On the Hunt - Retro Bar Glasses

(glitter guide)

I have always wanted a bar cart, but I don't think we have room for an entire cart.  I DO think we have room for a bar tray of some sort.

(Design Improvised)

While I'm primarily a beer drinker, I do enjoy making pitcher drinks and signature cocktails when we are planning on having people over. I love how classy and special drinks look in pretty glassware - so I'm on the hunt!  I'm going to start by finding a set of vintage glasses in a caddy. Here are some I'm currently eyeing on Etsy:

(retrotreasurehunters etsy shop)

(vintageluxe etsy shop)

(stuffinthetruck etsy shop)

And my favorite:

(CandeezApples etsy shop)

We're hoping to find some antique stores on the way to Vermont this weekend...I always enjoy antiquing more when I'm looking for something specific!

Simple Pasta

I've only cooked in our tiny kitchen a few times (okay, 2) since we moved. Our Chicago kitchen was wonderful and enormous and I already miss it.

With limited counter space, it seemed best to stick with a few ingredients. I sautéed some garlic and onions, added a carton of grape tomatoes, and topped it off with some lemon juice, fresh basil, and grated parmesan. I threw it over some fettuccine and served with fresh bread. Delicious! And our tiny kitchen is only a slight disaster!

A Little NYC

Food Truck Festival at South Street Seaport

We are in NY now and mostly unpacked. Finding places to store all of our things has been challenging, but we're getting there!

Since a lot of our summer has been spent packing and focusing on the move, we are trying to do as much as we can before I start working full-time and Erik starts school. It's been great to see New York friends and do the little touristy things we might not have time for later.

Our First Mets Game

Bits of NYC

Erik's family has a house in Vermont that we'll be escaping to this week. NYC can be a little overwhelming and it will definitely be nice to have some peace and quiet.

Our Chicago Bucket List

The past few months have been a little nutty.  Almost immediately after getting engaged, we found out that Erik got into grad school.  This means WE ARE MOVING TO NEW YORK.


I have never lived outside the Midwest, so I'm super excited about living in NYC - but I sure will miss Chicago! With one summer left (or half of a summer - we'll move sometime in July), we decided to make a "Chicago Bucket List" of all the things we want to make sure we do before we move.  We've already managed to tackle a few - suggestions are welcome!

OUR CHICAGO BUCKET LIST

1. Six Flags Great America
2. Attend as many Sox games as possible! (so far: 2 for me, 1 for Erik)
3. Sears Tower Skydeck
4. Half Acre Beer Tour
5. Chinatown
6. Arlington Racetrack
7. Brookfield Zoo
8. Green City Market
9. Go to the beach
10. Attend as many street festivals as possible
11. Watch a movie in a park.
12. Eat at Hot Doug’s
13. Architectural Boat Tour
14. Eat lots of deep-dish pizza (Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, etc.)

Allow me to brag for a moment...

I'm not usually one to post tons of pictures of myself (maybe I am?), but I just had to share some photos from our engagement shoot.  My extremely talented photographer also just happens to be my sister Rosie!  She is seriously amazing and I can't believe how many awesome shots she got of me and Erik - and I know that couldn't have been easy (we are both pretty awkward).

If you would like Rosie to photograph something, just let me know and I'll give you her contact info.

Engagement Party Inspiration

We are throwing together an engagement party for early summer (before things get super hectic) which means I have like NO time to do this thing.

I really just want it to be a casual, fun day where all of our family and friends can come together and meet each other.  We rented a picnic grove and plan on grilling out, playing yard games (maybe some croquet?), and enjoying a few adult beverages.  Here are some initial food and decoration ideas that I found, but you can check out the rest on Pinterest!

And everyone is invited!!!

If I got married today...

I would definitely want my wedding to look like Rin and Joe's wedding which is featured on the etsy blog.

Check it out when you have a chance. It looks so easy and relaxed and they have pizza...

I want pizza at my wedding!

Unfortunately, the kind of wedding I want to have changes very frequently. I don't know what I'm going to do when it comes time to actually start making decisions!

{all photos from The Etsy Blog}

New Kate Spade Watch Collection

This isn't technically wedding or event-related, but I am absolutely loving Kate Spade's new watch collection. Here are some of my favs:

Carousel Bangle in Turquoise

Gramercy Grand in Gold

Metro in Gold/Vachetta

Any of these would make a lovely wedding gift from a groom to his bride. I know I, personally, wouldn't mind (hint hint).

{images from katespade.com}

Wedding-Worthy Oscar Dresses

This year, the red carpet seemed to be full of dresses that could be wedding gowns. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Giuliana Rancic in Tony Ward

2. Amara Miller in Valentino Couture

3. Wendi McLendon-Covey in Elie Saab

4. Shailene Woodley in Valentino Couture

5. Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

6. Berenice Bejo in Elie Saab

7. Rooney Mara in Givenchy

And my 2 favorites...

8. Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

9. Kate Mara also in Elie Saab

Elie Saab was rockin' the Oscars.

