Chicago Girl Gone Mild

Sh*t Chicagoans Say

2012-01-27T13:13:00.000-06:00

Two posts on a Friday, but I had to. As this makes its way around the interwebs, you just have to laugh. Because it's all so true!

Girlfriend Time

2012-01-27T10:14:00.000-06:00

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The weekend is finally here. Almost, anyway! This weekend is all about girlfriend time. Tonight I'm having dinner and cocktails with my work girlfriends at West Town Tavern. Tomorrow, it's up Evanston we go for the Purdue-Northwestern game. Boiler up, folks! On our way back, we're having dinner at Tank in Lincoln Square. Sunday will be full of errands, laundry and all of that fun, responsible adult stuff. What's on your agenda this weekend? Enjoy!

Hearts

2012-01-26T13:37:00.000-06:00

I'm not one for Valentine's Day - at least in the sense of feeling like the hubs and I need to get dressed up and go out on the town, anyway. But, I'm all for this little heart mug from West Elm.

Perhaps I should stop drinking the non-existent work coffee out of my big Christmas mug and switch to this instead?

Nah. It's super cute though!

Wednesday Rant

2012-01-25T10:43:00.000-06:00

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There are two carafes of regular coffee in our work kitchen. Since I've given up my daily Starbucks habit (needless spending), I'm drinking it. It's Starbucks coffee anyway, and I bring in my own creamer. But it never freaking fails that I go in there and both carafes are empty. It's really difficult to make too. You dump the entire packet of coffee into the filter. (Yep, you don't even have to measure anything. We get boxes of full-pot packets delivered to the office.) Then you press start. Seriously, it's two freaking steps and people can't do it. I've seen men go in there (Yes, I'm blaming the men!), shake the carafe, put it down and then go to the other kitchen on the opposite side of the floor. How freaking lazy can you be?

You want to know how lazy? I'm going to guess those same people use the last paper towel on the roll and neglect to replace it. People, there is a lifetime supply of paper towlels on the shelf just above the counter. I don't get it.

You know what else I don't get? Why the frick can't people pick up their dog's poop? You shouldn't own a dog if you are so freaking lazy that you can't even bend over and scoop the crap up in a bag and throw it in one of the 6,000 trash bins in the alleys that cross every freaking block. This isn't the suburbs. A sidewalk isn't your yard. How in the world do you just leave a big pile of poo in the middle of the sidewalk? People are gross.

I have an old pair of boots I wear to take the pup out. I've dubbed them my "poop boots" because at least 2-3 times a week while I'm being responsible enough to pick up my dog's poo, I step in someone else's. Stick a roll of poop bags in your coat pocket and have it on you at all times. It really can't be easier than that.

Wow. It's been awhile since I did a full on rant like this. Sorry for that. But man, it felt good!

Warehouse Sale

2012-01-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

For those interested, lululemon is having a warehouse sale. I won't be attending. A) I'm sort of a cheapo when it comes to how much money I pay for pants that I sweat in and stink up the crotch. Sorry, just being honest. B) I have big plans this weekend and wouldn't even be able to attend until Sunday when I'm pretty sure nothing will be left to justify my drive out there except sizes XS and XL. Granted, I do believe my arse is XL, but that's besides the point. But to the rest of you, enjoy!

Over. Served.

2012-01-20T10:59:00.000-06:00

My brain hurts. We had a work outing yesterday afternoon that consisted of bowling and too many vodka sodas with extra lime. I am looking forward to crashing on my couch this evening and catching up on the DVR. Perfect night for it too since we're expecting anywhere from 3" - 10" of snow. It's already started too!

Sticking with my music theme (since my brain is not functioning right now), enjoy this one! I've had it stuck in my head for the past 24 hours. It makes me happy.

Enjoy your weekend! Safe travels to anyone driving out there today!

Lucky & Strong

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

I can't get enough of this song on my daytime work mix.

And this one? Well, I secretly love Kelly Clarkson and this makes for great motivation when you're working out.

Happy Thursday!

Office Space

2012-01-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

I've declared 2012 as the year of home organization! You all know how it is though, city living. Lots of space doesn't come easy. There's no room for hoarding and clutter.

We're pretty fortunate to live in a large space, but we only have two bedrooms, albeit on the large side by Chicago condo/townhouse standards. And since my dream is for that room to be a nursery + guest room, I need to be creative for my current project, creating office space.

My idea is to turn our landing upstairs that leads into the bedrooms into the perfect working area. Does that sound weird? I think it's going to turn out great. Not to mention, I'll finally be able to get rid of the stupid roll-top/ancient desk that's sitting in our dining area/main room downstairs. (Inherited by marriage. Bachelor boys don't always have the best furniture, do they? Man, I can't wait to get rid of that thing!)

We already have a three of these along one wall of the landing (or the version of them from 5 years ago, anyway), so I figure a simple desk to hold the laptop, a small file drawer and perhaps a cool photo gallery above should do the trick on the opposite side.

Since I'm working on a budget (who isn't!), I chose this Avington desk from Target. It's on sale right now + I got free shipping and found an online coupon code for an extra 10% off!

I also purchased the matching file cabinet to hold those important papers we all have, and our printer (that, in all honesty, I rarely ever use).

Oh wait, I still need a chair. Well, I still have to figure that out, but you know what I'd love? This.

I feel a bit guilty about paying more for my chair than I did for the rest of the furniture though. Plus, I may want these chairs for the new dining set I'm dreaming about anyway. Guess I need to think about this piece a bit more.

Once I get my act together and put everything in order, I'll take photos of the finished project. Someday. Keep waiting though.

So what do you think, good use of space or too weird to picture an office on a landing? (Rumor has it the previous owners had an office up there too. I get it. I do!)

A Better Blow Dry

2012-01-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

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All, I'm in need of some suggestions. I think I'm in the market for a new hair dryer. I've had a CHI (the one above) and didn't love it. Right now, I'm just using a cheap Conair from Tar-jay. Don't love that either. Can it really be that I don't like any hair dryers? Or perhaps it's just because it takes over 30-freaking-minutes just to power dry my hair. That's without any styling. It's thick people. Thick-freaking-hair. I want something that works FAST! I don't have that kind of time in the mornings. Well, I supposed I would if I got up earlier, showered faster, didn't have to take out and feed a dog, etc, etc. But I digress...

So tell me, what's the best hair dryer that you can recommend? Do you have one you love? Ready...go!

Friday. Woot.

2012-01-13T09:40:00.000-06:00

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It's Friday, folks. Can I get a woot woot? I bought the necklace above for my sister, my friend and myself during the holidays from Piano Bench Designs on Etsy. Woot, woot is sort of our thing. So I wore my necklace today because the weekend starts soon. And that is something to be happy about.

My weekend plans include enjoying the snow, seeing The Artist, taking Finley to an all-Boxer play date and curling up under a blanket on my couch with some movies and some library books on the Kindle Fire. (My favorite Christmas gift. Thanks, sister!)

Hope you all have fun things planned too. Cheers!

Fuchsia is my Fave!

2012-01-12T16:31:00.000-06:00

Did you see the nail trends for spring feature on Refinery 29 today? Do you know how much I love fuchsia? Like really, really love it? I'll take them all, please!

Above, from left: Butter London Nail Colour in Disco Biscuit, $14, available at Butter London; MAC Nail Lacquer in Toco Toucan, $15, available at MAC; Nails Inc. Neon Polish in Notting Hill Gate, $9.50, available in March at Sephora; Kat Von D High Voltage Lacquer in No Regrets, $12, available at Sephora.

District 12 Uniforms

2012-01-11T10:00:00.001-06:00

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This isn't exactly what I pictured Katniss and Peeta wearing in the arena for the Hunger Games. It's so, um, performance wear! But I like it.

The more photos that are released, the more excited I get. It's all coming to life.

Can you imagine how some of the more amazing outfits Cinna designs for Katniss are going to turn out?

March 23rd, people. March. 2. 3.

Must See Movies - Before the Oscars

2012-01-10T09:43:00.001-06:00

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In case you all didn't know, I love books, movies and TV. Any of it. All of it. It makes complete sense then that I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly. This past week's issue listed the 25 movies you need to see before Oscar night. Here they are!

1. The Artist
I haven't seen this yet. Plan to do so this weekend. Or My Week with Marilyn. Which one?

2. The Descendants
On my "to-see" list.

3. War Horse

4. The Help - X
Loved the book. Loved the movie too!

5. Hugo

6. Midnight in Paris

7. Moneyball
I read the book back in the day. Have not yet seen the movie. I think that may be a good one for this weekend!

8. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - X
Saw this over the holidays. Liked it, but didn't love it. Loved the books. They did a great job telling the story though. Mara Rooney was a fantastic Lisbeth. My friend said she thought maybe it was Daniel Craig who didn't sell it as Blomkvist. Perhaps!

9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Goes wide Jan 20)
I haven't read the best reviews, but I want to see this anyway. I heard that Sandra Bullock gives an amazing performance.

10. The Tree of Life

11. Beginners

12. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - X
It's Harry Potter. Of course I saw it!

13. The Iron Lady

14. Rango
I have a feeling we'll be seeing this soon. The hubs wanted to see it in the theater and we just never made it.

15. My Week with Marilyn
So, do we see this or The Artist?

16. Shame

17. Albert Nobbs

18. The Ides of March
I wanted to see this when it was out, but it's another one we never made it to see in the theater.

19. Kung Fu Panda 2

20. Bridesmaids - X
If you have not seen this yet, you are seriously missing out!

21. J. Edgar
I have ZERO interest in this movie.

22. We Need to Talk About Kevin

23. Drive
OMG. I can't believe I haven't seen this yet. Apparently the hubs and I were busy when a few of these movies were out!

24. Young Adult
I love me some Charlize.

25. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
This doc premiers on HBO on 1/12. I think I need to record it.

So, how many of these have you seen? And how many do you plan to see before Oscar night? Do tell!

Crafty Friend Envy

2012-01-09T09:36:00.001-06:00

I attended my friend's daughter's 2nd birthday party yesterday. It had a Sesame Street theme and can I just tell you that I'm pretty envious of my crafty friend. I do not have an artsy bone in my body, unless you count cooking. But then again, I'm not winning any awards for presentation. Behold Sesame Street in all its crafty glory!

A balloon wreath on the door welcoming you to Sophia Street.

Cupcakes with handmade toppers.

Goodie bags for the other kiddos in attendance.

Big Bird & Oscar.

Cookie Monster & Elmo.

A darling party hat!

