Before I succumb to the craziness and cooking in a few days, I decided to get out of Chicago for a weekend and visit Arielle and Lacey in New York. I love New York (almost as much as Chicago) and being back, but this time in fall, was just what I needed.

Sure, there was a lot of walking, drinking and eating (A LOT) but the best part was catching up with good friends and laughing (a lot). That may sound cheesey, but it’s true.

So to best sum up my three days in NYC, here is a little photo sampling of my trip.

Yep, lots of eating and drinking. But everything was amazing and I was on vacation so…calories don’t count :)

How was your weekend? What’s your favorite thing to do on a weekend away?

This was another one of those weekends, which was full of pugs, fresh air, good friends and….adult beverages.

The kind of weekend where I really see first-hand how many wonderful people are in my life and feel so appreciative that they are my friends.

It’s the kind of weekend where I go on a hot date at a coworkers house (photo of my date is below) and get to smother her pugs with attention and love. Yes, like my fur nephew, they hand it out for free.

His name is Chase and he’s so over me already

But after holding a baby and sniffing his head (which his mom was fine with), our sangria turned in to straight Merlot, which turned in to cocktails (then a fishbowl of them) and margaritas, which I blame for me being on the couch Saturday. Moments are fuzzy, but I can remember looking out on the city from the coworker’s deck, feeling the breeze on my face, hearing us laugh and thinking, yeah I’m happy.

It was also one of those weekends where I put aside my awkwardness (or most of it) and assembled a small group of close friends to have dinner on a patio, surrounded by Italian red and white wines, and several laughs at my expense. But looking around that table, seeing them there and talking among one another made me happy because they came out, spent several hours with me at dinner (seriously, service took forever) and then many joined me for a drink or two after, leaving me to walk in at 2 a.m.

So now it’s Sunday, I’m ready to get back in a routine. Let’s do this.

How was your weekend?

Movie Review: Finally saw the movie based off one of my favorite books – The Help

This summer, I’m spending a lot of time on the West Coast. First, it was Los Angeles, then Salt Lake City, then San Diego, my most recent travel adventure. I was there for the BlogHer conference and not only was reunited with some of my blogging loves, but also, had some damn good food and fun.

So while I’m recovering from a few days in the whale’s vagina (see Anchorman reference), I’m also preparing for Seattle coming up! Time to put away the carry-on suitcase and prepare for the one I always bag-check. Crazy, but I’m excited.

Below are some pictures from the weekend. Sadly, I didn’t take a ton of food porn photos (bad, I know), but I think you’ll see the right amount of fun with the debauchery stories kept to those that were present :)

How was your weekend?

Movie Review: Friends with Benefits, which does include gratuitous JT ab shots and music.

But before it got hot, something very special happened, I lost my Harry Potter virginity.

Yes, that is correct and probably a tad inappropriate, but it’s true.

Before Friday, I had never seen a Harry Potter movie (in full) or read any of the books. And as of today, I have seen one of the movies. *insert heavenly music*

Despite my lack of Hogwart’s knowledge, I went with TC and two friends to see a very early Friday screening (aka 12:01 a.m.) in the burbs. It may be a long way to go for a movie, but there is good reason.

That theater is P-I-M-P.

Our theater had “premium” seating with a full recliner, blanket to keep me warm, pillow and a waiter to bring us free popcorn and drinks.

It was magical and I took advantage of EVERY SINGLE THING. I was at full recline with pillow to keep my head up (also so I don’t fall asleep) and blanket snuggled around me like a Glo Worm. I just needed to figure out how to grab my drink without moving. I should have left a comment card that said, “need longer straws.”

Anyhow, here is a silly photo of me tickled pink with joy over my theater seating. Hilarious.

So what did I think of the movie? I liked it. And I would see it again, after I catch up on the other movies and reconsider cracking open the books. Even though I knew little of what was going on, I still enjoyed it but more context will help me love it more.

Also, there was one part where tears were streaming down my face so hard I could barely see. Clearly, my waiter needed to be by my side to wipe those up. It was “premium” seating after all.

And the trailer for the Dark Knight Rises? Whoa, cannot wait.

