dana’s bridal shower

Posted on May 12, 2016 by tandem in love

i was so looking forward to this day! i couldn’t wait to celebrate with dana!

i love this gal. i know i tend to say this about a lot of my friends…but hey, shouldn’t friends be this awesome?!! she is so stinkin’ sweet, kind, loving, fashionable, and soooooo flippin’ funny!! i love her quirky nature, her love for sharks and rainbows. her lighthearted take on life. she’s a gem.

well, this babe is getting married this july. i am crossing my fingers this little lady in my belly stays put until after dana and scott’s wedding! do you hear that little baby girl? i must go to their wedding!!! you can come on out anytime after that!

as soon as i received dana’s shower invite, i perused her registry and snatched up a few pretties for this bride to be. her shower was in lincoln park at mon ami gabi and i have never ever been there! maybe it is because i have eaten at the one in the ‘burbs and have tried it, so i never had the need to eat there in the city but for some reason, i always thought it was closer to armitage near cafe babareeba but nope. it’s near lincoln park zoo!

i arrived a bit late, naturally, but the party had just started! i was super psyched that dana was sitting at our table. i was able to catch up with her and her other friends. can i just say she was wearing the most beautiful skirt! i was in love! it was so pretty, romantic, and beautiful. i love dana and her fashion choices…she’s always so vibrant and eclectic!

we ate, chit chatted, and had a lot of laughs! after lunch was served, the men came bouncing in. dana’s dad, scott, uncle, etc. came to join the party! they played a fun game and then the gift unwrapping began and the fun ensued! i was quite surprised how fast they went through everything because, let me tell ya, there was huge mound of gifts! more like a mountain of gifts!

after all the gifts were opened, everyone started to say their goodbyes. it was such a fun afternoon! i had a swell time seeing everyone in dana’s life and i had the best time seeing dana! i seriously can’t wait to celebrate their marriage this summer…right baby girl?!! haha!

[celebrating this beautiful lady]

[dana and emily]

[yummy french toast]

[heinz…like the ketchup?]

[dana and lindsey]

[my favorite…profiteroles]

[playing a fun game]

[the beautiful couple]

[there were so many gifts…a huge tower]

[that’s my gift…the orange wrapped one!]

[her bouquet of ribbons]

[scott and his mom]

[dana and irina]

xoxo

the power of love

Posted on May 3, 2016 by tandem in love

we were so looking forward to this day ~ april 23, 2016. read on to find out why.

{the day i found out our friend ande had cancer, it was like a punch in the stomach.}

i met ande years ago. i think it was around 10+ years since we first encountered one another? she was a store manager at a retail shop inside the watertower building on michigan avenue. i loved her store. i constantly shopped there. we eventually became close friends and started hanging out. we would go to each other’s parties, events, have brunches, and dinners together. whenever any one of us had a special occasion to celebrate, we would always be there for each other!

we developed a fun relationship over the years. the kind where you meet up every few months to say hello and catch up. ande eventually switched to another store in lincoln park and that became our new stomping ground. especially on a warm summer day…i loved visiting her at her store and usually, we would head out for a quick lunch date to catch up.

when i found out ande had cancer, i contacted her immediately. i wanted to let her know i was there for her if she needed anything and i was curious on many levels. throughout this ordeal…ande was the strongest person. i was amazed by her positive attitude, strength, love, and courage.

when a person is told they have cancer…their attitude can go two ways. one way can be self pity, negativity, and helplessness or it can go towards a powerful, positive, winning outlook. ande’s attitude took on the latter description. she amazed me. she inspired me. how can a person who is battling such an awful situation be so encouraging to others??!!! ande claims it was because everyone around her was so loving, supportive, and uplifted her in the most soulful ways that there was no way her spirit could go south. even during her most tough moments, there was always someone around who would lift her up and that was how she carried on and didn’t let cancer win!

fast forward many months, through many chemo treatments, and many trying days – ande received news that she beat cancer! oh my goodness!!! i was so beyond elated!

ande had told me in december {when we met up for a holiday dinner} that i needed to save the date. she said for me to mark on my calendar that april 23 would be her cancer free party. no if’s and’s or but’s about it. so i did. i saved the date for her celebration and on this day…celebrate we did!!

you are an amazing person ande. words can’t describe what an incredible human being you are! i am so fortunate to know you and to call you my friend. thank you for being you. we love you to bits! we believe in the power of love!

