Last night I played Taboo for the first time, and let me tell y'all... folks were not giving me ANY fucks as a newbie lol. It took me a few rounds to truly grasp the way the game should be played, but soon after I got the hang of it.
Now, I've come to realize I'm not the best "captain" of a team or description giver, but I do thrive as a guesser. Thus, if you're someone who describes words like a G pick me for your squad.
On another note, check out my neighbor (aka Fresh Prince of SEA) heckling the shit out of me with that buzzer lol...
Back in the day when I took up residence in andthroughout the streets of Chicago, I used to blog recaps of how amazing my weekends were. As I got older and shed my club rat ways, I stopped blogging about my weekends... mainly due to the fact that I could only say so many wonderful things about watching TV, going to the dog park, or attempting (and failing) to finish laundry.
This past weekend I was once again out and about and decided it'd be fitting to blow the dust off my "weekend reviews" and share the shenanigans!
Friday: Dinner @ Island Soul Caribbean Cuisine
We started our night with dinner reservations for 12 at this quaint Columbia City eatery. In hindsight this probably wasn't the best choice for 12 people, as the restaurant is small and difficult to accommodate large parties, but the food was pretty good. I ordered the tapas size pork ribs, side of collard greens and hush puppies. The ribs were great! So tender and delicious. The greens were pretty good, but I didn't care for the hush puppies.
Tip: Not the best place for parties larger that 4-6. Service is on the slower side, so give yourself a buffer if you have plans afterwards. Food is pretty good.
In front of Seattle's infamous Gum Wall
Improv show @ Unexpected Productions Improv Comedy Show
After dinner we headed over to the Market Theater to catch the Unexpected Productions comedy show. This improv show featured 2 teams battling it out to be crowned winner for the week. The returning champs were His and Hernia, while "Nerds in Costumes" were the challengers. Tickets to the show were $15 and I actually won "runner up" for best audience contribution of the night (I suggested "Mister Rogers" when asked for a childhood show). My prize: VIP tickets for 2 to another show! Can't wait to head back there with my boyfriend and see how he likes it.
The good? The show is actually pretty entertaining and a nice way to spend your night. The drinks are also super cheap and they had Strongbow cider (one of my favs) for $4/bottle so I was a happy camper.
The bad? The cast isn't that diverse, which makes for limited diversity in jokes and material. Not just that, but with the audience contributing to the show, if you have a wack audience the show has the potential to fall flat. There were a few contributions from the crowd that were very boring when I was there. Luckily the teams were pretty good and did the best to roll with it.
Sunday:
Brunch @ Toulouse Petit
The only thing I love more than a good brunch is a brunch with bottomless drinks. Unfortunately Toulouse Petit doesn't offer a "drunk brunch," but they DO have a happy hour brunch from 8a - 11a, with happy hour pricing ... a considerable savings from their regular pricing. Because of this their brunch is a hot commodity and usually packed.
Yay for Spring and spring clothes!!
Lucky for us, one of our girlfriends made her way to the restaurant before everyone else and camped out to secure us a table in the bar. We were able to fit our group of 12-14 and proceeded to down amazing food and drinks for roughly 5-6 hours. Yeah, shit got real! I actually had an amazing time and would suggest everyone give this place a try.
I've been here for brunch, dinner, and their late night happy hour. I'd suggest going for happy hour first because the price point is awesome and the selection is vast. A great way to try out numerous items on the menu and see what's worth paying full price for... granted I've never had anything I didn't like.
Tip: Go for Happy Hour and order the Catfish Bites, Fried Okra, and Fried Green Tomatoes.
Saturday night I had the chance to get out with my girlfriends and just let loose. Drank a bit too much and ended up paying for it all day Sunday. Nothing reminds you that you're getting older like realizing how much longer it takes to "bounce back" from a ratchet night out.
But on to the topic of this post - - why I hate Chase Bank!
After leaving the club we went to Bijan's, one of my favorite late night spots, and decided to grab some Pinkberry while we waited for our table. Keep in mind that I was faded by this point, so I'm just rolling with the punches. I get to the register and the dude tells me my debit card came up declined. No biggie b/c I have money in my account, but he just gave me my FroYo gratis! Mucho Gracias... I kept living my life and didn't think anything of it... until I tried to pay for my bill at Bijan's and it came up declined again.
