There is something delicious...sompin' like Cupcakes

Cupcakes.  

Nope, I haven't stepped into a warm, sweet, little, trendy cupcake shop (obviously...don't you see the crazy scattering of sprinkles and disney princess baking cups?) but instead spent Friday's snowy afternoon baking some sweet Valentine's Day goods with an even sweeter four year old.  I mean, is there anything better to do to keep warm?  Fill a house with delicious scents, lick your frosting covered fingers and listen to silly songs that a creative little girl makes up for you?  I think not.  

 

Nom nom nom...
It's Saturday...let's bake!

Style spotlight

New York fashion week is here and all over my twitter there are people tweeting about the runways and the designers and the models and the intense excitement of NYC right now (I wanna be there!).  But there is one model who has a fashion sense after my own heart...Lily Aldridge.  She is adorably beautiful and I want her wardrobe.  And her gorgeous hair.  Maybe I should embrace my sun bleached ends too?  Love this girl's chic style and effortlessness.  

She too wears tons of black and gray with maybe a little purple thrown in.  My closet exactly.

The good, the bad and the adorable.

Woah.  It's been like forever.  Well, 4 days.

I have had one of those weeks where everything I do is 10 times more difficult than it has to be or normally is.  Like going to the gas station and having to change pumps twice because it is so darn cold the machines are frozen...3rd times a charm, I guess?  And like when you're driving to class and you hit a train and the line at Starbucks is to the door and then you get behind a bus (the kind that stops at every kid's house...how do you get that hook up anyway?  What happened to bus stops?) and then there is an "accident" on the highway so there is traffic because everyone is stopping to look at what really is just a flat tire and thus you are late to class.  Yup, those are 2 examples of the things I ran into this week.  Sheesh.  OK, I am done!  Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

Now here are some really good things from the week:

- That tomorrow is Friday (redundant, but seriously I am sooo thankful)

- A gym day with the boy who looks oh so good working out.  Hott.

- Clean sheets, pillow cases, blankets, and duvets.  I think I even slept through the night because of this laundry magic.

- That I discovered Burberry Children.  I want my future munchkins in these clothes.  They won't be because a solo sippy cup was $60 dollars, but a girl can dream!

Can I have him? Please?

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?

Survival Kit--February edition

It's February and I am sooo over this winter thing.  In fact I am almost positive the majority of us are done with the cold and squirming for sunshine on our skin.  But since it is only the beginning of February, I decided I needed some things that could get me through this month and probably the next (spring always comes later than it should.  Humph).  I think these things will give us all a little bit more warmth, hope, style, and endurance as we make our way through this icky month!

(click on the pics to get the goods!)

                                    Kiehls coconut lip balm.
                  Smooth, smelly, and oh so glossy.

The bag I am taking on my
      next trip         Something purple that wraps
                                                                      
Quirky and cute suit


Something long. I love maxi dresses for all seasons.    

                                              Bronzer.  We all need a nice glow.
                                          

Stay warm!  44 more days till SPRING!

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!!!

My weekend mishap

Sometimes I am in a hurry.  

Sometimes I like to eat 'Baked Cheetos' at 9am.  

Sometimes I am so anxious for the weekend to start I just want to go to class and get out as soon as I can. 

Sometimes I am crazy about the pens I use.  1 kind of  pen for 1 notebook.

Sometimes I am careless about my key placement.  

So don't do this:

And then get out and lock your car...

Cuz then you'll come back and see this:

(Sour Patch Kids...I walked into the gas station after a fill up and saw them and my mouth jumped with joy.  It was an actual need.)

And then you'll have to explain your careless ways to this man who has the tools to undo your mistakes:

And then you'll have to wait.  And watch.  And your mouth will water for your sour patch kids.

And then you'll see this.  And you'll feel hope!:

Woohoo!  He did it!  Security man at your school did it!

Let the weekend BEGIN!

Now what is the lesson here?  Always put your keys in your bag.  And never overlook a sour patch kid craving.  

It's too cold to do anything

It's way too cold to think of anything clever or worthwhile or interesting or fun to write about.  

I just need a fire and 5 layers and hot chocolate and a nap.  

I need to come up with some way to get me and all my friends, all my family, my school and my work to follow me to the golden state for some sunshine.  Forever.

I need this burberry coat.  Like bad.  (well I'll take anything Burberry).