How was your weekend? Did you see Harry Potter too?

Summer is a tough time for me to keep this site updated too. I’m busy outside, traveling or working (its my craziest time) and honestly, I need to spend more time with my non-blog life too. But, I missed writing here and am hoping to get back on track in posting.

So while I was gone, I was in Los Angeles to visit Jenn at Bottle Up the Crazy. Instead of weekly FaceTime chats, we decided to meet IN PERSON and have a relaxing 4th of July weekend in her current location. Well, when I say relaxing, I mean me bringing a list of things to visit and dragging me along for my crazy adventures.

Such as…..

Visiting the Hollywood sign (well it’s in the background, sort of)

Hiking in Runyon Canyon (the smile hides the pain I’m in)

Getting close to my “Oscar moment”

Checking out a movie at Hollywood Forever Cemetery (it was Ghostbusters!)

And closing out the weekend the way it began, at the beach (at sunset this time)

I’m still editing photos from the weekend (there are a TON) but honestly, being in LA with Jenn and visiting Katelin and Nicole was amazing. Sure, I got sunburned and felt like I would literally melt in the heat, but it was SO MUCH FUN. I still missing Jenn a lot still but I’ll get to see her, Katelin, Nicole and a bunch of my favorite people at BlogHer in less than a month.

So enough about me, how are you doing? What’s new? How was your weekend?

Yes it was one of those weekends.

One where there is amazing spring weather in the city you love and you celebrate with friends, which can lead to things getting a little rowdy.

Such as, going to a good friend’s party with pink champagne and another friend has the f*cking brilliant idea in Kmart (where you’ve stopped to pick up a hostess gift) to arrive at the party with that champagne in a huge plastic garden swan.

I mean, that is such a genius idea, and here’s how it turned out.

This is the best champagne vessel I’ve ever seen.

It is also one of those weekends where you fall a little victim to strawberry (or raspberry) vodka lemonade (after not learning your lesson with it the year before) and end up petting someone else’s purse, which ends up being photographed.

That friends, is the look of pure joy. To be fair, the large, black Chanel quilted purse is my dream purse so the opportunity to hold it could not be passed up.

I look kind of skinny in that picture too. Not sure how that happened.

Hopefully next year, I’ll also wear a shirt to that party that isn’t see through. Seriously, WTF?

Also, I won’t fall asleep in a cab on the way home. Clearly, I’m batting a thousand in the common sense department right now.

How was your weekend?

Let’s start with Glee. On Friday, TC and I embarked on a magical journey to the suburbs to see Glee in concert again. Last year, we had an awesome time dancing, screaming/singing and going bananas in the crowd. How could we say no to a repeat performance?

This time, Glee was at a bigger stadium in the suburbs, allowing for more screaming pre-teen fans and overzealous moms and less dance room. Not a fan, these hips and arms need to move!

But we made it work, kicking off the night by being the oldest non-parent people at the local Steak n’ Shake (first timer!) where you can get a meal for under $6, wow.

Then it was over to the Arena and to our seats with beers in hands to get our dance on. Best pre-show moment: watching a 10 year old boy lip synch along passionately to “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. A…dorable.

The main show was pretty good, a rotating mix from the New Directions and eventually the Warblers with a good mix of songs from this year and some from season one.

Little number from season one

A little blurry photo of the Warblers. Love.

And TC and I may or may not have starts screaming, jumping up and down while holding hands during Teenage Dream. Seriously, we were 14 years old (just like the people behind us). Fortunately, I could log “dancing” as my cardio for the evening.

After the show, we tried again for autographs and while Chord Overstreet (Sam) denied me an autograph in favor of an elbowing mom ahead of me, TC did get some sweet pictures, see one below.

Taken by TC who made magic with her iPhone

Dear Glee, we’ll see you next summer in concert. Moms, watch out.

Saturday, after some post-Glee-gasm rest, I had a Thai cooking class with the lovely Mananya. And this was serious. We started at the Asian markets in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, collecting ingredients for my dishes and talking through tips on what to look for and what can be substituted.

