Friday, January 31, 2014

My Latest Obsessions



Happy 8th Birthday, Margaret!

Happy Friday! GMC and I are heading to MMC's classroom later this afternoon to sing Happy Birthday to Miss Margaret. And MMC chose an old fave of hers = Miss Nelson is Missing for me to read this afternoon to her buddies in class.

Here's to hoping everyone has a fantastic weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:




Friday, January 24, 2014

My Latest Obsessions


The Kiddos
(pic from Alma Veliky)


Happy Friday! I stumbled upon a pair of my flip flops the other day. Flip flop weather seems ages away especially when we are experiencing single digit weather w/ below zero windchill. One can dream about beaches, pool weather, and tank tops, right! Time to do a little day dreaming and check out the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Hotel Awards.

We've got a busy weekend ahead. I'm taking the girls to a swim meet tomorrow and PFC will hang w/ GMC. I bet an estate sale is on their agenda! And then tomorrow night we're heading to Chicago q for a big dinner w/ all of the adults on angel mom's side of the family. I'm already dreaming about q's mac and cheese! However, I've gotta admit that Trader Joe's frozen mac and cheese (cheddar, swiss, havarti, gouda) is pretty yummy! I always sneak a little bite when I give it to the kids. And Sunday we're heading downtown for a little more family action with the kids and their cousins.

Have a great weekend! Stay warm. XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:



Friday, January 17, 2014

My Latest Obsessions


CMC's bday gathering w/ some of her cousins

Happy Friday! I cannot believe that it is the 17th of January. This month is flying by. CMC turns double digits on Monday (the big 10!). Nuts. Last Sunday we did a little baking action with some of her cousins on PFC's side of the family. And then MMC follows up with a birthday the last day of January. MMC will be 8. We have 3 Capricorns living under one roof (myself included)!

Earlier in the week I saw the movie August: Osage County. I thought it was very good. Talk about family dysfunction! The Weston family would give anyone's dysfunctional family a run for its money. Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts were fantastic. I love Meryl Streep. She is such an amazing actress. And last weekend PFC and I saw American Hustle and loved it. Amy Adams was fantastic and I loved seeing all of the different clothing of that time. American Hustle definitely won its fair share of awards this past Sunday at the Golden Globes.

Last night PFC and I met up w/ PFC's sisters and saw David Grisman at City Winery. What a cool venue for a show. David Grisman was excellent. His youngest son played bass w/ him. So neat that his son performs w/ him. We also had a great dinner there before the show. The fried risotto balls and the burrata were a hit. Yummy!

Tonight we are heading out to see a high school buddy of PFC's who is in from out of town. Saturday we are going to see my mom (JuJu) who is in town visiting my sister Stephie's newborn baby. Just yesterday we were talking about what a great time we had a JuJu's house for the holidays. We miss them! And on Sunday we are hosting PFC's family over for an afternoon of chili (Cincinnati style!) and catching up. Fun!

Have a great weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves...

Friday, January 10, 2014

My Latest Obsessions


The 3 Amigos - Fall 2013 (GMC - age 3, CMC - age 9, MMC - age 7)
 (photo taken by Alma Veliky of Alma Veliky Photography)

Happy Friday! What a COLD week it has been. Our winter break was extended by two days due to the Polar Vortex that many of us experienced across the country. Here are some frozen pics of Chicago. It was insanely cold out on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Let's just say that come Wednesday the kids (and I) were very excited to be heading to school. You can only stay indoors for so long.

All the girls in our household have birthdays in January. It is the month of blowing out candles, parties, celebrating and cake eating. I kicked off the January birthdays this past Wednesday (along w/ Elvis). It was a low key day. I met a few friends at The Juice Joint for a juice (as I started a 3-day juice cleanse the day before) and then that evening CMC had her musical performance (High School Musical Jr.). It was very cute! This weekend PFC and I are going to celebrate w/ a date night of sushi and a movie. We are going to see American Hustle. Super excited. The cast is amazing! And then Sunday CMC has a little birthday gathering w/ her cousins. More cake and candles!

