City C

Overheard.

2011-12-20T07:41:00.000-06:00

I see and overhear people talking about a lot of strange and personal things on the street and on the train. Yesterday:

--Woman discussing her wedding and 11 bridesmaids in line behind me at Anthropologie, purchasing mega amounts of coffee cups for said bridesmaids.
--Man sitting next to me on the train telling an awful, sad story on his cell about his friend who died last week from complications of Leukemia. And did you hear about that horrific elevator accident in NYC? That was a friend of his friend.
--Woman yelling to her friend about someone who was a "big sloppy hoe." Or is it ho? She was on the other side of the train platform and it was a crystal clear conversation.

{Photo via we heart it}

weekend highlights.

2011-12-19T09:01:00.000-06:00

Ice skated for the first time in 7ish years and enjoyed the pretty snow downtown this weekend with visitors - except it was 46 degrees this morning, so bye bye snow. Also, discovered this:

Umm, I'm going to have to make cookies with this asap (cookie butter subbed for peanut butter?!? Genius Iowa Girl Eats) or else it will be gone in 2.5 days. This is a Giant Spoonfuls In Your Pajamas kind of product folks.

{Image via blisstree}

Week 3.

2011-12-02T08:17:00.000-06:00

{Via we heart it}

So. Thanksgiving did not treat my holiday health attempts well. Despite a few days at gym, long walks, and healthy eating this week, I'm back at square one.

Total loss = 0.

How annoying are the holiday commercials lately? I swear, if I see another Lexus with a bow on it or a hideously gaudy diamond ring from Kay's jewelers I'm going to throw my bowl of candy canes at the television.

Holiday-related links from this week:

Expert-Approved Bottles of Wine

A shop-local Holiday Bazaar

Basic vanilla cookie dough (can't wait to use this to make some tree cookies!)

D.e.v.o.u.r.

2011-11-30T07:23:00.001-06:00

I know I was just talking about working out, but I made these Nutella Chocolate Cookies over the holiday weekend and omg. Love. I found the recipe in Vegetarian Times magazine but this is from memory because I couldn't find it online:

Ingredients:
1 & 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup butter (1 stick)
1 egg
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup Nutella hazelnut-chocolate spread

Form dough into a roll and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate roll for an hour or overnight. Cut dough into thin slices and bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. D.e.v.o.u.r.

I think these would be even more amazeballs with the addition of peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes. Right?!

{Via JHClagg on pinterest}

20 weekdays left

2011-11-29T07:59:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite blogs, Iowa Girl Eats, is asking people to join her on a 20 Day Holiday Workout Challenge. As of yesterday, there are 20 weekdays left under Christmas (AHH!!!) and she's going to workout every one of them. Because there's no way I'll make it to the gym 5 days a week with work events and the holidays, I'm going to count a 30 minute+ walk as a workout but still get to the gym or run at least 3 days per week. Who's with me?

{Via we heart it}

at fancy ornaments

2011-11-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

This fair city (here comes the cheeseballs) was named #5 for the best holiday lights travel destinations. I love me some Christmas time, just maybe not to this extreme:

{Via we heart it}

Other people who live here might not agree and I'm normally one to avoid any tourist-trap-like activities, but I'll take holiday times in any form. I am super excited for these activities in December:

Imbibing mulled wine & staring at fancy ornaments at the Christkindlmarket downtown...

Ice skating in Millennium Park...

ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo...

...and finally seeing the ballet with visiting women of my family right before Christmas.

week 1.

2011-11-17T08:18:00.000-06:00

Every year I fall into the holiday mode of working out less and ahem, eating a lot of cookies and mulled wine, resulting in weight gain. Five whole pounds last year - apparently the Holiday Weight Gain Rumor is very true for me. It took me until February to get those five pounds off and I reallly don't want that to happen this year. Dieting in a post-holiday-ugh-it's-January funk is not fun...

So I bought a groupon for a gym near my office that's good for 2 months and started the clock on it this week. I am already a runner but always fall off the bandwagon in the winter because I hate being cold. Lots of hating happening today. I actually would like to lose 10 pounds in these two months. I've been trying to do this for oh, three years. Keep me accountable? The plan is to work out 3x per week and eat very healthy during the week. I'm not giving up the wine. I'll post an update every Thursday-ish.

Week 1

-1.4

{Via we heart it}

motivation.

2011-11-15T08:01:00.000-06:00

{Via Pinterest}

The Redwoods.

2011-11-14T07:55:00.000-06:00

Photos from California's Redwood National and State Park. Unbelievable.

Finding this required 8 miles of very back-country driving, including going through several streams.

Worth it, despite the rain.

The biggest tree (in circumference).

traceable snow

2011-11-10T08:11:00.000-06:00

I didn't see any, but the first traceable snow was recorded at O'Hare yesterday - 25 minutes of it.

