concert in the park that wasn’t

Posted on July 10, 2015 by tandem in love

another summer, another concert in the park in hinsdale! earlier that evening, my sister made mention to me about attending the concert at 6:30pm. since it was still early, hc and i decided to knock out some errands before we headed out there.

we did some shopping and we were on track to be just a little bit late but a series of events caused us to be very late. to a point, where i said to him…”why are we even going? we are going to be sooo late!”, well we went anyways {cause that is who we are}! we arrived with barely an hour to spare. we found the gang right away.

as were walking towards them, hc saw reagan running towards us {playing with his buddies} and he let go of the stroller {that obvs olive was sitting in} to grab reagan and pick him up. in that process, hc let go of olive on an incline! i was enrapture in what hc was doing, so both of us did not notice that olive was rolling down a small hill and her stroller was tipping over and falling! omg! olive’s face went south fast and almost hit the ground! hc grabbed for the stroller and picked her up right before she smashed into the grass and i gasped out of surprise and terror! did we just let our baby almost flip over in her stroller?! why yes we did. in front of hundreds of people. how embarrrrrasing! eep!

[hmmmm, terrible blurry picture because i was walking too fast]

[as soon as olive got there, they doted on her]

[crazy kids…olive is like: whatevs]

[auntie kim and the babes]

we walked around for a bit looking to get olive something to eat or drink but there really wasn’t anything just right for her. she already had her dinner but i was looking for something additional for her to munch on. but fail. so we moved on. we walked back over to hang out and the boys wanted to show olive the fountain. she was quite impressed!

i rolled up her sleeves and she had the best time splashing around in the water! i couldn’t pull her away! it was actually quite cold, the band had just finished their last set, and it was time to go and warm up!

[the dudes]

[the kids so excited to play near the fountain]

[sooooo excited to see her first big fountain!]

[she looooooooved touching the water]

we all walked back to the car and went on our merry way home. it was a quick but significant night out! i was glad we went, even though it was only for a short time! moments like these are always great even short lived.

xoxo

happy bday america part 2

Posted on July 9, 2015 by tandem in love

after the parade, hc and i scurried home to prep our place for our fourth party! we didn’t have a ton to do. we just didn’t have a ton of time with our guests coming over between one and two. we arrived home from the parade after twelve, so it left us little time to prep. i needed to make a small trip out to the store still and prep a few decor items. crunch times like these really stress me out! i always like to be ahead of the game versus behind or else i have mini meltdowns! ugh! poor hc.

anyhoo, as usual, we were just fine. we got everything set up and it looked purty. thuy and kim brought over the remaining items that we had purchased together the other day {at the grocery store} and some fun decorative items. we purchased old fashioned pop bottles and beer asap our libations, we had fun fireworks, cakes, treats, games, pinanta, and a brand new play set for the kids to play on!

we prepped some apps for our guests. kim made a guac dip and we put together a charcuterie plate that was quite delish! after we served that, we got to work on some prep items for our entrees. we were having steaks and burgers, so we sliced onions, tomatoes, and cooked corn. my mom had also prepped the steaks prior to coming over and made her signature salad for everyone.

[thuy bought festive balloons for the party]

[happy fourth!]

[cake, cracker jack, rice krispy treats, and fireworks!]

[the yummiest cake]

[watermelon cake]

[it’s not red white and blue but it is sure tasty!]

[jane, hc, lynne, barbara, and dick]

[pete, lan, and thuy]

[playing with the truck uncle hc made bennett for his birthday last year]

[mad games of badminton]

everyone hung out outside while we were working away in the kitchen. it was so nice out…a bit warm but nothing over the top that was uncomfortable. kim had brought over a badminton set and it got pretty vicious out there. they were sweating up a storm playing each other! it was comical and great!

i spent most of my time in the kitchen, which is not what i wanted but had to do while my husband visited with our guests. i’m too controlling to let things go amuck. i just don’t want our guests {which is pretty much family} to think i don’t want to mingle but things have got to get done and i’m going to do it myself! haha! it’s just me {it’s how i roll}, so i guess no apologies!

all afternoon, we prepped food, we took stupid pictures, played badminton, the kids ran around, and we finally grilled, ate {burgers, steaks, grilled asparagus, corn, and salad}, and relaxed some more. it was a perfect afternoon with our families. we then served the delicious cakes and ice cream, along with lynne’s cookies and lan’s krispie treats!

olive finally awoke from her afternoon nap and the kids were excited to hit the piñata! olive was in no mood to do that, so that was a no go. she can be a grumper pants when she wakes up, sometimes {ummmm, just like her momma!}. anyhoo, everyone had their turn {twice} and reagan finally smashed the piñata open and down. out flung the candy and the kids jumped all over that!

