BIRTHDAY WISHES!

Happy 29th Birthday to this girl (the one on the left)!  Make this 2 for 2 in embarrassing Friday photo ops, Cass.  To be fair, I am also throwing myself under the bus on this one as well.  You are welcome!

 

 

Friday Favorites

Oh, hello there blogosphere!  Once again, I am falling short on my duties as a "blogger" - whatever that means... 

• Birthday Celebration - last Saturday, I celebrated 29 years young with my parents and in-laws.  It does kind of sound terrible when you put it in writing, but everyone gets along so well and we always have a great time when we get together.  It was good to see everyone!  We went to an amazing chef's tasting dinner at Ripasso, immediately followed by some sketch comedy entertainment at Second City.  It was perfect!

 

• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns - Mindy Kaling's book is what I currently have in rotation in my iBooks library.  I do have to say, it is no Bossypants by Tina Fey, but is still a funny, quick read.  Who doesn't love Kelly Kapoor?!

• Mom Wear - This was too funny not to post - sorry, Cassie!  It has been brought to my attention that my best friend is turning into my mother.  By that, I mean she has now deemed it acceptable to sport matching sweat pants and sweat shirt combos as "around the house" attire.

I have no idea why this will not load right side up, but I hope the integrity of the picture remains in tact.



• Unexpected Gifts - I received two pretty stellar unexpected gifts this week: a sweet shark mug from my friend, Olivia (I am obsessed with sharks, have been my whole life), and a new pair of shoes, compliments of Hope Solo!

 

 



• The Movies - I cannot tell you how long it has been since I have seen a movie in the theater.  Not to be a downer or anything, but I have not been since well before the whole Dark Knight Rises fiasco.  So...it has been awhile.  We are going tonight to see Argo, which I heard is an amazing flick.  I'm excited!

Tis The Season To Be THANKFUL!

THIS POST WAS SITTING IN MY DRAFTS FROM A FEW WEEKS BACK.  I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT...STILL, IT IS APPLICABLE FOR THIS WEEK'S EVENTS!

OK, I am not afraid to say it....I hate when people jump the gun on upcoming holidays before a then-current holiday is experienced.  PET. PEEVE!

As I was making my way to the train this morning, I was inundated with the excessive Christmas advertising on the radio.  And then, when I hit up Starbucks later in the day, I realized they are already utilizing the Christmas, excuse me, "holiday" cups that just so happen to be red with subtle hints of the Christmas season: such as snowflakes, etc. 

While I do love Christmas time and everything about it, the point is that we are skipping over a very important holiday - THANKSGIVING! 

This is way too important of a day to be overlooked by marketers.  C'mon, people!  It already has such a limited window of exposure with Halloween and Black Friday (do not even get me started on that.....), let us not forget what this day actually means!

Be THANKFUL for everything in your life - your family, your health, your happiness, your successes, even your failures - for they allow you continued growth.  If nothing else, be thankful for your very existence, am I right?!

And in addition to being thankful for what you have in your life, let's go ahead and keep those who are less fortunate top of mind why don't we?  Do you plan on making 500 pounds of food this week, only to come to the realization that you have way more leftovers than would be deemed necessary to feed an army?  Maybe donate some of that good fortune?  Or maybe use your time to volunteer for an hour instead of baking that 3rd (and most likely unnecessary) pie?

Food drives are such an easy way to make sure you are contributing to a necessary and worthwhile cause.  Head over to Time Out Chicago for some great ideas on how you can get involved (if you are local).  Other national organizations like The Salvation Army and No Kid Hungry are always active and a great resource for various programs that allow you to give back as well, no matter the time of year!

WOW - I really went off on a tangent there....  Sorry!

Here's to all of us having a happy and enjoyable time this week with friends and family!  But please.... do take the opportunity to be THANKFUL before we hop right into Christmas.....

 

Friday Favorites

Wow - it has been too long.  It seems to have been a theme in the blogging world over the course of the past few weeks, however, as many of the blogs I follow have been slacking on posts as well!  In an attempt to ease back into it, I give you Friday Favorites!

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 - Yes, within the past month I have somehow become a....FAN?!  To be fair, it happened by accident.  My husband was traveling one weekend, and I sat down on the couch to find there was NOTHING on TV.  Well, except for New Moon.  I realized later that this was the 2nd installment, so I felt I needed to see the 1st one to really "get it" - this was, of course, not really necessary.  In any case, fast forward a few weeks and I have now been caught up to speed on all 4 of the films to date; however, unless you are living under a rock, you are aware that the 5th and final film released this week.  Naturally, I am now curious as to what all of the hype is about - Bella is a vampire now, guys!  I admit, I am slightly embarrassed that I would like to go see it....

• Kentucky Derby 2013 - YES, YES, YES, YES!  And one more YES! for good measure...  On Monday, when we all should have been honoring the many Veterans of our great nation, a select group of us took a break at noon to participate in the private sale of Kentucky Oaks/Derby 2-day ticket packages.  And?  NAILED IT!  2013 is already off to a fantastic start!

• Birthdays Galore! - November is a BUSY month for birthday celebrations.  I am going to take this opportunity to get caught up on all of those I missed, and those left to come, this month:

• November 2nd - Happy Birthday, Jinna!
• November 4th or 5th (I know, I cannot remember the exact day, Oops!) - Happy Birthday, Austin!
• November 8th - Happy Birthday, Elliana!
• November 9th - Happy Birthday, John!
• November 13th - Happy Birthday, Grandma Glo!
• November 24th - Happy Birthday, Jason!