Snow + cold weather puts me in a serious holiday mood, mostly to distract myself from the nasty weather to come. I'm trying to wait patiently until after Thanksgiving to break out the seasonal music and decorations. BUT, I can look!

A Very She & Him Christmas

Owl ornaments from World Market - love.

Cookies via Pinterest.

Who am I kidding, I would never take the time to make that beautiful cookie roll - I'll be eating this straight from the can instead:

Mmmm. Candy cane frosting, yes please.

Wine Country, A Photo Post.

2011-11-09T07:15:00.000-06:00

A dear friend and I recently took a long-awaited trip to California for 10 days, spending the better part of 2 days in the Sonoma Valley. There are many amazingly awkward photos of us drinking {too many} wine tastings while biking, but I'll spare those due to the anonymous-ness of this little corner of the interwebz.

A vineyard just outside of Healdsburg.

Grapes on the side of the road.

More grapes on the side of the road {see a theme here?}

Where I tasted the best wine of my life {hear that Gundlach Bundschu? I'd love a bottle!}

Resting on top of the wine cellar.

The wine cellar, in a tunnel to protect the barrels from earthquakes.

for the obsessed

2011-11-08T21:02:00.001-06:00

Things I learned today...
--It takes 80 minutes to drive downtown from the north side during a November rush hour rainstorm. It's not snow or even sleet people, speed up!
--Bean thread noodles are much better fried {boiled = hot sticky mess}.
--Certain people who work in the Loop need a lesson in Umbrella Etiquette While Walking Down A Crowded Sidewalk. Yes that means you, giant-umbrella-wielding-man.

--Pumpkin pie blizzards from DQ are still delicious, but I wish the ice cream makers would add a little more pumpkin flava for the obsessed like myself.
--I want to be 10% as creative as {most} of the lovely home decor posts on Pinterest.

{Image via we heart it}

looks like cake batter

2011-11-02T21:07:00.001-05:00

I've been obsessing over Pinterest lately. Mostly this means hovering over my phone in my cubicle, ogling what other people post (you know, taking work breaks...) I've seen a few pins about one cup desserts and decided to google one cup chocolate cake recipes tonight. AHHHH- I think I'm in love. I think this recipe tastes more like a dark chocolate brownie than cake but... judge for yourself. Recipe adapted from instructables.

One Cup Dark Chocolate Brownie
4 T. flour
4 T. sugar
3 T. oil
3 T. milk
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix it all up in a large mug until it looks like cake batter and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes after cooking to firm up.

I didn't have any milk on hand so I used peppermint mocha Coffeemate. Don't judge, I was so excited to find the giant ones available at the grocery store this week. This recipe actually makes a fairly large dessert; I surprisingly wasn't quite hungry enough to eat it all. Or maybe it was the giant taco dinner from earlier - oops.

(Photo via we heart it)

tgif

2011-10-28T08:19:00.000-05:00

(Image from here)

loud on public

2011-10-27T08:23:00.000-05:00

Wow, have I been MIA for a long time. Blame this:

And spending my free time doing things like reading this:

Absolutely hilarious. Laugh out loud on public transit funny. Tina gave me yet another reason I will never go on a cruise. Her explanation of what happened when there was a ship emergency:

"The most interesting thing I learned from this trip came when I told the story to my friend James, who had been a performer on a cruise ship years before. When I told him the woman said, "Bravo, bravo, bravo," James froze. Did she really say it three times? he needed to know. Then James laid it out for me. Bravo is serious. The more times they say it, the more serious it is. The most times they ever say it is four times, and if they say it four times, it means you're going down to your watery grave. So "Bravo, bravo, bravo" was not terrific. Interesting fact number two: In the event of an emergency, it is the entertainers who are in charge of the lifeboats. Because the rest of the crew has actual nautical duties, the kids from Fiesta Caliente are trained to man the lifeboats. If you ever have to get on a lifeboat, the person in charge of your safety will likely be a nineteen-year-old dancer from Tampa who just had a fight with his boyfriend about the new Rihanna video. James also told me that each lifeboat has a gun on it and that once a lifeboat is in the water, the performer-lifeboat captain is trained to shoot anyone who is disruptive. This is apparently legal in accordance with maritime law."

(Image from we heart it)

On fitness

2011-08-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

I can only sustain my running for about 3.5 miles right now, but I could walk all day.

Case in point? Yesterday I walked over 9 miles. I ended up walking to a work event, home from such event, to two grocery stores, and to get a haircut. My already screaming quads (err, thigh muscles?) from yoga are even more angry today. GET USED TO IT LEGS.

Have a happy summer weekend all - what are you up to? I'm avoiding the crowds at the Air & Water Show (like someone said yesterday "it's like a Nascar event in the sky"). So true. Way too many people for my taste; I hope to get a glimpse of the mega planes practicing today and that will be enough!

