I started “A Moveable Feast” tonight afters years of recommendations from people who love loving books. So far, it’s divine.

You had me at “1920s Paris”.

In the last two weeks, my view has gone from this:

To this:

To…Milwaukee (sorry, no photographic evidence of those 24 hours).

While my ability to pack and repack a suitcase is second to none, I am being awesome at being home this week. Hitting up my fav workouts/coffee shops/spot on the couch. Waking up in my own bed. Going to the grocery and cooking. While the Four Seasons Whistler wasn’t exactly roughing it last week (actually, it was amazing and I have never experienced better customer service- I was extraordinarily well cared for every second of my stay), I am relishing being in sweet home Chicago.

Home, home, homehomehome.

One year ago, my alarm signaled that it was 5am and I crept into the dark living room to watch the coverage in London of the royal wedding. I made tea and snuggled up with Luna Bell, both of us fuzzy eyed from the early wakeup call but so excited to see history in the making. I watched as the newscasters speculated about what everyone would wear, well knowing there was only one dress that mattered.

And then she emerged from the hotel and got into the car, en route to Westminster. I still remember gasping, tears welling up. Now that was a bride. That was romance personified. Sheer and utter perfection.

A year later and not only are they still married but homegirl continues to hit fashion home run after fashion home run. If that isn’t cause for celebration, I don’t know what is.

Yes, I have nostalgia for a wedding that not only wasn’t mine but that I didn’t even attend. So sue me.

You are NOT a tree.

My friends at my local Starbucks must have noticed the wheels turning in my head and the “hard at work” facial expressions this morning. This delightful little mocha frappa something was just delivered on a tray and was EXACTLY the miniature treat I needed.

Let’s file this under #HumpDayTreat.

Fab Fest 2012 was a HUGE success. 400 people came together for a day of fitness at the Four Seasons and in the process raised over $240,000 for Bright Pink’s lifesaving educational programs. Giuliana Rancic was a part of the event this year and it was a pleasure hearing her and many others speak to how important Bright Pink has been in their journeys.

My team was comprised of several of my good friends from college and I was so excited to share such a special day with them. As the day kicked off, I looked around the room and realized that over the years, so many of these women I have sweated next to during this day of fitness have gone from strangers to friends who amaze me daily. In this big city, Bright Pink has created a community of committed, inspired individuals hoping to make a difference by simply being who they are and in the process, made Chicago feel like a small town full of familiar faces.

A small town up to BIG things. Grateful doesn’t begin to describe it.

So cheers to another wildly successful Fab Fest and a heartfelt congratulations to the woman behind it all, Lindsay Avner- a creator, an inspiration and one hell of a hard worker.

(for more info on Bright Pink, go BrightPink.org)

After a thorough cleaning of the apartment, I set out to run some errands and maybe find a few new things to spruce it up a bit- once I get the cleaning endorphins going, it’s hard for me to slow my roll.

I stopped in to Home Goods for towels and left with this- a photo of State Street, circa the 1950s, the Chicago Theatre billing Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The street is full of traffic, sidewalks crowded with people. It’s old school, classic Chicago and I am in love with it. Exactly what the wall by the window needed.

Saturday errand running for the win!

Yesterday, I came clean about the lameness surrounding my lack of blogging. Today, I realized that since I haven’t been blogging, I had to have been doing something else. And here is what I came up with- a few little things I have been loving on in the last month or so.

1. Washing my face. First, it was a lingering appointment for a facial to try to get dead skin off my face and more moisture in. Then it was a rave review from the Hollywood Housewife and text confirmation from my friend Laura, (my resident beauty/fashion go-to) that this thing is the bees knees. So, I bit the bullet and bought the Clarisonic Mia 2 and holy balls, you guys- I hate this word but it’s been a game changer. The texture of my skin has literally changed, exfoliation and deep cleaning doesn’t begin to speak to what it’s done. My Moisturizer absorbs now, makeup lays so much smoother, blackheads are a thing if the past and I don’t think I will ever need a facial again. I seriously want to wash my face all the time and I swear, I have seen Ryan eyeing my Mia 2 up. Homeboy wants some fancy skin too, I get it.

2. Going to concerts I love music but typically, my view on concerts is that I can listen to a live concert via iTunes in the comfort (and cleanliness) of my own home with a cocktail. But as of late, Ryan and I have all of a sudden become concert people. Random, Tuesday night, bands we know only one song of concert people. Yes, Gotye, I am talkin ’bout you.

3. Researching/Planning/Dreaming about our Spain trip We just booked flights from Barcelona to IBIZA! Sick beaches, sangria, glow sticks. June, get here immediately.

4. Giving Luna Bell baths. Call it a family activity. We have doused LB with her kitty Paul Mitchell shampoo twice now and home girl cat seriously digs the water, doting attention and subsequent shiny coat. And we couldn’t very well dry her with my hair drier, puhlease…

So now that I have come to terms with what I’ve been up to, let’s return to the regularly scheduled programming…

“This sloth kinda feels like you should update your blog more frequently.”

Ughhhhh, sloth…I know, I know.

I have been totally lamesauce on here lately, I know. Every time I go to write, I scold myself for the x amount of days it’s been since I last posted and then I wonder if I have anything to say and then I decide that not writing at all is better than writing something stupid.

Which is wrong. So wrong.

If the only time people created was when they were confident they had something outstanding or groundbreaking to communicate, I think the world would be absent a lot of amazing art. I am not saying this little blog ‘o mine is art, by any means, but I am saying that I am working on whatever is causing me to be such a stick in the mud about blogging.

Confidence issues, time, the fact that all of the country music playing where I am on a work trip is making me want to claw my eyes out…

In the mean time, click here for more animals that are extremely disappointed in you. It’s really funny.

I just got a large coffee and muffin for $1.50, the women behind me are discussing writing a church cookbook (Step 1: add God) and a man just asked if my laptop had a cd-rom bc he and his wife were thinking about “getting one of those laptop things.”

Something tells me I am not in Chicago anymore. And it’s a bit lovely.

File today under “Pure Michigan”.