jenis

Posted on October 27, 2013 by tandem in love

it was that time of year to get our eyes checked. i’ve been going to custom eyes since it has opened…10 years ago! located in the heart of wrigleyville, on southport avenue. i use to live down the street from them for five years, after getting my eyes checked by them year after year, i couldn’t find another place! they are so accommodating, honest, professional, nice, and sincere. they house an amazing showcase of eyewear and sunglasses that are unique, fashionable, and chic.

so, we trekked our way to the old ‘hood. it was a beautiful day out. after our appointments, we chit chatted a bit with the receptionists and order our contacts. one of the girls at the desk mentioned the new ice cream store down the street. i had walked by it a few weeks ago but didn’t get a chance to stop in. she told us that there was a really long line at the shop! i thought “really?!”…of course now i was intrigued.

we walked out and decided to shop around. we hit a few stores nearby and i had decided that i needed to try the ice cream shop as well!!! so, we walked down the street…there was a line but not as obnoxious as before. we waited patiently, as we were given the glorious time to debate on the flavors, accruements, and accents of choice!

[jenis]

[selfie]

[ice cream sammies]

i settled on the pistachio and honey with the buckeye, accented with the house made whipped cream and salty graham! it was so good! a perfect combo of sweet and salty! definitely worth the wait! we gleefully got our ice cream and sat outside, on this gorgeous day, and devoured our little treats!

so worth the wait and we will for sure be back! it was so decadent and divine! a must eat!

xoxo

he’s six

Posted on October 19, 2013 by tandem in love

little reagan is growing up!! i can’t believe he’s six, already! i’m such a proud auntie, he is such a smart little man! he’s always so entertaining & funny!

i headed to rainforest cafe right after work. there was a little bit of traffic but not so bad. hc was already there and i got there right after him. we had a drink and a snack at stir crazy before we met everyone at rainforest. we figured no one would be on time {hey, it’s a doan outing…we never seem to gather together on time ever :)}.

kim and famille arrived early, so we skedaddled on over to the restaurant. i got cute little hugs from the nephews. kids just love places like the rainforest…it’s so entertaining for them! we browsed around the retail shop for a bit and then we were called to be seated. we sat ourselves down and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. we ordered drinks and apps and perused the menu to figure out what we were going to feed our empty bellies.

[froggie fun]

[aren’t they adorbs?]

[food and fun]

slowly but surely, everyone found their way to the table and greeted reagan with lots of happy birthday wishes! the conversation flowed and the food came readily. it was a very enjoyable time with everyone! reagan was really looking forward to the volcano dessert! there were plenty of birthdays being celebrated there that night, so we saw many, many volcano desserts go by!

[goodies]

[reagan’s most favorite gift!]

after dinner, r opened up his presents! he got a lot of goodies from everyone…i think his most favorite gift of all was from aunt thuy! a very large power ranger!

[i love b’s face in the background]

well, reagan received double the volcano dessert! we sang happy birthday and dug in. it was super yummy, decadent, and delicious. after demolishing a lot of food, we were stuffed and ready to go home. it was a very happy birthday for r!

thanks kim and terry for hosting! happy birthday reagan…we love you lots!!!!

xoxo

lunch date with a cute boy

Posted on October 1, 2013 by tandem in love

i had a lunch date with a cute boy! his name is brady and he was so adorable!

i was excited to have plans with kim! she went out earlier than expected {pregnancy can be so unpredictable!}, so i was totally missing her! we talked practically everyday and so it’s been different not having her around all the time! although, on the flip side, she is totally enjoying being a mommy! i’m so happy for her & mikey…little brady is so cute! he does look so much like his dad!

we met up in schaumvegas for lunch. it was so much fun! it was great catching up and seeing cute little brady sleep. i still can’t believe she’s a mommy! being able to be by her side throughout her pregnancy, it’s amazing to see lil’ brady as a little person. oh, there was so much to talk about! time was just flying by! before we knew it, we had to part ways {bummer}!

[kim + my 7 month bump!]

[sweet brady]

our time together was fabulous! until next time!

xoxo

happy anniversary

Posted on September 30, 2013 by tandem in love

it was our two year anniversary! my how time flies and how things change {aka having a baby!}.

we started our day with a delicious brunch at bite cafe. very yummy. i just wanted some good old fashioned breakfast goodies. we had a very relaxing morning…chill & calm.