Had to give Chase a call because I knew I had money in the account and this was ridiculous. Spoke to a rep and was told they were having a system outage and my card wouldn't be available until 8a. Umm... excuse me? It was like 3a and I was sitting in a restaurant needing to pay my bill. Chase, please do better. I didn't receive any type of email alert, or notification of ANY kind saying my account would be unavailable for X amount of hours.
I've done numerous cross country road trips and the first thought that entered my mind was what if I was driving and needed gas... I couldn't get it for 5 more hours? Fuck that. Chase is such a sham of a company. They really grind my gears. So, not only was my account with fucking money in it unavailable, she also told me that if I went to an ATM my card wouldn't work until 8a. Well, damn...
Luckily my girlfriend had some extra cash on her and was able to give me some money for my bill, but I think Chase Bank did a shitty job handling this matter.
When I awoke this weekend to a crisp 58 degrees outside, I knew the Fall chill was starting to hit Chicago. I secretly rejoiced that I could turn off my A/C and say goodbye to shrunken hair, but knew I better cling on to the last few days of heat we'd be experiencing in the city.
Cheers to the end of summer
As a way to formally bid adieu to "Summertime Chi," I attended the Posh Entertainment end of summer day party at Epic. DJ's Jay Illa and Marcus Shadden delighted our ears with two sets, while Epic kept the overpriced drinks flowing. I don't typically cringe at drink prices, but averaging $13-$16 for a cocktail? That shit cray. Don't get me wrong, I still paid for it lol... but I wasn't paying for the liquor as much as I was the River North address.
On the bright side, the bartenders were extremely friendly, the venue has a gorgeous interior and rooftop and none of the staff were actual douchebags.
This was my first time attending a Posh Entertainment event and I had no clue what to expect. I'd sum it up to say they attract a nice urban crowd. Picture the cool kids in college that went on to become actual working professionals with legit business cards. I actually think they had one of the better urban crowds in Chicago, but there was a downside.
DJ Jay Illa & DJ Marcus Shadden
I'm sure everyone there was awesome, but the issue was that they all believed their own hype. The majority of people stood around with an heir of "I'm very important. Look at how awesome my aura is" while not dancing or managing to look like they were having fun. It was a lot of drinking, smiling, and polite mingling... but this was an end of summer roof top party.
It reminded me of the people that were Greek in college and spent their time stepping and strolling at parties... but were at the point that they could no longer do that at events so they were left pondering how to have a good time. They still felt important and like they were a big deal, but how do you distinct yourself from the crowd. The answer? Stand around holding your cocktails listening to bomb music not dancing. Crack a slight smile every now and then and kiss your friends on the cheek.
We drink, smile AND dance
At other times is felt like a grade school dance with men standing on one side and women on the other. Nobody seemed to really let loose and have a ball. If the event wasn't on a rooftop with fresh air I don't know if I could've stomached the stuffiness and pretentious crowd. The DJs were awesome and the drinks were on point. The crowd had zero ratchet so why was nobody getting it in?
I didn't ponder this for too long because my girlfriends and I always have a ball, so we danced, drank and were merry. Even after the event ended we kept the party going.
Overall, I had a great time and would definitely attend another Posh Entertainment event, but would love to see more fun and less pretentiousness.
Thanks to an invite from my wonderful neighbor, my girlfriends and I were able to hit up V-Live Saturday night for the Grey Goose Cherry Noir/Drake after party. I'm all about rocking a wristband and sitting in VIP *insert sarcasm* but it was definitely nice to have bottle service and be away from the massive crowd in the club (see above picture).
As I'm approaching my 28th birthday (in 3 weeks), I've come to realize that my ear is no longer glued to the club streets. I would much rather do weekly brunches and occasional lounge nights instead of packing myself into sweaty clubs full of 23 year olds. It was no surprise I hadn't heard of V-Live, but the club didn't disappoint. This would probably be a club lover's wet dream. Multiple floors of action, great music, diverse crowd - - this club was oozing with everything super clubs in Vegas are made of. I'm on my tail end of clubbing days, but I did enjoy the people watching, Grey Goose Cherry Noir, and Drake.
I joked with my friends that I instantly got more emo once Drake walked into the room, but it was cool seeing him in person. His head is super big and he looks like wheelchair Jimmy... just your average, run of the mill black/Jewish kid... Oh, except for the fact that he runs with a huge posse, gets tons of groupie love, and has an insane amount of talent.