[festive treat pops by the krispie baker]

[small hats are in]

[avery taking her turn at the piñata]

[bennett giving it a go]

[reagan knocking it down!]

[candy!]

slowly, everyone trickled out and home. it was a fabulous long, afternoon with everyone. i’m so glad we were able to get together like this and often. we love, love having family over…the most important group in our lives!

after everyone left, it was getting dark, and r + b were getting antsy and really wanted to light the sparklers and throw the pop its! it was time, so out to the mosquito filled back yard they went {even with hc spraying…there were still so many of those bloodsuckers!} and they had so much fun! they drilled through everything so fast, which was a good thing because they couldn’t be outside for very long {we sprayed and sprayed repellent but it didn’t keep ’em off for long!}.

[ready to pop some pop its]

[sparklers]

after the ‘fireworks’, we all headed back in and chilled just a wee bit longer before kim, terry, thuy, and the boys left. all in all, it was a successful fun filled fourth of july! we had such a great time hosting everyone over {as usual!}. we say it often and can’t say it enough, but we always love having friends and family over. we love it! it was a great fourth indeed! happy birthday america!

xoxo

america’s bday part 1

Posted on July 8, 2015 by tandem in love

the morning of the fourth, we attended the hinsdale independence day parade. i’ve gone in the past and it’s such a nice little parade. well, it’s not very little but it’s very nice!

we packed up and headed on over to the town in the jeep! it was too gorgeous out not to ride in this car! olive was ready to celebrate america’s birthday! she had her festive outfit on accessorized with fun red accents.

it was a bit of a debacle looking for parking. there were sooooo many people! we heeded kim’s advice and looked for parking at madison school. it was jammed packed but we created our own spot. cyops – create your own parking spot. haha!

[ready for the fourth!]

[on our way to the parade]

as we were walking towards the parade, we bumped right into thuy! perfect. she led us to our group. there, helen, michael, terry, kim, and the boys were all set up. we had coffee, thuy brought the donuts and we were set. olive loves her aunties so she was in their arms right away. we chitchatted, imbibed our beverages, and waited for the parade to start!

hinsdale is such a cute, quaint town. it’s so serene and adorable. it really is. the houses are ah-mazing and gorgeous and it’s like freakin’ cheers where everybody knows your name. haha. my brother in law terry grew up there and his mom still lives there, so it’s definitely a home base for my sister and terry. it has fun shops, yummy restaurants, and the education programs are spectacular, so it’s definitely a place to be.

[with her auntie kim]

[thuy, me, helen, and lan]

[starbucks, doughnuts, and parading]

we heard the sirens, so that signified that the parade was coming. i loved all the fire engines, police cars, and vintage vehicles that were in the line up. it’s fun because they do reenactments of the revolution, there are pom squads, flag girls, and other fun things to look at. we greatly enjoyed all the music and entertainment. olive stayed, mostly, in my arms and throughly enjoyed the parade. she waved and waved at all the passerby’s. they throw out candy and goodies for all the kids as well! so, when olive is older…this part willl be fun for her.

[the start of the parade!]

[watching the parade with auntie kim // romper little ladies boutique // moccs my little beautiful shop]

[the boys]

[red white and blue]

[my baby]

[i tried getting a pic of sam…this is what i got]

helen and michael’s son was in the parade! his baseball team won the world series, so they had the privilege to ride in the parade. how cool! i tried snapping a pic of him with no luck. all i got was a tiny little profile. wah.

[olive with her super auntie thuy]

[parade’s over!]

[i had to snap a pic of this pretty awesome house]

after the parade ended, we headed on out and home. we needed to get ready for our guests coming over for our fourth celebration! as i said earlier, we ran into thuy on our way to the parade and, funny thing is, we ran into her again on our way out from the parade! we just can’t escape one another!

it was definitely a great start to our independence day!

xoxo

happy july 3rd

Posted on July 7, 2015 by tandem in love

last year, on july third, we had gone to eye in the sky festival in lisle. we loved it. it was fun, entertaining, and yummy {we love carnival type food! greasy and fattening}! this year, we planned on going to it but my sister, kim, suggested for us to go to the taste of oakbrook or her friend’s country club to watch the fireworks. we were game for anything. i do love experiencing something different from what we normally do!

we picked up my sister, thuy, and headed on over to the golf course. it was quite the long trek to the hot spot! lots and lots of green. we walked, and walked, and walked and finally found the crowd. they had hot dogs, popcorn, and bouncy houses for the kiddos! how fun!