Then it was home and in to the kitchen with my wok and rice maker. The longest part of the session was just prepping the ingredients, such as water spinach, Thai chilis, garlic and Thai eggplant. Making our three dishes in the wok took less than 30 minutes. Amazing. Also, my grocery bill was only $20 for protein and ingredients and I now have enough food to last the week. More amazing.

Here is a picture of my post-cooking class plate:

Left to right: Pad Boong, Pad Prik with beef and Thai Basil Chicken with jasmine rice.

I learned a lot from the class and had a great time. I cannot wait to try next weekend’s planned dish, chicken curry with rice.

If you’re in Chicago and interested in cooking classes with Mananya, give her a shout on Twitter!

How was your weekend?

Yeah, it was one of those weekend when the best laid Memorial Day plans went awry, but in a good way!

I got my mani/pedi and saw Something Borrowed (review here!) but that was it from my list. The French Market and architecture boat tour will wait for another day.

But there were two fun things that also unexpectedly happened this weekend that I had to share!

Next!

Chicago is quickly becoming a well-known food town and right now, the hottest ticket here is Next Restaurant, the new brainchild from Grant Achatz. You don’t get reservations, you get tickets and can only get them online. Ticket competition is intense and with it’s current menu, Paris 1906, ending in early July, the demand is more intense.

I’ve been trying in multiple ways to get tickets for more than a month and on Thursday, the stars aligned and I snagged a last-minute ticket for a 10 p.m. reservation that night. I cannot even explain how perfectly everything worked out, it was just clearly, meant to be.

And in a very difficult decision, I did not photograph one piece of my meal. I opted to savor the experience with three good friends and enjoy the amazing food served to us. Yes, I wrestled with whether or not to photograph, but in the end, I was fine with it. I had a wonderful meal with great conversation, lots of laughs and attentive, non-stuffy service.

The entire six-course experience was 100% worth the cost (tickets range from $60-$110) and was the perfect way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. And when I go back, I would love to steal the place settings because the plates were to die for.

I can’t even list what dish was my favorite (although the duck got very high marks) but it was truly a great experience.

Below is YouTube video that shows some of the dishes we ate. Really, it was so delicious.

PIE!

In prep for a BBQ/housewarming party Saturday, I had an impromptu pie-making class with the lovely Jessi, who not only had a cutting board set up for me when I arrived, but also let me be the “flour girl” when I was observing.

She made the first pie and then let me get my hands dirty and work out the dough for the second pie. It was easy, fun and she was more than patient with me as I rolled it out. And giving a rolling and lattice-cutting job to a perfectionist like me, is the best thing ever. I’m not bragging (or being too modest) but my pie was awesome.

Check it out (mine is in front):

That lattice work is FLAWLESS.

This weekend was another perfect reminder that even when the best laid plans go awry, that’s not a bad thing :) Also, I need to make my own homemade pie, it tastes so good!

How was your weekend?

I have to give credit to Katelin because she made the connection.

Yes, I got to go back to the lovely New Orleans for a conference late last week and this weekend and it was amazing. New Orleans is quickly becoming one of my favorite places and will always have a special spot in my heart because it was the first solo vacation I took almost a year ago.

It’s funny that I was there almost a year ago and that trip helped me get to where I am now, which is going to Italy this week. Holy cow.

Anyhow, yes, I love New Orleans and its major selling point (separate from Abita and beignets) is that it is warm without being too miserable right now. We’re in the 40s and rainy in Chicago (hate)  but we had amazing weather in New Orleans, 70s and sunny with only one day of humidity. It’s true that weather can really affect your mood because I was happy as a clam there!

And the benefit about going back this time is that I could go back and see specific things I wanted because I already canvased the French Quarter last year. It’s amazing how much you remember when you start walking around.

Plus, there was lots of good food to be had as well, including:

Beignets – I’m not ashamed to say I went to Cafe du Monde EVERY DAY (and twice on Saturday)

Soft shell crab po boy – There are no words

BBQ lobster – yes please

Homemade ham and cheese soft pretzel. I wanted to slather this all over my body

Yes, the food in New Orleans is beyond tasty but it was also great to hang out with bloggy friends too, including Katelin, who I never get to see enough.