And in case you were wondering, I went with a Melissa & Doug cookie set and some little piggy bath toys for the gift. I loved the pigs. They have dirt spots on them and when you take a bath with them, they come clean!

Sinners & Saints

2012-01-06T10:18:00.000-06:00

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I like this little tidbit. I know some people who should heed these words of wisdom. I'm sure we all do.

Hooray for the weekend! What do you all have on the agenda? Mine includes a few parties, one of which is a two-year old birthday party. Watch out, world. We are gonna get craaaazy! Anyone have good gift ideas for a two-year old sweetheart? Suggestions are welcome since I'll be present hunting tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tacos Al Pastor - Adobo Sauce

2012-01-05T11:52:00.000-06:00

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The hubs got a new cookbook for Christmas - I Love Bacon! Yes, I'm serious. This does not bode well for the Biggest Loser competition I'm joining with some work friends. But, I digress.

Hubs made the tacos al pastor on NYE. The adobo sauce was absolutely delish! You should definitely make it.

My recommendation is to change your meat to pork shoulder rather than pork belly. That's what we are going to do next time. The pork belly was too fatty for me. (And yes, I know that's what pork belly is. I have eaten it before. And loved it. Just not like this.)

Here is the recipe for the adobo sauce. If you'd like the complete recipe, I'm happy to email it to you. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, roughly sliced and chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
10 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed, seeded, deveined)
5 cups water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Directions
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaf, oregano, cumin and chipotle. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add guajillo chiles, water and pineapple juice. Season with salt. Cook over medium heat until guajillos are tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool enough, pulse in a blender until smooth. Add sherry vinegar and salt to taste.

When you cook your meat, you'll rub some on for cooking, and also bake your meat in the sauce - with more pineapple. Yum!

Staycation All I Ever Wanted...

2012-01-04T09:19:00.000-06:00

Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo

Staycation happy to...stay home? Absolutely. It was a wonderful time off between Christmas and New Year's. So here's what I did, in no particular order.

Zoo Lights with my mama
Family time for Christmas
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie
Dinner at Coast in Bucktown
Dinner at Rustic House in Lincoln Park
Drinks with work friends
Lazy time on the couch
Coughing and sniffling - boo!
Snuggles with the pup, and the husband sometimes too
Cleaning & organization
New Year's Eve at home with the brother-in-law and the pups (See below)
Eating leftover ham - ham & bean soup, ham & cheese omelets, ham sandwiches. (No more ham, please!)

Fin and Murph. My baby is getting so big!

Hope you all did something fun, memorable and enjoyable over the holidays too. And no, I don't want to admit the holidays are over, so I'm going to keep talking about them, okay?!

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T11:17:00.000-06:00

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Happy New Year! I'm back from my time off work - off of everything, really. Since I obviously haven't updated this site AT ALL since before Christmas. Refreshed. Renewed. Ready for 2012? Perhaps. Let's start by setting some goals for this coming year.

My #1 goal for 2012 is to get pregnant - and stay pregnant. I'm staying positive. My friend's Christmas card said that she was sure good things were going to happen in 2012, so I am going to go with it and say this is the year. Seeing everyone blog about their pregnancies and even being a mommy to my pup has made it ache even more. There, I've said it. Now please God, please make it happen for good this time.

Get back to the gym regularly. These two days a week aren't cutting it. How sad that I say this each and every January, right?

Stop spending on needless things. Oh the web is a terrible place. Between fashion blogs, Pinterest, retail sites, deals of the day and more, pretty things catch my eye and I just don't "need" them. That was evidenced by the BAGS of stuff I cleaned up in the house yesterday to take to the Salvation Army. Wasteful. I don't have to keep up with what everyone else has and is wearing. I need to contribute more to the nest egg. That egg is going to pay for baby's education, a home not in the city someday and our retirement years. I don't want to work forever!

Try new things. More outings with new blogger friends. Attend some cooking, tasting or other food-related classes. Zumba and Functional Integrated Training (which scares the he!! out of me) classes at my work gym. Just do it, right?!

Stop cursing so much! No explanation needed.

So what are your goals for this year? We're all in this together. Cheers!

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

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Eat, drink and be merry! May the joy of the season be with you and your families. May you have a very blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Giving

2011-12-21T13:29:00.001-06:00

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It's the season of giving! I've done my share of shopping for others. And who am I kidding, for myself! It's often easy to get caught up in the rush and the madness and forget about those less fortunate. The cold. The hungry. The lonely.

I wish I would have done more. I wish I would have volunteered time and not just money. I wish I would have remembered to adopt a family for Christmas. But I have to remember, it all counts. It all helps.

If you're still looking to do a good holiday deed, may I suggest a few options, because well, I did them!

Purchase a "checkbook" from Found to help their mission to save the lives. This fundraiser is only $30 and includes a checkbook full of coupons for Chicago businesses. My fur baby's daycare is affiliated with this wonderful organization.

Make a donation to the St. Vincent DePaul Seton Food Pantry. We just made a contribution in memory of my husband's friend's father who passed away two days ago. The family asked for this in lieu of flowers. It's a much better use of funds and benefits others.

Donate the spare change jingling in your pocket to the Salvation Army. You know they're ringing bells everywhere!

Whatever you do, please do something. We can always do more, right? I know I can. And should!

Dinner at Bar TOMA

2011-12-20T08:00:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to dine at Tony Mantuano's newest spot Bar Toma. I have to admit, I was nervous when I got out of my cab close to 7pm on a Saturday night. With the hordes of shoppers milling about the street, I thought there was no way we would ever get seated. But we did. And within about 15 minutes! Woot. Woot.

Bar Toma features over 20 varieties of pizza, a mozzarella bar, gelato, an espresso bar, small plates of cheeses, apps and more and wines! Oh the wines! We were in the mood for white and our server recommended the 2010 Costamolino, Argiolas, Sardegna.

The place has a great neighborhood, casual vibe for being located among the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue. The service was great. And then there's the food.

Let me preface this by saying that the three others in my group only wanted pizza. It's what they are known for, but man, oh man, I wanted some of the small bar plates to start! I just need to go back. Soon. And try everything I didn't get to this weekend.

We started with the Bar Toma salad. Radicchio, arugula, carrots, celery, fennel, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Toma cheese, capers, Volpaia Chianti vinegar. Do ever notice that when you order a salad in a restaurant, it just tastes lighter and fresher and way better than something you make at home? The Bar Toma was no exception. I could have seriously eaten the entire plate had I not been saving room for pizza!

The crust is thin, light and so very scummy. I love me some pizza and I have a ~~big~~ healthy appetite. I could have eaten an entire pizza on my own. Oh wait, I pretty much did. We had three varieties.

Margherita. Mozzarella, tomato, basil. Who doesn't love a good margherita?

Power. Spinach, garlic, mozzarella, pecorino Romano. I love spinach on pizza, and you can't get fresher than this. I had a piece, of course, but I was saving myself for something oh, meatier. And I only got one vote. So my choice?

Pork Belly Meatball. This was my baby. So stinkin' good. I had dreams about it that night. I can't wait to have it again.

The four of us also shared a Pizzelle Nutella dessert that included a huge mound of gelato. Awesome! The gelato was so creamy and flavorful that I ended up taking two flavors to go. For my husband, of course. No, I didn't eat another one the next day. Not me. (Liar!)

I want to go back. Sooner than later. I want to try so many other things. I want to have espresso. If anyone needs a date for Bar Toma, I'm your gal!

*All photos from the Bar Toma website because my cell phone pictures didn't do the food any justice.

Christmas Card

2011-12-19T10:43:00.001-06:00

Christmas cards have all been sent. Now, it's my turn to share it with all of you. Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner?! Apologies for the low resolution. It's the proof. But that's okay. You get the idea who the center of attention is in our home. (Like you didn't already know.) Peace and joy to you!

*Card from Minted.

Catching up

2011-12-18T10:44:00.001-06:00

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It's Sunday monring. I'm savoring a cup of coffee and snuggling on the couch with the pup. The hubs left for the Bears game hours ago. Enjoying the quiet. Time to catch up since I've been a bit MIA lately.

Someone asked the other day if I ended up finding boots. I did. At DSW, no less. Coconuts Becky boots. Cute and comfy.

Had dinner at Bar TOMA this weekend. A full recap to come. So good!

Lots of boxes staring at me asking to be wrapped. However there's also a pile of magazines waiting to be read. Which will win out?

Christina over at Christina's Pop Life bestowed me with the Liebster, which means favorite or dearest, Award. Thank you for being so kind. And consider it passed along to all of you lovely bloggers.

How about that snow we finally had? Yeah, I loved it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Be Nice

2011-12-14T14:32:00.000-06:00

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Giggle. Giggle. During this time of holiday madness, it's important to remember one is not the center of the universe. One is not the only person trying to do it all. One is not the end all be all. So, be nice. Be courteous. Be kind. Be respectful. Or face the wrath of moi.

Chicago Christmas Traditions

2011-12-13T09:50:00.001-06:00

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We just need some snow! I know everyone complains about the snow and the cold, but in all honesty, I love it! Just look how gorgeous the historic Water Tower looks surrounded by snow and lights!

I'm in pretty good shape with holiday preparations. Just need to find something for the bro-in-law still. This weekend, I hope to make some holiday goodies (for gifts, of course!) like this Whiskey, Caramel, Marshmallow and Bacon Bark. You had me at whiskey. For reals.

Let's not stop there! I'd still like to squeeze in a ZooLights visit at Lincoln Park Zoo, walk to Christkindlmarket (probably during lunch one day!) in Daley Plaza and maybe even get all nostalgic about my childhood with a trip to MSI for the Christmas Around the World exhibit. I'd love to make these part of our seasonal traditions. (We've actually gone to ZooLights for the past three years, I think!)

Who's in? And what do you still hope to do this holiday season?

My Model

2011-12-12T14:07:00.000-06:00

Hi! Remember me? Yeah, I'm swamped. So much to do. Not enough time. That means, not enough time for blogging, fo sho! Instead, I leave you with some photos of my little model. He's a professional. Ha!

All photos of my Finley-poo taken by John Caruso.

Doggy Daycare

2011-12-06T10:27:00.000-06:00

Finley started daycare today. I'm sure he's having the time of his life. (And he'll be nice and tired when he comes home tonight.)

Daycare has a puppycam. I can't access it from my office. (Boo! Stupid security!) The hubs can though, and sent me a couple of screen shots. My captions are what I'd like to think is going on in Finley's head.

