-08T11:48:00.002-05:00

it's officially summer in the city with 90+ degree weather to prove it! i had an amazing weekend full of fun activities. i took a half day on friday so that i could run some errands and work on schoolwork before rob's family came up to see our new place and eat dinner. it was so fun to have visitors over, especially our little 1 year old nephew luke! he was enjoying running back and forth and beating on some of rob's drums. i'm so glad we got to spend time with them before they went back to california and before his little brother and his gf went on their trip to bali. later on rob and i met up with some of our friends at mayfest, the annual german festival in lincoln square. it's one of my favorites! we enjoyed some hofbrau brews and polka and then visited our friend shalva who was working at brownstones. on saturday i was productive and worked on my paper before rob took me to a beer & cheese tasting for our anniversary. we went to pastoral wine & cheese in the loop which is one of my favorite places to get a special, cheesy treat. we learned about paring craft beers with different cheeses and really loved it! so many tasty pairings! it was the most beautiful night out so we went for a walk along the river and grabbed a carriage ride, courtesy of my aunt and cousins who gave us some cash for an engagement gift specifically for a carriage ride. we got to go along lakeshore drive and enjoy the beauty of the lake. it was a really great treat and quite romantic :) on sunday my mama came up to see our apartment, grab lunch, and then check out the wedding venue. we had a great time together and i was so glad to see the venue again! i love it just as much as i did last time! unfortunately my mom's car broke down and she had to hang out a little longer than she anticipated but she eventually made it home and we still had a great day together.

now it's finals week and i'm exhausted and crabby but looking forward to it all being over by the end of the day tomorrow and having another amazing weekend!

life will be...

2011-05-27T08:57:00.003-05:00

so much better when i'm done with grad school. i only have about 32 more classes to get through and 3 comp exam questions and then i'm done. 2 more classes next week, my finals, one class over the summer for 5 weeks, 2 in the fall, then exams. i seriously can't wait; i'm so done with it. these are the things i plan to do when i'm done:

1. be spontaneous - i can't ever do anything on the fly these days because i'm usually bogged down with assignments and reading. i can't wait to live more spontaneously!

2. relax/being lazy - i miss it.

3. reading for fun - i have a pile of books i got for christmas that have not been opened because i don't have time to read them.

4. enjoy the city - i really miss going to free days at museums, using my shedd membership, trying new restaurants, visiting the zoo, going to the green city market and all my other favorite city things.

5. cooking proper meals - i'm definitely on the grad school diet these days. i've been trying to stick with salads for class but when i'm stressed i definitely want things like chipotle and dr. pepper and pop chips.

6. have more money!!!! - even though school is "free" for me b/c i work here, i still pay student fees, have to buy books and get taxed on tuition.

7. regaining clarity and peace of mind - especially now with 2 classes, i'm very foggy all the time. i can't wait to not have to think about organizational communication anymore.

8. working out more regularly - when i'm not in school i get into a great work out routine and hit the gym atleast 4x a week and i love it. i'm lucky if i get there 2-3x a week now and it's usually for a shortened workout.

9. PLAN OUR WEDDING!!!! - i haven't really gotten to dive into wedding planning because i've been so busy with school. i can't wait to have about a full year to enjoy being engaged and plan all the fun details together!

10. being a better friend and fiancee - taking 2 classes for the first time has really been crampin my social life. i can't wait to spend more quality time with the people i love.

life is so much better....

2011-05-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

in the new apartment! rob and i are loving the new place so much! it's so awesome to have a full sized comfortable couch to lay on together instead of the tiny love seat we had in my old apartment. we love our huge windows on the front of the apartment that let tons of light in and showcase the huge, beautiful trees just outside our door. when it's cool enough to open windows it lets in a great breeze and you can hear the leaves shaking. it's fantastic! we love having a giant sized kitchen that allows us both to be in it at the same time without stepping all over each other. we love going grocery shopping together and cooking for each other. still can't get over having a washer & dryer too. we really love that there is not a stompy foot giant living above us anymore. and we keep talking about going out for drinks in the new hood because there are so many places to check out and i know as soon as we do, it'll make us love life in roscoe village even more!

*very happy in our new home*

wedding update!

2011-05-17T09:12:00.002-05:00

rob and i have just started planning things for the wedding but it's still coming together slowly. we saw one venue a few weeks ago that we had already been to and weren't super impressed. but this weekend we went to 2 that were awesome!!! the first one was gallery 1028 on goose island. the coordinator was a PRO and we really clicked. the space is all exposed brick with a cool wood plank floor. we really loved the layout and the vibe but they have a lot of crazy extra fees we weren't into. still a possibility. we got a quote from their only caterer option yesterday and it was partially what we wanted (comfort food) and partially not. i wasn't too impressed. then we went to architectural artifacts further north. it's an antiques store with a large atrium for event event spaces. it's pretty awesome! we loved the look and feel but the staff was pretty weird....they also require security and insurance which adds up quite a bit. but the pros outweigh the cons there and we really love it. most importantly - they have a ping pong table we can use. what more could we want!? i'm going to floating world gallery on thursday and we are scheduled to go see prairie production this saturday and a new leaf on sunday. after that, we should probably have a winner but we have about 2-3 more possibilities if needed. i can't wait to have our venue set so that we can begin planning all the fun little details like decor and invites!

we're also getting our engagement pics done on sunday. it's supposed to thunderstorm and we're going to the lincoln park zoo. i do have a super cool 60's style clear bubble umbrella we can use as a prop but not if it's down pouring. fingers crossed that it's ok for the hour we're shooting! fingers crossed that we don't look completely idiotic...i have faith in the photogs we've selected though. check em out! - http://stofferphotography.com/index2.php.

weekend highlights!

2011-05-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

i had an awesome weekend but it definitely went by too fast! on friday i had a great workout and grabbed some groceries before getting on the train. i accidentally got on the purple line instead of the brownline and ended up in evanston :( whoopsie. when i got there, i hopped on the redline and rob picked me up. i laughed the whole time. i'd normally get super mad but i was in a good mood and just decided to roll with the punches. we drove to half acre brewery to pick up a growler and then to great lakes pizza to get a very gourmet pie. we headed home and enjoyed our dinner and then our friends molly, hogan and his girlfriend lindsay stopped by for some beers and to check out our new place. it was the perfect relaxing night. on saturday i had to get up early to volunteer at casa central for our annual day of service. we were painting two rooms...i suck at painting. i eventually was able to move on to an organization project - much more up my alley. afterwards tara and i stopped by a charity bake sale for some delicious treats that benefited the homeless. after i got home i watched a sex and the city marathon and sort of did homework before going to see something borrowed with tara, mary and colleen. we loved it! i think chick flicks are stepping up their game. it was much better than i expected. afterwards we went to birds nest to see tara's mechanic's band play - there was a cover so we just listened from the front of the bar and grabbed some beers and wings. we hit up another bar before calling it a night. i had such a good time and definitely needed a fun night with my girlfriends! on sunday i got to spend the day with my mama downtown. we went to macy's to look at registry options and fell in love with a variety of housewares. registering will be so fun! then we grabbed a quick bite before going to the joffrey ballet. we've gone several times together and it's always such a treat. it was beautiful and we really loved it. afterwards we did some shopping and then parted ways. it was a great day! i couldn't believe it was already sunday night and time to start a new week. i'm realllly looking forward to this weekend and i can't wait for it to be friday!

enjoy the beautiful spring weather everyone :)

excited/nervous!

2011-04-29T17:12:00.001-05:00

i might be a match! i got an email today that im a potential match for a patient and then i called and reconfirmed my commitment to donating bone marrow. i have a crazy mix of excitement and nerves all at once. now i wait.

http://marrow.org/

saying goodbye to boystown & solo living.

2011-04-28T08:49:00.002-05:00

on saturday i will be leaving east lakeview which i have been a resident of for the past 4 years. i will also be leaving my studio apartment and moving to a big girl apartment with the fiancée. still weird to say fiancée. we're moving to roscoe village which is west of where we live now. i absolutely love the area. it's very residential and quiet but there are lots of great restaurants and bars on our street. it's easier to find parking and it's easier to get to wicker park where most of my friends live now but also easy to still get back to east lakeview where some of my other friends live. our new place is very old but very spacious. i can't believe i'll actually have a bedroom door! it's been 3 years since i last had one! and a huge kitchen and office. but best yet - washer & dryer in unit! yay! i'm really excited to officially move in with rob too. it'll be fun to build our new home together and start a new chapter. i'm not really going to miss my apartment at all but the neighborhood will definitely be missed - especially the proximity of multiple grocery stores and bus options but mostly the proximity of our favorite mexican restaurant!! i wanted to savor these last few weeks of east lakeviewness so we've been hitting up all the neighborhood gems. we went to the bagel for brunch, shopped on broadway, went to a cubs rooftop, rob ate at the best thai place in the hood and i went to crisp - an amazing chicken joint, and tomorrow we're going to that favorite mexican restaurant one more time. it's been a good ride boystown - but i'm ready for cohabitation in roscoe village! here's hoping the move goes well :)

We're Getting Married!

2011-04-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rob popped the question on Sunday in the biggest and best way! Here's the wonderful story:

We decided to plan a trip to the Brookfield Zoo in April - one of my favorite places - and I invited my parents and my good friends and their daughter because they all have a membership and love it there as much as I do. Rob switched the date randomly because "they weren't having any dolphin shows that day anymore" so I became suspicious. I had always joked that the ultimate proposal would be at the Brookfield Zoo Dolphin Show - even more ultimate having a dolphin fin the ring on my finger. Clearly a joke. Somehow - he basically made that happen!!! We head off to the zoo on Sunday and my friend Meg says she's under the weather and not able to make it anymore and my Mom isn't answering her phone but I didn't think much of it because it was Palm Sunday so I thought they might still be in church. We get to the zoo and head straight to the dolphin show and Rob is calm as can be. We get inside and get a seat near the aisle and it starts - they ask for some youth volunteers and then they ask for some adult volunteers and I raised my hand because I always raise my hand. They actually picked me and Rob! We walked down by the side of the pool and they say that we're going to help with a new trick. At this point I knew it was happening but I never imagined it would happen the way it did. They put a ball in the dolphin's mouth (Shanook) and it swims over to the trainer and she pulls the ball out of it's mouth and it says "Marry Me" on it!!! She hands it to me and I turn to Rob and immediately sob when he gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him in front of the whole audience!!! We kiss and then a photographer takes our picture and we go back to our seat and I'm FREAKING OUTTTTTTTTTTTT! I could not believe he made that happen. We get to our seat and he introduces me to the lady next to him - she was in on it! He met with her last week while I was in Florida and got to see the dolphins practice - one actually messed up the trick and gave Rob a heart attack! Our parents came in right before the end of the show. They had been hiding so I wouldn't catch on. After the show ended we went by the pool and all the people from the crowd came and congratulated us and shook our hands and checked out my BEAUTIFUL ring. He had the ring custom made at the same place his brother in law had his sister's ring made. It's perfect and exactly what I wanted. It is modeled after my favorite "cocktail ring" that my uncle found ages ago and gave to me and I've loved it ever since. I couldn't believe he actually had it made for me. I can't stop staring at it! Anyway, we got more pictures after the show cleared out and got to take some with our new dolphin friend Shanook. It was wonderful! Then we got to enjoy a sunny day at the zoo with our parents. We had a mini photo shoot all over the zoo and got to see some of our favorite animals. We parted ways and Rob and I headed back to the city and relished in the excitement. I called a few of my friends in the car and then we just chatted about everything at home and got really excited. Later on he took me to the Signature Room for dinner. On the way to dinner a car honked at us and 2 girls stuck their heads out to shout that they were at the zoo with us - they were the trainers! What are the odds! The Signature Room was stunning! The most amazing views! We enjoyed some champagne, delicious entrées and an awesome dessert - they even wrote congratulations on your engagement in chocolate sauce on the plate! What a perfect end to a perfect day.

I still can't believe how he made it happen and that we're finally engaged after nearly 9 years together! We're SO excited and SO happy! I can't wait to start working on all the fun details to plan our special day. The engagement was perfect and it is a day that I'll never ever forget!

florida trip

2011-04-13T08:11:00.000-05:00

over the weekend my friends stef & jacki & i went to visit stef's mom in mirmar, florida for a few days. cindy was so sweet to let 3 crazy girls come invade her home and she was a great hostess! she lives in a beautiful home with a great pool and pretty view of a lake. it was lovely! we spent the first day pool side and then we went to the las olas area for dinner. we ended up at SoLita which is a place my friend recommended. it was very cool decor but utterly ridiculous. it was basically a lounge so there was lots of people groping each other in dimly lit corners, we saw LOTS of implants and it took FOREVER to get our food. i really liked my pasta and so did stef but cindy was not impressed. we got out of there as quickly as we could and picked up jacki from the airport since she had a later flight. we did some chatting pool side with a few bottles of wine until late that night. the next day cindy made us a great breakfast and then we got pedis at this great little salon and shopped around this fun outdoor mall. we hit target for some essentials and then went poolside allllll day until we hit the road for south beach for dinner and drinks. south beach is the craziest place i've ever seen! i felt like i was in a foreign country. there were so many tourists, craaaaazy outfits and restaurant hostesses harassing us to eat at their restaurants. very interesting. it was hoppin though and we parked it at a random restaurant and stared at all the very interesting people walking by. then we went to a really, really lame hotel bar rooftop with very expensive drinks. we left for an outdoor bar with a dj and a landing built over a pool and a ton of RIDICULOUS people. i sort of felt like we were on the jersey shore. it was pretty amusing. the next day stef made us homemade crepes - so delic! and then we went to fort lauderdale beach. it was about 90 degrees but under the shade of a palm tree we were enjoying the ocean breeze. we got our feet wet and then hit up hooters because we ALWAYS eat at hooters. it was very tasty and then we went home for more pool time. on our last day we laid out alllll day and we all got a little burnt but it was worth it!

literally spent most of the time laughing, eating, or telling stories. it was so fun and i'm so glad i got to have a fun getaway with my girls!

voiceless

2011-04-05T13:35:00.002-05:00

i started to lose my voice last week and by sunday all i could get out were squeaks and whispers. i've never lost my voice like that. it didn't hurt and i didn't feel too sick but i couldn't really get any words out. it has been quite the experience. i always knew that i'm a chatty girl but i really had no idea quite how chatty i am until i couldn't use my voice anymore. i also knew people in chicago were friendly, but i didn't realize quite how many said hello, good morning, how are you, etc - until i couldn't respond to them. i spent way more time thinking about what i wanted to say before speaking and whether it was even worth mentioning. i had to prioritize my thoughts since it was so difficult to get words out. i also couldn't properly express emotions without full use of my voice - i received happy news, heard a sad story and participated in a workshop - and i couldn't express myself the way i wanted. i couldnt help but think how hard it would be to not have the ability to speak permanently. i really take the ability to speak for granted and considering my lenten goal was to be a better listener...i think god might have been trying to tell me something!

what ability would be hardest for you to lose?

current obsessions.

2011-03-31T21:23:00.000-05:00

there are a few things that i can't get enough of right now and i wanted to share my obsessions!

1. Almond Milk Concentrate from Loccitane

http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Almond-Milk-Concentrate-Travel-Size-,p29LC050A0.htm

This stuff is AMAZING! It's for skin firming and smoothing and it really works! I've been using it under my eyes 2-3 times a day and I've definitely seen a difference with the fine lines. It moisturizes so well but doesn't feel too heavy or like it's clogging up my skin. I also adore the smell!

2. This American Life Radio Archive

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

I know most people are already familiar with the awesome Ira Glass and the great radio and tv show, This American Life but I recently discovered their archive online and have been filling my slower than average days with a couple of episodes. They truly tell some amazing stories and I definitely recommend it!

3. CAKE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6arAZTqAY2A

No, not edible cake - I love that too but I'm talking about the band. They recently released a new album, Showroom of Compassion and I'm VERY obsessed with the song they had on Shameless on Sunday - Long Time. Check out the link above to listen.

4. Philanthroper

https://philanthroper.com

Philanthroper is a groupon-esque site for giving to non profits. They ask that you give $1 each day to a new organization. I've probably already given about $30 since I joined. I think a little goes a long way and I'm really impressed with the site. Check it out and help out!

5. Babybel Cheese

http://www.thelaughingcow.com/products/mini-babybel-original/

Everyone knows I'm obsessed with cheese but I recently discovered the mini babybel cheeses and I LOVE THEM! I love that they're low calorie but filling. They're the perfect afternoon snack. I've tried all the different flavors - I especially like the original and cheddar. I highly recommend them!

