Let's Beat These Blizzard Blues!

When I moved to Chicago, by choice, I promised to never complain about the weather because I knew what I was getting into. It's windy, duh. It's cold, duh. These are things I knew. They are the reason I buy nice snow boots and nice down jackets. And they are the reason that half the time I don't apply my mascara until I get to work because I know my eyes will water so badly on the way to the train that I'd look like a clown with runny black eyes if I did. So I suck it up.

I suck it up every week, except for this week. BLIZZARD WARNINGS? Really? Highs in the single digits this week with wind chills in the negative teens? Really? On my birthday week (yes, i get a week ;-) )? Really? 

OK, not that I had any big outdoor plans, or really expect mother nature to give me special treatment just because I'm creeping another year closer to my thirties, but a little warm-up would be nice. How about 30 degrees, maybe? Just for me Mother Nature? I guess we'll see!

Birdcage Veils

While I was trying on veils during the wedding planning process, I never tried on a traditional veil that I thought looked right on me. I like veils. I like them on other people, but on me they felt out of place. Either too poofy, or not the right length, color, etc. I thought about going veil-less with just a clip or flower, but with a big, traditional Catholic mass and a longer trained a-line gown, I felt I'd look naked without something on my head. So I went on the search for a birdcage veil and ran into a lovely website: birdcageveils.com ran by Melody Ginn.

Her photo gallery of real brides, was so helpful when I was deciding what type of netting and length I would like, so I had sent her some of my own to hopefully help other brides around the country. Last night, she added some photos of me in my veil to the photo gallery section of her site and you can see them here (one below) if you are interested.

If you are a bride considering a birdcage style veil, I cannot recommend her site enough. It is very affordable (seriously, don't pay bridal boutique prices for these!) AND you get personal emails and attention from her. She makes the veils herself, too!

Branching Out

I noticed a new trend that I have been gravitating toward lately, twig and branch decor. 

We own a loft, and while I love the high concrete ceilings & pillars and urban feel, I also like to warm it up with more cozy (but still modern) decor to make it feel like home. I think I like the juxtaposition of cool & warm and shabby & chic. Or heck, maybe it's just plain kitschy, but I like it anyway.

Many months ago, we needed to buy a second side table for our living room. Since I knew we'd never find one in the exact same wood or style as the other coffee & side table in the room, I wanted to get something that would compliment it, yet still be unique.

We settled on this West Elm Branch Side Table

I love it! And it makes for a perfect resting spot for my laptop at night in between my web surfing, blogging and facebook stalking :-)

Another thing you lack in a loft is closets...no coat closet, no linen closet, etc. So a coat rack is a must. I'm not sure how we have lived here 1+ years without one. Around the same time we found the West Elm Table, a Pottery Barn catalog came out (I'm talking many, many months ago) with a lovely twig coat rack. I immediately went online to snag it, yet the item number could not be found. Curious. I then called the 1-800 #, and they could not find the item either! Who publishes a catalog with merchandise that is not available?? 

Well lucky for me my aunt gave us a Pottery Barn gift card for a very belated housewarming gift. After reading Maria's post today on entryway furniture, it inspired me to get online and spruce up ours. So I ventured on to the PB website again tonight and found that the Twig Coat Rack is back! (labeled as NEW too, go figure) So, of course, we bought it. I didn't want to risk it "disappearing" again plus we had a gift card:

Another thing you lack in a loft (I swear we love our loft, I'm just highlighting the cons tonight) is light. We need more lighting, but with 16 foot concrete ceilings, it hard to just throw up extra overhead lighting willy-nilly. A temporary solution for now is an extra floor lamp in our living room to set next to our branch side table.

So, as you may have read a few days ago, I found a few strange things while shopping on ZGallerie the other day, but I also found this gem, a twig floor lamp:

We have a gift card that would cover half, but you have to call to order, so I have yet to do it. Would this be too many twigs? Am I barking up to wrong decor tree? Or would this perfectly complete my attempt to branch out into new home decor? I dunno. I think I'll sleep on it.

Well, I got wellies!

So I totally splurged on an early b-day present for myself today and purchased a pair of Hunter boots/wellies, from Zappos.

I usually would go right for the green pair, but ironically I thought the green Hunter's were too "hunter" green.

Next, I considered the orange pair, but wasn't sure if they said "bright and cheery" or "construction worker":

So I decided on the aubergine color instead, which I thought were dark enough to be somewhat neutral, while still being purple enough to say "cute & fun"! 

I just hope they fit over my calves, because I am very excited about them and it would be a shame if I had to return them! I should know soon though with Zappos super-fast free shipping.

The Most Curious Footrest...

