some summer in the snow

It's cold and snowy and cold.  Did I mention it's cold?

So, in an attempt to melt away my winter blues I covered my nails in summertime watermelons!

chicago bucket list

I know we're not moving any time soon, but the other day I got to thinking about all the amazing things to do see and eat here in Chicago that I've somehow managed to avoid in the 7 ½ years I've lived here.  Once you live in a city, you no longer feel the need to experience all the "must-see" attractions.  It's like people who live in New York and have never gone to the Statue of Liberty (or who live in Chicago and have never been to the Sears Tower).  The thought is always "It's not going anywhere, and neither am I, so what's the rush", right?

Well, now that our years in Chicago are starting to dwindle I've decided to make a list, and I won't move until I've done them all.

*I've also included things I have done that would be on my list if I hadn't done them yet

**A little disclaimer: I'm definitely including food but I'm not including any of the fabulous fancy award winning restaurants around town. There are so many of them, almost too many, most of which I'll never be able to afford, and I want to make this more of a budget friendly list. The Man and I love to go out to a nice meal on special occasions, but I think I'll be fine leaving Chicago without going to places like Alinea...

***Disclaimer number 2: There is so much to do here, this is just a list of things I would be bummed if I left Chicago without doing.

Ok, Let's get Started!!

Chicago Bucket List:

• Eat ItalianBeef
• Eat a Deep Dish Pizza (yuck)
• Eat a Chicago Dog
• Go to a Jazz or Blues Club (preferably Green Mill on North Broadway)
• Walk around the Buckingham Fountain (one of the largest in the world – and it’s free!)
• Ride the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier
• Go on an Architectural Boat Tour
• Go to the Planetarium at night
• Visit the Field Museum
• Visit the Shed Aquarium
• Visit the Museum of Science and Industry
• Ride the Skokie Swift (the yellow line train that only takes you from the end of the Red Line to a no-wheres-ville Skokie neighborhood - I've ridden all the train lines except this one)
• Eat a hot dog at The Weiner Circle and Hot Dougs (hot dogs are very important here - Vienna Beef baby!)
  
• Bike down the Lake Shore path
• Drink a cocktail at the top of the John Hancock Building
• Go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field (Go Cubs Go!)
• Go to a White Sox game at The Cell
• Somehow go inside Soldier Field without spending hundreds of dollars on Bears tickets :)
• Befriend a Boat owner and relax in the middle of Lake Michigan
• Play Whirlyball (an awesome combination of bumper cars, lacrosse, and basketball!)
• Eat a taco at the Maxwell Street Market
• Visit American Science and Surplus (it’s more of an art school kid must-see)
• Stand on "The Ledge" at the top of the Sears Tower
• Visit The Art Institute (free on Thursday nights)
• Walk around the Lincoln Park zoo and go inside the Arboretum (it’s free!)
• Eat Dim Sum in Chinatown
• Eat Indian food on Devon Street
• Visit the Garfield Park Conservatory (it’s free!)
• Sit in the Atrium in the Harold Washington Library (it’s free!)
• See a Movie and a Concert in Millennium Park (it’s free!)
• Go out to Oak Park and see all the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings

Somethings that The Man wants to put on my list:

• Go inside McCormick Place (the nations largest convention center - it’s free!)
• Eat a Burger at Boston Blackies
• Eat at Mani’s Jewish Deli
• Eat at Super Dog

…of course it’s almost all food :)

I'll report back when I complete something new!

What's something that you've never done in the town you live in??

 

meow

Last week I sat down to do my nails and realized that I only show you my mini art when there's a holiday afoot.  How dare I keep my regular-day nails from you wonderful people :).  From now on I promise to show and tell whenever there is something to show or tell about.

So here's what I've been sporting this week:

Cat Scratch Fever!

These cat nails were really fun to do! 

...Although some of them look more like bears :)!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

how to draw a moose

Remember back when I talked to you about Oliver Jeffers?
Well, he came out with a new book called This Moose Belongs to Me, and as I was searching for it I found this charming video of Oliver Jeffers showing us how to draw a moose!!