....I THINK that covers it?

• Wedding Bliss - Congratulations to Carli and Casey, who tied the knot on November 10th, 2012, in Naples, Florida!

• Slapsgiving - No, no one actually gets slapped like Barney in How I Met Your Mother.  This is, rather, an epic event that we founded around the same time the episode aired.  I guess we were all out of creative ideas at this point in the year a few years back?!  Nonetheless, 2012 marks the 3rd annual Slapsgiving festivities in Chicago!  We are currently working on putting together the menu and I am so looking forward to it.  More on this next week....

Rock The Vote

If you are like me and had way too many unavoidable work obligations to find the time to participate in the early voting, today has been on your radar for quite some time.  Requiring the stealthiest of strategies to navigate the crowds, you really do have to have your game face on to conquer the polls alone...

Lucky for me, the voting location in my district is about a block away from my residence.  Phew!  The drawback?  I got there when the polls opened at 6am to make sure I would be dressed and ready to rock n' roll for work immediately after.  As I stood there in line, outside in the cold on this fine Chicago morning, I could not help but think....

"Employers really should be doing a much better job of encouraging their employees to get out there and vote...." 

Political beliefs aside, employers should be clear that they are willing to be a bit more lenient with their employees to ensure everyone who wants the opportunity to have their voice heard is able to do so.  Quite frankly, it is a very simple task - a mindless practice even - to implement in an election year: inform your employees that if they need to come in a little later or leave a little bit early to make sure they are able to get their votes in, by all means....  Seriously, this could not be easier to do.  Unfortunately, I fear that many employers out there either do not care or simply do not choose to do so.  That, I find to be complete bullshit.  

Now let's not twist my words here, I am not saying I think everyone deserves a free day off to vote in the election per se (although, with all of the ridiculous holidays sprinkled throughout the calendar year already, I do not think 1 day every 4 years would kill us....), but I am saying this: employers should be accepting of the fact that the polls can be very time consuming, and if an employee needs an extra hour due to crazy lines and/or a missed train so they can participate in the election - that should NOT be a big deal.  And not only should it not be a big deal, it should be encouraged that this is, in fact, OK.  That the employer understands the situation PRIOR to it becoming an issue and having an employee opt out of the voting process entirely, only because they could not find the time in their work day to make it happen.

So I wonder... How many employers took the time during their Monday morning meetings yesterday to address this point?  Sure, I am confident that there are some companies out there who recognize the importance of getting out there and making sure their votes count.  Sadly, I think the majority would be categorized as the exact opposite, with this topic of discussion never being addressed at all.  Sigh....

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent...whatever.  That makes no difference...  VOTE.  Do not take for granted this inalienable right.  There are still many  people living throughout the world who continue to fight the battle in hopes of gaining the right to a free election - remember that.  Who are we to turn the other way and disregard this privilege? 

Take pride in the fact that your vote matters and, regardless of the end result, know that you were a valuable contribution to the outcome of the Presidential election.

Hotlanta, Here I Come!

Busy, busy, busy..... So a short one today, mainly to ensure I do not have an extreme lack of blog posts this week! 

We were gone last weekend, returned to Chicago on Monday, late afternoon, and now I am off to Atlanta this afternoon for work!

Want to see what I am up to?  Check out the Clear Ultra Shea Concert Series featuring Elle Varner, and follow them on their mini tour.  Last week, we kicked of the concert series in D.C. 

Next up: Atlanta, tomorrow night.... 

If you are in the ATL, be sure to see what all of the hype is about tomorrow as Elle will be in your hood participating in all kinds of activities - interviews, in-studios and a Facebook chat at 1pm EST! 

.....until next time!

Friday Favorites

• Olivia's Wedding Palooza - I am heading back to my hometown this weekend to celebrate with one of my closest friends.  She will be tying the knot on Sunday!  Downside?  I am standing up in the wedding.....next to an actual super model.  Blah!

• Get Yo' Hair Did - I love having my hair done.  In any capacity - a trim, a shampoo, someone brushing it, you name it.....  I love it.  If I could have access to one celebrity lifestyle item on the daily, it would be a hair and make-up team!  Ahhh, to dream.  So in short, I am really looking forward to having my hair done on Sunday!

• Cleaning Out The Fridge - B has been out of town all week, and we will also be out of town all weekend, so I invited a friend over last night and had my way with some pinterest recipes I had been meaning to try.  It was the perfect exercise in cleaning out the veggies and various food items that would have otherwise gone bad over the weekend!

• CAA Football - LOVE these guys.  They are so nice - they sent me two tickets to the MNF game here in Chicago (Bears vs. Lions) as "thanks" for the recent deal we closed with Megatron!  Best. Agents. Ever!

• Bathroom Completion - I had to include this, because I previously expressed my irritation earlier this week, in addition to how excited I was that the end was near.  So, you probably remember that it was supposed to be finalized today, right?  Well, it was not.  Of course, the glass was scratched when it arrived from the manufacturer!  FML.  So now, the new installation date is Tuesday.  Fingers crossed, everyone, please!

Tuesday Thought Dump

It has already been one of those  weeks.  So much going on, a lot of nonsense arising on the daily, lots to stress about with upcoming work projects, etc.  So a perfect time for a vent session/thought dump!

