My Latest Obsessions

I cannot believe it has been 4 years!
Happy Anniversary, PFC (my best friend, partner in crime and best dad ever). 

Happy Friday! I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week! We are super excited that JuJu and Grandpa T are spending the week w/ us. My youngest sister Carrie will be here too along w/ my stepsisters and their husbands and kids. We haven't all been together in years. Onion's article on siblings gathered around a powerpoint hashing out topics that cannot be discussed (during Thanksgiving) is pretty hilarious! Every family has its threshold on topics, right?!

Tonight we are off to C and M's piano recital. They have been diligently practicing their songs. And then PFC and I are off to Skrine Chops for a dinner w/ a bunch of folks. I love their 2nd floor and their food = awesome! The rest of the weekend will be spent organizing the house a bit for Thanksgiving week!

Have a fabulous weekend. XO - D2

Some of my latest obsessions:

• Wow. Has it seriously been 4 years since we got married?! Sometimes it feels like yesterday and sometimes it feels like it has been 10 years. We had GMC's Thanksgiving performance at his school last night so that is how we spent our evening. It was super cute!
• I ordered The Catalina weekender bag for my youngest sister (for Christmas). Love that there is a bottom compartment for shoes or what not. You can save 20% off your order until Thanksgiving. I stumbled upon Lo & Sons via Oh Joy. 
• I picked up this plaid shirt at Target the other day. Thought the navy/green was a bit festive and would look cute tied and paired w/ a skirt. 
• I think I'm going to make this Loaded Philly Cheesesteak Baked Potato for PFC one evening. It is right up his alley! 
• I'm a huge fan of gold. And rose gold in particular. Here are some rose gold items for inspiration. Love these simple delicate rose gold heart earrings.  
• I had my sisters wear a black dress of their choice for my wedding. I just had the 2 of them stand up so I didn't make them wearing matching dresses. They appreciated me for that! How great is this long convertible bridesmaid dress?! Very pretty. Check out all the different ways you can wear the dress. 
• Have you seen the Jean-Claude Van Damme's video for Volvo? Well, check out Channing Tatum's spoof on it? Love it! Speaking of Tatum, I loved him in Magic Mike. Remember these dance moves?! 
• Holiday TV Guide for the kiddos. 
• I saw P!NK this past week w/ some friends. She is an AMAZING performer. Wow. And here are reasons why P!NK is the role model every girl should have. 
• 28 rules for fathers of sons. So many great ones. Love #19 = give him bear hugs. 
• On Facebook I asked for brussels sprout recipes. We are having them as a side for Thanksgiving. Lots of recipes came pouring in. Some of them include the following: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic and Shallots; Brussels Sprout and Apple Salad; Miles End's Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts and Apples; Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots and Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto. Any more that folks want to share? I haven't made a final decision yet! 
• Anyone that truly knows me knows that I would so appreciate these Thanksgiving Worksheets. Love them. They can be downloaded here. 
• Charleston, SC is on my must visit list. Why Charleston is America's Favorite City? 
• My dad's mom (Grams as we called her) made this super yummy cranberry orange relish for Thanksgiving. It reminds me of her. We are making it next week for Thanksgiving. Here is a similar recipe. 
• I hit up Costco every 2 weeks or so. 11 Reasons to Love Costco. 
• I have a holiday cookie exchange in a few weeks. I'm trying to find a recipe. Any faves out there? Here is a list of 100 cookie recipes. 

My Latest Obsessions

Happy Friday! My mom (JuJu) and Grandpa T are in town this weekend along w/ Carrie. LOVE having them here. Carrie has a gallery opening tonight for some furniture she designed. Very excited to check it out tonight. We are then heading to The Dawnson for some dinner and celebrating. And how fun that all of them will be back again very soon for Thanksgiving! The rest of the weekend will be spent relaxing and hanging out with the family.

Have a fabulous weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• I LOVE making baked dishes and casseroles in the fall and winter. I think this Baked Pasta w/ Broccoli Rabe and Sausage is next on my list. Looks yummy! Oh, and these Farro and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash look yummy too! 
• December 1st is around the corner. Here are some advent calendar ideas.
• It is the 10th anniversary of the movie Love Actually. I LOVE the movie and always try to watch it again during the holidays. What is your favorite holiday movie? Fave scene = Hugh Grant dancing. LOVE it! 
• The girls are OBSESSED w/ making rainbow loom bracelets. Genius. Wish I invented the loom. I bought these personalized cases for them for Christmas. Cute. 
• I love colored pencils. I prefer them over crayons any day. Love this Brass Colored Pencil Set. 
• I was in GMC's class the other day and the kids helped me make these yummy Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies. It was so much fun to see Georgie at school. 
• Fabulous = River Forest schools rank top in state! 
• Cute new Uggs. This pair w/ the bows are cute too. I live in my Uggs all winter long! Cozy. 
• The kids enjoyed watching Master Chef Junior. My cousin's daughter Molly made it a couple of rounds. We all loved the youngest contestant Sarah. We were amazed by all of the kids but Sarah was a hit w/ Cate and Margaret. 
• LOVE this dress. Very pretty. Another pretty dress.
• What a cute lookbook from Zara - for the mini set. Cute little coat. 
• Adorable little bunny ornament. 
• 18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again. I want to try more of the following: disconnect from technology (super hard for me to be away from my phone) and reading an actual hard copy of a book (vs an e-book). 
• Some cute messy braids. 
• Beautiful return address stamps. 
• I had a great time visiting friends in Minneapolis last weekend. I highly recommend the restaurant Bar La Grassa for dinner. Oustanding! Oh, and cupcakes from Sweet Retreat in Edina. Their cupcakes are divine! 
• A high school friend's wedding is featured in Style Me Pretty = FABULOUS! 

My Latest Obsessions

GMC's preschool pic - age 3

MMC's 2nd grade pic - age 7

CMC's 4th grade pic - age 9

Happy Friday! I'm leaving shortly for out of town. I'm visiting some friends in MN. PFC will be holding down the fort w/ the kiddos. The girls have a swim meet on Saturday and they'll be off to a family birthday party on Sunday. I'll be home in time on Sunday for Homeland! Hooray!

I cannot wait until next week! My youngest sister Carrie will be in town and my mom (JuJu) and Grandpa T are coming too for a visit. We'll all be heading to Volume Gallery to see Carrie's gallery opening on Windsor Chairs. And then we are heading to The Dawson for dinner. Excited to check out this new restaurant.

Have a fabulous weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• Cute flats. Perfect for the Thanksgiving host who is running around! 
• How to be a Happy Overachiever. Totally agree = avoid negative people. 
• The girls and I watch Pioneer Woman from time to time. They enjoy it. They wanted me to make this sourcream noodle bake. I made it last Sunday. It was a hit in our house. 
• Super sad = Charlie Trotter passed away this week. He totally revolutionized the dining scene across the country and put Chicago on the map in terms of restaurants. 
• How do you exit a party? Sometimes we say goodbye but most times (depending on the type of party) PFC and I sneak out (otherwise we end up getting caught in convo for another hour). I love this = ghosting. 
• We are hosting Thanksgiving this year. I'm working on our list of sides and dishes. I consulted Pioneer Woman's list of sides. These mashed potatoes are on our list for SURE. They are excellent. We made them last year! Rave reviews. And these brussels sprouts with balsamic and cranberries sound super yummy. Here is a great list of spots to get your Thanksgiving pie (in Chicago). We are getting our pies from our fave pie spot = Bang Bang Pie Shop. 
• Fun birthday message = banner in a box! 
• Some cute place cards for Thanksgiving. However, I decided to buy this stamp and make my own placecards! Fun. Pretty Thanksgiving decorations. 
• I love hanging w/ the Bravermans! Here is a Braverman house tour for those of you that enjoy Parenthood! Last night's show was great - lots of little story lines going on. 
• I picked up both of these books from the library = The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Excited to cozy up on the couch w/ these books! 
• I love these wood blocks and prints. This would make a great gift. I think we'll make one for PFC to bring to work. 
• I try to be on time. It is tough though when you are w/ the kiddos. 33 reasons why moms are late. 
• This gas station jam session is pretty funny! Enjoy! 
• 19 habits of really healthy women. 
• GOOP for Paperless Post. Some cute designs. 
• 2 dear friends have collaborated and have started an interior styling and staging firm. They are super talented. Excited for them. 
• Here are the 2014 Chicago Michelin Bib awards. Two local faves are on the list = Autre Monde and Marion Street Cheese Market and Sen Sushi. 
• And super hooray to my high school, Wyoming High School (in Cincinnati), for making the 50 Best Public High Schools in the US. #18 = go WHS! 

My Latest Obsessions

Pistol Pete and his biker chick

Fireman Georgie

Our Vampires

GMC's preschool pic (age 3)

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween yesterday. The kids were SO excited to wear their costumes to school and then go trick or treating. We spent yesterday morning w/ the girls at their school to see the Halloween Parade and then I went to GMC's school for his Halloween party. So cute. It was fun to see him w/ all of his buddies.

We need to catch up on last evening's Parenthood. And we're looking forward to Homeland on Sunday. It is getting good! Tomorrow PM we have a party and I think PFC and I are going to sneak in a little dinner date beforehand.

Have a fabulous weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• I LOVE spinach artichoke dip. This spicy spinach artichoke skillet dip looks super yummy! 
• This Pure + Good Striped Ruffle Jacket looks super cozy and cute too. 
• These apple hand pies look so yummy. You had me at salted caramel! 
• I told CMC that she could get her ears pierced when she turned 10. So this January we'll get her ears pierced. Very exciting. Aren't these little studs cute?! 
• This past week I went and heard Rebecca Skloot speak about her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She was super inspiring. It took her 10 years to write the book. Amazing. 
• Super neat take on a calendar = 2014 A Year in Stitches (cross stitching calendar kit). 
• Check out this video and see why we have an absolutely ridiculous standard of beauty. Sad but true. 
• This is HILARIOUS = the candy hierarchy. My faves = almond joys (which are second tier). 
• Very cool farmhouse. 
• Interesting article = The Curse of the Connector. 
• Another baking question answered = why we use large eggs in baking. 
• How to look like a French Girl. 
• When the temps drop I start my evening routine ends w/ a cup of hot chocolate. I love it. I sip it while watching one of my weekly shows. I MUST try this hot chocolate recipe w/ coconut. 
• Halloween is over but aren't these fashion icon costumes great (done up by little ones)?! Love these. Anna Wintour = fab!