What are you obsessed with?

spring break is over :(

2011-03-29T07:38:00.001-05:00

i've been on "spring break" since march 15 and it was amazing. and today it all ends, i have night class tonight and again on thursday. even though i didn't actually go anywhere for spring break, i didn't have to think about organizational communication for 2 weeks and that was the best vacation ever! i got to go to the gym a whole bunch and take really tough classes and kinda get back in shape, i got to make legitimate home-cooked dinners, i got to watch tv and movies we had downloaded ages ago and best of all i slept! i took off st. patrick's day and the following day for my spring break staycation. i think i slept for about 11 hours both days - glorious. the only outing i had was to whole foods, my favorite place. i went crazy getting all of my favorite things - annie's fruit snacks and honey wheat pretzels, fruit strips, all natural taquitos and organic chicken and blackberries and a beautiful salad from their killer salad bar and corned beef & mashed potatoes for later on at dinner. wonderful. the rest of my two days off were spent on the couch watching march madness. i went out on thursday for st. pat's with some friends and on friday rob and i drove to u of i for cody's birthday and show. we got a great dinner at the restaurant his girlfriend works at and then got to see cody play with 3 bands! it was really fun. then on saturday i got my haircut and had lunch at hooters with my friend stef. later on amy, tom & luke flew in and i got to spend some quality time with them that night and all day on sunday. it was great! then all last week i did as little as possible - i went to the gym and came home and laid around. on wednesday i grabbed dinner with my cousin at MK for chefs week. it was great to see her and the food was pretty good. on friday i went to the brew & view with some friends and saw no strings attached which was actually pretty cute! on saturday we went to the aquarium with mrs. j, amy and luke. luke loved it and it was so fun to spend the day together at one of our favorite places! he's such a good baby! that night rob and i got dinner at nacional 27 - my old boss gave me a giftcard from like 5 years ago that she found in her office so we went and went all out! i hadn't been there in a long time and the food was really delicious. on sunday night i got pizza & fro yo with some of my dab girls. and then it ended. all the carefree wonderfulness and laziness is done and im back to school for the next 11 weeks or so. im taking 2 classes for this first time...it will be a doozie!

co-habitation

2011-03-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

the boyfriend and i are finally moving in together, after about 9 years together. i've been resistant - wanting my own space, us to enjoy the years before marriage as independent 20somethings, and i wanted to wait until we were engaged. however, we definitely already live together unofficially so it's silly to delay the inevitable when we are so happy spending every day together under one roof. plus, rob's lease is up at the end of april so it really is perfect timing. we started hunting for apartments and setting up appointments for people to see my apartment because my lease is not up until august. rob did most of the work and found a bunch of places for us to see and made a craigslist post for my place. we viewed a few places but found the one when we were just walking around the area we liked and saw a sign for a nice looking place. the landlord was there and available to show us the place right then, so we did and we liked it. we ended up signing a lease on thursday last week and we're good to go! it's quite big with 1bdrm, an office, dining room, large kitchen and medium sized living room. it's seriously vintage...aka very old but it's huge, felt homey and includes all utilities except cable/internet AND HAS A WASHER/DRYER IN UNIT! dream come true! my place got rented over the weekend too so everything is falling into place. i'm really excited! not looking forward to the actual moving part - i hate packing and moving furniture and then reorganizing everything and trying to get settled in but it'll all be worth it. i'm interested to see if we'll face any challenges with this new living situation. currently we basically live in my tiny studio apartment - it's decorated how i want it, i get all the closet space, i can freak out if there is a glass left out for 2 days and so on...but soon it will be OUR place and it will decorated how WE want it and i can't freak out if he leaves a glass out for 2 days because it's his place too .... or can i? the main thing that will be an adjustment for me will be sharing food. i'm crazy about food. i don't like sharing certain things. we'll be sharing and splitting everything so we'll see how that works out :) but if that's our biggest challenge i think we'll be in pretty good shape.

irish lassy

2011-03-11T10:18:00.002-06:00

being 50% irish means i gotta do it up for st. pat's. every year since i can remember i've worn my over sized "if irish eyes are smiling, you can bet they're up to something" shirt my aunt got me when i was about 11. this year i will kickstart the festivities with my friend darcy's birthday celebration. they're starting early tomorrow morning with a keg at their house and then cruising around the neighborhood. then i'll go to birthday celebration #2 and #3 - my rugby friends leah and nikki are celebrating with a realllly early house party and then hitting up our college fav - kelly's. i have gone to kelly's every year for st. pat's except one since i moved to chicago. they put up a big tent, the beers aren't too expensive and something ridiculous always happens. next week i think i'll do st. pat's festivities with my coworkers after work on wednesday and with my friends on thursday. i took thursday and friday off to enjoy some time to myself and sleep a lot - i'll probably venture out for a corned beef sandwich somewhere.

i definitely always favor my czech heritage so i gotta make my irish mama proud and drink a lot of green beer to show my irish pride over the weekend :) she'll be so proud.

happy st. patrick's day everyone!

connecticut trip

2011-03-09T07:10:00.000-06:00

my boss asked me to go to hartford to work pregame receptions for the big east women's basketball tournament and i gladly accepted. i'm a college hoops fanatic and i was excited to get out of the city for awhile. i had a quick and easy flight in, got a rental car and drove - a bit aimlessly - to my hotel. i slept so well that night, it was so nice to have peace and quiet and time to myself. the next day i met staff from athletics at the arena to decorate our room and go over everything. after that i had time to kill so i decided to go for, go on a short drive to get the burger i've been dreaming of ever since i saw it on man vs food. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSoivxhC8Og steamed cheeseburger with a slab of steamed cheese. unreal. i made it there in a crappy little rainstorm and just stared at the sign for a second, couldn't believe i was finally getting to try it! it was a bit crowded but i made my order - cheeseburger with my favorite toppings and cheesy home fries which are basically really thick fries, almost like potato wedges. it was sooo good and i inhaled it. total bucket list moment. after that it was time for the game, we had a huge turnout at our pregame reception and the girls won their game. i stayed for awhile to watch the notre dame/louisville game but i just really can't stand ND fans so i left to go to my hotel to work on homework. the next day i woke up and got right to work, i had a paper due the next day and still had a lot of work. after working for several hours i ventured out into sunny hartford and explored a bit. i grabbed lunch at woody's, the hotdog place featured on man vs food. all of their hotdogs are a foot long and they have all different kinds but i got one with cheese, brown mustard and chopped onion with fries. i LOVED it! quite possibly more than the burger from the day before. they grill the bun which made it buttery and crisp and the fries were perfect. junk food heaven! after that i ran some errands and then it was time for the pregame reception and game vs notre dame. our girls did pretty well, had the lead for awhile but in the end, they lost. and nothing tastes more sour than a loss to stupid notre dame. i was super bummed but almost glad they didn't go to the championship vs connecticut because uconn just KILLS everyone, they're seriously like a professional basketball team...it's never pretty. i went home and worked on my paper for several hours and crashed. the next day i started my long day of travel and everything went smoothly and i was home in time for class and felt pretty good about my paper.

i was really glad i had the chance to go to support our women and connect with our alumni in the area but i was definitely ready to go home. hartford aint got nothing on chi town!

pure michigan weekend!

2011-03-02T07:43:00.000-06:00

this weekend my bud ryann and i drove to grand rapids, michigan to visit our friends jamie and kyle. they recently bought a house and got 2 pups so a visit was in order! as soon as we got up there jamie took us to an outdoor craft beer festival at a ball park. it was crazy and oh so michigan. jamie strung up some pretzel necklaces that you eat right off the string so that you keep something in your belly other than beer. we arrived and got our 13 tokens - you're supposed to turn one in with each tasting but we didn't really do that too much so it's sort of a free for all. i think we tried about 8 each?? not too sure...but we liked almost everything we got! i think my favorite part was the screaming - everyone would raise their glass and the entire tent would just kinda holler in unity. it reminded me of oktoberfest! it was pretty cold and slushy and all of our feet were quite frozen. they had fire pits that helped us warm up though. i think we made it a little over 3 hours before we had kyle come pick us up. we were giddy and slightly tipsy and made him take the top off his jeep - we had giggle fits over the snow coming in on the short ride home. then we zoned out for hours, ate some of jamie's wonderful homemade lasagna and enjoyed some fabulous desserts. kyle's friend from home came up too. the next day we went to their church which was really nice to see. they are part of the united church of christ and it's so community oriented and accepting. i really enjoyed going. after that we went to the omelet shoppe for an insanely large brunch. we were all starving so we all ordered way too much - but then ate it all. i got a spinach, swiss & onion quiche, a cup of soup and a side of hashbrowns. fantastic! we went back home with our full bellies so i could check out jamie's handmade jewelry and shop a little. she's got some really great pieces! then i interviewed her for my class while ryann snoozed. then jamie gave us a quick tour of the downtown area - we got to see several awesome pieces of art from their annual "art prize" event. my favorite was a beautiful mosaic in the JW mariott. so pretty! then we hit up Founders Brewery. it was so cool in there and they have AMAZING beer! we tried a bunch of little samples, some peanuts, cheesy beer dip and one big beer. we chatted a little while longer and then ry and i hit the road. it was a great weekend and i was thrilled to be part of jamie and kyle's michigan life!

happy thoughts!

2011-02-22T08:48:00.002-06:00

last week i was feeling very overwhelmed and stressed out. i still feel a bit stressed but there are too many things to be happy about to let it get me down! happy thoughts include:

it's chicago restaurant week! already had a fabulous dinner with darcy at NAHA on sunday and rob and i will be dining at chicago q this friday!

it also means that chef's week is just around the corner! made a reservation for late march at MK. CANNOT WAIT! the chef's week restaurants had me foaming at the mouth. so excited!

a good friend got engaged over the weekend and i'm so excited for her and her hubby to be! i'm so looking forward to their wedding and i'm already having a blast talking wedding with nicole. love all the fun details!

huge news - the depaul women's basketball team got bumped up to #7 because of their big win vs georgetown. so proud of the ladies! march madness will be here before you know it!

it's week 8 of the quarter which means spring break is near! i'm going to take a couple of days off to sleep, read, veg and clean my apartment before next quarter starts and i'm taking 2 classes and my life is over as i know it.

i'm going to michigan this weekend to visit a college buddy and i can't wait! she has a house i haven't seen and 2 pups i've never met! she's taking us to a craft brew festival which i'm really looking forward to! it'll be nice to get out of the city and get some quality girl time.

just updated my march calendar and it's full of wonderful things to look forward to - time off from school, a visit from the liebls, bday celebrations, concerts and dinners with friends. doesn't get much better than that!

hope everyone else has plenty of happy thoughts these days :)

valentine filled weekend.

2011-02-14T12:09:00.000-06:00

i spent the entire weekend with my love and it was a great one. on friday we went to the counter, a build your own burger place in lincoln park. i had a groupon that was expiring soon so we decided to use it up. i went for a turkey burger, with blue cheese, lettuce, onion, scallions and hot wing sauce. it was super spicy but good! rob got a spicy burger of his own and we split cheese fries. we were stuffed but we always have room for bobtail! i also had a groupon for bobtail ice cream and it's really close to the counter so we went for it. i wanted to try something new but i go there so rarely i HAD to get my usual: cubby crunch (cookie crumbles, toffee and little candies in vanilla ice cream) with hot fudge. rob got cappuccino yogurt and white chocolate pb cup. they have games there and i made him play this really really old word game. i thought it would be fun, it was not, but we laughed a lot. afterwards we watched the fighter which was very good! on saturday we ran some errands and i had to work the women's basketball game vs marquette. my parents drove up and rob came to the game too. it was a close game and kept us on the edge of our seats. afterwards we grabbed a late dinner and drink at state, my dad's favorite. when we got home we watched somewhere. i scrapbooked rob's israel trip while we watched and wasn't too impressed with the flick. sunday we celebrated valentine's day a little early with brunch at our favorite - julius meinl. it was gorgeous out for february so the walk to southport felt great. we ordered quite the spread - i got a slice of their cheddar, potato and bacon quiche with a side of marble rye toast with their awesome blueberry jam, a peppermint hot chocolate with whipped cream and ended with traditional apple streudl. i'm full just thinking about it. rob got their famous baked eggs with sausage and some toast and a carmel apple danish and a cappuccino. then we walked down the street to the music box theatre, one of my treasured chicago spots, to see casablanca. it's my parent's favorite movie and i have never seen it all the way through! they started with a cute old man playing the organ and a funny man singing old timey love songs. it was pretty adorable, even rob sang. the movie was fantastic and it definitely put us in the valentine's day spirit. afterwards we had some downtime and i worked on my homework while rob watched tv. this morning he had beautiful roses and dark red carnations sent to my office and we're going to cook dinner together and open presents. truly one of the most memorable valentine's days to date. i'm so lucky!

happy valentine's day everyone!

snow days

2011-02-06T10:57:00.002-06:00

so as everyone has heard, chicago was hit with a boat load of snow this week. i was one of the non-believers and was convinced i'd still be going to work on wednesday and that it wouldn't be that bad. well on tuesday morning we got emails saying we were required to leave by 3 p.m. and that we'd be closed on wednesday and tentatively opening on thursday. depaul hasn't closed in ages for snow. so then i knew it was a big deal. i was not super thrilled because i have SO much to do at work these days and it meant i couldn't do my work out classes! but my freaking professor still decided to conduct an online discussion class that night which i still think is still total bs. so i left work around 330 and i decided i need good snow day food so when i got off the bus and was hit with icy snowflakes and insane winds, i booked it to treasure island and picked up some fancy cheese, crackers, a fro pizza and some cool beers. rob got home shortly after me and we just watched footage on the storm, watched it dump down out my window, checked out weather maps online and listened to the thundersnow. i did my dumb discussion class and then we went downstairs before bed to check out the street and it looked insane! drifts were so high and the winds and lightning were nuts. the next day neither us had to work but i worked from home the best i could but took a break with rob to scoop out his car before everything froze. it was kinda fun but a lot of work. by wednesday night i was super stir crazy so we made a walk to the mailbox just so i could move around. i also started scrapbooking rob's israel trip to keep busy. on thursday rob had to go back to work but i was stuck at home again. i did some work from home and then ventured over to campus to print my homework assignments and work out. it really wasn't that bad but i'm glad they didn't have school. it would have been so tough for commuter students to make it in while campus was still being cleaned up. after my work out i had dinner plans with two of my girlfriends. walking to my friend's apartment was like hiking a mountain. half of the sidewalks hadn't been plowed and it was still pretty windy and very cold but it was worth the trek. we had a great time celebrating my friend's new job and i was so grateful to get out of the house. on friday it was back to work and i worked my butt off trying to catch up but i'm still behind thanks to the snow days. it was definitely an epic couple of days and i'm a little bummed that i didn't take more advantage of the days off to just rest or do fun things like day drink or watch movies all day or something like everyone else did. but it's been a good weekend filled with lots and lots of sleep and fun friend time so i think it all evens out. hope everyone else survived the crazy weather!

why january rocked!

2011-02-01T08:40:00.022-06:00

2011 is treating me well so far. even though i'm drowning in work and school stuff, i'm still having one of the best months ever and here's why....

birthdays galore! i celebrated 1 cute little 2 year old's, 2 coworkers', 2 friends' and my man's birthday this month. i had a ton of fun celebrating all of them! i love getting big groups of people to celebrate someone's special day. we had a girlie party for bella, cookies & burgers for my 1 coworker, cupcakes for my boss, manis for mary, a shady bar bar crawl for ryann and ping pong bar night for rob. all so fun!

also had a couple of free swanky parties thanks to my girl's places of business. tara's work party was at privet where we enjoyed pink champagne and caitlin's was at a cool private space called annex where we enjoyed the photo booth and button making station.

i got to a hawks game with mary and caitlin and they won! i did my first depaul women's basketball game with my parents and rob and they also won and are now ranked #9 in the country!

i had a few really successful events for work including one at the chicago cultural center that had nearly 500 people in attendance - the biggest reception

ever!

i ate really well - bbq brisket and cheesy potatoes for rob's birthday, a visit to girl & the goat, meg's homemade goodies, junk food at meg's dinner party, lots of great junk food - sweetwater, dmk & redflame pizza, lots of cheese - some from pastoral, lots at work events and @ a wine tasting with the girls and lastly various ethnic dishes @tara's dinner party.

i saw weezer's memory tour in the vip section, saw rob's bro play some outstanding bluegrass and attempted ice skating again.

overall, it's been a great month filled with lots of quality time, lots of laughs and lots of fun. i certainly hope the rest of 2011 is just like this!

week in review

2011-01-21T08:57:00.002-06:00

so all those things i was looking forward to over the weekend were ruined by some weird stomach bug i picked up :( on friday after the gym i just went home and laid on the couch to study and watch tlc bridal shows while my stomach ached. saturday morning i had to wake up and volunteer for 7 hours - which was fun and it went well but i almost vomited numerous times. i came home to nap and woke up even worse and tried to pull it together and go to mary's birthday dinner. i made it there but got sick at the restaurant and had to leave :( i got more sleep and have an awesome boyfriend who left a concert to bring me ginger ale and make me toast - i woke up feeling a little better the next day and pulled it together to go to the hawks game. i wasn't going to miss that!!! i still didn't feel very good but the hawks winning the game and quality time with mary and caitlin was a good temporary fix. monday i had to leave work early and skip bingo, which i HATE to do. i rested up a lot and ate a real meal of plain chicken breast and rice. big step up from the toast and soup i had been consuming for 3 days straight. i woke up the next day feeling almost back to normal and went off to class that night. i really do love my class. i'm learning so much and it really reminds me that i did make the right choice for my program. lots of potential thesis topics are arising. then on wednesday, i woke up and felt like a whole new woman! i'm still exhausted but no stomach issues anymore - knock on wood. i got to get a work out in and then go to the girl & the goat with tara for dinner. i've been DYING to try it. we ordered way too much ofcourse - we had their special bread with whipped goat cheese and a tomato spread, a goat, yogurt and cheese pizza, a chickpea fritter with goat cheese and hummus, crispy chicken breast and a chicken empanada, ham frites and sweet potato gratin with crispy onions and bleu cheese. we could have probably done without the pizza for sure but we wanted to try something with goat. my favorites were the sweet potatoes and crispy chicken breast. none of it blew my mind but everything was good - thoughtful, interesting and good flavor combos. but the best part was just spending time with tara - it had been awhile! and last night i got some quality time with my man - we went to see blue valentine which i thought was a super depressing version of 500 days of summer. i liked it though and i thought ryan gosling was phenomenal. tonight we're off to u of i to see his bro play in his bluegrass band. i'm really looking forward to it! and tomorrow is bella's 2nd birthday party. so the week had it's ups and downs but hopefully the rest of january will be fabulous!

looking forward to....