The pit of my job?  Dropping everything to tend to high maintenance clients' unnecessary needs.  This afternoon I was asked by a client to drop everything I have going on this week and fly to D.C. on Thursday morning for an event we have been working on for months.  MONTHS.  Make no mistake, it is not the fact that I was asked to attend, that is my job.  It is what I do.  I am happy to oblige.  It is the fact that we have been speaking daily for months and this thought never entered their mind until the 11th hour, despite the multiple mentions of this exact service on my end.  UGH!

Remodeling.  The bathroom looks stellar, but.....I want my damn glass door installed already.  Everything is half finished and it is driving me insane.  We still need to paint, have the glass door enclosure installed (which is happening on Friday, thank God!) and get all of the little details like the toilet paper holder, towel racks, etc. back in order.

Wedding details.  The. Worst. Thing. Ever.  I need my dress shortened, which is fine, took it to the seamstress and they are dealing with it.  Or so I thought.... I now have to go back in today with my shoes to make sure it is the right length.  Admittedly, this is my fault, I should have known this was coming and it makes complete sense.  Except for the fact that I have no idea what shoes I am wearing.... F!

Another pit of my job....Clients who think they know how to do my job better than I do, yet they are CLUELESS.  Suuuuuuure, you want to draft an LOI and ALSO do an offer and then long-form agreement because you think it will be more efficient, despite my telling you it will create about 15 extra unnecessary steps?  BRILLIANT.


...........seriously, is it Friday yet?!

Space Jam

So, I have to be honest here... I had no idea this little thing called the Space Jump (or Red Bull Stratos project) was even happening yesterday.  Sundays are football days in my household, so when my parents called and asked if I was watching the live feed from the jump, I thought they were nuts.  WHY?  Why would I be watching that over The NFL Today on CBS? 

When there was a commercial break, I figured I would turn it on to see what all of the fuss was about.  I was captivated.  This tiny capsule was transporting a human into space via what can only be described as a giant, oversized balloon.  WHAT. THE. HELL?  I had to watch.... 

 

I must say, it was quite boring for the first hour and a half as Felix Baumgartner was just floating up into the sky with no real activity.  Sure, there were multiple camera views, shots of the earth and what not, but...we have all been on a plane.  It just was not that exciting....

Once he hit about 90,000 feet, then it started to get more interesting.  You could start to see the curvature of the earth through the wide lens camera angles, and when they showed the camera view from the bottom of the capsule looking up, it was pitch black.  Space.  How cool is that?!

I found myself starting to fear for this guy's life when he surpassed the target jumping altitude of 120,000 feet and ground control was still in the process of attempting to trouble shoot an issue he was having with his heated visor.  Then, I started to feel bad for him, knowing that he might actually get all the way up there and not even be able to jump....or that he might get stuck in that capsule, just drifting off into space.  Later, I was informed that the capsule would be returning to earth in one piece and, worst case scenario, they would simply return the capsule to earth with Felix inside. 

Turns out, if you connect a parachute to any kind of object, you can just pretend to fly and then return to earth at your command.  This is of course a joke, but it does pose the question: why are there no parachutes available on commercial airliners?  SERIOUSLY?!

Finally, when Felix had floated above 128,000 feet, they began to go through the check list and deflate the giant balloon to start descending.  That check list was the most nerve racking part of all of this.  1/2 the time it was difficult to determine whether or not Felix was really paying attention, or if he was simply just saying, "yes, roger that," to get on with show...

When the door to the capsule finally did open and he stepped out onto the tiny ledge, standing on top of the world, that is when the stupidity of what was happening settled in.  This guy could totally die doing this.  F!  So, I kept watching. 

I continued to watch as Felix leaned over and began to tumble.  Actually, that is putting it lightly.  He was literally spinning out of control.  He was falling at upwards of 800 mph and, because the air is so thin at that altitude, it appeared as though he was plummeting faster than the speed of sound to his death. 

What was really kind of wild was when Felix did enter the earth's atmosphere again.  You saw him falling with no purpose, breaking the sound barrier, when all of a sudden - BOOM.  He regained total control and began free falling like sky divers tend to do.  It happened so quickly, it was almost unbelievable.

After that, everyone in ground control seemed a little bit more enthusiastic about what was happening.  Felix had broken multiple records, but he did fail to break the record for longest free fall.  Which, coincidentally enough, is held by the man who acted as Baumgartner's mentor throughout this mission.  I am sure Kittinger is secretly happy to have held on to one of the records!

As crazy as it was to watch all of this and comprehend that someone actually had this dream, saw it through.....and survived, even more insane was the fact that Felix landed so gracefully on the ground, on his feet, without falling down.     

Think about that for a minute....  About 5-10 minutes prior to landing on earth, you were sitting in a capsule, floating into space, on top of the world.  You then jumped, falling faster than the speed of sound.  Once the parachute opened, it was smooth sailing to the ground, despite receiving incorrect wind coordinates from those whose sole task was to get you back to earth safely and in one piece.  Finally, you landed on your feet, back to reality.

For the sake of science, I hope we were able to gather relevant data for the future of space travel and safety - or maybe even air travel altogether - which it does appear they were able to do.  Because if not, are we all bat shit crazy for contributing to this nonsense?!?!

