Hello, Winter.

Winter break and skiing are synonymous in my book. This film had me drooling.

Legs Of Steel - Nothing Else Matters - OFFICIAL FREE FILM from Legs of Steel on Vimeo.

Nutcracker Ballet

Let me just start this out by saying Bobby is normally a steel lipped secret keeper. And I cracked him. In retrospect, I feel like 5% bad...but only because everyone keeps telling me how mean it was.

Pfff. I call it resourceful.

So. Bob was dropping me off the other night after running some errands when he noticed I was texting one of my friends to see if we could hang out sometime this week. To make mittens. Totally normal. I didn't think anything was up until out of nowhere he says "wait, don't make plans with her for Thursday." #EarsPerkUp.

So naturally, I decide right then and there that I am going to do everything in my power to make him spill the beans: "Why? What's going on? What's on Thursday? What's the surprise? Why won't you tell me? ...Are we going to the Nutcracker???"

And let's just say that Bob is a horrendous impromptu liar. Horrendous. Face gives it away within .2 seconds. But that's not the bad part. Here it comes. He immediately tries to deny the obvious--that he got tickets to the Joffrey Ballet--so I decide I'm going to just see if I can get him to crack. Because normally I can't. Normally he won't budge a centimeter on giving anything away.

So I say, "Ohhh. Should I not have bought tickets then?"

To which he says, "You bought tickets too? Crap!"

I know, I'm totally evil. And I ruined my own surprise (he had it all set up for me to get a snail mail invite. ahh cute.)

But like I said, 95% happy with myself for cracking the boy.

Heh. Heh.

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See? Still super happy even sans surprise.

The Auditorium Theatre is so beautiful. And Babe got awesome seats. We're thinking it'd be fun to a do a group date next year and get one of the boxes on the side.

So stoked for Babe to experience his first ever ballet. Excuse the iPhone pic. These ushers were flash nazi ninjas.

Lumberjack

We had a lumberjack party last night. It was awesome. Surprisingly everyone actually showed up in flannel and plaid! And not so surprisingly, I forgot to take pictures of ohhhhh the other 25 people there. My bad.

Meet Jack.

Our tree this year. Yes, it's real. Yes, it's beautiful. Yes, it's dropping pine needles like nobody's business all over our carpet. Fake tree next year? Yes.

Enjoying the balcony on a balmy December evening. Seriously, 50+ degrees, God must love us. (and for all of you non-Chicagoans, 50 degrees with no wind is a Christmas miracle. a big, warm Christmas miracle)

And strictly for laughs, I give you bobble bob:

All I Want for Christmas

I have Kaisha to thank for this gem. Watch twice daily for abdominal workout.

Mat Kearney

We went to the Mat Kearney concert at the House of Blues a couple weekends ago...it was seriously one of the best concerts and venues I've ever experienced. The food was great (we ate at Crossroads), the energy of the crowd was intoxicating, the opener was surprisingly good, and Mat Kearney was phenom.

Chicago just keeps growing on me...even with the fah-reezing cold!

Blackhawks Birthday

Took Babe to see his first NHL game for his birthday this year. We sat center ice in some pretty sweet seats. And we met some pretty awesome fans. And the Hawks won. It was a great night.

Theodor Seuss Geisel

Went to the museum of science and industry last weekend for PWC's corporate day with these three amigos.

Best part? The Dr. Seuss exhibit. Amazing. Learned so much about him. For example, Seuss' father was a zookeeper so Seuss had access to animal remains after they died. So, he would take the horns of some of the dead animals and create Seussical creatures with them. Sounds creepy, but they were so cool.

Oh hey, November.

Guys. It's November. What the? And I have seriously neglected this blog.

I have so many excuses, but I'll save you all from them. Most include some version of the phrase crazy work/travel/busy/life. So I'll just say it's been a little crazy town here in Chicago lately.

Anyways.

Before I go on a blog updating frenzy this weekend, here are a few of my favorite finds today. Seriously, I'm obsessed with some of these:

- This lady is insanely cute and I want to be her. Can I please just be a professional packaging person already? I could die happy doing that.

- This designer lives in Michigan (what the. so mad I didn't meet her during the long 12 months I lived there.) and it borderline ridiculous. Her stuff is just beautiful.

- This project sucked me in and is just so thought provoking since it's something I've dealt with my entire life. I can't wait to see more stories on their site.

- This poster is fantastic. I have a thing for buying at least one new good one each year. Hopefully one day I'll have a more permanent home to display them in!

- I LOVE these dolls and am dying to get some custom ones done.

Fall Trips

Normally my fall is low key until the holidays hit...kinda like a summer recovery when I can just kick back and relax after the go, go, go of summer. But not this fall. This fall/winter looks something like this:

CHI>>>SLC

CHI>>>SFO

CHI>>>SLC

CHI>>>LAS

CHI>>>NYC

CHI>>>SLC

Actually, now that it's all written out, it looks like I have an addiction to SLC. What can I say, I've missed those mountain too much...and lots of friends are getting married in the next couple of months! So exciting!!

