my odd vs even theory + my year of music!!!

I have this theory about odd vs even years. I hate odd years and love even. I promise I have tried to be positive in odd years but things just go to crap every time an odd year rolls around. So I am majorly looking forward to 2012, can't wait.

I am making 2012 my year of music! My goals are to go to more concerts (already purchased tickets to see FUN. and the Head and the Heart), practice my guitar more and maybe dabble in some song writing.

Top TEN favorite music of 2011:

Florence and the Machine
Avett Brothers
Brandi Carlile

The Shaky Hands

Tapes 'n Tapes

Frightened Rabbit

Best Coast

Neko Case
The Rural Alberta Advantage

and of course 

GLEE

gossip girl to dawson's creek

Thank god for Netflix adding Gossip Girl to it's collection because I hate being behind on my GG. Season 4 is awesome so far, way better than season 3 for sure. I am loving the villain Juliet, she has just been taken down and all her secrets exposed. I am always disappointed with the men that Serena dates...remember that annoying and fugly artist guy? Oh and that married congressman...also fugly...and now an ex-con? Really S?

I am glad that Blair is at least putting her career and school before Chuck BUT it looks like something is happening with her and Dan. AND I can't help but get that giddy, gushy feeling of actually liking them as a couple. It soooo takes me back to when Joey and Pacey got together on Dawson's Creek...so perfect. Just talking about "The Creek" makes me feel super old....that show came out 10+ years ago. Sigh...

off the grid

Off the grid, on the lam, major disconnect...that is how I feel every time I move to a new place. You don't have Internet or cable for a while, all your stuff is still in boxes and learning a brand new morning routine is not fun. Plus we moved the day before Thanksgiving! But now things have settled down, the holidays are over and I feel like everything is getting back to normal. Happenings from the past month:

• My baking skills have far exceeded any one's expectations. Things I have made from scratch in our new kitchen: biscuits, oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies (and the icing), chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. Nothing came from a box! I rolled out all the dough myself. 

• I've gotten to the point where all I want to do is wear sweatpants to work, I have been celebrating my birthday right into the holidays...need to stop drinking and go to gym more.I joined a new gym that opened up in my favorite hood, Lincoln Square. I love it, they have a sauna the size of our kitchen and NO KIDS ALLOWED. Perfecto. 

• I have been shopping way to much but you can't beat all these holiday sales...it can really get addicting once you jump into it.

• Speaking of addicting, I discovered the Hunger Games and I am completely obsessed with everything about it. I cried and made faces and noises on trains and airplanes. It's that good and I love Peeta. I am waiting for my friend Erin to read book one so we can read book two together...I don't know how much longer I can wait Erin...

• "There was a clown in the stormdrain." Stephen King's IT is what I'm reading now. I thought it was appropriate for the holidays especially since I really don't like Christmas anymore. I am a Grinch now. 

• One thing that I know to be true and I was reminded about this past month is that my sister, Elizabeth, is the best, most amazing person. She is beautiful, strong, funny, kind, generous, the best mom and the best sister in the entire universe. And that is only half describing how awesome she is. Love her. 

 

birdie scarf

I bought the CUTEST scarf I have ever owned the other day at the Gap! We were just leaving the store and it was wrapped around a mannequin and I stopped and grabbed it! I told Sean I thought it was soooo adorable, so we turned around and got it! It has little yellow and pink birdies and is my favorite color of dark blue, love it!

halo + walking on sunshine

I wonder if it would be age appropriate to play this song at my future wedding....I think it would be fun to dance to with my gals!

Happy Wednesday!

idaho trip

Last week I was in Idaho for work interviewing libraries for our annual study about technology, funding, etc. I had such a great time at each library and these trips and talking with the librarians really make me appreciate my job a little more. That maybe what we are doing here really matters to them, you know? That is what I hope for in any job I have.

Anyhoo, here are a few pics from my travels. Boise had the best coffee shops on almost every corner, loved it! I can't wait to plan a hiking and kayaking trip here with Sean, also the downtown area was so cute with lots of shops and restaurants. One of the libraries had a big welcome sign for us, and then the town's newspaper, the mayor and a few city council men come out and took us to lunch. I think we felt like celebrities for just a bit...

