cozy night

Posted on March 14, 2013 by tandem in love

it was a busy day full of errands. lots o’ projects, lots o’ crafting, lots o’ planning. my day just flew by! i was rushing to finish my latest craft affair, when i realized i needed to get ready to head out to andrea’s. i wrapped up what i was doing {i promised myself i would finish when i got home…all good intentions} and was on my merry way to her house.

i traipsed across town to her place. i was happy it wasn’t raining or else i would have reconsidered walking that far. well, a good distance on foot {but super quick in car}. i thought, why not get in some exercise? a good, brisk walk does a body good! i love listening to my iphone’s music rotation as i skip along town to a sweet beat {i’m really digging home right now}!

i finally arrive at her doorstep and knocked. i heard oliver ask, “who is it?!”. i said, “ollie, it’s thu!”. yeahhhh, he didn’t open the door! lol. andrea came over and unlocked it to let me in.

she had made spaghetti and garlic bread {um, one too many rolls for me} for dinner! we enjoyed our time together and drank some [sweet] vino. ollie watched t.v. while andrea and i caught up on the latest insider news {wink, wink}. after she put him to bed, she helped me with some of the techie bloggie stuff {thanks girl!}.

[balsamic tomatoes // dinner // comfy kicks // andrea + moi]

after chit chatting some more, it was time to go. she was a bit worried that i was walking home late at night {so would be hubby charming…if he knew!}. i know, any part of the city can get sketchy but [unfortunately] our area is a bit more shady, shady than other parts of this wonderful city. therefore, i hid my messenger purse under my coat {baby got back!} and once again, traipsed as fast as i could all the way home. boy, it was cold and windy! i took only the main roads and voila, before anyone knew, i was home sweet home. i text andrea and hubby charming that i was home safe.

so, i then nestled all snug in my bed for an abrupt night’s sleep due to that damn car alarm that went off every half hour until late morning {damn you car owner!}. welcome to the lovely noise of the city life.

consistent

Posted on March 13, 2013 by tandem in love

i was soooo excited hubby charming was coming home for the evening! what a sweet surprise!

we talked, we hung out, and just enjoyed our time together {when i’m with him, the words i’ll use to describe my feelings are comfort and happiness!} before we headed out for our evening plans.

we went to mass and then headed on our way to dinner! we went to our favorite sushi place, coast. we love coast. i/we have been going there for years. what we love most about coast is the fact that it is consistent in quality and taste every single time. it’s delicious and fresh. the rolls are the perfect size {none of the fancy, large rolls most trendy restaurants try to do…yuck}. it’s byob, so we brought some tasty wine to imbibe. the appetizers, the soup {the fried tofu – i die}, and the rolls {hands down best? the white dragon, it’s so stinkin’ good} fulfilled our tantalizing tastebuds {my brain said ‘i’m full + satisfied’}.

[mood lighting // two of hearts // best sushi ever]

after spending a lovely evening together, we scooted our way home to get those loose, comfy pajamas on!

xoxo

southern prep

Posted on March 12, 2013 by tandem in love

after the volunteer work, o and i had planned to meet up for brunch. i drove my way towards wrigleyville and proceeded to shop my time away {if anyone knows olivia, she’s fashionable late!}, until olivia was ready to go.

perusing racks and jumping from shop to shop, she finally met me at paper source {who doesn’t love paper shops?!}. she helped me select some paper for my upcoming project and off we went to brunch!

we decided on wishbone. southern style cooking. an oldie but a goodie and it’s been awhile since we’ve eaten at this yummy, yummy place! we sat in a booth, by the window, and we were giddy to spend some quality time together.

knowing how we are, we jumped right away on deciding what to order {because, typically, we can’t shut up and pause to pick out what we want to eat!}. then we talked, and talked, and talked. we ate our food, we talked some more. it rained a lot and we talked some more. we gabbed so much we had nooooooo idea that the restaurant closed at 3 {oh my gosh}!!!!! they were so kind to let us sit there for an hour after {honestly, we didn’t have a clue}, and finally one of the bus boys said…”we closed at 3 but we open back up for dinner at 5.”! we jumped from our seats {and giggled on how silly we were}, put on our coats and ran out into the rain. i drove her home {which was literally 3 minutes away and yes, we drove, it was raining!}. i doubled parked in front of her apartment and yes, we talked for another 45 minutes!!!! silly!

we finally said our goodbyes and off i went, home to see my hubby charming!!! yay!

good news

Posted on March 11, 2013 by tandem in love

st. clement // lincoln park

it was a rainy day. lots o’ rain in the forecast {humph, there goes the curls + twirls i put in my hair!}. i had dedicated myself for some volunteer work in the morning. the original plan was to attend the 11:15 mass and participate in the volunteer work right after. weeeelllllll, that didn’t go accordingly! i was all gung ho about springing my multitude of clocks forward {which i did}; my alarm went off this morning and the next thing i knew…i overslept! yikes! i rushed to get ready, knowing i would make it in time for the volunteer work but disappointed that i would be missing mass!

here’s the good news {a delightful surprise!}, hubby charming told me last night that he was able to come home for the night {yay!}. so, on my way to st. clement, i called him and we agreed to go to 7pm mass together {soooo what i would prefer better!}.

