Chicago Botanic Garden

The day was glorious! EVERYTHING was in bloom, the weather was perfect - 85, sunny, light breeze. We walked a good five plus miles over the course of the day, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air and getting some much needed exercise. It is one of our favorite spots to spend the day. We actually took about 250 pictures between us, while we were there. I know these are allot, but they were some of my favorites. You should seriously consider spending a few days a year here. At least one in the Spring/Summer and one in the fall, when the gardens are just as beautiful, but look completely different. It is one of those forgotten treasures of the area, totally under appreciated. http://www.chicago-botanic.org/

And this week....

Vacation all I ever wanted

Vacation had to get away

Vacation meant to be spent alone

Brotherly Love

Oh, the love between two brothers.......or a REALLY loud firecracker just went off outside, one or the other.

Summer Crush

Carlos Quentin - My Summer Crush 2008.

Word to the Wise..

Eating a bean burrito with five packets of Fire Sauce right before bed is NOT a good food choice.

I am not looking at you

And I wasn't waiting for you to come home either! --- Truman

Coming Soon

Cabbage, Leeks, Broccoli & Peas!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Yes, the strawberries are here! We spent this weekend at one of our favorite places, The Garden Patch Farm, picking some of the most yummy berries you have ever tasted. As you can see our cups runneth over with goodness. And that is just the beginning, we have already put up 6 batches of jam! Sweet sticky luscious strawberry jam. In two weeks - spring perfection in a jar.

Iris

Surprise surprise! My pathetic little garden sprouted some flowers - irises. The alliums I planted didn't survive all the frosts we had, so this will be the last of the flowers for this year. Hopefully the last flowers I ever grow in Illinois.

Hot Spot in the City

The Oak Street Beachstro!

http://www.oakstreetbeachstro.com/index.html

Now open! Every summer this amazing little place pops up in one of the best spots in the entire city. Palm trees, sand, yummy cocktails, all tucked into a little corner on Oak Street Beach. When you are there you forget all about the city, you almost think you were someplace nice. HA! I went there for our annual lunch with my friends Tina & Kim. The food is pretty good - ridiculously expensive - but you are really paying for the atmosphere. And the booze, you are paying for the booze too. If you are in Chicago between June & September, I highly recommend it. Bikini optional attire.

Quote of the Week

"A lot of people like to fool you and say that you're not smart if you never went to college, but common sense rules over everything. That's what I learned from selling crack"

- Snoop tells the new issue of Esquire

That is some funny shit!

MUST SEE - SATC

You MUST go see Sex and the City - The Movie!! OMG!! It was FABULOUS, AMAZING, WONDERFUL!!! If you loved the series, you will love, love, love the movie. It is as witty, heartbreaking, funny and endearing as the show ever was.

SJP - in a word - divine!

And if the heart wrenching drama of the film is not enough to keep your attention - the fashion will be. I think I read that SJP has 86 wardrobe changes in the film. Each one a stunner. Synopsis - bold prints and gladiator sandals this season. Color, straps and big bags - you can't have enough. I was so inspired by the movie, I had to do some emergency shoe shopping to capture what will be my signature shoe for the summer - the glittery gold gladiator pictured above.

Mimi's Toss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5p8jXfiwj8

The world's most girly first pitch! I love her!

Sleepy Puppy

History

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html

History is happening right NOW! Phoenix is minutes from landing on Mars. Appreciate this amazing moment.

Site of the Week

http://www.thedailygreen.com/

A consumers educational guide to going 'green'. Very cool info. An easy to use beginners guide to a better, greener existence.

He Did It

He did it! My sweetheart smartypants graduated May 16, 2008 - Magna Cum Laude with High Honors as a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Moraine Valley. The ceremony was very moving and I cried through the whole thing. I am so proud of him!! I could never have done it. For over two years he has gone to school full time, staying on the Presidents List semester after semester, and worked nearly full time PLUS taken care of the house, the babies and me! He is amazing! I love him so much! I am so proud!

OPEN HOUSE

This Sunday May 18, 2008 from 12-3. Send everyone you know who may want to buy a two bedroom condo. For more info go to http://home.gckeys.com We just lowered the price, too!

Touched by Humans - The Horror

Site of the Week

http://www.meetup.com/
Looking for friends and neighbors that share your interests? Find them at Meetup.com, a free site that connects hobbyists in your area. Simple type in your favorite past time and your zip code and find others in your area with similar interests. I wonder if they have a Nano club in Sarasota....

NANO

This is the amazing birthday present I got from my hubby last weekend! I LOVE IT!! It is my new 8 gig, gen 3 iPod Nano in my fave color - pink! I love it I love it I love it!! I would have blogged about it sooner, but I have been busy playing with it. It is so cool. I can watch TV, movies, listen to music, books, podcasts..... Right now I am trying to master the music part. I have already downloaded every song I could think of from iTunes and am importing all my cd's. Next is devising playlists and mixes. LOVE IT! I even have accessories...a SGK Breast Cancer Awareness sport armband for when I take walks and an FM tuner so i can play Nano in the car! I still want to get the player for in the house, but that can wait. If you can think of anything else i need, email me.

Adventure Kitty and Wonder Dog's Day in the Sun

Yes, we actualy had a day of sun! One, but it was there, we took pictures to remember it by.

MORE Flowers

She is Perfection

Three Years

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!

It was three years ago today that I got to marry my honey on a glorious beach in St. Croix. Three years and we are still glad to be with each other and excited about our future together. That is really cool.

Cupcake Heaven

http://www.mollyscupcakes.com/

OK, this may be the most expensive cupcake you have ever eaten - but it will also be the best! Winner of the 2008 Time Out Chicago Award for Best New Bakery. Truly amazing cupcakes. Made fresh daily, filled with primo ingredients, frosted with a touch of love - a must stop for indulgence! At Clark & Deming, across from the Starbucks, next to Wicked Wardrobe (also a good spot to check out) with convenient street parking. I know you will want to try all the flavors, but trust me, one is enough to send you into a diabetic coma, so control yourself. You can always come back tomorrow.

Master Truman Continues his quest for the Black Belt: