walking on sunshine

...and a convenient man made path.

Please enjoy these photos, taken at the Lincoln Park Nature Walk this weekend.  We're saying goodbye to all of our favorite Chicago spots.

let's go antiquing

Yes, "antiquing" does sound like an activity more suited for retirees or hipsters, and I don't consider myself either. Antiques sound old and breakable and fussy. I will watch a qualified person appraise them on television, but they don't always fit my asthetic.  I do, however, appreciate cool things ("probably because you're cool!" is what you're thinking). And I've found that a lot of places one would visit while "antiquing" contain many cool things that are not automatically associated with dust. So on a sunny Saturday, Dane & I took a little cross-town trip to the Randolph Street Market to find cool things. It was a pretty successful window shopping endeavor.

 I would love to get an old wall map of the USSR & hang it like Rachel did! A folksy Russian/Soviet influence seems to be creeping into my style lately...I wonder why...

Retro specs make me feel like a librarian.

Dane even found a great shirt for our move-- "Living in LA--Be Ready!" Apparently this t-shirt company is trying to warn us about LA's rampant violence (how else would you explain a dog owning three guns in his bullet hole-ridden living room?).

It's funny how places like this can make me think, "ooh! I need a colorful yardstick!"

I should have taken a picture of a set of 1960's swimsuits that were by far my favorite items at the market. We had so much fun browsing through all of the vintage clothes, items, knickknacks, memorabilia, handmade jewelry and furniture, that we didn't even mind waiting over 20 minutes for the bus too much.At least there was some shade.

What a perfect summer day!

over the weekend

How was everyone's weekend? I have to brag, mine was pretty fantastic. Dane & I went down to the South Loop for brunch at a diner called White Palace (it's been featured on Diner's, Drive-In's, & Dives) that is famous for its chicken & waffles. I'm the type of person that can never decide between sweet or savory for brunch, so I'm glad this dish provides an out for me.

After brunch, we hit up the movie theater nearby for a matinee. I love matinees; there's just something transportive and magical about sitting in the dark, cool theater for a few hours, immersing yourself in a movie, and then re-emerging into the bright daylight. This matinee was doubly great because we had some free movie passes to redeem AND needed an air-conditioned escape. It was hot as the dickens outside (do people still say that? do people under 65 still say that?).

Along the way, we snapped a few photos on the bridge over the river.



I'm not much of an outfit poster (I never know how to pose!) but I wanted to share this romper I bought last fall. The weather hadn't been warm enough to wear it yet--the poor thing had to hang in my closet all winter. I love its tiny polka dots!

romper: vintage; purse: Target; ring: vintage; sunglasses: vintage

 Bring on the work week!

heartland cafe

I absolutely love eating outside. Food just tastes better. Maybe this stems from my family eating outside fairly often in the summer when I was younger. Maybe the long midwestern winters make me want to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors once the weather shifts. I'm not going to Freud myself too deeply on this, it is what it is. Restaurant patios, picnics by the lake, eating Taco Bell on a park bench (yes I have done this sober, in the daylight), I love it all. I don't even mind if a few bugs pass through, unless they are spiders. Spiders are the devil and ruin everything! But I didn't spot a single spider while at the Heartland Cafe, and fear usually heightens my senses whenever they're near.

This cafe has more to offer than just being spider-free. I had passed by this winter and noticed the sensational patio, but made a note to return once I could actually take advantage of said patio. Dane reminded me of this recently and suggested that we go there for brunch. The reviews on Yelp are fairly split, but since I had such wonderful memories of driving past that patio and since Yelp reviews are sometimes...weird...so I was still excited to go.

Heartland Cafe is in the Roger's Park neighborhood, which is a very cute area with a cool small-town vibe that I don't visit very often due to the fact it is so far north in the city. But it has some great murals, artwork, shops, and cafes.

The entrance of the cafe is a little general store, with some cute items. Of course, Dane was drawn to the record bin--Linda Ronstadt looks great in those socks & roller skates! On the culinary side, the breakfast potatoes were to die for, and my spinach & cream cheese omlette was pr-e-tty darn tasty, too.

Wisconsin Union posters!

Sometimes it's nice to take a little trip to a new neighborhood--sometimes I forget how many different areas there are in Chicago! Maybe I should make a goal to visit some new ones before I move...if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

beach baby, beach baby

tote: Border's; cap: touristy souvenir from Freo Market, AUS; shirt: Dane's castaway; swimsuit: Victoria's Secret

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend! Mine has been nothing short of wonderful--a weekend full of pizza dates, brunch adventures, grilling on our little porch, and transplanting my growing tomato sprouts. But what is a 3 day Memorial Day weekend without a little trip to the beach? Here's a glimpse of a few things I'll be toting over to Lake Michigan today--the coverup is actually one of Dane's old shirts that I spotted in a bag he was donating to the thrift shop! I sneaked it out for myself since it's light & airy & perfectly slouchy. This year I'm adamant about avoiding sun damage (notice the hat, glasses, coverup, sunblock)--a sure sign of my developing wisdom :)

 You may notice the lack of iPod...I don't think I've listened to my iPod in about a year! I used to listen to it on my runs, but during my long training last summer I developed an appreciation for getting through a tough workout without music. I used to be a competitive swimmer, & so always trained without music blaring or pumping me up. So even when I go to the beach, I prefer to listen to the sounds of the water and the people than shutting myself off with an iPod. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way...so may I suggest the perfect song to add to your beach playlist?

I have been singing this to myself all weekend--it's sure to be one of my favorites for the summer!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends!

superdawg drive-in

The forecast for this week has my spirits high--it looks like above 65 degree temperatures are here to stay for a few months, and I've been craving a road trip. Since the big road adventure (our move to Los Angeles) will be happening at the end of the summer, until then I'll have to settle for something closer that still feels like a getaway. Superdawg, I'm looking at you.

This place is a Chicago institution. The location on Milwaukee Ave (pics below--the one above is at the location in the 'burbs) has been there since 1948! It's so cute--you drive in, pick a parking spot, and service comes right to your window. And boy, are their hot dogs good (and their fries...and shakes...and probably everything else. I better try it all to make sure.).

Unfortunately these photos are not recent--the one above is from a year or so ago & the one below are from Dane's birthday trip last fall. But unless the weather goes back to cold & windy, I won't rest until I kick off my summer with a Superdawg.