a so-chicago saturday

this past saturday was one of those perfect fall days -- sunny and cool but not too cool, great for walking around the city and/or loading up on mounds of bread and cheese.

i met up with some friends from work (i sort of hate that i clarified the friend part with "from work" because that makes it sound like they're different from other friends, and really they're not, so i'm just going to call them friends from now on -- cool?) for a little deep dish action at girodanos (even though my favorite is gino's east -- i'm such a good friend, right?)

after pizza we went shopping and i debated between a very ugly (but very practical) pair of Sorel winter boots and a very pretty (but not at all necessary) pair of Ferragamo pumps. i'll let you guess which ones i ended up getting.

it was a pretty fantastic fall saturday, which is great because i'm collecting all the chicago-goodness i can get these days before winter comes and i'm forced into hibernation by thundersnow and snowpocalypses. afterall, Ferragamo pumps are no match for a snowpocalypse.

home.

jim and i flew back to new england for a wedding this past weekend, and it felt oh-so-good to be back home. 

it feels good to be back home {in chicago} too. :)

happy memorial day!

it was hot, hot, hot in chicago today. so i put on a somewhat inappropriately short dress from forever 21 forever 35 and walked over to logan square to drink rum punch with the hubs.

{rum punch is a fun treat because it tastes like our 'moon in Belize.}

and because the heat always takes a lot out of us, we came home to nap in front of old episodes of Cougar Town.

so overall, it was a great weekend.

sprung.

i think it might {finally!} be spring in chicago.

the great banger fail.

jillian, caroline and i hit up wicker park's Bangers and Lace on saturday morning for some brunch action. 

the decor was deliciously cozy and cabin-like which was nice because there were some serious april showers outside. 

only prob is that i don't like sausage. and jillian doesn't eat meat. so there wasn't a whole lot we could eat on the menu. 

oh well! we stuck around for the coffee.

it's all good in the 'hood. as they say. 

sunday.

1. teeny tiny leaves!
2. had to document my first iced coffee of the season
3. side of gallery cabaret in bucktown
4. my bully buddy in holstein park

The Doughnut Vault

if you live in Chicago, i command you to line up for a donut from The Doughnut Vault. 

but get there early! the line wraps around corner and these bad boys sell out quickly. 

to monitor doughnut status, follow @doughnutvault on twitter. 

The Doughnut Vault

401 1/2 N. Franklin Street

Chicago, IL 60654

happy eating!

saturday night :: part two

because no saturday night is complete without insane amounts of frozen dessert, my girlfriends and i made a beeline to forever yogurt when we were done with dinner on saturday night.  

here is the concoction i came up with:

peanut butter yogurt

cake batter yogurt

red velvet yogurt

chocolate/vanilla twist yogurt

nilla wafers

coco pebbles

peanuts

hot fudge

somehow i forgot the mini m&ms! tragic!

if you haven't been to forever yogurt in bucktown yet...

RUN, DON'T WALK!

pictures:

1. my yogurt next to caroline's. i wouldn't let her eat until i snapped a pic...i'm a terrible person to go out with. 

2. jillian put a chocolate covered strawberry on her yogurt. i guess i didn't make it that far down the toppings bar b/c i didn't even know they had those. 

saturday night

i met up with a couple girlfriends for dinner and drinks at blue line on saturday night. 

{i had four bellini martinis which means it was a GOOD night.} 

Question: is it embarrassing that whenever i'm asked what my "hobbies" are, the only thing i can think to say is, I REALLY LIKE TO EAT FOOD?

pictures:

1. the lovely jillian. 

2. blurry martinis. 

the five star cherry fail

i am very practiced in the art of harpooning fruit at the bottom of a cocktail glass with a stirring straw.

but as you can see from the picture above, i am out of practice. 

i guess i'll just have to go back to Five Star for a few more effen black cherry vodkas with soda water. 

in other news, it's thanksgiving eve! 

i don't know about you, but i really just want to get all this turkey biznas behind me so i can pull out the christmas decorations.

beer. bikes. bucktown.

bears. beets. battlestar galactica.

{name that show!}

friends

1. jillian with her little cotton ball of a dog, lucy

2. jillian and rosie

these pics were taken on a random wednesday afternoon when the three of us decided that BYOB thai was in most definitely in order.

cozy corner

silly me! who goes to cozy corner and orders an omelet? during an egg recall?

it was ok...but i need to remember that when you're debating between omelets and pancakes, the answer is always PANCAKES.

as i wait for brunch...

i contemplate the big things in life.

like...should i get an omelet or pancakes for breakfast?

come!

the vintage bazaar is popping up tomorrow (sunday) at the congress theater from 12pm - 7pm!

i will be there. i will buy lots of stuff.

the end.

fuego

the hubs and i hit up logan square's Fuego for a little mexican last week.

we sat by the front windows and watched all the hipsters on their way to the congress theater while we munched on tamales and chips and salsa and drank frozen his and hers margaritas.

i just love that his was pink.

have a wonderful weekend!

Forever Yogurt

one of my besties (hi, Jillian!) has been raving about Forever Yogurt, a new self-serve, soft-serve frozen yogurt place in Wicker Park/Bucktown. she twisted my arm and pulled my hair until my scalp was bloody and i had to go and check it out for myself.

i kid.

i need no convincing when it comes to eating frozen treats.

but jillian's rave reviews were spot on! basically heaven in a cup!

i got myself a nice little helping of the non-fat cookies and cream yogurt and then topped it with iced animal crackers, mini m&ms and peanut butter cups

yes, i know that getting non-fat yogurt and then topping it with lard is pointless. and yes, i am that person who orders the supersized mcnugget meal and then orders a diet coke. let's move on!

jim got the low-fat peanut butter cup yogurt and topped it with chocolate chips and peanuts. (i tried it. it's a bitchin' combo.)

since it's all self-serve, you pay by weight. (weight of your dessert that is -- not by your weight. i wouldn't be down with that. i am still traumatized by the time my family went to the KIDS PAY WHAT YOU WEIGH DAY! at the Ground Round. i was 7. someone should have seen an eating disorder on the horizon.)

so go! go get yogurt! top it with something delicious! you'll love it!

Holstein Park

you're sick of my mini's aren't you?

 but i can't help it! they're teeny and adorable and i like the way the pictures are a little washed out and dreamy.

the pics above were taken in Bucktown's Holstein Park on a sunny sunday afternoon.

here's my park packing list:

• beach towel
• bulldog
• iPad
• Tell All by Chuck Palahniuk (autographed copy!)
• husband
• box of Flipsides Pretzel Crackers (have you tried them? ah-mazing.)

lucky for us, the park is our front yard.

i wish we went to the park more often, but uh...there's no TV out there. so you understand.

bucktown graffiti

i passed by this beautiful piece of graffiti in bucktown on my way to meet friends for coffee.

perhaps proof that bucktown is for luvas?

sweet home chicago

1. the bean

2. a boat on the river

3. trump tower

4. wrigley building

these pics were all taken on a lovely summer saturday in june.

the hubs and i went on an architecture boat cruise up and down the river and then wandered around the city until our feet got tired and we i needed a bellini martini from wicker park's blue line lounge and grill.

i love being back in this city.