Living on a Prayer

I had an incredibly busy weekend. Friday night, Chris and I met up with Robert and Katie for dinner at the Mayan Palace. If you've never been there, it's incredible Mexican and the best service in Chicago!
Then we headed over to the Shamrock for a few pints.

Saturday I spent the day at the salon getting my hair colored and cut. (photo coming soon)
Saturday night we went to a friend's wedding at the Barrington Barn. It was a nice ceremony and a great reception. I've never sang Bon Jovi louder in my life!

Sunday was Laine's baby shower in Arlington Heights. It was great seeing my friend (it has been over a year since we last saw each other) and it was wild seeing her 6 months pregnant!

Good times all around. I'm super busy at work, trying to wrap things up before my last day on Wednesday. I can't wait for some beach time this weekend! Wilmington never sounded so good!

9021 - oh hell no!

I was sewing last night (see post below titled Crafty) when I became too lazy to get up and put in a dvd of Four Weddings and a Funeral, which Sarah loaned me, so instead I sat through an episode of 90210.

That is one hour of my life that I will never get back. The only person I cared about on that show was Kelli Taylor. Everyone else was REALLY bad at acting. The clothes were also REALLY bad. And one guy was doing an almost offensive job of acting like an person with Autism or maybe it was OCD. Seriously he was that bad I couldn't even tell. And they were doing a bit about a high school musical (sound familiar, anyone?) so there was singing and dancing. It was totally dumb.

No thank you! I'll stick with my Gossip Girl, where the clothes are fabulous and the plotline is steamy!

Crafty

Back in the early 80's, my mom stitched an Advent calendar of a Christmas tree with 24 ornaments. Growing up, every morning in December the three of us kids would crowd around the felt tree to watch one of us pin the new ornament to the tree. I always loved how shiny the tree looked.

Angie now has the Advent tree that we used growing up and her two little boys get to eagerly look at the shiny tree as they try to patiently countdown to Christmas morning.

Last time I was home I mentioned how much I would love to have a similar wall hanging, so my 95 year-old-grandmother offered to stitch me one. She cut out the tree and sewed all the pockets to hold the ornaments. She also cut out numbers and glued the days onto each pocket. Can you believe that at the age of 95 she is still that crafty!?

Now it's my turn to attempt to be crafty. I'm cutting out ornaments and sewing sequins onto each and every one and I lined the tree with gold sequins, to make it as shiny as possible.

I hope 30 years from now I have a daughter who thinks fondly on the shiny Advent calendar her mom stitched for her. And maybe, if I'm really blessed, I'll get to watch my grandchildren pin ornaments onto the tree as they try to patiently countdown to Christmas morning.


Thanks Angie for taking pics of mom's calendar and all the ornaments. I'm using the photos as a guide on how to sew on sequins!

Barack the Vote!

I just ordered my very first Barack Obama t-shirt and bumper sticker! Thank you Sarah for helping me pick it out!

Hand Holding

My nieces were napping this weekend and my sister-in-law, Mindy, went in to check on them and found them holding hands. :)

SNL - These Ladies are Brilliant!

Change.

Many people who know me know that I do not like change. I am a creature of habit and find comfort in routine. So when I do make a change in my life I need to feel very confident about the change and I need to know in my heart of hearts that it is the right choice.

I quit my job on Thursday. The stress of the decision had made me quite uneasy and ill-feeling for the days prior to my resignation. I've been with Crate and Barrel for 6 years. That company has had so much impact on my life, I am unable to quantify it's importance to me. When I had moved halfway across the county, while only knowing 1 person, Crate and Barrel was a place where I met some of the most wonderful people who have since become some of my most cherished friends. 2 years later when my heart was pulling me back towards home, Crate and Barrel moved me and my two kittys to Chicago to work in their corporate office. This company has been a big part of my life these past 6 years and it was very difficult to decide to leave them.

