Sunday, April 26, 2009

Key learnings, food and high self-esteem

Happy Sunday! Well it has stopped raining in Chicago for now, after serious thunderstorms and flooding yesterday, but it looks like it might be starting up again. Yay (said sarcastically).

So while I occupy my time with a shoe fashion show, let's hit the key learnings. Oh and someone once asked for pictures of that single-girl ritual. If you're interested, let me know and I'll put some up :)

Key Learnings:
  • On nice spring days, forcing yourself to sit outside for lunch is the best decision you'll make
  • Female adult toys are not meant to by DIY. I don't want to provide my own "motion in the ocean" or worry about it getting "stuck up there"
  • It's okay to reduce the waiter's tip if your brunch meal was, well, forgotten about
  • Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for any meal, brunch, breakfast, lunch, dinner, anything
  • Finding a great deal on a high-ticket item is a great feeling (my friend Liz found a $148 coat a JCrew for $29.99 on sale, score!)
  • Shredded and holey leggings are not a good idea. Actually, any clothing with these embellishments isn't a good idea
  • Ice cream and/or beer on a hot day tastes so good!
  • Flip flops are not made to withstand walking in a rainstorm
  • Watching a thunderstorm can be surprisingly soothing
  • Speidi's wedding is the most unholy union ever. And Spencer is still a d-bag
  • I will not just wake up one day with six-pack abs. No matter how much I wish I would
Friday was the first real day of summer-like weather in Chicago and after a long winter and cool spring, it was SO nice. I even made sure to get away from my desk and go outside to get some sunshine. The first mild sunburn of the season could happen any day now.

Oh and I visited my local Berry Chill on Friday to get some relief from the heat and sample what everyone in my office has been talking about. Overall, it wasn't bad, and I think I broke even by having fruit and M&Ms together on my fro yo. Yeah, that's how it works.


Chicago food review
I've mentioned here before that I'm not exactly a "foodie," but lately, I'm obsessed with going out and trying new places. I even keep a list of restaurants in Chicago that I want to go to so I don't forget.

Saturday I met up with April at Southport Grocery and had the most amazing omelet with: egg, gruyere cheese, leek and mushrooms. It was amazing and very filling. Plus, its red potato mash (aka hash browns) were great too. And with one of its famous cupcakes, it was a great brunch. Definitely want to go back again.

Then after walking and moving all that food around, I met up with the lovely, well Jamie Lovely for dinner at Feast in Bucktown. Great ambiance and thanks to Open Table, we didn't have to wait for a table. And my herbed goat cheese-stuffed chicken breast with gnocchi, spinach and cherry tomatoes was insanely good. Somehow, I even found room for the dessert special, raspberry creme brulee. Yes, I don't need to eat again for two days.

But this is much better than my usual dinners of cereal or waffles, so I'm making progress!

Pull Your Shirt Down
Finally, I need to put "on notice" something new today. I know, two recent "on notice" entries, it's scary. I'm putting "on notice" today people who wear ill-fitting shirts. This weekend, I saw WAY too many muffin tops, and I wasn't even in a bakery! 

I know it's warm, I know it feels good to wear lighter-weight clothing and I know you want to show that you're hot sh*t, but seriously PULL YOUR SHIRT DOWN. I don't want to see your massive tramp stamp, hairy or pimply skin around your midsection. 

Okay, I'm not at my best "summer weight" right now either, but sweet lord, if that shirt doesn't fit, go to Old Navy and buy a new one for $5 because I can guarantee you that I don't want to see another spare tire, I have my own. Thanks.

How was every one else's weekend? Was the weather nice by you? Do anything fun?

32 comments:

  1. The weather was gorgeous here!! And I keep forgetting to NOT make blog posts about it cause not everyone lives in the petite corner of the universe. Haha!!


    I agree with you on Speidi 100% and I have to agree with you on having THAT many m&m's in one dish 100%! :D

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  2. hairy, pimply muffin tops?
    Well now I've thrown up a little in my mouth....

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  3. Oh NO! I know as a waitress that forgetting about an order is one of the things that makes me feel the WORST! I'm sure your waiter felt terrible about it. But, it's understandable if it's a less-than-stellar tip....