Friday Favorites

In-home physicals - so crazy easy and convenient.  Obviously, it is no fun to have your blood drawn, but I have to say that when done from the comfort of your own couch, not so bad!  Turns out my hubby really stresses out about needles.  Not me, "cool as a cucumber" according to our lovely nurse.  Uh, thank you!  Also an added bonus - you know that juice cleanse I bitched about so much?  Lost 5 lbs....  I am sure it was water weight and it is back by now, but I was shocked.  B was down 8 pounds!  I think that scale the nurse is traveling with must be off by a few pounds?!


Food - SOLID food.  So very happy to have you re-introduced into my diet.  We are still eating healthy, but this weekend we will give ourselves a free pass to splurge a bit!  At least for one day.


Enfuse Med Spa Sale - apparently I am a "preferred" client of theirs.  They hooked me up with a SUPER cheap deal on a new laser hair removal package.  I will now be getting my legs done.  Woohoo!


Birthdays Galore! - There are many that I have missed in posting (shout outs all around to the following: Nana - 76!  Travis - 30!  Randi - 32!  Aimee - 24!  George - 3!  Claire - 30!  And coming up on Sunday, Kari - 31!).  People really must prefer getting down over the winter time, so many fall babies! 


The G-Family Cancellation Policy - Nailed it.  That is what happened today when my husband cancelled our flights, hotel and car rental at the last minute for a previously scheduled trip in November.  Turns out, if you tell people that your wife is bed ridden from pregnancy and can no longer fly, hotels will banish their cancellation policies.  Noted.  And the airline was just dumb enough to change our flight times without our consent, so we weaseled our way out of that one too.  BOOM!

 

I Am Not Cut Out For Anorexia

So, that juice cleanse that I mentioned on Friday?  Worst. Idea. Ever. 

Turns out, my husband followed through 100%.  Until today, he had not consumed anything other than our juices and the allowed teas/water since Saturday night.  CRAZY!  I, on the other hand, cheated every day.  And by cheated, I mean I had a sweet potato for dinner on 2 of the 3 nights, because I was about ready to die. 

A colleague of mine is currently doing a 3-day cleanse as well and, I have to say, her juices taste like magic compared to those we had.  Ours, quite literally, tasted like dirt.  And earth.  And everything disgusting.  Those she had?  They taste like V8 Splash!  While I do not think I would ever do this again, if I did dare to venture down this path in the future, I would most definitely go with a different cleanse company.

Here is a look into our daily meal liquid consumption over the course of the past 3 days:

*Disclaimer: You must drink your 16 oz. juices every 2 hours throughout the course of the day until they are completed.

Green Lantern - You THINK it is going to be like a fun, green smoothie that has leafy greens, like spinach, hidden into the mixture.  FALSE!  Instead, this concoction combines romaine lettuce, spinach leaves, parsley, cucumber, celery stalks, green apples, lemon and ginger root.  Sound refreshing?  It is not....

Haute Lemonade - This was actually my favorite of the juices, but....that is relative.  This one is a lemonade with cayenne pepper. It CLAIMS to be naturally sweetened with organic agave nectar and grade A maple syrup, but I am not buying that nonsense.  There was NOTHING sweet about this!

Maroon Five - No, not the band with that handsome front man.  That would have gone down nice and smooth.  This was the WORST of all of the juices as it was a thick, maroon mixture of the following 5 ingredients: beet, carrot, apple, lemon, ginger.  I am gagging just thinking about it....

Repeat Green Lantern here.  Trust me, it is even harder to keep down the second time around.

Repeat Maroon Five here.  Remember when I said the Green Lantern was hard to keep down the second time around?  This one was kind of like that, but on steroids. 

Cashew Milk - I thought this one was going to be awesome.  I really like almond and coconut milks, so I was ready to take this one on as a nice relief to the other crappy flavors throughout the day.  They described it as a creamy, protein rich drink full of vitamin E.  LIES!  In reality, it tasted like feet.  I never even made it half way through one of these on any of the days.


You may be wondering what have I learned from this exercise?  Well, a few things:

1. I am not always full of great ideas.

2. No one should ever worry that I am capable of living with an eating disorder.

3. I really love food more than I realized.


My husband really got a kick out of all of this as it was my great idea and I have been begging him to do something like this with me for years.  We both went into this expecting me to be the one to stick with it and him being the one to cave and eat.  So for me to be the one unable to see it through entirely, well that was a little disheartening as I am terribly competitive.  I realize this was not a competition per se, but....let's be honest.  It kind of was.  And I lost.  MISERABLY.

What I was not prepared for was the fact that my blood sugar levels would drop SO low and I would just feel completely nauseous, dizzy, fatigued.  I know they warn you about those things, but I did not realize they would hit me so hard.  My husband had an easier go than I did with those elements.  I had headaches every day that just lingered as well.  Not fun.

For all of the complaining outlined above, I will say this: I successfully passed up cookies and treats in the office yesterday and brownies and cake today.  As the massive sweet tooth that I am, you would think that I would be feigning for a sugar fix.  I am not.  Instead, I am craving more salty foods - like chips and salsa.  So if nothing else, maybe this will help curb my sugar cravings long term?  God willing....

I have also noticed that I am, generally speaking, not as hungry today (now that I can eat food again).  I had the suggested oatmeal for breakfast today and a salad for lunch.  I am, of course, now fasting for the 4 hours prior to having my blood work done, but I do not really think I would be hungry even if it were just a normal day.  Maybe my stomach has shrunk after all?!