[the sunsetting on our walk towards the event]

[she loved the bouncy house]

olive was smitten over the bouncy houses. she played in the ‘smaller’ kid bouncy house and had the best time! she is such a little spider monkey. she loves to climb anything! she would only climb up the slide versus using the ladder like any other kiddo! she dances to her own beat. she did that over and over and over and over. probably for an hour or so. i just sat there and watched her have fun. that sweet smile on her face is the best. i also wanted to make sure no big kids would run her over {and it’s always the boys…they are so rough!}! only once did she get smashed. a boy somersaulted down the slide and kicked olive in the face…not cool. not cool at all.

after a long while of playing in the bouncy house, i finally convinced her to leave. it was perfect timing because hc had brought us food! we noshed on hot dogs…yes, it was a fancy affair! olive thoroughly enjoyed eating her hot dog, she would make goofy faces while as she ate. such a funny lady she is!

[my sweet babe]

[my cray cray hc]

[mmmmm, hot dog]

[waiting for the fireworks!]

[crazy kids…sam, reagan, and bennett]

[crazy gals…thuy, kim, and helen]

the sky finally turned off it’s lights and it was time for fireworks! this is olive’s first time watching fireworks. last year this time around, she was only seven months old and in bed by the time fireworks began! this year, i’m not as regimented with her bedtime but besides that, she’s naturally a night owl!

[watching her first fireworks with dada]

it was a very relaxing and low key evening, watching fireworks on this lovely third of july! we had a great time hanging out with everyone. thank you to helen and michael for inviting us! it was a fantastic time to experience fireworks this way.

xoxo

bang bang pie squared

Posted on July 6, 2015 by tandem in love

so, my first visit at bang bang pie was alright. take away the girl at the counter, it was a passable visit but could it have been a better visit if that girl was more invested in her customer’s experience? absolutely. bang bang left me with a mediocre feeling and the chances of me to ever return were very slim and would i recommend this place to others? most likely not.

shortly after i blogged about my visit to this restaurant, i received a dm, on instagram, from the owner of bang bang. honestly, i was surprised. one, i wasn’t expecting it and two, i thought…shit, what did i write about my experience there again?! haha. i read his gracious message and was touched that he took the time to react. we dm’d and emailed each other back and forth about the experience and he invited me, olive, and a guest to come back for a proper bang bang experience.

i was impressed just by that gesture itself. i told michael that the fact that he had reached out to me completely changed my opinion about the restaurant and because he cared that much about his customer’s experience, i was sold and smitten. his ownership and passion is what i admire! i greatly appreciated his efforts and needed to find a moment within our crazy schedules to head out that way again for brunch.

weeks rolled by and i kept on stalling on when we could head out there to eat brunch and meet michael. i wanted to go with hc but he only has weekends available and all of june had been crazy and booked up for us. so, finally i scheduled a time to visit the restaurant with my darling friend dana. yay!

it was an absolutely gorgeous day. seriously perfect. the temps were in the mid seventies and it was sunshiny. a wonderful combo for us to sit outside. when we got there, we perused the menu before we ordered. the guy at the counter was crazy friendly. he was attentive and kind. as i was placing my order, dana walked outside to find a sweet spot for us to sit at.

i asked the gentleman if michael was in and he pointed to a man engrossed in a conversation with another man. i didn’t want to bother him, so i placed our order. per usual, i asked for a side fruit but there was none. just checking. hehe. anyhoo, i ordered drinks for us and the man behind the counter said he would bring them out to our table! nice!

dana found a perfect sitting spot and soon our food was brought out to us. everyone was super friendly and observant. we enjoyed the delicious food {i ordered the gravy and a side of candied bacon for me and olive} and the wonderful outdoor space that they have there. we sat there for over two hours! how can you not? it was perfect out.

[chillin’ // shirt by tinytribeapparel // harem shorts by salty kids]

[loving life]

[gravy]

[warming up to dana]

[three times the charm]

[best outdoor seating in chicago]

[looking for birds…ewwww]

near the end of our visit, olive was wandering around chasing the pigeons and sparrows pecking around. she found it quite humorous to do so! as i was walking towards olive to have her come over to where we were sitting, michael came up to me and asked if i was thu…why yes i am! we said our hellos and gave hugs…we finally met in person! he is kind, charismatic, and friendly. an easy guy to talk to! we walked back over to dana and chit chatted for a bit more.

after several minutes, we parted ways. dana and i continued to chill for just a bit longer, when michael came back out and presented us with complimentary meals, on him, for both me and dana. so unexpected and absolutely exalted over his actions. he did not need to do that nor did he have to but we were so impressed by his will and care that we both were thoroughly sold inside and out.

dana made mention about how he talked highly of his employees and she loved hearing that he cared. he also talked about the importance of giving his customers what they want and that it mattered a lot to him to not disappoint. through all of this, it was very apparent by his actions.

michael is a man who greatly cares about his business, his employees, his customers, and loves to uphold what his restaurant is all about. he is ostensibly professional and caring. every aspect of it matters to him and he takes such pride in it. he took my impinged experience and turned it into one that will positively resonate with me. i will forward that karma to my friends and family and strangers who are looking for a wonderful place to eat.

[with michael, the owner]

[this is totally safe, right?]

it was a fabulous experience overall. i am thankful michael had reached out to me and changed my opinion about his restaurant. his ownership is empowering in itself! i can’t wait to visit again, for the full bang bang experience, and this time with the hubby in tow!

xoxo

love wins!

Posted on July 3, 2015 by tandem in love

so excited to have attended the gay pride parade, especially after the federal government legalized gay marriage in all fifty states {6.26}!!! what a celebration it was!

we headed down there {traffic was a bit heavy} and found a sweet parking spot, only a few blocks away from the parade route. we strapped olive into the ergo and moseyed on over to the event. as we got closer, the crowds got crazier and the outfits got wilder! hahaha! i wanted hc to snap a picture of me and olive, i laid eyes onto a drag queen just hanging out on the corner of the street. perfect. i walked up to her and asked if we could take a picture because i loved her wild ensemble. she happily obliged and ta da! groovy. olive was like, “what mom? who is this person.”

we ventured left but quickly realized how bananas it was over there and decided to veer right. we chuckled at the folks that thought it was a good idea to bring their babes in a stroller. um, no, it wasn’t a good idea. there was hardly any walking room! standing room only and we were packed together like sardines.

we quickly regretted going right as we were caught in the middle of a swarm. the crowd was tight and not really moving anywhere. we inched and inched our way through. it was hot, stuffy, and people were sweaty. yum. every few minutes, we took a few steps. it felt like we were going nowhere fast. olive remained calm despite all the people that were bumping into her. there was one moment where she started kicking her legs out at people. it was kind of funny. she was like, “get away from me” as she kicked her legs at them. haha! we finally broke through and jumped to the sidelines at an open spot. phew.

we weren’t keen on where we were because, one it was directly in the sun and two, we were a few feet away from the parade and i wanted to be closer. so hc and i decided to brave the crowds again and find a better spot. we shuffled back into the thick of it and scored a sweet spot under the shade of a building and we were right next to the parade route! yes!

[found this diva and asked for a pic together!]

[my baby…she’s so sweet // we were fighting some major crowds]

we watched all the fun floats go by and olive slowly started to enjoy it. she was held up by her daddy so she could see better. she loved the music! as each float came by, they all were playing something different and she would bob her head in approval or fist pump the air! she loved watching the balloons go by or anyone in a furry costume, she would wave hello and say, “doggy!”. so sweet!

[tommy the hawk]

[stanley cup!]

[shirt by sunday soldiers]

we waited patiently as each representative walked by. we were looking forward to seeing our friends matt and johann walk in the parade. the true reason why we attend now. it was always to support gay rights and the community but ever since johann and matt have been walking in the parade, we come out just to see them and cheer them on! so, there they were! the two of them holding up their church’s sign! i forewarned the peeps in front of me that i was going to scream and scream i did! i jumped up and down screaming matt’s name. he saw us and waved and told johann we were there and they both waved. it’s always a quick and exciting moment when i get to see them during the parade!

[matt and johann!]

[baby girl was getting so tired]

[i love her so much!]