[anniversary breakfast]

we headed back to our place {it’s just around the corner from bite} and rested for the afternoon. we logged onto the computer, we watched some t.v., we chillaxed our time away. before we knew it, it was time to get ready and i couldn’t get off the computer! ya know, pinning can be addictive! hc kept nudging me to get ready but i had a plan…i knew i could whip myself together in 15 minutes {noooo problem!}. so there ya go, i jumped off the computer, freshened up the face, threw on the dress, and voila! i was ready! hc was doubtful of me, he really thought i wasn’t going to put in any effort for our anniversary night out! ha!

we headed to boka, a michelin star restaurant, for a lovely evening of noshing and imbibing. it was calm and serene inside. we were greeted with a “happy anniversary” welcome by the hostess. we were seated at the corner table {a favorite of mine in any resutarant}. who doesn’t love the best seat in the house?!

[at boka!]

[menu]

we ordered drinks {my mocktail was concocted by the bartender through my request of having something fruity!} and perused the menu to determine what were we going to eat at this fabulous place! once our orders were placed, we dived deep into our conversations and really enjoyed ourselves on our special night.

[cheers!]

[ready to order]

[complimentary sweets]

it was a perfect day and a perfect end to our two year anniversary celebration. we can’t wait to celebrate next year with our little one in our lives!

xoxo

cha quyen’s 40th

Posted on September 23, 2013 by tandem in love

well that time had come, it was father quyen’s 40th year as an ordained priest! we celebrated at the altar villa banquet hall out in addison. it was quite a fete! i could be exaggerating but i think it was close to 600 folks at the event.

[mingling]

[coaster favors]

[me + hc]

[honoring cha quyen]

[with tricia!]

[vietnamese entertainment]

[with chu thong!]

[with the man of the hour]

[dad, mom, old friend, + dan]

i, as usual, cruised there straight from work. i waited in the parking lot for my hubby charming to meet up with me, he was driving in from the city. once we were together, we walked in and ran straight into my mom and dad. yay! we were immediately pinned with a rose flower {identifying us as family of cha quyen’s} and shuffled to our table. although, we were amongst only a few who had tables reserved for us, i still have to fight off a bunch of vietnamese peeps from stealing the table! they don’t care it says reserved, they will steal it from under this pregger lady! so there i sat, waiting for the rest of my family to arrive.

[old friends]

in the mean time, i was so excited to see my grandma [in from l.a.} and my parent’s old friends, di thu and chu thong {in from texas!}! it was a total reunion that night! we saw so many people we haven’t seen in awhile, it was so good to catch up! it was a great evening except for the singing {oy…it was so loud, it was uncomfortable!}, it’s not a vietnamese event without some loud music and loud singing. my brother dan said all vietnamese music/songs sound like a james bond theme song {funny statement of the night!}.

[love!]

[family]

[grandma! as huy calls her, ‘lil shorty]

anyhoo, after much socializing, eating, and picture taking, it was time to go home! we said our goodbyes and jetted out! it truly was a good night!

xoxo

homemade cake

Posted on September 18, 2013 by tandem in love

happy beurffday kim!

it was that milestone! happy birthday to my dear sister, kim! we celebrated at acadia. terry surprised kim with a small, intimate dinner at the lovely restaurant.

i rushed over there after work {thank goodness there wasn’t any traffic! and i found parking in a snap!}. once i was settled in, they starting the whole process, and when i say process, it was. it’s quite fascinating to watch. all the servers that support during the whole dining experience. how attentive and in tune they all are. i just love places like that! the service was impeccable, the food was beyond delish, and the company was fantastic!

[personalized menu]

[kim + lan]

[my bro in law + moi]

[present time!]

[oxfords]

[my non-alcoholic beverage concocted by the bartender]

[my tasty halibut]

we wined {well everyone else} and dined, enjoyed our eclectic conversations, laughed a lot, ate a lot, and drank a lot. after almost 4 hours of noshing and imbibing, we were dunzo.

but of course, it’s not a birthday without a cake! it only completes the celebration! so, there is was…thuy’s homemade cake. it was such a sight. you truly, truly had to be there. from my pov, i saw it coming. it was a glorious, blazing ball of fire heading our way. our server walked from the kitchen, across the whole dining area, all the the way to our table in the corner with the fire hazard. every diner’s head turned, cranked, and gawked at the well lit cake. it was so hilarious. kim didn’t know what was coming her way! oh em gee, we could not stop laughing! it was, seriously, the best part of the evening…it was splendid to see such a fancy restaurant serve this beauty of a cake {made with love from thuy}. despite it’s wilting nature…it was damn good! so yummy!

[the blazing cake!]