After giving notice on Thursday, I was overcome with waves of sadness and excitment. Sadness because I was closing a chapter on my life, by leaving this company. I remember distinctly sitting at a table at The Grove with Chad and James right before my interview with Melissa, the manager of Crate and Barrel. I needed a job in L.A. before I could move there and I had hopes this interview would go well. I remember stepping out of the store, after meeting with Melissa, and being so happy that they had offered me a job. Those steps out of the building were quite significant steps in my life because it meant I was strong enough to make a change from Iowa to California. It meant that I could try exploring a new city and a new part of the country. That job offer at Crate and Barrel allowed me the freedom to explore my own character and strength.

I was also overcome with excitement, after giving notice, because the new job I took sounds like a lot of fun. I'm working for a high-end furniture company, doing a similar job as what I did at Crate and Barrel, but this new company is located in downtown Chicago so I can finally be rid of my commute. 2 1/2 hours a day in my car, for 4 years straight, has been draining on my spirit. And my bank account. I'm glad this new job will be kinder to both.

My last day at Crate and Barrel is a week from Wednesday. I am excited for this change, even if I am also a bit nervous, and I am excited to see where this new chapter in my life leads me.

The photos are of the flowers Chris got me in celebration of my new job. His florist grew orchids in blue dyed water which turned the orchids a beautiful blue hue. Aren't they beautiful!

My Sparkly Weekend

I have had such a wonderful weekend. I couldn't just pick one thing to blog about so instead I'm just going to recap all that happened over the past couple of days.

On Friday night, Chris took me out to eat at a little Italian restaurant in Lincoln Park called Rose Angelis. We sipped red wine while dining on delicious food and a decadant dessert of triple chocolate mousse. It was beautiful and quaint and lovely. :)

Saturday I stayed in during the day and sewed on sequins to the Advent Calendar my 96-year-old grandmother made me. It took 7 hours but I got the entire tree outlines in gold sequins. Now I'm tackling all the tiny ornaments, which is much more time consuming than I originally thought it would be. But I'm enjoying working with my hands and it's fun to watch the tree grow brighter and shinier with sequins.

Saturday night was Sarah Kahl's birthday party. Paddy rented out a bowling alley and a huge group of us met up to go bowling. I bowled a 168 and rolled a turkey (which is 3 strikes in a row)! I've only gotten a turkey one other time in my life and it was a lot of fun doing the turkey dance with Manno and Paddy. It was such a fun party and I was grateful to be able to celebrate Sarah's birthday with her. :)

Sunday morning I headed off to church and then on to the Logan Square Farmer's Market where Mike surprised me with a box of veggies! It's not my typical week to pick-up but he just prepared a box for me anyway. I'm having Carolyn over for dinner tomorrow night and I'm going to cook us up some organic pork chops, peaches and cream corn, steamed green beans and blueberries for dessert. Yum!

Sunday afternoon I met up with Anna at Bleeding Heart Bakery for a mid-day sweet treat. It was great catching up with her since she got back from volunteering at the organic farm in Arizona. It was just fun hanging out and talking and I'm glad she's joining the Green Committee with me!

Now it's Sunday night. Chris is in Pittsburgh for the Steeler's game and I'm sitting around sewing sequins on ornaments. I have a big day tomorrow so I'm trying to mentally prepare for it. Just reflecting on this weekend makes me feel good and happy. :)

What the Chuck?!

Ugh, I have a horrible confession that I need to make. I now watch Gossip Girl. It wasn't that long ago that I mocked the show and it's actors but one boring Sunday afternoon, a few weeks back, there was nothing on t.v. to watch except a re-run of Gossip Girl. So I watched it. And now I'm obsessed with it.

Their clothes alone are a reason to watch. It's like Sex and the City where you just never know what crazy outfit will be worn! And the super scandalous script is also quite intriguing. And, *puts head in hands*, I most love the character of Chuck. He's this super cocky, preppy jerk but underneath it all he does have a good heart. And he really does love Blaire and it's killing him seeing her with another man.


It also helps that the actor playing Chuck is really a British stage actor with a very soft voice. He's nothing like his character. Sweet God, what has become of me? Am I really defending this show?