2011-01-14T14:46:00.002-06:00

january has been pretty good to me so far with lots of birthday celebrations, a junk food dinner party, a weezer concert, a wine tasting, ice skating with mrs. j, tara's great work party and an enjoyable class. but there are so many things to look forward to for the rest of the month!

*celebration of service tomorrow

* celebrating mary's birthday tomorrow night

* hawks game on sunday

* girl & the goat with tara on wednesday

* family time on thursday night

*the day off on friday

* seeing rob's brother's bluegrass band at u of i

* bella's 2nd birthday party!

* huge alumni event in 2 weeks

* rob's 26th birthday party

* caitlin's work party

* getting to my first women's bball game of the season

and then it's february!

transition from vaca back to the real world

2011-01-06T10:22:00.001-06:00

monday was my first day back to work after just under 2 weeks off. i ended vacation with mixed emotions. the first half of vacation was busy and full of family time but the second half basically involved a lot of couch and tv time. i can't even really remember what i did...mostly because it was a whole lotta nothing. normally, i have a hard time relaxing and being lazy but i didn't have much trouble this time! my eyes didn't feel tired, my skin looked better and i was sleeping for about 9 hours every night. i did start to crave productivity and felt guilty for being so lazy so i was definitely ready to get back to work on monday. i am glad to have a handle on my projects, have a routine and to jump back into a regular social life. however, i'm really really really tired. i had my first class after 6 weeks of no school on tuesday. i actually loved it! i like the content, the format and the professor. i'm so glad to be back in a classroom learning relevant things that i can apply to my work and my life. BUT i'm not quite ready to be doing homework again...i have so much reading to do and i don't even know how to sit down and do it anymore. i also didn't work out over break and monday was my first work out back. it was pretty standard but yesterday i decided to take a cardio kickboxing class...i haven't seen my face turn so red since jr. high basketball. it was sooo hard and i'm sooo out of shape. i ended up in bed at 10 p.m. but still feel totally exhausted. my calendar is nice and full - just as like it. filled with work functions, fitness classes and fun social outings. i'm so excited for so many things - a wine tasting tonight, weezer concert tomorrow, ice skating on saturday and several birthday parties - it's going to be a great month! but my body hasn't adjusted back to productive yet. i'm still stuck on the desire to sit around and do nothing. there are so many things i like about my non-vacation life but i need to get back in the groove!! hopefully i snap back soon!

2010 recap!

2011-01-01T12:50:00.004-06:00

2010 was quite the year! it was full of wonderful memories and special occasions. here are some of the highlights!

i took 8 vacations/trips this year! i started the year in prague with rob, milwaukee with tara and ry, daytona beach with the horaths, california to visit caitlin and the liebls, hunky dory with the jensens, france with depaul folks, minnesota for rob's cousin's wedding and galena with my best girlfriends - not to mention several trips to michigan throughout the summer/fall. i can't believe i was out of town so much! i had so many amazing experiences with wonderful people and i can't be more grateful for all of the fun travel i did this year.

i was part of two weddings this year for two of my best friends! i had the honor of standing up in both weddings. it was so special to be part of two of my oldest and best friend's special days. i had an absolute blast at each wedding and both of the brides did a wonderful job!

i also became an "auntie" - unofficially. rob's sis had a perfect baby boy, luke. its been great watching him grow up over this past year and to be able share many memories with him and amy & tom.

i tried 64 new restaurants! my new year's resolution last year was to try as many new places as i could and i surpassed my goal! here's the list of all the places i tried:

tizi melloul, prosecco, nesh, blackbird, gemini bistro, may st. cafe, floriole, red mango, izaru, eleaven, bistrot zinc, duchamp, fireplace inn, piccolo sogno, firehouse grill, dmk burger bar, lucky's, devon seafood & grill, meze, sola, park grill, harmony grill, el nuevo, primebar, the counter, shiso, big star, falafel, kith & kin, fuego, cafe twist, five guys, renaldis, rhapsody, pho&i, jam, lokal, urban burger bar, the crossing, longman and eagle, chizakaya, revolution brewing, zocalo, cookie bar, birds nest, m burger, sable, fresca at macy's, del seoul, meatloaf bakery, paciugo, more cupcakes, al's beef, sunda, julius meinl, mista, bangers and lace, lovely, crisp, dog house, walnut room, table 52, castos, xoco.

i'm pretty proud of that list! it was a mix of fast food, burger joints, foodie spots, gourmet, dessert places, cafes and bars. i had a really hard time selecting my favorites but i think these are my top fives: longman and eagle, jam, table 52, nesh and crisp. my least favorites: fuego, blackbird, prosecco and urban burger bar are definitely places i will never return. honorable mentions: piccolo sogno, zocalo, kith & kin, julius menil, xoco and fireplace inn. i plan to keep track of all the new restaurants i try again this year because it's great to look back at all the amazing food i tried and meals i enjoyed.

this year's resolution is to be more spontaneous and allow more me time. i'm looking forward to all that 2011 has to offer! happy new year friends!

FOOOODDDDDDD!!!!!

2010-12-22T14:44:00.003-06:00

yesterday was wonderful because of all the delicious food i consumed! my mom and i met my cousin and aunt at macy's to have lunch at the walnut room. i've never done it and my mom used to go when she was little with her mom so we decided to start our own tradition. my mom and i got there around 11 a.m. and waited in line to get the pager. about 20 minutes just to get the pager and then we were told there was a 2 hour wait. so we did some shopping and then met up with my aunt and cousin. we finally got seated and had a great view of the tree. our waitress was really funny and kept us laughing the whole time. my mom and i both ordered the asiago crusted chicken breast with sour cream and chive mashed potatoes and veggies. it was so yummie! i had very low expectations for the food but i really loved it. my mom and i cleaned our plates and then we split a frango cheesecake. also delicious!!! we were so stuffed afterwards! later on we went to see my cousin's new condo which is just a few blocks away from me. it's beautiful and i'm so happy for her! then i had some downtime at home before my dinner date with rob. he came home and we exchanged christmas gifts before dinner. i gave him a sturdy portfolio to keep all of his show posters and a promise to scrapbook his israel trip for him. he gave me a gorgeous necklace from dogeared. i love it. and the other part of my gift was dinner at a snazzy restaurant. i gave him 5 choices and then he picked. he selected table 52 and i'm so glad he did! it was very intimate inside and total comfort food all the way. they brought out deviled eggs (i dont eat those so rob had 2!) and a goat cheese biscuit = stupidly amazing. then we ordered a side of mac & cheese to split and i got breaded catfish with a hush puppy, collard greens and cheese grits. unbelievable. the mac and cheese was truly unbelievable. it was perfect in every way. crispy on top and creamy on the inside and so flavorful! rob got a huge pork chop that was so juicy and flavorful and it came over a yummie bean stew. they brought out little sweet potato cakes with cream cheese frosting at the end. so many freebies! we were so pleased with our meal! i'm so glad we went there and i think food is the greatest gift he could ever give me. i loved it!!!!

my new year's resolution to eat at as many new restaurants as i could is coming to a close and the total is currently at 63. i will probably squeeze in a couple more before ringing in 2011 but table 52 is definitely at the top!

christmas season countdown!

2010-12-17T10:29:00.002-06:00

i've REALLY been enjoying the holiday season this year - so unlike me! and there are a lot of really fun things on the agenda. so here is my official holiday season countdown:

1 day till high school bff fun for stef's birthday and decorating the tree with my folks

2 days until fam christmas celebration at my aunt & uncle's

3 days until i give my seniors their christmas gifts!

4 days till my mom and i do the walnut room AND rob takes me out for my surprise christmas dinner

5 days till my last day of work for 11 days!

6 first day of vacation!

7 days until christmas eve

8 days until christmas day at my aunt's

9 days until i get to see amy, luke and tom and celebrate the jensen's christmas!

10 days until rob's dad's side gets together for christmas

11 days until i take a day for myself in the city

12 days until i do the same thing :)

13 days until we get to spend more time with the luke meister in the burbs

14 days until new year's eve!

15 days until i get to hang out with my bestest that will be in from germany

16 days until high school bffs do our junk food dinner party at meg & rys!!!

A FABULOUS 16 days if you ask me!!!!

perfect weekend

2010-12-13T12:03:00.002-06:00

even though we had HORRIBLE weather and i caught a cold - this weekend was still lovely! on friday i worked out, grabbed chicago bagel authority for dinner and then went to the Christmas at DePaul production at St. Vincent de Paul church with my friend and her roomie. they have a 200 person choir and a 50 person orchestra and the church is lit up beautifully. it's a great way to get in the holiday spirit. afterwards we went to see rob play with the sleeptalkers. it was really fun and i'm glad my friend lydia got to see him play because it's been awhile! on saturday it rained all day and my friend jamie was in town. we were supposed to do holiday things downtown but the weather ruined that. so we sat at her friends under a cozy blanket and caught up over some wine and beer. it was delightful! then we met a friend for a drink and then i met rob and my parents for the punch brothers show at lincoln hall. they're a bluegrass band we saw open for steve martin at ravinia this summer. i'm pretty obsessed with them! my dad is a big bluegrass fan and it was so fun to take them to a show. i loved it! on sunday i did coffee at lovely in wicker park with jamie and tara before jamie had to head back to michigan. we had a nice time catching up! then i went home to get everything ready for my christmas dinner party. the weather kept getting worse and worse but most of my party guests still made it over! we had quite the spread! it was so nice to see everyone and spend some time with my favorite friends during this busy season. i'm so grateful they were all willing to make the trek over. this week includes several more holiday activities - rob's holiday party at work, a holiday tour downtown and some more family christmas activities. i'm not usually super festive during christmas but im really getting into it this year!

multi-step days

2010-12-11T11:06:00.002-06:00

we all know i love to be busy. i'm more productive when i'm busy. i feel more satisfied and accomplished. i like working my schedule out like a little game. but, there are downfalls of being busy - exhaustion, crankiness and no me time. sometimes i pack my schedule so tight i don't leave any time for me or to laze about. since the insane laziness i had over thanksgiving, i've really picked up the pace with plans lately. everyday has multiple steps that i have to get through. granted, they're all things i want to do and i'm excited about but when there is so much of it to do, it can get wearing.

i'll show you my week in steps.

monday: step 1 - work. step 2 - gym. step 3 - volunteer at bingo.

tuesday: step 1 - work. step 2 - chiropractor. step 3 - christmas shop for 3 hours.

wednesday: step 1 - work. step 2 - work at the doggie boutique. step 3 - home for dinner. step 4 - go to wicker park for rob's show.

thursday: step 1 - work. step 2 - gym. step 3 - lydia's students art show on the south side. step 4 - beers and wings with friends on the northside.

friday: step 1 - work. step 2 - gym. step 3 - christmas show at depaul. step 4 - drinks with friends. step 5 - rob's show on the northside.

saturday: step 1 - grocery shop. step 2 - clean my apartment. step 3 - meet up with an out of town bud. step 4 - meet my parents for a bluegrass show.

sunday: step 1 - meet out of town friend. step 2 - cook and clean all day. step 3 - dinner with friends.

so it's been a lot of steps this week. all things i've really wanted to do but i'm exhausted. during the day i literally think -ok just a couple more steps to get through my day. the steps are all so fun and enjoyable but i think i need atleast one step to be RELAX or i'll die! i have 10 days off at christmas to look forward to!!!

pet peeves.

2010-12-09T12:10:00.003-06:00

i have a long list of pet peeves and annoyances. when i experience them, my heart starts to race, i get anxious and annoyed beyond control and it often ruins my mood. i know that many of them don't bother most people so it's ridiculous for me to expect people to know that they drive me up the wall. but sometimes i wish the rest of the world was on board with me. for example...

nail biting - stresses me to the max. when people bite their nails in front of me it makes me think they're nervous about something which then makes me nervous. i literally bat rob's hands out of his mouth when he does it.

hef chewing on his cage - my gerbil has a tendency to chew on the metal bars of his cage in one corner in particular. the noise REALLY gets under my skin. he's not smart enough to learn to stop. i've tried to train him, it doesn't work.

repetitive noises of all kinds - this could be humming, coughing, tongue clicking, foot tapping, water dripping - any of it makes me want to smack someone. alarm clocks are my biggest enemy.

chatterboxes during rush hour - when i ride the bus at 8 a.m. or after work - i'd really like to zone out quietly without having to hear your child squeal or your convo with your bff on your cell.

people that walk in the middle of the side walk at the pace of a snail and you can't pass them because they're taking up the whole damn sidewalk - enough said.

unaware bus passengers - i really don't like when someone has tries to pull the stop cord on the bus and it's already been pulled. and keeps pulling it waiting for the ding. i know this one is VERY silly but every time it happens i just think what a dummie the other person is.

i wish i wasn't such an irritable person, but i am. what are your pet peeves??

winter activities!

2010-12-07T08:41:00.001-06:00

even if it's not technically winter yet according to the calendar, it's definitely winter in chicago. it snowed on friday and then got very, very, very cold. each year i forget what it feels like. how awful the wind can get, how the dampness in my hair freezes in the morning and how my fingers hurt from extreme coldness. i don't understand how i forget this each year. it's in the teens today. i don't even remember what single digits feels like. not looking forward to that! despite the wretchedness of the cold weather, there are lots of wonderful things to do in chicago in wintertime.

i started to get in the holiday spirit this weekend. on friday rob and i went to the lincoln square german christmas market. they had a big heated tent with adorable christmas carolers, gift booths and german fare. their winter fest isn't nearly as fun as their summer and fall festivals but i still loved it. afterwards we went to a nearby german bar and i loved that even more. saturday night i met some friends out for a santa pub crawl and got to admire all the drunkie's bear soaked santa beards and creative costumes. it was definitely interesting! sunday rob and i went to his mom's for hanukkah. mrs. j cooked up a huge hanukkah feast for the 3 of us to enjoy. we had challah, matzo ball soup, chicken, potato pancakes and veggies. then we had some hanukkah sugar cookies, christmas cookies and ice cream. we were stuffed! then we went home and decorated my apartment with some of the christmas decor mrs. j passed on and the new lights i bought.

this weekend there will be more fun winter time activities - a trip to the zoo to see the lights display, the depaul christmas production and a christmas dinner with some friends. on thursday my work is hosting a lights tour throughout the city and we'll get to go to macy's to see the windows and the german market in daly plaza. i'm so excited!

hope your winter is full of fun activities too!

new found love for coupons!

2010-12-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

i never really paid attention to coupons or special offers before but lately i've been getting some really good ones and i've been totally taking advantage of them! i used to forget to redeem them and saving money wasn't a huge priority for me. now that money is tight with christmas shopping and tuition fees, i'm definitely using them all the time!

first there is my beloved jewel coupons that end up saving me a fair amount of money on my weekly shopping trips. and ofcourse my favorite - groupon. i have been using those so much lately, the deals are too good to be true! i can't wait to use the body shop and nordstrom ones! they have really come in handy for christmas shopping.

i have gotten some really great online offers too. walgreens always has some good special going on and i've already used their special coupon codes twice for holiday shopping. right now it's 33% off photo books, prints and other gifts until saturday. you should check it out! restaurants.com is also completely out of control as far as extreme deals. i stocked up on great gift cards for me and friends. my fellow blogger friend (http://stephanietaylorr.wordpress.com/) recommended retailmenot.com for special coupon codes for holiday shopping. they have so many coupon codes for every store imaginable!

i've also been getting tons of mailed coupons this year that have amazing offers. so far i've used coupons/special offers at victoria's secret, michael's, origins and bath and body works. i got so many quality christmas presents, plus some small stuff for me and i saved so much money.

i also try to remember all the places i get discounts because i work at and went to depaul. be sure to visit your alma mater websites to see what benefits you receive as a grad of the university.

all of these deals feel like i'm getting free money and i love getting creative with it! it's like a little game. if you're looking to save some money but still get nice gifts for the holidays, i would recommend getting on the mailing and email lists for the companies i bolded. the deals keep coming! here's hoping our mailboxes have some more great deals soon!

what's been your favorite holiday deal so far?

sleep study and my relaxing weekend

2010-11-28T10:37:00.003-06:00

on tuesday i had to do my sleep study that my ear, nose & throat doctor ordered because he thought i had sleep apnea. i was dreading the study because of how ridiculous it sounded. the paperwork they sent me said they would be shoving tubes in my nose, wires all over my head and whatnot. i couldn't imagine being able to actually sleep there. i arrived at the avenue hotel where they have a lab on the 15th floor. they showed me to my room to fill out a bunch of paperwork and after about an hour they came to hook me up to all the wires and told me i couldn't move for the rest of the night. they put some by my mouth, my temples, all over my head, behind my ears and on my legs. they attached the wires with a toothpaste like substance which was pretty gross. i felt like a robot hooked up that way. i watched tv and did a crossword while i was all tangled up in these wires and eventually passed out. i had a hard time falling asleep and woke up about as often as i normally do throughout the night but i slept ok! in the morning they came in to unhook me and told me i did not have sleep apnea but the test results should be able to tell me how deep i was sleeping and what caused me to wake up so much. overall, it was an interesting experience but i'm glad i got it over with!

i took the next day off to recover from the crappy night of sleep. i came home around 7 a.m. and fell back asleep for a few hours and when i woke up, i began my laziness marathon. i watched hours of instant stuff on my netflix and then i went to the aquarium downtown. it was terrible weather so it was nice and empty and i got to check out lots of animals. afterwards i hopped on the metra to head to my parents. when i got home i ran to the mall to get some christmas gifts and then came home for dinner and quality time with my parents. the next day was thanksgiving and it was really nice to have everyone together. thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because i have so much to be grateful for and i love food! the next day i slept in nice and late and laid around for hours. eventually made it to the grocery store and then i went out with my friends ryann and caitlin later on. saturday, i slept in yet again and we eventually went to bobtail for ice cream and then ran some errands. then we did absolutely nothing, even napped! and later we went to a concert at lincoln hall. today, slept in AGAIN and did brunch at julius meinl which was fabulous. we hit up some shops nearby and then came back to my place and did a nice serious cleaning together. and now we have time to finish our weekend as lazy as it started. i can't remember the last time i did this much laying around. i felt guilty some of the time but i just simply didn't have anything i had to do! most of my friends were out of town and i am broke from all the christmas shopping so laying around was all there was to do! on average i got about 9 hours of sleep every night since wednesday and i've watched about 7 movies and spent a million hours on the couch. the bags under my eyes have gone down and my eyes aren't as red as they usually are. i definitely needed this!

free time freak out.

