hb dear friend

Posted on January 16, 2016 by tandem in love

i love celebrating this beautiful lady’s birthday every year. it’s always a perfect time to get together, after the holiday rush and all.

andrea and i talked on christmas day {i called her to tell her about my pregnancy!} and i asked her about her birthday plans. we exchanged a few thoughts and i told her i would coordinate something for her. it’s her birthday and by no means should she have to worry about plans!

i was besides myself…i literally looked at a dozen restaurants to see if they had any reservations available for a party of ten and one restaurant after another was booked! i a few people told me that boarding house was a great restaurant, so i felt good about it.

it was a super rainy, cold night. hc and i had a great start to the city and had gotten there early, which was great because i needed just a few more items for andrea’s gift! we found an amazing parking spot and traipsed inside to the bar area. hc ordered a drink and i asked for a nonalcoholic beverage and truffle fries. i totally needed something to eat! i was so hungry…story of my life right now.

slowly, everyone trickled in. it was fabulous to see everyone! i might only see these peeps every so often but each time always feels like old times. everyone was nabbing drinks when our entire party finally arrived and they led us to our table upstairs.

[pretty boarding house restaurant]

[the ladies]

[beth and patrik…she’s pregnant too!]

it is such a cool looking restaurant. the interior is mysterious, gorgeous, beautiful, and cozy. we were seated up on the third floor in an almost private dining area. there was another table next to us but no one sat there until way into our dinner reservation, so it was lovely having the room to ourselves for a bit. the space overlooked the second floor of the restaurant, so it was a pretty cool view to be in.

we ordered more drinks, ordered apps, and finally ordered our entrees. i really liked our server; he was polite, attentive, and on point. the timing of the food was good and everything was delicious. i really, really enjoyed my entree of scallops. it was beyond tasty. ever since i have been pregnant, i have been ravenous and it’s not a pretty sight. it’s a bit un-classy and a wee bit of a spectacle how i tend to shove food in my mouth like i haven’t eaten in days. hahaha!

the evening was very relaxing and fun. i was able to catch up a bit with andrea and get in on some of life’s happenings. andrea is such a wonderful lady. a true friend who totally has your back. i am blessed to have her in my life. we were reminiscing over our friendship and how long we have known each other. i told her i could barely remember the time frame of how long it’s been since we first met and it’s something insane, like sixteen years. noooooo way! it absolutely does not feel like it has been that long!!! holy cow!

the evening carried on with more laughter, stories, noshing, and imbibing of tasty drinks. andrea opened her gifts, blew out her birthday candle, and the night slowly faded out.

we had such a grand ol’ time celebrating this beautiful friend. happy birthday to a gorgeous lady inside and out! cheers to an even better year!

[my alcohol free cocktail]

[um, just a little too much flash…everything is bouncing off our skin!]

[happy birthday my beautiful, sweet friend!]

[such a fun group!]

xoxo

blinging in the new year

Posted on January 9, 2016 by tandem in love

it was a whirlwind leading up to nye. i was so excited, relieved, and happy to have told everyone about the pregnancy but still, the nausea and exhaustion plagued me. i had a busy, busy day ahead of me.

i had a dr.’s appointment early in the morning, so i dropped olive off at my parent’s house because i didn’t want to drag her around – how un-fun for her! it was boring talks with counselors, a lot of waiting around, needles, and whole lotta unfunness {i know, i know…that isn’t even a word. hahaha!}. anyhoo, after the appointment, i had to meet my sister’s at the grocery store and pick up all the food and beverages for the party. that took quite some time. then i had to haul my butt over to the party store to pick up the balloons and party supplies, then i had to go to the post office to drop off some packages, then i headed home to unload my entire car {bags and bags of groceries, party supply bags, and two dozen balloons}. it was like a flippin’ clown car.

after i cleared out the car, it was then all about the work inside the house. i had to clean, clean the bathrooms, put away all the groceries, start prepping the area for the party, decorate, and eventually get the apps started. blah! i chugged away at everything as i had one eye glued to the clock to make sure i was on track. it was almost 5 o’clock and i was alllllllmost done! i ran into the bathroom to get ready and my sister kim and bro in law showed up to help! wooooo hoo!

it looked great {i must say so myself}! i had set up the photo booth, decorated the table spread, set up the dessert table, hung all the decor, and assembled all the kid’s favor boxes! my sister finished the apps, i was getting dressed when everyone started to arrive. perfect timing.

it was mainly family with a sprinkling of a few friends. as the night wore on, it got a little bit more crowded and packed with twists, turns, and surprises. my brother and his fiancé were suppose to fly out but their flight was over booked! bad for them but good for us! that meant they were going to ring in the new year with us! first time in who knows when last!

