My Latest Obsessions

Bottoms up! Just an average evening at our house.
This pic makes me LAUGH. We love us some Georgie! 

Happy Thursday! I've gotta admit that I really love the cooler temps and lower humidity that we've had the last several days here in Chicago. There is nothing better than sleeping w/ the windows open. Love that. So, we are off to Cincinnati tomorrow morning. I'm excited to show Peter and the kiddos where I grew up and hit some of my Cincy faves. I haven't been back in ages as my mom and dad no longer live there (and haven't lived there since I was in college). It was definitely a great place to grow up. And speaking of family we just booked our flights to AZ for Christmas this year. I haven't been home to my mom's for Christmas in over 5 years = EXCITING! We'll be there for just under 2 weeks. FAB!

I am putting together a little book of fun facts for C + M to read en route to Cincinnati. I've included the following facts and places we'll hit: Montgomery Inn and the Boathouse (we'll be there Fri PM for dinner = yummy!); Graeter's Ice Cream (history) and flavor list; Skyline Chili; Wyoming (where I spent my HS years); and Hyde Park Square. We aren't hitting up the Western & Southern Open this trip but we'll be watching the finals on TV for sure. And we are indeed stopping by Fair Oaks Farm tomorrow morning for a little breakfast. I've heard it is a great place to stop.

Have a wonderful weekend! XO - D2

My latest faves:

• These Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas look DIVINE! Yummy! Or how about these Frozen Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Banana Bites?! OMG, they look awesome.  
• And these Individual Whole Peach Pie are super yummy. We made them last evening. Super easy too!
• LOVE this necklace w/ vintage brass beads. Very pretty. Love this layering chain in antique gold. 
• Kale has been popping up everywhere lately. This Kale Salad w/ Pecorino and Walnuts looks super yummy. 
• CMC is always making portraits and these People Colors Crayons would be perfect. 
• I've been eating this Watermelon Cucumber Feta salad all week. Love it. Love the salty sweet combo. I stumbled upon these Watermelon Feta bites that not only look gorgeous but look quite tasty. 
• Charleston, SC has been on my travel list of cities for awhile. I would love to go there w/ PFC for a little get away weekend. And even my sisters and my Mom and I have talked about going there for a girls weekend. I've read great things about Husk Restaurant over the years. 
• I LOVE summer but I also enjoy fall in Chicago. I appreciate the leaves changing colors and the cooler temps. One of my evening rituals when it gets cooler out is to have a cup of hot chocolate after the kiddos are in bed. And this article now totally justifies my daily fall/winter habit that much more! 
• Doesn't this historic inn in Albuquerque, New Mexico look awesome?! 
• I LOVE this chambray shirt. Soft and casual. LOVE this Lacebloom Jacket. So pretty. 
• Secrets to a fulfilling life. 
• The kids watch The Pioneer Woman with me from time to time and they want me to make this Sour Cream Noodle Bake. I'm game. I love it because it is one of those dishes that you can make ahead of time and just pop in the oven when you are ready for dinner. 
• We start school two Mondays from now. It is approaching fast. Yikes! Nuts how quickly this summer has flown by. I LOVE this Talk (letter) that Glennon Melton does w/ her children. So great. I plan to do the same w/ C  + M. 
• One of my favorite memories with my dad is us sitting around the table for our Sunday Night dinners. They felt special and we always had to go around the table and tell everyone a highlight of our week. It almost became a joke yet it is something that I appreciate even more now than I did back then. I found myself doing the same thing years later. I specifically remember doing it w/ my best girlfriends from college when we went away for a week in Cabos to celebrate our 30th birthdays. Gals, remember?! This article, The Parent of All Virtues, made me think about those dinners w/ my dad and different ways to incorporate gratitude in to our lives. 
• Cute and easy DIY striped candy jars. I would fill them w/ swedish fish. Just sayin! 
• 5 tips to making any cookie recipe better. 
• I'm getting ready to start The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. After reading a friend's review on the book I was sold to give it a read. 
• I was reading the latest Vanity Fair magazine the other night. I enjoyed looking through their list of the 25 most romantic movies of all time. I'm surprised that the movie The Notebook didn't make the list! Oh, Ryan Gosling. 
• I had the best time visiting my youngest sister in Brooklyn/NYC this past spring. I was also able to catch up w/ a dear friend of mine from college. I loved hanging out w/ them and seeing them in their worlds. Super fun. Speaking of my sister, I'm so proud of her. My middle sister and I affectionately refer to her as "little pup." She is amazingly talented. She has been getting awesome press on some recent projects = Wrong Chairs by Norman Kelley and Rethinking the Windsor Chair and here. 
• I'm more of a person that appreciates color in one's home however, I really adore this Australian home. Very pretty. 
• Great article on teaching your kids about $. Always an interesting topic. 
• Gorgeous messenger bag. And I love this little polka dot baggu duck bag. Very cute.