Fantastic!! I love his accent.
This video makes me want to go find some old landscape paintings and draw animals into . . .
Maybe I will!
 

emergency compliments

If you're feeling down and you need a boost check out emergency compliment.  It's a hilarious random compliment generator.

So far these are my favorites . . .

What a great idea!!
And if you really love the comment, you can buy a print of it!!
I might need the top one for my kitchen.

wishful wednesdays {a flor floor}

One thing this Lazy Lady does best is fantasize about the future.  I'm not very good at living "in the now," I'm always thinking about the next recipe we should make, or couch we should buy, or city we'll live in, or job I could have, and where we'll be in 1, 3, 5, or 15 years.  It's not really the healthy way to live, buuuut sometimes I come up with some really great futures, and every once and a while those futures come true. . . 

Hello All! The holidays are officially over and I'm maybe, kinda, almost, practically all done being sick! And that means it's time to start bloggin' again.

Since I've already thoroughly discussed my rug finding dilemma, I'll just jump right in.

Flor is awsome.

Flor is a company that makes "modular carpet tiles"  They have all sorts of styles, piles and colors and with them you can make any size and pattern of rug you want.

You can just make a runner:

Or cover your whole room in wall-to-wall carpeting:

They have all sorts of patterns:

And textures:

And solids in every color imaginable:

They've even made carpet tiles to reproduce some of the trendy looks you see in full sized carpets, like the over-dyed vintage rugs I was talking about the other day:

And the best part is you're not stuck to one look:

You can mix and match any type of tile you want and lay them out in any order, it's completely customizable!

You can even cut them up and make half sized ones for a smaller boarder or go crazy and make your own designed rug like Sabrina Soto did in an episode of The High Low Project (I ♥ HGTV):

via.

Once I found Flor all of my carpet woes melted away, I am no longer afraid of spills and stains ruining the whole carpet (you can replace just one tile or even wash one in the sink!), and I no longer feel stuck spending hundreds of dollars on something that might not be the right dimensions in our next place.  It's so awesome!!!

How about you? Have you already heard of Flor? Is it old news? Are you as pumped about it as I am? Or would you rather stick to a no-assembly-required rug?

Tell me, I want to know!

p.s. I have in no way been compensated to write this post I just really really love Flor's products :).

2013!!

Happy New Year!

Is everyone excited for 2013? Any big plans for the next twelve months?
I've been sick since Christmas Eve so The Man and I stayed in last night, and fought tooth and nail to stay up till midnight, we just barely made it and crawled into bed at 12:01.  How do I sound so old at 25?

holiday nails

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We are having a blast here in Portland (even though I've been sick the whole time - boo).  Last years Christmas nails were impossible to beat so this year I decided to use rhinestones for the first time . . .

They don't stay on very well, but they sure do sparkle!!

Merry Happy Christmas and I'll see you in the New Year!!

holiday cheer!

I'm so excited for the holidays.
The tree is trimmed,

Our house is decked,

The stockings are sewn,

(I took another class at The Needle Shop and made The Man a Christmas Stocking I bought the material to make one for myself as well...

but I didn't get very far)

the cookies are made,

 (Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies)

and in a few short hours we'll be eating delicious quiche for Christmas Brunch with my fam in Portland, Oregon.

On Thursday night I got one early and unexpected present.  One of the gals I work with got sick and could no longer use her ticket too . . .

Book Of Mormon!!!!!!!

I haven't been to a play in so long I honestly can't remember when it was.  It was so incredible and hilarious and amazing and so so so so so so so good! great! fantastically fabulous! Now I want so badly to get more tickets so I can take The Man (who not-so-secretly loves musicals) to go see it too.

So Merry Christmas Everyone, I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday and spend some over-due time with your families and people who love you.

snow is falling on the ground

My dad sent me this pic of my parents' front yard on Wednesday:

It's already snowing in Portland!

They say there's a storm a comin' to Chicago . . . well it best not be interferin' with my holiday plans!!!