(Photo from we heart it)

A whim.

2011-08-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

I've been bored lately with running and working out- SO bored. I ran three fairly long races in the past year; the Chicago Half Marathon, Hot Chocolate 15k, and Soldier Field 10 Mile. After the Soldier Field race in May I completely lost motivation. Gone. Dunzo. I ran a handful of times and hated every second of it. Within this time I also moved and my gym membership by my old apartment ended. It's time for something new.

Hello yoga.

On a whim I purchased a mega card for a yoga studio that will carry me through the end of 2011 and allow me to go to a class slightly more than once a week. Goal? This pose:

HA. We'll see. I've done yoga a few times over the past few years, just for fun, but never practiced in a sustained manner like this. My first 90 minute class last night was excellent and relaxing, and I'm a good sore today. I'm going to try and find my love for running again too while I'm at it. Expect updates y'all.

(Photo from we heart it)

yes it's trademarked

2011-07-20T20:22:00.002-05:00

It's too hot to think this week - radio silence. Except I couldn't resist sharing this:
Pinkberry opened two weeks ago and oh.my. I know, it's blurry, but it's all I got people.

Please go get yourself the salted caramel "Swirly Goodness" (yes it's trademarked) immediately, before it sells out again. Words cannot describe this. And it's low calorie. Amazeballs in a cup. I topped mine with fruit and some kind of chocolate crisp balls. I've had froyo before but I'm telling you this was the best. THE BEST! Excessive Heat Advisory, you've got nothing on this.

ears in the fields

2011-07-12T07:40:00.000-05:00

Things that keep me a small-town girl at heart:

--Covering or covertly plugging my ears when I'm walking under train tracks and the L goes by.

--Wondering where the sweet corn at the store is actually coming from and realizing I'm sad that I don't know if it's time for the ears in the fields to be ripe yet.

--Never getting used to seeing huge airplanes cut across the sky at any given time, or hearing them since I live close enough to the airport's landing flight path to get a rumble or two at night.

--Continuing to love looking at, and taking photos of, the skyline. Three years and I still act like a tourist {sometimes}.

--Occasional claustrophobia while riding the train on sweaty summer days. Like if this person touches my leg with her leg one more time I'm going to freak!

(Photos from we heart it, here and here)

enough for me

2011-07-11T09:07:00.003-05:00

Maybe this is something for your Monday; err perhaps Tuesday because it debuts in Chicago and the Northeast tomorrow:
A trenta iced coffee. From Starbucks. Heart palpitations anyone? I think just being on a dock like this would be enough for me, no coffee necessary. Ahhhhhhhh. Too bad I'm at work. Le sigh.

(Photo from we heart it)

from my grassy

2011-07-08T07:56:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is hit up the free weekday concerts downtown in Millennium Park. Sitting in the grass, drinking byob vino and eating bread and cheese- how European right?! I can pretend. I took these shots last night from my grassy spot. Even better than the wine is the people and small child watching. Tres sweet.

cliffhanger

2011-07-07T08:15:00.003-05:00

Inspiration today:

(Photos from we heart it, here, here, here, and here)

local parrots like

2011-07-06T08:50:00.003-05:00

I've had birds on my mind lately, ever since I read an article a few weeks ago about a 78-year-old cockatoo at a local zoo... who knew they could live to be so old?

While talking with friends the other night, the topic of parrots on the south side came up. I suggested they were in Hyde Park, someone else thought Jackson Park. Some fast googling brought me to this article from 2008, which claims that the parrots (or Quaker parakeets, what?) are indeed in Hyde Park and have been there since 1973. There are allegedly 200 of them.

I also found a blog dedicated to "the Wild Parrots of Brooklyn." Innnteresting. Googling brought me to a photo essay from 2006 on the parrots of Chicago. Apparently our local parrots like to munch on dandelions? Check out the photos --here-- I am not usually one to label birds as 'cute' but these are legit adorable.

I couldn't find any information post-2008, sadly. Are the parrots still around? I assume so; googling also brought me to a website on the Chicago Parakeet Project, with three universities participating. If you see a bird you're supposed to take a survey on the Project website- and I want a picture. Pretty please.

(Photos from we heart it, here and here)

holiday weekend recap

2011-07-05T11:16:00.004-05:00

Cross-town Classic, Cubs vs. Sox. Sox lost :( Boo hoo.
Lounging and cat naps.

Iced lattes outside.

Rooftop views, waiting for illegal fireworks shows to start.

And sunset rooftop views... bliss.

Dairy cows and stilletos

2011-07-01T09:37:00.003-05:00

What do you get when you take ...

and add +
? =

An award-winning, high-quality milk producing cow farm in Connecticut owned by the same dudes who brought the world Manolo Blahniks. Dairy cows and stilletos go together? Who knew.

(Photos from we heart it, here and here)