2010-11-19T07:30:00.001-06:00

i'm so not used to having free time. i usually have every hour planned out and allotted for a particular task or activity. i like being busy. i am more productive when i'm busy. i've always had a hard time relaxing and sitting still. i can't just sit and watch movies or read a book. i have to do it at the same time or make cards, scrapbook, clean or do emails. i'm the queen of multi tasking. when i sit on the couch i often just perch so that i'm ready to get up and do something right away. i know, i have a problem. of course there are times when i can just kick back and totally veg out but they are few and far between. now that school is over for 6 weeks and there is a lull at work until bball season picks up, i'm going to have a lot of free time. this weekend for instance - i don't have anything i HAVE to do on saturday and sunday during the day. this is completely foreign to me and it's actually a little unsettling. it makes me think i'm forgetting something. i wrote out a big to do list of things i could do but nothing is super pressing. everyone keeps telling me to just enjoy it. but i honestly don't even know how. i feel better with a plan. so this is my plan for tomorrow.

* Sleep in

* Watch my netflix in my pjs

* Finish my arts & crafts

* Drop off donations

* Nap at some point

* Go out with my girlfriends

i can take it easy and still have a plan!

Medical Mayhem

2010-11-16T07:30:00.002-06:00

about 6 months ago i found out that i had a deviated septum. i knew something wasn't right because i always had a sinus infection and almost always had sinus pain - so i wasn't too surprised when they told me it was messed up. i wasn't a huge fan of the doc i went to at first so i tried a new one out this fall. i really like this one! i told them i wanted to avoid surgery if possible so they gave me steroids to help with the inflammation, ordered an allergy test and a sleep study to find out if there was another way to treat my issues. the steroids are definitely helping my breathing and i haven't been as tired as usual. i just had the allergy test on friday and that's where the mayhem comes in. they were asking me TONS of very specific info and i just simply didn't know the answers. i did my best and i got through the 40 minute q&a session and then they started the actual allergy test. they locked me into a chair and did 14 drops of various allergens - grass, ragweed, mold, dust mites, dogs and they even had one for gerbil! i reacted to dogs, cats and very badly to dust mites. i had to sit there and watch my arm inflame and get all itchy and not touch it. no fun. then they shot a few other things into my other arm and i had a very serious reaction to grass. so i'm allergic to dogs, cats, dust mites and grass. afterwards they chatted with me about what to do next. they suggest that i get covers for my pillows and bed and wash all of my bedding in hot water once a week, do netty pot 2x a day when i start to feel sick, use another nasal spray when im feeling sick, keep my windows closed to avoid grass issues, stop fostering cats, never get a dog. YEAH RIGHT. i mean, i don't want to feel sick anymore but there's no way i'm going to do all of that. i don't even have time to brush my hair half the time let alone do a netty pot 2x a day. and they also want me to call them when i get a sinus infection rather than my sinus doctor. does that make sense??? no! so basically i'm not a fan of the allergist. next week i have my sleep study. my sinus doc thinks i might have sleep apnea so he wants me to get tested. i got a packet of information and a survey to fill out about my sleeping habits. in the packet it says that they will be putting sticky patches in my hair and on my face, plastic discs in my nose and a finger prick thingie on my thumb. they said if my oxygen levels are low they might wake me up and put a breathing mask on me in the middle of the night. and they seriously expect me to actually sleep like i normally do!? hilarious. after i get the results from the study i have to go back to my sinus doctor to figure out next steps. i'm just feeling pretty overloaded with mixed messages and too many doctors appointments. currently, i have a chiropractor, a lady doc, a dentist, opthamologist, a general doctor, an ENT and an allergist. it's TOO much i just want to feel better. i am very grateful to have insurance and have the opportunity to try to feel better. i'm just getting a wee bit overwhelmed. hopefully after the sleep study i can call it quits for awhile!

girl's weekend!

2010-11-11T09:15:00.005-06:00

my best bud tara won a free weekend in a cabin in galena and she invited and she invited me and a bunch of our other girlfriends to join her last weekend! we had a great time catching up, drinking lots of wine, eating lots of junk food and making friends with the locals. some highlights were:

* getting taco bell on the drive down - mmmm nachos bell grande!

* girl talking and drinking wine until the wee hours of the morning

* trying a variety of spicy and hot foods at the farmers market and different shops. hot and spicy is big in galena apparently!

* meeting real life ghostbusters - hilarious

* the stars were phenomenal

* trying my first "beer nugget"

* waking up from a nap to the most gorgeous autumn sunset and doing an impromptu photo shoot

* sampling beers at the galena brewery

* singing karaoke and getting the crowd amped up

* getting the girls to do a little photo shoot by our cabin in their pjs before taking off

overall it was a great weekend! so nice to leave the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives and catch up with my favorite ladies. hope we can do it again sometime!

legit halloween celebrations.

2010-11-02T12:05:00.004-05:00

last year i was called the halloween grinch. i believe i fit that role again this year. i'm really not into spending money on a costume and getting dressed up and going out to the bars for a crazy night crammed with a bunch of people in smelly or slutty costumes. i am however, all about doing the scary stuff and traditional halloweeny activities. this year i boycotted the going out part and did the fun stuff.

last weekend i got to do pumpkin carving and watch hocus pocus with my rugby girls. i haven't carved a pumpkin since jr. high and it's a lot harder than i remember!! i went with an easy design of a bat. my buds were more skilled in carving and went with more difficult carvings - a troll, the word boo! and a skull. they turned out great and we had a really good time! i also went to the chronicles of the cursed haunted house with my friend mary. i LOVE being scared and watching scary movies and going to haunted houses so i was so glad someone was down to go to the haunted houses with me. i got VERY nervous before we went in but it wasn't too scary - just a lot of fun!

this weekend i decided to try out rocky horror picture show at the music box for a non-traditional halloween night out. let me say, i'm glad i did it but boy was it miserable. it was sold out and so crowded and everyone was so drunk. tara had never seen it before and i didn't really know what to expect. i didn't realize how much stuff is thrown at you and how much yelling would take place. but man, it's just not fun if you don't know the lines or if you're not 3 sheets to the wind. so we left early after getting pelted with milk duds and getting covered in confetti. it was definitely an experience! on saturday rob and i went to dream reapers haunted house in melrose park. we went a couple of years ago and it was really good so we wanted to try it out again. it was so much better and SO scary!!! we were so freaked out and just had the best time ever. later on we went to the morning benders concert at lincoln hall which was great. on sunday we did some errands and made a stop at the halloween parade in boystown. i went last year and loved it but this year it was moving so slow and it was quite chilly so we only stayed for awhile. it was pretty incredible to check out everyone's costumes though. not only the people in the parade but just on the street. people get pretty crazy in my hood. our favorite was an oscar the grouch. i can't even explain how he did it - but he had a dummy's torso holding the garbage can, his legs attached to the dummies torso and then his body in the oscar costume in the garbage can. it was cool! overall, i'm pleased with how i celebrated halloween this year. the only thing i would like to add to next year's festivities is fright fest at six flags!

happiness in pictures.

2010-10-22T15:34:00.028-05:00

top 10 recent pics that bring me joy and happiness.

@ katelyn & bled's wedding
my bingo buds joe and lee

my folks with me and rob @ meg & ry's wedding

my buds and the hot dog guy at a cubs game this summer

me and luke at hunky dory!

ness, tob, ry, bella, meg and i at the shedd

my awesome students at reunion

my last meal in france

my dad dancing at meg & ry's wedding

my gerbil, hef

Post 150: Happily Grateful

2010-10-18T12:30:00.002-05:00

"the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

this is my 150th post and i'm happy to report that i still feel as though i am truly the luckiest girl in the world. there are so many reasons i feel lucky and grateful to live the life that i do but it's mostly because of the special relationships i have with everyone in my life.

i have my wonderful loving family with my awesome parents and thoughtful brother. i also lucked out and i am part of my bf's amazing family as well. i love them like my own family! on top of that i feel like i'm part of all of my friend's families - all of my high school friends have great parents that welcome me with open arms into their homes and i love spending time with all of them! i feel so lucky to be part of so many families.

i have a job that i enjoy and i get to work with people that i enjoy, that challenge me, acknowledge my successes and support me and my efforts.

i volunteer with interesting and interested senior citizens. they share some very fascinating and sometimes wacky stories with me and they are always excited to hear about my life. when i walk in to play bingo on mondays and i'm greeted with a smile and a big "well, hello jennifer" from my favorite buddy lee i can't help but smile back.

and my friends. what would i do without all of my friends? when i sit back and think - i'm shocked at how big my friend circle has expanded. i am so grateful to still be thick as thieves with my high school gals and so glad that many of them are now close with my college gals. all of them are always there to listen, plan fun activities, try new things, take little trips, share secrets, keep secrets, laugh till it hurts, support me, party hard and just be really good friends. i always have fun with all of my girls and i can't wait to continue to have the times of our lives together.

and lastly my true love! we're almost at 8.5 years together!!! i couldn't be happier with where we're at. we've grown up together and taken our own path to get to where we are today. i love that we do everything our way and that we figure everything out together. i love that when we're together it feels like home no matter where we are. i love that we still laugh together and that we're always trying new things and that even if we're sitting on the couch just laying low it still brings us both happiness. i am so grateful for rob's patience, kindness, support and of course his love!

i'm one lucky duck :)

minnesota weekend!

2010-10-14T07:00:00.005-05:00

i realize that it's already almost a new weekend but i still want to report about my nice weekend in minnesota. rob and i carpooled with his dad, little bro and his gf to the twin cities for their cousin's wedding. we didn't get in until late on friday but we had the whole day saturday to do fun stuff. we got to grab brunch with one of our hunky dory friends that lives in the area which was so fun! after we ate we made a trip to the como zoo. the fall colors there were so much more vibrant than they are here in illinois - as you can see in the photo above! i was really enjoying being outside in the unusually hot weather and beautiful scenery. the zoo kind of reminds me of the lincoln park zoo since it's free and some exhibits are a bit odd. like the tiger in a grassy knoll with a baby pool or the huge habitat for 2 little foxes. regardless, it was really fun to see so many animals and spend time outside. our friend amanda had to head to a wedding a bit early so we said our goodbyes and then checked out the conservatory which was fairly uneventful so we went off to find mini golf nearby. i haven't played in so long and i had forgotten how fun it is! we had a good time and then headed back to the hotel for quick naps before the wedding. the wedding took place in a public park overlooking the mississippi river and beautiful trees. their cousin katelyn already married her husband bledi in albania this summer and they also did a courthouse wedding recently. this was more of a family celebration and party so his aunt patty and cousin kim led the ceremony. they did a very good job in honor of katelyn's grandma who was unable to be there. it was beautiful and very special. the reception was at a restaurant called brassa. the restaurant has a very cool vibe with windows that slide open like garage doors and really cool lights and different sized tables. they also had their wedding video from their albanian reception playing which was fun to see. the food was unbelievable! we had pulled pork, roasted chicken, cheesy grits, cornbread and all sorts of other stuff. we really loved it! i had a great time catching up with rob's family members at this special occasion. i feel so blessed to have more than one family to be part of. i'm so glad that we could make it! the twin cities sort of remind me of milwaukee. there seems to be a lot to do, it's got more nature than chicago and it still has a smaller city feel. i'd go back! here are a few of my favorite pics!

food coma.

2010-10-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

so i had another food filled extravaganza last week and i have a lot to report! it started on monday at the crossing's soft opening (www.crossingtavern.com). the crossing tavern is part of the four corners tavern group. my good friend, shalva works at brownstone so she got invited to the crossing's soft opening and invited me and my other friend, tara. the bar itself is really nice and spacious with tons of tvs. we sat down and were informed we could order whatever we wanted for free and our beers would be half off. we were in heaven. we got cheesy garlic bread which is made on their pizza crust - so tasty. then shalva ordered their signature meat covered pizza, i got a turkey ranch burger and tara got their korean tacos. the turkey burger was definitely my fave - i loved the seasoning and the sweet potato fries i got with it. the pizza was our least favorite and the tacos were just fine. we ended the night with a chocolate skillet cookie. it was ridiculously good and we ate every last bite. overall it was a great night with good bar food and even better girl talk.

the next night we had a high school girls dinner at longman and eagle (longmanandeagle.com). the servers were very helpful - they helped us figure out which drinks we'd like best and told us what they honestly thought about each menu item. we started with meatballs with creamy polenta, parsley pesto and fontina cheese fondu and a soft pretzel with welsh rarebit. the meatballs were divine - a tad too pesto-y for some but overall amazing. the pretzel was fine but the dipping sauce was fab! then i ordered the pork belly which came with hazelnut spaetzle, red cabbage and apple fennel conserve. MIND BLOWING. seriously probably the best thing i've eaten all year. the pork belly was crispy and the red cabbage complimented it perfectly, adding a little eastern euro flair. the hazlenut spaetzle was equally ridiculous and made the plate more modern and unique and the apple fennel conserve was a perfect sweet touch. we all tried bites off each other's plates and there wasn't anything i didn't like. it was a great meal. sometimes i wonder if the company makes the food taste even better :) i love these girls dearly and we always have amazing meals together.

on friday rob and i joined vanessa and tobi, their friend and nessa's sis val and her bf at chizakaya, the new japanese small plates place in lakeview that everyone is raving about. to be honest, i don't really remember what we ate but here's what i do remember - puffed pig ears (just like pork rinds), black endamame with sea salt, a taste of bone marrow, beef cheek, pork meatballs, beef sirlon with lime wasabi, a noodle dish with veggies - so yummie, fried corn fritter and a variety of other things. some stuff i loved, other stuff not so much. it was interesting and i'd try it again! i liked the vibe of the restaurant.

saturday morning i went to brunch at ann sathers with ness and part of her family, who i love! it was nice to spend the extra time with her before she left and eat the giant cinnamon rolls of course. later that night rob and i joined my family at pequods for my brother's birthday. he loved the pizza there, who doesnt!? it was just as good as i remembered and i was happy to give him a nice birthday.

i ended the weekend off with dinner at revolution brewing for my friend molly's birthday. i wasn't feeling so hot but i wouldn't miss the celebration for anything! we all shared bacon fat popcorn with crispy sage and shaved Parmesan. soooo good. then i got a mustard herb chicken sandwich with fontina cheese, arugula and roasted garlic. it was super flavorful and very tasty. i really liked it! then we ended with a red velvet cake made by her roomie that was super good!

by the end of a full week of dining out, i was in a definite food coma. i also had caught the flu along the way :( i'm still recovering but i'm pretty much better now and i'm looking forward to enjoying food again!

meg & ryan's wedding celebration!

2010-09-29T07:00:00.003-05:00

this weekend i had the honor of standing up in my oldest friend's wedding! it was truly an amazing day and we all had so much fun! meg is my oldest and dearest friend - we've been buds since 4th grade! i am so glad that we are still so close and that i had the opportunity to stand up in her wedding. it meant the world to me. i love meg, her hubby and their beautiful baby bella SO much! we had the rehearsal on friday and had the dinner at castos for yummie italian food. she gave all of her bridesmaids coach wristlets! they are so generous!! after the rehearsal the bride invited all her bridesmaids to stay over for a little slumber party. the next day we woke up to yummie brunch and started to get our hair done while her daughter bella watched blues clues. it was super relaxing and the stylist rocked it with all of our hair, i loved my up do! we all got dressed and headed to the church, took some pics and got ready for the ceremony to begin. the ceremony was great because the deacon is the father of a friend from grade school and high school and he made it very personal. meg's sister also sang and she is so talented, it was beautiful. after the ceremony we hopped on the party bus for drinks and fake mustaches :). we got to gaelic park where the reception was held and took really fun pictures with the photographer and then hung out in the bridal suite while everyone arrived. then the reception began and we ate delic dinner and started to dance the night away! the room was so perfect and the dj was great so we were having a wonderful time. my parents were there and i got them to dance with me to ushers "yeah" - pretty hilarious. i caught the bouquet which is pretty fun! but meg basically threw it to me so i don't think it counts. we did lots more dancing and then the reception ended before we knew it and then we went to the hotel they were staying at for drinks and more catching up. then rob, my wonderful DD drove me and a couple of buds back to his parents. rob and i woke up the next day to mrs. j's delicious breakfast and were able to catch up before heading back to the city. i spent the rest of the day in a zombie like state in front of my tv. super productive :)

overall it was incredibly special and fun and i wish i could do it all over again!

food filled weekend!

