MMC and G$ checking out the re-creation NikeLab in Chicago

Me and My Pup Gus

Happy Friday! OMG, how is it almost the end of July?! Yikes. Summer is flying by - and it officially feels like summer here in Chicago. We got together w/ my mom and stepdad and crew in Lake Geneva the week of July 4th. Super fun time. Kids had a blast hanging w/ their cousins and it was great to catch up w/ all of my sisters and relatives. It's always so tough to get everyone together like that.

I've been following chef Jason Vincent for awhile now - and LOVED when he was at Nightwood in Pilsen. He took a little hiatus in 2014 and the restaurant eventually closed in 2015. So I'm really pumped to head to chef-owner Jason Vincent's restaurant Giant in Logan Square tonight for dinner w/ PFC and another couple. And perfect = where to have date night outside (in Chicago).

Tomorrow morning I'm going to be up bright and early (not only due to our new pup, Gus!) but to make sure I'm in line at Urban Pioneer Group for The Daly Bagel pop up shop. YUMMY! Hoping to swing by the Makers Market FP founded by the local gal behind Blend Earth-to-Skin - from 11 am - 2 pm at The Lantern Loft. And this weekend I know that MMC is looking forward to seeing her counselors from Actors Garden perform in Anne of Green Gables.

Late Sunday afternoon CMC gets home from overnight camp! GMC and MMC have been thick as thieves these last two weeks w/ CMC gone.

XO - d2

PS - Cheers to the weekend ahead and some of my latest faves...

• Wow. Wide-leg active pants are apparently back. I wonder if I still have my first pair of Lululemon pants w/ a boot cut leg! 
• We're skipping our annual summer roadtrip this year but I've made a mental note to download this app for our next trip = Roadside America. I mean who wouldn't want to see the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas?! 
• Speaking of roadtrips - we always seem to buy some temporary tattoos for the trip. Check out these new embroidery tattoos by Tattly. Pretty cool! Love this stitched bouquet. Oh, and how cute are these dog tattoos?! Yup. I've gone a little dog crazy w/ our new pup! 
• How fun = movie coming out soon = Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Enjoyed the book. 
• I've been saving the latest season of Schitt's Creek for a time when I can watch several episodes at a time. I miss my Rose family! I think I might need this keychain = Stop Acting Like a Disgruntled Pelican. OMG, David! Love him. 
• Totally dig and appreciate this = a new Oregon law will let students take 'mental health' days. 
• https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/22/us/oregon-schools-mental-health-days-trnd/index.html
• Okay, so I officially scored 2 tix (thanks, friend!) to the Talk w/ Virgil Abloh at the MCA Chicago later in August. Super excited to be taking MMC. I honestly did not know much about Virgil Abloh until very recently. Proud big sister moment = my youngest sister and her business partner (of Norman Kelley) were handpicked by Virgil himself to host a workshop within the NikeLab Chicago re-creation center. Pretty cool! I took MMC and G$ downtown the other day to check out the NikeLab. It's open through this Sunday, the 28th.  Awesomeness = My Job is to be a Spirit Leader. Oh, and I just connected the dots to Serena Williams' off-white tutu (via Virgil) that she wore to the U.S. Open last year. And these shoes = pretty sweet! 

My Latest Faves

2nd Grade Harmonica Concert

Happy Friday! Cannot believe it's the 1st of March. Come on spring...where are you?! Just need a few signs that you are heading our way. It's been one of the longest Chicago winters ever.

My aunt and cousin are in town visiting w/ my dad and staying w/ us. Been super nice catching up w/ them. Last time we saw them was when we were on the Cape two summers ago. Fun week ahead = Tuesday night - Tell Me More w/ Jen Hatmaker & Kelly Corrigan and Thursday - Dear Evan Hansen. Heard it's fab - has anyone been?!

Cheers to a fabulous weekend!

