good and sad

my last night {boo}, for awhile, with the wonderful miss olivia.  it was a last minute gathering that turned out so perfect {yay!}.  we discussed, at our last dinner, about going to the tasting room, a favorite of mine and caitlin’s.  o has never been there, so we thought it would be fun to go there this past week.  we left it in the air on whether or not we would go and everything fell into place for us to have dinner together!

the weather was great and the parking was easy.  we got there and soon after, caitlin, claire, and kelly joined us.

we started with a few bottles of wine…um, it was half price night {score!}.  we ordered the spanish platter, a baked brie plate, and the madeira mushrooms to start.  it was all so delicious!  i loved all the flavors.  the nibbling.  the tasting.  the trying of new flavors.

we conversed, drank, ate, and giggled.  it was a really fun time.  after experimenting and devouring our ordered samplings, we decided we wanted more!  we then ordered the truffle bruschetta {oh em gee!}, and more samples of cheeses.  the bruschetta was soooooo delicious!  it was like eating little bites of heaven!

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[cabs + shirah’s // me + o // the menu // the amaze bruschetta]

after several hours there, we finally parted ways.  it was sooo bittersweet.  this truly was the last time i would see miss olivia for at least a few months.  we said our goodbyes to the girls and we hopped into her car.  she drove me home, as per our mantra…we sat in the car and talked for another good, solid hour!  it was a good and sad conversation.  a colloquy that had to be had.

 i will miss you immensely, i will miss our hours long lunches/dinner, i will miss your animated stories, i will miss your presence, i will miss your hugs, and i hope that you return home soon.

xoxo

sparkler lit tiramisu

happy birthday o!

i was able to celebrate olivia’s birthday the other night!  it was bittersweet due to the fact that she is moving away to the sunshine state {insert sad face}.  it was one of my last nights with her here in chicago for awhile…until she comes back or until i visit!

it was the freakiest weather when i left my place!  snowflakes the size of quarters were falling down and the wind was so strong {hello, it’s almost may}!  i was in disbelief!  i was walking to the restaurant…darn it!  i was going to be drenched in wet snow!  as i sashayed my way down the street, i was dreading the very short walk.  then, as i crossed a street, barely three blocks into my parade, the snow literally stopped.  quite an enigma.  i mean, one moment it was heavily snowing and the next second…nothing was in the air!!!!  what an anomaly to experience!  it was like i stepped into another dimension!  phew!  i was glad it stopped…saved me from looking like a drowned rat when i arrived at the restaurant!

it was a full house.  we were packed in like sardines.  we started with apps and a bottle of wine.  our server was quite interesting…he brought the bottle of wine over for me to taste, poured the girls each a glass {mind you, it was the messiest pour i had ever seen at a restaurant!}, and then never poured my glass!  hello?!  i prefer a fuller glass of wine!  not just a tasting!  hmph.

we ate our food and relished in each other’s company on this typical, crazy chicago weather night.  our server did know it was olivia’s birthday but we were taken by surprise when he came out with a sparkler lit tiramisu cake!  i was so surprised that i forgot to snap a picture of the lovely o {shucks!}.

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[caitlin, o, + moi]

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[happy birthday!]

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[here’s a photo of the ‘cake’ i never took .. looks pretty similar 😉 ]

anyhoo, it was a fun, cozy night to celebrate the ever youthful liv.  i hope your day is full of love, happiness, and fun!  happy beurffday girl!

xoxo

live greener

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

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[pinterest]

make a commitment today to go greener!

xoxo

birthday galore

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!

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[purty sign carol made for the front door]

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[cute birthday girl // look at that pout!]

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[favors + bunting]

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[birthday banner]

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[me + carol]

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[bunting .. kiddy treats .. lanterns]

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[birthday smash cake!]

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[macarons]

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[cupcakes + flags]

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[delicious dessert table]

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[guest sign in book // inside a cute children’s book // i was quite proud of my rhyme]

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[jaime + me]

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[jaime, mackenzie .. look at that smile!, + pam]

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[kisses]

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[me + marina]

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[birthday present time!]

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[already a fashionista!]

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[i’m ready for some sunshine]

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[cake time!]

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[toooooooo cute!]

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[oh my]

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[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

gift packages

favor bags

you can always be creative with favor bags!  endless amounts of ideas + materials to be able to make such fun, adorable gift packages!  there are so many ways to create the cutest little packaging for those fun, yummy give aways for your guests!  it’s all very simple!

first, it starts with what you will be giving as a favor, once that is settled, you’ll want to tie in the theme of the party.  for my hubby charming’s birthday, i wanted to incorporate the minor gold theme within the decor.

since it was his birthday, i decided to give away candies ‘born’ within his birth decade.  for the packaging, i chose muslin bags.  i bought them in bulk…it saves money and you will probably find another use for them in the future!

i purchased the gold ink and chevron stamp from papersource {use a piece of scrap paper as the base sheet so you don’t stain your table or counter when stamping}.  i hand stamped each favor bag front and back {let it dry for a minute before stamping the other side}.

i purchased grey paper tags from a shop on etsy.  with my stamp from papersource, i used a white based ink pad and stamped the word on one side.  i took a white gel ink pen and traced over the letters to reinforce the color.  on the opposite side, i wrote a little inscription explaining the favors.  i then tied a tag to each favor bag and filled it with the goodies!

 voila!  cute little bags for the parrrtaaayyy!

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[muslin bag .. ink pen .. stamps .. gold + white ink pad .. grey paper tag]

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[stamp chevron pad with the gold ink]

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[ta-da!  gold chevron]

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[use the white ink pad to stamp the grey tag]

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[trace over the letters with a white gel ink pen]

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[tie the tag to the muslin strings .. if you want, you can write an inscription on the other side]

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[fill the bag with candies or any goodies you prefer!  i accented the bag with a festive button in honor of hc]

happy crafting lovies!

xoxo

beautiful tax day

happy birthday to my hubby charming!

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[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

big 4-0!!!!

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!

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[the beginning of the end]

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[menu + favors]

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[the delicious meal]

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[party favors]

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[tassels + 4-0 balloons]

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[laughter]

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[kt + me]

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[buttons celebrating hc]

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[matt, johann, + travis]

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[ken + pete]

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[thuy, lan, + kim]

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[sistas]

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[kt + kar]

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[posse // dan, pete, kim, + terry]

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[wild things // o, dana, kt, matt, johann, + kar]

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[don’t make faces you don’t want me to post!  ha!  heart you O}

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[thuy, lan, leyla, + charlie]

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[beautiful people // chaz, courtney, janice, + johnny]

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[this was the riot table // ruth, dave, ken, pete, carrie, jody, + lisa]

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[pabst beer cake!!!]

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[happy birthday hc!]

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[everyone loved the fondant beer can!]

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[enjoying our beer]

image

[hc + kt comparing their height!  yes, kt is a tall skinny lady!]

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[token]

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[getting creative]

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[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

love bun rieu

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!

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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.

delicious + different

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.

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[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.

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[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!

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[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!

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[movie-a-thon]

xoxo

smiles

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!

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xoxo