And So It Begins

It's amazing how getting engaged automatically makes you feel like you have 10,000 things to do. Although we aren't planning on a wedding for quite some time (and haven't even begun talking dates), just the act of having a ring on my finger requires a few responsible, adult-like tasks.

On our 5-hour ride home from Traverse City, we began researching jewelry insurance and everything that comes with it. I can't IMAGINE how I would feel if something happened to my ring. My ring belonged to Erik's grandmother, so it has a lot of sentimental value that insurance cannot replace. Still, I feel a lot better knowing I'm covered.

Because I need my ring re-sized, we thought it would be a good idea to insure it first. When you start researching insurance, you read all of these warnings about how jewelers will switch out your diamond when they take it in the "back room". I'm not sure if this is actually common, but it doesn't hurt to take precautions.

In order to insure your ring, you first need to get it appraised (so you know how much to insure it for). After looking around on Yelp, we decided to go with Leslie Shwartz in downtown Chicago. He was really great and answered a lot of our questions. He tells you exactly what he is doing and even lets you look through the little microscope. His office is also pretty small, so there was no risk of him taking it in the "back room". He recommended that we insure the ring through Jeweler's Mutual. I had already done research on the same company, but it was great to hear that he also recommended them. It was super easy to sign up online, and now we are just waiting for our certificate in the mail! Next step: get this puppy re-sized. Then I think we'll be all set in the ring department.

Next up: Engagement Photos and Announcements

Do people actually do Engagement Announcements? Like in newspapers and alumni magazines? Am I living in 1954?

Someday I suppose I will actually start planning a wedding!

We're Engaged!!

On Friday, February 17th, we made our way up to Traverse City, Mi to escape from Chicago a bit and celebrate our 4 year anniversary.

After driving about 5 and a half hours, we checked into our hotel, unpacked, and headed to the lakefront. We planned on briefly checking out the Winter Wow Festival and then getting some dinner (since we were both starving).

I should have known something was up when Erik suggested we look at the ice sculptures down by the lake before eating (after being so starving? suspicious...), but I had no idea he was nervously trying to make sure I didn't see the ring box bulge in his pocket.

We looked at the sculptures and then spent some time staring out at Lake Michigan. It was perfect - the sun was setting, there were ducks, little boys were wrestling on the grass about 50 feet away. We were about to head to dinner when Erik said he had to ask me something (this part is all sort of a blur). He got down on one knee (he says...I don't remember) and asked me to marry him. I said "duh" and then started crying. We immediately went and got Mexican food. Not telling anyone for the first few hours felt really special and I'm so happy that we didn't immediately call everyone we know.

The rest of the weekend was full of brunching, antiquing, shopping, beer-tasting, and constantly saying, "OH MY GOD WE'RE ENGAGED". It was a great trip and a wonderful way to start the next chapter in our lives together.

New Website - New Blog!

Stay tuned for new posts about wedding, party planning, and all the little details that make events extra special!

It's gonna be a cozy holiday!

We went with the "Cozy Holiday"cards from Paper-Source....can't wait until they come!!

'Tis the Season...well, almost!

I can not, for the life of me, decide what Christmas Card to send out this year. This is the first year that a majority of my friends are living out of Oak Lawn, so I thought it would be a great year to grow up, be an adult and start sending Christmas (or "Holiday") Cards. I found some pretty great options from Paper-Source and Papyrus, but I can't really decide. I gave these options to Erik so he can weigh in on the decision...

Chubby Bird on Branch

by Papyrus

Cozy Holiday
by Paper-Source

Merry Christmas Tree
by Paper-Source

Holiday Village
by Paper-Source

Starry Starry Night
by Paper-Source

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a little bit, but I can't wait to start decorating and baking and bundling up and getting cozy. I love the holidays and I want them to start now!!!! Besides, it takes a long time to write all of those cards...I just want to get a head start.

Special K Update

Well...we did it. It didn't really do anything for me (except force me to eat more than I usually do). Erik says that he thinks he lost weight, but not a whole jeans size. Oh well!

On another food-related note, I'm going to try cooking more. Now that I don't have rehearsals every night (at least for a little while) I have more time and energy when I get home from work. I usually just guess how to make things, but I think I'm going to try actually looking at recipes and making things correctly. I also want to find something awesome that I can make and bring to my family's Thanksgiving. The women in my family are pretty much all super-cooks, so it will be pretty difficult to impress them.

I may, from time to time, post some recipes that I've tried or am thinking of trying. Maybe this will turn into a topic for my blog! Right now it's just kind of anything...

And my boyfriend is awesome.

Let's see how this goes...

So, Erik and I decided to try the Special K Challenge...basically you replace two of your meals each day with Special K products (cereal, waffles, protein bars/shakes). You then eat your third meal as normal. You are also allowed to eat fruit, veggies and drink beverages as normal.

Day 1: I'M STARVING!!

I think the problem is that I don't usually eat breakfast. I usually go to work, drink some coffee, have lunch and eat dinner later. Eating breakfast this morning really threw me off and now I want to eat everything in sight. Including the huge bowl of dum-dums sitting on my desk. The idea was to eat breakfast, have an early dinner with my boyfriend around 4 and then a snack later on. Yikes.