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  4. glad you were able to enjoy the day on friday. i forced myself to go outside for lunch too and just when i ALMOST complained that i was hot (it was!), i bit my tongue and yelled at myself internally. :) yay spring! also - i'm so with you on the ill fitting shirt thing. just buy something that fits!

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  5. Shoe fashion show please!

    My weekend was wonderful. The weather was perfect -- I sat outside tanning and reading. Went to watch a few softball games. Sat out on a deck eating grilled food, drinking beer. I pretty much dont want it to end.

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  6. Your muffin top comments just made me laugh out loud. That is so true. I don't understand how people can just walk around with those. Ew.

    We didn't make it to Southport Grocery on our cupcake crawl on Saturday, but I wish we did. It sounds so good! That omelet sounds amazing!

    All this rain make me want to keep napping, I have taken about 3 this weekend, which is very uncharacteristic for me. But I love the warm weather!

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  7. I've had to deal with ill fitting clothes since March. Seriously, do people not know how to go up one size?

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  8. your Key Learnings and Weekend Highlights always make my evening better!!

    I LOVE reading your blog and I absolutely sit on pins and needles all sunday waiting for today's posting!!!

    just wanted to share :)

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  9. I saw that article in Time Out too. I thought it was a bit out of place amongst all of the other DIY projects - but definitely attention-grabbing.

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  10. Fro-yooooo..so appropriate for a hot weather..Now I want one :)

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  11. I definitely want to see the shoe fashion show! I love shoes!

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  12. OMG that yoghurt looks incredible. We in Paris are now experiencing another mini-winter after a week of summer - the world has indeed gone mad.

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  13. I used to live a block away from Feast, so they have taken many a hard earned dollar from me. Love sitting on their patio for brunch in the summertime. Great people watching.

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  14. Rose wine also tastes especially incredible on a nice day! :)

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  15. I love walking in the rain in flip flops, and we are having one heck of a rainstorm here today.

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  16. Sorry to double dip in your comments, but I just clicked through to the DIY female toys and that is all kinds of wrong! Just, no.

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  17. i completely second you on the whole muffin top exposure. it's been getting a bit out of hand around my way.

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  18. Lovely in Indianapolis...that Berry Chill delight looked absolutely delish. I enjoyed a smoothy from a similar place, oh okay I had 2 smoothies (I got one free so its okay) :)

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  19. I completely agree with your on notice item, there's been a lot of that here too lately - I don't understand! Why not wear clothes that, you know, fit? Beyond comprehension...

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  20. I had a nice weekend with nice weather. I always like pictures :)

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  21. Feast in one of my favorites! Their butternut squash ravioli---well, there's really only one word for it--YUM!!

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  22. It's my firm belief that flip-flops are in fact deadly when combined with rain. I've slipped and almost cracked my head open countless times.

    I am also probably one of those girls walking around with the muffin top. But I swear, it's just because they don't make shirts long enough!!!! Even Old Navy shirts look shorter this year.

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  23. Lovely weather here in the STL! It was so perfect for the ballgame yesterday, right about 80 and sunny with a nice breeze so I could wave the W flag when the Cubs won:o)

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  24. As of this comment, yes, the rain has returned to Chicago. Woop woop. I actually made it out to Bucktown as well this weekend, but checked out the nightlife @ Angels & Mariachis, and Cans. A friend I was with was all about Piece pizza, but it was too late in the night for us to try it. Perhaps another foodie suggestion if you haven't made it there yet.

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  25. Ugh muffin tops...how I hate thee!

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  26. Speidi. O.M.G. She must honestly be lacking half her brain. I feel badly for her. He is the biggest douche. Ever.

    That ice cream looks divine.

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  27. i had so many cupcakes this weekend it's not even funny. and i still have some. i'm going to just live off of cupcakes, haha.

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  28. Cupcakes are the best! I found some great ones near by apartment in Astoria.

    However, I've found that I can no longer handle them after dinner - the sugar keeps me hopped up and awake all night!

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  29. Sooo true on the shirts! Come on! You totally inspired me to finally put together a fashion faux pas post!

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  30. Ice cream or beer on a hot day is good! Milk is a bad choice...;)

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  31. Diy adult toys! Oh man, still laughing about that one.

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  32. "This weekend, I saw WAY too many muffin tops, and I wasn't even in a bakery!" <-- I love this! It's so sad but true!

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