My Latest Obsessions

St. Patrick's Day - me & G$

CMC enjoying her St. Patrick's Day iced cookie from Kay's Bakery = YUM!

MMC and her yummy St. P's Day Cookie

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day. Spring is in the air and the snow has officially melted = wahoo! GMC keeps asking when the outdoor swimming pool will be open. Not for awhile buddy but soon! Last weekend's warm temps were quite a tease.

PFC and I are heading out for a date night tomorrow pm = dinner and a movie. Excited for some uninterrupted time w/ PFC. I think we're going to see American Sniper.

Cheers to a great weekend. XO - d2

Some of my latest faves:

• Flared jeans are back! I wonder if I still have any that I could pull out from the 90s!
• Here's a pretty and simple braid.  
• Awhile back Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo shared an article her brother-in-law wrote for the New York Times last winter entitled How Long Have I Got Left. I was so utterly moved by his eloquent words. I've referred back to it a few times over this past year. And more recently he wrote an article for Stanford Medicine, Before I Go. Sadly, Paul Kalanithi passed away last week. Totally heartbreaking. What an amazing father, husband, doctor and person. 
• I made this chicken pot pie earlier in the week. Kids and PFC liked it = score! 
• Here are some cute Easter bunny treats. 
• Everything you need to know to find quality sheets and a stylish bed. I had not heard of Parachute Home before. Seems like the Everlane of bedding. Speaking of Everlane, I just saw that they came out w/ a new anorak. Very cute. I might have jumped on that one if I hadn't bought the drippity jacket last fall. 
• Pretty white lace dress. 
• Here's some fun wallpaper. This fox wallpaper would be adorable in a nursery. 
• I still remember my first pair of Birkenstocks. They were blue suede and I lost one of them at a super rainy and muddy outdoor music concert. I never replaced them. Last summer I saw a lot of folks wearing the Gizeh style. However, I think I would go w/ the Almere sandal. 
• This dance mashup is awesome! You'll recognize a lot of these famous dance scenes. It includes one of my all time favorites = Hugh Grant's dance in Love Actually. And this treadmill dancer is amazing! 
• I started the book Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Great so far. And Julianne Moore just won best actress at the Oscar's for her performance in the movie (based on the book). Heard that Moore was fantastic. 
• This weather has me thinking about spring/summer. Love these d'orsay flats, scaled cut out flats, and basketweave fold up flats (great neutral). 
• Some spring inspiration = DIY flower arranging, recipes and table settings. This coconut bunny cake looks yummy and is super cute. It reminds me of the lamb cakes we used to make w/ my mom for Easter. Here are some cute copper cookie cutters. I want to try William Sonoma's cardamom cutout sugar cookie recipe soon. And what a cute cookie jar! 

My Latest Obsessions

CMC + MMC skiing at Crystal Mountain

GMC's 1st time skiing = success!

Pura Vida - chilling in Peninsula  Papagayo

Happy Friday! I cannot believe it is March. We are just a bit closer to spring (even if it doesn't feel like it yet)! Over President's Day weekend we went skiing with several local families. It was a blast but FREEZING. And just last Sunday PFC and I got back from Peninsula Papagayo w/ 2 other couples. We had the best time and were grateful for some vitamin D and warmer temps. It was a nice change of pace. Pura vida!

This weekend we'll be kicking off St. Patrick's Day w/ our local parade and some parties. I've gotta start thinking green. These St. Patrick's Day clover crowns are super cute. However, there was some talk during dinner last night of us heading out Saturday to ski as a family (warmer temps and sun!). We'll see what we decide to do!

