So Urban Outfitters has about 20 books about sex (including The Field Guide to F*cking.) but the totally adorable and swoon-worthy Oxford American Desk Dictionary & Thesaurus is sold out? Mind = blown.

Where can a girl get a cute thesaurus that doesn't look like it just fell out of my high school English class? Yes, I know about Thesaurus.com but seeing as I write for a living there's just something about having the book that makes me feel legit....albeit only if it looks like it could belong to a twelve year old girl. What? It's gotta match my cake prints and Peanut comic strips on the walls of my office...geez. 

Life at 25

What is it about that third beer that makes you never want to go home.Two beers you're good but that third...you can move mountains and this world can't tame you. Maybe it's living alone or maybe it's getting older and having a slightly (may I emphasize slightly) better perspective on life but lately I can't get enough of life and never want to end the day. Going home on a weekday just feels like missing out and staying in on a weekend is unheard of. I understand that I may sound as though I'm regressing but to be perfectly honest if you knew me two years ago, you'd think differently. Two years ago I was constantly tired, constantly stressed and sooooo self involved it makes me embarrassed to even think of it. Even though I'm not thrilled with everything that's going on in my life...hopefully making some good changes soon...I'm glad to see how much I've grown. Now if only Netflix offered Sex in the City - guess I'll be paying another $1.99 per episode to the Amazon gods...shhhh don't tell.

On a happier note...

How cute is Jason Segel? I saw in a recent interview that he hasn't had a girlfriend in 8 years. Jason, I live in Chicago and make a mean waffle - you're welcome anytime.

When it Rains it Pours

Man oh man was it one of those days. The feeling of too much to do mixed with an "everything's fine" attitude sure blew up in my face. It's days like today that I love/hate living alone. It's certainly nice to come home, shut the blinds, crack a beer and wallow in self-pity for bit without having to worry about anyone witnessing it. However, at the same time it would be nice to have someone to complain to. Saying "I can't even believe that happened" and "the universe out to get me" just doesn't have the same effect when spoken to stuffed animals. Either way, here's to a day that's mostly over and hopes for a tomorrow filled with sunshine.  

Source

Just for Fun

Just keep swimming...

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Add to my list of to-do's.

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Every freaking time...

Source

As a Chicago kid I probably shouldn't like this but I couldn't help but laugh.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

The Evening Libation

Described as "rich, dark and complex". Sounds like the perfect man to me! :)

Pin-spiration for St. Patty's Day Party

I really enjoy all the low-pressure holidays - Halloween, Valentine's Day, 4th of July (you get the point) and St. Patty's Day is no exception. All of these days and special in their own right but for me, I like them because they provide another reason to throw a celebration. I've pulled together a few images a grabbed off Pinterest for this year's St. Patty's Day bash. It will be my first one spent in Chicago and I plan to make the most of it.

Playing on Repeat

Birdy's Skinny Love (courtesy of Ms. Emily Meyers)

Ron Pope's 65 More Years

Yikes

Not my best day ever...

Here's hoping for a better one tomorrow...

I'm Fine...

It's not surprising that I haven't posted anything in over two months considering what my summer has been like, but i'm embarassed none the less. In my new job I actually write pretty much everyday - mat releases, pitches and that PR entails - so I find the last thing I want to do when I get home is write MORE. It also can be discouraging for me to blog because a lot of my job consists of finding quality blogs to reach out to on behalf of my clients and there are so many wonderful blogs/bloggers out there (that post way more frequently than I do I may add).

However, I realized that I miss blogging not so much because I need people read my posts and this my blog is cool, although I do love when you do, but because it serves a way for me to look back at different points to see what I was feeling/interested in. So for anyone that's still be checking in, I am alive, fine and hopefully blogging more soon.

Rainbow Cake

I love this picture...and the cake looks delicious. Come to think of it, the image is quite fitting for Chicago's PRIDE festival this weekend. :)

I've actually been reading quite a bit about bakeries dying cake batters more and more these days. Fun Fact: It's become a particularly popular way for expectant couples to announce the sex of their babies to friends and families at baby showers...how cute!

