My first trip to NYC

In the early spring, my group of girlfriends from grade school started a chain email about everyone taking a trip out to NYC to visit Megan.  Shockingly (honestly, this never happens in girls planning) we made the decision and three of us booked our flights that exact same day.

It seems like so long ago that we booked this trip and it finally happened this past weekend.

We really missed the two (Ellen and Meredith) that couldn't come, but the four of us had a great time.

We did some touristy things and we did a lot of just hanging out and chatting.  We split our time between Manhattan and Brooklyn, where Megan lives.  It was really nice.  I won't bore you with all the details, but the Highline (a park built on the elevated unused train tracks in the meat packing district) and the boat sightseeing tours were great.

Here are some photos from the weekend.

waterfront in Brooklyn

NYC skyline from Brooklyn

 dinner at Joya in Brooklyn

 Botanical gardens in Brooklyn

 we missed Mer and Ellen

 walking tour of Brooklyn

 a cute candy store in Brooklyn.  This display was in the bathroom :)

Dinner at Blue Water Grill in Union Square

drinks after dinner

 trying to keep Meg entertained at the night club 

 Jes was impressed by my selfie skills, especially while in a windy cab!

 sightseeing tour out of Manhattan

The Juice Cleanse

*I'm in NYC for the weekend with my friends from grade school.  I'll be back to posting on Monday.

Groupon had been selling this 3-day juice cleanse from Peeled for a month or so.  It seems to crop up very often.  Juice cleanses and laser hair removal... oh and mani/pedis.  They all seem to come up at least once a month.

After a random conversation with Brooke about how she bought it and was feeling pretty good, I thought I would just suck it up and give it a try.

Of course, bad timing, I did not intend to do the juice cleanse while I had a client in town or right before I had two out of town trips planned.  But, it is what it is.  So I started it on Monday.

The process is this - you get 6 juice drinks a day and you can drink as much water or green tea in between as you want.  You are supposed to drink the juices every two hours or so.  The first juice is a green drink - think your typical green healthy juice/smoothie you get at a health bar.  The second is a spicy lemonade.  The third is this maroon drink, a beet and carrot juice (not going to lie, this was not my favorite).  Then you drink another green juice followed by what is supposed to be another beet juice.  Instead, during the summer they gave me watermelon juice for the 5th drink.  And then finally, there is a almond milk juice for the final one of the day.

The first day I drank them all out of the bottles, which was not smart.  On Tuesday, I had to drink them from a class since I was in front of my client and that actually helped with some of the bad after taste.  I have to be honest, I love veggies and I don't mind those healthy shakes or juice drinks, but these are not that great.  The green juice is just what I expected it to taste like.  I don't mind the lemonade, but it's a tad too spicy for me.  The beet juice is just gross.  And when you pour it in a cup, it looks like blood (I watch True Blood, come on).  The watermelon juice is okay, not great, but tolerable and the almond milk is okay.  It's nice to have something that tastes sweeter and is a bit creamier at the end of the day.

The website touts all of these things that its supposed to make you feel; boosted immune system, more energy, elevated mood, clearer skin, etc.  I'm not really convinced it did any of that.  I don't feel any better than I felt three days ago, though my coworker insists that my skin is "glowing" (though admitted that could also be my tan). :)

I still had cravings for food - any food - during the days.  I still wanted a giant hamburger and watching my clients eat a salad was like pure torture.  If anything, maybe it will help my portion control when I get back to eating regular food.   I already felt like for the most part, I eat pretty healthy so it was really more of how MUCH I was going to eat.

All in all, this has confirmed that I am not a good dieter and that I really love to eat... food.  I really love to eat food.  

***edit:  I do feel like my midsection is a little slimmer.  I have a feeling this is due to water weight because of the diuretic properties of some of the drinks.  So there's that.

Dating through eharmony

This past Sunday, I had my first date from eHarmony.  If you remember, I mentioned that I joined eHarmony on a whim because they had a 3-month deal going on.

After my match.com experience, I was generally reserved.  I took the time to fill out the ridiculously long survey and then complete my really extensive profile and waited to get notice from eHarmony that I had some matches.

Instead, I got an email that said my requirements (close to Chicago, 30-40 years old, not a smoker, at least 6ft tall) were too restrictive.... seriously?  So I went back in and opened the area range to 90 miles around Chicago and that seemed to work.

Then I got a lot of matches.  Too many matches.  People out in the middle of no where Indiana.  And then I started to notice that MOST of the matches said "not exactly meets your criteria, but we think you have a lot in common".  What?!

So I did my best for the first month.  I reached out to people and I responded to people that wrote to me. Then I realized a few things:

1.  No one I wrote first actually wrote me back
2.  The guys I were responded to seemed nice, but didn't really appeal to me
3.  eHarmony has no easy way to respond to people to say "thanks but no thanks" so you don't leave them hanging.