Anyways.

Just got back from the first trip. I will never get tired of fall in the mountains!

Seattle or Bust

Every time I go to Seattle, I fall in love with the place. Seriously, I used to think I couldn't move to the Pacific Northwest because of all of the cloudy skies during the winter...and now I live in Chicago. Go figure. Anyways. The Bobs and I went to visit our favorite Ilene and Eric for the weekend, and man was it a blast! Went to the spin class that Ilene just started teaching, explored downtown, ate a lot of amazing food, played some intense rounds of bocce ball, hiked some falls on Mt. Rainier, and showed the boys the amazingness of Pike's Place flowers. Such a great weekend with two of the best hosts I know!

On another note, life here has been crazy. Cuh-razy. Stress level has been schizophrenic, but hey, at least my gym time has gone up astronomically? (proportionately with my consumption of my roommates homemade brownies unfortunately) I cannot wait for the holidays to start. Halloween>>Thanksgiving>>Christmas>>New Years!! I knew I loved fall for a reason!

Apple Picking

Went up to Wisconsin this weekend with some of my favorite Chicagoans.

Apple picking, apple cider, doughnuts, and Wisconsin cheese.

I think we would all agree it was a fat and happy kind of a weekend.

...and now we have tons of apples.

TONS.

No. 1 Thing I Learned Today

Dancing around to this song never fails to put me in a better mood. Especially if it's in my office at work. On a stressful Monday.

Labor Day

Labor Day looked a little something like this this year...

...and let me tell you, it was great!

Lots of down time to go to the beach one last time,

bike around the city, go shopping, hang out with friends, sleep in,

cook breakfast, and enjoy a few intense rounds of Blokus.

I think every weekend should be a three day weekend.

Social Currency

I saw this ad this morning and it made me think about how dance used to be our social currency--the skill you needed to have to be part of the social scene and meet others.




And then it made me think about what our social currency is now. Obviously, it'll vary for different groups of people, but here are some of the ones I've noticed in the past couple years of my life:

Wakeboarding.
Skiing.
Tennis.
Golf.
Climbing.
Surfing.

Trust me, I'm no expert in any of these categories, I've just noticed that these are some of the group activities I've often found myself invited to participate in...and either been seriously relieved that I'm half way decent at said activity, or absolutely mortified at the thought of hanging out with the group due to my utter lack of skill in the area.

I'm curious what other people/groups/geographical regions feel their social currency is.

Cubs Game in Milwaukee

Whirlwind trip up to Milwaukee and back this past Friday

for some good ol' baseball watching with Bob's work.

The Cubbies did not disappoint.

The Spreckers root beer did not disappoint.

The Kopps custard did not disappoint.

Win. Win. Win.

Brain Dump

Today at work I caught myself thinking, "I wonder if I could just go to the bathroom for like 10 minutes and take a nap..."

I'm in the middle of making cinnamon rolls right now for the first time in a few months. It makes me miss the days of late night college baking with my favorite girls.

I went sans cell phone today (by accident). Did it ruin my lunch plans? Yes. Did it feel good to be untethered for just one day? Definitely.

My parents just bought a new home and are in the process of moving this week. I don't know anyone else who enjoys moving as much as they do.

September is just around the corner and I can count on one hand how many times I've worn my swimsuit this summer. Thank you, Corporate America.

Did you know that living in Park City is substantially less expensive than living in Chicago? I'm tempted to relocate...if someone can find me a new job. Please and thank you.

ASOS has the best dresses right now.

I really miss my brothers a lot. Living on different continents just isn't cutting it anymore.

Tonight is the first night I've been on my own in a very long time. As much as I love company, I love the quiet calm of being alone.

Today, I applied for one of my dream jobs.

Two Dozen.

Got to spend my birthday weekend with this boy,

and couldn't have asked for a better time.

Breakfast dates

Architectural boat tour

Shopping

Lots of yummy food

Boating + BBQing with friends

Best weekend ever.

Trapeze Date Night

This weekend Bobby and I went on quite possibly the most unique date I've ever been on and took a trapeze lesson!

We found the deal through Living Social Adventures and it was a blast!

Bobby was much better at the trapeze part than I was,

but thankfully everyone there was super patient with me!

We're supposed to be getting photos back from the trapeze school sometime this week, so I'll have to post those as soon as we get them. Or at least Bob's if mine is horrendously embarrassing since I'm pretty sure the pictures will only further prove how non-acrobatically inclined I am!

I think my favorite part of the night was our caricature. Doesn't really look like me but totally looks like Bob!

After the class was over, such a fun workout!

Alaska!