All in all, no I would not recommend doing something like this unless you are truly unhealthy and are doing it to jump start your healthier lifestyle.  As my husband and I are relatively healthy eaters to begin with (organic foods, fresh fruits and veggies daily, etc.), I do not know that this was really necessary for someone with our type of lifestyle.  Of course some weeks are worse than others (what can I say, I need that pizza and pasta in my life!), but overall, we live on proteins and veggies during the week and allow ourselves to cheat on the weekends.  As such, I believe the best "detox" for us would simply be eating clean and exercising. 

Lesson learned!

I Am A Collector of Children

I mentioned it last week as a Friday Favorite, but it seems as though my husband and I are in the business of collecting children in 2012.  My best friend and her husband asked us to be the God parents to their little one, Calvin Lewis, over the weekend.  Once again, we of course said "YES!"

As flattering as it was the first time, coming from my husband's sister, that was family.  I do not want to say it is expected, but it somewhat, kind of, is in a way.  Assuming the siblings are close, of course.  That being said, baby brother has given me no such love, so what do I know?!

To be asked by close friends who think highly enough of you and trust that you will provide unconditional love and support (among other things) to a child that is not your own, their child, well that is one of the highest compliments you can ever give someone.  Am I right?!  We really think so and feel blessed to have people in our lives who value us as the people that we are, and whom we do the same in return.

We are so very honored that anyone would ever consider us for this role.  So thank you very much, to those who chose us!

Friday Favorites

A looooong overdue Friday Favorites, that is!

• Becoming Parents - Well, sort of.  Do not get too excited, mother, we are not expecting.  We were asked this week to be the God parents to our little nephew, John Daniel Seelbach.  To which we obviously said yes!  We will be heading down to St. Louis the first weekend in November to make it official and all that jazz....

• Juice Cleanse - I cannot be totally sure that this is a favorite, but we bought a Groupon a few months back and we figured, might as well do it while it is still top of mind.  Plus, we have some blood work coming up next week, so might as well get all of those toxins out of our bodies while we still can!

• Life Insurance - Sort of goes hand in hand with the juice cleanse, I suppose, but we will be getting our physicals next week so we can get locked in to our life insurance rates.  Yikes!  On the plus side, they come to your house to do your check-up and blood work.  How convenient?!?!

• Remodeling - We are in the middle of remodeling our bathroom, which is super exciting!  What is not so exciting is that we only have one bathroom.  Wah, wah....  Our condo has looked more like a construction site this week than a home, but we are hoping to have everything wrapped up on Sunday.  Fingers crossed!

• Chicago Marathon Runners - Good for you guys!  The marathon is this weekend and our friend, Claire, is checking it off of her bucket list before she turns 30.....next Wednesday!

I Am Alive!

Wow, it has been awhile since I last posted.  Forgive me - I was in Madrid all last week and have been so slammed playing catch up this week that I have neglected the blogosphere!

Madrid was a good time - busy, but a good time nonetheless.  I cannot disclose the product details just yet, but I got to shoot with this guy for an upcoming 2013 product launch here in the U.S.  Be on the lookout come January!  I was able to snag some quick shots from the shoot here and there though:

My husband was able to travel with me, which was nice.  I did feel a bit guilty about how much I was working, but I was there for work after all.  Still, he was able to take in a lot of the museums and sights that he had not had the chance to see when we were there the last time.  And we did have a couple of days where we were able to enjoy the city and walk around.... 

We arrived on Sunday, early in the morning Madrid time.  It was perfect, because I really have no concept of time when I am on a plane for an extended period of time.  So as far as I knew, the plane ride was "overnight" and we had landed to a new day!  Once we got settled and checked in to our new digs for the week, we changed and immediately headed out for some cafe con leche!  It just tastes so much better in Spain....

And because I was starving (I do not deal well with airplane food - see For Fun page for proof), I was definitely craving some croquetas STAT!  I was in Spain, and could think of nothing better than a tinto de verano to wash it down with.  Ahh, two of my favorite things.....

Once we had our late morning snack, we were refueled and energized.  Ready to take on Madrid for the day!  I cannot express to you how much I love this city.  Having been there twice prior to this trip, it really has some sort of familiarity to me at this point.  I know my way around, where the landmarks are, etc.  Although, you would never know it from my husband.  He is ALL about the map.....

One thing we always do when we travel to any new (or old) destination is check out any hidden culinary gems that we may not otherwise stumble upon on our own.  How do we do this?  A few ways....  We always like to talk to locals whenever we can, and we also check out Best Thing I Ever Ate, but we really care most about what Anthony Bourdain has to say.  For Madrid, he recommended a handful of places.  Among them, a little gastropub called Le Cabrera.  Delicioso! 

The head chef at Le Cabrera was amazing.  A French guy who landed in Madrid a few years prior.  He really gave us his thoughts on some awesome local restaurants that we should check out.  Turns out, the hotel we were staying in had a pretty awesome Asian restaurant hidden in the very back of the main restaurant.  He was not lying.  Seriously....best Asian food I have ever had.  Who knew?!

Eating lunch in Spain is pretty much the equivalent of an early dinner in the U.S., so it worked out nicely for us timing wise on this first night as we had decided to brave the brutality of a bull fight.  Against my better judgement and animal lover instincts, I agreed.  I fully understand the cultural play and relevance the pageantry of bull fighting holds in Spain, but if I am being honest....for me, personally.....it was HORRIFIC.  I cried after the first fight, because I was so upset.... 