I got to st. clement in time and helped maggie set up the sign up table {it stopped raining!} for our upcoming service day. i meeted and greeted with the parishioners after mass to encourage them to sign up for service day. after all that, i helped maggie break everything down and store it away for the 7pm mass. it was also great to spend the time together and get to know her better! also, knowing that i would be attending that mass instead, i told maggie i would participate in the service day sign up again!

it was so nice to be able to attend mass with my hubby charming. i just love st. clement. it was a very moving service tonight {very enjoyable and relaxing} and it’s been awhile since we’ve been to a mass where fr. ken was the presider! the volunteer time after mass was a lot of fun too! i passed out a good amount of flyers & got some peeps signed up, but i know quite a few folks in this mass because of the volunteer work we did for theology on tap {so fun!} last summer…it’s dominated by 7pm parishioners. it was a swell time then and tonight.

yup, it sure was a great day.

give, and it will be given to you. good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. luke 6:38

olive

Posted on March 9, 2013 by tandem in love

it was another fun night out with the wonderful olivia!

we met up at 50/50, in wicker park, for a charity trivia night benefiting saints mary and elizabeth hospital. i’m so not a game player, so i was reluctant to participate in trivia [is it weird i don’t find games very amusing?!] but was motivated to help out for the charity.

it was a lot of fun! the lower floor was rented out and everyone downstairs was there to help raise money for the hospitals. the raffle prize were two tickets to a hawks game! we ordered drinks + food and laughed our way through the trivia {well, we did our version of ‘playing trivia’}. one thing i do love is hearing facts {i’m also a nerd btw} and the mc was quite entertaining about it. we caught up, we gossiped, we whispered, we amused ourselves. it was great to meet some more peeps in liv’s life {crazy i haven’t met everyone?! that’s bananas! especially since we’ve been friends for years}. it’s always a great time with this lady.

she’s just the sweetest girl you will ever meet.

mon père

Posted on March 8, 2013 by tandem in love

where do i begin?

i love my dad. so, so, so very much. the greatest man alive.

growing up, as children, we never realize how much our parent’s do for us. we never realize the sacrifices they make for us. you never appreciate it until you get older and your ass gets kicked with reality.

growing up, having 4 other siblings, life was crazy. we ran amuck. we relied on each other. you always had a play partner. we always fought. we had fun stay up late nights. we watched fred astaire and ginger rogers movies. we played ghost in the graveyard. we always went to church and we always hung out with family.

my dad is a family man. he was meant to be a dad. as a little girl, i grew up obsessed with him. i still am. he means the world to me. he did and has done so much for us. he instilled in us the mentality, family first. everything he did was to ensure his family survived, that we were always taken care of.

when he tells me stories of vietnam, i listen in awe of the hardships of the war. what amazes me is how it just seemed so ‘normal’ to experience such immense, egregious situations. i look at my dad and cannot even fathom the things that he saw. when the war ended and the north invaded the south, removing his family from that environment was a duly choice. my parents fled by a small boat, then an american ship, the day after the fall of saigon.

the amazing stories continue on and on. their journey to america, country after country with very little personal belongings, no shoes, no food, not much of anything. my sister, thuy, was only a few months old and kim, just over a year and half old. crazy, right?!

my love for my dad is immeasurable. he means the world to me. he has taught me so much in life {although it took me forever to really listen to him}. the last couple years have been tough for us and i hope to never have such trying times like that again {everyday i pray for my family’s health}. there’s always a silver lining and the light at the end of the tunnel {sorry for the cliches but they are fitting!} in every situation. i cherish every moment we have together and love him more and more everyday {is that possible? i might burst with so much love!}. this story does no justice to sum up my emotions and no words can truly describe the love I have for him.

on my way to the p’s

knobby knees

eating this since i was a kid, heeeee

my dad loves talking about cars!

with that, he’s the best dad ever!

