this summer

[via maryruffle.tumblr.com]

I have emailed google calendar alerts to all of my friends who live in Chicago, those who are visiting Chicago and those who may have expressed an inkling of interest in visiting. Obnoxious? Absolutely. Here's my list of to dos for this summer (in no particular order).

1. Aug 5 Lollapalooza with my closet girlfriends from home and Chicago. We bought tickets for the Saturday lineup to listen to a little love from Lykke Li, Atmosphere, My Morning Jacket and Ellie Goulding. Outfit planning has commenced on high priority
2. Rooftop pool lounging at my girlfriends' high rise apartment
3. "Beach" time (As a CA girl I'm still weary of using this term as it relates to the lakes)
4. June 23-26 Luxury Garage Sale's Pop-Up sale @ Sofia
5. June 26 Chicago's Annual Pride Parade
6. July 1-6 take a road trip up the CA coast. On the list is LA, Santa Barbara, Cambria, Carmel, Big Sur and SF
7. July 7-10 go to NYC for a weekend (needs no further explanation :) )
8. Workouts on Saturday Mornings in Millineum Park. Brilliant idea city planners
9. July 15-17 Pitchfork Music Festival
10. Make home made popsicles and perhaps even ice cream (I fantasize about using every kind of cake batter and cookie dough as chunks)
11. Visit Denver to oogle over the cutest nugget alive
12. Go to the Randolph Street Market to scout vintage treasures with the mama when she visits
13. Farmer's Markets galore
14. A Lake Geneva Getaway. Relaxing on the lake and shopping in the town.
15. July 23-24 Wicker Park Festival for hipster people watching
16. August 12-14 Ginza Holiday Japanese festival to celebrate my heritage and eat some yummy food
17. August 27-28 Bucktown Art Fest
18. Camp in northern Wisconsin. I use the word "camp" loosely, meaning I will be sleeping on an air mattress if this trip happens to pull through!
19. Call friends, who don't live here, to catch up while taking strolls through the city
20. Go on an architectural boat tour and various other tourist activities when the mama visits
21. Attend a cubs game, on a promotional day, of course

I think I've been successful maximizing the awesome summer thus far. Here's the "done" list:

1. Taste of Randolph

2. Music Monday's in Millenium Park

[PB&J sack dinner picnic]

3. Division Street Festival

4. Old Town Art Festival

blue

A few new blue home accents that I picked up over the weekend....

Spoon holder from World Market for $3.95. Was pretty excited when I flipped this baby over and saw the price

Hand-me-down dining chairs. [Armani Casa]

Roundabout Rug from CB2I know these aren't "home accents", but couldn't turn down a good deal WHILE shopping for home goods
Happy Monday!

portland

Work has been providing me a great work-life balance these days by sending me to some awesome cities. I was in Portland a few weeks back and have nothing bad to say about the little crunchy hippie city. The Chicago concrete jungle has deprived me a bit from nature and I was absolutely taking in every breath of fresh lush air that I could. My first night I enjoyed some deliciousness at the Organic Beer and Sustainable food establishment Hopworks Urban Brewery and for fear of embarrassing myself in front of the bosses, decided to lay off of pulling the camera out and asking everybody to stay still while I took photos of their food. In due time. We also paid a visit to almost-James-Beard-winner Andy Ricker's restaurant, Pok Pok. Ricker refines his Thai cooking skills (no Pad Thai here, sorry) by visiting friends who actually live in Thailand and has grown from essentially selling eight menu items on a food truck to well, almost winning a James Beard award. We asked the waitress to choose a few things off the menu so we could share them all and the spices were overwhelming and the ingredients as fresh as can be.

Now, for the scenery.

On the drive up to Hood River

Windsurfing on the river

A little break

A pint glass for the new apartment

Look familiar Twilight fans? Right off the Columbia Gorge nests the View Point Inn, the scene of the Prom in Twilight. Geeking out and proud of it.

Long flight home

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celebrate!

Happy Birthday to one of my besties, who inspires me in so many ways!

My favorite things to-do list, these days, is completed by purchasing gifts for friends and mailing thinking-of-you cards. They say that sending thank-you cards to people for whom you are thankful for can enhance your mood significantly. Forget emails and text messages, I am all about snail mail! You can only imagine how my mood was elevated by sending this gift.....especially when the gift recipient is so much like you, it's just like shopping for yourself (with the added fun of picking out the perfect card and wrapping paper). Feliz Cumpleanos!

new music mondays

My first experience of Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays at Millenium Park. A free viewing of Iron and Wine while enjoying good company, bagged sandwiches and adult beverages? Yes please. I have officially logged every event that I want to attend this summer in my iCalendar and my schedule could not be more full :D

sneak peek

We finally moved into the new West Town digs this weekend. More photos to come! View from our living room. [Photo courtesy of the BF and his Lightroom skills]

Love the french doors that lead to our bedroom

Character

A little NYC love

My fridge doesn't have a lick of food in it yet, but better believe that I can't live without my pressed coffee in the morning!

on the road again

Button-up shirts, my kindle, Netflix, Frequent Flier Miles, and business reviews. Welcome to my life outside of Chicago :) Lookin' forward to a weekend of moving into the new place!

memorial

I kept the events of memorial day weekend super low-key, which I guess don't make them events at all, but nonetheless had a nice relaxing weekend of eating, furniture shopping and...more eating...per the usual time consuming suspects in my life.

A girlfriend and I had a delightful American tapas meal at Sable downtown. A charcuterie plate, bottle of Zin and cauliflower gratin later, the waitress informed us that if we chose to participate, 5% of our dinner total would go to a charity. She then presented us with a cook book, which we got to take home, that featured dishes from Chicago's most famed chefs. Furthermore, the chefs featured in the cookbook would donate 5% of all participants' checks when dining at their restaurant. What's the catch? All in the name of charity. All smiles here.

The BF and a few friends stopped into Owen and Engine and surprisingly got a seat at the bar with no resos. When in Rome, or I guess in a British-themed pub, it's only natural to order Fish and Chips. So to go with my Fish and Chips I enjoyed a yummy Pimm's cocktail with Strawberry liqour and for dessert, an oat streusel topped with rhubarb. I am so spoiled living in this city!


Room and Board is where I shall die and go to heaven some day. Or max out every credit card I have to own the stylish home pieces possible. Love the simplicity, not to mention, the amazing quality of the Scandinavian pieces in the showroom.


Revolution Brewery was a quick stop after an exhausting day of completing my honey-do list for the new apartment. Popcorn in bacon fat with cheese and a pork belly burger. Need I say more?


And how cute is this Italian Ice spot on Taylor Street? Amazing first WARM weekend in the city.