I don't know what all of these other dogs are doing, but I'm sticking by this lady.

I bet she has treats!

Okay, maybe I'll get distracted by this ball or this other dog's butt, but it's only because the treat lady looks busy right now.

His final thought? Mommy and daddy, who?

It's the Busiest Time of the Year!

2011-12-05T09:19:00.002-06:00

I was singing the title of this post to the tune of It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! I've been a bit MIA lately. This is a really busy time. I mean, we've all got holiday shopping and planning to do, but I'm also in the midst of writing my marketing plans for 2012, so it doesn't allow for a lot of free time. And when I do have some extra time, I'm doing this!

Decorating the tree!

Loving the pup!

Spending time with the girls!

We enjoyed wine at my place, followed by a delicious Italian dinner at my neighborhood gem, Fiorentino's. It's always so hard to get everyone together, so Saturday night was wonderful. One of our group even made it back for a surprise visit from Charlotte. So much fun.

My company party was also this past weekend. On Friday we headed over to The Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier and then enjoyed some extra beverages at D4.

For those of you who asked, I shared my Spotify Christmas playlist on Twitter. It's 5 hours long. (Yes, I know, I'm totally normal.) I didn't put it in any order. But if you love Christmas tunes, it definitely gets you through the workday! Also, last year's mix is here. If you have any must-haves I didn't include, please share!

Lots of work to do. Happy Monday!

Graduation Day

2011-11-30T13:16:00.000-06:00

Finley passed the AKC S.T.A.R. puppy program training on Monday night. I wasn't sure he would. Kidding, kidding.

We took classes by Dog Obedience Group (credit to them for the class photo) at The Barking Lot. We learned so much and still have so far to go. Sigh...

We're on your far left in the photo. How big is my little guy getting?! Huge.

Bring it, Old Man Winter!

2011-11-28T10:34:00.000-06:00

Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving? My 5 days out of the office were wonderful. Today? Not so wonderful. Oh well!

We had a great time with family and Finley loved every minute of being at my mom's place. The puparoo was so excited to be around everyone and in a new place, he never even napped that day. And when we got home late that evening, we walked right into his crate, plopped down and went to sleep. No crying. No whining. It was heaven!

Flurries in Chicago this morning. Nothing note-worth, but it made me realize what a smart decision I *finally* made yesterday when I bought these hefty things.

Sorel Tofino Boots

With a $25 Nordstrom gift card from my birthday and a $20 Nordstrom Note, I'd say it wasn't too shabby of a deal either. Waterproof, warm, not too heavy (compared to the other style I tried on) and fit my narrow foot just fine.

So bring it, winter! I'm ready! You don't scare me!

What are you bringing to the table?

2011-11-21T10:09:00.004-06:00

It's Thanksgiving week! Hooray! We all have so much to be thankful for, but before all of that, we need to plan what we are bringing to the table on Thanksgiving. The hubs, the pup and I are headed to Indiana to visit my family. And since it's a lot of work for mom to put an entire meal together for everyone, we've split up the menu so that everyone contributes. Sister doesn't cook, but she has agreed to make pumpkin whoopie pies. Here's what the hubs and I are bringing to the table.

#1 - The Turkey

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We are going to deep fry the turkey. I'm sure I've mentioned this before. The hubs got out his turkey fryer over the weekend to make sure everything is in working order and picked up the oil. I know, not the healthiest option, but it's so freaking delicious. The turkey doesn't dry out and it takes a whole lot less time than the oven. I guess that's good for a dude who'd rather be watching football. The only thing we still need to figure out is what type of marinade we are going to inject into the bird.

#2 - Cranberry Apple Relish

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My mama loves some cranberry sauce, but has never really made anything other than a homemade cranberry orange relish. (Seriously, is it obvious, I'm the foodie in the family?) I found this Fresh Cranberry Apple Relish recipe (apples, toasted walnuts, cranberries, orange zest, maple syrup, parsley, salt & pepper) in Real Simple and thought it sounded tasty, so I'm going to give it a go!

#3 - Brussel Sprouts

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After a trip to NYC last November (The Spotted Pig), the hubs and I fell in love with brussel sprouts and have been cooking them at home ever since. I'd been searching for a wow-factor recipe for Thanksgiving and am still torn over which to make. The Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta from Food & Wine (Thank you, Johanna!) or the Cinnamon Cider Bussel Spouts with Apples & Pears from Daily Garnish (Thank you, Ashleigh!). I must make the decision soon! Any votes?

What are you bringing to the Thanksgiving table? Anything besides your appetites?

Time for Some R&R

2011-11-18T16:10:00.000-06:00

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It's the weekend and I never thought we'd get here. Plans this weekend include Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (yes, I admit it!), brunch and mani-pedi with a friend who is coming off of a week of tabulating report cards (ick!), finalizing the side dishes I'm bringing to the table on Thanksgiving and spending lots of alone time with the pup. His daddy is going to the ND game on Saturday and the Bears game on Sunday. I'm not complaining though. There are some episodes of Revenge, RHOBH, Ringer and who knows what else piling up in the DVR that need watching, magazines piling up on my coffee table and dark circles under my eyes. Who's ready for some R&R? What's on your agenda this weekend? Enjoy!

It's all fun and games (or is it?)

2011-11-16T15:07:00.000-06:00

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Mid-week randomness

* Finley got his cast off. Hooray. Finley is also acting out. Perhaps some separation anxiety? Not eating his food in the morning. Crying when daddy leaves. Running under the bed to hide from mommy so I can't get him in his crate before I leave for work. Just you wait little man, you're not going to fit under that bed soon!

* I need some black boots that I can wear with skirts and skinny jeans in a bad, bad way. I need a wide calf though. And, I have a narrow foot. I can usually do a medium-width shoe though if I 1/2 size down. I can't find any I like. They are either more than I want to pay (d*mn you J. Crew), ugly, not the right heel or not leather. I sure as heck am not shelling out $100+ for "man made uppers". Help!

* I'm searching for an out-of-this-world brussel sprouts recipe - and not finding one. My co-worker is supposedly getting her hands on L20s. I'm still waiting but the countdown to turkey day is on!

* I just realized I sound very whiny and selfish today. Is it Friday yet?!

District 12

2011-11-15T10:08:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this yet? Did it put you on the edge of your seat? Or was that just me? No, really. Pretty sure I've watched this preview at least four times already. Let's hear it for Katniss and Peeta. Team District 12.

Chicago (Blogger) Girls Night Out!

2011-11-14T09:55:00.002-06:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a great group of women who are also bloggers in Chicago. We started our evening at Essential Nail Spa in Lincoln Park for manicures.

The salon was super clean and the staff was very friendly. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with my manicure. Since I'm rather hard on my hands, I usually go with a very soft, natural color, but last week I decided to be bold and go with a dark wine color. By some miracle, it's 6 days later and my color still looks great!

After our pampering, we headed over to Vintage 338 for some vino and small plates. The food and drink were tasty, but the company made the evening.

It was so nice to get together and meet everyone.Thanks so much to Johanna and Cara for putting a lovely evening together - and inviting me. Thanks to Zoe and Johanna for the photos! And be sure to check out the blogs of each of these lovely ladies!

Happy Monday!

Shake it Out

2011-11-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

I absolutely cannot get enough of this song! Happy Friday, everyone. Have a wonderful weekend!

There's a Chill in the Air

2011-11-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

It's a bit chilly in Chicago today. It may be time to break out the wool coat gloves! I guess it is November. I can't complain though. Kinda love the chilly weather and all of the comforts it brings.

Warm blankets for curling up on the couch.

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A steaming cup of hot chocolate to warm your bones.

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Scarves to keep the wind out - and to look cute too!

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Slippers for frozen toes.

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Bring it, Mother Nature!

Bearded Beanies for Christmas

2011-11-08T12:11:00.000-06:00

I started my Christmas shopping already. Is that nuts? For me it is. I'm not usually so on the ball. But I saw these in ByLaura Design's Etsy shop and just couldn't resist. My nephews *need* a bearded beanie.

Pre-Teen Bearded Beanie

I ordered them custom to match my nephews' winter coats. And while the pre-teen beanies are cute, it's the bitty-bebe beanies that did me in. What kid doesn't need a Santa bearded beanie?

Infant Santa Bearded Beanie Pattern

Order a beanie. Order a pattern to make one yourself. (If you have skills. Which I do not.) Order one for your hubs in the colors of his favorite team. (Which I seriously considered by then thought hubs would think I'm nuts even if it was in Bears colors and then I would have wasted my $$.) Um, there are even bearded beanies for women. Why I love these so much, I don't know. I just do. Check out ByLaura Design's Etsy shop here.

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just freaking get a kick out of these hats!

My Boys

2011-11-07T09:09:00.000-06:00

Aren't they handsome? The hubs takes Finley in for his follow-up vet appointment today. The splint/cast has been on for two weeks now and it's starting to stink something awful. Hopefully we get some good news regarding its removal soon. We've also started calling the pup G.I. Puppy. He's found his way under our bed and does a G.I. Joe army crawl when he's trying to get out. It's hilarious. Sometimes he only goes under halfway and I see a cute little puppy butt sticking out. It melts my heart. Little does he know, he won't fit under there for much longer. Bigger. By. The. Day.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Things I Learned In Punta Cana

2011-11-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

* The ocean is big, beautiful and wonderful. We should work harder to keep it that way.

* The Dominican Republic is a huge holiday destination for European travelers. With that said, I saw one too many speedos. (Sorry, I had to!)

* I never met a dish with pineapple that I didn't like. Rice with pineapple. Pineapple on my fish. Pineapple cake. Pineapple flambe. Plain old fresh pineapple. I ate it all! Oh, and then there are those pineapples I drank too. He he.

* It is possible for me to get ready in under an hour. Little makeup needed when you're tan. No point in straightening your hair in severe humidity.

* It's been a long time since I've been on a catamaran. We took this boat out to snorkel, have some drinks, meet some other cool people. So fun!

* I'm not always brave. Part of the trip included a stop where you could swim with sharks and stingrays. I opted out of that. The hubs, however, luuuved swimming with nurse sharks and declared cage diving in South Africa with Great Whites on his bucket list.

* While there isn't much to do on the island outside of the resort, if you truly just want to relax, you don't need to leave. Poolside is where I spent most of my days - even when the hubs went golfing. And yes, I woke up early so I was usually first to the pool - even before the crew!

Rest. Relaxation. A bronze glow. It's all history now. We've been back a week and with this Chicago weather, that tan is just a faded memory.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Happy Birthday!