Yes. Yes I am. OMFG

Three Cups of Tea

Thank you Julia for suggesting the book Three Cups of Tea! I'm about half way through the book and I just love it! This story was authored by David Oliver Relin, a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and it's a true story about how Greg Mortenson, a man passionate about climbing mountains, decided one day to build a school in the small village of Korphe at the base of K2.

That one decision has changed his entire life and the lives of thousands of Pakistani and Afghan children. He has given an eduation to over 28,000 children by building over 78 schools in the rural regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
This book is inspiring and touching. I strongly recommend it. It would make a great bookclub read!

You can read more about Greg's mission right here.

Persepolis

I watched the film Persepolis tonight; what a beautiful film! It's an animated adaption of a graphic novel. Marjane, the main character, is a French girl, growing up in Iran during a time of war, oppression and sexism. The movie is about her struggle to be an ordinary girl in unordinary times.
It was just beautiful to watch and the crisp French voices were fun to listen to. This is art at it's finest. Two thumbs, WAY UP!

Why, Mulder, WHY?!?

I just posted a comment on Julia's Blog noting that David Duchovny is on my Top 5, but I just read this quote on MSN's website:
"I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family." — "Californication" star David Duchovny, revealing in a statement that he has entered rehab for sex addiction. (Source: The Associated Press

WHAT!?!?!
I didn't see that one coming. (no pun intended) hee hee

Together Again

Anna Miriam and Lillian Elizabeth

I became an aunt, twice over, on Friday! I would like to officially introduce my two nieces, Anna Miriam and Lillian (Lily) Elizabeth.
Anna must have kicked Lily earlier because she came out with a foot sized bruise on her chest. Anna came out nice and strong, looking around and waving her fists. Lily had a tougher time as her lungs weren't as developed. Lily had to use all of her energy to just inhale and exhale. But with a bit of medicine, time and prayers, she's doing much better now.
And Mindy, my sister-in-law, is also doing OK. She's just sleep-deprived. And will be for the next 16 years.

Tomato Marina

It's that time of year again when the tomatoes are taking over gardens with their plump, juicy fruit! Chris and I have gotten tomatoes from just about everyone we know and so we decided to spend Sunday afternoon making 100% organic, homemade marinara sauce. If you're interested in the recipe, just let me know and I'll email it to you. It's really easy, you just need some olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and a shit-ton of tomatoes.
Here are some pics of the process. Please note that Chris was in charge of labeling the baggie...so I guess we actually made a batch of "Tomato Marina" on Sunday. hee hee

The Price is Right!

Has anyone else noticed the resemblance between Biden and Barker? He's still got my vote!
Help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered.

Haven

Here's a photo of baby Haven. keep the prayers coming. She's still in the NICU trying to get strong enough to come home.

I Think God Doesn't Want Me to be a Vampire

During times of trials and tribulations, I am always grateful for my sister, Angie. She is always willing to offer a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen with, and a Bible verse to soothe my worries.

For instance, today she emailed me some advice and words of encouragement. Then she ended the email with this, Just remember: Leviticus 3:17

So, feeling embarrassed that I don't know that scripture by heart (cause if Angie knows it then for sure everyone knows it) I went and googled it. And here's what it reads, 'This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.'

WHAT?!? Great, now I can't eat blood. When I wrote her back, cracking up at the random verse, she responded with this, Now go ponder Judges 2:9,

Thanks to Google, I now know that reads, And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

So, this post is a thank you to my sister, Angie: my rock, my best friend, my spiritual adviser. Whenever I think of you, Ang, I am reminded of Proverbs 3:10.

6 to 8 Black Men

Carolyn burned me a copy of David Sedaris' Live at Carnegie Hall cd. I used to own this album, when I lived in L.A., but I somehow lost in when moving to Chicago. I forgot how absolutely hilarious this cd is!

Thanks Carolyn for the album!

Baby Girl Cipolla

Laine and Chris are having a baby girl!! I love that all of my girlfriends are becoming Mothers! :)