2010-09-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

i had a great weekend despite being a little under the weather. this weekend was all about the food, just as i like it to be. it started on friday afternoon when i met my old boss and her new adorable baby for lunch at caffe de luca in bucktown. i had a great salad and we caught up on their patio. it was so nice. later that night, rob and i went to pho&i a new vietnamese/thai place in our neighborhood. i've been wanting to try it because it's the same owners as my favorite cheapo thai place, duck walk. we split an order of crab rangoon and i got spicy fried catfish in a red curry and rob got a spicy fried rice. it was very very spicy but i really liked it! i was excited to try something different. afterwards we went to a show at the metro. it was a good date night.

after a relaxing mani/pedi with my friend darc, i met my girlfriends mary and tara at jam for a delicious dinner. jam originally only did brunch but they expanded to lunch and dinner and man, am i glad they did! we split 2 tasting menus and 1 entree. the tasting menu included a heirloom tomato salad with blue cheese and a chocolate puree - yum! the next course was foie gras ravioli - bigger yum. then we had pork tenderloin on toast with olive tampenade which was very tasty. the entree was a pork chop with quinoa and apricots. super good. and the desserts were to die. one was a panna cotta with fruit on top and the other was a chocolate hazelnut cake with melted chocolate on the inside with ice cream on the side sprinkled with hazelnuts. we ended up ordering another of the cake because it was so damn good. i really liked it and i'd definitely recommend it.

on sunday i laid around a lot to try to feel better and eventually met all my rugby friends out for burgers at urban burger bar. i was pretty disappointed. the service was not very good and the food was sub-par. i had a braised short rib burger with warm onions and a fennel slaw. it was good but i was bummed everyone else's food was just ok. all the burgers came out SO rare. and they forgot toppings on one of them. not cool! regardless, it was lots of fun to see everyone and catch up!

overall it was a great weekend full of food, friendship and love. couldn't ask for anything more.

fall obsessions.

2010-09-16T22:13:00.004-05:00

i LOVE fall. it brings back a lot of memories of colorguard, first days of school and halloweens. we've had a few autumn days here and there but it still has been in and out of the high 70s. on days like today when it's a bit overcast and the air is crisp, i get a little giddy. all the students are back on campus and it feels alive again! i started classes and while they are already kicking my butt, it's fun to be back in a classroom. i am very excited to wear my favorite fall fashions: my gray cape/wrap, my black boots, my leather vest and all of my fun jackets. i have approximately 7 jackets that are only wearable for a few weeks a year. i'm obsessed with lightweight jackets and they are totally impractical in chicago because it's really either summer or winter here with mini falls and springs. i just bought a new black belted jacket that i definitely didn't need but i love it and i can't wait to wear it! fall is also a time when i can show off all of my leaf decor in my apartment. i keep it out all year because i love leaves but at this time of year it actually makes sense :) i also love fall food. i ate butternut squash ravioli today. DELIC! and my absolute favorite holiday is thanksgiving! i love that it's about giving thanks and spending it with people you love and are grateful for but i especially love the food ofcourse. especially the cold turkey sandwiches. i hope we get a good fall this year and that it doesn't jump right into winter! what does everyone else love about fall?

wonderful weekend!

2010-09-08T12:19:00.000-05:00

this weekend was a great way to wrap up summer! it was full of amazing highlights and quality time. on friday it started with....OPRAH!!!! my friend entered a raffle for last minute tickets and WON! she got 4 tickets total so we got to do a girl's outing to see the big O. we had no idea what to expect and no clue who the guests were. we were just SO excited! we all got there bright and early at 7 a.m. we discover in line that the guests were to be winona and naomi judd. SUPER RANDOM. but people were excited so we got excited too! we wait and wait and wait and finally get moved into a large room where they announce that they will be calling people by the number on their sheet or some parties by name. we look at our sheet and it was in the 200s. we were a little bummed because we thought we wouldn't get good seats but nope, they called our party name and we got seated SECOND ROW CENTER! we were like giddy little school girls! we don't know how this happened or why we got selected but we did and it was awesome!!!! people take their oprah experience very seriously. there were lots of tears, even more screaming and lots of freak show oprah super fans. the show went by so fast but it was so memorable!

later that night i went out for drinks with a few girls and we had a blast. lots of laughing. saturday was the BEST day ever! rob and i drove up to michigan and made a stop in st. joes for pastries, their farmers market, craft fair and art museum. it was absurdly windy but we still enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. the art museum had ultra realistic sculptures which rob really enjoyed and i found some cute stuff at the craft fair. after that we drove to an orchard and went apple picking. we were really in the fall spirit and got some very very delicious apples! then we had to make one last stop for the season at redamaks. it was So yummie! later that night i rallied a bunch of my girlfriends for an evening out. we started at a major dive and just caught up and then moved on to some other stops. it was so great to have so many friends out!

sunday i slept in and then went to see rob play in a friend's band at the bash on wabash with tara. the fest was a total bust! there was no one there and nothing to do. very odd fest. but it was beautiful out so it was nice to be there. then rob and i wanted to go to jazz fest that night but it was sprinkling so we went to see the switch instead. it was a cute flick. on monday i went to pick up a new foster cat and i got mister. a 14 year old white cat that weighs 19 pounds. he just had surgery so one side of him is shaved and he has a big scar. he smells awful, licks weird things like the blinds and the scab is really freaking me out. i don't know if i've ever had such an aversion to one of my cats before. i've been petting him with big fleece gloves on so my hands don't stink. but he is pretty well behaved and very sweet which i'll gladly take. later on i went to bingo and hung out with my seniors and it was great! overall it was a really wonderful weekend!

France: The final recap!

2010-08-30T15:03:00.005-05:00

Here's the final recap of my trip to France:

Day 9: This was another wonderful day! We started off going to the adorable hilltop medieval village of Perouges where many scenes from the film Monsieur Vincent were filmed. It was absolutely

unreal that it's a functioning town. It looked fake it was so lovely. We all really enjoyed walking around and looking at the very old church. Next we went to Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne which has a church where Vincent was pastor and he formed the mission here. We got off the bus and one of the Daughters of Charity was there to greet us. Father Ed said this was a new development and that we should just go with it. She

took us to the home that Vincent stayed at and that now the Daughters in that area stay. It was in this town that he worked with the sick and he realized what he can do on a larger scale with the Gaundis at more parishes around the country. We watched a video in the room that Vincent stayed, got to walk up the same very steps that he did and look at some items they have collected there. The Daughter spoke in French and Father Ed translated and for some reason I was incredibly moved. I teared up! It was just such an amazing experience being in that room and interacting with this woman that has given her life to live Vincent's mission! At this point, I knew exactly why this trip was so important and what it would mean to me. After our time at the church

we had some time to walk aroundand shop and look at all the gorgeous flowers. We had a great group lunch together and then we returned to Lyon. I decided to enjoy some alone time before our dinner cruise. I checked out the cathedral and some shops by myself and then went for a run by the river. I was practically bursting to do something active and it felt great to run in the beautiful scenery and blend in with the people that lived there. Then we had our dinner cruise with the whole group which was a great experience. Lyon was one of my favorite stops. The vibe reminded me of home.

Day 10: We drove to Tournous and made a stop at a Romanesque Church which

was incredibly different from all the other churches we visited. There were interesting medieval frescoes and a cool crypt. I walked th rough a free exhibit and looked in

some shops before we took off. Next stop was Beaune which is a major wine city. It's very small and cute. I went off with a few

folks for our independent lunch and got another delicious quiche and a sweet treat and we ate it in a park before we went off exploring. We eventually went our own ways and I stopped in a church that had medieval tapestries and I found a couple of good gifts to bring back home. Then the group met up and visited a hospital that was like the ones that Vincent worked in. After that we got to go to a wine tasting which was really fun! The wine cellar was like a maze and some of us even got lost. We tried all sorts of wines and I picked one to bring back home to share with my family. Later on we went out to dinner at a restaurant that was a in a 13th century cavern. It was very cool and we had a delicious meal of chicken in a creamy cheese sauce with mashed potatoes. So wonderful!

Day 11: I started getting sad on this day that the trip was coming to a close. I was ready to come home and get back to normal life and see "my people" but I was just enjoying the trip so much I didn't want it to end. We started the day at the AMAZING market in Beaune. it was beautiful and everything just looked so lovely. I bought lots of things here to get rid of my euros! I gota big chunk of cheese and some pretzel bread to eat for dinner later, caramels for rob, more mustard and soap for me. I think I seriously teared up while I was walking through because i just didn't want to go! Then we made a stop at a church that had a 14th century exposed painting that portrayed a "dance with death" relating to the Plague. The church also had an absolutely unbelievable garden that we got to walk thrgouh. Again, I might have teared up. Then we had our closing lunch in an outside restaurant. We had the most unbelievable food! It started with these flakey cheesy pastry

things that i can't even describe. Then we had a caprese salad that was perfection. Then we had beef bourguignon. To die for! and on top of that there was a cheese course that just blew my mind. probably the best thing i ate the whole trip. and it ended with an almond stick and sugared fruit cup. After lunch we went to Joigny to see some final Vincent sites like the Gaundi Chateau. Then we went to the airport hotel in Paris. I ate my cheese and pretzel bread and we all played cards till late. It was nice to end the trip all together. The next morning we went to the airport and we were on our way!

It's hard to explain the impact that this trip had on me. I'm so passionate about DePaul and this just furthered my connection to the university. It also changed my understanding of the mission. Being able to see and experience where it all started, really made me think deeply about what it means to be Vincentian. The idea that we must not just do things but do them well really stuck with me and I can really apply that to my work and everyday life. Overall, i feel so grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience this and connect with so many people throughout the university. Now I'm ready for my next trip!

France: the recap! Part 2

2010-08-23T08:40:00.005-05:00

day 5: i had the entire day off from group activities so i got to spend the whole day with vanessa. we met up early and went to the louvre. i got free tickets through the program. i was pretty excited. we got there really early and went straight for mona and then went to the winged victory statue and venus de milo. after that we went into decorative arts and ended up in napolean's apartments. that was the coolest thing we saw! we really enjoyed them. then we left. the louvre isn't really my thing after all. it's just not the type of art i enjoy but i'm still glad to have seen all the famous stuff! after that we tried walking to the bon marche market but it was closed :( so we found a street market and i bought soaps and the most amazing cheese ever!!! then we grabbed a small lunch nearby and people watched. after that we walked to the luxemburg gardens and soaked up the sun. the gardens were probably my favorite site in paris. i absolutely loved them. then it was time to say goodbye to nessa. time flew so quickly but it was really just wonderful to spend time with her! later that night i went to a cheap dinner with valerie. we got pizza which was good because i was having a french food overload. we split a pizza and a bottle of wine and only spent about 10euros each. love it!

day 6: we had to get up SO early to leave at 5:30 a.m. to catch a train to dax. dax is known for it's annual bullfighting festival and it has many other spanish influences. we made a stop for lunch and i got a quiche and a chocolate crossiant and then we got a short tour of the area. vincent went to school there for a short time and we got to see the house he lived in for awhile. we made a stop in the tiny town that vincent was born in and got to see the baptismal font that vincent was baptized in. that was pretty cool. after that we went to pau where we were staying and had dinner. the hotel was in the middle of NOWHERE and there was nothing to do. it was pretty rough but it was good to have an early night after our early morning.

day 7: we made a stop in toulouse where we visited a couple of very cool churches and saw the university vincent studied at. we had an independent lunch and i ended up having chicken and frites with some terrible white wine. i wasn't too impressed. the city is cool though. it's kind of dirty/gritty compared to the other places we visited and i liked it. seems like it's a lot of students. they have a big beautiful square that had a market set up when we arrived. after that we went to carcassone which is a medieval walled city. i was really excited about this stop but when we went for a tour i realized how insanely touristy it was and immediately was grumpy. i took some alone time to walk around the area and then went back to the hotel for quiet time before dinner. we had a group dinner at the hotel and then some of us went for a nighttime walk around the city walls and then grabbed a drink. probably my least favorite day.

day 8: this day completely made up for my crabby day! we had long bus rides through countryside and i enjoyed the quiet time to myself. we made a stop at the pont du gard which an amazing roman aqueduct in great condition. it was a great stop to make! then we went to avignon which i immediately fell in love with. it is another walled in city but so much better than carcassone! it's not touristy really and it's more spread out. it's the old papal city. me valerie and john grabbed sandwiches and walked up to the garden on top of a hill top. we sat in the shade and then took some pictures of the view. after that we did a bit of shopping and i finally found a store with mustard and honey! all the others i checked out were always closed. i was very happy! then john and i got crepes! yum! then we drove on to lyon which is a pretty big city. we went to a fancy restaurant for dinner that had terrible service but the worlds yummiest asparagus soup and then went for a walk along the river. i like the feeling of lyon and was excited to explore the next day!

one more update to come!

France: the recap! Part 1

2010-08-18T12:23:00.004-05:00

I just returned from the Vincentian Heritage Tour that took me all around France to follow in the footsteps of St. Vincent de Paul and learn more about the university's mission. I was so lucky to have been chosen and I'm so grateful for getting to experience this wonderful trip! Here is a summary of the first few days with pictures below!

day 1: we arrived in paris after a brutally uncomfortable flight and immediately did a tour of the city. we made a pitstop near notre dame for lunch. i had a delicious quiche with bacon and then we walked around the area and spotted owen wilson checking out the cathedral! so cool! after a shower and a short nap i went for a short walk in the nearby promenade which is filled with pretty flowers and great sites. then we had a group dinner and then i promptly hit the hay! i was pretty overwhelmed with the city but excited to check out sites in the days to follow.

day 2: after a delicious breakfast at the hotel we went to the Vincentian Motherhouse which has a small museum with some incredible relics like Vincent's shoes, robe, watch and other interesting items. the highlight was the chapel that holds Vincent's remains. They have a very creepy realistic wax efigy of his body but underneath his remains are kept. it was pretty amazing to be able to see that. we also went to st. sulpice which had a Vincent chapel and a beautiful fountain in the front. We went to the Daughters of Charity Motherhouse which has a beautiful chapel that has Louise de Marillac's remains. The Daughters live to fulfill the mission of St. Vincent de Paul by serving the underprivileged. We got shushed out of the chapel so it wasn't as moving as the Vincentian Motherhouse. After that I went with some coworkers to explore and find dinner. We ended up at a one dish place that only served steak frites. you sit down and they ask you how you like your steak and then bring you a salad. they bring out half the steak and a serving of frites at the beginning. it had a delicious mustard basil sauce on it that was perfect. after youre done with that portion they bring out the rest of the steak and more frites! it was to die! one of my favorite meals for sure. i really bonded with one of the women on the trip and ended up spending a lot of the trip together.

day 3: this was one of my favorite days. we took a bus trip to folleville. the mission has its origins in a sermon that Vincent gave at the church here. it was my first glimpse of french countryside and all the beauty that comes along with it. i really enjoyed getting out of the city to the quiet of folleville where i could focus on soaking up this moment. there are castle ruins on the grounds too that were pretty cool to see (pic below). then we had the most wonderful lunch. this was my first non jetlagged group meal and i really enjoyed it! we had a delicious meal including a cheesy crepe mushroom casserole thing and a chicken dish and a decadent dessert. so yummie! after that we drove a bit to amiens to see the famous cathedral. i really wanted to stick around in amiens longer because it looked so lovely but we only visited the cathedral which is ENORMOUS! its so grand and overwhelming. i loved having the opportunity to see that. after that we headed back to the city and i connected with vanessa, my bff currently living in germany who came to visit! we caught up for awhile and then ventured out to dinner and ended up at Bofinger which is supposedly the oldest brassierie in Paris. i started with the onion and cheese soup (holy moly!) and then got steak and green veggies. we shared sorbet afterwards. it was funny though because i don't know any french at all and saw the word porc and figured id just go with that but the waiter kept trying to tell me that it was pork foot. when i finally realized what it was i went with the steak instead! it was like a breath of fresh air having nessa there. i didn't have to think about what to talk about or worry about making good impressions. we talk almost everyday on gchat but being in person is so much better!

day 4: in the morning the group went to a few churches and the original site of St. Lazare. afterwards i met vanessa for some site seeing! we grabbed quiches and raspberry tarts from a nearby bakery and sat in the sun to enjoy the quiches and took the tarts for later. that quiche is still one of the best things i ate the entire trip. we took the metro into the city center and went to notre dame and then ate our tarts in the courtyard infront of it. they were SO good. the rest of the day is a blur - i don't remember what order we did the following things in - we sat in the park behind notre dame and listened to live jazz, got gelato at a famous shop, shopped at some souvenir stands, visited a famous plant market and then went to champs elysees for some shopping. we ended up at the arc de triomphe for photo ops. after that we tried to go to the bistro nessa ate at on her last trip to paris but it was too full so we went next store which is owned by the same company. it was one of the most decadent and delicious meals EVER! we both started with lobster salads and then i got shrimp ravioli in an artichoke foam. crazy. then we split an amazing chocolate tart. all so wonderful! then we busted a move to get to the last boat cruise on the seine. i got free tickets for us through the trip. it was a bit rainy so the boat was totally empty. we tried to sit outside but we kept getting wet so we watched from inside and went out for the big sites. we were both so full we could barely move! afterwards we caught the eifel tower light show at midnight. so lovely :).

more updates to come!

Recap of the craziest vacation EVER!

