happy earth day!!
how can you live greener? here are some ideas to start with!
buy vintage..use cloth rags versus paper towels..recycle everything..don’t waste food..use water filters..go paperless..buy an electric car..turn off lights..unplug electrics not in use..take your own bags to the grocery store..donate your clothes..garden..support local produce..use less energy
[pinterest]
make a commitment today to go greener!
xoxo
birthdays galore!!! it’s a busy month, this april o’ mine!
carol + famille flew in from florida {on vacay} to chicago, to host mackenzie’s first birthday party! it was, conventionally for them, a whirlwind weekend! after throwing her birthday fete, they then flew back home to seattle! bananas!
carol and i partnered, cross country, and commenced our crafty craziness together! we sent supplies to one another, we collaborated on ideas, we text, we emailed, and telephoned each other until all our creative ideas were complete! we were so excited upon the finish of all our decor! it was going to be so cute!
my day started early, as i debated on which mass to attend this past sunday…if i went to the 8am mass, i would have the rest of the day after the party. if i went to the 7pm mass…i could sleep in…hmmm, decisions, decisions. i actually went to the 8am mass! gasp! it definitely turned out for the better!
i was on a mission to get macarons after mass. i heard that floriole was a great place for delicious macarons! perfect, it was in lincoln park and a few minutes from church. i pulled up and ran inside, i looked at their case and noticed there were no macarons! what?! i asked the employee behind the counter and he said no macarons today {what the?!}. anyhoo, i needed breakfast so i ordered a pelligrino and a blueberry croissant. um, it was so stinkin’ good!!!!!
so, there i went to alliance bakery to pick up some macarons, i know they always have fresh ones! two dozen macarons later, i was on my merry way to lake forest!
carol and i scurried around to decorate and set up. ted cleaned up mackenzie and put her in the cutest birthday outfit! an hour later, we were set, and the first guests started to arrive! yay!
it was so splendid to see everyone and convene for such a happy event {and loud…thirty people and kids couldn’t get any louder!!}! all the kiddos were super happy {pizza and cake! no arguments there!} and all the grown kiddos had plenty of grub and drinks in hand. it was a success!
[purty sign carol made for the front door]
[cute birthday girl // look at that pout!]
[favors + bunting]
[birthday banner]
[me + carol]
[bunting .. kiddy treats .. lanterns]
[birthday smash cake!]
[macarons]
[cupcakes + flags]
[delicious dessert table]
[guest sign in book // inside a cute children’s book // i was quite proud of my rhyme]
[jaime + me]
[jaime, mackenzie .. look at that smile!, + pam]
[kisses]
[me + marina]
[birthday present time!]
[already a fashionista!]
[i’m ready for some sunshine]
[cake time!]
[toooooooo cute!]
[oh my]
[the beautiful family .. minus travis]
such a grand ole time with johnson’s! thank you to ted’s parents for hosting us at their beautiful house! thank you to carol + ted for a wonderful party. we will miss you guys. here’s my usual mantra for you both….MOVE BACK TO CHICAGO!
xoxo
happy birthday to my hubby charming!
[hand painted // custom stamp // rifle love]
on this beautiful tax day, many years ago, my lovely hc was born! yay! one of the best days in the history of the earth.
happy day to my hc who is my best friend, my confidant, my ultimate love. he is the most caring, patient, loving, most understanding human being alive. we are like ying and yang. a match made in heaven.
i love him to bits and i am so lucky to have found him…or did he find me? or did technology find us?!
anyhoo, happy birthday to the most loving husband alive. you. are. simply. the. best. muwah!!!!
xoxo
happy birthday party to my hubby charming!
tonight was his fabulous night to party like he is 4-0! well, almost! his birthday is on monday but we were ready to get festive! i was so excited to have this day finally come into fruition! after months of planning + creating, it was a complete welcome to have it all come together this very night!
it was a very relaxing day to start. hc dropped me off at st. clement for my meeting {as a team captain for our upcoming service day!}, after a short informative meeting on our upcoming duties, hc met up with me, again, and we walked to a favorite after mass brunch restaurant, frances!