[blinging in the new year!]

[i really wanted the numbers 2016 on sticks but last minute, no one had it available to buy, so i scurried home, hastily cut it out of glitter paper i had at home and voila!]

[kid’s favor boxes: mini party hats, candy, toys, noise makers, poppers, glow sticks, and play money]

[adult’s table: confetti, glasses, hats, noise makers, party crackers]

[photo booth fun]

[huy and tashina]

[me and my baby girl]

[delicous apps]

[looooooove these ladies]

[i will say this until it is done, but don’t mind the kitchen under remodel!]

[these crazy kids]

[looooooooooove ba]

[cousins in plaid]

[lan, avery, and pete]

[cheers!]

[they’re so cute]

[love this family so much!]

[crazy bunch]

[seriously?]

[they discovered our undecorated bay window and it because a stage for them!]

[happy new year! cheers to 2016!]

[happy new year!]

all in all it was awesome! we had great drinks, delicious food, and even better company. it was a very, very good night. i loved seeing old friends, good friends, and clinking our glasses of fizzies with such lovely people at midnight. auld lang syne!

xoxo

wee christmas

Posted on January 2, 2016 by tandem in love

it was the annual wee christmas party!

hc’s friend’s dave’s mom {got that?! ha!} and dad host a christmas party every year called wee christmas. they have been doing this for decades. ever since i have been dating hc, we’ve attended every party. i love going to this. pat and pete are such warm, welcoming people and i love all of their friends, children, and grandchildren.

their house is always so festive and fun. they literally decorate every room in the house. christmas trees, santa’s, something festive and fun everywhere. it’s like santa’s house inside. there are always lots spirits to go around and tasty apps. i love visiting with everyone and every year, there are always the same faces with some new ones stopping by once in awhile.

olive was not comfortable, as always. she clung to me for dear life, although she did lighten up a lot faster than usual. she was intrigued by all the decorations and kept wanting to point out every santa figurine she saw. so, since she couldn’t point out all the santa’s in my arms, she actually wanted to get down so she get could get a better look at all the fun decor. totally fine by me! although she stayed super close, at least i didn’t have to carry her for a long period of time! phew!

soon, food was served and we ate and mingled some more. i had a great time getting to know a few new faces at the party and catching up with some old acquaintances. right after dinner is served, santa makes his appearance! santa visits every year at the party, reads a story, and hands out fun gifts to the little ones.

it was quite adorable when maggie called for olive to sit in her lap and olive obliged. i tried to snap a good photo but with so many crazy kids, it was hard to get a pic without someone’s arm or face right.in.front.of.my.camera. hahaha! olive was quite content until santa showed up! ohmygawd. total freak out! she immediately burst into tears! she was soooooo scared! even in my arms, she kept crying. she wouldn’t look at him and wasn’t happy until we left the room and she was far, far away from him! ha! no presents for her!

after santa, desserts were served and olive was a happy camper again. she stuffed her face and became a cute sweet babe again. hc and i were having a great time but alas, we had to go because we needed to pick up grace and didn’t want to get out there too late and get home even later.

as usual, we had a fabulous time at wee christmas. we enjoy going every year and look forward to it always. merry merry indeed!

[my love]

[olive loving the ‘munny’]

[she loved the little wooden horse and all the wonderful vintage toys in the basement]

[it was so sweet, maggie called for olive and she came over to sit in her lap. how sweet!]

[here’s santa!]

[she was terribly upset! no santa!]

xoxo

surprise!

Posted on December 29, 2015 by tandem in love

it was my birthday and it was a very good relaxing day. we spent the afternoon in the city, enjoying the festive surroundings and the slow easy day we had in store for us. after our afternoon jaunts, we headed back home for quiet evening in. the car ride was filled with lots of traffic and we were quite tired from the long commute.

as we were pulling into the driveway, i told hc to grab olive and bring her in and i would grab the bags in the car. as i walked towards our front door, i noticed all the lights still off. odd. i thought why didn’t hc turn on any lights? i then saw a little baby sitting on our mat. wtf. i was a bit freaked out. i stared intently at this babe. it wasn’t olive…i was sure but whaaaaaat? i was so confused. i didn’t recognize the baby and why was there a baby sitting at our front door?!!!!!! i slowly called out, “helloooooooo?” as i walked closer to the door. once i was inside, my bestie carol jumped out from the side and yelled, “surprise!”. omg. i was bewildered. what was going on? i was still so confused! i walked inside and our neighbor caitlin was in our kitchen prepping food. carol’s kids were crawling out from odd places…

my hubby is the best. he planned a small surprise party for me! i was soooo shocked! carol just flew into town the night before, so hc invited some of our close friends over for a catered dinner. he is so sweet and thoughtful. he really did pull one over me! i was over the moon at his efforts. i loved hearing all the fun details after the party on how he was able to pull everything together. when he ordered the food, who he talked to, how he hired caitlin to be our kitchen help for the evening. it was all soooo very sweet!

we had a fabulous time hanging out with everyone. we nibbled on food, caught up on life, and ran after our babes. it was so much fun. i had a very good time & my heart was so full!

thank you so much my darling hubby charming for always being the best partner, for always being so loving, thoughtful, caring, and oh so sweet. i love you!

[liam, jaime, carol, and me]

[my favorite macarons]

[liam, travis, and olive]

[hor d’oeuvres]

[caitlin – the super helper]

[cute little shelby]

[pam and j]

[ready to blow out the candles]

[they are silly]

xoxo

so much love

Posted on December 23, 2015 by tandem in love

i am ridiculously behind with my posts, so bear with me! i will probably have christmas posts in january at the rate i am going at! uh oh!

life has been so hectic, this holiday season has been so busy, exhausting, overwhelming, and tiring. honestly, i am beat. the last week or so has really kicked my butt. i can usually champion any task given to me, complete any ideas that pop into my head, and come out winning with extra energy. oy. not this season. christmas: 1 thu: 0 – tko!

anyhoo, over a month ago, i had made plans to meet up with my friend ande. ande and i go waaaayyyyy back to, hmmmmm, maybe 9-10 years ago. i was working on michigan avenue and ande was the store manager at the c.o. bigelow store in the watertower building.

my friend, matt, and i worked together at the time and we would constantly go shopping at ande’s store. we befriended ande and instantly hit it off. soon, we were visiting her on a weekly basis and eventually we would all go out to lunch, dinner, or attend any events that each other had going on. whether it would be a party, a birthday party, a comedy skit, or just a simple brunch get together, we would try our best to meet up every few months.

ande and i would always engage in conversations around kids…or lack thereof {at the time}. we always related to one another, hit it off on any quirky subject, or just reveled in life’s happenings. i love her weirdness and i say that with the highest compliment. she’s so kind, sweet, loving, smart, and just amazing. i always say this: surround yourself with wonderful positive people who enrich your life and ande definitely qualifies in all categories!

so, we met up one evening for dinner. matt and johann were able to join as well! i made reservations at summer house santa monica in lincoln park. it was a cool winter evening; johann was the first to arrive, then me, then ande, and then matt. i couldn’t wait to see her! the last time i saw ande was around august, i came in to visit her at her store in lincoln park.

unfortunately between august and now, ande was diagnosed with cancer. i was shocked and in complete disbelief. questions flew through my head. why? how? how could this happen to her? why do crazy things happen to good people? i was sad, upset, and shocked. i reached out to ande to give her my support and prayers. we texted back and forth for a bit and then we set up a time to meet up to catch up. i am so glad we were able to meet up when we did, right before ande started to feel even worse from her chemo treatments.