a few of my favorite things

Posted on March 7, 2013 by tandem in love

here are a few of my favorite things {for the moment}…

1. parker dress // shopbop

2. creme de corps // kiehl’s

3. name ring // etsy

4. milly dress // shopbop

5. love stamp // doodlebug

6. fogal

7. flower vases // anthropologie

8. geo cut // anthropologie

9. alexander mcqueen

10. minnie pant // j.crew

1. i just love sparkle dresses {eye-catching}! perfect for any occasion!
2. best, i mean best lotion ever.
3. say my name…let it be known to everyone!
4. snappy, classy dress {fab, right?!}
5. write a love note.
6. best hosiery ever. no, really. i mean it.
7. these vases just make me smile. pretty. pretty.
8. happy feet.
9. love this scarf. makes any outfit chic.
10. fantastic color. a must have for any closet.

until next time my lovies!!!! xoxo

snow day

Posted on March 6, 2013 by tandem in love

i was looking forward to my day off.

well, actually, i was not looking forward to waking up early {yuck! i just despise waking up early} but definitely looking forward to what was to come after my court appointment {don’t ask, so lame}.

then came news of the snow. everyone was abuzz {yesterday} about the snow that was coming. i was skeptical, as usual {i mean, c’mon…it’s chicago aaandddd it snows every year aaanddd the weatherman always claims “it’s going to be the worst snowfall of the year!” every time!}. so, as predicted, the snow was coming down early this morning. i geared up and went out to abolish this silly court thing. trudging through the snow towards the daley center…it was pretty heavy. i had my trusty sorels on, my earphones in {with some good walking jams on}, and my umbrella {i laugh at those peeps who walk by with the worst looking dandruff on their heads}. i got there early and was quickly called up in front of the judge. my ticket was dismissed {duh!} and i was on my merry way back home.

as i was walking, the snow wouldn’t stop. i was looking forward to having lunch with my dad and then, later, dinner with the sis + bro-in-law and the two cutest nephews alive. but i digressed with the idea of driving out to the ‘burbs. it made me sad. i love my days off and i love making the most of my time and i love seeing my family. damn you snow!

so, i went home. i was cooped up in my place {with no hubby charming // can you see my sad face?} and felt a little stir crazy. it’s so not me to sit around in my apartment, especially by myself! so i stared out the window, i did a little cleaning, i did a little web surfing, and i did a little crafting. time started to fly by {phew!}. finally, i did a little cooking. cooking for one seems more pragmatic and conventional than cooking for two or more, right? i’ll just cook whatever is available or i tend to eat breakfast for dinner! it’s not that important on what i cook, as long as i am fed.

[catching up on some reads // street watching // ombre // painting // ingredients // mushroom + green onion scrambled eggs with jarlsberg cheese]

anyhoo, that was pretty much my day in a nutshell. my snow day was uneventful and mundane.

and i absolutely do not look forward to shoveling my car out of the street!!!! ugh. that is no bueno. oooooohhhhh, spring time, hurry up!

op

Posted on March 5, 2013 by tandem in love

olivia palermo.

love.her.style.

i die over every look she puts together. so chic. so stylish. so unique. she wears it well.

her look is never conventional or vapid. always stunning and alluring.

don’t hate her because she’s skinny, has the shiniest hair, perfect porcelain skin, and the most delicate facial features. hate her because she effortlessly puts together a flawless outfit time and time again. uptown + downtown chic never looked so good. every outfit is decadent. divine. devastatingly detailed.

{photos popsugar.com}

style is very visceral. just go with it. create, combine, mix, and represent who you are {ask yourself: how do you want to shine today?} whether it’s rocker, preppy, sexy, or feminine. i believe everyone has a signature look that can be played up and altered to really embody your genre.

my staples? color. comfort. accessories. textures. patterns. feminine. polished make-up + hair [curly or straight].

fashion week in the city of lights. love.

best of both worlds

Posted on March 4, 2013 by tandem in love

as you probably have read in my previous post, about my mom + her cooking and her mom duties of making sure her children are fed, we had frozen some food she had us bring home the other week {a copious amount!}. we were waiting for our schedules to align [a time where we are both home + an open dinner slot] and of course, not having this land on a friday [no meat lent friday!].

so that time was now. i was very excited to break out the bánh bao {to die for!}. it’s a favorite of mine, amongst a huge variety of other things my mom makes {honestly, everything is my ‘favorite’}. hubby charming then created his own recipe for fried rice. adding his own pizazz as he stir fried the white rice to perfection! voila, a delicious meal created by my love, hubby charming, and my loving mother dearest! it can’t get any better than that {right?}!! it was the best of both worlds, combining their skills, and a damn good meal as a final result…yum, yum, yum.

here’s a recipe for some yummy fried rice. not exactly the one hc used {he improvised} but very close! enjoy!

2 cups enriched white rice
4 cups water
2/3 cup chopped baby carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
soy sauce to taste
sesame oil, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

*In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. {hc says to use old rice, or let the rice sit for a day for best results!}
*In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.
*Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.