2011-11-03T08:48:00.000-05:00

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To me! Thirty-seven. I don't really believe that's possible. Mom doesn't either. She doesn't think she's old enough to have a 37-year-old daughter. Too bad I'm actually pushing 40 now. Even though I don't feel a day over 30. Some days. If you want to bring me a cupcake, I'm not opposed. I am working from home today. So you know, it would be easy for you to swing on by. No, really. I'm not joking.

November

2011-11-02T10:57:00.001-05:00

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Wow! It's hard to believe it's November already. It's my favorite month of the year - other than December, because I love Christmas. November is fabulous because it's fall (the best season!) and because it's my birthday month. November offers so many things to look forward to. Here are just a few...

Birthdays
Me, my mama, my nephew, my cousin, many friends. There are so many freaking birthdays this month. Anyone else celebrating a birthday in November?

Thanksgiving
Can't wait to see my family. Sean and I are in charge of the turkey this year. We'll be deep frying it. Healthy? No. Delicious? Yes.

Starbucks
Why do we all love the red holiday cups? I don't know, but I do. I just love the peaceful, comforting feeling I get drinking a hot latte in that red cup. It's the little things, right? Also, I'm excited for the Christmas Espresso Roast - different from the Christmas Blend. I *loved* that stuff last year and helps the budget when I make my own coffee at home.

Puppy Training Classes
Technically, we started on 10/31, but our Monday nights now consist of puppy training classes at The Barking Lot.

Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale
Just yesterday I said I was going to go an entire month without buying myself anything. It seems I've been a bit out of control lately. Yeah, I forgot the Nordstrom sale starts today. Count that as a failure!

Bears Game
I'm finally going to a game this month. Yep, the hubs has season tickets and the wife finally gets to attend a game. Sheesh!

What's on you agenda of good things this month?

P.S. I promise to post vacation photos. I intended to do that today, but I left my USB cord at home. Whoopsie!

Punta Cana and the Broken Toe

2011-10-31T10:39:00.000-05:00

Hi, all! I'm back after some rest and relaxation. Eight nights in Punta Cana and we returned to this!

Finley broke his pinky toe while we were gone. Poor baby! This entire vacation wasn't really at the most opportune time. It broke our hearts to leave him. We had this vacation planned before we found out from the breeder that he was joining our family. Argh!

Our vet said we'd be okay. We even left him with one of the vet techs while we were gone. And he was fine. He had the time of his life. Play dates. The vet staff fawning all over him. And then last Monday while he was walking back into the vet (because he hung out there during the day while his sitter was working so he could ham it up and get attention), he got a bit too excited and ran into the door as it was being opened. And there you have it. Broken. Toe.

He really does look more pathetic than he is. I can't help but laugh at this photo now. Oh, I cried on vacation though. I missed him so much. I'm so happy to be home - other than this whole working thing.

Punta Cana was great. The weather was beautiful. The beaches were beautiful. The large European men in tiny speedo swimsuits? Yeah, not so much. But more on that later.

Happy Halloween!*

*I hate Halloween. I mean, I love it for kids, of course. But, I hate if for the fact that people act like drunk a-holes (as evidenced by the smashed pumpkins all down our block, empty beer bottles smashed on our sidewalk) and girls feel the need to dress like $2 hookers. I mean, seriously, even in my drunk days, I never left garbage for other people to clean up or destroyed someone else's property. I hate people. I really do.

Refresh & Rewind

2011-10-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

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Be back soon!

Sucker

2011-10-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

Took a cab over to Nordstrom at lunch to return two pairs of boots I had ordered that didn't quite work out. The smart thing to do would have been to make the return and LEAVE. Did I do that? No.

I figured I may as well get my tinted moisturizer while I was already there. I am starting to run low. Save myself a trip in a couple of weeks. That makes sense.

Oh wait! Laura Mercier has new palettes in for fall? And I'm a sucker for eye makeup? Oh yes, indeed!

Limited Edition Petite Eye Colour Trio in Smoky Mauves

Limited Edition Petite Eye Colour Trio in Smoky Neutrals

Limited Edition Kohl Eye Pencil Set

Oh that's right, I bought them ALL! I won't even mention that I accidentally bought a sweater too.

Now that's what one calls lunchtime power shopping. (Just don't tell my husband!)

Products found here and here.

She Rocked It

2011-10-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

Sara Bareilles rocked it at The Riv last night. I seriously think she sounds better live than studio-produced. Not to mention she's stunning and has a fabulous personality to go along with it.

She's got so much more to offer than her "radio hit". (I'm really anti-radio/mainstream pop sometimes. I know, I know.) Anyway, she's amazing. We heard a new song (love!) and a full-band cover of Little Lion Man which was awesome! I think I have a girl crush.

Excuse the poor photo quality. Dang cell phones!

The Weekend in Pictures

2011-10-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

This past weekend brought much fun! First, a trip to Purdue to watch the Boilers take on Minnesota. We won. It wasn't much of a contest. Honestly, the game had me a bit bored.

We stumbled across a pretty sweet tailgate setup though. I made the girls pose for a photo. Check out those couches.

On Sunday, we walked up to the marathon route to cheer on the runners at Clark and Diversey. I missed photo opportunities of anyone we knew, but we saw our friend Kevin (I actually think he saw us first) and apparently my neighbor saw me. Great job, all!

And of course, no weekend is complete without more photos of Finley. He's really taken a liking to staring out the front window. He goes CRAZYTOWN anytime people (particularly kids) walk by.

He also started playing with a new toy this weekend, courtesy of our friends Tom and Beth. He loved it so much, he wore himself out yesterday and slept the entire night. I can't thank them enough for the joy that brought to me. Mama is rested today. Woot. Woot.

Hope you all had amazing weekends too. Happy Tuesday!

What the #$%^!

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I know I'm no fashionista, but still, don't these make everyone say what the {bleep}? Or is it just me?

Ice skate inspired boots.

For only $1,895.

Yowza.

Couch Potato

2011-10-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

We've created a monster. When we finally sit down in the evenings to relax before heading off to bed, Finley likes to cuddle with/on us. Who are we to say no, right?

I'm working from home today and guess who doesn't want to sleep on his bed while I'm sitting at the table on the computer. Nope, he wants to sleep on the couch. The little couch potato.

Yesterday he turned 11 weeks old! He hasn't been feeling well the past two days. A few digestive issues -- without being too graphic. We're going to take him to the vet today. Just to be safe. I'm sure I'm just being a paranoid, overprotective mommy, but he's my baby.

Per the vet's request, we've been feeding him smaller meals of a bland white rice and ground beef mixture. I could probably feed him cardboard and he'd still eat it up. This growing boy is at the stage where he puts everything in his mouth. Not so much fun.

His right eye is still blue. I love it. He's about 10 pounds now. I swear when I take him out of the crate each morning, he looks like he grew a couple of inches. Bigger by the day.

On a completely unrelated note, I just wanted to say hello and thanks for stopping by to those of you who are new and have recently commented. So, hello! Talk to you all soon!

The Life We Live

2011-10-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

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Life's been a bit funny lately. Too many tragic stories. Someone who I went to grade school with who passed away unexpectedly. A wife. A mother. Another loving mother with cancer who just had to enter hospice care. Women who so desperately to be great parents but have had a miscarriage or undergone medical treatment to make this miracle happen, with no success.

Then there is the other side of the coin. Friends who, after numerous failed in-vitro attempts, may finally get the miracle they desire. Friends trying the open adoption route who were finally contacted by a young couple, established a relationship with them and just witnessed the birth of the baby girl they have been chosen to love, raise and parent. Friends who have beaten cancer and have been in remission for a couple of years now.

My point? Life is short. Life is hard. Life is full of meaning, lessons, setbacks and joy. All of the things we have and buy and blog about everyday? They aren't really important.

It's the love, people and pets that make our worlds go around. So tell them. Show them. Hug and kiss them every possible moment. Because you never know when they might not be there anymore.

Hugs and kisses to you all. I love each and every one of you in my own way for the joy, friendship, laughter and experiences you have brought to my life so far. XOXO.

Whoopie

2011-10-03T09:47:00.000-05:00

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Let's just forget about the fact that Saturday was a no, good, horrible, awful, very bad game. Yowza! Instead, let's focus on what made our party fantastic other than our friends. It was the FOOD!

The time is always right for a fiesta night, so the menu consisted of these crockpot pork carnitas and cilantro lime rice. I've made both of these dishes before and for some reason, they turned out even better than they have in the past. I think it's because I use this hot Adobo seasoning and it just gives the dish great kick. We had about a dozen friends over and my 5-pound piggy was GONE!

I think the biggest hit of the night though was my friend's pumpkin whoopie pies. Fan-freaking-tastic! What a great dessert to welcome October in with a bang. I will definitely have to ask where my friend found her recipe, but this version looks like it very well could be it. I am still dreaming about them.

Good laughs. Good times. Good friends. Here's to a good week. Happy Monday, all!

Gold & Black

2011-09-30T11:05:00.001-05:00

2007?

And by gold and black, I mean of the Purdue Boilermaker variety. People may scoff at college gear, but I freaking represent. No question.

It's been a helluva week, peeps. I apologize for my lack of comments and responses to emails. I can't keep up and I need today's work day to be over. Although there's no relaxing in store.

There's a HUGE household rivalry this weekend. Purdue takes on ND tomorrow night. We all know the hubs and I don't get along on Purdue-ND weekends. I guess that's why it was a brilliant idea for us to have friends over for the game tomorrow night. Food. Drinks. Friends. Football. You can't beat it.

2008

Lots of work to do though. Get supplies. Make food. Prepare the pup for a dozen friends and his cousin Murphy, the bro-in-law's boxer. Fun times.

Purdue-Michigan 2010

And then there will be the yelling and fighting. I can see it now. My friend Michelle will be arguing with my hubs and our friend Bubba (yes, we call him Bubba). It's going to be way more entertaining than the game itself. Seriously.

Boiler up!

Do you miss me?

2011-09-27T10:14:00.001-05:00

Today is Fin's first day without either mommy or daddy home with him. I am heartbroken. I know he's in good hands with the girl from our church owns a dog walking business and will take care of him today. I'm sure he'll have fun. But listening to him cry in his crate as I walked out the door made me want to cry too. (You know what's awesome though? His right eye is still really blue.)

BTW, how much do you hate our ugly gray carpeting? I despise it since our paint colors are neutral tans, reds, browns and blues. The previous owners put that in just before putting the place on the market a few years ago. I CANNOT wait to get rid of it. The hubs in all of his financial and practical glory convinced me it didn't make any sense to change it out until after we got a puppy and could count on no accidents. I hate it when he's right.