[logan theatre greeting]

[how horrible is this pic?? i seriously though i took a good picture. hahaha]

[selfie]

[we ate theatre food…]

[some of favorite peeps]

[the cutest little girls at the party walked around and handed out these yummy candy favors]

[loved these cute, handmade candle favors for everyone!]

[loved this little polaroid of us! it was for the guest book…so sad we couldn’t take it home.]

[giving such a heartfelt, tearful speech]

[can you spot me and rich?!]

xoxo

dinner with friends

Posted on April 28, 2016 by tandem in love

we were so excited to host a simple dinner for our friends matt and johann!

it had been awhile since we had seen them and we were so excited that they could come on over to our abode for a casual dinner. it was quite the lovely day and a perfect day to grill something and eat al fresco.

we hit the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner and did a little prep work before they came over. we wanted it to be yummy but simple. we had a really busy spring cleaning kind of weekend and wanted the prep and clean up to be easy!

matt and johann arrived and the fun began! we love hanging out with these crazy twosome. they seriously crack me up all the time. little olive was asleep so she didn’t get to greet them right away but i forewarned them that she’s not the most social and not always in at the best mood when she wakes from a nap!

we had prepared a small appetizer plate to start with and took ourselves outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. after noshing a bit on apps and talking up a storm, hc fired up the grill and started the burgers. i went inside and prepped the rest of the meal so it was ready to serve.

we enjoyed our meal…burgers, kale salad, pasta salad, chips, and fruit. everything was delicious and perfectly light for the warm spring night. the only thing missing for me was the beer. hahaha!

olive was stirring, so i went inside to rouse her a bit more. hc and our guests relocated themselves inside and i brought olive out. she has become so difficult in saying hello! i can’t get her to just say hi…it’s like pulling teeth with this babe! she’s become so utterly shy lately!

anyhoo, i set olive up on the couch and went back into the kitchen to join in on the crazy conversations. we continued to nosh and imbibe tasty beverages {well at least the boys did!}. we had a plethora of beer and hard liquor libations to choose from. johann and i concocted old fashioned’s for him and hc. their signature drinks together!

after a bit, we served desserts and continued our conversations into the night. time seriously flew by. we had sooooo much fun with them! hours passed by and before we knew it, it was quite late for a sunday night! johann and matt gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes. olive did her best by hiding under the couch when i told her to say goodbye to her guests. oy vey!

we gave our hugs and said our goodbyes and waved our dear friends away. it was fabulous to see them and as they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

[love these two!]

[grilled burgers, kale salad, fruit, mac salad, and chips]

[i love him]

[i couldn’t choose what to serve, so i bought a variety! mmmmm]

[omg, it was like taking pics of kids…i couldn’t get them to look at the camera or stay still so i am posting this pic ’cause matt looks good. hahaha! cheering with their old fashioned’s]

xoxo

a night out

Posted on April 25, 2016 by tandem in love

yay! we had a date night with our lovely couple friends, olivia and aaron!

too much time always passes by before we can see aaron and olivia! we finally made a date and we couldn’t wait to see them! we planned on meeting up at ramen-san in chicago. my sister had suggested it and we were super interested in trying it. who doesn’t love ramen?!

it was a beautiful evening. i am loving this spring weather. it’s so great that it actually feels like spring! the past several years have been great transitions in seasons. we parked the car and walked our way to the restaurant. i love walking and especially when the temps are great and comfortable!

we got there first and were seated right away. aaron and olivia showed up just minutes later and we were so excited to see them! we settled in and right away everyone ordered drinks. i was so oblivious and didn’t even realize that they all had ordered alcoholic beverages but they had also ordered shots! whaaaaa?! our server brought their drinks and then the shots…i was so perplexed! i had no idea they were starting off the evening with shots and i found it so amusing, for some reason. i guess it has been awhile since i have gone out where the party we were with decided to do shots! does that make me old?! ahahaha!

anyhoo, we ordered a multitude delicious apps. after another round of drinks and noshing, we ordered our entrees. i asked for the kimchee ramen. oh my goodness. it was sooooooooooo good! i loved it! olivia ordered the same and she really enjoyed it too. i love spicy and boy, oh boy, it was super spicy! yum!

after eating and drinking even more, we decided to walk over to eataly to have dessert. i am always for gelato! plus, we haven’t been to an eataly since we were in nyc and i was super excited to go, since it reminded me of our trip to nyc on our one year anniversary!

