hidden messages

- Blogging to you from the lovely iPad2. Xo.

Hidden messages

I love finding random writings, signs, and legible graffiti around Chicago. I always snap photos when I can.

How nice of you to say!

day before my day

I have a few random ditty's:
Ordered Japanese last night and I needed a couple extra bucks to make the minimum for delivery. I thought I'd broaden my horizons and try Mochi for the first time. Mochi, according to google, is a glutinous dessert made of rice pounded into a consistency that surrounds the ice cream. The best way I can describe it is like imagining vanilla paste frozen with lightly powdered sugar on the outside. Honestly, delicious. Hit the spot!








I absolutely love receiving cards, letters, etc. from little kids. Their handwriting and words are just too cute to even compare to anything else that it really just makes my day. I helped my parents neighbor with her Flat Stanley project (doing Chicago, or course) and she sent me back a letter and a gift to thank me (how sweet, and unexpected!)





And a few pics I took of flat Stanley for her here in Chicago:










And finally, my birthday is tomorrow. Last year's birthday was awful... I came home from work, I was debating calling off my wedding (which I obviously later did), my (now) ex was mad at me for not believing in anything he said (rightfully so), and we got in a fight and then I went upstairs to our room and cried for a couple hours and then fell asleep. It was an awful birthday, and I never want to re-live that again. On to 28... hopefully a better year for me.

Just a little smile

I took Oliver to the dog park today. The weather in Chicago has been beyond beautiful. We've had a wonderful winter altogether, and if the Mayan calendar is correct and the world is going to end in December, we certainly were treated to fair seasons as a parting gift!

While walking Ollie, I passed one of my favorite houses today with the following message written on the ground in chalk:





How awesome is that? It made me smile, you know, like one of those real natural feel-good smiles. Its kind of like a pay it forward, without intending it to be. It was a lovely way to end my day!

Here are a few photos from Sunday. Oliver and I walked through Lincoln Park Zoo, Lakeshore Nature Preserve, and to North Avenue Beach:














P.S. - no dogs allowed on North Avenue Beach... however it's technically the off-season so we broke the rules :)

Aurora Borealis

I'm watching this show that is talking about Aurora Borealis's and now that's on my bucket list. How gorgeous!

Happy New Year!

I am starting off the year right again, by venturing back into the world of healthy living. After a two week hiatus (my trip to see my parents) I'm ready to continue on the journey.

I spent my morning sifting through the Sunday paper for coupons to clip to go to the grocery store. P&G had a lovely stack worth of $100 off their products (combined, of course) so I found treasures in their stack.

The grocery store wasn't as busy as I thought it was going to be. There were a few people here and there, but I mainly had it to myself, which is good. I get anxious when I go shopping and there are a lot of people around, which in turn makes me feel unproductive because all I'm worried about it getting out of there.

I am making slow-cooker lasagna right now run my brand new slow cooker that I bought at Kohls the day after Thanksgiving for $9.99 (down from $39.99, I did great right?!).

I don't remember Oliver being such a begger, but he sure was at my mom and dads house. As I was making the lasagna today, he was at my feet the entire time!





Talk about hamming-it-up! But he didn't get anything from me. :)

Now I wait 4-6 hours for this lasagna to cook and hen it will be meal time :). Yay for delicious WW friendly recipes :)