Cupcakes and Champagne

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Last night, my dinner was comprised of Champagne Cocktails and Cupcakes.

More Cupcakes is the best cupcake boutique in Chicago.

Yeah, I said it.

More is the BEST.  Perfect ratio of frosting to cake, perfect size, perfect level of moistness, perfect abundance of flavors…sheer perfection.  When I first moved to Chicago, I was taken aback by the amount of cupcake shops there were so I took it upon myself to try them all.  Hey, it’s hard work but someone had to roll up their sleeves (you don’t want them getting in the frosting after all!).  More and it’s Black and White cupcake emerged victorious.  With Molly’s in a close’ish second.

Anyways.

The Champagne Cocktail was a splash of Tomasello Blackberry Wine topped with some bubbly.  Ryan and I came across the Blackberry Wine one wine tasting Saturday at Whole Foods.  “Free Samples” always end up not being so free for us because we end up with a bottle or 3 after we are given multiple thimble-sized cups of samples.

As delish as this birthday meal sounds (and as selfish as I get with my cupcakes), I did actually share it with others.  A few dear friends whom I have been celebrating birthdays with for over 14 years came over to clink glasses and indulge in some sweets.  As it always does with best friends, the evening turned from one of those “I’m just going to stop by” sort of things into 3 hours, 4 bottles of champagne & wine and countless belly laughs.  In essence, the best birthday I could have hoped for.

I know every night can’t be filled with Cupcakes and Champagne but last night it was.  And that combination are the things happy birthdays are made of.

 

Happy Birthday: Thanks, Mom and Dad Edition

adminbeing there, big breakfast, Birthday, Dad, first soccer game, Golden Rule, gratitude, Mama G, Uncategorized%s Comments

Dear Mom and Dad,

You guys had a  whole lot to do with me coming into this world 26 years a go and since I totally appreciate being here, I think you deserve some thanks.

Do you remember feeding me eggs, waffles, pancakes, muffins, cereal, juice and soy sausage on the morning of my first soccer game, convinced I had to have a big breakfast so I would be ready to take on those other 6 year olds?  Remember when I stood in the goalie box the entire game because I was so full that I couldn’t move?  Thanks for always getting me game-ready for new challenges  (really!).

Do you remember that Christmas when I read every single tag on every single gift as “To Santa, From Nina”, getting more emphatic when you reminded me that I didn’t give him crap and it actually read “To Nina, From Santa”?  And then video taping it, while you muffled laughter in the background?  Thanks for always humoring me.

Do you remember dropping me off  (Mom) and picking me (Dad and Kari) at the airport when I was studying in Italy?  I was so ready for that adventure but I wouldn’t have had the guts to do it if I hadn’t had my parents there, cheering me on.  Thanks for always being my biggest and best cheerleaders.

Do you remember some difficult decisions I’ve had to make in the past few years?  To be honest, some of them I remember with the gravity of the situation at the time, some of them have dulled as years have passed.  But with any of those decisions in that challenging season, with all of them, you were all right there.  Thank you for always being right there.

Do you remember when I called and told you that I got Luna Bell/got a promotion/got my apartment?  You are always the very first people I call.  Thank you for always being excited for me.

Thank you for teaching me to think critically, giving me the gift of education, to take the Golden Rule seriously, to love with all my heart and most of all, thank you for telling me time and time again that we are a family and will get through everything together.

Thank you for making every birthday I’ve ever had a very happy one.

Love,

Nina

Picking Up Speed

adminbirthdays, driver's license, driving, East Lansing, high school, legal age, nostalgia, Uncategorized%s Comments

I am turning 26 in 2 days.

I don’t have any hangups with age (yet) and I am looking forward to entering another year.

What utterly baffles me is all the things that have happened that I still consider somewhat recent but, apparently, were a really long time ago.

Like a whole decade ago.

The ink had barely dried in my new minted driver status when Mama G. let me drive to school.  By myself.  Because I was 16.  And I could.

I can still remember sitting in the driveway thinking “I can drive this thing anywhere.  I can take whatever route I want.  I don’t even have to go to school.  This is freedom.”