Intrigued by this food trend, I looked up how exactly to color cake batter and found a very helpful article that breaks it down step-by-step. You can see the instructions below or click here for the full article. 

Instructions:

1. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.

2. Add three to five drops of food coloring to the cake mix and stir it in.

3. Check the coloring for the desired shade and add more food coloring if desired. The cake will bake to a lighter color than the batter. For instance, if you want a light pink cake, add red coloring to a white cake batter until it turns dark pink. 

4. Use a color mixing chart to create different colors from primary colors. For instance, the chart on Baking 911 recommends using one part each of blue and black to create gray.

5. Bake cake as directed

#88 Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before or not but I've made it my life goal to visit every bar on The Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die. I consider it to be my bucket list of sorts since I don't have a real bucket list. I LOVE a good beer and so many of these bars are in places that I'd like to visit so it's a no-brainer. I've only visited a few of the bars on the daunting this so far so this past weekend I decided to take a trip off the beaten path and visit #88 on the list, Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern, located in Monroe, Wisconsin. 

For anyone that doesn't know where Monroe, Wisconsin is located don't feel embarrassed. I had know idea where it was and I've lived in Wisconsin but after a quick Google Maps search I found Monroe to be about an hour from the IL-WI border and was on my way...
 

 

This is what most of the drive to Monroe looked like...lots and lots of farms and open space.

 Made it! The store in located on Monroe's town square.

Baumgartner’s has two maps that dominate one of its main walls - one of the US and one of the world. They will give you a pin to stick in the map to mark where you are from.

 I was amazed to see how far people had come to visit Baumgartner’s! It's a small world!

 Baumgartner’s is covered in signs filled with funny quotes. This one in particular "unattended children will be given a shot and a free puppy" was my personal favorite. 

 I have no idea why the ceiling was covered in dollar bills...

 The tavern is of Swiss origin so it has a big map of Switzerland with all of its cantons listed. 

 That's me with my beer! I chose a New Glarus Spotted Cow, a Wisconsin favorite.

 

Since it's a tavern AND cheese shop I thought it was only fitting that I purchased a cheese plate to go along with my beer.

I liked Baumgartner’s so much that I bought one of their t-shirts and posed with one of the animal statues on the town square. :)

Cheap Eat: Pastoral

So last week I was craving a lunch that was fresh, different but would still fit within my lunch budget. I had heard my co-workers rave about Pastoral so I decided that I would check it out. I don't know how they do it but Pastoral manages to stuff tons of delicious gourmet ingredients into their salads and sandwiches and sell them to customers at shocking prices. Granted this is not your McDonalds dollar menu, (not knocking it - I love a McD's hot fudge sundae as much as the next girl) but for getting a sandwich like the BLTA - house-made proscuitto bacon, mayonnaise, fresh tomatoes, avocado and field greens - for around six dollars or the Fromager's Salad - field greens, goat cheese, fresh tomatoes, spiced almonds and balsamic vinaigrette - for just over seven dollars is a great bargain for lunch in Chicago.

When I returned from my delicious lunch I did some further investigation on Pastoral's website. I found that they even offer wine classes and cater picnics that are quite reasonable in price. Since Pastoral's Loop location is so close to Millennium Park, I definitely see a picnic order in my future to go along with the free concerts in the park on Monday nights. :)

Selection of gourmet sauces and condiments

 Cute :)

 A SMALL section of the cheese case - I was so excited to see that Pastoral offers cheeses from all over the country, specifically from Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor!

 Pastoral's storefront

 Fromager's Salad - field greens, goat cheese, fresh tomatoes, spiced almonds and balsamic vinaigrette

I'll be seeing you

I'm loving this song today...Billie Holiday is a classic.

I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.

In that small cafe;
The park across the way;
The children's carousel;
The chestnut trees;
The wishin' well.

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day;
In every thing that's light and gay.
I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you.

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day;
In every thing that's light and gay.
I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you.

Summer Seafood

This past weekend I got a little adventurous after being inspired to make mussels ever since having them at Sardine a few weeks back. The idea of making mussels didn’t seem terribly difficult but I’d never made them before so I dug up one of the simplest recipes I could find to ensure minimal mistakes and headed off to the market. While waiting at the fish counter I spied some incredible-looking oysters so I figured I should get some to serve as an appropriate appetizer to my mussels. I also grabbed some peppers and onions to cook up and round out the meal for good measure.

The meal turned out way better than I expected. I enjoyed the simple yet delicious preparation of the mussels so much that I decided to include the recipe here:

Spicy Grilled Mussels Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/ tsp. crushed red pepper
• 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. mussels

Directions:

Place skillet on grill over medium. Add EVOO, garlic and red pepper; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, wine and bay leaf; simmer 5 minutes. Add mussels; cook, covered, 8 minutes.

Assortment of peppers and onions that I grilled to go with the mussels

 Side note: Oysters are a pain in the you-know-what to shuck so my advice is to trick someone else into doing it for you like I did

Mussels! Success!

Cheap Eat: Cozy Noodles n' Rice

I've decided that since I'm back in Chicago I'm going to commit to doing a weekly "Cheap Eat" blog post (in addition to other posts...hopefully) to showcase all of the amazing food stops that Chicago has to offer.

For my first Cheap Eat entry I chose Cozy Noodles n' Rice in Wrigleyville. I stopped in with my brother after a Cubs and fell in love with the quirky decor (see pictures below) and eclectic Thai menu. I ordered the Pad Khee Mao which was described on the menu as stir-fried spicy wide rice noodles with chicken, basil leaves, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, baby corn and bell pepper. I subbed the chicken for beef, added a bit of extra spicy sauce and viola a delicious and filling noodle feast.

My brother ordered the Dumpling Noodles - stuffed shrimp dumpling, Chinese broccoli, bean sprouts, egg noodles and BBQ pork. It looked delicious although I didn't sample it because I was too engrossed in my own plate of Thai happiness. :)

The restaurant itself is quite cozy and seems even tighter because it is wildly decorated with collectibles galore. However, Cozy Noodles n' Rice does offer a really nice outdoor seating area that if we weren't in a rush I would have taken advantage of.

The best part of the meal though I have to say was the price. Both of our dishes cost only $7.50 each - a steal for a filling meal that's sure to provide leftovers. In addition to having great prices, the restaurant also offers a number of coupons and deals on their website making Cozy Noodles n' Rice an easy choice for anyone - whether on a budget or not.

Here we go again...

So it may not come as a big shock to some of you but in less than two weeks I will be moving back to that beautiful city that inspired me to begin blogging in the first place - Chicago. After spending the past year in Wisconsin, I've been called back to the big city to take a job that I'm very excited to start. I am of course nervous and slightly stressed about all the things I need to do to prepare for my move, but I know that this is what's best for me. So get ready Girl and the Goat, Gilt Bar and Jam because you three are at the top of my list of must-visit places upon my return. :)

Girl and the Goat 

 Gilt Bar

Jam

Pinterest

I came across the site Pinterest this afternoon and it really did "peak my interest" (pun intended). According to their website, "Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste. People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things -- wedding inspiration, favorite T-shirts, DJ equipment. You name it, people are pinning it."

I poked through the site and stumbled upon the "staff favorites" section that features a number of categories that have already been populated with beautiful images. My personal favorite is the "graphic and type love" section curated by PAPERFASHION which showcases typographical art graphics and the best part in that my "pinning" the images, they are automatically linked to their native site. I've also included a number of my favorites from the section below. Enjoy!

 tumblr.com

 etsy.com

 society6.com

 youaremyfave.blogspot.com

 etsy.com

 abduzeedo.com

 tumblr.com

etsy.com