[me with this gorgeous lady]

[best bunch of peeps ever]

[summer house santa monica]

[celebrating my birthday early!]

we had such a great time. natch. we always do. our dinner was filled with lots of laughter, some tears, and sooooo many fabulous moments. ande filled us in on how she discovered her cancer and what treatments she was on and her cancer free party scheduled for april 30th!

i am so blessed to know this lady. she is a wonderful friend, a supportive person, and an incredible human being. i pray every day for her health and have faith this positive lady will be cancer free! love and laughter is the best medicine and ande gets a full dose of this every day from her friends and family.

xoxo

hi freshie

Posted on November 25, 2015 by tandem in love

so, i was able to visit baby asher in the hospital a few days after he was born and then again a few weeks later! that’s what’s so great about maternity leave, i can pretty much visit jodi any time for the three months that she is at home!

we were running so behind. i can’t even remember what it was that caused us to fall so far away from our scheduled departure time but anyhoozle, we finally hit the road! ugh, we were running 45 minutes late! eep.

when we arrived, jett greeted us at the door and we walked inside to jodi sitting on the couch with asher and jett jumping up and down, all excited! olive was scared! she clung onto me for dear life. oh she’s so funny, sweet, and shy. it took quite a few minutes for her to warm up.

we asked jett to bring out a few toys so it would spark olive’s interest and she would start to play with jett. he was so cute! he ran into his room and brought out the most random things, like a card. then a small figurine. and then something else that they couldn’t really share. jodi and i were laughing! we said to jett that he needed to bring out something that they could both play with! so, he finally did and it worked…olive slid off my lap and walked over to the toys jett had brought out!

after jodi fed asher, we all sat down for lunch. jett and olive were too cute together! he was boisterous and fun and olive was stoic and shy. jett ate for two seconds and ran away to play while olive so patiently sat in her chair and ate and ate. she’s an eater. she loves to eat and won’t give up any food that’s offered to her!

[aren’t they just the cutest?]

[she was so into this go fish game!]

[sleeping cutie]

after we ate and cleaned up, we sat on the couch for a bit and chatted. jodi told me that matt was still home, time extended from his paternity leave and i thought that was awesome! how amazing is that? your husband is home for almost all of your maternity leave…such great help! although, jodi jokingly disagreed and rolled her eyes and said matt needs to go back to work! hahaha! she’s so funny!

well, after an hour or so of us being there, matt arrived home {out from doing some errands}. we all then migrated downstairs to the basement to play. oh the kids had a blast. they built blocks, played with little cars, pulled wagons, ran around, drove big cars, and watched t.v. olive was super happy. there were so many fun things to play with and it kept them both busy…although teaching two little toddlers on how to share was a whole ‘nother story!

[oh! love this little cutie pie]

[love these peeps]

[so fuzzy and out of focus but it will do. their hugs goodbye]

after several hours of us hanging out, we finally, reluctantly, decided to leave. we didn’t want to. i was having a great time hanging out with matt and jodi and jett and olive were having fun together. plus, matt is so stinkin’ cute with the kids. he’s so good with them. it was so sweet to see.

we finally gathered our things together and said our goodbyes. we had such a great time hanging out with this beautiful family. oh we love them to bits! it’s so sweet to know this lovely family of four.

xoxo

a great afternoon

Posted on November 23, 2015 by tandem in love

it started out as a gloomy, super super windy morning. like howling, screaming wind. it appeared very ominous but i was not worried. we were set to head on over to kim’s house for a lunch play date. as the hour passed in the morning, the day seemed to get brighter and the wind started to die down. yay! like i said, no worries!

we {per usual} were running behind. i just don’t know what it is anymore. well, OK, really it’s a combo of everything. i don’t plan accordingly, manage my time, and olive is always full of surprises that lead into the minutes then the hours being sucked up into a black hole!

well, we got there in no time and the weather had perked up so much! we said our hello’s and began our gab fest. it’s always so nice to hang out at kim’s. it’s comfy cozy and olive loves to explore all of brady’s toys!

[love these two gals!]