Speaking of which, watching the constant hoe-cessional of chicks flocking to get into his VIP section was comedic at times, but overall sad. I mean, the club dreams these chicks have... stars in their eyes... at home throwing on their tightest dress to prance around a velvet rope and catch some rapper's eye all in the hopes of getting chose for the night. What? To drink free, smoke something, maybe leave with a story to tell your friends? No thanks... I'll pass. It's fun to be out and about, but there's nothing like a having a legit career and W2. I like making my money sitting up, what can I say lol. Anyways, the club was open until like 5am or something insanely ridiculous, but we made our exit around 3. It was WAY past my bedtime and I couldn't wait to hit the sack.
On an alcohol related note, Grey Goose Cherry Noir was pretty tasty. My loyalties still lie with Rum and Tequila, but if you're a Vodka fan please give it a whirl. Find out more about the new flavor here.
Well, technically speaking summer isn't here yet but this past weekend in Chicago felt amazeballs! The heat was in full effect and so were the NATO protesters. I braved the streets to see a real life protest, managed to meet one of my favorite bloggers and go into check-in overload via Yelp! All in all, it was a great weekend.
Saturday night I headed to the "Treasure our Tresses" event hosted by EDEN Body Works in the South Loop. It felt great to be back in my old stomping ground... though I don't consider anything South of Cermak the real South Loop lol... but I digress.
Before the event I debated what to do with my hair. In hindsight I should have probably rocked a twist out, but I really wanted to have straight hair (after dealing with a shrunken fro the night before), so I worked a little magic with my curlformers and voila! My hair was super cute and ready to go. Of course it wouldn't be my life if my hair didn't sweat out halfway through the event lol... but I did manage to snap a hot before pic lol... (see left).
Sexyandthechi, Meghan, YngSuburbanMom, and Me
I must always capture the way I start a night off because I sweat SO much and am sure to ruin a style. The plus of all this? I was in a room surrounded by women with natural hair so EVERYONE could relate!!! I still explained my glisten (i.e. sweaty situation that had me feeling like a cross between a grease ball and an oil slick lol), but as my hair got bigger and bigger, I didn't feel too embarrased.
I got to the event a little before 730p, meeting up with 2 of my co-workers (Meghan & fellow blogger Young Suburban Mom) as well as one of my bff's Sexyandthechi! For some reason my arms have been bugging me out in pics lately. No clue what to do with them lol... please excuse my awkward, dead stiff arm pose lol...
A few weeks ago I posted a photo of Michi and her fabulous hair as my "hair inspiration" du jour. When I saw her in person I had a bit of a fan moment because it was cool to see someone I liked virtually in person. The icing on the cake? Her personality is out of this world! She's so friendly and personable. I was a sweat box by the time we took our pic, so please excuse my glisten! lol... damn, it was hot in there.
I'm big on first impressions and believe that a person's energy either works with mine or it doesn't... she was a home run! Both of her girlfriends at the event with her were darling as well. So awesome to meet folks and have them be fab in person.
The best part of the event? Getting a "bloggers bag" containing the entire line of products!!! Score. I used the oil as soon as I got home and I must say I'm already loving it. It's giving Carol's Daughter "Lisa's Hair Elixir" a run for its money. That oil is amazeballs.
After the event we headed to Devon Seafood Grill for their happy hour, only to find out they don't do it Saturday night lol. Still, we ordered food, drinks, and gabbed about everything ladies do! It was a nice night...
Did you attend the #EDENTressTalk event? Have you tried EDEN Body Works products before?
I feel compelled to start this post with a complete soul baring moment of honesty. Not many people show you pictures of their hair looking a hot ass mess, but I like to keep things 100% real on my blog and I want to let people know that natural hair is no joke. A hair style can start off SMOKING HOT and burn in flames by the end of the night.
Exhibit A - - Halloween night my hair was GREAT but I knew the humidity in the club would ruin it. The hat my costume came with was the master of disguise, but at the end of the night - - SHRINKAGE IS REAL!!! My girlfriends and I got a great belly laugh when I took my hat off and revealed my big surprise. My shit was busted. However, I was white boy wasted at this point and could care less about my hair lol... still, it was a slight shock that my straight hair held up so well. I probably should've left the hat off lol.