Have a fabulous weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• I read 3 books while we were away. LOVED The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I also read Liane Moriarty's The Last Anniversary and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (great book!). Here is a list of 12 books you should read in 2015. Now I need a new one to read. Any suggestions? 
• White paint is so tough. There are so many different shades of white - some cool and some warm. 14 top designers share their go-to white paint colors. 
• PFC and I watched The Theory of Everything a few nights ago. Excellent movie. We both loved it. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones were both outstanding. Oh, and it looks like Gillian Flynn's book Dark Places is going to be made into a movie (starring Charlize Theron). 
• Interesting articles = the Dangers of Being Agreeable and The Scary Power of Negative Words. 
• Some dinners that are on my list to make = chicken pot pie, pesto vegetarian lasagna, one pot orecchiette pasta, braised short ribs (PFC's favorite thing ever). And here are some crock pot meals.  
• I love George Clooney. Always have. Loved his days on ER. The Clooney Effect. 
• Totally digging Tom Odell's song Another Love. Have you heard about the basement tapes? They are some of Bob Dylan's never-seen lyrics that have been brought to life by Burnett, Costello, Giddens, Goldsmith, James and Mumford. Faves = "When I Get My Hands on You" and "Kansas City" by Mumford. 
• Summer will be here at some point, right?! Some pretty dresses = Pina Lace Dress, Parted Emerald Dress (pricey but LOVE the color) and this Verda Maxi Dress. And for a limited time enjoy 20% off dresses at Anthro. Fun! And this necklace from J.Crew Factory has become a staple of mine. 
• I like to mix and match bikini tops w/ bottoms (fave bottom = flounce swim skirt). I picked up this top before our trip to Costa Rica. Can't beat the price!
• I ordered a thank you gift from Heath Ceramics. If I'm out in Sausalito or SF I would love to go on a factory tour. 
• I read this post on Food Fantasies and laughed (out loud!). My sisters and I play this game sometimes - where you don't take into account calories or overall health factors. My ideal would be reese's peanut butter cups (standard size) and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Yum! 
• My favorite perfume = Jo Malone's Blue Agava and Cacao (layered w/ a bit of Pomegranate Noir). However, recently I discovered Lifetherapy's Pulse Point Oil Perfumes. I love the Calm scent. This would make a great gift! 
• These hugging skeletons have been trending online. Powerful message. The video will make you smile (and want to hug someone!). 

My Latest Obsessions

Annual Dinner at Five O'Clock Steakhouse in Milwaukee = old school, baby!

CMC is 11!

MMC is 9!

Valentine's Day Daddy Daughter Dance

Happy Friday! We're heading out shortly to Crystal Mountain to ski for the long weekend. We're meeting up with a bunch of other families. It is going to be a blast! This will be GMC's first time skiing - fun!

Wishing everyone a FABULOUS Valentine's Day weekend! Stay warm!

XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• PFC and I had a great weekend trip to Milwaukee a few weeks ago. I love our annual winter tradition of a weekend there. We always head to 5 O'Clock Steakhouse one evening for dinner and then try out a new restaurant the next evening. This year we went to All Purpose and it was FANTABULOUS. Loved it. The food was fantastic and the decor was spot on. And we love retreating back to our hotel = Iron Horse Inn = LOVE it there! And we checked out a new spot for breakfast = Engine Co. No. 3 = amazing food. 
• I LOVE all of these great Valentine's Day ideas = 3 easy Valentines for your coworkers and 14 ideas for non-candy Valentines. I LOVE Rifle & Co.'s Valentine's Day cards. And I got rid of my Otterbox iphone case for a new prettier one from Rifle & Co. 
• Jimmy Fallon is killing it lately on The Tonight Show. OMG, love him! My latest two faves = Jimmy Fallon + Nicole Kidman = classic and Jimmy Fallon goes to Bayside HS. 
• We met PFC's cousin's new baby girl the other day. She was wearing the cutest booties EVER. I've bookmarked this link for the next time I need a baby gift. 
• Some tricks for avoiding small talk. 
• News in the retail world = Madewell will be selling items at Nordstroms. 
• I made Jenny Steffen's molten cakes for Christmas Eve dinner. They were surprisingly very easy and a huge hit. Next time I might try them w/ these paper souffle cups. These would be perfect for a Valentine's Day dessert! 
• I've been eating this bruschetta lentil dip for lunch w/ cucumber slices. It is SO good and easy.
• The only 3 salts that you need.
• Okay, Parenthood is officially over. 6 seasons and the series finale was a few weeks ago. I cried and cried but they did a fantastic job on the last (ever!) episode. For sure. I already miss my Braverman clan.   
• Nashville is on my list of cities to visit. I'm saving this post on 24 hours in Nashville. And 40 places to visit with your kids before they are all grown up. 
• I snagged this pretty skirt on sale from Anthro. I wore it to a cocktail party last weekend and I can tell it will be one of those pieces in my closet that I will wear a few different ways. 
• Chicago now has a Shake Shack = awesome! Here are some insider secrets of why their cheeseburgers are so delicious! 
• PFC and I want to watch the documentary, Finding Vivian Maier. 
• I might have to make these Magic 5 Snack Bites! 
• Wahoo = Granville, OH made the top 10 list for best day trips. I spent 4 awesome years there at Denison University! PFC and I have said that we want to drive there at some point and bring the kids to show them the campus and town. 

My Latest Obsessions

The Kiddos

Happy Friday! I'm so excited. Peter and I are taking off tomorrow for our annual weekend getaway to Milwaukee. Every winter after the holidays we head to Milwaukee for a weekend in January or February. It's become our little tradition (a few posts from years past = 2014, 2013, 2010). It is the perfect drive from Chicago (under 2 hours) and we always feel as though we are "away." PFC went to Marquette so he has always appreciated Milwaukee and I now love the town. Our only itinerary all weekend includes reservations for dinner and brunch. We love just chilling at our favorite hotel = Iron Horse Hotel. We're adding two new restaurants to try this year = All Purpose (dinner) and Fire Engine No. 3 (brunch). We've also talked about hitting up the Oriental Theatre and catching the movie Birdman.

Happy Weekend! XO - d2

Some of my latest faves...

• I LOVE this = the dog that has been riding the bus in Seattle. Too cute! 
• Cool metallic textured pillow from Target's Nate Berkus line. 
• CMC turns 11 on Tuesday. Hard to believe. She has requested homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner. I've been searching around for a yummy and easy recipe. Pioneer Woman's recipe caught my eye. Barefoot Contessa's recipe looks good too. Anyone have one that is a winner? 
• I made this turkey meatball spinach tortellini soup last week for the crew. They gave it a thumbs up. 
• A college friend opened up an Etsy store selling hand painted signs on reclaimed wood. Some really cute stuff! 
• How cool would it be if Adam Levine crashed your wedding?! Check this out. Pretty awesome! C + M loved this video. 
• Oscar nominations = here. I have some catching up to do. I haven't seen any of the films listed for best picture. 
• Interesting = Gillian Flynn says there could be a sequel to Gone Girl. 
• Super fun = you can now follow Kate and William (and baby George) on Instagram! 
• This quinoa egg bake looks great! And this mushroom marsala pasta bake looks awesome! This spicy roasted broccolini quinoa salad is SUPER tasty. PFC loved it too. 
• I started reading Cheryl Strand's book, Tiny Beautiful Things. Really good so far and it is based on the Dear Sugar column. 
• Instead of wallpaper it would be fun to try this fabric wall treatment. 
• Okay, I cannot believe there are only 2 more episodes left of Parenthood. I've been watching this show from season 1. Each episode makes me cry and laugh. Here's Lauren Graham chatting about her experience on Parenthood. My favorite character = Zeek! Love him. 

My Latest Obsessions

The kiddos on Christmas

It's a Wonderful Life at the Music Box Theatre

A Holidate = Christmas Plaid explosion!

Happy Friday! And Happy New Year! The holidays are behind us and 2015 has been off to a COLD start. It's been freezing here all week in Chicago. The kids were off of school one day for the temps alone. It is tough not to be daydreaming of warmer temps, sunshine, and summer.

Tonight we are laying low and staying warm. Maybe some hot chocolate and a movie tonight. Tomorrow night PFC/I are heading to Topolobambo for dinner. Rick Bayless' restaurant has been on my list for a long time! I do want to see the movie Unbroken at some point. I've heard that it is pretty intense. And PFC and I are looking forward to our annual weekend trip to Milwaukee next weekend. It's always a perfect little getaway.

Stay warm. And enjoy the weekend! XO - D2

Some of my latest faves:

• AMAZING collaboration come spring = Lily Pulitzer and Target. SOOOO excited for this one. Can't wait until April 19th! 
• I made this 
• Okay, I've gotta say that I'm totally digging Australia's flat white coffee. Yum! Starbucks revealed it's latest drink at the beginning of this week. Even Serena Williams needs a coffee break! Love it. 
• Hilarious = Jimmy Fallon + Nicole Kidman. Love it! 
• Both C + M have birthdays this month. After we made GMC a homemade cake for his 4th birthday the girls said they wanted one for their upcoming birthdays. So, MMC has requested a white cake and CMC has requested a yellow cake w/ chocolate frosting. I found this Cook's Illustrated White Layer cake for M and I'm thinking of trying this Best Birthday Cake for C. Anyone have any tried and true favorites? 
• This New Year's Eve we had a quiet night at home w/ the kids. It was nice to chill after the holidays. I should have worn this cute sweatshirt w/ my yoga pants! 
• Entertaining slows down after the holidays. But it's always good to know what 5 items to keep on hand. 
• I adore my college friends. Need I say more = 19 reasons your college friends will be your friends for life. 
• Cute DIY valentine's day cards. 
• Our kids love orange juice in the mornings. From here on out I'm only picking up OJ from Trader Joe's = What's Really in the Orange Juice you Feed your Kids. 
• In January I start to put together a mental list of things I want to focus on throughout the year or little resolutions. A few of mine this year = drink warm lemon water every morning (been doing this so far = love it) and continue on my no more diet coke kick. I haven't missed it. However, I will say that I LOVE a diet coke from McDonald's every once in awhile! 
• Another great collaboration = West Elm and Kate Spade Saturday.   
• I finished Rachel Simon's The Story of Beautiful Girl. Loved it! I need a new book to start. Any recommendations? 
• So, PFC and I started Breaking Bad from season 1. Wowser - what a great show! The Wire is also on our list. 
• I LOVE Paperless Post. It was interesting to read about the sibling team behind it. 
• And we loved seeing It's a Wonderful Life at the Music Box Theatre before Christmas. I think we are going to make it our holiday tradition. 
• Love all of Emma Stone's dress choices. 
• Fun = Ball came out w/ a new limited edition hue for their jars = purple! 
• Here's an easy DIY framed art piece. I would use one of these cute wallpapers - here or here (and just order a sample). And check out these wallpapered stair risers. FUN! 

My Latest Obsession

C + M at their piano recital (can't get over how grown up they are looking these days!)

My little helper (making our annual Carr Christmas Cookie jars)

Off to the Nutcracker 

Happy Friday! This was one of my favorite days as a kid = the last day of school before holiday break = parties in your classroom and holiday concerts! This morning I had CMC's holiday party at school and soon GMC and I are off to MMC's school for her holiday concert. Can't wait. It's been a week of cookies, parties, and concerts!

Tonight we are stuffing our holiday cards. I ordered them so early this year and they have been sitting in the box ever since. I love getting holiday cards in the mail! So fun. Tomorrow the girls are off to ski for the day and I'm hoping to use that time to organize some of their Christmas gifts. Tomorrow night PFC and I are heading to dinner w/ some dear friends we have not seen in a LONG time. I'm excited to check out Charlatan for dinner. After dinner we are heading to my sister and her husband's house for a holiday party. Festive!

I'm SUPER excited on Sunday to head to the Music Box Theatre to see It's a Wonderful Life. I imagine that we'll be making this a Christmas tradition. Our favorite lines from the movie =
Little Mary: Is this the ear you can't hear on? Little Mary: George Bailey, I'll love you til the day I die. What is your favorite holiday movie?

Last Christmas we headed to my mom's in AZ. We had such a wonderful time. This year we are staying put and my dad is coming out to visit. We are excited to hang w/ Big G!

Have a wonderful weekend! XO - d2

Some of my latest faves...

