Hobby

Tonight we are going out with friends and it is way overdue.  Evenings with good friends over food and drink is one of my favorite past times.  I don't have a ton of crazy hobbies, but food and friends count, right?  I feel so lucky to have a husband and friends who love and encourage me at all times in my life.  Sometimes I just get so gushy and happy and thankful I can't stop smiling or stop that tear from coming out uninvited.  I feel a few coming on...

{pants, Gap; tank, H&M; Blazer, Gap; Wedges, lulus.com; sunnies, windsorstore.com}

Girl's night out

One of my best friends and I had a total girl's night this weekend.  We enjoyed manicures and pedicures as we sipped on delicious white wine and read fashion magazines.  Although the best part was probably dinner at this amazing Argentine place.  It was called Folkore in Wicker Park (you must check it out if you live in Chicago...it was beautifully designed and had our mouths watering with the best mojitos we had ever tasted).  After the girly start to the evening, we "manned up" by ordering a huge slab of meat.  It was seriously massive.  Even the waiter brought it out saying, "usually this is big, but this is especially huge."  Those chefs in the back had no idea two young ladies were about to dive into it.  I'd like to tell you we polished it off, but we didn't.  We weren't even close.  Kelly took it home for her and her roommates to enjoy for the next week.  

The meat.  We are such ladies, aren't we?

Snow, thunder, lightning

So I live in Chicago.  And I assume if you listen to any sort of news you have heard that a blizzard has swept through our area, and in fact most of the midwest.  Well it came.  It definitely came.  Tuesday afternoon the sky opened up and people started going crazy.  Gas prices spiked, bread was wiped off the shelves and everyone left work early to make it home in time before the snow made it halfway up their door.  I strategically was stranded with some of my favorite people.  It was lovely.  Even when the power went out and thunder pounded and lightning struck (what??? it's February, not July!  But it was eerie and amazing).  We rested, played games, ate food, shoveled like a million pounds of snow, cozied up, I studied for a test, concocted some weird yummy hot chocolate and baked cookies, and so much more.  It was so fun that I am ready for another one to hit...bring it on!

(Bottom right photo is of the driveway.  There are like 4 cars under there.  Gah.  There is so much snow.  Frozen Tundra)

 These few pictures I have do not do the mounds of snow that surround us justice.  This stuff is high and wide and here to stay...this snow is not going anywhere.

Obscure and Outstanding things from my week

Things have actually been fairly normal recently...I'm very surprised.

Obscure

- That I have an automatic urge to sing whenever I enter into a bathroom of any kind.  Public.  Private.  Port-a-potty.  Doesn't matter...I feel like belting it.

- This waitress at the restaurant I was at this weekend.  It was seriously the most awkward interaction I have ever experienced (It was in Madison, WI.  Packer fans.  Could be a good explanation).  And I am not being dramatic!  She whispered and smiled awkwardly and it was all just very strange.  This is the worst description, sorry...

- The dog I am watching this week.  I have never seen a dog beg the way she does.  I usually can't resist begging dogs...the eyes, the drool, the head on your knee...it just kills me.  But her, this dog?  She can't stop moving when she is begging and she keeps making strange noises, "here!  here!  here is piece of chicken, just stop it and go away!"  Ugh, that's why they always come to me...

Outstanding

- Dinner Saturday night.  The local Japanese steak house fed us oh so well.  Dinner and entertainment and sushi.  Mmmm. Mmm.

-  My swirly straw.

- That I get a house all to myself for 5 days.  House sitting and dog sitting have so many perks.
- Musicals.  Saw one this week and I felt like I was a junior in highschool again.  "Mamma mia..."
- My new Kiehl's face products.  My skin feels softer and cleaner and sun protected.  The lady at the store was so pleased to hear I wanted my lotion with spf.
- That there is a high likely hood of being stranded indoors for a day this week.  I am going to be very very strategic as to where I end up.  I will also show up there with good food, games, movies, and wine and hot tea to keep warm.  Yay Chicago blizzard of 2011!!!

Wedding Shenanigans...not mine.

Yesterday was all about this girl:

Isn't she cute?  Her wedding day is just over four months away and she is still without a dress, so Jocy (the bride), myself and two other friends braced the cold Chicago winds in search of the perfect dress last night.  Now I would post her best and most beautiful choices here, but I don't want to give anything away, so take me at my word when I say she was GORGEOUS.

Naturally.

We stopped at the sweetest little shop in Lincoln Park called Weddings826 and got the full treatment.  Lots of attention for Jocy, flutes of champagne, tiny little chocolates, and extra amounts of us gushing over her beauty in a white gown.  We had a truly lovely time being girly and felt absolutely no guilt while getting excited over sparkly things.  

Trying on dresses and critiquing each one was hard work and us ladies needed some grub.  So we wandered for about a block (January. Chicago.  Enough said) and ended the day in a cutie little pasta shop where we sank our teeth into goat cheese, tomato and pine nut smothered farfalle, and gorgonzola cream covered shells.  It was all quite delicious, but I nearly sent my plate of food back in exchange for a whole loaf of bread and a dinner sized plate full of olive oil, parm, and pepper.

Ladies, friends, you are lovely.  There are still two single ladies in this group and I am quite excited for our next wedding dress search.  Ya know, whenever that day comes.

On the open road

I realize this is a new blog and I am getting used to posting, but I really want to do better with this posting stuff.  Like everyday or twice a day...OK not twice a day, but at least the majority of days.   It's hard when you haven't been at a computer since Wednesday.  Anyway, thanks for checking in with me!

Yesterday I woke up, grabbed coffee, filled up my gas tank and hit the open road....to Madison, Wisconsin.  Nothing too exciting or epic, but it was fun.  I love driving and road trips and anything of the like.  Even when I am by myself driving solo, it is rejuvenating.  Putting on top 40 on the radio and dancing unashamedly, drinking coffee, eating beef jerky (a road trip staple of mine) and making way too many bathroom breaks just delights me.

Yesterday consisted of 5 hours, 4 bathroom breaks, 3 listen throughs of a new album, 2 diet cokes, and 1 lovely baby shower for a lovely friend.  Oh, and an amazing sunset to watch on my way home.

 

I can't wait to get on the road again...where shall I go?

p.s. After I dealt with the crabby lady at the BCBG store, I exchanged my dress for the same exact dress (risky!) and I decided to wear it again.  I went to Walgreens, got dolled up in the bathroom and went to the shower hole free (for now!).  OK...I am done with the dress....it will no longer be mentioned in future posts.

A date at Whole Foods

Yesterday was a good day for a good lunch with a good friend. She and I went to whole foods to dabble in their buffet of food labled "natural" and "organic" that made me feel no guilt while I ate cornbread dressing and drunken Thai noodles. It was delicious and fun and we drank the best tea ever. Seriously, it was amazing. It made my tastebuds sing. I think I need to go there again today to stock up on this stuff. You should too. Mint and honey green tea by Sweet Leaf.

Yes, I did have cornbread dressing and drunken thai noodles, but do you see those brussel sprouts? Turkey meatballs? And detox veggie salad that was surprisingly tasty? Yup.

FIN!

Did I also mention we are having a winter heat wave? 50 degrees, snow gone, water in the basement, and the perfect weather for wearing high high heels this new year's eve...no clumsy slipping :)

Happy New Year's! Cheers!

New Year's post tomorrow. Lots of sparkles, champagne, good shoes and friends.