we went home and relaxed {time well spent before we parrrrtayyyyyyed!}. i actually got ready for the night and hubby charming and i went on a little errand run! balloons, cake, decorate, oh my! we picked up a few goodies {hubby charming was not allowed to peep at the cake!} and he dropped me off at the party destination to get ready whilst he went home to get all gussied up himself!
there i was, cake in hand, balloons in hand, and ready to decorate. i’m sure the patrons inside the bar were eyeing me all funny…who’s this girl who came in with this party package in hand?! hehehe.
away i went, commencing all the details to add to the festive mood for the night. i was super excited and on track. then, in came our first guests of the night and away we goooo!
[the beginning of the end]
[menu + favors]
[the delicious meal]
[party favors]
[tassels + 4-0 balloons]
[laughter]
[kt + me]
[buttons celebrating hc]
[matt, johann, + travis]
[ken + pete]
[thuy, lan, + kim]
[sistas]
[kt + kar]
[posse // dan, pete, kim, + terry]
[wild things // o, dana, kt, matt, johann, + kar]
[don’t make faces you don’t want me to post! ha! heart you O}
[thuy, lan, leyla, + charlie]
[beautiful people // chaz, courtney, janice, + johnny]
[this was the riot table // ruth, dave, ken, pete, carrie, jody, + lisa]
[pabst beer cake!!!]
[happy birthday hc!]
[everyone loved the fondant beer can!]
[enjoying our beer]
[hc + kt comparing their height! yes, kt is a tall skinny lady!]
[token]
[getting creative]
[what’s left of the big 4-0]
there you have it! although the pictures definitely don’t encompass all the joy, laughter, silliness, deliciousness, happiness, fun, energy, and love that we experienced tonight!!! it was the best time ever with friends + family, and hubby charming was as happy as a kid in a candy store. he was so ecstatic!
thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate hc’s birthday!!!! we are all so very thankful for each and every single one of you!
xoxo
sometimes you just crave some home cooking. when it comes to my mom’s cooking, it is hands down the best! it was on my agenda to come home to visit mes parents but i was super excited to find out my mom was cooking bun rieu!!! i love, love bun rieu!
it’s chock full of flavor. my mom sautéed the tomatoes {it’s hidden in her homemade broth…they were flavorful but i piled too much stuff on top of the noodles to see it in my bowl!}, she makes her own shrimp paste, it’s mixed with thick rice noodles, tofu, crab meatballs made from scratch, i added in shredded cabbage, sliced green onions, fish sauce, sriracha, red pepper flakes…oh em gee!
i couldn’t wait to eat. it is so amazingly delicious!
she is the best cook ever. amen.
ahhhh, staycations. you just need them once in awhile, right?!! get some relaxation time in. get some stuff done. catch up on some sleep. i love going places {who doesn’t?!} but time at home is always nice {although a nice tan would be a bonus right about now}.
i was excited to meet up with dana the other day. we both had that day where errands ruled over us like an iron fist. getting stuff done was priority but our end goal was to meet up for dinner. success!
after i drove all over chicago {it was one of those days where i put off getting the little stuff done + that little stuff ended up like a treasure hunt around the city!}. i finally headed home to get some more stuff done, like crafty fun stuff! yay!
dana was finally on her way to my part of town. we decided to meet at a new taco place called takito. i was stoked to try this place, it just opened near the end of march. very cool interior, cozy and warm. it was interesting to have the bar completely open…no table or slab separating the patrons and bartenders.
[perusing some future deliciousness]
we were seated and started to peruse the menu. the waiter told us how they served their food, everything is to share, all their items are made from scratch…seasonal, fresh local ingredients. we started with the avocado pine nut puree with the house made corn flatbread. it was delicious and different. a very smooth texture that mixed well with the hearty, sweet flatbread.
