aaaaah Sunday night, already?!
This weekend was nice and low key…which is what Bobby and I both needed. We had a bit of a lazy day on Saturday and I cleaned the house finally…we really didn’t do much until about 9PM when our new neighbor Janet came down to say hi…we ended up hanging out until 3AM chatting it up and drinking lots of red wine…that was lots of fun. :)
Today I went to the Bridal Walk on Oak Street with J.Large. It’s never too early to start looking for the perfect wedding gown, right? lol. We went to Vera Wang Chicago, Barneys New York and Belle Vie Bridal Couture), tasted lots of little cakes and cookies from local caterers, drank champagne and just generally had a good time (and got lots of fun free stuff)…then we got back to Wicker Park and had dinner at Usagi Ya with Bobby and Sang-woo. YUM! SUSHI!
I can’t believe its Sunday night already, I want one more day to chill. ;)
Happy Hoop Day 2008!
Happy Hoop Day 2008 Chicago! August 8, 2008 is the second international World Hoop Day celebration and hundreds of hoopdance enthusiasts around the globe will be making sure thousands of people are introduced (or re-introduced) to the physical and mental benefits of the hula hoop.
HooperPower has planned a fantastic celebration tonight in Wicker Park~!
August 8
Wicker Park
1425 N. Damen Ave.
5-8pm
They will be giving away over 75+ FREE hoops to Chicago WHD participants, DJ Dustin Harris will be spinning tunes and we will have HooperPower merchandise for sale too with proceeds going to WHD, Inc.
World Hoop Day Inc. efforts ensure that children at schools, youth organizations and those living in poverty will have hula hoops to play with and to keep them mentally and physically healthy.
Eventful Weekend
Friday after work we headed up to Ravinia with Justin and Mandy on the metra – sat under a birch tree and ate some rotisserie chicken and seasoned fries, drank some beers and chatted as Hootie played in the distance. Hootie played some cover songs by REM and Oasis and then some of his own. lol. It was a good night for relaxing and people watching and talking with friends…had a really nice time.
Went to Uptown Saturday to eat Vietnamese food with B + J and also to the MCA to see Jeff Koons art exhibit (interesting as well as shocking at the same time – you should see it if you haven’t). Bobby and the S7M guys worked at our house all day and then Bobby and I went to Bridget + John’s place to BBQ. We had pork ribs, corn on the cob, caprese salad and roasted veggies. Food is always delicious at the Cooney-Gannon household. :)
Today we went to the Wicker Park Fest and ate some fun foods like brick oven pizza and steak tacos and did some people watching. Got ourselves some transit tee’s too! :) Walked around and then spent some time at home relaxing. We both have a huge week of work, yoga, volleyball, and socializing ahead of us so we needed some time off from everything. ;)
Gonna go watch Balls of Fury and get some sleep! Catch ya on Monday, ya’ll.
The nature of an obligation; compulsory
Time for my obligatory update of the week. hehe. ;)
Finally got some time with Large this week – went to Penny’s Noodles for dinner, walked around wicker park and watched movies and worked on the Greatest Expectations website for a bit (soon to come ~ a blog!) which is very exciting! …she’s just in the brainstorming process now, so I wont ruin the surprise by telling you everything about it. And P.S. congrats to Large for how far she’s come in the wedding/events industry in just about one year. It’s been a lot of work and I know she’s been trying really hard to get everything just right for her brides! I’m so proud to see my friends doing well.
Yesterday I went to Bridget’s Typography class and was very impressed with the student presentations as I tried to give some good feedback and suggestions to their work….then I headed over to Mirror Mirror to get my hair done (it was good to see Jessica H….haven’t had a proper hair cut in about 3-4 months.) She said I did a pretty good job of cutting my own bangs though. haha. :)
Then Bobby met up with me and we took the train to the Old Town Art Festival to meet up with Justin and Mandy…it was just a quick couple of hours, but with all of our busy schedules I’m just glad we got to see each other and kinda get the update on each other. Congrats to Mandy on her new job!!! There were some great artists/art pieces/photography at the Art Fair and I wish I had tons of cash to buy everything I wanted…but we just did some window shopping and ate some awesome bbq pork sandwiches! Yum! Its one of the most popular art festivals in the city though, so it was super packed. Allison Roadruck showed up right as we were leaving but it was nice to get to chat with her for a bit too!
After that we headed back over to Bridget and John’s place for a very nice and relaxing bbq on their back porch….met the neighbors and Sachin also showed up which is always a delight…it was soooo nice outside and as always the food was amazing! Bridget made a citrus and avocado salad that was really good and we had chicken and roasted veggies…and watermelon for desert!! YUM!
Today we’re just resting up because yesterday we were up so early and didn’t get to bed til real late. Plus, I love relaxing. ;)
In the next days and weeks we are REALLY looking forward to a number of things: 1. Kurt is visiting in 3 days ~ yay! 2. Orbit slumber party and Mario Cart extravaganza at Lee’s place on Tuesday (well, that is more me than “us”, but you get the idea). 3. Orbit office party at Uncommon Ground in Wrigleyville on thursday. 4. Nell and Bryce’s wedding reception next weekend!!! 5. July 4th weekend – Amy and John will be here! Yay! Can’t wait!!
The Violet Hour
Last night after seeing the Sex in the City movie (which was fabulous and unexpectedly very long) with the girls from work, Libby and I decided to check out the Violet Hour and have a cocktail or two. Neither of us had been there and I had never even heard of it. It’s right in the middle of my neighborhood but I never knew it was there because its disguised by a very abandoned-looking wood paneled exterior and a yellow light bulb, and it’s hard to find the entrance. It seriously looks like there would be nothing behind the front door, but when opened there are these beautifully luxurious curtains that you walk through to get to the host…he took our IDs and we went through another set of large draperies…it’s a sight to see once you get inside too…these very tall backed chairs, low lighting, sparkling chandeliers, candle lights and VERY pretty and delicious drinks. It looks like a cross between Alice In Wonderland and a very swanky club. We were pleasantly surprised by the story of the unicorn on the menu and the fun choice of music. It was definitely something I would recommend to people looking for a different experience. We had a great talk and laughed a lot and said goodnight. :)
Finally, the family meets!
So I know I’m about a week overdue on updating you guys about last weekend AND didn’t write anything about my birthday yesterday yet…but I’ve just been busy doing all kinds of things so I haven’t had time yet. If you didn’t know though, last weekend Bobby’s brother Lenny and mom Suzie came to visit and so did my parents! We did all kinds of stuff, went to the Shed Aquarium, the Architecture Tour, to a bunch of restaurants and bars and walked around the neighborhood and did a lot of relaxing, talking, and drinking coffee. :) I think everybody had a good time and got along great so I’m so happy about that. I’m also happy Bobby got to spend some time with his brother and mom – he’s always happy when he gets some quality time with them. Lenny left a few days before Suzie and we wish he could’ve stayed longer. My parents brought food and wine and birthday cake and it was all really great. I’m really happy with how last weekend turned out. I had lots of fun! Here are some PICTURES FROM THE WEEKEND that Lenny took!! (Check out Lenny’s other pictures too, he is an awesome photographer!)
Yesterday was my birthday and Jess took me to get a manicure at Pinky Nails early in the morning before her big wedding event (which I hope went really good!) and then Bobby and I made lunch at home and talked and actually ended up going out to the burbs to try and sell the car, but didn’t work out…then came home later on and rode our bikes all over the city and down to Navy Pier and there were some fireworks going on, so that was a nice surprise. :) Riding our bikes in the city seems to be one of our new favorite things to do…it’s always interesting and we always see new things we’ve never seen before.
Today I’ve been hanging out with Bridget – we went to Feast for lunch (which by the way had a delicious spinach and pear salad – YUM), got pedicures at Pinky Nails and went shopping for plants and pots for her and John’s garden…. Tonight we are making BBQ’d salmon and corn on the cob and sitting on the porch to enjoy the fabulous weather. Yay!!! Bobby is working all day in the burbs or I’m sure he’d be with us. :( Too bad he has to work!
Anyway thanks to everybody for the birthday wishes and gifts. My nails are looking good all around! You made my day! Hope everybody had a nice weekend!
Flor
Flor…yep, I said Flor, not floor. It’s the colorful, modular floor covering perfect for the Do It Yourself-er.
er, um….perfect for people like me who are sick of their current boring living room rug and are looking for something new and fun to brighten up their living space. ;)
We are getting a 6×9 foot area rug similar to the picture to the right >>> The style is called “Toy Poodle”…if you haven’t checked out flor.com, then you should, because 1. It rocks, 2. There are so many types of rugs you can make and be as creative as you like, and 3. It rocks. ;) There is also a design tool where you can mix and match tiles virtually…be careful, you may get carried away – I did.
Oh! I also highly recommend getting samples before you buy, that way you can see the actual colors in person…thats what we did…and it’s only 5 bucks which is a pretty good deal for a live preview.
Yay!
Living the Life
So today I was typing back n forth with Kurt on IM, like we do every day (almost seems like he’s right next door or down the street ~ ahhhh the sweetness of IM)…anyway I was telling him that last night I went to Rene’s place for taco night and all the girls from work came and we drank margaritas and talked and played cards until late and tonight after work I was going to meet up with my good ol’ web editor friend Nicolette (that I worked with for two years at SAIC) at the Lovely Bake Shop. I was saying how I was gonna finish up some stuff and bike over there since it was such a nice day out, and he said “Well aren’t you just livin’ the life?” and I was like “huh?”