[cruising along just fine and dandy]

it was only minutes until the parade ended after we saw matt and johann. it felt like it went by so quickly! we had such a great time watching everyone go by and all the fun floats, crazy outfits, wild people, and loud music beats we boogied to!

cheers to another fun parade and celebratory time in honor of the legalization of same sex marriages in the U S of A!

xoxo

renegade craft fair

Posted on July 2, 2015 by tandem in love

i love the renegade craft fair! it’s full of handmade goodness. when we lived in wicker park, they would set up shop right down the street from us on division so it was an easy walk to get there.

this time around, i was super excited to go and visit the shop kid + kind. we discovered their shop on insta, so i definitely wanted to check out her cute kids clothes in person.

it was gorgeous weather and i was looking forward to meeting up with olivia. we found the most perfect parking spot {right next to the fair} and cruised on in. kid + kind was literally the second shop we ran into! how sweet! i started perusing the racks when the woman behind the table said, “i know you from instagram!”. hahaha! i introduced myself and she said her name is jackie, the fabulous woman behind the shop. we started chatting and we totally hit it off. she is such a sweet, wonderful woman! we shared multiple stories about life and i had a really good time talking it up with her.

she shared a space with the shop june park {ummmmm, amazing little girl clothes!} and i met katie, the owner as well. i told them that i wanted to check out the other vendors in the fair but i would be back to pick up a few items!

as we were 2/3 of the way through, olivia made it out. it was so good to see her! we shopped, talked, and did more shopping. we found a vendor that sold the cutest, daintiest jewelry. we each purchased a ring from her. i also found these darling little ceramic bowls from a shop that sold the prettiest vases. i purchased a tripod cream colored bowl with gold dots…so fetch. there were so many goodies, but i couldn’t buy them all, hc would not let me. meh.

[renegade craft fair]

[hc and baby olive]

[our new rings! i love how dainty and delicate they are! we purchased them from katie dean jewelry]

[enjoying her horchata with daddy]

[my darling olivia]

after we perused the fair inside and out, i wanted to head back over to kid + kind and june park to pick up some pretty little things for miss olive. btw, who was having a meltdown near the end of it. she was dunzo and needed, deparately needed a nap. hc so kindly took the little misses and olivia and i shopped in peace for a few minutes {olive was being a bit demonic with her screams}.

i chatted a little bit more with jackie, purchased a few things from both shops and had olivia snap a cute pic of us! i honestly could have bought out each of their racks. i would have loved one of each item but held back. in due time, my dear. in due time. hahaha!

[shop june park]

[katie and jackie from kid + kind]

i loved it. i love buying from little independent shops like these! it’s pretty awesome to meet the ladies behind the brand as well. it was quite the lovely day indeed! i can’t wait to go to the second round in september!

xoxo

fancy free finery

Posted on July 1, 2015 by tandem in love

i was quite honored when katie from fancy free finery reached out to me to be a guest blogger on her site! we have been a fan of her crowns since earlier this year and have collected a few fun ones over the months.

she hand makes each flower and crown and pays attention to even the tiniest of details. every crown she produces is perfection. we love how whimsical, pretty, and romantic her crowns are. each one evokes such a dreamy look to every outfit i add it to. i think they are an outstanding accessory to any girl’s ensemble because it adds just the right amount of magic to a child’s imagination. she could be a princess, a hero, a warrior, or just a strong little girl who loves pretty little things.

anyhoo, katie asked me to write about olive. easy enough! as if that was going to be a stretch! haha! she wanted to know what kind of magic olive and i create together during our play time or just between us. my desires for olive’s upbringing, how i feel, how we love to just let her be her. simple enough, non?!

i then wanted to capture olive within these thoughts, within these words. what does a magical playtime look like to me for her? how can i capture my words into pictures? well, here is one sneak peek for ya! it translated into exactly how i feel, how i envisioned, and olive’s expression is exactly what i imagined for her to feel when she’s being creative. so, hopefully what i exude {my hope and imagination} is translated into my little baby girl. please head on over to katie’s blog to read my article…plus, there are more fun pictures to see!

[crown: fancyfreefinery // outfit: junepark // tassels: studiomucci // olive banner: littledovie // rockingsheep: potterybarnkids // chalkboard easel: ikea]

so, if you want to ready more about my goal, love, and dreams for little miss olive, please head on over to katie’s blog! you can find it here. it’s on there right now! happy reading y’all!

xoxo

tandem in love

{life is truly beautiful and it should be celebrated + shared.}

Monthly Archives: July 2015

concert in the park that wasn’t

happy bday america part 2

america’s bday part 1

happy july 3rd

bang bang pie squared

love wins!

renegade craft fair

fancy free finery