I like to think Finley will be watching for me to come home through the window like this today. You know, if he wasn't in a crate and all. Sigh...

Chilam Bilam

2011-09-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

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One word: Delicious!

The hubs and I arrive to Chilam Bilam around 6:45pm on Friday and only had to wait 20 minutes. The restaurant is super tiny (probably seats about 30 tops) and is a subterranean gem. We waited outside and people watched for a bit. It was worth the wait.

The restaurant is BYOB, but you can opt to have them make you pitchers of their virgin sangria which they'll mix with the bottle you bring. That's what we did.

Onto the important things - the food. It's Mexican small plates and the majority did not disappoint. Here's the rundown on what we shared.

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Chunky guacamole with classic garnishes, crispy tostadas: In my book, you can't go wrong with some great guac. This one was very tasty with just a bit of kick at the end. Hubs said he'd spend his money on something else next time. I, however, love guac and would probably order it again.

Pan seared duck breast, fried huitlacoche grits, classic mole poblano, chinese long beans: By far my favorite dish of the evening. I'm not always a duck fan. I think it can be too greasy/fatty, but this duck breast was fabulous and the mole poblano was awesome!

Grilled pork ribs, honey-pasilla sauce, radishes, crema and queso fresco: The ribs were very tasty as well, but not the easiest to eat while trying to be delicate and neat. Yes, eating with my hands and sauce on my face were involved.

Baby octopus, house chile oil, fennel, frisee, preserved lemon, egg: We ordered this dish because it was recommended by our server. While it was quite refreshing, light and pleasant, it just didn't really do anything for me. I didn't love it. I'd probably try the ceviche instead next time.

Flautas stuffed with chicken thigh and rajas, chipotle sauce, pickled cabbage, carrots and crema: So very good. The flautas were probably my second favorite of the night.

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We closed the meal with dessert. I hardly ever order dessert at restaurants, so I'm easily pleased. The sweet empenadas filled with peanut butter and served with a fruit compote and Oaxacan chocolate were to die for! At least in my non-dessert ordering opinion.

Chilam Bilam makes for a great date night or maybe dinner with a few friends. Who knows, maybe you'll even see Pat Tamasulo dining there too. (Which we did. Dang, is he short!)

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Oh Friday, how I love thee...

2011-09-23T13:50:00.000-05:00

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* A woman stopped to pet Finley last night. She told us that she lives near a stretch of bars and when her dog was a puppy and needed a 2am bathroom break, it was exit the bar time. Drunk, giggling girls fawned all over him. Needless to say, the dog started to associate female laughter with bathroom breaks. A few months later, it finally dawned on her why, at the dog park, her dog would run over to a girl and pee on her if she had just laughed. Too funny!

* The hubs and I are going to give Chilam Balam a shot tonight. I've been wanting to go there forever and now that Chuy Valencia is going to the on Season 9 of Top Chef, I figure we better get our butts there before it gets too crazy. They do not take reservations. Ever been?

* My co-worker sent me this story today. Prepare to cry.

* Bears-Packers on Sunday. While hubs is at the game, the pup and I will be cuddling and watching it from the comfort of the couch. Go Bears!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Happy first day of fall!

An Apple a Day

2011-09-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

My mom and brother went apple picking in Michigan last weekend. I was a bit bummed. I really wanted to go, but alas, we had just brought Finley home. Mom was kind enough to pick some extras for me, so I've been trying to decide what I'm going to whip up with those apples.

Caramel apple cheesecake bars

Grilled cheese with bacon, avocado and apple

Caramel-glazed apple bread

Apple crisp

Fennel- and-apple-crusted pork loin

Are you hungry yet? All recipes found on Pinterest, but I've linked them back to their original sources. Enjoy!

Fall Boots

2011-09-20T09:22:00.000-05:00

Frye boots from Nordstrom

Me: I hate bills. I just paid $150 in bills today. I could have used that money toward a pair of new boots.

Hubs: I hate that the first thing you think about spending $150 on is boots.

Me: Um, I'm a girl. Duh.

Hi, my name is Finley

2011-09-19T13:53:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! My name is Finley and my mom told me you all wanted to see some pictures of me. I mean, look at my face. Who wouldn't want to stare at me all day?!

Finley is an Irish and Scottish name that means "Fair Warrior". I'm a Boxer so someday I won't be this little anymore. Actually, sooner than later. You can tell by looking at my paws. See how big they are?

My mom's really tired. I wake my dad and her up every 3 hours during the night so I can go outside and do my business. I cried a lot my first night in the crate, but I'm getting better. Hey, this is all new to me so I'm a little scared sometimes.

Mom says she's sorry that the house looks messy. But you try taking care of me all day and working too. Thankfully, my dad took this week off so we can hang out all day. I really need someone to watch me.

They rolled up the rugs because it would be easier to clean the hardwood floor if I had any accidents. Heck, I thought it made a pretty good relaxation spot.

We went to the vet today. Everyone loved me and I received a bill of good health. Afterward, my dad got me some training treats. We tried to practice how to sit and wait for the treat, but, his hands smelled like bacon, so I went a little crazy.

They say I have to enroll in training classes ASAP. I'm starting to think mom and dad are chew toys. Well, not really, I'm playing around because I love them and consider them part of my pack now. My family. But yeah, I think my mom already called the trainer.

Thanks for visiting with me today. I've just wrestled with dad long enough to wear myself out. Nap time!

24 Hours

2011-09-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

In a mere 24 hours (okay it's more like 32 hours, but whatever), it's back!

He's back!

Oh, Vampire Diaries. How I've missed you!

Three Days...

2011-09-13T12:37:00.002-05:00

That's how much longer we must wait until we bring home this little guy. I'm giddy with excitement.

I apologize in advance for the photos I'm going to post. The gushing I will do. The messes I may complain about having to clean.

But he's totally worth it!

And I'm sure you all are dying to know his name. (Pipe down those of you I've told already!) Let's just say it's not Halas. The name the hubs wanted. I have to put a stop to the Chicago Bears madness sometimes, for goodness sake.

All will be revealed soon.

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2011-09-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

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Forever Changed

2011-09-11T16:10:00.001-05:00

The World Trade Center Flag

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To say I've been obsessed with any of the 9/11 memorials and broadcasts is an understatement. I've been glued to the television. Teary-eyed. Sad. Angry. Proud. So many emotions.

The stories where children, who were babies then, talk proudly about the parents they've never known kill me the most. Then there are the spouses had one last chance to hear an I love you from a cell phone - up in the air or on the ground. The lucky ones who say as they were scurrying down a staircase, they saw the determination on the face of a hero going up to rescue others, knowing they may never coming back down. The reading aloud of the names of those who died. Seeing individuals visit the Ground Zero memorial and lovingly touch the letters, the name, etched in stone of someone they miss dearly. Someone with whom they will never share a moment on this earth again.

Ten years later, my feelings are no different than they are on this day each and every year. Just hearing the date said aloud, "September 11th", in whatever context, always chills me. And will for the rest of my life.

We are forever changed.

Pork & Poblano Pepper Chili

2011-09-06T20:03:00.001-05:00

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The weather we've been having recently is so fall like. And I love it! Afterall, it's my favorite time of year.

Nothing says fall like a warm bowl of chili. So, since it was on the cool side today, and since it was my last free summer day of the year (sniff, sniff) I made pork & poblano chili.

Ingredients
2 poblano chili peppers, halved and seeded
1 green sweet pepper, halved and seeded
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 pounds lean ground pork (I think I'd use chicken or turkey next time. I just prefer it.)
1 large onion chopped (I used half)
2 15-ounce cans of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 16-ounce jar of mild or medium green salsa/salsa verde (I used Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin (I eyeballed it. And I added some spicy Adobo seasoning too for extra heat)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I didn't measure), sour cream (Optional and I skipped it. Ick!) and tortilla chips (Optional. I also skipped.) for garnish

Directions
1. In food processor, combine poblano peppers, green pepper and garlic. Cover and process until finely chopped. (I just chopped by hand. Less cleanup!)

2. In large skillet, cook ground pork and onion over medium heat until pork is browned and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add pepper mixture and cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.

3. Transfer mixture to crockpot. Stir in beans, green salsa, broth and cumin.Cover and cook on low heat for 7 - 8 hours or high heat for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.

4. Top each serving with cilantro. Or, do what I did, add cilantro and some frozen corn (because I seriously cannot make chili without putting corn in it!) to the crockpot when you have about 30 minutes to go. Then, eat up!

This recipe was adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Tailgating - a special publication I purchased recently. It was super easy and tasty, but if you're not into pork, I definitely think it would work just as well with chicken or turkey. That's probably how I'll do it next time. Enjoy!

The Amazing Work Race

2011-09-02T14:47:00.001-05:00

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Yesterday afternoon we had a departmental work outing. We do three a year: spring, summer and around the holidays. A volunteer planning committee for each outing organizes the entire event and yesterday's group gets an A+ for creativity. (The weather gets an F for its cooperation.)

The team designed an Amazing Race - Chicago style. We divided into random teams of four and visited five locations throughout the city. At each stop, we were required to solve some type of riddle or puzzle before receiving a clue that would lead us to our next destination.

We hit up the foot bridge at Millennium Park, historic Water Tower, Lincoln Park Zoo and our final stop, Green Door Tavern, where we spent the remainder of the afternoon. Let's just say we needed some tasty beverages after running around in the sweltering 93-degree heat. Who says summer is on its way out? Oh right, it's supposed to be 60 on Monday.

Hope everyone enjoys their long weekend. Happy Labor Day, all!

The Mother of All Hot Sauce

2011-08-31T11:37:00.001-05:00

My hubs loves the jalapeno Tabasco sauce. Oh, who am I kidding, I love it too. A veggie bowl from Chipotle just isn't complete until you add this green goodness to it!

Unfortunately, grocery stores only seem to carry teeny-tiny bottles. Where does one find the larger bottles that restaurants carry? So, I looked. And I hit the motherload.

Meet the gallon jug of sauce available from the Tabasco website store. Did someone say perfect gift for a special someone? Yes, yes indeed.

And it goes a little something like this

2011-08-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

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Hubs: What are we doing Labor Day weekend? Do we have any plans?

Me: Nothing set in stone. Why?

Hubs: Well, you might want to make some plans then.

Me: Huh? What do you mean?