Okay so maybe Nola isn’t exactly like Vegas (even though there were some crazy outfits and lack of pants wearing), but between the walking and late nights/early mornings, my body sure feels like it was.

Clearly, I need to visit Nola more often, and stretch before walking all day. But I did get to bust out the flip flops so I’m still happy!

How was your weekend?

Movie Review: Fulfilling my Victorian movie love with Jane Eyre. Take me to the moor.

I have to admit something: Right now, I’m not that much fun to go out to dinner with. Normally I am (I think) but with dieting and food logging, it’s really tough. Watching what you eat sucks, no matter what.

And after feeling/being sick Thursday/Friday, I had dinner plans on Saturday with my good buddy Mega and I was ready to get out and do something fun. And to let myself really have fun, I said f*ck it to the diet for one night.

This was an easy decision because we went to Chicago comfort food restaurant, The Southern, and I refused to skimp on the menu there. I LOVE hearty Southern food.

I totally blew my diet for it, but I had a great time and great food. Look at these photos, it was WORTH IT.

Half-fried chicken soaked in buttermilk – Get in my belly

Mac and cheese with elbow macaroni and smoked Gouda – Stop it

Pork shank with sweet potato puree and collard greens – No sh*t, that pork FELL OFF THE BONE

And of course, I washed that sh*t down with some Southern non-light beer, I even got a flight for my Foursquare check in!

Even though Mega and I split stuff, I wasn’t full yet. Seriously, I don’t know how that’s possible so I Bambi-eyed him in to getting dessert with me at Scooter’s Custard, which is a Chicago hotspot.

As always, my favorite combo of vanilla and crushed M&Ms didn’t disappoint.

Yes, this was the biggest food indulgence I’ve had in the last few months (at one time) and I didn’t feel guilty or mad at myself after. I needed a night off and I got it.

And every single calorie was WORTH IT. SUCK IT DIET (for that night).

Movie review: The Adjustment Bureau w/a hottie named Matt Damon. Yes, he’s married and a dad but he’s on the crush list.

Despite the not-spring weather, it was still a pretty good weekend!

Friday, I tried a new eyebrow wax place because I haven’t been loving Nordstrom Spa lately. It came highly recommended by good friends and it was…interesting and $10. It might have been that it was way too long between waxing but my eyebrows look thinner than I asked for. I’m hoping I’ll adjust to them this week and I can get them cleaned up again before Italy.

Saturday, someone I know came in to town for a visit and I dragged him back to La Madia for another fabulous pizza. Okay, I’m a little obsessed with that place ;) But instead of pork belly and kale, I got prosciutto and cracked egg with fresh pepper. Yes, it was amazing. Look at it!

Come to Butthead

Naturally, to burn off some of these delicious calories, my visitor and I stopped at Crumbs to get a cupcake for the road. Yes, this violates every ounce of my weight loss plan and diet, but it’s a treat that I rarely have. So I’m saying this is okay for now.

Here’s the food porn shot of the Crumbs Devil’s Food cupcake, which is chocolate cake, cream cheese filling and cream cheese frosting with chocolate chips and cake bites. There are no words.

Finally, I got to celebrate my good friend Liz’s birthday on Friday. We helped her usher in the last year in her 20s with cosmos, gnocchi, Pimms Cups, cocktails and truffle pasta. It was a great night out for one of my closest friends. Also, the cosmos foreshadowed how I would spend another part of my weekend: watching Sex and the City. Love that show (still).

How was your weekend?

Yes, it was for work but once work was done, I was ready for two things: good southern BBQ and time with the wonderful Erin.

I met Erin on the #BISC trip two years ago and we’ve stayed in touch since then. Sadly though, I haven’t seen her (in person) since Vegas so I was looking forward to catching up with her and indulging in some good Southern food. Fortunately, Erin loves food as much as me, we are a perfect match :)

So let’s take a look at some Nashville food porn:

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich from Jim n’ Nicks (Memphis-style with cole slaw on top and mac and cheese). I still dream about this sandwich, SO GOOD.

Rigatoni with cremini mushroom ragu from City House (thanks to TKTC for the recommendation!)

Cookie dough egg rolls from Jackson’s. Paired with Abita beer, yeah this was decadent beyond belief.