[bar]
we then ordered the beef barbacoa {queso fresco, tamarind, chayote, + chile pequin} and grilled brunkow cheese {morita salsa, chayote, kale, peanuts, + date chutney} tacos with a side of roasted cauliflower {pickle squash pepian, fresh mozzarella, + pumpkin seeds}. all so delish! the only thing i cannot consume is cilantro…yes, cilantro. i have the most open palate, really i do, i will eat anything buuuutttt no cilantro!!!!! we contemplated ordering more {bigger tastebuds than tummy space!} but kaboshed that idea quickly after eating because we were soooooo stuffed!
[beef barbacoa]
after dinner, we strolled back to my place and had a girly movie night all snuggled up on the couch! romantic wedding movie, after romantic wedding movie we watched! pepper in some ice cream eating and i’d call that a good night!
[movie-a-thon]
xoxo
spring is finally peeking it’s way through!
today was the first day i was able to actually enjoy the warmer weather! it was great to be able to be outside without a jacket, the sun shining on your skin, your car window rolled down, the wind blowing in your hair without actually freezing your skin {woo wee}!
i was so happy to be walking down the city streets, basking in the sunlight as i listened to some great tunes. not rushing from store to store to get out of the cold {phew!}.
people just seem to be in a better mood. lighter on their feet. smiles on their faces. ahhhhh. i can’t wait for more consistent warm weather. this is when the city really comes to life. chicago in the summertime is just the best.
i love eating al fresco, listening to the hum of the city, people watching {who doesn’t love people watching?!}. i love all the festivals that happen every weekend. i love sitting on the front step and just chilling. i love getting gelato, with hubby charming, at our local shop and walking home while eating it. honestly, my most favorite thing is traipsing around our neighborhood with my hubby…it doesn’t matter what we do, as long as we are outside enjoying the weather and having fun together. that’s what i love most about living in the city. there is always something to do!
yikes! i’m just so excited for spring + summer! a little taste of warm weather makes me want to bite off a chunk of it, more than i can chew! nom nom nom.
i hope everyone is enjoying the warm temps just as much as i am! get out and go walking! watch the flowers bloom, listen to the birds sing, and soak in some sunshine! vitamin d is good for you!
[pinterest]
xoxo
matt sent out a message to us, many moons ago, about his sister and brother-in-law coming into town {they live in vegas!}. he wanted to gather all of us {a group of us who, obviously, know them} together for dinner. that day finally came the other night!
i rushed home to find myself having no time to get ready {bummer!}. so off we went to one of matt + johann’s favorite restaurants, bread and wine. a super cozy and cutsey place on the inside.
it was great to meet up, again, with liz + josh! they just had a baby girl, stella!!! doesn’t liz look fab?! they are such a gregarious and jovial couple. it’s quite entertaining to hang out with them {throw matt into the mix and it’s just explosive!}.
we were the first to show up {and we thought we were running behind!} and slowly, one by one, everyone trickled in and the party really started! it was nice to have the corner table and area by ourselves, we were able to mingle and catch up with everyone there before we were seated for dinner. we reconnected with old friends and met some new faces! one big bummer of the evening? johann was traveling and couldn’t be there that night {insert sad face}. we missed him!
there were plenty of libations flowing, plenty of colloquial exchanges, and lots of laughter in the air. after many drink demands, we finally ordered our food. hubby charming and i started with the herb fries with a garlic malt aioli dipping sauce and the bay scallop crudo. our main entrees? pour moi…the coriander crusted tofu with eggplant, braised green kimchi, and chili broth. for hubby charming? the corned beef shanked ravioli. yum. the finishing touch? mud pie ~ nutella custard, ‘nilla wafer pudding, & hazelnut nougat!!
it was a very joyous time all together. who can beat fabulous conversations, food, and drinks?! winning combo, non?!
until next time my lovies!
xoxo
ahhhh, lazy days. those are sometimes needed.
i definitely slept too much today. is twelve hours too much? lol. anyhoo, i got up and proceeded to get ready to meet kt for our movie date. i walked over to prasino for our lunch destination. we sat by the window, all cozy and warm, and started our chat fest to catch up on all of life’s crazy offerings. as usual, we had to decide on our meal choices before we continued to talk or else we would never get an order in!