it was crazy packed inside but no matter. we had the evening and we had no restraints. hc and aaron went upstairs to try different beers while olivia and i waited in a very long line to get gelato. we were having a great time catching up while we waited in line. we finally got our order and went upstairs to find the boys. we literally walked in circles and couldn’t find them. we finally found them in a nook of a restaurant and we settled in to eat our gelato, whilst the boys continued to drink.

we sat around for a bit and the question came up on whether we continued the night or called it a night. i felt so guilty because of course i am pregnant and i always, always miss olive. i really do. i was tired and didn’t mind if we headed home. i hated that it all weighed in on me! but no matter, aaron was a good sport about it and olivia didn’t care.

we walked out and walked towards our separate destinations together. once we hit our point of different directions, we said our goodbyes and headed home. it was such a fabulous evening. i had so much fun hanging out with them! they’re a few of my favorite peeps! we love these two cats and i hope not too much time flies by before we see them again!!!

[mmmmmmm]

[seriously?! i had no clue they ordered shots, but that’s what happens when your pregnant and not included.]

[my best friend]

[kimchi ramen….so stinkin’ gooooood]

[love these two!]

[we got gelato after dinner at eataly! so good!]

[so fresh! i loved perusing around]

[agreed]

xoxo

brunch with my girls

Posted on April 19, 2016 by tandem in love

gosh. it’s been awhile since i have posted. i have been so tired. olive digressed in her sleeping patterns last week and i was wiped out. but per typical preggo fashion, i do post less when i am with child. i did the same thing with olive and now history repeats itself! i have been very low key overall and not going out much, but i have no energy or time to write many if any posts of late! eep!

well, i was super excited to have finally made plans with kt and karen. i love these two ladies. they are two peas in a pod and the sweetest ladies around. i have know these two beauties for quite some time now. karen and i have know each other for a ridiculous amount of time and i have know kt for 10+ years now? well, i always say, keep the good peeps around, it definitely makes life fuller!

our get together almost turned into a debacle. we had planned on meeting up for a bit now but then all sorts of things came up. karen and her mom had plans to visit their friend annie and her new baby girl and kt had a last minute doctor’s appointment that she had to schedule and then there was me, who couldn’t go out in the late afternoon because that would interfere with olive’s nap. haha! oh life. you’re so complicated sometimes!

we ended up agreeing and meeting up for brunch! yay! so, in the end, it all worked out. we had such a great time catching up. i love these two gals! it’s amazing where life had taken us and where we are going. what i love most about our relationships is that no matter how much time comes between us, we always feel like no time has passed.

[aren’t they the prettiest?!]

[love this babe]

[working hard]

xoxo

finally!

Posted on March 10, 2016 by tandem in love

two of my besties went and got 9-5 jobs m-f and because of that, i never really get to see them as often as i would like. it was always easy to see them on the weekdays because there was less chaos and it was much easier but our weekends are so tied up, which makes it a bit more difficult to make plans.

anyhoo, we finally made plans for brunch on a lovely Saturday afternoon. we hemmed and hawed over which place to try. we contemplated new places we haven’t tried, old places that we love, and we finally decided to go to an old favorite of ours! when olivia mentioned mhenry’s…i was sold. i haven’t been in months and i love eating there. it’s alway delicious, great service, and a fun environment. i love their bakery section in the front. it’s always so tempting to walk away with something to take home!

the wait wasn’t that long. thank goodness! it was only 15 minutes or less. we were seated in the back, i have never been seated in the back of the restaurant! i was a bit bummed because the lighting was soooooo bad for pics and it didn’t help that there was a ginormous red painting on the wall reflecting red hues everywhere! plus olivia’s red shirt and the red doors all around us. ugh!

anyhoo, we had such a fab time. really, it was. the food was so yummy and the company and conversations were even better! we were there for hours! it was perfect. we just relaxed, enjoy our tasty meals, and talked our afternoon away. it was great to catch up but what i love most about this group of ladies is that conversations flow so easily. we can gab and gab and gab non stop over everything. no matter how much time falls in-between, we are able to catch up causally on all of life’s happenings.

cheers to great friends!

[love, love these two so much!]

[i made dana smile for me so i could test my camera…got ya!]