Have a fabulous weekend. Stay warm! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

Friday, January 3, 2014

My Latest Obsessions



New Year's Eve fun

C + M finishing a long hike in Prescott, AZ

GMC sporting his Christmas Bow Tie


JuJu and Grandpa T 

We snuck off to Sedona for a night

Gorgeous red rocks - so pretty! 

Our pretty and peaceful view from JuJu and Grandpa T's house

Happy Friday! And Happy New Year! We just got back from a wonderful trip to AZ where we were visiting my mom and Grandpa T in Prescott. We were there for Christmas and New Year's. It was quite a treat to spend some quality time with them. And it didn't hurt that the temps were a bit higher than Chicago's chilly weather! The kids had a blast. They enjoyed swimming in the "spool" (spa/pool) every afternoon and hiking around the big boulders around my mom's house. And one day we went and visited Grandpa T's horse Rocket and the girls went horseback riding. All in all it was a relaxing winter break for all of us. Peter and I even got a chance to sneak off for a night to Sedona while the kiddos stayed with JuJu and Grandpa T.

We are now back to reality with school starting on Monday. And boy is it COLD! I'm admittedly not a cold weather fan. I would much rather swap out boots and coats for flip flops and tank tops any day. Well, that just means that my evening ritual of hot chocolate on the couch after the kiddos are asleep will continue for a bit longer!

Have a wonderful weekend. XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

  • I LOVED spending time w/ my youngest sister over the holidays. One night we had a bit of a Meryl Streep marathon as we watched both The Devil Wears Prada and It's Complicated. She is such an amazing actress. She has played so many different characters in her career. What is your favorite Meryl Streep flick? Speaking of movies I want to see American Hustle. The cast alone is amazing. Has anyone seen it yet? And lastly, the best movies of 2013
  • I did a lot of reading while we were away. I finished Me Before You by JoJo Moyes in a day. I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved it. I didn't want it to end! It was a beautiful yet sad story. Amazing character development. I also finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. Great read. And I'm almost finished w/ Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. 
  • I really loved the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Here is a first look at Ben Affleck in the movie
  • I've already added a holiday event to our list for next Christmas. I would love to go as a family to see It's a Wonderful Life at the Music Box Theater. The kids would love it. C + M's fave line from the movie = "George Bailey, I'll love you till the day I die." 
  • I have always appreciated turquoise jewelry. We saw so much of it in AZ. Here's some vintage turquoise for inspiration. Speaking of turquoise jewelry PFC and I stopped in Jerome en route to Sedona. Jerome is a historic copper mining town that now has lots of little jewelry shops. We had lunch at The Asylum in the Grand Hotel and then walked up and down their main drag and hit up some of their shops. I was even able to find the same jewelry store (Aurum Jewelry) that I went to 10 years ago. I was delighted to find it! I still wear the turquoise necklace that I bought there years ago. 
  • This Spot It game kept C + M occupied on our flight. And MMC is obsessed w/ her Sleeping Queens game
  • I love this = 25 manners every kid should know by the time they are 9 years old. I'm old school and wish that we sent more handwritten letters! 
  • Parenthood was AWESOME last night. What a great episode! So many great story lines are going on. Erika Christensen Talks Parenthood
  • PFC and I had a great time in Sedona. L'Auberge was perfect for our one night stay. We had a lovely and quiet dinner at Rene at Tlaquepaque. The scallops were some of the best I've ever had. However, next visit we want to have dinner at Elote. I understand that the chef gives Rick Bayless a run for his money! I've heard that we must try this appetizer from Elote. Here is another similar (yet lighter) recipe too. And wow = the red rocks = amazing. So beautiful. 
  • I love the idea of one on one dates w/ your kids. Last spring I took an art class w/ CMC and every Sunday we went out to lunch and then headed to our class. It is so hard to get that one on one time. I need to look at the calendar and plug in some more of these dates! 
  • Here are some secrets of the most fashionable women