But then after a couple seconds I got it….and I AM living the life. I’m designing websites by day (which I must say is pretty much what I’ve wanted to do with my life), I’m going to themed dinners with co-workers (next week is Italian night at Libby’s), I’m doing yoga with Tracy Von Kaenel once a week, I’m meeting old friends for coffee and buscuits (and corn chowder), and biking to and from work….and although things are non-stop…life is good and interesting and I’m happy. This is like a 360 from last year in the burbs, working corporate, having no social life, sinking into my couch with depressed thoughts and no motivation.
My heart is happier today and that feels awesome.
And I hope you all are finding happiness too, because you deserve it.
Lucky Bean Tree
I went out to IKEA with Bridget today since she was looking for an outdoor table and some curtains and I got this Lucky Bean Tree…it is so cute! I just googled it though and found out it can get to be really big. Crazy…I guess I might have to get a larger pot than the one I bought today.
This weekend was Lance and Casie’s wedding in New Orleans! So sad we couldn’t make it, but Bobby had to work all night on Saturday night (midnight to 9AM)….boooo! I’m excited to see pictures, I hope everything went really well and they are happily married. I’m sure it was a fun party, knowing Lance!
So, Friday night, unexpectedly I went to the Long Room with Rene, Lee, Barrett, Bridget and John and ended up going to Swig in Wicker Park after that to meet up with another co-worker and friend of mine, Jessica Schoolman and her boyfriend Chris. That bar ended up being way more expensive than I thought, but I did have a fun time and they have awesome tater tots. Then Saturday morning after Bobby worked all night he came home in a strangely good mood and cooked my breakfast! yay! Eggs, toast, grits, and coffee! His big work weekend “deployment” went better than expected and he told me all about it. :)
Then we went to help Mandy move the rest of her furniture over to Winget’s place. It was so cute, Justin got Mandy roses with a little note that said welcome home! I’m so happy they are happy, I really like Mandy too. :) Then they took us to lunch at Blackie’s Bar & Grill for some delicious burgers and came home for a much needed nap. I just love sleep when I need it so bad….that nap was awesome! Bobby slept until 7:45PM and then I woke him up so he could experience “Earth Hour” with me and turn off all the lights for an hour and do our part for the environment. We actually went for a drive to see if we could see any difference in the city skyline….and it did look dimmer but I think there were a lot of people that didn’t know about it and didn’t participate. Still Chicago decreased it’s electricity usage by 5% over that one hour (8-9PM) which is equal to 840,000 pounds of carbon dioxide not being emitted into the atmosphere. So good job Chicago…but from the looks of it, we could’ve done a tad bit better….
Then today I went to IKEA in Schaumburg with Bridget and braved the masses (I swear that place is like the suburban vacation spot on the weekends…it was a traffic jam at every corner) but we had a great time and found some good stuff! I’m ofcourse in saving mode because we’re buying the condo so all I bought was my Lucky Bean…but I was really holding back. IKEA has so much cool stuff that I want!
It was a really nice weekend! yay! I’m really looking forward to this Friday…going out to Colorado to see Amy + John and do a little skiing (although I’m still just as terrible as the first time I skied.) I may need to take a lesson this time, instead of just taking pointers from Bobby. I can’t seem to find the “free as a bird” feeling everyone else seems to have on the slopes. I”m more like a scared little chicken hopping around and falling and getting upset. haha. We’ll see how my skiing goes…if all else fails I’m sure it’ll still be a really nice weekend to hang out and talk and catch up with old friends. :)
I’m gonna go watch some serious TV and then hit the sack. Goodnight ya’ll.
Shopping with Large
Got to hang out with Large last night and today unexpectedly….which was a nice surprise. :) Today we went shopping on Division Street and tried to find some cool deals and fun stuff. Jess found some sweet jeans on sale for half price and a very nice smelling candle…and I got these sweet handmade earrings from Renegade Handmade that look like doylies hanging from my ears! haha. But they’re actually really pretty on…the picture on the site doesn’t do them justice (plus I got the silver color, not bright blue). Jess and I also stopped into Cocoa Rouge for some hot cocoa after our shopping exhibition for some rest and warmth! What a cool place…really decorated in a unique way and we both had some delicious (not so normal) cocoas. Jessica had the GIANDUJA cocoa, which is a belgian blend of chocolate and pureed carmelized hazelnuts with house-blended milk chocolate. I had the Chile Pepper Cocoa that was hot cocoa with a blend of cayenne pepper…I know, sounds terrible but it was really good – kind of sweet yet hot on your throat. Anyway, that little stop was delicious and relaxing!
Last night Bobby + I went to Fearon’s Bar with Bridget and John for Kat’s birthday party…we had a couple beers and some chicken wings but since Bridget was feeling crappy (she’s been sick all weekend…boo!) we went home a little earlier than expected….but we had fun while it lasted and took a late night stop to the grocery store for some cold medicine and kitty treats (my kitties were all out. haha).
Hope everybody had a great weekend!