Just got back from an amazingly fun trip with the fam around the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, and all I have to say is that I am definitely putting Alaska on the short list of places to revisit again and again in life! It's so gorgeous, and I only got to see a teeny tiny part of it!

Here are just a few of the highlights:

Just a word about halibut fishing: I now understand why it's so expensive. It is so hard. Like deathly sore arms and bruised hipbone from trying to balance the dang pole on my hip type of hard. I'm sure the turbulent seas didn't help either, but man I gained a whole new respect for fisherman after that day of fishing! Salmon fishing is fun, halibut fishing is not.

And last but not least, my cute mom. This woman is my favorite and makes every trip a million times more fun!

Bon Voyage

On my way to Alaska.

Wish this kid could come.

Diet Coke & Advertising

Some days I love my job. Some days I hate* my job. Some days I just feel 'meh' about my job. Today there is nothing but pure love. Want to know why? Because I realized that every agency I've worked at has...wait for it...an unlimited supply of free Diet Coke. Diet Coke makes the ad world go round**.

Hooray for round the clock creativity. Hooray for caffeine.

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*Hate in the general sense. I love my job 99% of the time. But let's be honest, everyone has an occasional hard day no matter what their chosen profession is.
**And this is coming from the girl who maybe drinks 1 diet coke a month. But lemme tell you, it's a lifesaver on those random days where you really think you might fall asleep at 3pm.

North Beach, Chicago

I miss the Rocky Mountains every single day, but sometimes Chicago does a darn good job of trying to win me over. Like last night. Beautiful bike ride to North Beach to play beach volleyball and watch the sunset. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful night, there's just something about the sun setting over the water that gets me every time.

CHI >> DEN >> SLC

Just got back from the longest road trip of my life with this guy,

and couldn't have asked for better company.

Now all I want in life is to move back to these mountains.

June's Been a Big Month

First, I moved! Just me + a very lovely Uhaul made the trek between Detroit and Chicago. It was a stressful whirlwind to say the least. And please, everyone who is planning on moving anytime soon, take my advice and hire movers. They are worth every penny and make a world of difference.

As soon as I got to Chicago, I hopped on a plane to NYC for a week's worth of work training + way too much fun catching up with some of my favorite people around.

Cara, the best weekend hostess in NY. I love this girl.

Summerstage with the CWs.

One of the many Brooke & Chad adventures that week. Meeting Monty.

High Line Park with Kaisha, Chad, & Molly.

Note to self: I need a new camera that's not my phone so I can actually get some 'real' pictures during my trips. And I've said it a million times...I love New York. LOVE. But this time I was excited to head home. Chicago, you're giving NY a run for the money.

Spin Pin Genius

I have never been happier with a $6 Target purchase. These things are miracle workers, and just in time for the hot summer months!

Amen.

I could not agree with this more right now, especially after the past few weeks of packing for the move. Slimming things down a lot this time around.

found via Heather LeFevre's Blog

TOMS Eyewear

Anyone else stoked about this launch? Checking these out tonight at Nordstrom...let you know how they measure up to Ray Bans. Loving the color detail.

Memorial Day Weekend Road Trip

Sometimes I get crazy ideas. These crazy ideas usually involve jumping in a car late at night and driving somewhere for a weekend adventure. Lucky for me, my college buds encouraged this craziness. Unlucky for me, I haven't had those buds around for the past year. Boo. But, this month, Bobby decided to humor my craziness. Enter Memorial Day weekend.

I think our initial conversation went something like this:

Me: I need to visit Niagara Falls before I move.

B: We could do Toronto during the same trip since it's so close.

Me: Yeah! Let's do Palmyra too.

B: Sounds good.

Me: Memorial day weekend?

B: Sure.

Me: So that's like...what...14 hours of driving?

And let me tell you, this road trip was awesome. Minus the car sickness.

We used Telus (bike share) to get around in Toronto, so we were able to see plenty of sites and eat some amazing food without feeling overly guilty: breakfast at Over Easy, Bubble Tea and Szechuan Chicken in Chinatown, Melona bars from the Korean market, and Jamaican beef and chicken patties in Jamaica Town.

Niagara was a quick stop for us, we pretty much just walked along the river front path, took some pictures, then hopped back in our car to get a move on to Palmyra. It was the perfect amount of time to spend in a super touristy area.

Palmyra. Ohhh Palmyra. Let's just say that it was definitely hot and humid there (unlike Toronto or Niagara which had both been freezing cold), and we were definitely walking around outside for the majority of the day. Needless to say I was a sweaty mess, but it was neat to see the sites. We visited the Temple, Sacred Grove, Printing shop, and Hill Cumorah. However, I think my favorite part about Palmyra was our fabulous Bed & Breakfast hostess Irene. She runs the Liberty House B&B and had the best stories to tell.

To sum it up, Memorial Day weekend was a success with plenty of good food, beautiful sites, and the best company!