after lunch, i coerced kt into doing a little grocery shopping before our movie time! i needed to pick up a few things because it was that time of the month again, making sack lunches for the homeless! we hit our local jewel and accomplished what i needed to do and wanted to do early because, honestly, i just knew i didn’t want to go later in the evening. no way. dunzo.
once we got back to my place, we settled in to watch the hobbit {i’m a huge lord of the rings fan as well}! yes! we are such fans! i loved, loved the book as a kid. i read it over and over during my sixth grade summer. it was so exciting to watch the movie and relive the imaginary moments i had as a child; to be able to recite the lines from the book, too. as the movie went on, i couldn’t wait for bilbo and the crew to get to the misty mountains! well, all of a sudden the movie ended! argh! nooooo! i have to wait to see the other half?! bummer! but i was quite content to have seen it with my buddy kt! it was awesome!
afterwards, we just hung out and talked. it was quite a chill day. it was marvelous to relax and take it easy with my ‘leg’. 😉
[heart kt]
[strawberry blonde // so delish!]
[getting ready to watch the hobbit // yay!]
[yeaaahhhh, fab movie]
xoxo
it was a whirlwind week! gosh, it went by so fast! i was so happy hubby charming was home {yay!}. i was excited it was almost easter. i was glad it was holy week. it was a whole lotta church this week {whoa}!
not much else going on this past week but going to mass every night. the easter vigil was a beautiful service and it is always so exciting to see people baptized or confirmed into the catholic religion.
our easter sunday was filled with a lot of eating + traveling. first on our agenda, picking up miss grace. we traveled up north, got the little lady, and traveled back down south to meet my family for brunch.
the brunch was delicious! we ate at the reel club. a brunch buffet filled with a variety and copious amounts of eats {what it should be like, right?!}. from endless amounts of seafood, kids food, breakfast, lunch, and yummy desserts choices {the chocolate mousse cups were divine!}. i personally chose a menage of breakfast treats. the croissants were delish! so buttery and flaky! who can pass up bacon and flavorful breakfast potatoes?! not moi!
after a fun filled time {crazy nephew antics included!}, we headed back to kim + terry’s for some more family time and photos. after a quick hang out, lots of gifts for grace {holy easter baskets! lucky gal!}, we embarked on our next adventure ~ to hubby charming’s parent’s house we went!
we met up with the fam as they were enjoying their brunch meal. we sat, we chatted, we nibbled, we hung out. it was relaxing and calm. it was great to catch up with hubby charming’s side of the family. grace played with daniel, aj, jake and she ate a lot of candy {oh boy}, there was no monitoring of that! it was a free for all {hey, it’s the holiday for the kiddo}. after much imbibing + noshing, the family soon trickled out one by one.
as everyone dissipated, aunt wendy really wanted to play farkle. yes, that wasn’t a misspelling, you read that correctly…it’s called farkle. i’m sooo not a game player. it’s not because i don’t have fun, it’s because i just don’t like learning how to play, amongst other reasons {hehe}. lazy, non? anyhoo, aunt wendy assured me that it was easy, and yes it was! i was completely amused and had a lot of fun!
soon, it was just the four of us; me, rich, dick and jane {grace’s step-dad so graciously picked her up from grandma’s, phew! one less road traveled for us!}. we chit chatted until the early evening and finally hit the road to our journey back home…a long, traffic filled journey {ugh!}.
all in all, it was a marvelous day! a day filled with family, laughter, fun, yummy eats, tons of candy, and lots of love. i hope everyone’s easter was just as great!
[flowers from daddy // basket by us // hat by grace]
[soeurs]
[bros]
[opening frenzy]
[r’s clown hair]
[leather sperry’s + b’s chubby feet]
[silly b // he kept asking everyone “can you see me?!”]
[love my family // just missing huy]
[grace + thuy // such a great gift, thanks t!]
[family]
[awww <3 cousins]
[the creepy lamb cake // um, it was delicious]
[farkle]
xoxo