{1. Hammerhead coffee (yum!) - 2. Mountains @ 6am - 3. Sunrise & mist - 4. Plateaus - 5. More mist! - 6. Welcome ALA sign - 7. View from lunch spot - 8. Cinnamon coffee au lait & bagel w/ apple cinnamon cream cheese (the best!) - 9. Vineyards & apple orchards - 10. Nampa's skating rink - 11. "Lizard" of Lizard Butte - 12. Idaho fries & beer - 13. Boise candy shop!}

baby elliptical

The weather is starting to get cold and windy in Chicago so it has been stressful trying to fit in a good cardio session outside. We canceled our gym membership to save money so I was really relying on running outside to get the job done. So for a while now I was thinking of getting an elliptical for our place, but with the new move we just won't have the room. I did a little research and found this baby elliptical, the Stamina InMotion, that is super tiny and easy to store!

It had a ton of great reviews on every Web site I researched so I went ahead and purchased it on Amazon. It was around $200 at other stores but I got it on Amazon for $89, deal! It came last night and I put it together in like 30 mins, so easy! It was kind of hard at first to stay balanced but I ended up really liking it. And this morning I notice that my abs hurt and realized this sucker works your core too since you have to balance yourself on it!

halloween date!

"H-A-DOUBLE L-O-W-DOUBLE E-N spells Halloween!" Did you ever sing that song in school? I love it!

Sean and I had our Halloween date night Saturday and had a monster BLAST! We went to dinner at J. Alexander's and sat at the bar, ate calamari and steaks, had a bunch of red wine and got everything for free! Love the perks of Sean's job! ;)

Then we headed to an art show that was Halloween themed. It was amazing! So many gory and scary pieces! Lots of free wine too...haha. But the most exciting part of the night was Sean and I buying our first piece of art together! She was one of the last pieces we saw at the show and we just had to have her. We went mad trying to find the gallery owner to place a bid on her but he wasn't even at the show yet. But alas he finally arrived and we bought her! Isn't she beautiful? I was thinking of naming her Claudette...

Other pieces from the show that were pretty cool. Zombie Elvis and Franken-PIG!

Oooooo, he looks so scary and serious! We ended the night renting Scream 4 back at home, it was pretty good, I did scream a few times. :)  Happy Halloween!

bachelorette palooza!

I am co-hosting my friend Mallory's Bachelorette Party in New Orleans with fellow Thetas - my best friend Erin and Mallory's maid of honor and sister-in-law Leslie! We have been planning it for months now and it is getting so close! I love Mal to death, I talk to her everyday on Gchat and she is such a great friend to me, oh and she is also a fun time! ; )

Leslie wanted to do the invitations for the event and Erin and I were so excited to see them. Leslie has always been super cute and is always so stylish. She was a year below us in Theta and I remember her getting a super cute mini cooper with red stripes! Adorable, just like her!

Anyways, LOOK at these amazing invitations she helped design! Leslie said she is really into invitations (just like us) and likes to enlist someone to design them. She lives in Washington, DC and these are by Steve from By Hand Invitations. All of the details are so perfect! Look how cute the bra and panty sizes are!!! They are exactly what I was picturing and even more FABULOUS!

Mallory said "I feel like Kim Kardashian and my bachelorette party is sponsored!"

from less waste to great taste!

Our coffee maker retired earlier this month and if you know me, you know that I LOVE my coffee. I haven't had coffee at home for over 4 weekends and it was really starting to bug me. Sean and I talked about just getting a coffee press since we couldn't decide on what new coffee maker we wanted. So last weekend I walked to our Starbucks and bought this awesome contraption!

I was very wary at first about how the coffee would look and taste but I it was the BEST cup of coffee I have ever made! I was very surprised! Plus the press I found is made from recycled plastic, go green! In just 4 simple steps you have a fantastic cup of joe!

a funny thing happened....

A funny thing happened on the way to the park for my daily run. It was a Sunday and I always pass this small church that is nestled among the apartment buildings in our neighborhood. As I am coming upon the church a very, very, very big fat boy is standing outside the church just resting his hands on his big belly staring as people passed him. He was right in my path and I didn't really think anything of it, I was on a mission to go run. Well, here is what transpired between me and the big fat boy on Sunday:

Big Fat Boy walked right out in front of me and held out his big fat arms.