Hubs: Well, Saturday I am going to the Notre Dame game and Sunday I have my fantasy draft all day in the 'burbs because we're golfing too. So, I was just thinking that maybe you want to make plans with your friends.

Me: Um, or maybe I won't make any plans. And I'll relish my alone time by sitting around eating bonbons and watching chick flicks and doing whatever the heck I want.

I have to admit, that sounds mighty, mighty fine and relaxing.

I'm not gonna lie...

2011-08-25T13:17:00.000-05:00

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I would really, really rather be somewhere far away (like in this photo) right now. But not where there are hurricanes, of course. Instead, I will just transport myself there by ~~wasting time~~ getting inspired on Pinterest.

A whole lotta random

2011-08-23T14:45:00.001-05:00

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It's already Tuesday! The weekend was lovely. And before you think that I drank that entire fridge of beer on my own, we had guests in town from NYC and there were 10 of us hanging out on our deck Saturday night, okay? I don't want you all to think I'm a big alcoholic. I guess that may be debatable at times though.

We had drinks on the Trump Terrace on Friday, followed by dinner at The Publican and drinks at The Beer Bistro. Oysters are really starting to grow on me. And The Publican's sole was delicious. The boys shared pork belly and pork ribs. Saturday included dinner at Las Tablas and drinks on our deck. Good friends. Big laughs. You can't beat it.

I often find myself wondering why people post their workouts on Facebook. You know, the whole, John Doe worked out on the elliptical for 30 minutes and burned 400 calories. I don't get it.

There is a co-worker of mine who is always fighting on the phone with his wife. It's strange. I guess that's what happens when you're in a cube farm, but there are just some things I don't need to know about people. Do you agree?

Hope everyone is having a great week!

And so it begins...

2011-08-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

It's been one long week. That's usually pretty evident by my lack of blog posts (and comments). So without further ado, let the weekend begin. It's gorgeous outside. I can see some of the flyovers from the Air & Water Show practice runs from the roof deck. And I don't know about you, but I'm thirsty! Enjoy!

Sinless Summer Dessert

2011-08-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

One of these days I really am going to use the ice cream maker attachment on my KitchenAid mixer. Until then, this is my new favorite find.

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This is very tasty and only 100 calories and 0g of fat per serving. It also comes in chocolate if you're into that sort of thing. My hubs got that one. He did complain it's not as good as eating ice cream, but nothing is, dear. The only drawback is that it's $4.99 a pint at Whole Foods. Sigh...

On another note, I made a variation of this recipe with halibut steaks for dinner last night. I really need to cook fish more. It's a bit intimidating I think, but it turned out just fine. I may have accidentally spilled extra kosher salt on the halibut steaks so it was a bit too salty. I used Italian bread crumbs, extra garlic and a parmasean and asiago blend. I need to perfect my technique, but this definitely is going into the what's for dinner rotation.

Puppy Update

2011-08-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

I'm going to make this short and sweet since we just got home from a trip to the far 'burbs to meet our new puppy! We are bringing him home sometime in mid-September. That's right! He's officially ours!

At just three weeks old today, his eyes are fully open and he's unbelievably sweet. We also had the opportunity to meet his parents today. Very good looking, calm and friendly Boxers themselves.

Thank you all so much for your positive thoughts and well wishes. We are so excited and have lots to do to prepare. Can't wait!

I need this!

2011-08-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

Someone please tell my husband that I want this for my birthday. Or Christmas. Or for no reason at all, really.

Fossil Ceramic Riley Watch

I'm on such a navy kick lately. I realized that this morning when I noticed I had it on for the third day in a row. I love it. Always have. Something about it reminds me of my Catholic school years or something. Kidding. It's a classic. This would be perfect for easing into fall. So tell him, okay?

Kickin' it in Kenosha

2011-08-08T12:16:00.000-05:00

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The hubs and I headed to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Saturday to visit the bro-in-law and meet his new special lady friend. She was very nice. As my hubs put it, here's to hoping bro-in-law doesn't do something stupid to screw it up. Ha!

While we were there, we had dinner at Mangia Trattoria, one of Tony Mantuano's (Spiaggia, Terzo Piano, Top Chef Masters Season Two) restaurants. I was excited for a great meal, but have to say I walked away slightly disappointed.

We started on a high note with the grilled calamari with putanesca sauce. Great quality and great flavor. I then had the caprese salad which was two slices of fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and some greens with balsamic dressing. For my entree, I had the veal ravioli with a white truffle veal sauce. Unfortunately, the ravioli were very dry, resulting in a disappointing main course.

While a $190 tab for four people including a bottle of wine pretty standard in my book, I could have saved myself a drive and spent the same amount of money on better fare in my own neighborhood. Of course, the company counted for something, right?

After dinner, we had drinks at Wine Knot, a cute wine bar downtown and a beer at a Ashling on the Lough. Because no trip - anywhere - is complete without a pint at an Irish pub.

Happy Monday, all!

Goat Cauliflower

2011-08-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

What I really mean, is that Stephanie Izard shared the recipe for the delicious cauliflower they serve at Girl & the Goat in her newsletter this week. If you are from Chicago and have had this dish, you understand my excitement. If you aren't from here, you should make this dish as soon as humanly possible.

Watch a complete video tutorial with Stephanie here or download a PDF the recipe here.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy!

Motivation to Run

2011-08-03T09:50:00.001-05:00

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This is my motivation for the week. This is to remind me that even though I'm older and definitely not as fast as I used to be, (Okay, let's be honest, I'm nowhere near as fast as I used to be. Like 1mph SLOWER.) it doesn't matter. Who cares that I got married, got lazy,went out to too many dinners and basically burned the money I spent on a trainer before the wedding. Because I'm doing something. Anything other than sitting on the couch. And let's face it, there's nothing on TV anyway. Shark Week is already programmed to record. So, I guess I'll run. Why not?

Praying for a Family Addition

2011-08-02T10:57:00.001-05:00

Now is as good of a time than ever to add a certain member of the fluffy variety to our home. While the picture is fuzzy, we hope this little guy will very soon be ours.

I know he looks like a total guinea pig right now. What do you expect when you're only a week old? But someday he'll be a big, strong puppy and look something like this.

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Doesn't your heart just melt? Look at those eyes! How can you not love that face?

I'm nervous about getting my hopes up. I did that once already. We thought we were going to have a flashy fawn (more white in the face and paws) about a month ago, but it fell through when his little ball dropped. (Ball = testicle. Yes, I'm serious.) Apparently that made him a show quality pup, and since we're not interested in showing a championship dog, he went to a different home.

I just want a pet, people. A boxer to love and cuddle. To take on long walks. To provide a happy home. We'll know more in the next few weeks. So pray for us.

Now if only the hubs and I could agree on a name...

Best Turkey Burgers Ever + Other Weekend Happenings

2011-08-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

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Sometimes I feel like my weekends revolve around good food. I'm not complaining. It's just that they should also include more gym time when that happens. Of course they don't. Whatevs!

The hubs made cilantro, jalapeno and cheese-stuffed turkey burgers and they were fan-freaking-tastic. I topped mine with lettuce, salsa and fresh avocado. Had breakfast with a friend at Cafe Selmarie in Lincoln Square. Made adult beer floats with vanilla ice cream and cocoa stout purchased from Round Barn Brewery (from last weekend's Michigan trip). They were recommended by the brew master (is that what he's called?) and they were delicious!

I guess I wasn't completely gluttonous all weekend. We attended my cousin's wedding reception on Friday Night. His bride was simply stunning. Saw Crazy, stupid, love with a friend yesterday. (Oh Ryan Gosling, you're too cute!) And I also managed to squeeze in a couple of hours on the rooftop deck.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend too! It's still hotter than heck, but I'm not complaining. I remember February's blizzard all too well. Cheers to another week. (Mine is going to be way too busy!)

Hot Pink Houses

2011-07-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

I love pink! And not pastel pink. Oh no, I'm talking hot, bright in your face pink. (That's why fuchsia and orange were my wedding colors. Duh!) And while I don't think I could ever be so brave to use hot pink on the exterior of my home, these photos make me so very happy.

All photos via Pinterest. I"m a newbie, but that site is so addicting. Follow me here!

Water and Wine

2011-07-26T16:35:00.000-05:00

So the weather didn't totally cooperate with us in Michigan last weekend, but I can't complain. I hear that raging storm early Saturday morning in Chicago was a monster. Random clouds didn't stop us though.

Drinks, drinks and more drinks! What's a girls weekend without a few tasty beverages. Um, let me tell you, sweet tea vodka and lemonade is my new go-to summer refresher!

Boat rides! Around the lake. During the day. To take in the sunset. You name it! (Nope, not a picture of us, the house we stayed in or my friend's actual boat.) We also went into the lake and floated around. That's big for me. I don't often do lakes. I think they're gross and have fish. Peer pressure, I guess.

Wineries! Four of them to be exact, over the course of the weekend. We hit up Contessa and Karma Vista in Coloma, Michigan, which is the town where we stayed. Karma Vista had some decent wines. I bought a bottle of their Starry Starry White and Watusi Red. The red is said to be an excellent starter for sangria. The Contessa wines weren't that good and the woman on the bottles, all over the tasting room, etc. sorta freaked us out. (Visit the website and you'll see what I mean.)

Since it was cloudy/rainy on Sunday, we packed it up in the morning and made an adventure out of the day before heading back to the city. Our first stop was Tabor Hill Winery in Buchanan, Michigan. I have to say their wines were the tastiest! I bought the Classic Demi Sec (served in the White House and among Bob Hope's favorite wines) and the Traminette. Both are semi-dry white wines. I love me some white wine in the summer!

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After Tabor Hill, we drove to the Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery in Baroda, Michigan. I loved the vibe at this place. And while the wines were good, the beer and bourbon were to die for! I walked away with a six-pack of the Cocoa Stout and Summer Wheat. My sister bought a growler of the Grape Expectations brew. It was delicious! I hope she has some left when I go to her place this weekend.

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And no trip from Michigan to Chicago is complete without a final lunch stop for a legendary burger from Redamak's in New Buffalo. If you haven't had one of their burgers, you haven't lived.

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And that's it. Weekend over. Back to the grind! I'm entering a detox program and getting some sleep this week, for sure!

Pure Michigan

2011-07-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

And we're off. To the other side of lake. It's time for a girl's weekend that includes fun, sun, a boat, and plenty of beverages. And in this heat, yes, that includes the kind that hydrate you, as well as those that don't. I just need this work day to end! Until next time...