I also remember taking the most direct route to my high school so  I wasn’t late for Mr. Tate’s history class.

5 years ago, I was at my apartment on Elizabeth Street in East Lansing with my 2 college roommates, watching WorldClock.com and waiting for the exact second it turned midnight, thus starting my days as an official adult.

Fact: There is nothing that ends up being all that adult about being 21.

But for my roommates and me in our college junior lives, turning 21 was just it and we were most certainly going to be there for each other as we made that chronological step that allowed us (legal) access into all the fine adult beverage establishments East Lansing, Michigan could provide.

Even when I think about the last 2 years, I can’t believe how some things feel several lifetimes ago.  Changing career paths, making a fairly gutsy move to Chicago (just ask my Dad- I think he’s still sighing in relief everything worked out better than any of us could imagine), changing political views, deciding that I actually do hate country music, despite several relationships in which I claimed to “love” Rascal Flatts.  See?  So much change.

A quarter of a century, nearly under my belt.

 

Treat or Treat

admincandy, committed to costumes, elevators, Hallowen, holidays, pirates, Superheroes, Tinkerbell, Trick or Treating in a City, Uncategorized%s Comments

Tonight, I had my first Trick or Treaters ever.

There was a sign-up sheet at the front desk of my building and after I signed up as being a “Trick or Treat” Stop, the doorman gave me a hang-tag for my door.  So from 4-6 tonight, Luna Bell and I waited with a bowl full of Snickers and M&Ms for the Trick or Treaters to come a’knockin’.

There was a princess, a dragon, a fireman and a spider.  Zorro stopped by as did Thomas the Train and Tinkerbell.  13 Trick or Treaters in all.  And the beauty of going Halloweening in a high-rise is that all the kids were able to wear their costumes as they were meant to be worn- no sweatpants, no gloves, no snowsuits shoved underneath them.  Where I grew up, it was usually snowing by Halloween and my parents would always try to ruin my life by making me wear my snowsuit under the princess costume of the year.  I did, however, escape pneumonia so maybe Mama and Papa G were on to something.  In any case, these adorable kiddos I saw this evening were in their costumed glory sans layers and looked like they were having a blast, playing on the elevator between floors to get to their next candy stop.

There were no tricks on this Halloween, just treats.  Just the way I like it.

High Five of the Day: Goes to the mom who told me that her son is “committed to costumes” year round.  The Pirate getup today was carefully selected amidst a closet that also contained costumes to transform him into a doctor, a fireman, a superhero, a wizard and many other.  Because you never know when you might want to perform surgery.  Or save the world.  And you need to have the choice to do either.

Friday Goodness: Peanuts Edition

adminA Charlie Brown Christmas, eco-friendly, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, laughing, Linus, Peanuts, Uncategorized%s Comments

I found this article after I posted last night and it more than made me chuckle.  Way more thought and detail than had ever occurred to me about the Peanuts Gang but super entertaining for people who have grown up watching “It’s The Great  Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

“Back in 1966, when this special first aired, they called that (Linus spending his Halloween in a pumpkin patch) delusional. Now we’d probably laud Linus for being eco-conscious, getting back to nature and showing his support for the local food movement.”

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Plus Charlie Brown Equals the Holidays

adminCharlie Brown, Halloween, holidays, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, joy, Linus, Lucy, music, Uncategorized, Vince Guaraldi%s Comments

Nothing signals the start of the holidays like a Charlie Brown television special.  The music by  Vince Guaraldi, the zig-zag on Charlie Brown’s shirt and the way Lucy pulls the football out from under CB gets me every time!

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” is on tonight to once again prove that Linus is the smartest one of them all and is always right…including about the Great Pumpkin.

“There are 3 things you never discuss with people: Politics, religion and the Great Pumpkin.”  Wise words, Linus, wise words.

Fly Yoga

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I had heard the hype, I had heard how amazing it was, I had heard that you feel like a regular Cirque du Soleil.  So I went up to i.d. gym in Lincoln Park to try Fly Yoga and see if I could fly through the air with the greatest of ease.

I don’t know about ease but I certainly got my yoga on in a silk cocoon.