2010-08-01T12:14:00.002-05:00

i just returned from Hunky Dory and it was quite the week! the vacation was literally doomed but we still somehow managed to have lots of fun. it started off last weekend with driving through an intense rain storm, the arriving at hunky dory to discover the boat needed a new battery - mr. j went to buy one and then it disappeared - stolen, lost, forgotten - we still don't know! then there was a gas leak in the boat, then rob's brother-in-law threw out his back, rob's cousin had a minor tubing accident and there were also bear sitings so we were freaking out about that. then there was a tornado/crazy storm that took out 48 trees and 4 cars -all jensen cars :( and left us with no electricity or water on and off for the rest of the trip. it was a HUGE downer and really upsetting to see the resort so messed up. i've never seen a storm like it. we watched it all go down from the lodge - trees snapping in half and being uprooted and canoes being lifted and blown into the water. no one was hurt but it caused so much damage. luckily the neighbors and friends pulled through and worked so hard to get everything up and running. that night rob's cousin's girlfriend got in a car accident on her way to pick up his cousin and totaled her car! it was one disaster after another! but miraculously by the next day a lot had been cleared up and breakfast was still served on time. but the drama didn't end for long - the day before we left rob's dad dislocated his hip! he had to be taken to a hospital to get it put back in place and he didn't get to come back with us. one of his sisters drove him back the next day. luckily he's doing alright now. we found out that night that one of the neighbors suffered a mild heart attack and on the way home rob's brother got pulled over for a speeding warning too! i know it sounds like i'm making it up but it all happened! totally doomed i tell ya.

despite all of this craziness we still had a lot of fun. i saw more animals then ever before up there - lots of eagle sitings, huge snapping turtle, tons of chipmunks, a snake, a baby squirrel, finches and more. i skiied a lot, walked and ran a few times, canoed and even got a little tan without getting too sunburned. and ofcourse - ate my little heart out. however, the best part was baby luke being there! i LOVE him and loved every second i got to hold him and make him laugh. it was sooo fun to have a baby around. i can't wait to see him in october - he will be so big by then! it was also great to spend so much time with rob's brother who will be leaving for bali in about a week. he will be gone for 10 months so it was wonderful for all of us to have so much quality time. it was also perfect to spend so much time with rob because i'm going to be leaving for FRANCE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'll blog all about it when i return on august 15. see ya!

later gators!

2010-07-23T16:47:00.002-05:00

i'm off to wisconsin tomorrow a.m. with the boyfriend's family! i'm really excited to lay around, read books and spend time with the jensen crew. i'll be mia for a week and i might i have time to post a quick recap before i leave for france a few days later!

have a great week everyone!

cramming it in

2010-07-21T08:00:00.003-05:00

so this weekend was quite full - and totally great! i'm about to leave for a week long vaca and then shortly after that i'm going to france for 12 days so i'm really trying to spend a lot of time with friends and the people i love before i can't see them for awhile. i'm so glad that everyone has been making time to hang out with me!

friday my bud tara had an urban picnic - she fired up her new grill and we burned the crap out of asparagus and onions but sort of successfully made potatoes and also rocked the brats. she spread blankets out on her porch and lit some candles and poof - an urban picnic/bbq! the guest list was fabulous! my friend caitlin was in from cali, jamie in from michigan, shalva back from israel, tara's friend from oregon and our friends jenny and nicole. it was super fun and i'm so glad we all got together to enjoy the great weather. afterwards we grabbed drinks close by and it was a slight disaster because everyone at the bar was so intoxicated but fun nonetheless.

on saturday me, caitlin and jamie went to brunch and john's place. i had this delic skillet type thing with ham, potatoes, eggs and more. it was super yummie! afterwards we went to the sheffield garden walk and met our friends bryan and his girlfriend tal. we checked out the gardens and some of them were really pretty. it was BLAZZZZING hot and we were all really uncomfortable. we made a pit stop in floriole for water and treats. i've been wanting to check it out for weeks. i had a fruit tart and it was incredibly overpriced but it was divine! then we went to the fest and met up with our friend shalva and i saw my friends band play. i left the fest a little early to hit the road to go to my friend meg's for a girlie slumber party. we got pizza, drank wine and talked for hours about horrible fashion choices in high school. i recalled a hot pink stretchy one shouldered tank that had silver sparkly flames on the bottom. GROSS! so funny though. it was a ton of fun and meg and her daughter bella are good hostesses!

the next day i ran to my parent's house for catching up and lunch and then went to rob's family's house (without rob because he was at pitchfork) to celebrate cody's graduation. i love his family so it was great to spend time with them and to see how much little luke has grown since i last saw him! then i came back to chicago and went out with caitlin for her last night in the city. we grabbed drinks close by and stayed out pretty late for me!! i was wiped monday but still had energy for bingo. then nicole and ryann came over for a few beers and catch up which was nice. i finally got to see rob after not seeing him forever because of pitchfork. i like when he's around all the time :) then last night i went out to dinner at devon seafood grill with darcy and molly. it was wonderful to spend time with them and to try some new foods - i got walu (a light white fish), asparagus and lobster mac & cheese. YUM! we all felt very full afterwards but it was worth it!

overall i feel like i'm really fitting everyone and everything in. it's turning out to be one heck of a summer and i can't wait to make it even better with hunky dory (yes its actually called that!) next week and france on august 3. it's flying by!

morning commute fashion show!

2010-07-15T22:00:00.003-05:00

every once and awhile i go through little funks with hating my wardrobe. i'm in one of those funks at the moment. and i even just went shopping! i got a few completely unpractical items. i went for new dresses and new work tops. i got 2 tank tops, 1 dress, 2 random patterned tops, a purse and some other crap. not really what i needed and now i go to work everyday in the same old crap and i'm totally over it! every morning on my commute i'd admire other girls' outfits and long for a completely different wardrobe. there is no particular style that i focus on. i like the funky clothes, the professional outfits, put together looks and more. just this morning i was checking out all the sleek and sophisticated sleeveless dresses on ladies walking by. yesterday i was checking out high waisted skirts with flowy blouses. i get frustrated that i don't have any interesting pieces that i always just look so so for work and that i never feel very stylish. i get very jealous of girls with great accessories like belts or scarves. i'm so low maintenance, i'm don't really do accessories very well. i have no clue how to make my wardrobe more complete and satisfying. maybe i need a stylist? i'm just not very good at looking at the big picture when i shop so i don't know where to start. anyone else have any pointers on how to tackle your wardrobe??

new people, places and things

2010-07-12T21:11:00.003-05:00

this weekend i tried all sorts of new things and went to new places. friday was great because i didn't really have any plans set and i ALWAYS have plans set. i went over to darcy's new apartment and it's AMAZING! i'm so happy for her and i can't wait to go over and visit more. we went to dinner at lokal which i had never been to before. darc had a coupon and we got to enjoy wonderful food for cheap! i had Grilled Pork Tenderloin, gnocchi, caramelized onion, sun dried tomato and darc got Pan Roasted Barramundi Sea Bass, wilted spinach, pearl pasta. we split the dishes. i loved mine because it was so flavorful and filling and darcy's because it was super light. afterwards we hung out with her roomies on their gorgeous porch. then i met some of my rugby girls for drinks and catching up. after that i met rob and his friends at trader todds...will never go there again. it was a madhouse full of super drunk people. we only stayed for a bit but got to hear a lovely karaoke rendition of the full house theme song.

saturday was pretty much dedicated to my alumni event in lake villa. we had an event for an alumni donor at his favorite restaurant in their pavilion. its a bit of a drive so i rented a car and went up there. the alumnus and his wife are SO sweet and so were the owners of the restaurant. they took very good care of us. it was nice to kick back and relax outside with a view of a gorgeous lake and eat good food. it made me think it would be nice to live up there in the peace and quiet and pretty sunsets. but then i realized i'd go nutso after a day and drove back to the city for rob's show at schubas. our friends that just moved back from nyc came and it was so nice to catch up with them!

sunday rob and i got to the house of blues gospel brunch. i was checking it out for an event and got to go for free - booyah! the buffet was insane! they had SO much and we chowed down. the gospel show was much more interactive than i expected but super fun and rob was a trooper. we had a really great time and we will be doing an event there this fall! afterwards we went to the folks and roots festival for a little bit because rob got a free passes. we were a bit hot and tired from the brunch so we only stayed for a bit but i was glad we could check it out!

it was a great weekend and i was happy to try new things! this week is going to be great too (even though i'm under the weather) tomorrow i'm getting a pedi with stef and then i'm going to dinner at my fave mex place with stef and jeff to celebrate jeff's bday! wednesday my friend ryann is hosting a little wine night and i can't wait and then my bud caitlin is town for the weekend. hopefully i feel better to enjoy it!

birthday weekend.

2010-07-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

my birthday fell on a friday this year so i celebrated all weekend long and then some. on friday i came into work and my coworker brought me a balloon and some of them took me out to lunch. i was having a great day and then there was drama. i got all upset and knew i was going to be upset for the rest of the day. i tried to put on a happy face for meeting my friends - they surprised me with a big group at dinner. they all were way too generous to do dinner, gifts and go out. they're wonderful. we had a great dinner at cafe baba reeba and then we went to thunder from down under. yes, you heard me. the male strip/dance show. my friend suggested it and we all thought it would be hysterical! we found a good deal for cheap tickets and went for it. it was seriously the worst/best thing i've ever seen in my life. i was laughing so hard! however, that many women in one place is tricky though - girls were pushing, fighting, etc. and ofcourse i yelled at some girl and caused a huge ruckus and then cried. yes, cried. that's what happens when i have a shitty day at work, a pitcher of sangria and too many coors. whoopsie! my friends were rockstars though and put up with me for the rest of the night and we moved over to kirkwoods and had some fun. then some of us went to matildas hoping to dance but the dance part was closed :( then a couple of us ended the night at sopo lounge. overall, i made a scene and was ridiculous but i still had a great time with my best girlfriends. (Sorry to be crazy ladies! you know how i get!!)

saturday the bf took me to my favorite place - southwest michigan!!! we got to st. joe's and went to the krasl art museum which is literally 2 tiny rooms with about 8 pieces of art. it was an interesting exhibit with some things i loved and some things not so much. glad we got to go though! then we got a cookie at the wonderful bit of swiss and then went to the beach. it was super hot and there wasn't a cloud in the sky - it was perfect for laying out! we got lunch at the little concessions stand there and i also got a sno-cone to cool off. i never get in the water but i was in and out of the water multiple times because it was so hot! after the beach we drove to new buffalo for dinner at redamaks and ice cream at oinks. both made me SO happy! rob also gave me a gorgeous chain to replace one that had broken for my pearl and diamond necklace he gave me a few years ago. i'm so glad i can start wearing it again!

sunday i went to hang out with my family in the burbs. my mom recently had surgery so i wanted to try to help her out and give my dad a little break. my aunt, brother, cousin and rob came over for a bbq dinner and to open gifts. later on my bro, dad and i did some legal fireworks in the backyard. we had sparklers, smoke bombs, poppers, a sparkler tree and my dad also snuck in a pagoda - my favorite! on monday i helped my mom while my dad was at work. i cleaned up a little and made our famous ham and cheese sandwiches to stock up in the fridge for them so they wouldn't have to cook. then i caught a train up to the city so i could lead bingo. i sat with a new group of men this time because we were short volunteers. they were so sweet and it was fun to meet new residents. then i met one of my best buds for tea. she was responsible for putting together my whole birthday dinner - she's the best! we had a nice catch up.

tuesday was all for me. i took the day off for a birthday present to myself. i slept in, read in bed, did laundry, cleaned up a little bit and then took myself to lunch. i originally wanted to go to xoco but it was closed till thursday for the 4th of july holiday. bogus! so i ended up at a place called e.leaven. i had a delicious blt with goat cheese. YUM! then i went to the shedd to use my membership. it was very crowded and very hot inside but i still got to hang out and watch my otters, penguins, dolphins and beluga whales for awhile. i also checked out the wild reef and the main tank. it made me happy to go! then i went shopping. i came out with a few new good items and didn't over spend! phew! i also got some new books at the library. after all of that i headed home to scrapbook. i have had all these trip pictures printed but i never did the scrapbook pages for them so i started working on them and got a bunch done! then i met a few girlfriends for drinks and then went for ice cream with rob. seriously a great day! i feel so much better having had a day all to myself to do exactly what i wanted.

i'm so grateful to have so many people in my life that are there for me no matter what and there to celebrate my birthday.

25 in Review.

2010-07-01T08:49:00.003-05:00

tomorrow is my 26th birthday. 25 has been great. i'm not sure i'm ready to move into the second half of my twenties but it's coming whether i like it or not. i have a lot to look forward to and a lot of great memories to look back on. some of my favorite memories from 25 are:

* ringing in 25 with a big surprise birthday party planned by rob and my best buds! it was the best birthday ever!

* taking lots of trips and vacations - hunky dory with the jensen fam, nashville to visit rob's aunt fran, girls overnight in saugatuk, prague with rob over xmas, spring breaking in daytona beach with the horath fam, overnight in milwaukee and my recent san francisco trip to visit my bud caitlin and spend time with the new parents and my "nephew"

* sky diving with my best friend tara!

* getting a promotion!!!!!!!!

* 3 visits to chicago from my best friend that lives in germany

* trying out 26 new restaurants (and counting) since the new year.

* being a co-maid of honor in one of my bff's weddings! (another wedding coming up in the fall!!)

* becoming an "auntie" to the cutest little thing on the west coast - mr. luke :)

with everything i did this year, i got to do it with people i love in places that make me happy. i am so happy where i am right now. i love my job, i'm enjoying my friendships more than ever, more in love than ever, spending more time with both of my families and enjoying the wonderful city of chicago. i hope 26 brings just as much as 25!

hot child in the city!

2010-06-27T22:00:00.005-05:00

i had a great weekend in my great city of chicago! on friday i met up with one of my friends from college and we went to the beer garden at lotties in bucktown and then danced the night away at the hot hot hot danny's. it was fun to check out a new area! saturday i had an event at arlington racetrack. rob came with me and we had a last minute extra ticket so rob's mom came to join us. i was so glad she could make it! it was an absolutely beautiful day and the park is so pretty. there were a ton of crappy things happening with the event but it was still a lot of fun. we got to enjoy a yummie lunch buffet and bet on some of the races. i won on each of the 3 races we bet on and rob and mrs. j had some luck too. the most i won was $13.50 on one race. i was pretty proud of myself! one of the guests at our table turned out to be a psychic! she gave all of us a reading. she knew that i was going to michigan (i'm going on saturday) and that i'd be so tired and sleep the whole way (always!). she knew that i was pursuing my masters. she warned me that when i get pregnant i am to lift nothing or eat any salt. and she is worried about rob's carbuerator (his car doesn't have one) and she said i'm saver (ha!). so she's off on some things and on for others. it was really fun and she was darling! later that night rob and i went out with my freshly married friends stef and jeff. we tried out the counter; which is a build your own burger place. i've been wanting to try it for awhile. i was a bit overwhelmed by the choices but ended up with a delicious burger! i got a 1/3 patty with feta cheese, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce on a honey oat bun. YUM! we also split some cheese fries and i tried fried dill pickle chips. i won't be rushing back there anytime soon but i'd definitely go back and try something different. after dinner we went to the landmark theatre to see the girl with the dragon tattoo. i figured i should see what the big hype was all about. can't say that i was a huge fan. it was very graphic and very disturbing. i didn't like what was the core theme of the movie at all. i felt queasy numerous times during the flick and had to think happy thoughts in order not to get sick. the rest of the gang liked the suspense and whatnot but not i. still glad i checked it out! today we met up with stef and jeff again today for the pride parade! it was stef, jeff and rob's first time. it was ridiculously hot and i totally didn't wear sunscreen so i got scorched. bound to happen. the floats weren't nearly as fun and wild as last year but there were still some fun ones. when we officially overheated we came to my place to cool off and stef and jeff were officially trapped! i'm in the center of the parade route and the parade just lasted forever so they couldn't leave! i felt terrible but it was fun to have people over and to catch up with them. i am just so glad they're back from their honeymoon. i was going through stef withdrawl! and later rob and i watched the blindside. again, i figured i should see what the hype was all about and again, can't say that i'm a fan. i thought it was much too hokey and the boy was a terrible actor. sandra was great - award winning? maybe. it was a nice story but i was just wasn't wowed by it. i'd rather watch a documentary about the boy's life than this movie. it did inspire me to foster or adopt even more though.

overall it has been a great weekend. i love that no weekend is ever like the last and that i always get to try new places and new things in the city. this week is sure to be a good one - my bday is friday and i can't wait to celebrate with my best friends, rob and my family. hope everyone had a great weekend too!

june highlights.

2010-06-21T08:51:00.004-05:00

summer is flying by but it's been oh so sweet so far! some of my favorite parts thus far:
* starting out the month in san francisco hanging with my bud caitlin, meeting my darling "nephew" and spending time with rob's sis.
* going to the alumni rugby game to catch some rays and dream of what it would have been like to be a true rugby gal.
* mayfest. lots of german beer and later dancing on booths and free alcohol. great night.
* stef & jeff's beautiful and super fun wedding at the morton arboretum followed by meg's lovely wedding shower!
* steve martin at ravinia with rob. i love that place and i am obsessed with stevo.
* nessa's visit = girl time and good food.
* tara's birthday. including free 4th row cubs game tickets and a surprise for the bday girl at fuego and a shopping and sunning day in downtown naperville.
* bbqing with my fam in the burbs for father's day and listening to my dad tell ridiculous stories. i see where i get my story telling techniques.

some summer things to look forward to:
* date night with my man this thursday. i've been so busy we haven't been able to do dinner in ages so we're doing fondu at gejas!
* work event at arlington race track. enormo buffet and gambling. makes me happy!
* MY 26th BIRTHDAY! including a crazy night out with my girlfriends and a day trip to michigan with my man. can't wait!
* sheffield garden walk with some old college buds.
* tie dye & fondu party with ry. this is just an idea floating around but we gotta do it!
* girlie slumber party at meg's.
* HUNKY DORY!!!!! relaxing vacation with rob's family in wisconsin.
* FRANCE!!!!!!

there's a lot to look forward to! i've been so busy lately, sometimes i forget to stop and smell the roses and appreciate how much fun i have!