[happy birthday kim! // i love how the two dudes in the background are mesmerized!]

[make a wish!]

[birthday partiers]

thank you to terry and thuy for coordinating such a fabulous fete for our lovely sister kim. happy birthday ma seour!

xoxo

perfect combo

Posted on September 16, 2013 by tandem in love

it was such a perfect night! so beautiful out!

i was able to meet up with andrea and leyla for a lovely al fresco dining experience. we met up at folklore…so delish!! hc and i ate there when we first moved into the area {it’s right down the street from us} and hadn’t been back since, so going there again made me realize how good it is! we had forgotten about all the deliciousness there!

ah, it was such a fabulous evening to sit outside. i haven’t seen leyla in awhile and it was so good to catch up! it was great to hear her funny stories and to know that life is good for her! our company was made up of two mommies and a soon to be mommy, so that made it good for some mommy talk! no worries, we had plenty of convos around purses {chanel or celine?}. and shoes. and clothes. and shopping. hehe. our other loves!

we put in our entree order, oh i forget how much food they give you! i ordered so much! oops. my eyes were bigger than my stomach. oh well, it made for good leftovers!

we hung out for awhile to enjoy the perfect evening temperature. that is when i crave a yummy glass of wine! a warm, summer evening and a glass of wine is the perfect combo! boo.

[leyla, moi, and andrea]

cheers to this wonderful duo! such great friends!

xoxo

ladies night

Posted on September 14, 2013 by tandem in love

i haven’t seen these girls in awhile…well, it’s been a few months and it was def time to catch up!

we all met at D.O.C. wine bar. i love seeing them! they are such sweet ladies! marina and i go way back to junior high {eekkk!}. pam and i go waaaaayyyyyy back! we have known each other since early elementary school {double eekkk}! we didn’t go to the same one, our mutual connection is our bestie carol. we befriended each other through her and have remained friends since! ditto for rina!

we chit chatted the night away. catching up on life stories. i really enjoy spending time with them. it just ebbs and flows. ya know, when it’s just relaxing and fun; the time just flies by when you’re totally engaged with your friends. well, hours passed by and it was actually getting late {late for me at least!} and i know pam and i had the longer drives back.

we hung out a bit outside the restaurant to finish up our fascinating conversations! we finally had our hugs goodbye and went on our merry way! love these ladies! it was a very good night.

[moi, marina, and pammy]

xoxo

happiness is

Posted on September 5, 2013 by tandem in love

happiness is when hubby charming is home.

when hubby charming comes home and i am happy as a clam.

happiness is a home cooked meal by hc.

happiness is snuggling with hc and a good movie is on t.v.

happiness is spending a lazy day with hc before this bebe comes.

happiness is when hc cooks me a a delcious breakfast in the morning.

happiness is going shopping with hc and getting his opinion on things.

happiness is waking up next to hc in the mornings.

happiness is attending mass together.

happiness is when hc and i can go on walks and hold hands.

i am most happy when i get to spend time with my hubby charming.

i love you to bits.

[a delicious home cooked meal by hc]

xoxo

haircut day

Posted on September 3, 2013 by tandem in love

a beautiful day for a sassy a haircut. typically, we like scheduling three haircuts in a row…me, kim, & thuy but this time kim couldn’t make it! so, it was just thuy and me. it was a lovely sunny day for us!

i trekked in first due to thuy coming straight from work. hubby charming and moi got there early and misako was able to take me right away. i just love her! she has been cutting my hair for 12 years! she actually didn’t know i was pregnant! last time i saw her, i was at the 3 month mark and i couldn’t tell her because i hadn’t told the family yet!

anyhoo, we chit chatted, caught up, talked about baby stuff, and just really enjoyed each other’s company. she trimmed my hair up all fresh and clean…holy long hair! once i was done, i settled onto the couch and waited for thuy to get there for her haircut.

after both our sessions, we traipsed our way to an eatery we all haven’t been to, farmhouse. it was sooo good! delicious. we were very satisfied and happy!

[thuy’s new do]

[farmhouse]

[farmhouse’s cool interior]

[haircuttery]

[menu perusing]

[my tasty meal // forest mushroom and poblano pepper old world grains burger]

after lunch, thuy had commitments to go to and so did we! it was fab haircut day and delicious feasting. a great way to spend our afternoon together!

xoxo

tandem in love

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

Tag Archives: food

jenis

he’s six

lunch date with a cute boy

happy anniversary

cha quyen’s 40th

homemade cake

perfect combo

ladies night

happiness is

haircut day