[awww, are they being camera shy?]

brady and olive are so funny together. they won’t directly interact with one another but will definitely eye each other from afar. brady loves to run around and scream and olive will just curiously watch him with her stoic expressions. hahaha! the only time they ever ‘play’ with each other is when olive drags the dog pull toy around the house and brady loves to follow her. it’s the cutest thing to watch! soooooo sweet.

of course, there is little brooklyn who just minds her own business! oh i love this baby! she is such a chunker. that is an understatement. she is a brick house. the baby rolls are endless and amazing. oh what a babe!

after visiting for a bit, we sat down for lunch. olive throughly enjoyed eating her meal of cheese, hotdogs, goldfishes, and pears. she loves, loves to eat fruit. of course, us moms just snacked and ate what we could in-between running around after these babes.

[they are so cute! olive loved pulling the toy and brady loved following!]

[eating in unison]

[hey brady! take a selfie with me!]

[my girls in grey!]

[hugs goodbye]

as usual, the hours passed so quickly and it was getting so close to rush hour. i am always saying, ok we are going to leave, we are going to leave and kim and i will keep on chatting! i love it. it’s so us to gab and gab. ten minutes, twenty minutes, or a half hour or so will go by and i am still gathering our things to leave! haha!

well, we finally did get our stuff together and said our sweet goodbyes. i love seeing this lady and her beautiful babes! it’s always a great time when we are together!

xoxo

sunday chili

Posted on November 20, 2015 by tandem in love

we invited olivia and aaron over for some football chili. we debated on the idea of going to their place in the city but decided to invite them over to our abode.

the morning started out slow, haha, well at least for me! hc was already busting his hump getting the meal ready for lunch. we bustled around cleaning, getting ready, and just tying up loose ends before our guests arrived. noon rolled around and we were set. the food was almost done, the house was clean, the odds and ends were competed, we were dressed and ready to go!

arron and olivia arrived only fifteen minutes late! not bad…especially when olivia is involved. this lady is infamously late, always. hahaha! once they settled, hc and aaron went on a beer run while olivia and i chitchatted until they came back and i made sure the cornbread was done. once drinks were in hand, hc and i prepared the final touches to the meal and we were set!

hc whipped together a chili and cornbread meal for our lunch. it was sooooo flippin’ delicious! sooooo yummy! i could have eaten the cornbread in dozens. we had avocado, green peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and oyster crackers as our toppings. mmmmmmm. everybody had seconds and the food was almost gone! a good sign of a great meal!

olivia and i sat in the kitchen while the boys sat in the living room to eat and watch football. no matter. i love my time with olivia. we talked about all sorts of good stuff. life, friends, family, kids, and everything in-between. i love this sweet girl, she is such a dear friend. we always have a blast whenever we are together. it’s so funny when the four of us do get together…hc and aaron get all guy and bromantic and olivia and i get all girly and gossipy. and not the bad, wicked, mean gossipy…we just love talking and talking and talking. it’s more about life’s happenings versus demeaning, catty talk. ya know what i mean? i hope y’all do.

[my girl…don’t mind the under remodel kitchen]

[toppings]

[these peeps…]

[oh my goodness. so yummy]

[love this babe]

anyhoo, after a few hours together, olivia and aaron decided to hit the road. it was fun, as usual. we love hanging out with these two. such good people, they always say to surround yourself with the great people and keep the good ones close, right?!

xoxo

friday night

Posted on November 16, 2015 by tandem in love

so months ago, during dana and scott’s engagement party…we made plans to get together with irina, patrick, dana, and scott. fast forward a couple months, we finally make it happen!

our plan was to get to au cheval early and hopefully nab a table {we were crossing our fingers…}, they don’t take reservations! dana, hc, and i have eaten there before but the rest have not and we all wanted to eat there together, it’s soooooo yummy!

per usual, hc and i were running so late! ugh…like very late. traffic on a friday night is horrific, so we were a bit anxious to get going. we hit the road and of course it was baaaad. well, we finally saw why it was so bad, there was an accident on the ike. yuck! we surpassed it and started cruising. the good news was {well, not really good news}, dana and irina were running behind as well! phew! so, we weren’t far behind! yay!

irina’s husband, patrick, arrived at au cheval early, before six o’clock, to put our name down for a table. um, they told him it would be a four hour wait. wtf?! a four hour wait?????? are you kidding me?! no thank you! that was such a bummer. oh, we so wanted to eat there but there was no way we waiting for a midnight supper.

so, patrick moseyed across the street to the haymarket pub and nabbed us a table. i was super annoyed at it all. i, first, didn’t want to spend my friday night in the city at the haymarket pub but hey, whatcha gonna do? there was no way we were eating at au cheval. well, no matter, what was most important was spending my time with everyone. i was super excited to catch up and have some fun!