My co-worker gave us a Z Gallerie gift card as a wedding gift. So I went online in their sale section to see what I could find and ran across this:

Mountain Goats

"One billy goat’s gruff, rough around the edges with a firm back sturdy enough to prop up your lazy legs as a footrest. The other is adorably friendly with floppy legs weighted to hug or cuddle as a body pillow. Sold separately."

Seriously?? Who would buy these?

Well in case I have offended you and you are thinking, "These are actually JUST what I need for my arm chair!", then here's the good news: Mountain Goat Foot Rest WAS: $189.95 NOW:$89.99

Sorry, but even at $100 off, this is one online sale I WILL resist.

Kitschy Kool: Volume 4: Board Games Old & New

Last night we hosted a game night at our house for around 10 of us. These are my favorite kind of nights, filled with good food, good friends and some good healthy competition ;-) (Seriously, whomever says the can play games just for fun, is a total liar… I play to win!)

So last night, since we had so many people, we played a few rounds of a newer favorite Apples to Apples. What a great party game for young and old, 4 players or 14 players. We love it and so did our guests. 

Later after a few guests left, 6 of us stuck around to play Scattergories. Now this is a classic game from the 80's that I literally have never lost when I played it; thus, it never gets old (at least for me)!

This game night made me reminisce on some favorite games from my childhood. Every year at Christmas, I used to go through the no defunct Service Merchandise catalog and fill my Christmas list with tons and tons of game, literally every game in the book!

Some of my favorite off the top of my head were...

Ker Plunk:

Similar concept to Jenga, in Ker Plunk you were supposed to slowly and carefully pull out each plastic stick, making the least number of marbles fall. The player with the least amount of marbles at the end wins!

We gave our nephew a more modern and childlike version of this game for Christmas, called Tumblin’ Monkeys. Same concept, just monkeys instead of marbles.

Next we have, Guess Who?:

I loved this game! Here’s a photo of the old-school version we had as kids. (sidenote: I think I had a crush on the boy on the box when I was a kid, lol.)

This is the game where you flip over a collection of faces with different color hair, eye color, hair, hats, glasses etc. to deduce who the secret person is that your opponent has chosen, by asking a serious of “yes” or “no” characteristic questions. It really honed my detective skills, which I thought might come in handy if I were to become a detective ;-)

And oh how I loved, Electronic Talking Battleship:

What can I say, except that the original Battleship was full of cheaters. See below:

Who did not move their ship a little to the left or the right when your friend called out a coordinate that landed on your ship?

Well, with Electronic Talking Battleship you could cheat no more! This thing KNEW where your ships were.

Press in the coordinates with your little red and yellow buttons and then just wait for the board to say "Destroyer Hit!" or better yet, “Battleship Sunk!”. Sweet Victory.

There are so many other games over the years that I loved, but I’ll leave you with this somewhat creepy, very kitschy and oh-so random game we also owned, Mr. Gameshow:

Mr. Gameshow was a plastic, electronic talking gameshow host that led you thru the game. As the box pointed out, it was "Just like a real game show in your home!" The game played in Mr. Gameshow resembled "Wheel of Fortune". Players earned money for correctly solving the puzzle. Most money at the end of the game wins. Classic! I loved ( and still do, love) gameshows, so this was quite a cool game in it’s day.

And she’d kill me if she EVER read this, but one time we caught my baby sister “making out” with "Mr. Game Show"(what a creepy guy) ...

...in the game-closet in our basement, so of course this holds a special place in my heart, lol.

Well, that is my latest edition of Kitschy Kool, featuring board games of past and present. Feel free to comment on some of your favorite games as well, I love being reminded of those blasts for the past!

2008 was Great...Bring on 2009!

Happy New Year everyone!

2008 was filled with many great memories for me, especially on the wedding front. Not only did I marry my best friend in November, but two of my best friends also got married this year. I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in both weddings.

Steph & Trey: May 31, 2008

Julie & Kyle: October 11, 2008

And of course the highlight ;-)

Me & Dave: November 8, 2008

A little background on my group of friends. There are 7 of us girls that have been friends since freshman year of high school (with the exception of Julie & I who have been friends since 3rd grade!). Until I entered the professional world, I never really realized how highly uncommon it is to still be so very close to a group of people that you began your friendship with so long ago. Out of the 7 of us, we live in 5 different states and are each in the same city altogether only once, maybe twice a year. One of those rare times was at my wedding this year. I felt so very lucky that everyone was able to travel to be there for us so close to the holidays:

While our distance is great, these are the type of friends that still never miss a beat when we finally do get together, no matter how long it has been and I am truly blessed and grateful to have them in my life.

So now in 2009, we will celebrate many milestones together. Our 10 year HS reunion is in August (yikes), as well as the wedding of Susan and Carlos in the Fall:

...which will make all seven of us officially "old" married ladies!

So here's to good friends and good times in 2009. I can't wait to see what else this year brings to our marriage, and also our family & friends.