Big Fat Boy: "Can I have a hug?"

I tried to walk past him but he kept following me.

Me: "What?"

Big Fat Boy: "Can I have a hug?"

Me: "Uhhh...no. That's creepy...you are creepy."

And I walked around him and started walking a little faster.

Big Fat Boy: "I like your ASS."

I stopped...turned right around and got in his big fat face.

Me: "What the...? You need to go back into that church and learn some manners big boy!"

Then I continued on my way while the big fat boy ran back into the church, hopefully he learned some manners from Jesus that day.

hunter boots? yes, please!

So excited, so excited! I am finally getting my Hunter Boots that I have been wanting for years!!! I am going to get the original tall black ones that can go with just about anything. Plus, they are selling more varieties of the super cute fold over socks that go with them! I think the white fur socks are going to be perfect come winter! Oh, how I wish I had them right now because it has been raining for days here! 

wow white dress

My sweet letter to Anthropologie got me browsing their BHLDN Web site yesterday (bad Caroline!) and I noticed this new dress I haven't seen before.

This IT dress is the ultimate romantic white gown. Look at the detailing on the sleeves and lower skirt, aMAHzing! 

And of course you have to get the matching booties! 

All of this will only cost you $6,535! ;)

{images BHLDN}

dear anthropologie,

I have really tried to love you and I always enjoy looking at your unique clothes and home decor...but you are just too effing expensive for me. Regretfully, I must stop browsing your online store while at work, and I must stop receiving your amazing emails that claim you have awesome sales going on, but in all actuality your sales are also too effing expensive for me. Lies...all lies! For example, $100 for a shower curtain? Really? And it's only $36 for the matching towels...woo wee! Oh wait...that's per towel!? Well shit...

Let's not forget your über adorable and unique dresses! They only range from $200-$5,000 dollars! Kidding about the $5,000 but still...come one! And usually when I spot something cute I want to buy from you, I have to save for a few weeks just to purchase it. By the time I'm ready to hand over my hard-earned $250 to you for a swimsuit, the damn thing is gone! Why Anthro!? Why!? And then you have to go and create a wedding line!? WTF, why are you so MEAN!??? 

Anyways, I hope this letter finds you well and you are enjoying the fall weather. Sean sends his love and he also asked if you could put those owl cookie jars on sale that we found two years ago. We are really excited about purchasing them for our new apartment!

sneak peek: our new apartment!

Here are some sneak peek photos of our new place! It has all the charm that we have been looking for and it is BIG! There are built-ins, a fireplace, wall sconces, crystal door knobs, top floor north and south views, plus FOUR closets! The kitchen isn't as nice as ours now but I know we can fix it up, anyways, black and white kitchens are my fave. Our landlord looks, talks and acts just like Oscar from The Office, he is so nice! We will be sad to be leaving our current home but I just know this is the perfect place for us to live in for the next few years!

tv time!

So this fall I have really enjoyed some new TV shows, let's dish! 

#1 favorite new show: Awkward on MTV

Okay, okay...yes this show is about teenagers and yes it's on MTV! But it is soooooo funny and I swear everything Miss Jenna Hamilton says is right from my high school days! And the show has the best one-liners ever, I'm always cracking up when I watch it. 

#2: Revenge on ABC

Yes, this is another drama filled show with crazy twists and turns in every episode but I just love it when people in movies or TV get revenge! Karma will find you!

#3: Up All Night on NBC

I just hope Sean and I are as cool and funny as these parents are when we have a baby in our late 30's! Having the house and all its decor would be nice too...

So go be a couch potato and tell me what your new favorite shows are!

i'm sorry for the zombies...

I am sorry to anyone who views my blog that I have made you look at zombies for weeks and weeks....I guess it is appropriate now that it is almost Halloween. ANYWAYS, I have been so busy with work, Sean and just life! Let's catch up!

• I am now 28 and couldn't be happier it is an even year! Those are my favorite years! 