Hippy Hippy Shake

2011-07-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

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Holy crap, she looks amazing. As a not tiny woman, I shall embrace my hips after seeing this photo. If only I had her huge bazongas as well. Sigh...

Grilled Pizza for the First Time

2011-07-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

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Holy sweatballs. It's hotter than Hades here. Yesterday was the perfect day to be inside seeing a movie. Harry Potter was fantastic! I loved it. And I cried in all the same spots that I did while reading the book. Go see it.

After the movie yesterday, the hubs and I decided to try our hand at homemade grilled pizza. I can't believe I've never actually grilled my own pizza before. And by homemade, I mean I bought the Trader Joe's pizza crust that you roll out. No way in heck am I spending time making my own dough. Of course, since the hubs and I don't always agree on toppings (why do guys eat so much meat?), we made two. Here are the his and hers versions.

"Her" Pizza

White "sauce" - olive oil, lots of fresh garlic and a wee bit of butter
Fresh organic broccoli florets (I cut them up a bit smaller)
Fresh organic baby spinach
Fresh organic tomato slices
Mozzarella cheese
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic powder sprinkled all over on top

"His" Pizza

Same white sauce
Trader Joe's sweet Italian chicken sausage
Fresh organic spinach
Crush red pepper flakes
Mozzarella cheese
Whole Foods three-cheese blend of parmesan, asiago and fontina cheese
Garlic salt sprinkled all over the top

I have to say, hubby's pizza turned out better than mine. Although, I still like my veggie toppings better. I attribute his pizza being superior for the following reasons:

The extra three-cheese blend adding a bit more dimension to the flavor.
The garlic salt, not powder.
The fact that I burned mine because I got distracted and was watering the flowers instead of watching my pizza. (Stupid multi-tasking!)

He'll try to tell you it's because he's a better cook. He's wrong.

Have you grilled your own pizza before? What are your favorite toppings?

Anticipation

2011-07-14T11:20:00.001-05:00

Tickets purchased for a Sunday afternoon date with my hubs. I'm giddy with excitement. I'm a nerd. I don't care. Can't wait!

Help for Rough Heels

2011-07-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

My heels are in horrible shape. So. Very. Rough. I've gotten more pedicures this summer than I've ever gotten in my life. Usually I'm too cheap to spend the money on them consistently, but I've been hoping they would help. So far they have not.

With that said, I'm in search of some healing balm to soothe and soften my puppies. And fast. A magazine I was recently reading recommended Sally Hansen Overnight Heel Repair. Anyone ever used it?

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Or, do you have a treatment you swear by? Because I need something. And I need it quickly. Help!

Drenched

2011-07-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

I got soaked in the madness this morning. This is what I get for trying to get to work earlier than usual. I get stuck in a monsoon. The sky got so dark just when I was about two stops away from my usual bus stop. I kept thinking, hurry up. I can beat it. I can beat it.

I did NOT beat it.

Of course, I was walking west while the monsoon and major winds were blowing east. An umbrella didn't help. I tried to take shelter at every building during the 3 block walk. It didn't matter. My clothes were sopping wet. I was also wearing flip flops, so I couldn't walk any faster because they were slipping off of my feet.

What an *awesome* morning in Chicago. I should be thankful though. The rain dries. Some people are without power. The week can only get better from here, right? Happy Monday!

The Ugg Boot Vaccine

2011-07-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this? Just a little bit of humor to start your weekend off right. Happy Friday everyone!

Hot & Cold

2011-07-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

I online shop A LOT. And by that, I mean, I browse, add fun things to my cart and then forget about them. Because I don't really need to buy them anyway. Nor can I afford to buy everything either. But I need to pull the trigger on my Amazon basket soon.

Jalapeno Rack with Corer - $13.73
Because we're popper experts now, you know.

Tovolo Star Ice Pop Mold - $15.17
Because I think the pink is fabulous and because I *need* to make any (and all) of these. Now. How delicious do those popsicle recipes look?

I see both hot and cool treats in my near future!

You Need to Read This

2011-07-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

I've been following a lot of stories, comments on Facebook, etc. about the Casey Anthony trial/verdict and I've come to a conclusion that isn't entirely breaking news, but sometimes we all need a little reminder.

People are flipping idiots!

And no, whatever you may think, I'm not talking about the jury or the outcome of the case. I'm talking about what people think the definition of justice is or how they feel about this country's systems and practices. Yes, the regular old people.

Oddly enough, my favorite author of comedic memoirs, Jen Lancaster, said it well today in her post. (Okay maybe it's not that odd since we share similar political views. But I don't talk about that here.) So read it. And let me know what you think.

She's right you know.

The same idiots who are screaming injustice are going to be the dopes who watch the movies. Buy the books. Make that woman a millionaire.

It's like when reality "stars" reach "celebrity" status and make an obscene amount of money for zero talent. For stupidity really. For simply appearing in a club.

STOP WATCHING THE SH*T. STOP BUYING INTO IT. STOP MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT THEM. MAYBE THEN THEY WILL GO AWAY.

That is all.

Disclaimer: I watch reality garbage. You know my love of Bravo. We're all guilty to a degree. But I don't go buy their cookbooks, shapewear or whatever other crap. Okay, maybe I tried the Skinnygirl margarita. Sigh...

Find Jen Lancaster's blog here.

The Land of the Free

2011-07-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

Morgan Miranda via Design Crush

Have I really been gone from work for five days already? Because I sure could use another few days of relaxation. But I can't complain. The time off brought wonderful things!

Shopping with my sister at the outlet mall. Dinner with my mama. Tons of time on the deck - both alone and with friends. Great Lake pizza for the first time. I don't know, it was very good, but I'm not sure worth the hype. Or maybe I've just heard so much hype I was expecting something HUGE. (Have you had it? What did you think?) Mani/pedi with girlfriends. Lounge time outside at Southport Lanes with sweet tea vodka lemonades. A delicious dinner by the hubs.

He made chimichurri flank steak, fresh corn, homemade salsa and he even tried his hand at homemade grilled jalapeno poppers. They were fantastic! He stuffed each pepper with a filling made from reduced fat cream cheese, monterey jack cheese, cilantro and onion. Then he wrapped the entire pepper in bacon and grilled them up. Fantastic!

As he was preparing our meal and I was lounging on the deck with a book and some tunes, I thought, freedom is divine! Hope you all had a wonderful fourth of July. Back to the grind!

You Make my Heart Beat...

2011-06-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

Faster. I've declared this my official summer song. I keep listening to it over and over. It makes me happy.

I love you, Matt. I have for YEARS. From the first moment I saw you. (Do you remember me?) You opened for Howie Day who opened for John Mayer. It was a $10 show at Schubas. Before John Mayer became such an a$$. (Do you remember now?)

Oh how I wish you weren't playing at Old St. Pat's this year. Because this girl is just a little too old to hang out with annoying, drunk 25-year olds. (If you're 25, I'm sorry. You'll feel the same way in 11 years. Trust me.)

Happy 4th of July weekend, all. Be safe. Be free! I'm off work for a nice long 5 days. Until next week! Enjoy!

It's Like Twilight for Werewolves

2011-06-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

Werewolves. Shapeshifters. Whatever the heck they're called. I've quite often professed my love for YA novels and I'm not sure how I found this series. Probably from someone on Goodreads. I just finished the first book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Shiver. I loved it. I read it in two days. This nerd can't wait to read the next two either. Hurry up library and get me my books!

Grace, 17, loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home. It is here during the cold winter months that she gets to see her wolf—the one with the yellow eyes. Grace is sure that he saved her from an attack by other wolves when she was nine. Over the years he has returned each season, as if longing for something to happen. When a teen is killed by wolves, a hunting party decides to retaliate. Grace races through the woods and discovers a wounded boy shivering on her back porch. One look at his yellow eyes and she knows that this is her wolf in human form. Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together.

In the meantime, I purchased (sometimes I get tired of waiting) Divergent. Another YA series. I'm currently about 100 pages into it and I'm hooked.

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue. On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. But she also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

And finally, after much discussion with a friend of mine and our obsession with Game of Thrones, I'm going to start the A Song of Ice and Fire series too. When my friend texted me last night saying she couldn't put book one down even though she knows what happens, it sealed the deal.

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective wall. To the south, the King's powers are failing, and his enemies are emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the King's new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but also the kingdom itself.

I'm guessing this summer reading list will keep me pretty busy. What are you reading?

All pics from Goodreads. All descriptions from Amazon.

Gone in a Flash

2011-06-28T13:37:00.001-05:00

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Why do weekends fly by? You try to cram so many things into such a short period of time. Always. So I share with you my weekend, because frankly, I don't seem to have anything exciting to discuss these days. Sigh...

Friday we had dinner with some friends at Sapore di Napoli on Belmont. It's a super tiny place that's BYOB and has Neapolitan style pizza. We shared the Margherita, Soppressata (boys like their meat) and the Arucola white pizza with mozzarella, arugula, cherry tomatoes, oil, and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. That one was definitely my fave. I'm a sucker for white pizzas.
We then proceeded to hang out on our deck with some adult beverages. It was a beautiful evening! I may have accidentally drank an entire bottle of wine by myself. Whoops!
Saturday, the hubs and I saw The Green Lantern. I figured it was a superhero movie for him and a Ryan Reynolds movie for me. I wouldn't say it's the greatest action flick I've ever seen. I thought the big action scenes were a bit anti-climactic. However, RR completely made up for that. Hubba. Hubba.
Sunday included a visit from my dear friend and her I-get-cuter-by-the-second daughter with a walk, lunch and the park.
The weekend concluded with the long-awaited return of True Blood. It was quite the odd episode. Did anyone watch it? What did you think?

This week brings drinks with former co-workers, hopefully a few trips to the gym and a meeting with our financial planner. (I always dread those meetings.) What are you doing with your days this week? Enjoy, everyone!

Our Wedding By The Letters (N-Z)

2011-06-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

{N: Newlyweds}
Not anymore, eh? Ha! And I *love* this picture. Probably because I'm totally classy.

{O: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue}
Nope. Bring on the judging.

{P: Photography}
I wasn't happy with my photography. And looking through it the past few days trying to find photos for these recaps, I can't say my opinion has changed. That's one area I should have spent more time researching before making a decision. I would have spent the money on a better (more artsy) photographer and skipped the video completely. But people told me we'd watch the video. It's a great memory. You'll watch it on your anniversary. Truth be told, we threw ours in our media center and we've NEVER watched it. Shameful.