These poor, helpless animals....Yes, they are aggressive, giant beasts, but to watch them be poked and stabbed repeatedly as they seemingly play with the matadors is simply heartbreaking.  I use the word "play," because that is truly the best way to describe what they are doing.  It is so similar to the way a dog plays with its owner and you really get the sense that they legitimately think they are having fun, chasing the pink and red flags.

What you do not prepare yourself for is the fact that you find yourself inherently rooting for the bulls.  So when I was witness to one of the matadors being speared through the thigh by a bull's horn and lifted into the air, I felt even worse about what I was experiencing.  Because on some level, I did want the bulls to level the playing field in some way.  Of course, the inevitable still comes and nothing is really leveled at all.  But still....the bull in this match up definitely did not go down without a fight.

From Monday through Thursday, it was pretty much work, work, work for me; however, that is not to say it was an uneventful time in Madrid.  There was a big manifesto on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in a huge city-wide protest.  These protests happened to take place right outside of Madrid's Congress and Parliament buildings, which just so happen to be right next door and across the street from the hotel we were staying in. 

All access to the streets surrounding the hotel were barricaded and shut down.  The only way we were able to get to and from the hotel was by providing proof that we were staying there.  Talk about crazy!  The policia were shooting off rubber bullets into the crowds on both nights - yikes!

Once the shoot wrapped on Thursday afternoon, my husband and I were able to take one last stroll around the city and enjoyed some last minute tapas at another Anthony Bourdain recommended hole in the wall - Bodega de la Ardosa.  One of Madrid's oldest tapas bars, established in 1892!  The ambiance of this place is just perfect, much like their tortilla de patatas.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

All in all, a pretty exciting and fun trip, despite the fact that I was working during most of it!  When we headed out to the airport on Friday morning it was chilly and raining outside - a perfect departure day!  The return flight was 9 hours and 20 minutes, so we had loaded up our iPads with plenty of movies.  By time we landed, I had watched three!

I do love to travel and see the world, but man....when we touched the ground back in Chicago, it sure did feel great to be home.

Be sure to check out my For Fun page to view all of the pics from the trip!

Out With The Old, In With The New

I, just like every other girl in the world, am so excited for boots season!  Which also means it is time to make the transition in my closet from summer apparel to the fall/winter attire.  I should be so excited to do this, but.... lately I am feeling a little stale on my wardrobe selections.  I feel like I am turning to the same old items of clothing week after week....probably because I am.  I am in desperate need of a wardrobe make-over!

In an attempt not to break the bank, I am considering hosting a "swap style party."  Have you ever heard of this?  I had not until I was reading the most recent issue of InStyle (although, it might have been last month's issue now that I think about it?).  Either way, it sounds like a lot of fun and an inexpensive way to revamp your closet.

This is the CliffsNotes version, but essentially you follow the below instructions:

• Send out your guest list and ask that everyone contribute 10 pieces they would be willing to part ways with, all in varying price points. 

• You, too, will contribute 10 pieces in the same varying price points. 

• Set everything up as if you were shopping in a store for everyone to browse.

• Exchange pieces accordingly within the select price points.

Obviously there is some variance in my rules above as compared to what was outlined in the article, but I am having a hard time locating the article online, so this is what you get!  Sounds like a pretty great concept though, right? 

The whole idea of having the varying price points is perfect, that way it forces all participants to contribute more than just those items that may no longer be in style.  Instead, it really allows everyone to take a deeper look into their closets, really challenging ourselves to identify those items we absolutely cannot live without as opposed to those that are just, well, there.

I will let you know if I end up doing this.  The key will be finding the time between work travel and the upcoming fall weddings!  Perhaps the quickly approaching fall weather will provide motivation to do so before I go crazy with my online shopping.....

Bikram Yoga

No, I do not live under a rock...I have heard the success stories and praises by many - celebs and peers alike - on just how great yoga is for the body, mind and soul.  To be completely transparent, I have always really wanted to get into it as a compliment to my typical workout routine of strength and cardio training as well.  I did give it a test run through one of the offered yoga classes at my gym, but it did not really do it for me at all.  I left that class feeling like I experienced no real workout at all.  Not to mention, I truly did not know what I was doing....

I am the type of person who needs a challenge in a workout.  I love boot camp classes, spinning classes, etc.  Anything that requires you to sweat and work your ass off (not to mention unspoken competition), I am all about it.  I think that is why I have steered clear of yoga up until this point.  It just did not seem to provide the type of workout I was interested in.

One of my husband's best friends moved to Chicago from New York last week and he has been hitting up a Bikram Yoga studio in our neighborhood regularly.  He swears by Bikram (hot yoga).  I, of course, made the mistake of expressing interest - he showed me all 26 poses online, walked me through every single one of them, explained that he is by no means an expert, that I should not be intimidated, etc.  This all ended in him saying he was going to purchase the new members 1 month membership for me and force me to join him.  Yikes!   

Obviously I would not let him pay for my membership, but I am seriously considering giving it a shot.  While nothing about this sounds all that appealing to me - heat, YUCK! - I feel like it will be a good way of relieving some stress.  Who knows, I might actually like it.  I do like the repetition and sequence of it all, the fact that I will be able to practice and better myself.  That sounds promising for success....and a reason to stay committed.