• Kate Middleton lost her mind when she met Jenna Lyons. Cute. 
• Good read = lasting relationships rely on 2 traits. 
• Check out Tom Cruise's mansion in the mountains. Pretty fabulous! 
• 2 great gift ideas under $30 = Zoku ice cream maker and these cute wrist warmers. We got both C + M one of the ice cream makers. They love the original quick pop maker. We use it all the time. 
• Might have to splurge on these low fat chocolate chip cookies! 
• This year we are hosting Christmas Eve. My dad will be in town. I've been thinking about our dinner menu. Beef tenderloin is going to be our main dish. I'm thinking of cooking it this way = slow-roasted. I'm thinking of making these individual chocolate molten cakes for dessert. They look awesome! You can make the batter up to a few days in advance = perfect! For sides I'm thinking about these balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and these truffled mashed potatoes. Here's some inspiration for a Christmas dinner table. 
• Ralph Lauren is opening up a restaurant in NYC. Exciting! I love RL in Chicago. 
• 10 habits of polite people. 
• Are you visiting out of town family/friends over the holidays? If so, this would be the perfect gift to send them when you leave = build your own sundae kit. 
• Christmas breakfast = dutch baby pancakes with apples = yes, please! 
• Cute holiday card = be merry reindeer. 
• We're making PFC a 2015 calendar from Artifact Uprising. They have such cool stuff. 
• Animal House style sweatshirt for your kiddo. Pretty funny. 
• 30 movies to watch w/ your family. 
• I was w/ some of my girlfriends last night for our annual gift exchange. This game was a popular gift = Cards Against Humanity. Have you played it? I haven't played it yet but heard it is a riot. Read about the 8 high school friends who created the game. Pretty cool! 
• We've been making our own holiday version of these Cowgirl Cookie Jars for the holidays. We pass them out to neighbors, friends, family and teachers. GMC is my #1 helper on these. My mom makes poppy seed loaves for friends and neighbors. The cookie jars are our version of her homemade gift. But wouldn't these coca-cola and hot chocolate gift boxes be fun to make? 

My Latest Obsessions

Disneyland

Good ole Mickey ears!

Hendry's Beach - Santa Barbara

JuJu w/ her 3 pups

Fave = In N Out burger

Hanging at the beach! 

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had an awesome time at Disneyland and then Santa Barbara. Let's just say it was difficult to come back to cloudy and cold Chicago! Here's the video of us surprising the kids w/ Disneyland. They had NO idea we were making a pit stop there on our way to Santa Barbara.

On our trip I made a mental checklist of all the things I'm thankful for. And I've gotta say that I love our community (the little village/town that I moved to several years ago - to be w/ PFC and the girls). Over the years we've seen several friends go through various things (loss, sickness, etc.) and this town totally comes together in support. It is pretty amazing. Right now we are praying and sending positive thoughts to a dear friend of ours.

Cheers to the weekend ahead. XO - d2

Some of my latest faves...

• I think we can all now add Santa Barbara to our list of favorite places. We all loved it. PFC and I snuck out for a lovely dinner at The Lark. We waited for our table next door at Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant. I had the best glass of  Elderflower Soda (this is what I had = amazing). So good! After dinner we headed up to San Ysidro Ranch for coffee and dessert. It has been on my list for awhile. Gorgeous grounds. We had the best piece of chocolate cake with caramel. Divine! Fun fact = John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned there. 
• PFC's birthday was last Friday. My mom and I picked up a cake at Andersen's bakery on State Street in Santa Barbara. We all said that it was one of the best cakes (the georgine) we've ever had! Worth every last calorie. A few folks even went back to the bakery the next day and picked up some extra slices! 
• I finished two books over vacation = One Plus One by JoJo Moyes and the memoir Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Loved Wild! Reese Witherspoon is playing Cheryl in the movie. Excited to check it out. I just started the book, The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. 100 notable books of 2014. 
• I read through Oprah's favorites on the plane ride home. Love these boots that were on her list. Of course they are sold out = touched by Oprah! 
• I think I'm going to try these butternut squash lasagna rolls this weekend! 
• Baby it's cold outside. America's best winter drives. 
• I love holiday movies. One of my favorite holiday movies = Love Actually. Favorite scene = Hugh Grant's dancing scene. LOVE it! What is your favorite holiday movie? Here is the holiday TV calendar. We booked tickets to see It's a Wonderful Life at the Music Box theater. It just might become a family tradition of ours! 
• What a cool job = head of creative at Farrow & Ball. 
• This chocolate peanut butter fudge looks ah-mazing! Yummy! 
• We had the most delicious brussels sprouts over Thanksgiving. Best ever = brussels sprout hash with caramelized shallots. I'm in total brussels sprouts mode and I want to try this recipe (raw shredded brussels sprouts with lemon and oil). 
• Some great gift guides = something for their home, cards, gift tags and gift wrap, gifts for your best friend, Love this reindeer mistletoe card. 
• LOVE farmhouses. 
• Hilarious = Prince Harry on his nude pictures. He just makes me smile! And his confession at the end is super cute. Who knew! 
• This hot chocolate mix looks super yummy! Would be perfect for the evenings we watch Homeland or The Affair. And fun fact = one of my favorite Homeland actors is engaged.