Haaaaapy Hall-oween Weekend!!

From our house to yours :)

Too Soon

We all know I love me some decorations -- I pretty much
keep Party City in business most months of the year. 

But please don't start Christmas-ing before Halloweenie...

I haven't even had a chance to O.D on bite size candies yet!!

Thanks, 

~The Management

Baby Texts

Every so often I receive wonderfully random picture texts on behalf of my little friends. They never fail to make my heart melt!

Here are a few as of recent that are simply too cute not to share :)

LOVE!

CSI New York

It's one thing that Alyssa DVR's every Crime Scene show known to man. It's another thing when the crime scene is on your corner...

No Bueno

Congratulations, Liz & Chris :)

Music: All You Need is Love by Brandi Carlile

HOLY WEDDING WOW-FACTOR!

I know it's super taboo to ever "rate" a wedding --

it's kinda like saying someone's child is cuter than another.

Not Cool

But it is fair to say that Liz & Chris's wedding was absolutely one of a kind and so special to be a part of. Needless to mention, we had a GREAT time celebrating  :)

To the new Mr. & Mrs. Kramer, 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you for finding each other and allowing us the opportunity to share in your incredible day. A million gazillion wishes to a lifetime of many more wonderful memories together :) 

X to the oh so many O's!

Stace

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Counting down the minutes 'til work's over 

to head to Lizzard's rehearsal dinner :)

Have I ever mentioned that I love weddings?!?

At least I'm starting to get the hang of 'em ;)

Pix to follow Monday

In the meantime,
here's a super funny blog to giggle at
and I hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Everything's Gonna Be Alright :)

Not gonna lie, I've been a lil' flustered since the acquisition about the "what's exactly next" part of my career-life.

Don't get me wrong, Change and Uncertainty are two of my besties, but I don't often like hanging out with them both at once... three's a crowd ;) 

Yesterday (while in a secret spell of anxious-nervousness)
my Dad saw me stewing over my laptop and said,
"Impy -- let's go for a bike ride through the farm and then to Jimmy John's -- they have great roast beef!"

(He's a very simple man... LOVE)

And I gotta tell ya, it was just what the doctor ordered :)

Because at the end of the day,

"Life's what happens while you're busy making other plans"

~John Lennon

 

Way to go, Nick Howard!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!!!

Although you weren't born yet, I'm fairly certain it was you that Edgar Guest had in mind when writing:

"And could I have one wish this year,
this only it would be:
I'd like to be the kind of friend
that you have been to me."

You're one in a million, Jeff.

Thank you for truly being the BESTEST bestie
a girl could ever ask for :)

HAPPY 1st ANNUAL 29th BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!

Hidden Treasures

With LOADS of 30th birthdays on the horizon, I spent a couple hours scouring old photo albums to photocopy funnies for all my old friends... no pun intended ;)

While in my parents' attic 
dusting off box after box

(insert sneezes here) 

I had the true fortune to experience what it's like
to be a pirate who discovers buried treasure 
when I found my very own...
"Time Capcil"!

Do not open until 2015?!?

Sorry 6th grade version of me, 

some things just cannot wait!

I nearly cried laughing reading "My Dream"

*****

My Dream

To live in Montana 
(I'm cracking up that I crossed that out!)

with 8 kids

(WHAT?!?)

6 of my own and 2 cultured kids adopted

(Move over Angelina! I apparently had that idea first)
(PS BTW: Who says 'cultured' kids?!?)

with lots of animals. I want to live with my family

and Erin Estey.

(Poor Erin didn't make the cut. Too funny)

I hope to stay best friends with
Cody Gundrum and Liz Kearny.

(Dying laughing that I spelled Lizzard's last name wrong!)

I am eleven years old and it is year 1992.

Have I folfilled my dream?
(Hooked-on-phonics clearly did not work for me)

Yes / No

*****

Inside the envelope were dozens of certificates from my junior sports teams, report cards, handwritten letters, print outs from Chicago museum visits, and all of the papers from the gazillion animals we adopted from the Lincoln Park Zoo. 

