Last Minute Gift Ideas

Just in case you need to get me something for my birthday...which just happens to be in less than a week now...in case you forgot...

L.A.M.B

HELLLLLOOOOOO FRIDAY!

This Would Probably Be More Appropriate

My birthday party is coming up and because I let Andy pick out the Evite, he's chosen a "Princess" theme.  Which is definitely cute and I have plans of bling-ing myself out....HOWEVER,  I saw this beer tasting themed party on my new blog crush (which I mentioned a couple days ago) and I think it's a great idea.  As Andy continues to remind me "You aren't a dude, Madeline", it would probably be most appropriate for his birthday....But, I might try and work the concept into something soon...



Beer Tasting Birthday Party

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Dear Kris Humphries,

While I think the 20.5 carat engagement ring you gave Kim Kardashian might be a tad bit excessive, I highly approve of your taste.  The emerald cut diamond thanks you for the spectacular publicity.



I can't take my eyes off of it.

Holy moly.  Kim, you are only lucky little girl.  I hate you a little bit.

Congratulations To Me

In celebration of my slight raise at work, I have decided to reward myself with a small token of congratulations.

Behold my new summer hot babe dress!



Thank you Victorias Secret for your semi-annual sale and built in bras.  Thank you to Shopittome.com for making me drool over cute things. 

$20 well spent.

To Whom It May Concern

Watch Out Party Animals

I'm upping the party planning repatoire with a little help from my new favorite blog obsession


Hostess with the Mostess

If you're looking to throw ANY sort of party, check out this blog for really fun, creative, easy ideas!  There are tons of DIY projects and all kinds of themes that can get you started. 

Will I be stealing plenty of these ideas for my birthday party?  Ummmm...yes...just don't tell anyone! I need everyone to think I'm super original and cute.  Thanks.

Stop laughing. 

I could be original and cute if I wanted to be.  Seriously.

Chicago Craft Beer Week!

It's here!!  Chicago Craft Beer Week is here!!

All this week there are different events going on in the city promoting many of the amazing craft brewers around the area.  Unfortunately, I'm not able to go to nearly as many of the events that I'd like but I do have tickets for a sweet event on Saturday!


The Chicago Historical Society regularly hosts historical pub tours.  This Saturday, they are hosting a pub crawl of Chicago's Greatest Dives.  This goes from 5-8 p.m. and you're taken around to the different pubs by trolley.  There is enough time at each location to have a cocktail while the guide explains the historical significance of the spot.  I've been dying to go to one of these tours since my co-worker, Julie, told me about them a couple months ago.  The only issue is that they regularly host them during the week.  Which isn't so convenient for a suburban gal like myself!  Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's going to be awesome and I've already started scoping out which one I'd like to attend next!
Chicago Historical Society Pub Crawls

There's also an even at Fizz at Lincoln and Ashland on Saturday that should be pretty cool.  The only issue with that was trying to attend 5 hours of drinking there and then follow it with another 3 hours on the pub crawl...turns out, I probably wouldn't be what you call functional by about 6.  Next year!!
Fizz

In the spirit of the awesomeness of the week, here are a couple more sites to check out!  Get your craft beer motors running!

Chicago Foodies


Revolution Brewing


Metropolitan Brewing











Two Brothers Brewery



Beer Bistro in the West Loop


Hopleaf in Uptown


Firkin in Libertyville

And just because I love great beer---a couple of my personal favorites!


Victory Brewing


New Glarus Brewing Company


Grain Belt Beer

Clearly It's Lunch Time

There are a TON of Chicago restaurants that I've been meaning to hit up for the past 8 years.  Of course, not all of them are that convienent now that I don't live in the city.  Also, if you ask me where I'd like to go for a meal, chances are my mind will completely blank out and I won't be able to think of anything at all.  I think I need to start making a list of places I'd like to try. 