As I mentioned in my post on Friday, I was planning a slightly ratchet birthday weekend with my girls and I did exactly that. Well, Friday night was next level ratchetry (is that a word?) and guess what - - I enjoyed EVERY.SECOND. I grabbed a hotel downtown for the weekend and was in staycation mode.
Sidebar: I'm completely smitten with River North!!! Must.Live.There.Now!
What! Me drinking beer? Yes!
Friday (prior to doing hoot rat things), my company hosted a happy hour where I found myself experimenting with red wine and beer. I actually stunned myself by drinking 2 beers (also learned how to use a keg lol) and was feeling quite nice as I left work for the day. Note that even though my curls were falling (it was kinda warm in my building that day), my hair was still together for the most part.
After failing to hail a cab for what felt like an eternity, I made the short trek to the hotel where I met up with the birthday girl and proceeded to get the night started.
We celebrated at the TGIFresh Halloween Masquerade event @ Tantrik and let me just say, their $40 wrist band deal is a thing of beauty!! $40 for an open bar 9p - Midnight? Yes, please.
Also, many props to Beauty by Valina, the makeup artist that handled my girlfriend's makeup! She did an amazing job recreating the Lady Gaga Born This Way skeleton look, and the birthday girl looked amazeballs in her costume!! My costume wasn't too shabby either lol... but nobody was touching my girl!
General Glam
After nursing a gnarly hangover for most of Saturday, we headed to Paris Club Chicago for a late dinner.
It felt nice to be out celebrating one of my best friends, seeing her surrounded by her favorite people - - just growing older together. *electronic tear*
I was excited to try the escargot bourguignonne (one of my favorite things), but I still think Bijan's has them beat. The sea scallops were delicious and the lamb meatballs hit the spot too. The food at Paris Club is basically a French version of a Spanish Tapas spot. The prices are mid-range and overall everything was pretty yummy. We did have great service, but the server goofed up our check pretty big time, so that glitch did leave a sour taste in my mouth. I think this place would be great for bday dinners for rather large groups (6-10 people), but in terms of Tapas, Cafe Babareeba is still my hands down favorite place ever!!!
Most of us were still wiped out from doing hood rat things Friday night, so we called it a night after dinner. I crawled back into my hotel bed and drifted off to sleep. My staycation was amazing! I need to do that at least once a month.
How'd you spend your Halloween weekend? Any ratchet moments? lol...
I've been super swamped with work, school, and my husband's approaching deployment, so I feel like I've had no time to blog, vlog, or really do much of anything.
This weekend marked the unofficial end of Summer and I was on a mission to have a wonderful time! Friday night I headed to see one of my favorite DJs, Mick Boogie, at the Griffin Lounge. My girlfriend and I managed to actually get there in time to enjoy the Skyy Vodka sponsored bar, along with free entry. Ummm... why aren't more people taking advantage of this!!! Free drinks + no cover = an instant good time. It's crazy that I slept on this for so long because discovering this at 27 is slightly bittersweet. Sweet because it's an amazing perk for those who don't mind getting out earlier... bitter because the bulk of my club days are LONG behind me.
Anyways, the "Culture Couture" event was hosted by The Movemakers and while I appreciate organized events that cater to a young, urban professional crowd... I think some club promoters, or just club folks in general, are suffering from a serious case of "god" complex. You aren't giving VIP access to the pearly gates in the sky... You're creating a great atmosphere to allow your patrons to have a nice time and stimulate the economy, while throwing some money in your pockets. Reducing the size of your ego is never a bad thing.
Tip: Take advantage of the hosted bar and free entry by using their weekly "password." The catch? You must sign up for their emails... which can be slightly annoying on a Friday. They seriously send like 6+ emails lol... but again, focus on the free cover and drinks!
To wrap up our night we headed to Bijan's (a longtime favorite of mine) and enjoyed some tasty late night eats before hitting the sack.
Tip: Bijan's is a more intimately sized eatery so there may be a wait, but where else can you eat perfectly cooked escargot at 3am!
