floods & CFs

What a wild and crazy week this has been. Sean and I returned to Chicago on Tuesday morning at 4am and immediately turned on the news. We listened to CNN almost the entire drive home from Oklahoma. So awful and sad. 

We also drove through the craziest lightening and rain storm once we hit Illinois and came home to floods and floods of rain. It has been raining nonstop since Monday night. My commute home today was just nuts! The Chicago River was flooding into our neighborhood streets and traffic was a mess! 

Here is a photo I took on the way home of the river. Usually you have to lean over the rail to see the water like this! 

I then came up to the high school and the sidewalk was completely flooded! There was no way to get through so I had to walk up the high school's lawn, crawl over the wall and climb the stairs on both sides! Luckily there were other ladies doing the same thing and we all helped each other. 

You can see the stairs on the left and a cop trying to direct traffic. It was all a major CF and I am so lucky I walk and ride the train for my commute. 

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! Xoxo

burrrr...onto OK

Blurg...I'm all for cold weather but not in APRIL! Our trip to Oklahoma to see baby Emery could not have come at a more perfect time. It has been in the 30s all week! 

Who is baby Emery you ask? She is my sister's new baby girl and she is the cutest girl in the world! I can't wait to hold her and smell her and kiss her! And she is already so stylish and into animal prints and cardigans (just like her auntie)! 

Yes, those are little bunnies on her dress for her first Easter. Aaaaaadorable! 

I will have to post pics of the baby shower I threw Elizabeth and Emery, it was so cute and girly! Happy Friday! 

 

running jams

I've been getting into running more than I ever have this year. I love it. You get such a big high of happiness right after a good run and it's the best medicine!

I'm up to running 40 minutes without stopping (haven't done that since high school!) and I've made the BEST list of jams for the ladies out there. 

All of these songs are fun, girly and will pump you up! And yes Starships is on this list twice, 1st time to get you going and the 2nd time to get you through the last leg of your run. 

There are two songs on the list from the HBO show GIRLS. You must purchase this album! Great mix of tunes and Icona Pop's I Love It and Santigold's Girls are the BEST workout songs, you'll feel badass and just want to rock it! 

Happy running! 

beach hat

I've been on the hunt for just the right beach hat...nothing too big and not a tacky fedora one! I was checking out the new City Target last week during lunch and saw this hat...cute and cheap! So excited I snatched it right up!

Even our little fashanista approved.

Bring it on summer! 

chill out

"My posts might dwindle over the next few weeks..."

I said this almost one year ago and I have been at my new job exactly one year this week.

I had NO idea what I was getting into when I applied and scored this new gig, that it was going to completely take over every inch of my life, that I think about it when I am not at work, that I actually want (and need) to stay late most days, that I would ever question authority or realize that I am a lot smarter than I thought I was, that in real life common sense is the one thing most people don't have, and that the phrase "chill out" would become my motto for LIFE. Not going to lie, it has been HARD work but also very stimulating, gratifying, amazingly exciting, nerve-wrecking (in a good way) and self-confidence boosting. Let's see what the next year will bring, shall we?

This little penguin could sum it up most days....

3 month hiatus

Wow, has it been 3 months since I last visited my blog??? How can that be!? I hopped on the new job train at the end of March and never got off! The past few months have flown by full of new people, new responsibilities, and lots of new stress!

I just got back from my first ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim as the new awards coordinator for ALSC. I was there for 6 days and I worked my ass off every one of them. I also had the best time and learned so much more about my new job. We have four big programs at the conference every year and they are all awards related. The biggest is our Newbery-Caldecott Awards Banquet where we honor the award winning authors and illustrators. Over 1,000 people attend the event, it takes months to plan and it is HUGE!

I didn't have time to take very many photos when I was there. Actually, I took just one for Sean. Disneyland palm trees!

More updates to come! Plus lots of new photos of the newish apartment! :)