[one of my favorite brunch places]

[love this girl]

[my most favorite dish there, ever]

[treats galore]

[my girls]

xoxo

brady and olive date

Posted on March 1, 2016 by tandem in love

we had planned a date and i was totally looking forward to kim, brady, and brooklyn coming over to our house.

in typical fashion, i crammed too many things into the morning. kim and i agreed on 11am but i thought she was going to text me when she left but instead, she text me when she was twenty minutes away! eep! i was totally in the middle of taking pictures with olive and we had so many outfits lined up and i didn’t want to cut it short. so, we sped through all the outfits {she’s become really accommodating, cooperative, and cute with taking pics}, i put away all her supplies {snacks, lollipops, pretzels, etc.}, folded and hung away all her clothes, cleaned up the props, re-set her room {yes, i do all this work for photos}, cleaned up everything, redressed olive, got myself spruced up, started prepping food, and i still beat kim before she got to my house! to give her credit…she did get a little lost, which favored on my side with time!

once she arrived, the gabbing began and never stops until she leaves. olive was still in her room and was being shy and didn’t want to come out. brady ran into her room, screamed, and ran out. olive was probably like wtf? hahaha! we then joined olive in her room to hang out. she was so intrigued with brady but slightly scared. it was oh so funny and cute. of course, miss brooklyn was as chill as can be. she’s such a great baby and so quiet and calm.

after we hung out in her room, we transferred out into the kitchen and living room. i started to set the table while the clan hung out in the living room. we sat down to eat, we chit chatted, and brady and olive were still trying to adjust to one another. they did finally start to get along and ran around, screaming, together. olive was just a bit overwhelmed with brady’s boisterous personality that she kept screaming at him to ‘stop right now!’. hahaha! they were seriously too cute together.

after a few hours of hanging out upstairs, downstairs, and everywhere, it was time for kim and the kids to head out. we were sad to see them go but had such a great time together! we looooove seeing this group of fab people. we love them so much! we will definitely squeeze in a few dates before the second babe arrives!

[you can’t go wrong with macarons]

[she was so intrigued and a bit scared by brady]

[how adorable is she??]

[opening up her gift from kim, brady, and brooklyn]

[how adorable is this gift for the new babes??]

[we need a little spring in our lives]

[table spread: pretzel buns, deli options, veggies & dip, fruit, and pasta salad]

[the beautiful girls]

[sweetest hugs goodbye]

xoxo

yay! mutts is engaged!

Posted on February 22, 2016 by tandem in love

the girl who was itching to get engaged finally did!

i am so excited for mutts! i have known this pretty lady for four years now and i am so happy for her! i get giddy when anyone gets engaged because it’s such an awesome period in your life. i loved, loved being engaged and i remember the euphoria, excitement, and pure joy you felt when it happened. so, when others get engaged, i get just as delighted!

i totally knew it was going to happen on the cruise they were taking together! i totally called it! on christmas day, anthony gave mutts a gift with a message that she needed to pick a date for them to go out on a really nice date. he purchased gift cards for her to get her nails done, for her to buy a nice dress, etc. everyone was speculating that this was when he was going to propose.

i was like no way. i knew they had this cruise planned for awhile and it was at the end of january, before their big ‘date night’. i felt that it was too obvious. anthony planning a date night as a big to do was just screaming to me as a distraction to him proposing on the cruise.

before mutts left on her vacation, i kept saying that anthony was going to propose and mutts kept denying it. she said he would lose his head if it wasn’t attached and there was no way she could see anthony bringing an engagement ring on vacation because he would lose it. i said, all the more for you to think he won’t propose but he will!

so i waited. she promised me if anything was to happen, she would definitely let me know! well, well, well. a few days after they came home from vacation, she text me a pic of her engagement ring! ha!

so, naturally, i had to take this girl out to celebrate! i was so excited to see her! her ring, of course, is gorgeous and she was absolutely glowing from happiness! we had such a great time catching up, talking about the ‘moment’, and all the fun planning that was happening!

congrats miss mutts! i am so excited and happy for you! you are now on a happy, thrilling journey! enjoy every moment, every second of being engaged. it’s one of the best periods in your life! mazel tov!

xoxo

happy super-valentine’s-lunar new year celebrations

Posted on February 16, 2016 by tandem in love

the day of the super bowl, we {last minute} had some peeps over.

we had been invited to a party but we weren’t really sure what we were going to do. then, we thought, why not just spend it together as a family, cook food, and relax? sounded like a grand idea, non? well that was definitely our plan! then a day before sunday, everything spurred together last minute. well, my family is always welcomed and they know that but everyone’s plans were in limbo as well. so, a small group of friends and family came on over and we had our super lunar valentine’s day party! woo hoo!

we weren’t going to see some of these people again before valentine’s day, monday was lunar new year, and obvs, sunday was super bowl. so, yes, we literally celebrated all three in one evening! haha! it was super fun!

hc cooked the most amazing items…savory, delicious meatballs, pulled pork sandwiches with a horseradish compote, and a corn salsa for dip. i made an onion dip with chips, guacamole, and everyone else brought over a dish! it was perfect for the small group we had.

we intermittently watched the game but us gals spent most of our time in the kitchen talking, while the kids ran around and played, and the boys were glued to the t.v. ya know, it all doesn’t really matter until half time comes on and then we really pay attention to the telly! ha!