And then we move in to the motherload of food porn: Loveless Cafe.

Erin, her hubs and I pilgrimaged out for its famous biscuits and indulged in them, along with more pulled pork (can you ever have enough?) and fried chicken. Add in some fried okra, fried green tomatoes and mac and cheese and you have three full, happy stomachs. This food was amazing. Amazing. I just, can’t even describe how good it was. But here’s how it looked:

Erin was also a dear and drove me around town before I left to see more of Nashville and share her favorite spots and notes about the city. Nashville is really gorgeous and so eclectic. And having a great tour guide made it all the more fun. It was a great few days in the city and it was so nice to spend time with a great blog and IRL friend too :)

So my girl crush on Erin is back full-force and I’m already missing Nashville’s Southern hospitality. Clearly, I need to get back there stat.

How was everyone else’s weekend?

Okay, so I what I wanted to talk about tonight was saying goodbyes. I’m not great at them, in fact, I hold off in saying them until the last minute because I dilute myself into thinking the people won’t actually go. Well that never happens.

Friday night, I had two goodbye parties on opposite ends of town, both for good friends who were leaving Chicago for new chapters in their lives. At first, the party stated out as a regular check in, catching up on what’s new, talking about what’s to come and when they’re leaving, etc. It was fun, light-hearted and just good to catch up, even with blaring music in the background of both bars.

Then it was time to head off to the next party or home (going out on Friday nights is tough sometimes!) and the reality set in. It was time to say goodbye and I had no idea when I would see either person again. That’s not to sound melodramatic like oh-my-gosh-we’ll-never-be-together-again-EVER but really, it won’t be any time within the next month or maybe six months.

That’s the hard part.

I’m used to this with my blog friends. I only get to see some a few times a year (if even that) and I know that, but local friends, that’s different!

So I stocked up on my hugs (which they both gave voluntarily), said one more goodbye and left, and found myself standing in the snow, waiting for the bus, almost in tears. Oh…reality.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not great with change or people “leaving,” and this was another reminder that change is inevitable. And as much as I hate both of my friends leaving, I’m happy for them and can’t wait to hear about their new adventures. Makes me even wistful for some of my own again.

What about you? Are you good at goodbyes?

Usually, I’m not as productive on New Years Day thanks to the champagne, but this year was low-key and perfect.

In Chicago, you have two options for New Years: house party or bar party. The latter can cost $75-$250 (depending on location and scope) and you barely make your money back. One year, I estimated each of my martinis was $10 (Chicago prices) so I had to drink 7.5 of them to make my money back. I made it to 6 before I blacked out. I’ve also had champagne poured on my satin top which almost lead to a girl fight. No kidding. I have good memories going out to bars with friends for New Years, but this year, my Halloween Bear Pack group and I decided to keep it quiet and celebrate at someone’s house. We could get all the bar benefits of dancing, drinking and food in a quieter setting.

So that leads to selecting the perfect NYE outfit. My selection (which I couldn’t post last night because my internet is being a total b*tch) was a lovely sequined meets Wednesday Adams-inspired outfit that was flashy and comfortable at the same time.

Here it is!

TC has been begging me to buy a sparkly shirt for a while so at a great deal, I surprised her with this top, which was super comfortable and boob-minimizing. Win! Normally, I don’t wear all black so I said I was channeling my “inner Black Swan.” Makes sense if you’ve seen the movie.

Thanks to the Chicago weather turning cold and windy on New Years Day, I became a hermit, cleaning out my freezer, throwing out old boxes/bags and making my place look more like a normal apartment again. And I took down my tree and holiday decorations. Always bittersweet.

I also brought out the crock pot to begin cooking and oh my gosh my kitchen smelled amazing. Tis the season!

How did you celebrate New Years? Am I the only one who is productive over this long weekend?

*Posted edited 1/4/11 at 5 p.m. to include outfit photo.

That’s right, MORE SNOW. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as Minneapolis, but still, it’s getting bitter cold here and I am literally afraid.