HA!STERICAL

So, have I "fofilled" my dream?

Ummmm,
I guess the answer is "Yes & No"?!

Good God I feel like such a let down!! ;) 

But hey, it's technically not 2015 yet,
so I guess I've got some serious baby-makin' to do...
Any takers?!?!

Bahahaha
Just kidding, Mom.

I HEART TIME "CAPCILS"

  

Don't Mind If I Do!

Before the weekend began, 

Hot Doug's was a must to try!

Anthony Bourdain and all the others were right, 

it's the best dog in town :)

Foi gras hot dog?!? 

Don't mind if I did!

Tack on some duck fat fries and

GOODNIGHT IRENE

Hot Doug's: 1

Stacey: 0
  

HOME :)

I'd forgotten how much I miss Sunday night dinner,

and it's not just because I can't don't cook ;)

Last night was extra nice to have Grandma Stella, Kendra & Stephen, and a few of his/our besties from Butler.

A special night for sure :) 

Florence Girls Reunion... Take Nine!

It's hard to believe almost a decade has past since we had the incredible opportunity to spend a semester abroad.  I've always felt so truly fortunate to have "studied" in Florence, but more so to have the continued best friendships that came from it. 

We've never broken our pact to have an annual reunion --  
a tradition I will always cherish :)

We've celebrated countless birthdays,
three BEAUTIFUL weddings:

Mega

Lee

Rachie

And this year we welcomed the first baby :) 

Olivia Maeve Elsener :)

I can't wait until the next...

we're thinking about having our 10 year back in Italy.

Yahoooooooooo!

Don't Mind If I Do

Before the weekend began, 

Hot Doug's was a must to try!

Anthony Bourdain and all the others were right, 

it's the best dog in CHItown :)

Foi gras hot dog?!? 

Don't mind if I did!

Tack on some duck fat fries and

GOODNIGHT IRENE

Hot Doug's: 1

Stacey: 0

Good Advice ...

I'm goin' I'm goin!!

Off to Chicago for a reunion, work, and a wedding :) 

Seriously?

To save monies on a fancy gym membership,
I go running "everyday" at the East River Park. 

Yesterday I was stretching outside the gate and, as I held on for dear life to catch my balance while doing one of those
hold-your-ankle-kill-your-quad maneuvers,
I noticed the following sign:

Hmmmmm,
do you see what I see? 

Let me help ya out a little
just so we're on the same page...

Seriously?!

I mean, it's one thing to ban drinking in the park.
(lame)
But to ban martinis?!?

And to take it a step further,
to specifically ban dirty martinis?!

Only in Manhattan...

I gotta get off this island! ;)

Incredible Writing

Confession:
I wanna french-kiss the brain cells of each writer for 30 Rock. I read the transcripts after every show and shake my head in awe.
SO.much.talent! 

I know I should be blogging about the inspiringly INCREDIBLE mining rescue mission in Chile (insert Kleenex here)
but I had to share this clip in case you haven't seen it.

Because when comedy plays to it's highest intelligence,
it is certain to be interesting. And at the end of the day,
it will always be more important to be interesting,
than funny :)

(Clip from minute 18:43 - 21:19)

"The first generation works their fingers to the bone. Second generation goes to college and innovates new ideas. The third generation goes snowboarding and takes improv classes."
~Jack Donaghy

I read a great article that these lines were a parody on an exerpt from a letter John Adams wrote to Abigail Adams in 1780. Whether it's true or not, I think both are absolutely brilliant :) 

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
~John Adams

BOO!!

Spooky hot chocolate... 
Like!

Yes, I ordered the big one ;)

(that's what she said)

HAIL!

This time, not to the Victors
(tough loss Saturday)

Literally, hail... 

Crazy storm last night!

Muhahahaha

    Pumpkin Burger... Brilliant!