[yes, we had a lunar new year, super bowl, valentine’s day party]

[please be mine]

[don’t mind the diapy sticking out. she had to be a part of the group so she insisted on standing on the chair to be with everyone]

[my lunar new year part of the decor and yes, we are still remodeling the kitchen but we are allllllmost done! yahoo!]

[the new year goody boxes for the kids]

[watching the game and eating and eating and eating]

[olive was having so much with the balloon with avery]

[yummy]

[opening their goodies]

[she would draw on the mask and then proceed to put the drawn, not dried marker part on her face. she pretty much stamped her face with marker each time she did that. haha!]

[such a modge podge kind of party! whoop whoop!]

the kids had such a great time, they loved their goody boxes, the food, and especially the desserts auntie kim brought! i must say, it was the best tri-celebration i have ever experienced, if i do say so myself. baahaha! anyhoozle, it was a fab evening. hc and i high five’d each other after everyone left. we truly love hosting and having people over and we truly had a great, great evening with everyone.

xoxo

michelle’s baby shower

Posted on January 30, 2016 by tandem in love

i was so delighted to have received the invite in the mail for michelle’s baby shower!

a little background on our relationship, i met michelle through hc years ago. they had once worked together and when hc and i started dating, i met michelle right away. they were close friends and michelle and i hit it off right away. so over the past seven years, i have gotten to know her and her then boyfriend, now husband matt.

they lived here in chicago up until this past thanksgiving, where they moved to san diego. i knew she was going to have a baby shower here in chicago {and san diego} and i was super touched i received an invite!

it was a beautiful sunny day and it was perfect day to park the car a couple blocks away and walk. i arrived inside and the hostess directed me towards the private room. i walked inside to a bustling crowd. i immediately walked up to the welcome table and observed all the cuteness. i spent a little time doing some of the fun activities they had when michelle’s mom walked up to me and greeted me and asked to take my coat. i conversed with her for a bit and slowly mingled through the crowd. michelle did come by {in-between her mom and me mingling} to say hello. she looked fabulous!

after socializing for a bit we were asked to sit down for brunch. i sat by michelle’s sister karen and a few friends. we had great conversations and delicious food. we played games, drank, ate, and laughed. after everyone finished noshing, it was time for michelle to open up all her gifts. of course, everyone ohhh’s and ahhh’s over cute baby things. how can you not? babies are the best…pure innocence, sweet, fresh, new, tiny, and beautiful.

after gifts, i continued to say meet with people i didn’t get a chance to say hello to. plus, matt and michelle’s dad had dropped by as well. michelle’s dad came up to me to say hello! it was so good to see him! michelle’s parents are just the sweetest and i am touched they remembered me from when i first met them, at matt and michelle’s triathlon hc and i attended years ago.

[my gift above with the pink paper garland bow! i gifted her with a baby book by jimmy fallon…such a cute, little book and i thought her husband matt would get a kick out of it!]

[welcome table]

[the beautiful michelle and our baby bumps!]

[dessert table]

[beautiful, delicious cake]

[cute little favors]

[michelle’s niece, anabelle]

[pumpkin spice pancakes]

[measuring her belly…]

[opening up her gifts…that’s our book!]

[the beautiful mama to be]

[with the daddy to be, matt]

i honestly had the best time at the shower! it was so fabulous to see some familiar faces, and it had been awhile since i last saw them {most at matt and michelle’s wedding, where i was seven months pregnant and now again, almost 4 months pregnant!} so it was great to catch up. the shower was oh so much fun. it was awesome to see matt and michelle. they are such a fun, great couple. so energetic, fun, funny, sweet, and we just love them!

we are so happy and excited for them. we can’t wait to meet their sweet baby girl! congrats on this new, wonderful chapter in your lives. the best is yet to come!

xoxo

tandem in love

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

Tag Archives: friends

dana’s bridal shower

the power of love

dinner with friends

a night out

brunch with my girls

finally!

brady and olive date

yay! mutts is engaged!

happy super-valentine’s-lunar new year celebrations

michelle’s baby shower