Four more hours until I can eat....

FALLLLLLLLL

I love it. I can't get enough of Fall weather. Mostly just because I love wearing scarves, boots, tights, etc. My only problem is that 1. I don't have tons of money to buy all of the stuff I want, and 2. a lot of my fall clothes are in storage in my parents' basement. My apartment has zero storage so I've been forced to keep my different "seasons" in different places. If the weather would make up it's mind and stop being high-70's, I could just get rid of all of my Summer stuff and move in the Fall stuff!

Maybe next weekend.

Oh! I ordered this super-cute jacket - $29.99!



It's plum! After I ordered it, I found out that there's another one exactly the same, but with a hood....Hmm...I may return it.

We are weird...

Lastnight, Erik and I spent about 5 minutes singing "Row, Row, Row your Boat" in a round. For no reason. When we stopped, I immediately said, "What the fu*k are we doing? I have to text Julie". Julie is my sister. He got mad and asked why I have to share every intimate moment we have with my sister. I don't! She just appreciates weird things! I thought she would find it funny!

Later, as we were falling asleep, I told him a lame "Knock Knock" joke. So lame I cannot even remember what it was. He replied with:

E: Knock Knock
M: Who's there?
E: Interrupting Fergie.
M: Interrupting Fer...
E: DRAAAANK!!
M: ...gie who?

Bahahaha! I laughed for like twenty minutes.

I really wanted to text my sister, but I resisted :).

In Loving Memory

Yesterday, a piece of me died.

Erik and I went to Target to buy Scrabble (we used to play it all the time - until we moved and realized it was actually our roommate's). We didn't find one, but as we were leaving we swung by the jewelry counter to check on my friend...the Lobster Necklace.

Erickson Beamon for Target - Lobster Pendant Necklace

Now, I think this thing is absolutely ridiculous, but in a fabulous way. If it weren't $39.99 for the entire year that I kept seeing it (the only one) at this same Target, I would have bought it in an instant. I was honestly waiting for them to realize no one was going to buy it and lower the price drastically in which case I would buy it, wear it, get complements, forget about it, wear it 3 months later, get more complements and then put it away forever.

SOMEONE MUST HAVE HAD THE SAME IDEA. IT WAS GONE.

The other equally strange pieces of jewelry in the line were there and reduced to $19.99. SOMEONE HAD BOUGHT THE LOBSTER NECKLACE.

What's worse is that I can't find it anywhere else...not online, not on ebay...nowhere.

I guess it was never meant to be.

RIP Lobster-y friend...you will be missed.

Road Trip!!!

In about a month, Erik and I are traveling up to Canada for a little end of summer vaca. He's been doing a show and I just started my job, so there wasn't really a convenient time to go earlier. We already have tickets for two shows at Stratford (we're nerds) and we're also planning on visiting Toronto, Niagra Falls and just spending some good ol' time together.

Since the drive is about 7-and-a-half-ish hours long (there and back), I've been trying to put together a really great road trip playlist to download legally since most of our music is showtunes, Alanis Morrisette and Dashboard Confessional (we all feel emo sometimes). Here's what I have so far:

Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Livin on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Our House - Madness
How Far We've Come - Matchbox 20
Who Knew - Pink
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Life is a Highway - Tom Cochrane
Bohemian Raphsody - Queen
Respect - Aretha Franklin
I Can't Get No - The Rolling Stones
Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects
It's the End of the World - REM
American Pie - Don McLean
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Closing Time - Semisonic
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
If I Had a Million Dollars - Barenaked Ladies
Run Around - Blues Traveler
Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
Breakfast at Tiffanys - Deep Blue Something
Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
My Own Worst Enemy - Lit
Short Skirt/Long Jacket - Cake
Glycerine - Bush
Sex and Candy - Mercy Playground
Absolutely - 9 Days
Spiderwebs - No Doubt
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Wonderwall - Oasis
All Star - Smashmouth
Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
Fly - Sugar Ray
Every Morning - Sugar Ray
One Headlight - Wallflowers
Buddy Holly - Weezer
Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
Rock n' Roll All Night - KISS
Just a Girl - No Doubt
Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
Play that Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Brown Eye'd Girl - Van Morrison
Ballroom Blitz - Sweet
My Girl - The Temptations
Stop! In the Name of Love - The Supremes
I Can't Help Myself - The Four Tops
99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger
Your Song - Elton John
I Wanna Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
Hotel California - The Eagles
I Would Walk 500 Miles - The Proclaimers
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Why Georgia - John Mayer
California - Phantom Planet

Ok, that's a lot. I basically just wanted a bunch of songs that we both know and will sing at the top of our lungs while driving in order to keep ourselves entertained/awake. Making this list made me realize 3 things:

1. I should have probably started downloading these, like, yesterday.
2. I didn't know the artists of a lot of songs I feel like I should have known.
and
3. I still second-guess myself when it comes to capitalizing words in titles...

and I probably always will.

YAY ROADTRIP! CAN'T WAIT!