25 new restaurants and counting.

2010-06-18T10:37:00.007-05:00

so one of my new year's resolutions this year was to try new restaurants instead of going to my old standbys. so far i've tried 25 new places! i've still managed to squeeze in some favorites like el mariachi and hooters along the way though. this list is only including places ive dined at in chicago. take out doesn't count either! places i eat at while traveling also aren't included.

here's what i've tried since january 1:
1. May St. Cafe
2. Izaru
3. Duchamp
4. Fireplace Inn
5. Meze
6. DMK Burger Bar
7. Lucky's Sandwich Shop
8. Piccolo Sogno
9. Sola
10. Tizi Melloul
11. Prosecco
12. Gemini Bistro
13. Blackbird
14. Nesh
15. Five Guys
16. Shiso
17. El Nuevo
18. Primebar
19. Big Star
20. Park Grill
21. Harmony Grill
22. Kith & Kin
23. Fallafel
24. Kim & Scott's Cafe Twist
25. Fuego

looking back at this list, i can remember some really great meals and some so so ones. i can't even pick a favorite because they are all so different. i've discovered some new wonderfully delicious lunch spots near work. like nesh- the delicious mediterranean place up the street, five guys - the best junk food in town and kim & scott's the new pretzel joint a few blocks away. i've tried some 'eh' mexican places like el nuevo, fuego and big star. nothing comes close to my el mariachi. i've had lovely italian at prosecco and piccolo sogno. some southern comfort food at fireplace inn, harmony grill and kith & kin. i think out of the whole list my top 5 meals have been at tizi melloul, primebar, kim & scotts, piccolo sogno and harmony grill. fireplace inn and may st. cafe come close. next up on the list for places to try is devon seafood because i have a groupon for it. any suggestions for must trys??

best friend's wedding and bff time!

2010-06-14T12:33:00.009-05:00

this weekend one of my very best buds got hitched! i've known her now for 12 years and now we're all grown up! i was one of the two maids of honors and i could not be more honored to be part of it. the wedding was on friday at the morton arboretum. it is a stunning venue! the ceremony was in the hedge garden - rain free with plenty of hot, hot sun! it was a beautiful and touching ceremony followed by a really great reception. my favorite part was their first dance. they started out with so this is love from cinderella and then broke into mr. roboto and then into all sorts of other songs like walk like an egyptian, can't touch this, vanilla ice and more and they did all the different dance moves for each. it was truly priceless and it set the tone for the whole reception! everyone ate it up! i was just so proud of my bud for being calm, cool and collected the whole day while looking like an absolute queen at the same time. she was the world's most perfect bride! i had a blast with my bffs from high school and my man came and helped me out a lot and took lots of pictures. see below!

the day after the wedding, another bud had her bridal shower. we got to eat some more great food, talk wedding and play with her darling baby girl that i'm obsessed with. i'm so excited for all my ladies in love! it's been really interesting to see how different and how similar each wedding has been and how unique their relationships with their hubbies are. i love it! i'm so grateful to be part of each of their special days.

after the shower i went to steve martin's bluegrass show at ravinia with the boyfriend. i'm a HUGE steve martin fan. like OBSESSED! i'm a pretty big bluegrass fan too so when i saw this it was like a match made in heaven. i also love ravinia. i think it is a very cool experience to picnic outside and hang out on these huge grounds with so many other people. we got pretty decent spots close to the pavillion and i snagged a few good pics. i just love him!

on sunday i went back to the burbs to my friend's house to hang out with all the girls because my best bud is in from germany (the cute asian in navy blue below). we had fun girl talk and chowed down. after that we drove up to the city to hang out with another friend. it feels great to have everyone together. we're all doing dinner tonight at kith and kin and i can't wait!

saturday is a rugby day.

2010-06-08T15:47:00.004-05:00

on saturday i went to the alumni rugby game at montrose harbor. and it made me sad. i played rugby for like a milisecond in college at depaul. i thought it looked so cool and i knew it was a very social sport so i decided to try it out. turns out i'm a terrible athlete. i got shin splints within like 2 weeks and couldnt never run very far. i only kicked major ass in one game - took a girl down and she had to be carried off the field. my one glory story. i was always there for the parties though! i fell in love the girls and the culture of the sport but i just stunk. going to the game made me realize how much i still love the culture and the crazy weird rules of the game and made me wish that i would have actually been part of the team rather than just the parties. i sat there longing to get dirty and to beat some ass. how ridiculous is that! i literally got depressed. but later that day i realized that i fully engulfed myself into the activities board culture and it was just like a little team. we all relied on each other for so much, spent tons of time together working and playing and becoming thick as thieves. as much as i wish i could have been part of the rugby club and kicked major ass - i'll always be more of a party planner than an athlete. i'll settle for being a total rugby groupie :)

later that night i met my friends tara and ryann at mayfest for german fun. ryann and got some beers and tara got some riesling. things quickly got out of hand when ryann told the bartender she'd chug her stein of beer for a free one. it worked! she did that twice. she's a champ. then tara asked for an IOU on another glass of wine. what an understanding man! we got a tad silly and harassed police officers and a giant germany aficionado. we had a very good time. after the festival we went to sopo lounge and danced our little hearts out. its been ages since i busted a move and it was a blast! the manager encouraged us to dance on the booths and get rowdy. when does that happen! he brought us a round of shots in honor of our dance moves. they played my favorite song for me so i could break it down. honestly, it was the most fun i've had in ages! i love those girls to pieces.

life is so busy right now with graduation at depaul and stef and jeff's wedding this weekend. big blog post will come afterwards!

bff and baby time in san francisco!

2010-06-03T19:30:00.004-05:00

i just returned from a lovely trip to san francisco late last night. i went out to celebrate my good friend caitlin's birthday - very belated - and meet the new "nephew" Luke. it was a wonderful trip! caitlin actually came to chicago on saturday for the first hawks game and so we flew back together. when we landed we went to chinatown for dinner and got delicious food!!! afterwards we went to a place called candy bar. it is heavenly. they have sweets, alcohol, fancy sodas and games. i got a pb&j thing that had peanut buttery goodness inside a pastry with fresh berrys and jam and carmelized peanuts. DIVINE. i had a mexican coke too - the best! we played some connect four and then went home and crashed. the next day we drove to san jose to the winchester mansion - it's a totally wacky mansion that the winchester widow built - she thought she was being haunted by ghosts so she made it confusing for them by having windows in the floor, stairs leading no where and doors that led to a big drop outside. it was super fun to do with caitlin and totally our style of a touristy activity. after that she took me to a bar in the marina for food and the hawks game. we had a good time rooting for our home team and chowing down and they won! phew! after that i insisted she show me famous houses so we went and found the painted ladies (opening shot of full house), jerry garcia's house, the full house house, and my personal favorite - the house from mrs. doubtfire!!! then we got ben and jerry's and saw sex and the city two. it was a wonderfully full day and i loved every second! trekking around san francisco with barely any idea where we're going in foggy mist trying to find silly houses reminded me of the comedy road trips we used to take. in college we would decide to take 4 hour trips randomly to see our favorite comedians and always, always get lost! but oh so fun!

the second part of my trip involved meeting my unoffical little nephew, luke. rob's sister amy was so kind to pack up luke and the car and come get me from caitlins and to take me back to her place in foster city. foster city is just south of the city and much less foggy and very sunny. i got to spend some quality time, ask a lot of questions about how amy is feeling, what luke's like, what parenthood is all about and anything else that crossed my mind. ame made delicious sandwiches for us and i got to try to convince luke to not hate me - he cried a lot that day when i held him. later, amy kindly drove me to caitlin's work and then caitlin and i went to the ferry building for our yoga hike. i found out about hiking yoga on sfweekly.com. it starts at the ferry building and then you go on a few very, very uphill hikes on pretty san fran streets. you do yoga at the top of each hill. the walks upward were very challenging but satisfying. the yoga was also pretty challenging but lovely. the views you could see from so high up were incredible and the paths we took felt very special and unique. i can't wait to do it again sometime! afterwards caitlin took me to her favorite seafood joint in the castro and holy hell, it was good! we split crab cakes appetizer and then i got almond crusted halibut with mashed potatoes and veggies. TO DIE! then we went home and she introduced me to the vampire diaries. i could see how it's addicting and it's not as horrendous as twilight. the next day amy came by again to pick me up for the day. this time we went for a little walk to starbucks. every time i visit i am blown away at how gorgeous it is in foster city. they live next to the canal system and along the way there are lots of pretty houses and flowers. i just think how lucky luke is to grow up in such a beautiful area. he's going to be a total little fish - wind surfing like dad i bet. we had a nice lunch and then walked back and did little photo shoots along the way. luke didn't dislike me as much this day and let me hold him for extended periods of time without crying. success! it was so fun to spend so much time with luke and amy. amy is such a natural. she is an amazing mama and when i saw tom for just a few moments but he is equally fantastic with luke. i'm so happy to be able to see them during this time when they're figuring it all out with such ease, love and patience. it's just so happy. luke is the sweetest little guy. he already has such personality! he's very strong and good at moving his head around and his arms like to fling around a lot. his little chin quivers when he cries and his lips make the most perfect circle when he yawns. i love him. can't wait for their visit in july!

it was such a great, stress-free trip. similiar to florida. just lots of quality time and good food. i can't wait to go back some time in the fall.

will post pictures soon!

depaul, daley, doughnuts and dolphins.

2010-05-23T21:01:00.008-05:00

this weekend involved several events because depaul just launched the many dreams - one mission capital campaign to raise funds for scholarships, faculty and campus expansion. my department is part of the office of advancement who is coordinating the campaign so we have been involved with the process. on thursday they did the big announcement with a big picnic on campus, friday i coordinated an event for consecutive donors and volunteers and saturday was the HUGEEEE gala! the event on friday was really great - a bunch of my wonderful student volunteers came and everyone really enjoyed themselves. i actually didn't have to do much on saturday - the crew had it all under control. i worked with the students a tiny bit but not much. so basically i got to enjoy one of our events - it was a welcome change. the event had many components included a theatrical performance, a depaul song, cocktails, dinner, speech from mayor daley (one of our famous alumni) and a dessert buffet - which included a doughnut machine-YUM! i got to spend a lot of time with my wonderful student volunteers before the end. i just love them. i feel so lucky to work with these outstanding students - they truly are depaul and remind me why my job rocks. then all the staff members working went to the university house which is a beautiful lincoln park town home that the president hosts out of town guests at. we got to take off our heels, chat and enjoy some wine. it was really nice! overall the launch was a huge success and i'm very proud to be part of this exciting time. i would STRONGLY encourage you to give to the campaign - even $1 makes a huge difference for us and depaul students.http://alumni.depaul.edu/campaign/Default.aspx DO IT!

as for the rest of my weekend - it was pretty nice! on friday night i got to meet my pal, ryann out for drinks. it was nice to catch up and watch the end of the hawks game. then on saturday during the day rob and i went to the bagel for brunch - it had been ages since we had gone for brunch so it was really great! then we shopped a bit for new glasses for him and possibly found some cool new frames. afterwards i went to the farmers market down the street and got some cheese and pretzel bread - love farmers markets! it felt really nice to not have any real plans until later that night. i felt like a normal person - not the crazy busy person i have been recently. i'm starting to learn how to just chill out and take the day as it comes and just do what i want. and today was just the absolute best! rob had suggested we have a picnic and go to the shedd with my new membership he got me. we went to whole foods and got some yummie lunch items to take to the lakefront. we found a perfect spot in the shade and got some amazing lake breezes. then we hit up the shedd. i just love it there. it's so pretty and i love the otters and dolphins and penguins - all of it! we had a really great time despite the horrible fantasea show which is their new dolphin, beluga whale, hawk and penguin show. skip it people. it felt great to get out and enjoy the outdoors and the city - it had been awhile! apparently it's full blown summer now because its supposed to be in the 80s all week! hope everyone enjoyed their weekends!

8 year anniversary.

2010-05-21T08:55:00.005-05:00

this wednesday the bf and i celebrated our 8 year anniversary! it's seriously hard to believe we've been together that long - sure we've had a few break ups here and there but we didn't spend that much time separated. we've been through A LOT together and we had to grow up together. looking back on those past 8 years, i think we're in the best place we've ever been. i couldn't be happier. i feel very lucky to have such a patient and thoughtful boyfriend that i still have an absolute blast with no matter what we do.

this was a wonderful anniversary celebration. on wednesday we opened presents, made dinner together and got our favorite ice cream at bobtail. when i got home, i was greeted by very pretty flowers. he knows it's kind of a requirement. then we opened presents. i got him a few small things - a gift card to five guys - one of his faves, a photo book with 1 pic from each of the last 8 years that has room to add on as we go, a shower mirror for shaving that is fancy and steam free and i'm going to pay for a basic bike maintenance class at west town bikes. he liked it all! he got me a lovely card and a membership to the shedd aquarium!!!! i'm so excited, i absolutely love the shedd but don't go very often because admission is kind of pricey. i get to bring a guest with me every time i go too. it's truly the perfect gift. we are going to have a picnic on sunday (if it's nice out) on the museum campus and then go for a visit. can't wait! later on we made a simple dinner - a cheesy chicken concoction we came up with and then we walked to bobtail for some yummie ice cream. they have a bunch of board games there and we played guess who, one of my favorites! rob beat me though.

then last night we decided to take a cooking class. we were both kind of nervous but i called chopping block and they said it was a beginner class. we got partnered with another couple that had no cooking skills so we didn't feel so useless. the chef/instructor went over 3 parts at a time and then would make us just go for it. i definitely thought she would go step by step but she didnt. scary! so rob and i first tackled the citrus herb butter which involved getting lemon and orange zest and mincing herbs and then whipping the butter. we did ok. the other couple cut the potatoes, cut the herbs and got those baking. they also made the biscuits for the dessert. rob chopped the strawberries and i sugared them and cut the mint for them and tossed them together. then she did more instructions for the next part and i tried to 'supreme' an orange - i needed rob's help. then we both worked on cutting the veggies to go with the entree. the other couple grilled the veggies for the salad. then rob and i tackled the walnut vinagrette. that was probably the most in depth thing we did. i got all the ingredients together - rob whisked his little heart out and then we adjusted it as we went based on how it tasted. then i broke up the goat cheese for the salad and got the grilled veggies and tossed it with the salad dressing. then we put the cut up veggies in with the salmon in little parchment pouches. she wanted us to bake them to be medium rare but i said no way and left mine in longer. good thing i did! no one else really liked their rare salmon but mine was pretty good. this was definitely an experience and pretty fun but also kind of frustrating at times. kind of a cool thing to do as a couple. see some of the ingredients and finished product below. yum!

love your body day.

2010-05-17T22:19:00.003-05:00

so love your body day (http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/) isn't actually until october 21 but i'm happy to report i'm loving my bod today! i have gotten into a pretty serious kick of working out lately. more than i ever have before and the most challenging work outs i've probably ever done - and i love it! i take a lot of different fitness classes and i think that's what has done made the difference. my legs have trimmed down a little, lost some of my love handles, some chub in my face and overall ive shed about 5lbs. and that makes me happy and gives me a sense of accomplishment. i tried spinning for the first time last week and did my best to keep up and i also did a muscle work class and felt so much stronger than i did the last time i took the class. not only are the work outs showing results, they also make me more relaxed. if i'm not in a class, i'm just on an eliptical or ski machine watching grey's anatomy or say yes to the dress. what's better than that??

it's always a work in progress - no girl will ever be 100% happy with their bod but i'm happy with what i've accomplished right now.

now my eating habits are another story...i just love food so much and it's really hard for me to live with any strict diet. i pretty much just try to be healthy when i can but don't forbid myself from enjoying things like hot dogs at the cubs game or trying out new restaurants. i mean you only live once and i can't imagine living it without occasional junk food and beer :).

sorry if this post is a bit obnoxious but i don't think there's anything wrong with being happy with how you look every once and awhile! if youre a bit down on how you look or not 100% happy, pick your favorite thing about your bod and embrace it!!!!

friday funday & sleepy saturday

2010-05-16T11:41:00.005-05:00

this friday i had freebie cubs tix from work. i took rob and my coworker and her husband went too. it was really gorgeous out and it was nice to leave work early that day after how chaotic it has been! it was very windy that day but we somehow ended up out of the breeze and it was just perfect. i'm not really into baseball but i LOVE the atmosphere! i always have to get a hot dog. i think i said 10 times while eating it, "i love hot dogs!" then you have to get some beers and later rob and i got pretzels and cheese. YUM! i felt fairly disgusting afterwards but it was well worth it!

after the game rob and i went home and i passed out for about 2 hours on the couch. lovely nap! then my friend darc came over and took us to the local natives concert at schubas. AWESOME show!!! darc and i just got into them recently and we loved it! i hadn't been to a show that i knew all the words to the songs in awhile and it was fun to belt out the lyrics!

after the show we went home real early because i had to get up for an event saturday morning. it was a fun-filled day and i was happy to relax at the end of the night.

saturday i had to wake up earlier than i'd like to work our spring tour. people LOVE these tours and that's why we keep doing them but man they're a pain in the butt. we have to bring water and boxed lunches on the bus for the guests so i had to lug a huge cooler filled with 20 pounds of ice from my neighborhood to downtown - real fun on the train and then transport it to a bus and get 2 cases of water and 50 boxed lunches on board as well. it's truly a huge headache. i started the day at 8 a.m. and it ended at 330. i seriously was soooo exhausted. i came home squeezed in an hour nap and then was on my way out again. i was meeting rob for dinner at big star and guess who we ran into?? darc and friends! we were able to pull up a chair and eat with them. i was kind of a zombie from how exhausted i was but it was fun of course. i didn't enjoy the service or 'tudes at big star but my food was real yummie! i had a crispy pork belly taco and chicken tostada. i really liked it! after that the bf and i went to his friend's engagement party. we got stuck there a tad longer than expected and that threw a kink in my plans and just ended up meeting a friend at a bar near the party for a few drinks. time escaped me yet again after a couple of hours of girl talk. my other friend came and met us for a bit longer and then it was time to call it a night.

i slept great last night and woke up ready to conquer the day! i grabbed a bagel at The Bagel and came home to clean my apartment, tackle the pounds of laundry, finish my homework and work on some random projects. i kind of just did whatever i wanted this weekend which was probably kind of obnoxious but it's what i needed. i was just too sleepy and run down to do much of anything. but i had a nice weekend nonetheless and i got to spend time with lots of fun people. promise i'll be more fun in weekends to come friends!!!

happy, calm and ready.