Sunday
After spending my entire Saturday recovering from my Friday night festivities (... because I'm older now and need a full day to recover lol) I headed to Lincoln Park for the much talked about Sunday Brunch at Duffy's Tavern. My girlfriend warned me that we needed to get there by 1030a, but due to a warped weekend Metra schedule we didn't make it until about noon. Wowzers... this place was PACKED! I guess the brunch buffet and bottomless mimosas are enough to make anyone crawl out from their comfy abodes early Sunday morning. The 2 hr wait was a bit painful to say the very least, but the moment we got our table, some grub, and the drinks flowing, it was an amazeballs time! We seriously danced and drank for HOURS and it felt like a nonstop party. I couldn't do this every weekend, but during the summer this is a must.
Tip: If you plan on checking this place out please do yourself a favor and get there by 1030 at the very latest. Yes, it seems early, but getting a good seat by the food and DJ booth will make it worth your while. Also note that your entire party must be present in order to get seated.
After stumbling out of Duffy's (and a failed attempt at finding Jade Dragon to get spontaneous tattoos and piercings lol), we realized that all the dancing had worked up an additional hunger. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, another Lincoln Park gem, was our next stop (after a slight detour into Baskin Robbins). I can't even begin to put into words how delicious all of the tapas were that we ate! Yum... I definitely need to visit this place again.
Tip: If you check-in via FourSquare for the first time you get a free pintxos platter (a $9 value). This was delicious and FREE!
Weekend Haunts
Bijan's Bistro
663 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60654
312-202-1904
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
2024 Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-935-5000
Duffy's Tavern
420 1/2 W. Diversey Parkway
Chicago, IL 60614
773-549-9090
Griffin Lounge
324 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
312-280-9800
Back in 2008-2009, when I stayed in someone's club, lounge or restaurant on the regular, I would write "Weekend Review" posts. My party girl lifestyle has definitely simmered down, but my social life has not completely flatlined.
This weekend I was on the hunt for a cute, low-key brunch spot to catch up with one of my besties and fellow blogger Kcalana1. Since I'm staying in the suburbs for the time being I didn't feel like driving up North to all of the fab spots that keep the liquor flowing. I decided to keep things a little closer to home and search in Hyde Park. I'm still on the fence about Hyde Park as a place to call home. It's a super cute neighborhood, but the insane amount of homeless people and lack of parking makes me wonder...
Anyways, we decided to check out Valois Restaurant, a cafeteria style eatery on 53rd (between Harper and Lake Park). The place had over 100 reviews on Yelp and averaged 4 out of 5 stars. The food was good and the prices were even better! My entire breakfast cost about $8 (2 eggs, grits, ham, english muffin and orange juice) and the service was prompt.
The only drawbacks to eating here were the parking situation and 'cash only' policy. I guess I've been living under a rock (aka South Carolina) because I had no clue that it's no longer free to park on Sundays!! I got a $50 ticket on Sunday and was highly annoyed. I felt like I was in an episode of "Parking Wars" as I ran to my car just as the meter man (isn't meter maid just for ladies? lol... am I crazy?) wrote my ticket.
I also ventured to the 59th St Harbor with another bestie and fellow blogger SexyandtheChi. I had never been to the marina before, but let me just say it was an experience. I've been on yachts (when I was younger my mom had one...) but I had never seen folks that own boats party in the parking lot of their marina. I guess gas is too expensive and nobody even wants to set foot on their boat lol. Another sight to be seen? The parking situation! Folks were parked in the lot... on the grass, on the sidewalks, on the curbs - - it was a mess! The only thing worse than the parking setup was the nightmare when we tried to leave! I've never been gridlocked in a parking lot. It took forever to get out of there and I couldn't have been happier to hop on Lake Shore Drive and whiz away from that place.
It's not often that I try my hand at DIY projects, but I had a closet full of wooden hangers and needed to find a use for them. After seeing this post on one of my favorite blogs I decided to give fabric hangers a shot!
This is a fun project to do on a lazy weekend as it only requires a glue gun, some fabric quarters, wooden hangers and scissors. It's fairly straight forward... you cut the fabric into 5 sections and begin wrapping it (gluing as you need) onto the hanger. You can get creative and pick whatever fabric you'd like.
The holiday weekend came and went and I'm proud to say that I managed to successfully grill ALL of the food for our bbq - - in turn feeding 10+ people. I was nervous about attempting to use the grill but had received some tips and things went pretty smoothly. Even having my makeup melt under the extreme heat of the sun couldn't keep me away from my bbq duties... and in addition to being able to add "Grill Master" to my growing list of culinary feats, I learned a new way to balance my social butterfly skills - - designate a friend to be your "grill asst" lol. Not only will your grill asst keep you company, but they can be put to work by running food back and forth.