So I am thinking once I get back from Spain on the 28th, I will sign up for the 1 month trial membership effective October 1st.  That way I can really maximize the month and start October off on the right foot.  I very well could end up hating this, but at least I will know once and for all that I gave yoga a legitimate shot. 

On the flip slide, it would be pretty cool to say I was capable of doing this:

Who am I kidding?  Baby steps.....

Team Aniston

I have always been a proud supporter of Team Aniston.  I even went as far to purchase one of those ridiculous shirts from Kitson when Brad went and cheated on her with that skank to showcase my allegiance.  What's worse is that I still own it, and every time I donate clothes I refuse to add that to the pile....even though I never wear it....not even around the house....because it is basically baby sized.

What can I say?  I am a fan!  Who from my generation did not grow up loving Rachel Green?!  I mean, come on, people....we were conditioned to love this girl.  Her hair, her style, her friends (and not just the ones from the sitcom), her work out routines, her diet regiment, her boyfriends, etc.  If it is associated with Jen, we all want in on it....

Hell, I have convinced myself that the electrolytes in smartwater do actually make it smart, because it's made that way.  And shame on me - I work in advertising and entertainment, I should know better....

Which brings me to this.  Have you guys had a chance to check out the new promo for the brand?  Check it out below if you have not already:

Brilliant.  Sadly, this is not a deal I negotiated, nor did my company have any part in it, but it is too good not to share. 

They ran a similar campaign last year when they released a "sex tape," but playing into the current baby bump hype, and in the aftermath of her recently announced engagement, this was perfect timing.

It is always refreshing to see celebrities who do not take themselves so seriously.  Be willing to have a sense of humor and laugh at your own expense every once in awhile.  Good in practice for common folk, even better in practice for celebs!

Living In The Past

Seriously....My company refuses to jump into the 21st century.  For the love of God, when is RIM finally going to go out of business so we can upgrade to iPhones?! 

Don't get me wrong, I have been a devout BlackBerry user for the past 5 years, and was adamant that I preferred the BBerry to the iPhone when it first came out.  Now?  I just want to be one of the cool kids.... 

I am a Verizon Wireless snob, so for the first couple of years the iPhone was available, I was hell bent on taking a stand against it.  Oh, you had an app for that?  Well, I had a map - and its coverage far exceeded the use of your cool and innovative capabilities.

That being said, now that Verizon offers iPhones, I want to jump on the Apple bandwagon too!  With the new iPhone 5 coming out, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to stay committed to the BBerry as its data speed and technology continues to fail me.

Help!  How can my colleagues and I plead our case that the iPhone 5 is going to be a far better option for us moving forward?!  Our office administrator claims the tech support for an Apple device is not as up to snuff as RIM/BlackBerry - is this true?!  I find that pretty hard to believe, considering how many companies have implemented the use of Apple products within the past few years.  Seems sketchy to me.....

What do you prefer for business purposes - iPhone or BlackBerry?

Friday Favorites

• Madrid Bound - I was able to snag a free flight for my husband to accompany me to Madrid!  Turns out, client's appreciate when you exchange your business class ticket for 2 coach tickets.  Wah, wah....  We are heading out a little bit earlier than planned (next Saturday) and will have a couple of days to ourselves before I have to work Tues-Thurs for the shoot. 

• Nicole Richie for Impulse - Yes, please!  Nicole Richie has teamed up with Macy's to design a more affordable clothing line alternative to her Winter Kate collections.  Thoughts?  I am already plotting my purchase of one piece and may come back for more.  Love her, I cannot resist!

• Fall TV Premieres - A lot of great TV shows returning this month (and some next month as well).  This week, I am most excited for HBO's Boardwalk Empire on Sunday!

• The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest - I took a brief hiatus from the "Girl" trilogy as I needed to switch it up a bit.  But I am back in full effect, rocking and rolling my way through the 3rd installment.

• The X Factor - I wish I were kidding.  To be fair, I only caught the 1st episode since I am supposed to be restricted to only 2 signing shows per year (and turns out, I became a bit of a Gleek last year....).  Surprisingly, I did not find Britney and Demi annoying at all - well, aside from the constant open mouth smile brought to you by Brit.  Other than that minor set back, a definite improvement from last season already!

 

I Remember It Like It Was Yesterday....

10 years ago today, I remember exactly where I was and can tell you exactly what I was doing.  I was sitting next to my best friend, Cassie, with our friend Zach sitting behind me in her space-ship style, sea foam green Honda Civic en route to Cincinnati. 

Cassie had made the trip from Ball State to Purdue to pick me up, and we then stopped by Butler University to get Zach on the way.  Seems like a nonsensical path to take, but we were freshmen in college at the time and Cassie was the only one with a vehicle in her possession.  So we made it work.

Looking back, it is amazing how oblivious we all were to what was actually happening....or maybe it was just me?!  I had somehow managed to look past, or maybe even block out entirely, the severity of what we were experiencing.  Come to think of it, I still tend to do this when something goes wrong.  Defense mechanism, perhaps?!

So we drove....  Muncie to West Lafayette.  West Lafayette to Indianapolis.  Indianapolis to Cincinnati.  Actually, to fully comprehend this story, I guess I should start from the beginning.... 

My childhood best friend was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes at an extremely young age.  Having lived across the street from each other from as far back as I can remember until around the time we were 15, I had seen it all.  I knew exactly what type of sugars he was allowed to have and what times of the day they were acceptable. 