2010-05-10T12:40:00.005-05:00

after last week's complete panic attack and sob fest, i'm happy to report that i'm pleased as punch. i think having a good cry and venting to all my supportive friends and coworkers made me feel a million times better. the weekend was a blast and also helped me destress. on friday i went to the ballet with my good friend and her coworker. we got the groupon for eclectica awhile back. the seats were awesome! i was so surprised that we were so close to the stage for such cheap tickets! they show included 3 unique pieces and it had 2 intermissions which was great for us girls to talk in between each piece. the first piece was very pretty and romantic, the second totally funky and reminded me a lot of the choreography and outfits we'd wear for winterguard and the last piece was beautiful, but one of the girls fell! i've never seen that before! afterwards i went home to join the bf on the couch and we watched "an education." the next day i had a quick luncheon for my student volunteers. they are so adorable and funny. they were all asking what i was doing this weekend, curious about the big bachelorette party and wanted to see all my travel photos in my office. they keep me young, i swear. then i packed up all the alcohol and bachelorette party decor and was on my way. the co-maid of honor got to the hotel (hyatt mccormick place suite - crrrrazy view on the 31st floor!) and decorated our little hearts out. we had all sorts of typical bachelorette party goodies (i.e penis straws and kama sutra balloons) then we had some cute stuff too like caution tape and streamers, glittery buttons and stickers for everyone. we got pasta bowl delivered and had lots and lots of champagne and jello shots. we also had a masseuse and sex toy lady come. it was quite festive. then we went out for a bit and danced our hearts out. i had WAY too much champagne and woke up with the worst headache/hangover i think i've ever had. but man was it worth it. i had such a fantastic time getting wild and crazy! sunday i could not move or function until about noon. the bf took me to return the cat - she attacked me too many more times so she got the boot. i'm SO happy to have her gone. i felt like a big weight was taken off my shoulders and i could relax at home more. i didn't always have to be on the look out for the little devil. and it was nice to toss her literbox and take all the sheets off my furniture. then we drove out to naperville (took 2 hours rather than 45 minutes - thanks 290) and hung out with my mom, bro, dad, aunt and cousins. my cousins bdays are this week so we did a big joint bday/mother's day celebration. it was really nice and they have 2 maltese pups and i realized how much more of a dog person i am than cat. maybe ill start fostering them instead!

i'm feeling totally relaxed and happy and ready to take on all the challenges i have this week. im also thrilled that all i have to do tomorrow is go to the chiropractor and then go home and chill out. wednesday im taking a fitness class and volunteering with my seniors, thursday i might go to a pop can art show and friday i have a half day at work before going to the cubs game and a concert and saturday i have to work an event but it will be a fun one. i'm seriously so ready and looking forward to all of it! hope everyone else had a nice weekend!

going out of my head.

2010-05-07T10:16:00.006-05:00

so last night i officially lost it. i've been feeling the pressure, exhaustion and stress for awhile and last night it all came together and i LOST IT. crying, yelling gibberish, hiding under my covers, etc.

truth is, i love to be busy. it feels good to be productive and i love filling my days with activities, time with friends, the bf, checking out things in the city and yes, even working. however, right now all those things are kicking my butt and there are just too many of them to keep my head above water. i have had to staff a lot of events lately - weeknights and almost every saturday since mid april. the last time i didnt have something i had to do after work was april 13 i think. GROSS!

so i made a list of things that i would like to do that would make me happy. (lists make me happy)
1. take fitness classes. i LOVE taking these challenging fitness classes. they make me feel very accomplished and you don't have to speak for the whole hour. glorious! ive been too busy lately to do them so ive been stuck on the eliptical or treadmill for a half assed work out.

2. paint pottery. i love painting pottery - specifically alone - because it's a nice quiet time activity and i get to be creative.

3. scrapbook. i have a TON of pictures and scrapbooking crap but no time to do it. it makes me very happy. i like that there is a finished product that i can enjoy over and over again.

4. go straight home from work one day. i NEVER do this. i always either have something i have to do or go to the gym. i work until 430 but i usually don't get home until 8 or after.

5. get a real massage. i go to the chiropractor almost every week and get a "body treatment" but it's not as glorious as a spa massage. i really need one and it's the ultimate relaxation for me!

6. do art. i just wrote about this. again, no time to really dive into anything right now.

7. sleep in. i haven't been able to sleep in much on the weekends like i really like to do because of work and other activities. i'm hoping i can this sunday!

8. eat junk food. i have been trying to be really good about eating and working out lately. for example, my lunch consists of chicken noodle soup, strawberries and carrots. what i really want is a hotdog and cheese fries.

9. spend the day with my man. i haven't been able to do this and it's needed!

10. have the energy to go out like a wild woman with my girlfriends! the past few weekends i've wanted to make them the best nights ever but i've just been too sleepy to stay out too terribly late!

i realize that i often don't allow myself to do the things i really want to do and get caught up in what i think i should do or need to do. hopefully things will die down and i can do the things that i've been missing out on. wish me luck!

latest foster kitty.

2010-05-05T22:17:00.005-05:00

i got a new foster kitty about 2 weeks ago. i am trying out a new program through PAWS. i used to go all the way down to their intake center, take in a sickly cat that wasn't ready to go to the adoption center. it was real hard to get there and sickly ones can be kind of tricky. i found out that the nearby lincoln park adoption center also does fostering. they put cats that don't "show" well into foster care so that the foster parent can write a little bio about how great they are at home and add some adorable pictures to help encourage adoptions.

i went in to met honey bee. as soon as i walked into the room she ran to the top of the cat tree out of my reach. the head volunteer brought her down so i could meet her and she was skittish but sweet. he said that she always shys away from new people and doesnt like to play around other cats. i said sure, let's go for it. he tried to put her in a carrier and she went APE SHIT crazy. great sign! in the cab she was scratching the inside of the crate like a pyscho. awesome. then i get her home and she bolts for under the bed. for like 3 hours. she finally came out for a belly rub and appeared to be very sweet. she likes to drink out the faucet and our cups. she likes to scratch at my leather couch too. she really likes to be brushed and play with feathers and she sheds like no other. she was all sprite and delight until she attacked the crap out of me a couple of days into her fostering. she randomly jumped on my arm and bit me and clawed me while i was studying. it was INSANE and very scary! then it happened like 3 more times within 2 weeks. couldnt figure it out at all. bought lots of toys and treats and had planned play sessions and it still didn't help. she attacked the bf once last week but since then she's been fine. playful but not aggressive and fairly cuddly and needy. not really sure what changed but i'm relieved because i was terrified she was going to claw my face. she's pretty darn cute looking too.

art lover.

2010-05-02T20:11:00.005-05:00

lately ive been missing art. i used to get to do artwork all the time for school-drawing, mixed media, printmaking, jewelry making. even after i graduated i took the time to do small art projects. now, i find it hard to find time for it and i lack the inspiration i once had. i'm starting to get the itch again so hopefully i will start to pick it up again but for now i've been enjoying other people's art. last weekend at the dance thing i went to the walls were covered in art. my good friend and old roomie had a few fantastic pieces! she inspired me to do more myself. then on tuesday last week i visited the MCA for their free day. i did not understand a thing. i loved it though. everything was incredibly abstract and modern and didn't make a lick of sense. some of it was super ugly, some of it was gorgeous and some of it was very funny. i was so happy to go because it had been awhile since my last visit. on friday the bf and i joined his friend and gf at our favorite theatre for the opening of "exit through the gift shop" a documentary about street art. i loved it. it was funny, interesting and filled with intriguing art. i highly recommend it. this saturday i made a pitstop at the cultural center and viewed some photographs, some pieces done by young adults with disabilities and my favorite - a paper jewelry exhibit. i get so happy when i go there. i love that it's always free and that its beautiful inside. it's one of my favorite chicago spots. later that day i got the chance to go to artropolis at merchandise mart. unfortunately my friends and i were dragging and super duper tired. artropolis is not the place to go when you're tired. there were 3 different floors and endless rows of art. we first stopped in the emerging artists floor. it was pretty cool and we saw some great pieces. then we went to the other floor with more established artists and it knocked or socks off. i fell in love with all that glittered. i love crafty kitschy art and there was a fair amount there. there were pieces completely made out of sequins - love it! my favorite were these pieces that used straws to create 3d shapes like lips and an eye. there was so much art there it was quite overwhelming but we got to see some very interesting and spectacular pieces and i'm so grateful we got to go.

hopefully i'll do something interesting on my own someday soon!

baby & weekend recap

2010-04-29T08:42:00.003-05:00

so the baby FINALLY arrived (40 some hours after her water broke) little luke was born yeseterday around 2 a.m. california time. i'm so happy for the new mom and dad, they're going to be the most amazing parents. i cannot wait to get out to visit at the end of may to hold the little guy. i know i'm only unofficially an auntie but i'm still bursting with excitement. me and the bf have already decided we must take luke to his first concert :)

ok, i realize that it's already thursday and the weekend was a long time ago now but it's been a busy week! last friday was very chaotic - i had to work late and then run to a bday party which was fun because i got to catch up with some people that i hadn't seen in a very long time. then i ran to my friends house for girl talk and lots of cheese and crackers. it was the perfect rainy day activity. i had to work again the next day but got to take a dance class which was really fun. afterwards i had a bit of downtime before going to this cool dance thing to meet up with some friends. it was at this loft/performance space called the inconvenience. several people live in this space but also use it as a dance and music performance space and an art gallery too! i had actually been there before bc the bf played a show there a few years ago but this was my first time back. they had some interesting modern dance pieces and $1 pbrs. can't beat that :). the next day was my friends bridal shower. it was a really beautiful shower and the bride and groom got some fantastic presents. i'm so glad to be a part of their special celebrations! their wedding is so soon! i'm getting excited. we got our bridesmaid dresses and theyre so pretty and fun! when does that ever happen?? after the shower i got to spend some time with my good friend, her husband and they're adorable little girl. another friend of ours came over for a visit too. it was so nice to catch up and play with their cute little one.

overall i was utterly exhausted and sick of rain by the end of the weekend but so glad that i was as busy as i was. i got to do everything i wanted and see all sorts of different people. i'm definitely ready for this weekend to be here and do it all over again.

exciting!

2010-04-26T10:45:00.003-05:00

the bf's sister's water just broke and is going into labor as we speak! i just danced around my office - who knew me of all people would get this excited about babies!!! i'm bursting and i cannot wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl and what they decide to name him/her!

more news on the babe soon and a full weekend update to come :)

perfect weekend. rough week.

2010-04-20T22:17:00.003-05:00

this weekend was truly perfect. friday i got an amazing workout at a cardio kickboxing class, got to take a nap and chill out with my new foster kitty, honey bee. later on the bf and i went to a show at lincoln hall and got to catch up a bit with some of his friends. then i slept in forever on saturday before we headed to my friend's fiance's surprise bachelor party after the cubs game. we had a lot of fun and watched a lot of train wreck cubs fans. then another friend came up to spend the night. we met some more friends out for dinner at shiso. they got sushi and i went for a yummie noodle dish. we went through a few bottles of wine and then walked next door to old town social which was packed. luckily my favorite blonde bombshell sweet talked her way to the front of the line. we did some serious people watching before trekking out to humboldt park to meet one of the girls boyfriends. we went to the california clipper which had a pretty authentic country band and a cool diner feel. we had some nice tipsy conversations before getting a ride home from the groups DD. can't beat a free ride! it's been ages since ive been out that late and it was fun :) again, i slept in forever. glorious. then i visited my seniors and got a lot of cinnamon hard candies from joe and a full report from frances. then me and the bf met my family for dinner at goose island to celebrate my dad's bday. we had a really good time and it was nice to see my fam. the weekend had the perfect level of bf time, friend time, sleepy time and fam time. love weekends like those!

coming off a great weekend to a tough week is not fun. we are so busy at work right now. i work late 4 times this week and havent had time to get everything done during the day. im going to burst. hopefully this weekend will also be just as perfect! let's just hope i make it through this week...

what i plan to do with my tax return $...

2010-04-14T10:43:00.003-05:00

so i'm supposedly going to bank on my tax return this year. i think it's because i am enrolled in school again. i don't really care what the reason is but i will have some money to play with! i keep a wish list of items i want to buy but aren't urgent. so i need to decide what exactly i should buy from the wish list.

first and foremost i will be paying off my icky credit card that has high interest but i've gotten it down pretty low. second i'll be paying off my dad debt. he loaned me some moola when i studied abroad in 2006. thank goodness he doesn't charge interest. i will also be putting a decent amount into savings.

second i need to get a diamond put back into my grandma's wedding band. it fell out awhile back when i was at work and i thought it ws lost forever and then my coworker found it in the microwave!!! what are the chances!? so hopefully getting it put back in won't be too terribly expensive.

lastly, the play money. some of the lameo items on the list include a tap light for my kitchen, green cleaning supplies, a new retainer (seriously they're pricey), workout clothes and tailoring a few work items. BORING. the fun stuff includes making a custom photo book of my study abroad trip, a laptop (because my computer crashed), a ring flash camera and frivolous clothing items like a cute new jacket or dress. The ring flash camera has been on my list for a very long time. i see it every time i go into the dick blick store and i want it so badly. it's this cool camera that adds different colored tints to your pictures. so fun! i was also thinking how fun it would be to go into one of my fav stores like anthropologie or zara - where i often feel bad about spending money and splurging on a beautiful piece of clothing - and buying something i want but don't need. the bf is lending me his old desktop for the time being so i can put off buying a laptop for the moment. i don't have time to put together the photo book for prague. the ringflash camera isn't too expensive so i could pair it with another medium priced item like one of my lameo items like getting my clothing tailored. i'm torn! maybe i'll know exactly what i want when i have the money in hand. i also have a lot of expensive things coming up like bachelorette parties, weddings, trips and whatnot that i could be responsible and put money aside for but where's the fun in that!?

i hope everyone else is lucking out on their tax returns this year!

overnight in milwaukee!

2010-04-12T21:45:00.003-05:00

we had a great time in milwaukee this weekend! here are the highlights:

* pit stop at the brat stop for fried cheese curds, bad service and ofcourse brats!

* taking really embarrassing pics at art museum and seeing some really cool modern art. we also had a photo shoot by the lake :)

* tara deciding to get her nose pierced and literally going on a wild goose chase trying to find the best piercing place and asking 1,000 questions at each and putting little dots on her nose. she went for it finally at the end of the night and it looks perfect! her nose was made to have a rhinestone on it!

* local brews & a delic appetizer at balzac off brady street

* getting our sangria comped at a shitty mexican restaurant. it was literally fizzy wine with no fruit. come on.

* doing mud masks and painting our nails a hideous shade of purple with neon designs with a junk food buffet.

* girl talking till 3 a.m.

* getting treats at the public market

* getting a tour of sprecher brewery and trying their yummie samples!

i know that no matter where i go with these girls - or any of my friends - i will have an absolute blast. i laughed so hard and talked so much. i had smile lines on my face within about an hour into the trip, a very good sign. thank goodness for my friends that like to have little adventures, are up for anything and make me laugh till i ache. thank goodness.

milwaukee getaway!

2010-04-08T08:47:00.004-05:00

i'm starting to realize how many cool/fun/cheap places there are to visit in the states. i've been so focused on euro travel for so long i've been neglecting my home turf. this summer i had a blast in nashville, just enjoyed a vaca in daytona beach and now me and 2 of my best girlfriends are heading to milwaukee for an overnight this weekend. i kind of always forget about milwaukee. when in need of a little getaway i scour my brain for a good nearby spot and usually end up in michigan. luckily my friend suggested milwaukee and i looked into it and there are all sorts of fun activities to do there!

on our way up we'll make a pitstop at the Brat Stop - http://www.bratstop.com/

after we get into the city, we'll get started wtih a brewery tour at Lakefront Brewery - http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/main.html

then we'll visit the Milwaukee Art Museum - http://www.mam.org/

if we have time to kill, we'll go to the Mitchell Park Conservatory - http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm

then we'll hit the town for dinner and drinks and end the evening with bottles of wine at our hotel.

the next day we'll grab lunch and visit some shops at the Public Market - http://www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org/index.php

and then we'll hit the road!

all that adds up to the best lil girl's getaway! anyone else been to milwaukee and have any suggestions??