Despite being deemed a female only bbq, a party is never truly a party until you have some crashers. We were graced with the presence of a few of Harvey's finest men in blue and thank God they came bearing gifts! If you ever want to crash a party, come with some bottles of good liquor in your hands and you'll be met with a warm smile - - at least you will if I'm the one throwing the event.
In addition to the great food and company, the conversations that sparked had everyone on the edge of their seats! Let me tell you, people were getting worked up over the debates that ignited. Men and women will probably always go head to head on our varying relationship styles and levels of commonsense. While many were spazzing out and consistently going left on one another, I was more toned down (probably due to being grill master and the 6+ drinks I had downed - - all I wanted to do was smile, talk a little shit, and re-up my drink lol ) One of the funniest things I heard all night was Naval Base rationalize his method of numbering women and how he prefers to keep a squad of 3s over choosing to just find 1 dime. I'd go into the system but that's require a lot of work. lol... just trust that it's hilarious.
So, for now, I'm okay with being one of few women that will man, or should I say (WO)man, the grill... Just keep a drink in my hand I'll make all of your bbq dreams come true!!! Hope everyone had a fun holiday.
For those of you familiar with my "CTA Adventures" you've come accustomed to hearing some outlandish stories of what I encounter while riding the Chicago public transportation. After a long day at work I was thrilled to head home and get some stuff done before heading out to First Fridays event @ The Hotel Sax. Well, little did I know I was about to endure the ride from hell. There were 3 little girls on the bus that began to wreak havoc. I searched for their parents only to realize that the older man sitting in front of me was trying his best to not claim the kids.
"I can't wait to get yall to yo mama" he said as the girls began to get out of control.
Moments like this make you cling to the "it takes a village to raise a child" theory and want to personally kick all of their asses.
So, I was able to grab my phone and video tape this girl spazzing out. Yes, she screamed non-stop for over 1 min... in addition to all the other nonsense her and her sisters were doing on the bus. This is just a little taste of what my life is like having to ride the #3 bus... so for all of you out there that think I'm exaggerating with the stories I write about... please know that this is all very true (unfortunately).
After that bus ride from hell, I made it home and proceeded to get ready for the rest of my night. My BFF's sister was in town visiting so we headed to First Fridays at Hotel Sax to show her a good time. I must say that Hotel Sax is lovely. I had only been to Crimson and never explored the rest of the hotel so I was extremely pleased with what I saw. On top of that, Don Julio tequila made a special appearance in my life that night as I kicked back a few tequila sunrises... and the way into any girl's heart - - free drinks - - were provided by Ciroc, whom sponsored a VIP lounge, that contributed a few tasty beverages (lol) to my night's festivities.
Ladies, if you were not there I must tell you that the men were out!!! And I mean that every man must have called up his 4 best friends because they were in packs of 5. The ratio truly was 5:1 and I had a smile on my face the entire night. What's better than a night of great music, wonderful drinks, your friends and tons of eye candy!!! I can think of no better way to spend my Friday night.
After the event ended we were still in party mode and headed over to a spot relatively new to me (but a favorite for the group I was with) called Betty's Blue Star lounge. I loved the mixed crowd and the bar/lounge feel of the place... though it was definitely more bar.
After we closed that club down it was time to head home.
Sidebar: Can I just say that I'm very proud of myself for realizing my limit and cutting myself off. I actually turned down 2 shots of patron and instead drank a bottle of water while we were at Betty's. Looks like I'm finally starting to grow up! Saturday
I started my day with 2 packs of ramen noodles! Mmmm... they were so good and definitely hit the spot. I was off to a baby shower for my boyfriend's sister and it was really lovely. His mother did an amazing job setting everything up and definitely set the bar high for the next baby shower I go to.
After, it was time to watch the game. Though I was exhausted from the night before we made our way to 10Pin and sat at the bar as we watched the Bulls get smashed by the Celtics. Now, nobody really expected for the Bulls to win. I mean, even if they played at 100% it still wouldn't have been enough to clinch a win.. but I think they put on a great show this series and gained a few new fans, won some fans back over and made people believe in them. They should be a great time within the next few years. I'm keeping my eye on them.