Typically, snack time meant animal crackers, a Snack Pack or Jell-O concoction and a fruit roll-up during the school day and another similar snack in the evening.  He would sometimes switch it up with Teddy Grahams or a low sugar cookie option, but always a fruit roll-up.  I had to monitor this for YEARS, so I can recite the routine in my sleep - prick your finger, squeeze the tiniest drop of blood on the test strip, put it into the monitor and wait while it tests your blood sugar, log the results in your journal, eat your snack....

Can you imagine the repetition of this practice as a young kid, adolescent, and then young adult?  At a time when peer pressures are heightened and no one truly understands what a silent disease like this can do to a body if not cared for properly?!  Sometimes, I do feel like the lack of education and knowledge of not only our peers, but our coaches and teachers was detrimental to his well being....

Not for me though.  I knew everything.  I was exposed to every part of what it meant to have Juvenile Diabetes when we were so young, that I truly grew up with it in my life as much as he did.  I have dialed and spoken with 911, I have gotten into arguments throughout elementary and middle school when he would try to sneak Swiss Cake Rolls or an ice cream treat and I have had to confront teachers, taking them aside to explain that instead of attempting to discipline him for acting out, they should actually be calling the EMT because he had gone into diabetic shock. 

I have done all of these things, multiple times, starting around age 8.  I was forced to understand the disease, how it worked and how he functioned with it, because we were around each other so frequently.  I think it was for this reason that we always remained close despite our clear differences.  Even though we ended up hanging out with somewhat different core groups in high school, I still remained one of the few people who actually knew who he was.

It was no secret that he did not take care of himself the way he should have.  He drank, he smoked, he wanted to be normal.  While everyone else was having cake and ice cream at their birthday parties, he wanted it to.  And because we had gone our separate ways a bit, no one was there to monitor his intake or tell him otherwise once we hit high school.  Not that a 17 year old kid should have needed a babysitter, but still....

So we drove....  Muncie to West Lafayette.  West Lafayette to Indianapolis.  Indianapolis to Cincinnati.  All the while thinking about the series of events that had taken place that week and why this trip was even necessary.

I had gotten the call earlier in the week, informing me that Christopher had gone into diabetic shock/insulin reaction.  OK, nothing out of the ordinary.  It happened so frequently growing up that it became second nature.  He would be in the hospital for a couple of days and then would bounce back by the weekend most likely.  I knew the drill, nothing serious.

A couple of days went by and we neared the weekend, not much had changed.  Christopher was still in the hospital and it was suggested that maybe we come home to visit him.  I must have really been delusional at this point, because I still was in the mindset that this was just a nice thing to do.  A formality almost.  I even remember being slightly annoyed, because I had just started college and did not want to make the trip back home so soon.  I had no idea....

We pulled up to the hospital, still clueless.  As we walked in together, we saw a few familiar faces - family, a couple of close friends, but nothing too surprising for just a simple hospital visit.  Christopher's mother came over and hugged us, told us that he was up in the ICU and that it would be a few minutes before they would let us in to see him.  They had to hook him back up to some machines or something.  I am not doctor, nor was I pre-med, so this all seemed like standard protocol for me at the time.

We took the elevator up and had to wait for awhile while they did...whatever it was they were doing.  Finally!  We were allowed in.  It was truly one of those situations, like in a slow motion movie sequence, when you instantly come to the realization that you were wrong about everything.  It was much more serious than I had thought.  And even in that moment, I still did not understand what was happening.

He appeared to be hooked up to a machine that was breathing for him.  THAT SOUND.  That sound, legitimately haunted me for weeks thereafter.  It was terrible, and I can "hear" it now as I type this.  I will never forget the words spoken to me while the four of us stood around the bed together, when it all finally clicked and the reality of why we were really there sank in.  I was quite literally in a room with a dead body when I found out that it was, in fact, a dead body.  I freaked out.

I will spare the details of what exactly happened and why.  Long story, short....Christopher had gone into severe diabetic shock, essentially dying, and then was "brought back" in a comatose state.  He remained in this state throughout the course of the week, brain dead.  A vegetable.  If he were to survive, it would have been at the hand of machines, not himself. 

The next few days were a complete blur, still sort of are.  I know that Cassie and I spent a lot of time with his mother.  I remember we were helping her go through some things in his room and, at one point, she found some art project that he claimed to have done....turns out it was mine!  We all had a good laugh.  A much needed laugh.  In this same moment, when we were all laughing in his room, the light flickered.  Of course we are all fully aware that it could have been anything, but we all like to think it was him, telling us in that happier moment that it was all OK.

Whenever someone talks about mental toughness, or what it means to overcome, I always pat myself on the back for what I did next.  While it may sound a bit self-absorbed, or even conceited, I think the fact that I was able to drum up the courage and managed to get through what was, arguably, one of the most difficult experiences of my life to date, without a single tear shed, says something in itself.  I spoke at the funeral.

Dealing with death is never easy, and to be honest I do not feel like it gets any easier as the years pass.  In a week filled  with memorials, reminders of the past, I think this one in particular is always just a little  bit harder than the others.  One that weighs on your mind just a little bit more because of the significance of the days prior, the prep time leading up to it.  You are always reminded that it is coming.  It is not just a date you look at on your calendar the day of and think, "oh yea..."  But for these same reasons, I find peace.  Knowing that others probably feel the same, and that the remembrances of us all will live on.