[my girls]

[cheers to being out!]

the conversation flowed non-stop. we have a bunch of talkers in this group! we shared, switched, and started multiple conversations between us all. it was so much fun. i love this group of peeps. patrick cracks me up, irina and her sarcasm, dana is a little bit of both, and hc and scott are just good sweet guys.

we ordered plenty of libations and delicious bites to fill our bellies. after a few hours {we did feel a bit old…or is it because we have kids?} we decided to call it quits. no, we weren’t going to party all night and yes it was still early but it was friday night, where everyone worked and of course, everyone is a bit tired from the week.

[love these two!]

[these two are the best!]

[having a blast]

we wrapped up our bill, nibbled on the last bits of food, and took the last swigs of our drinks before we hit the road. we had such a great time with everyone and we can’t wait to do this again! drinks, food, and friends are the best combo!

xoxo

kira and eric’s wedding

Posted on October 26, 2015 by tandem in love

i was super excited to attend kira and eric’s wedding! it had been a long time waiting and we were ready to party!

we arrived just in time for the ceremony. it was a bit blustery and a cold day. as hc and i were walking in, i couldn’t wait to get inside because i was cold, the wind was killing my hair, and the setting sun was shining directly in my eyes! as we walked inside, we crept around only to find out the ceremony was outside!!!! eep. so there goes my hair, my warmth, and the sun continued to shine in my eyes! hahaha!

i was shaking in my coat, i couldn’t imagine how the bridesmaids and flower girls felt in their strapless/tank dresses! the whole area outside was beautiful. the white chairs, lined with tulle and flowers were pretty. the aisle had a white runner with flower petals strewn all down the runway. the pergola was lovely with flowers hung from it. the greenery in the background was so pretty and a perfect backdrop to their nuptials.

[the welcome table]

[here comes the bride]

[the giving of the bride]

[wedding party]

[kiss the bride]

[yay! married!]

after the ceremony, we hurried inside to warm up. we made our way into the reception area and checked out all the fun details of the wedding. my favorite part. people always think that the details of a wedding aren’t important because people don’t care or pay attention…not moi! it’s my most favorite part! i love how the couple incorporates their likes, their lives, their loved ones into the reception. i love weddings for the fact that it can be so unique, personal, and special to the bride, groom, and family!

[welcome table and seating cards]

[card table]

[me and mutts]

[wedding table centerpieces]

[me and the hubs]

[wedding cake]

[my girls]

[maid of honor and best man]

[i know, this pic is terrible! but hey, i got something!]

[cutting the cake!]

[wedding selfie, gotta have one every time]

[red velvet]

after dinner, dancing ensued. we got down and boogied! i had so much fun with my girls and we had so much fun on the dance floor! as soon as the music started, we partied it up out there. we didn’t care if we were the only ones dancing, we loved that we would start it up for the other guests, and we loved jamming out to some good songs out there.

[sweet first dance]

[with the beautiful bride and groom]

[there goes the bouquet!]

[oh no he didn’t! eric totally stripper danced for kira! hahaha!]

i love weddings. they are so much fun! we had such a great time at their wedding. it was great to know {almost} everyone’s significant others and have such a grand ol’ time together! we totally had a blast eating, drinking, and dancing it up!

kira and eric, we wish you both nothing but the best in life. we hope that your marriage is filled with joy, laughter, love, goofiness {per kira}, and endless respect of your differences to guide you down the road of a long, lasting happy marriage.

xoxo

tandem in love

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

Tag Archives: friends

hb dear friend

blinging in the new year

wee christmas

surprise!

so much love

hi freshie

a great afternoon

sunday chili

friday night

kira and eric’s wedding