There were a few other things going on Saturday night but I chose to head home and get some sleep. My hair was looking a mess (3 too many bobby pins than should be allowed), my nails were a disaster (only 6 nails had polish) and you know, there are just certain times when you need to not step out looking below standards. lol.
Sunday
I woke up Sunday morning feeling revived from my night's rest and very happy that I chose to stay in. I headed to LA Fitness and got in a good run and did some intense weight training. After it was time for brunch. Sexy and the Chi and I headed to Nookie's in Lincoln Park for some great food and then continued on for a day of shopping!!! I discovered the MAC pro store (the only pro store in the midwest) and fell in love with Michael, the amazing artist that helped us. I was ecstatic to find my favorite product, Select Tint with SPF 15, was still in stock. **it was actually discontinued a few months ago and they still have some in stock** I ended up buying 2 bottles. They last about a year and have a shelf life of 2 years so I feel like my makeup game will not suffer for the next 730 days. I enjoyed the rest of the day just running errands and taking in the spring weather. I'm excited about the summer (not the humidity) but the city in the spring/summer is absolutely gorgeous!!!
View of the South Loop from Lake Shore Dr.
I love the Gold Coast area
The most adorable t-shirts for kids that I saw in Lincoln Park
We didn't eat here but they had a lovely patio
I love the greenery
Weekend Haunts
Hotel Sax 333 N. Dearborn Chicago, IL 60654
Betty's Blue Star Lounge 1600 W. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL 60622
10Pin 330 N. State St. Chicago, IL 60654
Nookie's Restaurant 1746 N. Wells St. Chicago, IL 60614
Brunch @ Toulouse Petit
Saturday night I headed to the "Treasure our Tresses" event hosted by EDEN Body Works in the South Loop. It felt great to be back in my old stomping ground... though I don't consider anything South of Cermak the real South Loop lol... but I digress.
The best part of the event? Getting a "bloggers bag" containing the entire line of products!!! Score. I used the oil as soon as I got home and I must say I'm already loving it. It's giving Carol's Daughter "Lisa's Hair Elixir" a run for its money. That oil is amazeballs.
I was in a retro, flowery type of mood
Wooden hangers and fabric quarters
Glue your fabric and start wrapping
Finished product
The holiday weekend came and went and I'm proud to say that I managed to successfully grill ALL of the food for our bbq - - in turn feeding 10+ people. I was nervous about attempting to use the grill but had received some tips and things went pretty smoothly. Even having my makeup melt under the extreme heat of the sun couldn't keep me away from my bbq duties... and in addition to being able to add "Grill Master" to my growing list of culinary feats, I learned a new way to balance my social butterfly skills - - designate a friend to be your "grill asst" lol. Not only will your grill asst keep you company, but they can be put to work by running food back and forth.
Despite being deemed a female only bbq, a party is never truly a party until you have some crashers. We were graced with the presence of a few of Harvey's finest men in blue and thank God they came bearing gifts! If you ever want to crash a party, come with some bottles of good liquor in your hands and you'll be met with a warm smile - - at least you will if I'm the one throwing the event.
Men and women will probably always go head to head on our varying relationship styles and levels of commonsense. While many were spazzing out and consistently going left on one another, I was more toned down (probably due to being grill master and the 6+ drinks I had downed - - all I wanted to do was smile, talk a little shit, and re-up my drink lol ) One of the funniest things I heard all night was Naval Base rationalize his method of numbering women and how he prefers to keep a squad of 3s over choosing to just find 1 dime. I'd go into the system but that's require a lot of work. lol... just trust that it's hilarious.
I started my day with 2 packs of ramen noodles! Mmmm... they were so good and definitely hit the spot. I was off to a baby shower for my boyfriend's sister and it was really lovely. His mother did an amazing job setting everything up and definitely set the bar high for the next baby shower I go to.
After, it was time to watch the game. Though I was exhausted from the night before we made our way to 10Pin and sat at the bar as we watched the Bulls get smashed by the Celtics. Now, nobody really expected for the Bulls to win. I mean, even if they played at 100% it still wouldn't have been enough to clinch a win.. but I think they put on a great show this series and gained a few new fans, won some fans back over and made people believe in them. They should be a great time within the next few years. I'm keeping my eye on them.
