hey productivity - looking good you little devil

in the last 24 hours my bookcase, headboard and two night stands have been assembled and arranged - many thanks to kevin for the big stuff. i took care of the night stands myself tonight. i'm not going to pretend it was easy, but they are finished and somehow the drawers on those little suckers work. really, that's just about all i can ask for. {insert sighs of relief and jumps of joy}

yes things are starting to come together. hopefully i can set aside a few hours this weekend to organize and get ready for all my upcoming guests.

but i'm still not sure what i want to do with all my blank wall space! i have a few things and ideas in mind. i do love my decals and happen to have some left over from my old bedroom. but my bedroom is not my concern...its this big blank red wall in my living room behind my couch.

i suppose its time to start pursuing etsy. hmmmm too bad renegade isn't sooner. or maybe i should pay attention to all those design/decorating/apartment theory-like blogs i subscribe to?

but ya know what would be easier? your help! :)
suggestions my friends?

fun (food) finds

if there's one thing i love probably more than just about everything else, it's food. sorry mom.

in the last couple days i've discovered some really incredible treats that i would feel almost rude not sharing.

1) tostito scoops with a hint of jalapeno. WATCH OUT. you can definitely not just eat one of these. i mean who really tries that nonsense anyways. but i'm warning you. these are highly addictive. you dont even need to eat them with anything. tonight i woke up from my much needed nap in zombie mode and went straight for these chips.

2) coconut m&ms - they went from a last second purchase at the walgreens check out line to one of the most delicious m&m varities out there. if not THE best. yep, i said it. pleeeeeease try these.

3) green giant butternut squash with cinnamon sauce - whoa cooks in 3 mins in micro and comes out tasting like such a treat. but! its healthy. here's what they say: "the pairing of mildly sweet butternut squash with a smooth and flavorful cinnamon sauce provides your family with an engaging and savory side dish that satisfies everyone’s sweet tooth." of course, i don't have a family, but i have hungry friends and honestly, i'd have no problem in making all three servings in the bag a meal. just YUM.

4) weight watcher ice cream candy bars - i know i know. weight watchers blah blah blah. but these seriously taste like little ice cream snickers. not diet-y at all. however, they are a bit on the pricey side. i think they were over $5 for a box of 6. i had a coupon for a free box (thank you blogher), but i'll be keeping my eyes pealed for the sales in the cooler section. they are well worth it.

have you tasted anything new and/or yummy lately?!

there's been...

- concerts
- over-indulgent happy hours
- a magical waterpark
- days wasted at the beach
- fun surprises in the mail!
- brunches
- book-reading
- bike-riding
- unpacking
- visitors
- neighborhood-exploring
- shopping for home goods
- a true blood addiction
- lots of cooking peppered with equal amounts of red wine
- little gym time (perhaps thanks to the above...)
- hectic days leading into hectic nights and weeks

and there's been no time to properly write about any of it. i seem to have a million drafts just sitting there getting stale cause i couldn't possibly not tell you guys about this. but then, weeks go by and eh, its old news. or no news...

with this week's lineup its almost certain for my absence to persist.

perhaps i'll surprise myself and have more to say in the next few days. otherwise you can find me at: at my desk - or wrigley field enjoying the billy joel and elton john show - or in wicker park for an incredible dinner with some incredible ladies - or at one or five blogher parties. and if the weather cooperates, the beach.

have good weeks.

food fit for kings

there are several perks to living solo. but cooking for one is not one of them. i've learned some tricks through the years, but generally just nicer to share your meals with another. especially when you accidently make enough risotto to feed an army. seriously, that stuff has crazy multiplying skills.

but this week i have had guests!

tuesday kev came over namely for a business meeting, but food took precedence (as it often does with my crowd). as a google-sharing addict, earlier in the week i shared this mouth-watering blueberry salsa recipe. kev diligently gathered ingredients and after some tedidious berry-chopping we had a perfect app, complimented beautifully with some lightly salted pita chips.

next on the agenda, burgers with fresh cherries, onion, garlic and herbs on a grilled bun topped generously with cheddar and romaine. paired with a ear of grilled corn, we were happy little campers. but far too hungry to snap a photo. apologies.

with enough leftover meat for two more burgers, the next night called for a repeat version of that burger. suz was in the neighborhood so we had a brew, chatted and i got to chopping. when it comes to food, she tends to be well, a bit picky - but experimental. so i decided to go for it and make an italian style burg. once again, filled with onions, garlic, spices, then some breadcrumbs, fresh mozzarella and plenty of basil. topped it with cheddar, added the norm condiments and we had a hearty meal.

"you can cook for me any time you want @angilio." thanks suz.

so who wants to come have dinner next week? :)

mind-reading?

here i am, chatting with a friend just yesterday how i am due for a trip home. then pops this daily candy that greets me with a Oh, Hi. Road Trip to Cleveland.

DC, get out of my head.

but they mentioned some of my fave little places - so i must pass on the love...

1) west side market-- i have memories of venturing out there saturday mornings tasting vast selection of salamis, busting open the pepperoni bread on the way home and getting tubs of the best freshly grated romano cheese i've ever tasted.

2) great lakes brewing company -- i think we all know the beers. of course, christmas ale holds a special place in my heart, but i think i first fell in love with dortmunder in my early college years. ahhhhhh hometown brews...

3) the grog shop -- its quaint and made me feel oh so cool during my summers in college. we'd explore ohio city and see a little band we were totally ahead of the curve in hearing about. and this one time, i stood like 5 feet from howie day. i know, i know. its okay to be jealous. i think this was before all that business of him assaulting girls on his tour bus.

miss you ohio. a visit may be overdue.

holy flavor explosion!

whoa. i just bit into the most amazing 90 calories of my life! special k chocolately pretzel snack bars taste almost sinful.

they are new and worth every dollar the grocery store charges you.

maybe i have found the trick to keeping me away from those afternoon peanut m&ms?
doubt it, but worth a try...
nom nom nom.

GPOYW: tumblr style!

yep, i finally caved. ya know cause i don't have enough internet addictions. so i started my tumblr at midnight with an official GPOYW. it only seemed appropriate...

so now that i'm settling in the new blogging arena, i must say what a little time suck tumblr can be. however, its worlds faster updating than my precious reader - and i love those little notifications of new posts.

but i have lots to learn and where in the world do i find people to follow?!! i mean i'm sure your list grows organically like blog readership, but i imagine its not nearly as fun when you only have a few people in your feed. so tell me fellow tumbles...who should i follow? where did you find them? i like pretty things, amazing photography, chicago-centric, travel-orientated, fashion-forward, designy stuff.

for instance here's a few fun finds from my day:
•  the new stella mccartney line
• a pretty slice of cake
• some twitter reblogged love

now, not sure how long i'll keep this up - as simple as it is - or if, perhaps, this blog will fall by the way side and tumblr will be my go to? (not likely, but let's not pretend i've actually been good about writing). but here's my real problem... now i see something and i'm like hmmmm do i blog it? tumble it? tweet it? goog-share it? email it? facebook it? resource overload!

i'm sure you can see the dilemma ;)

black & white goodies

brookfield zoo is celebrating their 75th anniversary. they posted a whole set of archival pics that are pretty hilarious.

here are a few of my faves...