I'm gonna start with RL Restaurant.


http://rlrestaurant.polo.com/

It's right on Michigan Ave and I'm pretty sure this is the sort of place I'd like to go have an awesome lunch with a classy cocktail.  I'll probably stop in while shopping for the perfect pair of Chanel sunglasses. 


Seriously..I want to be this girl.  The girl who drops into RL and wears Chanel sunglasses. I'd probably wear a lot of dresses.

Hump Day Random Stuff

Almost 3-1

So if you're looking for gifts for me..Allow me to make random suggestions over the course of the next 2 weeks...

Today, I'll be starting with Kate Spade...Her lovely sample sale only runs until the 19th so get em while their hot!




http://www.katespade.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Kate-Site/default/Sample-ShopHome

It's My Party...

Anna turned 3 this weekend with a party filled with friends..while it's always nice to spend time with friends, Anna decided that sometimes you just need to take a break from the festivities and have some quiet time in your party skirt...

Cue Belinda Carlisle

I've found my new heaven on Earth (next to Bora Bora)...it's the Maldives..specifically the Six Senses Resorts..

http://www.sixsenses.com/home.php

Do I have a problem with mooning fish in the name of luxury?  I think not...Are those lounges facing the water screaming for me to read a great book while drinking champange and wearing an adorable bikini?  Absolutely...

I'm so enamored that I don't know what to do with myself...

Boo Blogger

Blogger lost my last 3 posts in their "down" time over the last 24 hours...I'll try and give the synopsis of what those posts included.

JCrew, these pants = temporary blindness and uncontrollable gagging.

 

Lady Gaga: I Am a "Librarian" of "Glam Culture"

 

I had no idea that was an option with my Masters of Library Science. 

 

 

Liked it.  Nan Lawson.

 

Sorry yo.  I'm bitter now.  This post doesn't even come close to the originals.  I'm sad.  I'll try and drop the sad face and find something awesome to post soon.

Ummm...Hell to the No JCrew

Dear JCrew,
I'm a longstanding supporter of your work.  I consistently answer the question "what do you want for xmas/birthday/fun" with the answer "anything from JCrew".  Until now.  I will now be answering that question "anything from JCrew except those god-awful biased fly jeans"  I'm pretty sure that whoever approved those jeans as a design concept, was clearly on crack, meth, acid, or asleep.  I'm considering actually sending a strongly worded letter or just assuming your mother has already reprimanded you.  Be grateful that I'm fairly lazy and I'll leave it up to your mother at this point.  But be forewarned, if you ever do something this foolish (and garish) again, I'll get my writing utensils out!

Yours in good faith,
Madeline
p.s. I'm not sure exactly what that sign off meant but I feel it's appropriate.

Blizzard's Rival

Evidently DQ Blizzards aren't the only thing you can hang upside down to show off how awesome they are! I think this has taken over my interest in getting a Topsy Turvy.  Let's be honest, it's a bit classier.

http://www.thebalconygardener.com/shop/containers--planters/sky-planters/

Museum Quality Beverages

http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/default.aspx

This is the sort of museum I'm interested in visiting...

For Pharon...xoxo

If you only knew how hard I'm laughing right now....

“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She’s not perfect - you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there.”

- Bob Marley

Just Want To Be

here...

The Gossip Chair Gets New Life!!

My Martha Solien attempts didn't go as well as I was hoping this weekend with the exception of one project--The gossip chair! 

Let's have a brief glimpse of how the gossip chair looked when I first got it..

Ahhh...the lovely gossip chair in all of its 80's floral glory..

As you can imagine, I wasn't diggin it.  But, after a little bit of work with a flat head screwdriver I was able to take the first step in prettying this baby up!  I simply had to unscrew the cushion from the chair and pop out the staples holding the fabric on.  The whole process probably took 15 minutes.  After which I had this:

The vinyl green seat cover underneath is original to the chair and was in pretty good shape.  It was better looking than the 80's floral but it still had to go. 

