it’s been awhile since i have been able to meet up with kt and kar. leading into the holidays, we get so wrapped up [no pun intended] in so many things that it’s hard for us to get together! we were able to finally catch up and have plenty of girl time today, although it’s never enough talkee time, ever.
so away we went with our late lunch date, so typical of me and kt…we are such sleepers! the later, the better {ya know, we gots to get in our beauty sleep!} for us.
i should know better, that if i leave a decision up to kt, she can’t make one! i offered a plethora of choices for lunch establishments but should have realized she would choose the one i have taken her to already! well, who can say no to the ever fabulous bongo room? as usual, we all had an amazing meal.
:p
kar + kt
the girls
my cute little gift from kt
banana hazelnut + bacon
fabulous
beanie top
vintage chapeaux
afterwards, we did a little shopping [woot!]. milwaukee is a gold mine of vintage shops. we had a blast perusing all the racks and finding such unique items! after that, we parted ways and i sashayed my way back to our place. i can never not stop by my favorite little paper store, paper doll! i had to visit rhoda, the cutest little pug in wicker park! after playing, petting, prancing, and carrying the sweet little dog around the store, i headed back home {for reals this time!}
temperamental weather. chicago – one day it’s 60 degrees, the next day it’s 19 degrees. when it’s warm, i’ll take advantage of it!
my accessory of choice: starbucks americano
jeans: seven for all mankind
purse: vintage louis vuitton – richard prince watercolor speedy 35 – ebay it
gold dotted shirt: target
necklaces: vintage jcrew – something similar here
vest: vintage urban outfitters – something similar here
turquoise earrings: vintage anthropologie – something similar here
boy, i was wiped out. i’m a night owl. i am just programmed that way. i have tried, in the past, to go to bed before midnight [ha!] – nope, never, ever happens. so, regardless of what time i have to wake up in the morning; i will, guaranteed, go to bed between midnight and two o’clock in the morning. over the week’s time frame, i will aggregate in the regulated amount of sleep that is recommended but on an everyday basis, it might be 3 hours to 12 {for reals…i really can sleep 12 hours straight! // no kiddies to wake me up!}.
anyhoo, i woke up with an agenda on the brain. but as my day started out really, really late, i didn’t hop to it right away. hubby charming called and said he was on his way home from work {yeah, you can only guess what time that might have been, although his schedule is erratic} and i was excited because that meant we could do errands together!
that’s not my name, that’s not my name…
in the above photo, that’s my starbuck’s name. yes, with a unique name like mine, i must have an alias! peeps around me find it comical, i find it pragmatic.
after our escapades around the city, we settled back into our abode to start a cookin’ {well, hubby charming did the cooking + i did a lot cleaning}. on the menu – meatloaf!
the delish meal
setting the table
yum
some of his favorite sauces
meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 dash ground black pepper
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup steak sauce, (e.g. Heinz 57)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
Directions
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
*In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, egg, black pepper and bread crumbs. Pour in the milk, 3 tablespoons of the steak sauce, onion and green bell pepper.
*Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Brush the top with the remaining steak sauce.
*Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until done. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.
[via allrecipes.com]
brown sugar glazed carrots
16 ounces baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
dash salt
pepper, to taste
directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the baby carrots with remaining ingredients. Stir to blend ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling (uncovered) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
[southernfood.about.com]
rice pilaf
1 1/2 cups white rice ( I use jasmine, but any white rice will work)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 small onions, diced
2 teaspoons margarine or 2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic cloves
DIRECTIONS
*In a small frying pan over medium heat, sautee the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. The garlic will cause the onion to scorch a bit, don’t worry, it gives it flavor.
*Add the rice, sauted onion and garlic, almonds, mushrooms, and chicken broth to a 4 cup capacity or larger rice cooker.
*Stir briefly to distribute ingredients.
*Set to cook. When done, let sit for 10 minutes.
[food.com]
there you go. it was so good!
all in all, it was a very productive day. one thing i pride myself on is getting things done {and a lot was done today! sleep included. yay!}. errands complete, delicious food consumed, and relaxation ensued.
our wedding day was so amazing {no seriously, i know everyone says that but this is a very, very true statement!!!!}. it was the best day. ever. we worked so hard on all the details; we put all our love into every nuance of that day for all our guests. when i say fairytale, it truly was a magical day.
it turned out exactly how i imagined and could not have asked for a better day/weekend! from our beautiful rehearsal dinner hosted by hubby charming’s parents [at the grill on the alley on michigan avenue], to our beautiful, 70+ degree sun, shiny wedding day at our gorgeous church [st. clement], to our wonderful reception venue [a new leaf…so amaze] to our delicious brunch hosted at our favorite restaurant [roy’s], such jovial moments! it was the most wonderful, perfect time with our friends + family.
the feelings and elated emotions that you experience on that day are indescribable, intangible; if you could bottle that euphoria and share it, the world would be a better place.
i love this video of us on our wedding day. kate headley {our fabulous photographer} did such a magnificent job capturing the magic of our day.