The eHarmony messaging process is comprehensive.  First you send them 5 multiple choice questions, they some back.  Then if you like their answers, you can send them your 10 must haves and your 10 deal breakers.  After that, if you still like their answers, you can send them 3 open ended questions and vice versa.  Finally, if you both are on the same page, you can message each other actually conversations.

Well, I made it through this process with 3 people.  One fizzled out pretty quickly.  One of them I actually spoke to on the phone for 15 mins but we haven't set up anything (and probably won't).  The last one was my date on Sunday.

On paper, he seemed really nice.  He was thoughtful in his responses.  He seemed to have a lot of things to do.  He has a dog.  When we were writing, he expressed how excited he was to meet me and was looking forward to drinks.  A few days before, he wrote me another message to just confirm we were still on (even though he had my phone number) and then the afternoon of he wrote me again to let me know he may need to eat while we were there.

I got there early because I was worried about the rain, so I parked myself up to a table and texted him to let him know I was early.  This was 10 to 7 and he wrote back and said he was just a few blocks away.  At 7:10, he strolled into the place completely soaked with sweat.  I found out later in the conversation that he doesn't have a car (totally okay) and took the train and then walked.  I mean.  If I didn't have a car and I had a date, I may take the train but I'm sure as hell taking a cab to get there.  Anyways....

The date itself was fine.  Very chatty and had good conversation.  He ate and I nibbled on some chips and salsa because it's awkward when only one person is eating on a date - right?  We each had a couple beers and 3 hours later the check arrived.  We had that awkward moment when no one reaches for it or deals with the check.  Finally, he picked it up and I offered to leave the tip or split it.  He seemed really uncomfortable. So he handed it over to me and said we could split it.  The total bill was less than $40.

After we paid, I offered to drive him the 4-6 blocks over to the train station, he gave me an awkward car hug and said "thanks for meeting up with me."

I guarantee that I don't hear from him again - which is just fine by me.

On my way home, I was just annoyed.....  let me back up a tiny bit.

While this guy was very nice and we had good conversation, I was in no way attracted to him.  Had he asked, I may have gone out with him once more just to make sure but that probably would've been it.  And honestly, I was a little annoyed that he asked me to split the bill.  I feel that at least for the first couple of dates, the guy should pay.  Especially when I didn't really eat anything and paid for half of his dinner!

So, I was annoyed.  I spent 3 hours on my Sunday night at another unsuccessful date.  I was just stewing.  I figured out that where a lot of this could be going wrong is in the people I am talking to.  Because I am not hearing from the people that I want to hear from, I end up just chatting the guy that contacted me who seems to be nice even though I'm not really interested in talking to them.  And then I go out with them - and shockingly, they aren't successful.

It's good that it is forcing me to get out, but I definitely will not be doing any more online dating when my eHarmony account ends in September.  I am going to leave it up to good old fashioned luck, or someone I meet through a friend or family member.  No more "blind" dates for me.

#94 - Live by Myself for a Year

I have lived alone before - quite a few times.  But at the time I wrote this list, getting back on my own feet and being okay alone was really important.

And it's been good.  

While I could have found a place in Chicago for less money with a roommate, I felt strongly about living on my own.

Talking about the time I've spent living on my own is really boring.  I mean, you guys read about all the stuff I do on a regular basis, so I'm not repeating it.  :)

So congrats to me on one full year of being in my place.

I'm here

I'm here - I'm sorry.  Things have been busy.

Friday night I had my last minute birthday pinup shoot - which I will post about when I have some pictures.

Saturday night I went to dinner with Brooke, Devin, Brooke's brothers and Ryan.  We went out afterwards and ended up having a late night rooftop dance party at Ryans.  Just like old times.

Sunday I ran errands and had a date - another thing I will post about soon.

I have a busy three days of work and then I'm out to NYC with my girlfriends from grade school.

Also, I started a 3 day juice cleanse today (I'll write more about that soon) and I am only half of a day in and I am positive that I just really love food.  I'm not feeling hungry or light headed, but I miss actually having food.

Be back to update soon, PROMISE!

Post Birthday Hangover

Yep, 31 and still wearing colored sneakers to work.  Not sure what that look is for.

I had the BEST birthday dinner last night.  Quartino's was great!  I highly recommend.  If it wasn't so hot and humid, the patio looked really nice.

*Sorry this is a throw away post - I'm sleepy from good food and good company last night.

3-1

My 30s really started off on a great note.  I did some pretty awesome things starting with the birthday weekend extravaganza that included my first skydiving trip.  I finally sold my house in Maryland and closed the door on that chapter of my life.  I moved into my apartment in the city.  I started dating, even if it hasn't gone very far.  I welcomed two new nephews. It's been a pretty crazy year and I enjoyed all of it.

This last year affirmed what I believed - my 30s are going to trump my 20s hands down.  

Here's to my 31st year being even better than my 30th!!