Saturday morning, my mother and I went to Joanne's Fabric and started hunting.  We tossed around a lot of ideas but ultimately found one fabric that was perfect.  I tried to put it down and walk away but kept returning thinking "This fabric is a little wild..and it may not match other things in the future..but it's just so pretty!"  So $12.50 later, I had a long strip of fabric to cover my gossip chair!

I'm glad I had brought the seat with me to Madison because I definitely felt more comfortable with the extra set of hands holding the fabric tight.  So while mom held the fabric in place, I started stapling!  This went pretty well for the first couple minutes until two things happened. 

#1- I managed to somehow staple the Tiffany taxi cab charm OFF my bracelet (no idea what happened there..all I know is it suddenly went flying off my bracelet)

#2- We ran out of staples. 

Project halted.

Gossip chair take 2.

Sunday afternoon, after a nice leisurely Mother's Day breakfast, Mom and I went back to Home Depot and got some more staples.  We started back up with the project and we got this:

TA DA!!!!  It was covered and looked perfect!  I couldn't wait to see it back on the chair so within minutes of walking back into my Highland Park apartment I got to work.

Ladies and Gentleman!  Please feast your eyes on my new and improved gossip chair!!

It looks awesome! And now I can say I've actually FINISHED a project!  whoohoooooo!!!!!

What happened to the project of turning vintage books into clutches you ask?  Well, we'll leave that for the next post....

Martha Solien??

There's a good possibility that I'm letting this whole crafting thing get wildly out of control.  First, I get the gossip chair...then I get the side table...I have a random bottle of spray paint in my bedroom...now I've got these..Some funky horse books from the 50's.  For some reason, I just really like the yellow one.  No particular reason.  It just calls to me.  The Frog book?  I mean, who names a horse Frog?  Then again, who had a cat named Mouse?  This girl.  Granted, I can take no credit for that but I think I can claim a membership in the crazy naming club with Midge.  Anyway, I digress....What am I going to do with these vintage lovelies?



Make them into sweet clutches! Yup!  I've put my reference librarian skills to good use and I've read a number of tutorials and watched a video podcast.  Won't there be a significant amount of sewing involved?  Well, let's be clear--I plan on making these with the least amount of sewing possible.  And by "least amount" I mean "none".  Unless it's 100% unavoidable.  Only time will tell.  I promise to take pictures so you can follow my madness!

Oh, and I'm planning on finding fabric to cover the gossip chair cushion as well as the cushions for the Pottery Barn chairs I have.  I'm suddenly having a bad feeling that some part of this is going to require something other than the hand sewing that I'm capable of.  Maybe just lots of glue....or velcro...hmmmm

O.....M.....G....

Seriously, this blog kills me.  I mean, who doesn't appreciate a girl who has an entire blog dedicated to AWESOME grilled cheese sandwhiches?  And these sandwiches make me drool on my keyboard every single time.  Today's cheesy amazingness makes me wish I was spending Cinco De Mayo hanging out drinking Negro Modelo and eating this concoction with her!


I dare you not to crave grilled cheese after perusing the Queen of the Grilled Cheese's site...
Grilled Cheese Social

Video Archives

I just managed to get the Flip cam hooked up to my computer..Which means that I finally have the couple videos that I did in Steamboat on my computer!  I also took a video of Becca and I after a night out in Highland Park but it's not impressive...partly due to the fact that it's pitch black for most of the video and partly because I truly had nothing interesting to say...oh well...so in the meantime, enjoy the snowy ski videos!

I Need Some Inspiration

I've been inspired lately to update things like the gossip chair or a side table I bought. Unfortunately, I haven't really gotten around to doing much with either one of them yet.  That's largely due to weather and not being able to sand/paint inside...but I could use some inspiration in general...to work out more than 3 times a week..to not have chipped nail polish..to stay up and read for more than 20 minutes at night..to get rid of the crappy clothes in my closet that I don't wear..I'm hoping I wander across something...until then, I'll just collect bits and pieces of wonderful..






hmmm...no inspiration yet...