XO - d2


Some of my latest faves:

• Great article on How to Help Teens Weather Their Emotional Storms. We have two teenage girls in our house right now! Ahhh! 
• OMG! PFC and I have been watching Catastrophe - SO funny. Love the main character - Sharon Horgan (relateable and so funny). Who has seen it?!
• I'm also obsessed w/ the show Schitt's Creek. LOVE it! 7 reasons you should be watching Schitt's Creek. The character Alexis always wears this necklace in the initial A. Would make a great gift for someone. 
• I admire Selma Blair for talking about her MS diagnosis on Good Morning America. Bravo. 
• Digging these Gola Bullet Liberty Sneakers. Super cute. 
• PFC and I love heading to Milwaukee for a weekend. Why Milwaukee is the Coolest (and Most Underrated City)? We love staying at Kinn Guesthouse in Bay View Village. Excited to head to Milwaukee over Memorial Day weekend for a family wedding! 
• Take a peek at the HGTV dream home in Whitefish, MT. Gorgeous. 
• I love Kate Middleton and have enjoyed watching her chapter as a Princess. LOVED the recent dress she wore at an event at the V&A Museum. Gorgeous, right?! 
• Finally = Big Little Lies (season 2) will premiere in June. 
• Hilarious = Kids are Speaking in British Accents from Watching Peppa Pig. 
• Why did Gregg Renfrew start Beautycounter? She rocks! Love her. Please reach out if you would like to learn more about BC or become part of this important movement. 
• Lastly, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Enough said. I'm moving on from my obsession. 

My Latest Obsessions

On a hunt for our Christmas Tree

Christmas Card 2018
Photo Cred: Alma Veliky

So much fun hanging w/ my mom JuJu and youngest sister over Christmas

Escaped the cold for a bit - Cabo

Happy Thursday! I haven't posted in a REALLY long time. We've been hibernating at home for a few days - no school and below zero temps. So I decided to write a post! 

Cheers to 2019! Guess what?! We are adding a puppy to our family come spring. We cannot wait! We are getting a mini Australian Labradoodle. Kids are over the moon! We did a trial run of watching my mom JuJu's dogs when we were in Montana this past summer and have been talking about one ever since. The time has come! 

XO - d2
Some of my latest faves...

• LOVED the movie A Star is Born and I've been playing the song Shallow on repeat. The best = Bradley Cooper's surprise visit on stage w/ Lady Gaga in Vegas. LOVE! Their chemistry is UNREAL. I'm obsessed! Why A Star is Born reveals the future of the music industry. 
• PFC and I also saw Bohemian Rhapsody this past weekend. I didn't know much about Freddie Mercury before the movie. Here's a rare interview w/ him from the 80s. Rami Malek did an amazing job playing Freddie. You might remember him in Gilmore Girls! 
• Latest binges TV wise = Dirty John (heard the podcast is awesome), Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Friends from College (LOVE Fred Savage in it), The Americans (started last night!). 
• Latest books = Educated by Tara Westover, When Life Gives you Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger - a sequel to A Devil Wears Prada, Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. Found Educated fascinating. Currently reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Great so far! And I started The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of Skete. 
• Loving my new shower cap. I wash my hair twice(ish) a week and appreciate the upgrades to the Shhhowercap. Bit pricey but will last a lot longer than the flimsy ones from the drug store. Would make a great gift!
• My new favorite pajamas = dreamy cotton pajamas from J.Crew. They are SO comfy. LOVE. J.Crew has so many sales that I typically wait until they have one to pull the trigger. I scored this set at 40% off. 
• Guess who was the top #1 trending beauty brand of 2018?! Beautycounter - wahoo!!! My favorite BC product of the moment = Overnight Resurfacing Peel. The best! Great review from a Foodie Stays Fit. Message me if you have any questions. Great skincare quiz.  
• I've never been a big new years resolution person. However, I decided that 2019 is the year that I start a yoga practice. Been LOVING the classes at this local studio = Local Yoga in Forest Park. I'm all in! Even PFC tried a class w/ me! 
• Lastly, PFC and I decided to make sure we book a date night once a month in 2019. I was inspired by the following article, They Made a New Year's resolution to have a date night without the kids every week in 2018. Our January date was last weekend - saw Bohemian Rhapsody and had dinner at Lucca's. Yum! 
• Couldn't agree more = The Smartest Parents Let their Kids Fail. I don't bring in forgotten homework. Period.