ahhhh, the day of celebrating love. i spent a wonderful day with the hubby doing much of nothing. we relaxed and said a lot of i love you’s. well, we really say that phrase a lot in general but it’s cupid’s day…it’s extra special!
we got all jazzed up {time to dress festive!} and skedaddled to one of our favorite restaurants, roy’s. it’s always consistent in service, food, and flavor. it’s also an extra perk to know the managers, sommelier, servers, and bartenders {loves them}. we started with the confit pork belly & rock shrimp ceviche appetizer [whoa]. onto our delicious wild mushroom bisque soup. my entree was the hawaiian sea salt crusted scallops, braised korobuta pork cheeks {amaze}, + okinawan potato puree. hubby charming had the smoked pepper crusted bone in rib eye {medium rare} fromage blanc, braised escarole, + truffle mac + cheese. redic. seriously. and finally…sensational sweet endings: pineapple upside-down cake + red velvet cake + cream cheese ice cream. sounds freakin’ over the moon divine, right?!
my roses from cattails
hee
i really had to dress the part…c’mon, it’s v-day! cupid shot me with his arrow!
well, after imbibing + gorging like we haven’t eaten in days, we were ready to go home and put on our drawstring sweatpants! it was a beautiful day. happy love day! xoxo
i love lunches, brunches, eating, meeting, greeting with friends. sometimes the world gets so crazy busy but you have to slow down to take some time to connect [that’s what makes life great, friends + family]. on my list, it’s paramount.
people tend to make up excuses on why they don’t have time to connect {too busy with work or blame others for lack of effort}, or just don’t make enough effort themselves. some people just have different priorities than others.
life can get quite convoluted but i believe in finding the time if an opportunity arises.
ande <3
i just love ande + matt. they are such a fun bunch. get us together and there is never a dull moment! we are such a ‘type a’ group {our common thread of controlling, clean, organized antics}. probably the most gregarious combo of peeps anyone would ever witness. we tend to talk over one another a bit too much but find it so normal to do so. between the three of us [never one to be succinct], there is never a moment of silence!
pumpkin pancakes + bacon
matt <3
every so often, we are able to squeeze in a lunch or a dinner. the latter is better for us [due to our long winded nature] but lunches will do. although they are just too short! so, knowing we don’t have a lot of time, we race through our conversations! we always say we should have the husbands join us [naturally all three of them are the more quiet, reserved types] but only say it because we feel like it’s nice to ‘try’ to include them.
well, there you go…two hours later {and that was our version of a ‘power lunch’}, many topics later, many tasty bites later, we wrapped up our delicious date at the fabulous bongo room {one of my two favorite brunch spots!!!!!!}. until next time my lovelies! xoxo
we were visiting my parent’s house the other day and, as usual, my mom is cookaholic. she is the most amazing cook ever {seriously the best ever}! she loves, loves, loves it when hubby charming comes over because he is like a human disposal. she gets so giddy feeding him…i think my parents are in awe of how much he can actually consume in one sitting.
so, my mom insists we take food home every time i/we are over. she kept offering her home cooked meals to go. of course we can’t say no, it’s too good to refuse! well, it didn’t stop there…she started to offer random things like the bunch of bananas no one else at home would eat! i said no; so she ran up to hubby charming to see if he wanted to take the bananas…lol. he can’t say no to my mom, so we accepted the very, very ripe bananas my mom offered. and voila, some very, very yummy bread came into fruition the next day!
banana bread
Directions
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
*In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
*Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
you are dust, and to dust you shall return genesis 3:19
happy lent! today marks our lenten journey and i am super excited for this {woo!}. a time to be more reflective on our relationship with God, repentance, and penitence. choosing what to fast from is an intimate decision. it is what is most important to you and what sacrifice(s) you are willing to bestow.
this time allows me to think about how i can be better. how i can change myself to have a more fulfilling life in terms of giving back, forgiving myself, others, and living my life as an extension of His teachings. definitely easier said than done. i try to do my best but i have my everyday mishaps.
st. clement church and it’s community is a place where i call home. father ken, who married us, is an amazing man. i adore him. he has inspired me to grow my faith, self reflect, and give back in so many ways. the sense of belonging is immense and there are so many outlets there to do something better for the surrounding communities.
i am thankful to have found this church, this parish, and the ignited self discovery path i have been on.
my wonderful friend, jodi, is having her first baby!!! baby boy s. will be here in mid-march. oh boy oh boy…a baby! so life changing! i am very excited for her & she is definitely meant to be a mommy. i was so excited to shop for her gifts, well, shopping in general is my favorite pastime no matter what the occasion is! baby stuff is just so stinkin’ cute! her shower theme was so adorbs! an animal theme through and through, from the animal cookie favors to the cute little elephant sign holder. so many thoughtful touches executed by her step mom, kelly! we can’t wait to meet the cute little bugger {yay!}; see you soon!!
mommy to be, jodi, me, + kt
write a wish for baby boy s.
kt + moi
cute little details
purty wrapped gift
the goods!
another mommy to be, kim!
what a sweet time it was! so excited for the baby boom going on around me! we are all so very blessed.
children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3
