Category Archive

 “Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. And I’m not hearing any heart. Cause the truth is, honey, there’s no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven’t lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven’t tried, you haven’t lived.”

Meet Joe Black…I totally forgot how much I love this movie.  So happy it came from Netflix this week.

Dinner at MK last night was one of the best meals I’ve had in the last year, if this half eaten dessert is any indication.

Ryan surprised me with the reservation and I was so excited- I’ve been wanting to go since I moved to Chicago.  It absolutely did not disappoint.  Gorgeous lofted ceilings, sleek art on the walls and the food was amazing.  Whitefish and lobster for me, bison ribeye for Ryan, all delicious.  But the shining jewel of the meal was the pommes frites with truffle cream.

I could live the rest of my life entirely off of MK’s pommes frites with truffle cream and champagne.  OMG doesn’t begin to describe it.

But even better than the beautiful meal was, well, everything else.  Now that we know that we’re staying in Chicago, we can finally make some plans.  We can look to the holidays (Thanksgiving is in 3 weeks?!), look for apartments, dream about where our life is going to go, make some plans for how to make that happen.  To everyone else at the restaurant, we were just a couple having a nice dinner.  But for me, it was so much more and that was the best birthday gift ever.

Why, hello there November!

I have never been so abundantly grateful for a month to be over in my life.

Don’t get me wrong, October had some great aspects, mostly professional (rocked out in the job-esphere in October) but real talk, October was effing hard. Big life decisions, so busy there was hardly time to think and hammering out pros and cons via Skype…sweet goodness, November is like one big sigh of relief.

Ryan took a new job is Chicago so we’re here to stay- a decision that had us putting all of cards/plans for our life on the table, sorting through them, making decisions, second guessing those decisions, making new ones, all while in 2 different cities. Pushing it right down to the wire, a decision was made and that decision was home sweet home Chicago. Thank God.

Moral of the story, as told to me by a colleague who I could not respect more: Be happy first, the rest of the stuff will work itself out.

She was so right and I am so grateful.

New November, new year (first day of being 27 today!), new beginnings.

How amazing do sweet potato muffins sound? I took a yoga class in Pittsburgh with the uber cool Caroline and it turns out that she writes the coolest wellness blog, all about finding the “right-on factor” for your body. Great recipes and insight- meet Caroline and those sweet potato cupcakes at G Spot Revolution.

Speaking of my “right on factor”, I’m realizing that my body and brain operates best when under the influence of a TON of vegetables. I’m traveling for work this week so eating out is my only option. I’ve been so busy and know I have to wake up to be even busier the next day so I must fuel up well. The Whole Foods salad bar has become my best friend. I’m craving beets, kale, tofu, edamame…and giving in to those cravings has given me energy on days where I should be existing solely on coffee. I learned this from my Plant Strong Challenge in May- why did I forget so quickly?!?

And speaking of my work trip, with only work/eating vegetables/getting to yoga or spin to focus on, I have FINALLY gotten to some of the books I have downloaded to Kindle. I loved Devil in the White City by Erik Larson so I’m digging into his latest- In The Garden of Beasts. About an American Ambassador and his family in Hitler’s Berlin, it’s rather dark but very, very interesting. Larson’s novels are great if you like historical fiction. (What are you reading? Send me some upbeat suggestions, I’m going to need it after this.)

Having my nails painted has become my thing. After 2 events in the last 2 weeks that required manis (and by required, I mean I treated myself), I want pretty nails all the time. A quick stop at Walgreens procured me this pretty Essy shade, Mochacino. A perky gray/brown that is way more everyday than the navy and bright pink I had been sporting. My grandmother would be proud.

I know I’m late to this party but Skype is awesome. So much better than talking on the phone.

What about you? Anything you’re loving lately?

Integrity of purpose and imaginative vision…yes. That.