A Relaxing Mini-Getaway with the Girls

Last weekend, I went to New Buffalo, MI with Sarah, Amy and Juliet. I kept an eye on the weather forecast all week before our trip. It kept forecasting thunderstorms all weekend long! I was super bummed that we wouldn't be able to do all the things Sarah had planned months in advance. BUT the weather turned out to be beautiful, warm and sunny! It only rained on our drive home. =) YAY!

Sarah had planned a whole bunch of activities for us to choose from (like horseback riding on the beach, renting bicycles from our hotel, going to the wineries...) We ended up just relaxing at the beach, eating a TON of good food, and going cherry picking. I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of cherries. The yellow ones were the sweetest and my favorite. I love how New Buffalo is only a hop and a skip away from Chicago, and there's so much to do there in the summertime!

Cherries are in Season!

Wedding Album: The end is near!

Yes, I've been married for FOUR years, and I still haven't gotten my wedding album yet. How many of you still need to get yours made?? I know I'm not the only one out there! The sad thing is that the album was included in our wedding photography package. That fact kind of (actually, really) annoys the husband. Anyway, the hold up began b/c I wasn't satisfied with how they designed the album. So I thought I could do it...and I did. But I encountered various issues along the way (nothing to do with the design of the layout). I am sooo close to being done with this. I just need to resize the images to fit a larger format and I will be done, done, DONE! So that's what I've been working on today. Here are just a couple pages of the album...

A Summer Must-Do: Stove-Top Clambake

I discovered stove-top clambakes in this July's issue of Martha Stewart Living. I vaguely remember my friend having a family clambake a few summers ago, but I never gave it much thought. Then I saw the mouth-watering photos in my MS magazine, and thought it would make a brilliant summer get-together. I showed the pictures to the hubs and he was sold! We would love to have a clambake before summer's end. Mmm...doesn't it look wonderful?



I searched everywhere on MS's website for their clambake photos and recipe, but they were nowhere to be found. So I found these online. The Lobster Pot and adorable Butter Warmer/Lobster Bucket/Chowder Bowl can be found here and here. Have you ever been to or hosted a clambake before??

Happy 4th Anniversary!

These pics are long overdue. We celebrated our 4th anniversary on June 10th at David Burke's Primehouse. The husband was all excited to try a new steakhouse. But when we stepped inside the restaurant, his excitement was instantly deflated. He completely forgot he had been there before...twice...many years ago. Haha. All was well though... The table-side Caesar salad was delicious, and our ribeye was cooked to perfection. What more can you ask for? =)

Happy Summer!

Summer is officially here! It's felt like summer for awhile now with the high heat and humidity. I wish it was spring a wee bit longer... The humidity is driving me crrraazy! I decided to suck it up today, and ventured out to finish adding mulch to my little city yard. I was instantly sticky, and the mosquitoes sensed it. UGH...they ate me alive in the 10 minutes I was out there! I took a quick pic of my flowers with my iPhone before I ran inside to hide. I must say, the quality of the pic isn't half bad. Nice, iPhone, NICE!

Spreading the love

Somebody spray painted these cute sayings around my neighborhood. Aren't they so cute? Reminds me of the fun blogger, Color Me Katie.

Beautiful Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sigh...I wish I could take beautiful photographs like this. I definitely need to practice more with lighting. I love how Karen Mordechai's photos are so bright with bold colors. I really need to take advantage of living in the city and check out the farmers' markets and fairs more. The husband and I happened to drive by a farmers' market on the way to Starved Rock the other weekend. So we quickly found parking and walked around for a little bit. We ate a very delicious breakfast pizza that oozed with garlic. Yum! Too bad I didn't have my camera with me. It would've been the perfect chance to practice. [via Sunday Suppers]

Congratulations, Theresa & Bobby!

Those lavendar tulips I posted about last week were from Theresa & Bobby's wedding. Their centerpieces were very lovely. I really liked the grapes! They added an unexpected touch. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my nice camera to the wedding, so these photos don't do them justice.

Theresa's such a riot. She had all the guests laughing throughout the wedding. This couple really knows how to make people laugh. Their wedding was a lot of fun, just like them. Hope you guys had a fabulous honeymoon in Wisconsin Dells...I mean, Paris!

A Sherbert Colored Wedding

This is one of my favorite color combinations. The bright and cheerful sherbert colors are perfect for a summer wedding (or any other party.) I really like their seating cards. They're a nice change from the typical paper tents that are used. I also like the different patterns, and the simplicity of the cards. They're probably a cinch to make!

[via Style Me Pretty]

Sweet Tulips

These lavender tulips were from a friend's wedding last Saturday. Since it was sunny & gorgeous again the other day, I had to take the tulips out for a photo. :) Congratulations to Theresa + Bobby!

Hiking @ Starved Rock State Park

Last Sunday, the husband & I took Jobie to Starved Rock State Park (2 hours SW of Chicago.) It was a beautiful day full of sun and zero humidity. Those days seem so few and far between lately... (The photo below shows how blue the sky was. It wasn't touched up!) It was my first trip to Starved Rock. I didn't expect to hike on wood plank walkways and to see so many kiddies and baby strollers! But it was still a great workout. We had to climb up & down quite a few steps that had us (and Jobie!) working up a sweat.

It's hard to believe that there is this kind of scenery in IL. It's so flat everywhere else!

Etsy Finds: Lace Crochet Necklaces

White Owl was featured in this month's Lucky issue. The intricate, yet delicate design of each necklace captured my attention as I was flipping through the magazine. Each piece has a romantic, vintage feel with a modern spin. It'll dress up a plain tee, and certainly add a 'wow' factor to a simple dress. Perfect for wedding season!

Etsy Finds: Ruffle Diaper Covers

Oh my! How stinkin' cute are these ruffled diaper covers by RaeGun?!
[via Duet Letterpress]