• It is now the busy season here at ALA, everyone is back to work and running around like crazy! 

• I have finally gotten into running and just LOVE it! I am now up to 30 mins without stopping, but now I am getting nervous about running in this cold weather that has come upon us!
  
• I am loving TV, enough said...

• Sean found out from his work that we are staying in Chicago! Woo Hoo! 

• I FINALLY found us our perfect apartment that we have been searching for! It has taken me months to find the right place for us and at the right price! ;) 

So, now I am back and excited to write about decorating our new place, the holidays, TV shows and more!

zombies attack happy couple!

Ahhh...Zombie! This couple decided to do something a little different with their wedding photos and I freaking love it! 

 See all the photos here! 

baraboo, wi

This past weekend we drove up to Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, WI. We hiked up and down the mountain trails for 3 hours and it was so much fun! We were so proud of Cami for making it up to the top and she never got tired! I was worried the mountain was too steep for her but she was basically pulling us along the trail! See our adventurous pics below!

View of Devil's Lake

Cami resting on a boulder

Pretty WI farmland

Pretty WI barn

block after block

I turn 28 soon

Even years are the best

I think I found my 28th year anthem

Download this song

Play it super loud

And dance around

Happy Weekend!  

{Matt & Kim, Block after Block}

moving small

This Saturday Sean and I are going to look at studio apartments in the Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. We have decided to downsize and move south so Sean will be closer to his job and we can start saving money, since these studios are half the price of what we pay now. 

I'm not gonna lie that I am kinda nervous about living in a studio! How are we going to fit all our stuff in it!? We will definitely be leaving behind a lot of luxuries at our current apartment....in-unit washer and dryers are few and far between in these neighborhoods, unless you want to pay like $2,000 a month on rent! But I found these faux washer and dryer hampers from CB2 that I am totally going to buy for our soon-to-be tiny home... a girl can pretend right?

 

i'm gleeked!

I thought I would never say this, EVER, but I LOVE GLEE!!!  

I have officially crossed over to being a Gleek. It happen one day when I was cleaning the house and wanted some kind of TV show on in the background. So I thought I would give the first episode of Glee a try (gotta love instant Netflix!). As I start sweeping the floors I caught myself dancing around to the music then I couldn't take my eyes off the TV! Before I knew it I had just watched the first episode and I was SOBBING! Yes, pathetic...I know, but it was all about chasing your dreams and doing what you love, then they sang Journey....enough said.

color bar

Kendra Scott makes colorful and romantic pieces for any occasion, but YOU can also create your own color palette to match your wedding colors. I can play with this color bar all day! 

Go here and start creating your own color bar designs! 

russell+hazel

I am OBSESSED with this planner from Russell+Hazel. I am basically in love with the entire r+h collection. Anyone who knows me knows I love to plan and organize. I love making lists, planning for future events, booking dates, and confirming dates! They even have a wedding planner that I love...eeek!

Isn't it just adorable!? And so practical! I think this would be a great investment for any gal....you know I do have a birthday coming up soon.....

space stamp

I want to order a personal return address stamp but can't now because we are renting. I don't want to waste the money on one that we can't use in a few months! Paper Source has some great ones to choose from but I recently came across one on Etsy that is so different and spacy. Sean loves space stuff so I know this is one he can't say no too! 

 Do you see it above on the left side of the envelope? Cool, right!? This address stamp is call Space Age Edgy from Blimp Cat Studio. It's the return stamp of the future!

flowers by us!

Here are a few pics of the flowers Sean and I did for his sister's wedding a month ago. Sean is surprisingly good at making the arrangements! The photographer also highlighted some of the decor from our Stock the Bar shower we hosted earlier in the week and that is my handwriting on the reserved cards. It was so fun but hard work! 

{images: so darn happy}

miller time

Thirsty Thursday! 

Last weekend we visited the MillerCoors Brewing Company in Milwaukee! We went there with Sean's sister and new hubby to see Bon Iver later that night. This tour is FREE and you get lots of beers! My kind of place! 

Fun fact: There are caves under all the buildings where beer is stored all year round. They harvest ice during the winter months and place the blocks in the cave walls to keep it cool! 

Free drinkies!