Also, as a special treat.  This is a photo my mom posted to facebook this morning.  I believe this is me on my first trip to Marco when I was about a year old.  Proof that some fashion styles never die. :)

Finally feeling a bit better

 Today is my last day being 30 and I FINALLY am starting to feel better.  I still have a stuffy nose and a bit of a nagging cough, but I didn't wake up feeling like death today - so that's an improvement!

It also allowed me to actually make an effort getting dressed this morning.  It is HOT, HOT, HOT today, so I tried to go for something nice and comfortable.

*Dress - Macys (old), shoes - Nine West (also old)

This evening I have a meeting with some ladies that work at the Pinup studio to talk about planning events for them.  This is something I haven't really mentioned much in the blog yet, because it's just been some discussions over the last couple of weeks.

It actually came about because I started talking with Heather (the photographer/owner) about a little parttime job she had.  Through the discussion, we started talking about events she wanted to do and how that would be a better fit.  So this evening, a small group of us are meeting at the studio to have a "Think Tank" sort of meeting and we will go from there.

It was an interesting practice to have to put together a proposal for event planning and determine what my time is worth.  I went lower for her than I probably would've for others because I knew she would have a low budget.  Now we are talking about possibly doing a trade for the first few events.  She is worried about spending so much money to do the events and not knowing what the outcome will be.  Since I have wanted to go back and do another shoot, I agreed to talk with her about a trade.  We'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.

Last few days of being 30

*Author's admission - this post has been sitting open (and empty) on my computer for over 2 hours.  Bloggers writer's block?


On Wednesday, I turn 31.

Yikes.  When did I get old?

These last few days of being in my 30s has provided a difficult transition.  I.e.  this cold is seriously kicking my butt!

Hence the lack of posting and general quietness from my end.  I'm sorry.  I've been busy and don't really have to desire to write about it right now.

Maybe in a couple of days.  When I (hopefully) get rid of this cold.

Boo, summer colds

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days.  The 4th of July weekend was fun.  I was busy but not necessarily in a productive way.

I went up to my parents on the 4th and we saw The Lone Ranger.  On Friday, I spent some time soaking up some sun at the lakeside and then drove up to Melissa and Justin's to go to dinner at Bob Chin's with the Haleses clan.  :)

Saturday I spent an overcast day on Spranger's rooftop and then Justin, Melissa and Will came down to go out in Wrigleyville.  Sunday was Brody's baptism and their housewarming party so I spent almost the whole day up there.

Before I knew it, it was 8:30 on Sunday night and I had to go to work the next day.

It's been so humid here that I have no been putting on much makeup or drying my hair (proof in today's outfit photo).  And, I've been running my window AC unit in my bedroom while I'm sleeping.  This makes sleeping bearable, but also has the negative side effect of giving me a head cold.

I'm sure it doesn't help that last night I didn't get home until almost midnight because I was at the Barenaked Ladies concert.  It was a BLAST and totally worth being completely exhausted today.

And no random post would be complete without a picture.  Here is what I wore today.  It's been so sticky out that I can't wear to wear any close-fitting clothes and the thought about drying my hair makes me want to cry.  So there it goes.

*tshirt - Victoria's Secret PINK, skirt - JCrew, shoes - Nordstrom BP

Vintage Hair (AKA) What happens when I'm bored and I surf YouTube

Yesterday I stumbled on a few vintage hair tutorials online.  Here and here.  Work was not exactly busy, so I spent A LOT of time surfing YouTube and watching videos.  Having really wanted to be able to do some victory rolls, I am super envious of those ladies thick, full hair.

So last night before bed, I messed around with them to see if it was something I could pull off.  I'm not sure I could do the full victory rolls without spending more time on the rest of my hair, but I was able to pull off this nice little "pomp swirl" at the front.  My first attempt I left the rest of my hair in a ponytail, but it looked to thin in comparison to the poof.  So I made a quick sock bun and tied a vintage scarf around it. I did my best to get a couple close ups below.

*sweater - Express, jeans - Gap, shoes - BP Nordstrom (old)

It is a little messier than I would like, but not bad for my first attempt.  I'm excited to incorporate some of this into some updo options.

Pride Parade 2013

Oh man.  I didn't think I could love living in the city as much as I did, but this last week has been crazy.  I love it there (even with the 4am yelling and car honking).

Last Monday, the Hawks won to Stanley Cup and my neighborhood was hopping ALL NIGHT.  And I do mean all night.

Then, this past Sunday was the Pride Parade.  Last year they changed the route and now it comes right down the street in front of my house.  I invited a few people over to come and have brunch and watch from my sun room.  Melissa and Justin and their kids came and Sprangers, Kate and Erin.

I grabbed a few photos and the video below.  Kayla hands down enjoyed the parade the most.

Everyone had a good seat...

 and we were all happy (for most of the time)

 Best part of the afternoon (and almost FOUR hour parade).... Kayla saying "They aren't wearing shirts!"