Basically, you go through your flow using the silks to help you move deeper into your postures, increase balance and flexibility.  Created by the owner of i.d. gym, Brent, Fly Yoga is a one-of-a-kind thing and  I cannot believe we have it here in Chicago!  I love yoga and to add a playful, creative spin to my practice was really exciting.  What was not so exciting was overcoming my fear of heights/suspension that is getting worse as I get older (Hey, I AM turning 26 next week).  You might say “Wait- you were only 3-4 feet above the yoga matted floor at any given moment, pull it together!”.  While this is true, I usually keep this body safely on the ground so relying on a silk blanket thing freaked me out at first.  Particularly when my head was hovering above the ground.   But once I started to trust that the silks and rock climbing hooks really could hold up to 3,000 lbs, I was amazed by what I could do!  Pigeon pose with my shin tucked under my chin? Done.  Downdog with my legs in the air?  Definitely.  Splits upside down?  You got it.

My favorite part?  Looking over at my fellow fliers and seeing us all upside down, red faced, and giggling.  Fly Yoga is fun but it was even better to do it with friends I do regular yoga (read: on the ground) with all the time.  Ya gotta mix it up, ya know?  I’m so glad we did and I can’t wait to go back!

 

 

The Windy(er) City

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There’s an epic storm going through Chicago today.  Watching the news last night equated it to a tornado/hurricane that spans 2,200 miles, all of which will pass over Chicago.  70 mph winds have already been clocked.  We were instructed to tied down everything we didn’t want to blow away.

Um, like my building?  And my cat?  How is that helpful advice?

The waves on Lake Michigan was the biggest and most violent I’ve ever seen and Luna Bell and I watched wind and rain race horizontally across our window for the better part of the morning.  The windows are rattling and I’m a little worried about how I’m going to get to work without looking like I just went swimming.

I really need rain boots.

 

NYC Part 2

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After making it through what Ryan and I were sure was the worst rush hour Penn Station has ever seen (it probably wasn’t) and the longest ride on the Long Island Railroad of all time (again, I am sure it wasn’t), we were back in Manhattan.  The entire train ride, all we could talk about was the amazing food we had the previous night at our friends’ wedding (mashed potato bar!  pasta bar!  carving station! paella bar!) so by the time we got off the train, we were famished.  And frustrated that a mashed potato bar was not waiting for us upon exit of Penn Station.

But across the street was salvation:

Yes, a little wheeled pagoda held the key to our hunger.

Hot dogs!  Pretzels! More hot dogs!  I seriously have not been this excited about processed food since…well, possibly ever.

Deeee-lightful.  .

Just A Big Apple Girl?

adminanticipation, devil, Halloween, Henri Bendel, hot dogs, Manhattan, New York City, Patsy's, pretzels, sightseeing, street vendors, Uncategorized, wandering%s Comments

Not quite but I was in NYC this past weekend.  Ryan and I traveled East to attend the wedding of very good friends of his from college (more on that later).  We did some shopping, we did some eating, and we definitely did some wandering.  Yes, we did check out a few famous Manhattan landmarks but my favorite part of visiting another city was simply putting one foot in front of the other and seeing whatever there was to be seen.

Rockefeller Center

Candles at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

A piece of the Berlin Wall

Even though we were on limited time, I did manage to come home with my favorite brown and white striped bag from the place I just love swinging by when I’m in New York: Henri Bendel.

Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and pretty much everything else, Chicago has.  But not Bendel’s.  Chic without being stuffy, sophisticated while still being fun.  I treated myself to a pair of lovely pair of earrings that caught my eye and picked up my favorite mascara as well (in both black and aubergine because it came in a set for just a little more than the regular prices.  And you know homegirl loves a good deal).

Of all the great people watching Ryan and I did, this kid takes the cake:

1 week before Halloween and he already was wearing his devil costume.  I’m going to assume that his choice of ensemble for the day was more about the impending holiday than a general nod to his overall behavior.  I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

High Five of the Day: As much as I enjoyed being in another city for a few days, there is really nothing quite like home…and I couldn’t have arrived home in Chicago on a more beautiful, unseasonably warm, sunny day.  Deee-lightful.