Despite the bad weather, I was a woman on a mission: get in the holiday spirit come h*ll or high water. The tree is up, new holiday music is downloaded, now came the next stage: buying Christmas gifts. With a water bottle and my friend Liz in tow, we hit Chicago’s seventh circle of hell: Michigan Avenue on the weekend.

I know, I tease about tourists sometimes but seriously, downtown on the weekend is a nightmare. But we embraced it (in the rain) and worked our way from one end to the other, with a list of people to shop for. And after a full day outdoors and a quick Amazon order, I am 90% done with my shopping. I just have one more trip to make this week and I’ll be in good shape.

It’s such a good feeling because now I get to WRAP gifts.

Tonight, I’m also indulging in another one of favorite holiday traditions: Watching Love Actually while writing out my Christmas cards. GAME ON!

Before all of this insane holiday activity, it was the annual work holiday party, where I agonize over what to wear for easily 24 hours. I have no idea why I constantly fail at finding a cute but appropriate outfit. But this year, I found a dress from Forever 21 that I was peer pressured into buying and it turned out pretty perfect:

Now I have another year before I’m faced with this awful decision.

Oh and once my holiday shopping is done, I can focus on this next weekend. WIN!

How was your weekend? Are you done holiday shopping?

And I’m talking about the withdrawal of endless guac and chips, daiquiris, pina coladas, sunshine, hot weather and breathtaking views. Yes, I still love Chicago and it is good to be home, but the beach was perfect.

So let’s take a quick look at the trip!

I spent five-six days at the Occidental Grand Xcaret in Riveria Maya where I….

Took in the gorgeous hotel scenery (seriously? Postcard!)

Chilled with some local wildlife

Drank…a lot (I can’t believe I didn’t take any photos of the daiquiris, FAIL)

Relaxed at the beach (hot!)

And in a hammock (double hot!)

Checked out some ruins

And got to celebrate the lovely Allie O’s wedding (providing one of my favorite photos from the trip)

Plus, on the way home, my roomie Meg and I got to shop in Cancun’s Duty Free shop. Seriously, this place was ah-mazing!

And today, the re-adjustment to real life has been rough! I woke up with a full blown cold, was craving a drink at 10 a.m. and had to remind myself that I now have to cook and clean up after myself again. This real life sh*t sucks.

So I decided to include one more photo in this montage: one of me at the wedding.

I opted to go with the black/purple Banana Republic one and I got a TON of compliments on it. The last time I wore it out, it was SO snug and uncomfortable and here, I had room to breathe, eat and drink. And I felt smoking hot in it (even if I had to wear my glasses due to the salty, dry air).

Have you ever been to Mexico? If so, where are your favorite places to visit?

This week is a big (and short) week for me. MEXICO is imminent! After months of waiting and planning, it’s almost time.

And now my anxiety about travel has been replaced with anxiety over what to wear to a destination, beachy wedding.

Normally, I go to Midwest weddings, where I have three dresses that I rotate wearing, but now I’m thrown totally off my game and digging through my closet asking out loud, “what do I wear???”

So that’s where I need your help!

I have four options of what I can wear to the wedding, some are casual fun and formal so I’m opening it up to you to help me narrow it down to two dresses.

Yeah, I’m trying not to overpack again. The likelihood of this happening is slim, but I’m trying :)

Here we go!

Option 1: Banana Republic (with pockets!!)

Option 2: Floral dress (unnamed brand)

Option 3: New York & Company

Option 4: JCrew and white cami

A few notes:

• Right now, it will be in the low- to mid-80s and partially sunny in Mexico on wedding day
• I asked the bride how formal the wedding is supposed to be and got no response (she’s been busy!)
• I can breathe in all dresses right now (leaving room for food and alcohol!)
• Also, none of these are fully styled to include jewelry or final shoes. This was an impromptu fashion show
• Yes, these photos are awkward. I’m awkward in photos.

So what dress(es) should I wear or eliminate?

Thank you everyone for your help! My indecisiveness is coming out bigtime as I prepare to leave.

Let’s just say, going to bed at 4:30 a.m. was surprisingly easy for me, but being productive today because of that, was not.

Anyhow, I love Halloween in Chicago, even if I’m not a big costume person. I love seeing what other people dress up in and their creativity, but I’ve never been the girl who is buying costume parts on eBay months in advance. I love helping people put together their costumes but I’ve never been super creative for myself. It’s weird.

