Fireworks and food

Fourth of July was pretty spectacular this year.

I hate overpacking. I spent so much time on the road my first few years at work that I got pretty adept at fitting an entire week's worth of clothes into a backpack and since that time will do just about anything to avoid a) checking a bag and b) having to worry about overhead bin space. And I like clothes. A lot. But I like just carrying one small bag through the airport even more.

All this to say that I've started keeping a stash of summer clothes at the lake so that I can pop a pair of shorts and a t-shirt in my purse and head on my way. This hat is actually Anthony's, but I've adopted it as it provides the perfect amount of shade for reading in the sun.

My dad is a huge fan of Mark Twain, so I got him the first volume of MT's musings for his birthday. 

I spent the weekend nursing this particular addiction. Actually, Megan and my cousin are both immersed in the series as well, so there was some pretty extreme geekage going on. Winter is Coming!

We went on an excursion to Wal Mart and lo and behold they carrie Essie! Megan and I splurged on some summer colors.

Mom likes to fatten us up when we come home. This was by our side the entire weekend. When not eating candy, we stuffed our faces with the following items:

 A gigantic pork shoulder.

Some incredible homemade bread.

Pre-dinner drinky drinks.

Steak and mushrooms.

Sinfully delicious mini cinnamon rolls.

The most decadent chocolate cake known to man.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend filled with family and food and oh-so-much fun.

It's almost the weekend! Time for Drinks!

To celebrate the fact that summer seems to have finally arrived in Chicago, we decided to splurge on some fancy lemonade and then Anthony got one of his brilliant ideas to use it as the base for a cocktail. The following is a visual guide to recreating:

And of course, no happy hour would be complete without:

So there you have it - a perfectly refreshing, slightly tangy lemonade cocktail with a little cooling infusion of mint. I like everything really tart, so mine used a LOT of lemon, but the best thing about this drink is that everything can be adjusted according to your tastes.

On that celebratory note, I will be heading to South Carolina for the 4th so there will be lots of pictures up next week!

Happy Independence Day! 

Week in Tumblrs - recap edition

I'm a little delayed on the Week in Tumblr posts, so here's a little catch up of the past few weeks:

I love seeing peonies in the grocery store. The colors are so perfectly spring-like and they just seem like generally happy flowers. Even the name 'peony' just sounds happy. You have to smile when you say it...it just has that effect. On me at least.

I have been ogling scooters a little bit. It all started when I wanted a bike...and then began looking around at the less labor intensive transport options. Plus the colors! Are so beautiful! Not that I will be justifying a several thousand dollar purchase instead of a few hundred dollar one anytime soon, but it is fun to dream.

After monthsandmonths of lusting over a certain striped dress on Madewell, I decided to take the plunge and am ridiculously happy about it. Do not ask me how many times I wore it around my apartment before taking it out into the world because I will not tell you.

Game of Thrones

ended this Sunday as did (sadly) our weekly viewing party dinners. We decided to end the season with some overindulgence and feasted on a 10 pound chuck roast, the most decadent cornbread ever seen on planet earth (as in contained bacon, dripping from aforementioned bacon and cubes of pepper jack cheese) and my first stab at a cherry pie. The only thing missing were horns of ale.

Color Study: stuff on my dresser edition

Do you ever have one of those moments where you look around your apartment and spot things that are all in the same color palette?

No?

Just me?

Okay.

Well, anyway, I had one of those moments this morning resulting in the above photograph. Items involved are: the book I started over a year ago and then needed Robert and Meryl visuals to help with some of the major plot points, new mascara (bought purely for the simple packaging), an industrial spring currently serving time as my business card holder and some awesomely cheap jewelry.

ALVIN

It's been quiet here.

The past two weeks have been a little overwhelming. My grandfather passed away last Wednesday. While it was hard to lose him, I am thankful for the memories I have and that he was a part of my life for so long.

After the service, my grandmother unearthed boxes of photographs from their lives. This is one of the best of the two of them and it means a lot to me to have a copy of it.

I will miss you Grandpa.

REARRANGING

I woke up early this morning and couldn't fall back asleep. Usually when this happens I lie staring at the clock, angry that everyone else in the world is peacefully asleep and I am not (not logical or reasonable I know, but I know better than to argue with my mind when it has not gotten enough sleep). When I can no longer pretend that I am going to fall asleep for more than five minutes at a stretch, I get up and start the day grumbling and frustrated.

This morning though, as I watched the sky turn from dark blue to blue to daylight I decided to go out and take a long walk. I loaded up my ipod, threw on some shoes and headed out. The first mile was a slog of grumpiness, but as I kept going, my mood began to lighten and I began to walk through the stresses and problems that caused me to wake up so early in the first place.

And then the sun came out over the lake just as I was turning around to head for home and it was magical.

I think I may make a habit of this.

Sidenote: I also had one of those divine inspirational moments when making my playlist. After just throwing a bunch of songs together, I started it the moment I left my building and had JUST the right amount of music so that the last song was ending as I walked back in. WIN!