{Q: Question Popping}
It was a Sunday. December 23, 2007. The Bears were at home so I was (not so) patiently waiting for the hubs to get home because we were due in Indiana for some pre-Christmas celebrations. I wrapped all of the presents. I packed the car. When he finally walked in the door, he said, let's exchange our gifts first. WHAT THE?!

We're late. Let's do it when get back. He didn't give in. Said Santa left me something in my stocking. I looked at him like he was C-R-A-Z-Y because I felt nothing in the stocking. Feel again, he said. That's when I finally felt all the way into the toe - where a ring falls when it's not in a box, apparently. Beautiful words, tears and smooches were exchanged. Then I'm pretty sure I probably told him to hurry up and start driving!

{R: Reception}
Our reception was held at Salvatore's in Lincoln Park. We chose it for a few reasons: intimate, affordable and great food!

{S: Shoes}
The ladies wore fantastic bright pink shoes. I wanted them! The didn't fit me. I wore some boring bridal shoes. (Lame!) But no one saw them, they didn't hurt my feet because they didn't have a high heel and they didn't cost me much money. But seriously, their shoes were so much cooler than mine. I'm still jealous!

{T: Trash the Dress}
I didn't intentionally do this. But yes, my dress is quite trashed. It rained all week before we got married. Everything was muddy. The bottom of my dress is filthy. Someone apparently spilled red wine on me. I wore it to a bar after the reception for goodness sake! It's a mess.

My dress is hanging in the closet and has never been cleaned. I want to cut off the crystals and save the flower from the back and pitch the rest. Is that wrong? I'm not sentimental about it. It's a dress. An object. I just need someone to tell me not to feel guilty about it.

{U: Unique}
Hmm...I think all of our stationery was unique since it was custom designed by my friend. I also loved the Paloma's Nest bowl we had for the rings. It now sits on my nightstand to hold my jewelry after I get home at night.

{V: Vows}
Full on Catholic mass. We did not write our own vows.

{W: Wedding Woes}
I'll save you the drama of some things that went down with the MIL who doesn't speak to me. I didn't let it bother me at the time though. My nephew fell and scraped his face going up the steps into the church, but what can you do about that? Poor kid. And I cried at the end of the reception because the day went by so fast and I wanted to take all of the flowers home but we were leaving for Kauai. (Yeah, I know. Blame the folks who kept giving me drinks all night.)

{X: X-Rated}
This makes me laugh. My dress was a little loose so maybe I flashed some side boob? Hehe.

{Y: Young Kids}
No. Way. The only kiddos invited were those in the wedding party (my nephews and our friends' daughter) and the husband's two godchildren.

{Z: Zzz}
Our wedding was on a Saturday evening. Sunday we went to brunch with some family and friends who were still around. Then, we went home, packed and left for our honeymoon on Monday. I definitely recommend having a day of rest in between.

And that's all she wrote! If anyone else has any fun posts like this, please share! I love reading them!

Our Wedding By The Letters (A-M)

2011-06-22T13:22:00.002-05:00

On Monday, the hubs and I celebrated our 2-year anniversary! Can I get a woohoo?! In honor of our wedded bliss, I'm breaking down the wedding by the letters. Two years later, this is fun to revisit.

{A - Attending}

We had about 175 people actually attend our wedding. It was a blast for all! And that's what I cared about. Good food. Good family and friends. Lots of drinks. Fabulous music. I wanted a party, not a stuffy event that had me worried about small details. That's just not my style. And I think everyone enjoyed themselves! At least that's what they told me.

{B - Bridesmaids}
We're no spring chickens. And I don't like huge bridal parties. (Sorry, if you had one!) My bridal party consisted of my sister, two best friends (we went to high school, college and well, life together) and my (now ex) sister-in-law. (Whoops.)

{C: Ceremony & Cake}
Our ceremony was a traditional Catholic mass held at St. Alphonsus, our church in our neighborhood. It was hotter than heck (no a/c) but it was gorgeous.

I posted about our cake in a previous wedding recap. Holy deliciousness. I'm only sorry I didn't get to eat it that day because we were too busy floating around to every table during dessert. (We didn't do a receiving line.) Our cake was very traditional, mixed layers of vanilla and chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream.

{D: Dress}
My dress was an Augusta Jones backless halter from A L'Amour in Barrington. I highly, highly recommend that place. Of course it was a PITA driving to Barrington from the city for fittings, but their service and designers made up for it. I'm a simple girl and it didn't take long to find the dress. I don't like strapless. I wanted a-line. And didn't want a lot of fussy details. This was simple and different. I added crystals to the skirt for a little sparkle in the right light, but my favorite detail was the flower on the back.

{E: Engagement}
The hubs and I were engaged for a year and a half. Seems like a long time, but it worked out for us. We were able to stash away enough funds for the wedding and not stress trying to compress everything into a short time frame. We got engaged in December, 2007. Married in June, 2009.

{F: Flowers}
I loved, loved, loved the flowers. A mix of pink and orange with a little bit of green for good measure. Peonies. Ranunculus. Callas. Gerbers. They were perfect.

{G: Groomsmen}
These dapper men included the brother-in-law and a few of the hubby's close friends.

{H: Honeymoon}
The best vacation of my life. Kauai. The Grand Hyatt. Go there. It's heaven on earth.

{I: Invitations}

Custom-designed by my friend Amy. You can read more about them here.

{J: Jewelry}

Okay, this is supposed to be "justice of the peace" but that makes no sense for a Catholic wedding. And anyway, it's more fun to look at all things sparkly!

{K: Keepsakes}

I don't know what this means. So, I'll just cover the "extras" like name cards, popcorn favors and table numbers.

{L: Ladies Night}

Vegas, baby! Vegas!

{M: Music}

Dustin the DJ. From Toast and Jam. Loved him. Oh wait, you mean what did we dance to? Ahh...You are the Best Thing - Ray Lamontagne. Dinner mix? Found here.

More to come!

And special thanks to a fellow Chicago girl Meghan at The Perfect Compilation Tape - where I got this idea!

How do you know when it's love?

2011-06-14T17:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday my hubs surprised me with a gift. It was waiting on the counter when I got home from work. Isn't that sweet you, say. Was it flowers? Chocolate? Jewelry?

No. No. And no.

It was...

Wait for it....

Pepper spray!

For reals.

The hubs got me pepper spray so I can fight off the "flash mobs". If you're not from Chicago, or if you are, and have been living in a cave, you may not understand. So to put this into perspective, click here, here or here.

And then you too will realize how loved I really am!

(BTW, that ABC article really cracks me up about how Billy Corgan's brother was listening to Nelly Furtado on his iPod. Because that's important to the story. But really?! )

Holy Baked Goodness

2011-06-08T17:23:00.000-05:00

Just last night, I was telling my friend that I had a craving for a cupcake and a tall glass of COLD milk. That may have been because I hadn't eaten dinner and we were sweltering in the heat at the Ray Lamontagne concert, but that's not the point.

Apparently, Kate from DomestiKatedLife who was guest blogging for Johanna at 101 Things I Love read my mind, because lo and behold, check out what was in today's post.

Source

Cookies and cream cupcakes? Cream cheese frosting? And hello, Annie's Eats (original source of the recipe) just became part of my food blog roll. Her recipes look freaking amazing!

I suck at baking (as I've said many a time) but these little suckers are going to make me try and try again to get it right. Yum!

This Week

2011-06-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

Source

Warm weather. (Finally! Maybe a bit too warm?) Summer hours at work. (Hello, every other Friday off!) Ray LaMontagne at Millennium Park tonight. Work outing. (Afternoon out of the office. Hooray!) Whole wheat pasta salad with a mix of fresh veggies. About which my husband complained was more vegetables than pasta. (Duh!) Grilling. Purging my closet. Or trying to. Or really just making a huge mess and then not wanting to deal with it anymore. Breakdown of the A/C, but a repair man who makes calls the same day. Shopping with my sister. (Apparently to replace everything I purged.) Focusing on the good things in life that I can control, rather than dwelling on what I cannot.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Weekend Recipes

2011-05-31T10:39:00.001-05:00

We attended a BBQ this weekend and the two salads I made were a huge it - not to mention super easy! Sorry for the lack of photos, Blogger isn't allowing me to upload any right now. Not that they were photos of my actual salads. I seem to to always forget the camera. Enjoy!

Tortellini Salad courtesy of Eating Well

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil)
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and quartered
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, or 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 ounce prosciutto, trimmed and julienned (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Arugula, for serving (optional)

Tomato Vinaigrette

2 ripe tomatoes, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini until just tender, 8 to 12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with more boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the tortellini along with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, scallions, basil and prosciutto, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
To prepare Tomato Vinaigrette: Working over a bowl, rub tomato halves on the large-holed side of a box grater until only the skins remain. Discard the skins. Add vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to the tomato juice and whisk until blended.
Add the Tomato Vinaigrette to the tortellini salad and toss. Serve the salad on a bed of arugula, if desired.

Mel's Version - I didn't add scallions because I don't like them. I used a bottled Parmesan Asiago vinaigrette because I was short on time and well, let's face it, lazy. I added chopped salami instead of prosciutto. Also, I actually threw some arugula into the salad instead of serving it on the greens since it was in one big bowl.

Aida's Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients
For the dressing:

1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro
1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
2 medium avocados, diced

Directions
Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste; process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Mel's Version: The only substitution I made here was using a bag of frozen, organic white sweet corn since there was no time for roasting corn on the cob. It turned out perfectly.

Cereal Addiction

2011-05-25T09:39:00.000-05:00

Three Sisters Marshmallow Oaties are fantastic! I don't know how I stumbled upon these at Whole Foods, but they take me back to my childhood. They're like Lucky Charms! Only, they're naturally sweetened, made with whole grain and contain no artificial colors or flavors. That makes them good for you, right? Regardless, I can't stop eating them. I've been not only having them for breakfast, but I confess I've had them a few times for dinner in the last few weeks too. Try them. NOW!

In the winter, I often eat Three Sisters oatmeal that has flax and some other nonsense in it. Not nearly as fun as the Marshmallow Oaties, that's for sure.

More more info, click here.

Deck Progress

2011-05-22T20:38:00.000-05:00

With a little help from my friend, I'm making progress on our deck. We've finally got some flowers and other foliage up. For an extra bonus, we added solar lights to the deck posts. Now only if this weather would get dry for a while. We desperately need to restain the deck and it just ain't happening with this rain, rain, rain we're having each week. Heat and sun to dry out those boards are needed ASAP. How else am I going to throw a party this summer?

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!