But this year, I put more effort into my costume because I was presented with an insanely awesome idea by TC and Robin, two of the most creative people I know.

If you’re a Twilight fan, you’ve likely heard of the Wolf Pack…

Now meet the BEAR PACK!

That’s right, Panda, Chicago, Pooh and Paddington….BEAR PACK!

We all got into the group costume theme, piecing it together, painting our noses and then sending random, barely coherent tweets out saying BEAR PACK or using our self-imposed Halloween hash tag #bearpack. Yeah, we were pretty excited.

Unfortunately, some partygoers didn’t get the theme, asking if Panda was a skunk and if Paddington was Fievel. Fortunately, the Pack rallied together and corrected their mistakes. However, no one could help me when people asked me Bears questions and when I slipped about being a Packers supporter, it got real ugly.

I cannot wait for Halloween next year!

Even with a crazy Saturday night and low-key Sunday, Friday still left room for some food adventures, including:

Lobster sausage with relish and garlic aioli from Hank’s Haute Dogs (visiting from Hawaii as part of the Art Loop Open event). Seriously, this was ah-mazing. SO GOOD.

Smorgasbord of thai food off the secret Thai menu at Tac Quick. Delish and spicy, yes please!

How was everyone else’s Halloween? What was your costume this year?

Fortunately, we’re having fall right now in Chicago, with comfortable, coolish temps and crisp air.

And now that fall is here, I’m taking time to enjoy it (mostly because it could be gone at any second.)

One of the fondest fall memories I have is visiting the apple orchard and pumpkin patches in Wisconsin with my family. Scampering around to pick the most perfect pumpkin, getting freshly picked apples for crisps and cooking and being out in the middle of a field where the sky and ground seem endless.

Living in the city presents a challenge to relive these memories, but this weekend I had the chance to do so with TC, and it was awesome.

Our group ended up at an orchard in the far Chicago burbs for homemade cider and donuts. Yes, I would travel for a good donut, and yes, it was worth it.

And I got to indulge in some child-like past times, such as:

Picking some apples

Watching some music (while sitting on a haystack)

Enjoying the local food (salivates)

And shooting an apple out of a cannon (it was SO MUCH FUN)

Yes, it was nice to run around an orchard again, wearing a ton of layers and shivering at times from the cool air.

That was a definite sign of fall and a nice trip back down memory lane. Time to start cooking with the apples I brought back!

What is your favorite thing about fall? Do you have any distinct memories tied to the season?

Movie review: The Social Network, aka the Facebook movie. Update your status and check this out

I’m really glad I am off of work tomorrow because…I’m exhausted.

This weekend two blogger friends were in town, which means I got to hang out with them and indulge in several things I love about Chicago.

Including drinks at my favorite bar, The Violet Hour, more drinks, cheese and bread in TKTC’s garden, late-night tacos at Big Star (seriously, worst and most frustrating wait ever) and a pretty label wine party with more blog friends, where we knocked out seven bottles of wine and danced until 3 a.m.

I also hit up two craft/air fairs this weekend: Renegade and Lakeview East. I love seeing the creative, fun stuff people make and get inspired to redo my apartment in a more cohesive, adult, me style.

Sure, a lot of the stuff isn’t cheap, but it’s nice to support the local neighborhoods and get some fresh air. Oh, and drink beer on the street. Can’t forget that. And you get to see adorable stuff like this guy swimming down the street.

I wasn’t really looking for anything at the festivals, but did go in with a mental budget so I didn’t get a little loose with my credit card. And sadly, at both places, fate worked against me and many of the things I wanted weren’t available. But, Lakeview East was better to me and I got two handmade items and this new piece of artwork.

I’m totally in love with it and got a discount because the show was closing today. Love.

Then to close out the weekend, one of my platonic manfriends took me to a belated birthday dinner at Kith & Kin. Yes, it was delicious. And I got to try something a little different: a spread of fois gras on homemade brioche with a creme brulee-like butter topping. Insane.

So that was my crazy weekend! How was everyone elses weekend?